FORTY YEARS' MISSION WORK. FORTY YEARS' MISSION WORK IN POLYNESIA AND NEW GUINEA, FROM 1835 TO 1875. BY THE REV. A. W. MURRAY, OF THE LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY, AUTHOR OF "MISSIONS IN WESTERN POLYNESIA." " Thou Shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years." — Deut. vii. 2. NEW YORK: ROBERT CARTER & BROTHERS, No. 530 BEOADWAY. • « c r • ^r T • «* I* • • « « ••••! *■« k> •->••• • w tt % • •• • t • • • • • • * MDCCCLXXVI, • - •• • • • • • • • ■• • • • • »•• '»•» • •••• • • ••*••- • * • • p • • • ■ V k » • • • ,11 i>-^SANOWlCH iss O C E A N ^^ ?>:i MAnOU£SAS IS! 7% so c '•r'l ». o W A f, on p A o, . o^ c « o M TOOBOUa> ' S L A N D S CAMBiCR I. II Pi T C» I«M I. 6 1 ^ •56 7 2. PEEFACE. The writer of the following pages has, for a length of time, employed such intervals of leisure as he could command from official and other necessary duties in placing on record the leading events of his missionary life, in the hope tliat their publication may, by the Divine blessing, contribute something towards advanc- ^&' ing the interests of the great cause of Christian Mis- sions. '\^Tiether, and to what extent, they are likely to answer that end, others will be better able to judge than himself; and perhaps it hardly becomes him to express any opinion as to the ends the book is likely to answer. He ventures, however, to express a hope — First, That these records will, to some extent, interest and encourage the friends and supporters of Christian IMissions, and probably stimulate some to increased liberality in contributing towards their support. Second, The writer further hopes that young disciples who are desirous of giving themselves to Missionary \^ work will be interested and encouraged by what is here recorded, and that Missionary Students and young Missionaries will also find the work interesting and useful. 458850 vi PREFACE. And it may be mentioned further, as a reason for this publication, that there is much in it that "uoll have a historical value in future years, and which, on that account, may be deserving of a permanent record. The compilation of this work was begun in Samoa towards the close of 1870, and it has been carried on, under very varied circumstances, and sometimes with long intervals of interruption, till the present time. The chief difficulty which the writer has experienced, and the misgivings with which he has been troubled in its preparation, have arisen from the necessity which there seemed to be, in order to construct a connected narrative, to record many things of small importance in themselves, and many matters having much of a merely personal bearing: such things, however, he has endeavoured to touch as lightly as possible. He now commends the work to the blessing of Him, the interests of whose cause it is designed to subserve, and whose love and faithfulness it records. May He graciously grant, that the desired end may be largely promoted, and to Him shall be the praise. . Charter House, near Kelso, September 28, 1875. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. The voyage . CHAPTER II. I'rogress of the voyage towards our ulthnate destination — Occurrences by the way 7 CHAPTER III. K.'fiching the field— Girding on the amiour— Entering upon the work . 17 CHAPTER IV. Last stage of our voyage— Settlement at our own station ... 27 CHAPTER V. Entering upon our work — Description of the island — State of the natives — White men among the natives — An exceptional case — Hostility to us and our work — Murder of a white man by the natives — Dis- persion of the whites .31 CHAPTER VI. Further remarks on the state of the natives — First direct missionary efforts— Foreign visitors — Captain Morgan . . , . . 39 CHAPTER VII. First attempts at preaching in the native language— Remarks — A visit to the heathen villages — Incidents — A gleam of light amid the darkness of heathenism — Visit of a deputation from the Tahitian mission— Anival of Mr and Mrs M'Donald and two teachers from Rarotonga ........... 4edition to Manua — The first visit of an English man-of-war to Samoa 68 CHAPTER XL Return to Pangopango — Teachers' class — Increase of congregations and deepening interest among the people — First Christian mar- riage — Heathen mari'iages and difficulties arising therefrom — Opposition of foreigners to the port regulations — Issue of the struggle 74 CHAPTER XII. INIissionary prayer-meeting commenced — First May meeting — A church formed— Biographical notices !S2 CHAPTER XIII. The past and present— Continued progress — Adaptation of plans — Native helpers— First news f i-oni home — Ai-rival of the " Camden " — Stirring incidents 90 CHAPTER XIV. Remarks on the arrival of the "Camden" — Visit to LTpolu — Journey to Manono with Mr Williams — Death of Mrs Heath— Remarks — Meeting for business at Upolu — Return to Tutuila — Incidents of the voyage — Death of Mr Barnden ...... 9(» CHAPTER XV. Arrangements to meet our altered circumstances — Native agency — State of the Leone district — Chapel-opening at Leone — The French massacre— Encouraging .state of things in the Pangojiango district —Death of Maunga— Visit of the " Camden " . . . . 103 CONTENTS. ix CHAPTER XVI. Teava sent to our aid— His bistoiy, character, and usefulness— May meetings— Pomare's speech— First decidedly Christian death- First admissions to the church from the Leone district — Biogra- phical sketch— Times of refreshing— Interesting occurrence- Loving darkness rather than light— Kemarkable conversion . 110 CHAPTER XVII. Continued progress— The American exploring expedition— Ai'rival of Mr and Mrs Pratt —Admissions to the church— Deepening and extension of the work — First decided indications of its passing into the revival form — Removal of doubts as to the genuineness of the work — Revivals in Scotland ...... H-' CHAPTER XVIII. Hindrances— Steadfastness of the people — Progress of the awakening — Effect upon believers — Case of Lasalo — Conversations with the awakened — Close of the year 1839— Reflections .... 126 CHAPTER XIX. Entering upon the year 1840— Visit of Messrs Heath and Buchanan — Visit to Leone and Vaitongi— Chapel-opening at Leone— Visit to Manua by Messrs Heath and Buchanan — Return of Maunga and party from LTpolu — "War threatened but averted— Cha])el-opening at Pangopango — Farewell service with the brethren from Upolii — Progress of the awakening — First death in the church . . lo5 CHAPTER XX. Return of the " Camden " — The death of Messrs "Williams and Harris — Arrival of Messrs Slatyer and Harbutt, and Mr Lundie — Effect of the news of Mr Williams' death upon the natives — A hurricane — A missionary scene — Visit to Upolu — Important deliberations and decision respecting the " Camden " — Departure on a second missionary voyage 144 CHAPTER XXI. General remarks — State and prospects of the work — Visit to Leone with Mr Slatyer — State of things there — Additions to the church — Missionary meetings — First contributions to the missionary cause — Peculiarly interesting character of the meetings — Great . awakening at Leone— Effect upon the Pangopango district . . 152 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXir. Special services at Pangopango — Maunga brought under convictions — Extinction of heathenism in the village of Pango25ango — Jlis- sionary voyage to Savage Island — Case of Paulo, a native of Savage Island —Second anniversary of the formation of the church at Pangopango 162 CHAPTER XXIII. Visit to Leone — Mr Lundie — Meetings for prayer and intercourse — A heathen temjile and sacred grove — Increase of the church — Exclusions from the church — Conversion of an Englishman — Sketch of his life 169 CHAPTER XXIV. Wreck of an English whaler in Pangoi^ango harbour -A hurricane — Close of the year 1840— Return of the "Camden" — Success of the voyage — Visit to Upolu and arrangements for another mis- sionary voyage— Preparations for the voyage — Departure — Pro- ceedings among the islands visited — Visit to Sydney — Return to Samoa with a party of missionaries — State of Mr Lundie's health — Last illness and death — Remarks thereon .... 178 CHAPTER XXV. State of things on Tutuila on our return — The remaining heathen — Remarks upon the commencement of 1842— Opening of a new chai^el at Leone — Bright anticipations on the occasion — Painful disappointments — Illness of Mrs Slatyer — Return of the "Cam- den " from a voyage among the Tahitian and' Hervey Islands — Departure of Mr and Mrs Slatyer — Their subsequent history . 192 CHAPTER XXVL Arrangements to meet altered circumstances — Encouraging state of things — Failures in tlie church — Maunga's defection — Subsequent course and death — Return of the "Camden" — A Gale — Depar- ture of the " Camden " for England— Remarks .... 201 CHAPTER XXVIL Close of 1842 and entering upon 1843— Continued trials and difficul- ties — United meeting of the churches at Pangopango — Removal of Mr and Mrs BuUen from Upolu to Tutuila— Missionary meet- ings — Mr and Mrs BuUen enter upon the charge of the Leone district — Plans of usefulness — Boarding-school at Leone — Teachers' class at Pangopango — Prosperous state of the work — Continued trials 209 CONTENTS. xi CHAPTER XXVIII. Visit to Upolu— Meetings of the mission — Commencement of the Malua Institution — Arrival of Jlr Stall worthy — Settlement and subsequent course— Striking and affecting close of his life and labours — Return to Tutuila— Mr Bullen's \\s\t to Manua— Mar- vellous deliverance of himself and party — May meetings— State of religion on the island at the close of 1844— Serious illness of Ml- Bullen 215 CHAPTER XXIX. Arrival of the first " John Williams "—Return of Mr Heath— Arrival of Messrs Powell and Sunderland — Visit to Upolu— Missionaiy voyage — Temporary appointment of Mr and Mrs PoweU to Pango- pango— Interest excited by the voyage— Native pioneers— Lead- ing incidents of the voyage — Close of the voyage— State of things on Tutuila on our return 227 CHAPTER XXX, Visit of H.M.S. " Daphne "—Arrival of Mr Consul Pritchard— A message from Her Majesty Queen Victoria to the chiefs of Tutuila — Departure of Mr and Mrs Powell — Jubilee of the London Mis- sionary Society — Encouraging state of the work — Departure of the "John Williams" for England— Personal trial connected therewith — Arrival of the Rev. John Geddie and party from Nova Scotia— Remarks on the origin and bearing of their mission 2.33 CHAPTER XXXI. Meeting of the mission — Determination to attempt the formation of a mission on the New Hebrides— Appointment of Mr Bullen to the projected mission— Visit of Bishop Selwyn— Remarks— Prepara- tions for the new mission— lUness and death of Mr Bullen . . 244 CHAPTER XXXIL Missionary services— Return of the "John Williams" from England — Arriv.al of Messrs Ella and Schmidt— Meeting of the mission- Arrangements to meet the altered circumstances with reference to the new mission — Commencement of the mission on Aneiteum of the New Hebrides— Return to Tutuila— Visit to Leone- Encouraging state of things in both districts on Tatuila— Re- moval to Leone 253 CHAPTER XXXIII. State of the mission at the close of 1848— Occurrences at Pangopango —Missionary meetings— Liberal contributions— Painful domestic trial— Remarks thereon— Voyage among the out-stations— State and prospects of the work— Return of Mr and Mrs Powell to Samoa, and settlement at Pangopango 260 xii CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXXIV. State of the mission on Tutuila on our return from our voyage— Re- marks relative to the Pangopango district — Tour round the district — Progress at Leone — Special meetings — A humcaue out of season — Great destruction of houses and fruit-trees — Landslip — Three persons killed — May meetings and contributions at Leone — Scarcity of food — Resources of the natives in times of scarcity — Story of the Chinese banana— The Samoan New Testament — Removal from Tutuila to Manono determined upon . . . 266 CHAPTER XXXY. Last days on Tutuila— Visits to Pangopango — Last Sabhath at Leone • — Departure for Upolu — Return with Mr and JIrs Sunderland to Tutuila — Reception at Manono — Description of Manono — Its past history and present positioii — State of the mission— The war — First jjrbceedings and labours — Notice of Mamoe — Suspension of the war- Visit to and description of Apolima — Revision work — Renewed preparations for war — Gloomy close of 1851 . . . 275 CHAPTER XXXVI. Return of the "John "Williams " from England— The Rev. AV. Law— A painful occurrence connected with the arrival of the "John Williams" — Visit to our out-stations in conjunction with Mr Sunderland — Cheering prospects — Remarks— Revision work and missionary meetings — A veteran missionary — Slight symptoms of progress in my own district— Decision to take a voyage to Sydney . .^ 288 CHAPTER XXXVII. Departure from Samoa — Arrival in Sj'dney — Accident to the "John Williams " — Unexpected arrival in Sydney — Anotlier missionary voyage — Continued progress on Aneiteum — Mr and Mrs Inglis — Sad occurrences on Tanua — Progress on Eramanga, Vate, and the Loyalty Islands — Death of the teacher Setefano— Brief notice of his life and character — Arrival at Samoa— Manono abandoned as a principal station — Revision work — Appointment to Apia . . 29;> CHAPTER XXXVIII. Entering upon the care of the Apia station— The harbour and village of Apia — Population, native and foreign — The island of Upolu — State of the district — First Sabbatli at Apia — Arrival of Messrs Creagh and Jones — Missionary meetings — Hopeful conversion of an important chief— Arrangement with reference to Malua — Voyage of the " John AVilliams " to the out-stations— Return and departure for England — Missionai-y meetings— Contributions- Symptoms of improvement in the Apia district — Completion of the translation and printing of the Samoan Bible— Celebration of the event throughout the group 200 CONTENTS. xiii CHAPTER XXXIX. Visit of the Uuited States ship of war "St Mary's" — Proceedings of Captain Bailey— Visits of H.M.S. "Juno" and "Dido"— The United States frigate " Independence " — Extraordinary proceed- ings — May meetings — Mr Mills decides not to return to the mission field — Mrs Mills — Definite arrangement with reference to the Apia station— Encouraging indications— School for the children of foreign settlers — Termination of the war , . . 311 CHAPTER XL. Early months of 1857 — House-building — Return of the " John Williams" from her fourth visit to England— Retirement of Captain Morgan — Mr and Mrs Gordon — Missionary voyage of the " John WiUiams " — A voyage to Sydney — Return voyage — Tahiti — Mr Howe — "The right man in the right place" — Character and death of Mr Howe — Arrival at Samoa— Danger in communi- cating with Pangopango— Reaching home 324 CHAPTER XLI. Addition of the Saluafata station to that of Apia — History of the station — Contributions to the London Missionary Society, and for the support of native pastors during 1858 — Voyage of the "John Williams " among our out-stations — Introduction of the gospel to the Tokelau group— Encouragement at Apia — The Eng- lish school — Resignation of Mr Stearns — Some particulars relative to Mr Stearns— Hojieful conversion and death of a sojourner — Hopeful conversion and death of an old settlei' — Revision of the Samoan Bible— Missionary meetings and contributions for 1859— Another voyage of the " John Williams " — Location of Messrs M'Farlane and Baker on Lifu — Extract from the report of the voyage — Departure of the "John Williams" for England — The Samoan Bible and Aneiteum New Testament .... 329 CHAPTER XLII. The English chapel — Visit to the Falealili district — Candidates — Schools, &c. — Reflections — Visit to Saluafata — Proceedings there — Arrival of Mr and Mrs Drummond— Missionary meetings at Apia, Saluafata, and Faugaloa — Contributions — Another visit to Saluafata and Fangaloa — Description of Fangaloa— Our own cir- cumstances . •• 341 CHAPTER XLIIL Prospects again darkened — A week-service in English — Special ser- vices throughout the mission — Missionary meetings and contribu- tions for home and abroad for 1861 — Remarkable conversion of one of our foreign settlei's — Twenty-fifth anniversary of our aiiival in Samoa — Encouragement among the foreign community xiv CONTENTS. PAGE — Return of the "John Williams" from England— Arrival of Messrs Lawes and Bird — Our case decided — Fai-ewell services and parting scenes — Departure — State of things in the A\iia, and Saluafata districts in May 1862 349 CHAPTER XLIV. The voyage — Trials of the missions in the New Hebrides— Hopeful indications on Ei-amanga and Yate— Introduction of teachers to Epi and Espiritu Santo — Origin of the mission ship "Dayspring" — Consultation with the missiouaries of the Loyalty Islands mis- sion — Stay on Aneiteum— Departure and arrival in Sydney . 359 CHAPTER XLV. Return to the mission field — Reappointment to the Aj^ia station — Departure of Mr and Mrs Gee— Resuming work at Apia — Death of Mr Schmidt— Illness and death of Mrs Bird— Death of Mr J. M. Mills — Dreadful hurricane and loss of four vessels with all onboard — Wreck of the first "John Williams" — Death of Mrs Whitmee and Mr Bird — Visit to Savaii— Close of the year 1864— Another dreadful hurricane — Wreck of a vessel in Apia harbour, and loss of thirteen lives 363 CHAPTER XLVI. First missionary voyage to the Ellice's group — Remarkable orighi of the voyage —Arrival at Nukulaelae — Iniquitous doings of the Peruvian slavers — Settlement of a teacher — Fvmafuti — Doings of the slavers there — Great desire of the j)eople for a teacher — Nukufetau — State of the people and introduction of a teacher — Vaitupu — The first home of the original settlers— Intei-esting facts — Visit to Nui — Cheering recej^tion — Interesting state of the people — Their origin — An odd character — Close of the voyage — Reflections ........... 375 CHAPTER XLVII. The hand of God again upon us— Visit of the "Dayspring" — Call at the Tokelau and Ellice's groups — Conveyance of teachers to Vaitupu and Nui — Visit to Tutuila and Manua — A second voyage to the Ellice's group— Arrival at Nukulaelae — Touching inci- dents — Remarkable escape of a native from a slave-ship — Signs of spiritual life — An interesting Sabbath — Remarkable preserva- tion from shipwreck — Funafuti — wonderful progress — Vaitupu — Great advancement — The first church-goicg bell in Ellice's group — State of the mission on Nukufetau — From light to darkness — . The cai^tain of a slave-ship baffled — A horrid tragedy — unautho- rised punishment — Visit to Nanomea — Curious customs — Pre- ferring darkness to light — Objects of worship and sacred relics — Visit to Nui — Wonderful progress — Pleasant intercourse with the natives— Close of the voyage 394 CONTENTS. XV CHAPTER XLVIII. Notices of the missions on Ellice's group continued — Visit of the Rev. H. Bingham— Visit of the Rev. S. J. Whitmee— State of the missions on Nukulaelae and Funafuti— Extraordinary zeal and liberality of the people of Vaitupu— The teacher Peni and his work — State of the mission on Nukufetau — Continued progress on Nui — Exemplary generosity of the people— Introduction of the gospel to Niutao— A footing gained on Nanomea — The slavers again- Items of intelligence from the reports of Messrs Powell, Pratt, and Davies — Close of our notices of these missions . . 411 CHAPTER XLIX. Hopeful commencement of 18G7 — Wreck of the second " John Williams " — Liberal contributions — Arrangements for a new edition of the Samoan Bible — Another visit to Tutuila — Appoint- ment of a king — A missionary voyage to the Tokelau groujD — State of the missions on Fakaofo and Atahu — Proceedings tliere — Gloomy prospects in Samoa — War commenced — Indecisive struggles — One of the war parties in exile, and their lands and homes in the hands of strangers — Alternations of hope and fear 424 CHAPTER L. Arrival of the third " John Williams " — A voyage on account of healtli — Call at Aneiteum, and important consultations — General impression respecting the state of our missions — Voyage of the "John Williams " to Sydney — Departure of Dr and Mrs Turner for England — The new edition of the Samoan Bible — Decision to remove to the Loyalty Islands — The revision of the Bible finished — More fighting, and large loss of life — Last missionary meetings in Samoa — AYaiting — Cessation of the war — The Tuamasanga re- stored to their own land — Arrangement for our departure — Our work in Samoa done — Last Sabbath in Samoa — Kindness of natives and foreign residents — Departure — Closing remarks . 434 CHAPTER LI. Arrival at Lifu — The New Guinea mission projected — origin of the mission — Transfer of our interest in the New Hebrides to the Presbyterian churches — First voyage to New Guinea — First sight of the coast — Grand appearance of the island — Arrival at Darnley Island — Description of the island and people — Teachers intro- duced — Curious customs — Visit to Warrior Island — Remarks on the island and natives — A footing gained on Tauan — The island and the people — Appointments of the teachers — Visit to Katau on the mainland — The people, houses, etc. — Second visit to Darnley Island — Visit to Cape York — Redscar Bay — Remarks — Return voyage— Safe arrival at the Loyalty Islands . . . 445 xvi CONTENTS. CHAPTER LII. PAGE Kemoval to Mare — Brief notice of our connection with the Mare mission — Proposal to take charge for a time of the New Guinea mission — Voyage in the " John Williams " to Cape York — Diffi- culties on our arrival — Conveyance of teachers to Murray Islands — Cruise among the islands of Torres Straits — State of the mission — Arrangements for the distribution and location of the teachers — Introduction of teachers to the mainland — Commence- ment of a mission on Banks Island — Visit to Darnley Island — Remarkable commencement of the mission on Murray Islands — Redscar Bay — Settlement of teachers there — Bampton Island — • Introduction of teachers — Promising appearances — The Fly River — Return to Cape York 460 CHAPTER LIII. Departure of Mr Gill — General remarks on our residence at Cape York — Difficulty in obtaining vessels — Sickness and deaths among the teachers — Painfully anxious circumstances — Help ren- dered by Captain Moresby — ]\Iurder of the teachers on Bampton Island — -Voyage in the "Viking" — All the teachers brought from Redscar Bay to Cape York — Other voj'ages in Torres Straits — First voyage to Port Moresby — Location of teachers at Anua- pata — Second voyage to Port Moresby, and visit to all the stations in the Straits — Location of a teacher at Boera — Arrival of Mr M'Farlane-The "EUengowan "— H.M.S. " Challenger "—Kind- ness of Captain Nares — First missionary voyage of the "EUen- gowan " — Supplementary voyage — Arrival of Mr and Mrs Lawes — Arrival of the "John AVilliams " — Voyage of the "John AVilliams " and the " EUengowan " to Port Moresby — Location of Mr and Mrs Lawes — Return of the "John Williams" to Sydney 477 CHAPTER LIV. New Guinea as a field of missionary enterprise — Notice of a German mission on an island near New Guinea — General description of New Guinea — Discovery — Early visitors — Remarks on " Wander- ings in the Interior of New Guinea" — The inhabitants, manners, customs, &c.— Religious belief among the native tribes of New Guinea and the aborigines of Australia — Concluding remarks — Encouragement — Certainty of final triumph — Close of the work 494 Index 507 CHAPTER I. THE VOYAGE. It was in the month of Novemher 1835 that the writer and his fellow-labourers embarked on board the vessel that was to convey them to their destination. The voyage they had before them was a formidable under- taking. Widely different were the circumstances in which it had to be made from those under which missionaries are wont to proceed to their fields of labour in these altered times. A trading vessel, the " Dunnottar Castle," one hundred and eighty tons burden, was chartered for the occasion ; and it was arranged that, instead of taking the usual route via Cape of Good Hope, we should go by way of Cape Horn. On the morning of the 7th of the above month, we proceeded by steam from London to Gravesend, accompanied by a number of friends and relations, where we went on board our little craft, and, after an affecting service conducted by the Eev. John Arundel, Home Secretary of the London Missionary Society, we parted from the loved ones we were leaving behind, they returning to their various avocations in the metropolis of the world, and we directing our course to a group of islands at the ends of the earth, of which, at that time, not a great deal was known beyond the name. It A 2 THE FAREWELL. is affecting to think how many of those who united on that memorable day on board the " Dunnottar Castle " in sincrincf — " Jesus, at Tliy command AVe launch into the deep," &c., have passed away. However, we sorrow not as those who have no hope ; we and they shall shortly meet again ; and how blessed will be the contrast between that meeting and the circumstances in which we bade each other fare- well! And now the last ties that bound us to dear Old England seemed severed; the wide world was before us, and blank enough were our prospects, and sad enough were our hearts ; but a measure of rehef was soon found by looking to Him in whose service and at whose com- mand we had gone forth, and in thinking of the work before us, in the prosecution of which we hoped to find more than an equivalent for all we were leaving be- hind. Our party consisted of eleven, viz., the Eev. Thomas Heath and Mrs Heath, the Eev. Charles Hardie and Mrs Hardie, the Eev. William Mills and Mrs Mills, the Eev. Alexander M'Donald and Mrs M'Donald, the Eev. George Barnden, and the writer and his wife. We were on the whole a happy company — we had unity with variety in a striking degree. We differed in age, in temperament, as regarded the circumstances of our early life, and the views we had formed on many subjects, and we were compara- tive strangers to one another ; but in all that was of vital moment we were one — we were all one in Christ Jesus ; and we were all animated by one great leading desire and purpose, viz., to make known the gospel of the grace of God among the benighted tribes scattered over the isles of the great Pacific ; — that was the ambition that filled and fired our souls, and we seemed ready to encounter any trials or DISCOMFORTS OF THE VOYAGE. 3 hazard any dangers that might lie in our way in the accom- plishment of that great end. Hence the hardships and perils of the voyage, though not inconsiderable, were not much accounted of, and by none were they more bravely borne than by the ladies. The indifferent accommodations on board our little craft ; the scanty and poor fare on which we had to subsist during a large part of the voyage ; the piercing cold of Cape Horn, off which we were driven hither and hither by fierce winds for six long weeks, when the choice lay between enduring the cold on deck or being all but stifled with smoke below ; — these and other incon- veniencies were borne with lieroic fortitude. The ^VTiter looks back with wonder and gratitude to these trving times, thankful that they are past and gone, and that they were suffered in the interests of a cause that is altogether worthy. The voyage lasted five months, during the whole of which time we saw no land except the Cape de Verd Islands and the bleak Falkland Isles, of wliich we had distant glimpses as we passed along. Owing to some mistake or misman- agement in furnishing the ship, we had no light either in our cabins or in the saloon during a considerable part of the voyage, so in the long di^eary evenings off Cape Horn, we had either to remain in the dark below or in the cold on deck. But what is the use of perpetuating the remem- brance of these small matters, which are of little or no moment to any except those immediately concerned ? Perhaps it might have been as well to pass them by ; but tliere is one end which the mention of them, may answer, viz., to read a lesson of contentment to missionaries pro- ceeding to or from their fields of labour in these days, when voyaging is such a different thing to what it was forty vears asro. We had frightful weather off Cape Horn. It was mid- winter, and the cold, of course, was intense, and the gales 4 A SAD INCIDENT. and seas were such as sometimes shook the strongest nerves among us. And about the time when our prospects were at the darkest, an event took place which saddened our hearts more than anything that liad occurred or did occur during the voyage. It happened on one of our gloomiest days. The wind was blowing a gale and the sea running mountains higli. A young man, while in the act of adjusting a rope near the end of one of the yards, fell, or rather the vessel gave a heavy lurch, and he was enguKed in the waves. The alarm was given — " A man overboard ! " All was con- sternation. A boat was lowered with all possible despatch, but before it was ready to leave the sliip, an announce- ment was made which fell upon the heart like a death- knell, as indeed it was — " It is too late ; he is gone." He was so loaded with clothing, and the sea was so rough, that his strength was soon exhausted, and in a few minutes from the time of his falling he sank to rise no more till the sea give up its dead. It was well the boat did not leave the ship. If it had, it would have been in great danger of being swamped, and in that case all that were in it would have been lost, and we should not have had hands enough left to work the ship. There was more than ordinary interest connected with the young man who was taken from us in circumstances so dis- tressmg. He was the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. His father had been the commander of a ship, and his mother was the daughter of a higlily respect- able minister of the gospel, who fOled a professor's chair in one of our ISTorthern universities some half a century ago. About a week after the occurrence of this sad event, our circumstances took a favourable turn. Matters had well- nigh reached a crisis. Provisions were getting very short ; there was no prospect of a change of wind ; twice had we doubled the dreadfid. Cape, and been driven back, and the TRYLYG CIRCUMSTANCES. 5 question was being seriously discussed wlietlier we had not better change the ship's course and stand away for the Cape of Good Hope ; but it was a choice of difficulties. Had we adopted that course we should have had such a distance to run, that we should in all probability have suffered from scarcity of food and water. Under these circumstances, we seemed shut up to look simply to God. So we all felt on the morning of Sabbath, February the 20th. We consulted together, and it was arranged that in all the services of the day our peculiar circumstances should be kept in view, and made the sub- ject of special reference in our prayers, and that in the evening we should have a prayer-meeting instead of the usual ser-vice. Perhaps at no time had our situation appeared more hopeless than on that Sabbath morning. We had passed a dreadful night, and there were no signs of improvement. There was a tremendous sea, and our little bark was being tossed about apparently at the mercy of the winds and waves, now mounting aloft, then descending into the yawning depths, and seeming as if at any moment it might be engulfed; but "man's ex- tremity is God's opportunity." Deliverance was at hand. Fervent prayer was offered throughout the day, but that day closed, as so many before it had done, without any change. The hour for the evening service drew on, and we were about to meet to carry out the arrangement of the morn- ing. But " before they call I will answer." An announce- ment from the deck, such as had not been made for many a day, was heard — " A change of wind ! " " About ship." Oh, what a joyful surprise ! — our prayers were largely turned into praises ; the crisis was past, and from that time forward we proceeded on our way without further interruption. The storms of Cape Horn were soon left behind, and instead we had over us a cloudless sky, and 6 A HAPPY TRANSITION. under us the gentle waves of the great Pacific, realising to us noiu the significance and appropriateness of the name. It would interest the reader little to be told how we spent our time during these long weary months. We were not idle, nor was our time spent upon trifles. We felt ourselves on the eve of entering upon a great work — a work to which we looked as our life-work — and only those subjects and occupations that had a pretty du-ect bearing upon that work had much interest for us. Hence our circumstances shaped our studies, directed our reading, determined the subjects we discussed, and gave a char- acter to all our intercourse. And so our voyage passed away. During the closing weeks we had delightful sail- ing — all the more enjoyed on account of what had gone before ; and on the 30th of March 1836 we reached the Marquesas Islands, and made our first acquaintance with actual heathenism and actual missionary life. " Then are they glad because they be quiet ; so He bringeth them to 'their desired haven." ( 7 ) CHAPTEE II. PROGKESS OF THE VOYAGE TOWAEDS OUR ULTIMATE DESTINATION — OCCURRENCES BY THE WAY. The sight of land after our long voyage was inexpressibly- cheering. j\Iany voyages has the wTiter made since that memorable day when our eyes first gazed upon the Marquesas Islands, as one after another they Avere descried in the distance, and as we drew nearer and nearer their shores, but never again has the sight of land awakened such intensely joyous emotions. Land was seen about 7 A.M. Durinsj the course of the day we passed three islands, higli, bold, and rugged ; and towards evening we made Santa Christina, the island to wliich we were bound. On that island two of our missionary brethren, Messrs Eogerson and Stallworthy, had been labouring for a short time — about eisfhteen months — and we caried letters and supplies for them from England. Towards evening we drew near the part of the island to which we were bound — Eesolution Bay. As we approached the anchorage, which we did not reach till an hour or more after sunset, a number of natives came off to us, and all was speedily bustle and excitement. The Marquesans, at the time referred to, were among the most degraded and debased of all the tribes of Eastern Polynesia. Their covering was of the scantiest kind, and their whole appearance and bearing were to us exceedingly repulsive. 8 FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF HEATHENISM. Hence some of our party were much shocked, and were inclined to doubt whether they had sufficiently counted the cost of the undertaking in which we had embarked. We had read and heard much of heathens, and had formed ideas as to their appearance and character ; but, when we actually saw them, we found that our notions differed widely from the reality. This was to be accounted for partly by the fact that we saw the worst first; and for some reasons, perhaps, that was to be regretted. Had any of our party been half-hearted in their attachment to the cause of missions, the consequences might have been serious. As it was, however, it was all right. The first shock was soon got over, and we were prepared to appre- ciate what had been accomplished in our older missions to an extent we should not otherwise have been ; and, more- over, it was a good preparation for what was before us in our own field of labour. Mr Eogerson came on board to welcome us on the evening of our arrival ; and on the following morning we all went on shore, anxious to see all that was to be seen, and to do all in our power to cheer the hearts and strengthen the hands of the httle missionary band in the trying circumstances in which they were placed. We found that they had been pursuing their work amid great discouragements. No visible impression had been made. Still our friends were disposed to labour on in hope that in due time they should reap. The missionary premises — the brethren had succeeded in putting up a pretty comfortable house — were situated in the bosom of a small fertile valley covered with bread- fruit, cocoa-nuts, bananas, and other tropical productions. At a short distance behind, rose mountains to the height of from 2000 to 3000 feet, part of the central ridge which extends nearly the whole length of the island, and sends down, at intervals, spurs which terminate precipitously in THE MARQUESAS MISSION. 9 the sea. Over one of these, the gentlemen of our party managed to clamber, and beyond it we found another valley exactly similar to the one in which the mission settlement stands ; and so, we were told, it is pretty much all round the island — ^mountain spurs running down into the sea, with rich valleys between, in which are found the villages of the natives. It is difficult to conceive anything more rich and beautifid. than are these valleys ; but oh ! the dense darkness that covers them, and the cruelties and abominations that are practised in them — enough to make one " hang one's head, and blush to think oneself a man." The consolation is, that it will not be so always. The foul orgies of idolatrous worship and the cruelties and abomi- nations of heathenism will not always pollute these lovely valleys. The Prince of Peace "svill yet claim them for His own, and the songs of Zion will yet echo from valley to valley and from rock to rock throughout all these beautiful ■ isles — the glory of the Lord will yet cover them as the waters cover the sea. Santa Christina is a small island — perhaps not more than twenty-five or thirty miles in circumference, and, at the time of our visit, the population was estimated at about 1500. Our circumstances did not allow of our makin^ a Ions stay with our friends. On the afternoon of the 3d of April they came on board, and we had a farewell service, after which we bade each other adieu. A short time after our A'isit, Mr and Mrs PtOgerson removed to the Tahitian group, the state of things among the Marquesans being such that it was not considered proper for a married missionary to remain among them. On the arrival of the "Camden," in 1838, another unmarried mis- sionary, Mr Thomson, joined Mr Stallworthy, and these brethren laboured on for some years. Contrary, however, to our experience in all other fields which we have at- lo SUCCESS OF THE MISSION. tempted to cultivate in Eastern Polynesia, no visible impression was made, and tlie mission was at length abandoned. It is with great satisfaction we add, that, for a number of years, successful missionary operations have been carried on on the group by native Havjaiian missionaries sent by the American missionaries labouring on that group. They are supported by the Hawaiian Missionary Society, and superintended by the missionaries, who make periodical visits to the islands in the American missionary ship "Morning Star." This effort was commenced in 1857. On the 1st of June of that year, the "]\Iorning Star" anchored off Hivaoa, one of the islands of the group, and the subsequent history of the islands seems to prove that her arrival was to them what her name imports — the har- binger of day. , A brief extract from the report of a missionary from the Sandwich Islands, the Eev. Titus Corn, who visited the mission in 1860, will bear me out in the opinion I have expressed : — " Never have I enjoyed a season of deeper, purer interest than in meeting these tamed savages, these happy Christian converts from amid darkness the most deep, depravity the most profound, and pollutions the most loathsome." And a few words which may be quoted from one of the native Hawaiian missionaries are equally conclusive that a work of God is in progress among the Marquesans. "God sent us here," said the good man, "not man. He has preserved us, our wives and little ones, in perils by sea, in perils among robbers, and in perils by war. He has given us influence and favour among the people, so that our names are sacred and our persons safe. He has made us mediators between bloodthirsty and vindictive foes. He has drawn numbers from the tabus and from all heathen orgies, and made them our docile pupils. Above aU, He has given us souls. There is a church, there are TAHITI. II Christians, saints, here," &c. All honour to the worthy men and women who are bearing the heat and burden of the day on the Marquesas ! Peace be with them ! May the Master whom they serve cheer them by growing tokens of His presence and blessing — rendering their labours more and more effective, and multiplying tlieir converts a thousand-fold ! On the evening of April the 3d, we took our departure from the Marquesas and stood for the next island to which we were bound, the far-famed Tahiti, and on tlie morning of the 12th of April the higli land was seen. We did not get to anchor till the 14tli. All day on the 13 th we were becalmed about fifteen or twenty miles from the land. Thus w^e had ample leisure to gaze upon the bold, lofty mountain ranges, with the hills and valleys of the " Queen of the Pacific," as Tahiti was at that time regarded — to reflect upon its eventful history, so inspiring and heart-stirring to the young missionary, and to antici- pate our own future as that was pictured in our sanguine imaginations. We got to anchor towards noon on the 14th, and soon after went on shore ; and now we were repaid for the shock we had endured at the Marquesas. What a contrast met us ! Certainly but for what we had seen we should not have been impressed as we were, nor should we have appreciated as we did the wonders which God had wrought at Tahiti. We remained till the 20th, so w^e had sufficient time to look about us. We had the privilege of meeting with aU tlie missionary brethren then on the island — a privilege which we did not lightly prize. There were tlie representatives of three generations of missionaries. There was Mr Henry, the sole survivor, who remained in the field, of the party that sailed in the first voyage of the "Duff." Mr Nott was still alive, but he was absent at the time on a visit to England. There were Davies and 12 FIRST SABBATH IN THE ATISSION FIELD. Wilson, the survivors of the second party by the " Duff," with Messrs Darling, Pritchard, and Orsmond, who had joined the mission at later periods. We made it our business to learn all we could here and elsewhere as we passed along, and we did learn much that was of great value to us in our future work. The first Sabbath which missionaries spend in the mission field is generally a time of great interest — a time when feelings are experienced and impressions received which are never forgotten or lost. So it was emphatically with us. The sight of a congregation of about a thousand people, who only a few years before had been cruel savages, wallowing in the vilest abominations of heathen- ism, decently clothed and gathered together for the worship of the true God — to hear their songs of praise, and witness the devout and intelligent interest with which they seemed to attend to the various parts of the service, was indeed a deeply moving sight. One incident that occurred at the close of the afternoon service is worthy of a permanent record. Mr Pritchard, who was the missionary at Papeete at the time of our visit, invited us to ask the conOTegation any question we might think proper. One of our number proposed a question to the following effect : — What would you think of parting with your missionaries and returning to heathenism ? The answer was given by one of the seven judges of the island, and was as follows : — " This is what I have to say in answer to your question. It is like a spear pointed at the heart and partly inserted in the breast. I will reply to it by asking you two questions : first. The people of England were once heathens as well as we ; how would they like to part with all their ministers and teachers and return to their former state ? Or, how would the directors of the London Missionary Society like such a thing after what they have expended upon Tahiti and done for Tahiti ? Our answer to your question is TRIUMPH OF CHRISTIANITY. 13 decidedly, No. x\nd even were the missionaries to leave us, we should by no means go back to our former state." Poor people ! little did either they or we imagine that in a few years the supposition as to missionaries leaving them would be, with a solitary exception, an actual fact. It is delightful to tliink, however, that notwithstanding all that has occurred, they have not gone back to their former state — that Tahiti is still a Christian land, and to feel assured that so it will in the main continue to be, for the bulwark of truth is there. The Bible is in the hands of the people in a language which they can read and under- stand, and thus a foundation is laid against which the gates of hell shall not prevail. On leaving Tahiti we crossed over to the neighbouring island of Eimeo, twenty-five miles distant. Eimeo has a historic interest. It formed a convenient retreat in the early years of the mission, when troubles arose on the large island, rendering temporary withdrawal necessary ; and after the suspension of the mission for a season, the missionaries on commencing it began their efforts on Eimeo, and thence extended them to the large island. To Eimeo also the Christian party fled in 1815, when a confederacy to exterminate them had been formed among the heathen, who at that time were a vast majority. Intelligence of the plot was happily conveyed to the Christians in time to allow of their escape. At Eimeo they put themselves in a position to defend themselves; thither their enemies followed them, and on a Sabbath-day, when the Christians were assembled for divine service, they made a furious attack upon them. The result was, not the extermination of Christianity, but of heathenism ; and from that time onward Christianity was in the ascen- dant in Tahiti and Eimeo. The clemency of the king, Pomare, and the Christian chiefs towards the vanquished heathen completely overcame them, and led to the entire 14 VISIT TO HUAHINE. subversion of idolatry. It is one of tlie finest illustrations on record of the divine plan of subduing and winning an enemy.* After a few days of pleasant intercourse with the mis- sionaries whom we met on Eimeo, we again put to sea. We sailed on the 5th of May, and stood for Huahine. As on Tahiti and Eimeo, heathenism had long been a thing of the past in Huahine. At the time of our visit, out of a popu- lation of 1800, 400 were members of the Church, the Bible was in every dw^elling, and Hualiine was a professedly Christian and partially civilised land. The Eev. Charles Barff, who had laboured on the island since 1818, was still the missionary, and so he continued till 1864, w^hen, worn out with his long and faithful service, he retired to New South Wales, and in 18G6 he finished his course and entered into rest. We had much pleasant and profitable intercourse with Mr Barff and his family during our rather long stay at Huahine. We gathered mucli interesting information re- specting the Tahitian mission, and met some very inte- resting characters among the natives, who had played an important part in the struggles of early days. Perhaps the most interesting and remarkable of these was Mahine the grandfather of Pomare, the present queen of Tahiti. He remembered Captain Cook ; he was about twelve years old when Captain Cook visited the island. But the most signal event of his past life was his having commanded Pomare's troops when the engagement above referred to took place between the Christian and heathen parties on Eimeo. At the time of our visit he must have been nearly, if not quite, eighty years of age. He was a venerable, patriarchal looking man. He was large of stature, over six feet, and stout in proportion ; he must have been a * See the deeply interesting record in fnll in Ellis's "History of the London Missionary Society," pp. 21G-219. THE RARO TONGAN MISSION. 1 5 formidable opponent when in liis prime. He seemed to realise liis nearness to eternity, and was calmly waiting his dismissal from the body. The thought of meeting in heaven British Christians who had sent the gospel to him and his people seemed to afford him great joy. On the 18th of ]\Iay'we sailed from Huahine, accompanied by Mr Barff, who, as an experienced missionary, and as knowing something of the field to which we were appointed, went at the request of the Directors to assist us in the commencement of our mission. Mr Barff was with Mr Williams when he made his first visit to the Samoan group, and during Mr Williams' absence in England he had made a second visit to the group in company with Mr Buzacott. From Huahine we stood for Earotonga, and on the 25th of May we made^that island ; and greatly were we charmed with its beauty, and cheered with what we saw and heard during the few days of our stay. The Earotongan mission was still in its early youth. Scarcely thirteen years had passed since Messrs Williams and Bourne made their first visit to the island and placed Christian teachers among its then most-deeply debased people ; and it was only nine years since Mr Pitman, the first resident English missionary, had settled upon it. After a short interval, Mr Pitman was joined by Mr Buzacott, and at the time of our visit those esteemed brethren were pursuing their labours in circumstances of the most cheering character. The entire population, estimated at that time at 7000, had renounced heathenism, and given up or destroyed their idols. Not a vestige of idolatry was to be seen, and the entire population were applying themselves with the utmost avidity to the acquisition of knowledge and to efforts for the improve- ment of their condition, both as regards the life that now is and the life to come. Greatly were we delighted with what we saw at Earotonga, and pleasant and profitable was the intercourse we had with our brethren. 1 6 CLOSE OF THE VOYAGE. We sailed on the 30th of May, Mr and Mrs Buzacott accompanymg us, to remain with us for a few months and assist in the commencement of our mission. We had now entered upon the last stage of our long voyage. The next land on which we should look, if all went well, would be the loiig-talked-of Samoa, our own chosen sphere of labour. This of course awakened in us very peculiar feelings, and led to anxious and earnest consulta- tions as to plans and proceedings when we might reach our destination. A great era in our lives was at hand; the dreams of youth and the fondly-cherished hopes of riper years, which had stimulated and sustained some of us in grappling with and overcoming the difiiculties which once lay in our path, were about to be realised. Solemn, joyous, grateful emotions filled our hearts. A thorough conviction of the worth and importance of the cause in which we were embarked, with confidence in Him to whom the cause belonged, imparted to us firmness and strength, and so, thankfully and hopefully, we went on our way. ( 17 ) CHAPTEE III. REACHING THE FIELD— GIRDING ON THE ARMOUR — ENTERING UPON THE WORK, Early on the morning of Sabbath, the 5th June 1836, we sighted the most easterly islands of the Samoan group. These are three in number, named respectively Tcm, Ofu^ and Oloscnga, but bearing the general name of Manua. The population of the three islands is a little over 1500. It was not intended to attempt the occupation of these islands at once ; hence, we did not wait to communicate with them, but passed on towards the larger islands, and in the evening, about five o'clock, Tutuila, the most easterly of these, was seen. Tutuila was the field to which Mr Barnden and myself were appointed ; hence I felt in it a special interest, and strained my eyes for hours to catch the first glimpse of our future home. We did not get sufficiently near to have intercourse with the people till the following day. Early on the morning of that day, June the 6th, we were close in to the shore, and were soon surrounded by canoes. The people came on board without difficulty, and our first impressions of them were favourable. They contrasted ad- vantageously with the Marquesans, and were quite equal to what we had expected to find them. We were surprised to see a white man among them. Tommy, as the natives called him, was a Welshman, He had been on Tutuila B i8 ARRIVAL AT SAMOA. about twenty months. He professed to "be well acquainted with the natives, their language, &c. How much his in- formation was worth may be conjectured from the reply he gave to our question as to the number of people on the island. Tommy seemed rather reluctant to hazard an opinion, but after some hesitancy he replied, " Well, sir, I don't think there's past a million ! " The population of Tutuila has never, since we have known it, exceeded, if it has reached, 4000. Passing along the coast till we were abreast of what was at that time regarded as having been the scene of the massacre of the French commander, De Langle, and party, and which, on that account, bore the name of Massacre Bay, a number of us landed. The bay in which the mas- sacre took place, as I afterwards learned on the spot, is about three miles farther to the west, and is called Asu. The name of the place at which we landed is Fangasa. Our party consisted of the two elder brethren, Messrs Barff and Buzacott, and Messrs Hardie and Barndeu, and myself. We walked across the island to a deep bay oppo- site called Fangaloa — i.e., deep bay. We had been given to understand that we should find here an important chief and a good harbour. The information proved correct in both these respects. After climbing for about haK an hour a very steep ascent, we reached the summit of a mountain ridge where a magnificent view opened upon us. Fangaloa is from three to four miles deep. It is completely land-locked, and looks, viewed from the surrounding heights, rather like a fresh-water lake than a bay of the great Pacific. It is surrounded by steep mountains, from eight hundred to one thousand feet in height, and is a beautiful object as seen from the spot where it first burst upon our view. Pangopango, the principal village, is at the head of the bay. After a very rugged and fatiguing walk, we reached our destination, met Mcmnga, the chief of whom PROCEEDINGS A T TUTU I LA. 19 we were in search, and had a very satisfactory interview with him and others who crowded around ns. Manncra declared liis willingness to receive missionaries;, and afford them all the assistance and protection in his power. We wished him to go with us to Upolii, the central island of the group, where we hoped to get together all the leading chiefs, to explain to them the object of our mission, and make arrangements for carrying out our plans. He ex- cused himself on the ground of age and infirmities, but proposed tliat his son, who bore the name of Pomare, should go in his stead. To this we agreed, and, after a short time, left to recross the island to join tlie ship, which was waiting for us. "We got on board in the course of the afternoon, and stood away towards the west end of the island, keeping close in to the land, and as we passed along we were hailed by a party in a large canoe, and were surprised and delighted to find that the said party were from the island of Manono, and that the Earotongan teacher Tcava was in the canoe. He had come to ascertain the state of things on Tutuila, and preach the gospel to its then benighted people. He had been about six weeks on the island, had made a complete tour of it, and was just ready to return to Manono when we arrived. It is worth noting how opportune his visit was. It was just as if he had been sent to pre- pare our way. No Christian teachers had been settled on Tutuila. Those brought by Mr Williams and others were all stationed on the islands to the west, Savaii, Uiiolu, and Manono ; nor had any of them made a visit to Tutuila before that by Teava at the time of our arrival. Thus, but for his visit, we should have been very much in tlie dark with reference to the state of things on Tutuila, and there might have been difficulty in commencing a mission on the island at that time, and thus all our plans might have been disarranged. Two other men of importance, in addition to 20 ARRIVAL AT UPOLU. Pomare, came on board before we got clear of the island, to go with us to Upolu. Tliey were from Leone, and went to represent the district, about one-half of the island, of which it is the head-quarters. One of them was Amoamo* mentioned in Mr Williams' JSTarrative, p. 415, in connection with his visit to Leone in 1832 ;■ the other was a man named Taulani, who became a very decided Christian, and acted an important part in the evangelisation of the island. I have rarely known a more exemplary Christian than Taulani. After a life of distinguished usefulness he died only a few years since, and met, I doubt not, the welcome of the faithful servant. It was after sundown before we were ready to stand away for Upolu. We ran on with a fair wind during the night, and early on the following morning we found our- selves sailing along the north side of Upolu. We were all charmed with the beauties of that lovely island, which seemed to us to surpass all we had yet seen. During the course of the forenoon we entered the harbour of Apia, and dropped anchor in a Samoan port. This was on Tuesday the 7tli of June, just seven calendar months to a day from the time of our leaving England. Before arriving at our destination, we constituted our- selves a committee for the transaction of aU business affect- ing the general interests of the mission. Prior to this, we had arranged as to the translation of the New Testament. The whole was apportioned out that each might have before him his portion, and be able to direct his reading and studies accordingly. Our first meeting for business was held on board the " Dunnottar Castle," on the 3d of June 1836. The princi- pal minutes adopted at that meeting may be given. They are imj^ortant on account of their connection with the * The name is Amuamu, not " Amoamo." FIRST MEETING FOR BUSINESS. 21 management of our mission in subsequent years. They are as follows : — " Pursuant to the suggestion contained in the written instructions received by us from the Directors of the London Missionary Society, we, the undersigned, do form ourselves into a committee for the management of the general affairs of the mission intrusted to us in the Samoan Islands. " And it is resolved unanimously, — 1. That a meeting of the committee be held quarterly, that is, on the first Wednesday in the months of September, December, March, and June ; and that such meetings be held at the several stations in rotation, that in September next being at Manono." [It was found impracticable to hold meetings quarterly on account of the distance between the stations. They have been held half-yearly, and this has been found to answer well.] The next minute, No. 2, constituted the brethren Barff, Buzacott, Piatt, and Wilson members of the com- mittee during their stay amongst us, and appointed Mr Buzacott chairman so long as he should remain (Messrs Piatt and Barff returned by the " Dunnottar Castle " to their own stations in the Tahitian Islands), and Mr Heath secretary. The third resolution is as follows : — " 3. That all questions on whicli any difference of opinion may exist shall be decided by a majority of votes, and that if the members ^;ro and con be equal, including the chairman's vote, then the question shall be decided by lot." (Down to the close of 1870 it had not been necessary to have recourse to the lot, nor had any member ever recorded a formal protest against the decision of the majority.) " 4. That, at the request of any member of the mission, the secretary do call a special meeting at the station of the person requiring the same, by giving the several mem- 22 CONFERENCE WITH THE CHIEFS. bers due notice ; and that the present meeting be con- sidered adjourned from day to day, Sabbaths excepted, until the brethren part to take possession of their several stations." We did not proceed further at our first sitting, but we were now in a position to deal in a business-like manner with whatever subject might require our attention. Another rule on which we have all along acted was, that all our meetings should be begun and closed with prayer ; and that a prayer-mee^mr/ should be held among ourselves before proceeding to business, and after its completion before separating to go to our respective stations ; and that a meeting should be held with the natives during the course of our sittings, for prayer and other religious exercises. On the 10th of June, Messrs Piatt and Wilson, who had been sent by the brethren of the Tahitian mission to spend a few months in Samoa, arrived from the island of Savaii, where they were at the time of our arrival. They had been about eighteen months on the islands ; they had obtained a considerable hold of the language, and had been fuUy employed in travelling from place to place, preaching to, and teaching the thousands who had abandoned heathenism, and attached themselves to the new religion. On Saturday, the lltli of June, we had our meeting with the chiefs. We laid before them, through Mr Wilson, the object of our mission — viz., tliat we had come as teachers of religion ; that our first and great business would be to instruct them in matters pertaining to that, and that every- thing else would be strictly subordinated to that. We were very particular in explaining that we could take no part in their wars. We told them that war was bad, and that we should do our utmost to prevent its arising ; and that, if it should arise, we could be no par- FIRST SABBATH IN SAMOA. 23 tisans, but would only act the part of mediators, aud Lu the friends alike of all parties. Having laid fully and expKcitly before the meeting all we considered it necessary to say ; and asked whether, in view of all we had said, the chiefs and people wished us to remain among them, we waited for theh' reply. It was all we could wish. They expressed their approval of all we had said ; they promised to place themselves under our instruction, and to do their best to protect ourselves and our property, and to assist us in every way in thek power in carrying out the object of our mission. So passed off this important meeting, one of the most important gatherings that ever took place in Samoa, con- sidering its bearing on the subsequent history and destiny for time and eternity of the Samoan race. The way was now clear for us to separate and go to our respective stations. Before doing so, we were privileged to spend a Sabbath together at Apia ; and what a Sabbath of hallowed interest was that in the enjoyment ! — and how tender are the recollections of it to survivors now after the lapse of so many years ! Large native congregations assembled, morn- ing and afternoon, and were addressed in their own language by Messrs Piatt and Wilson. But to us the interest cul- minated in a communion service, which was held during the course of the day. The teachers and their wives had come together from their different stations, and they, with Messrs Piatt and Wilson, and ourselves, made up a con- siderable company — about thirty. How significant was that ser\dce ! How delightfully interesting to the Christian mind ! What memories was it fitted to awaken, and with what high anticipations to fill the mind ! It was the first link of a chain in the history of Samoa that would assuredly extend onwards " until He come." Never till then will there be wanting those who shall show forth His death in Samoa. Nor have the bright anticipations and high hopes 24 PROCEEDING TO OUR RESPECTIVE STATIONS. of that sacred hour been frustrated. From the services of tliat Sabbath, and other transactions that occupied us during these memorable days, have gone forth influences which have tokl upon the destinies, present and eternal, not of the Samoans only, but of multitudes in many lands, and whose issues will continue to reproduce and extend themselves till time shall be no more. From the point we have now reached our paths began to diverge. Hitherto we had been, from the time of leav- ing England, as one family. Now we were about to separate and go to our respective stations, and the service above referred to was our farewell service. We parted at the Lord's table on earth, not all to meet again till we shall be gathered together at " the marriage supper of the Lamb." On the morning of the 16th, Mr and Mrs Mills took their leave of our floating home, and settled at Apia, the place to whicli they had been appointed ; and on the same day we sailed, and stood over to Manono to land Mr and ]\Irs Heath, and their property. On the morning of the 18th they quitted the vessel, and took up their abode on their island home. From Manono we stood towards Savaii. The two islands are separated by a narrow channel, from twenty-five to tliirty miles in breadth. To Savaii Mr and Mrs Hardie and Mr and Mrs M'Donald were appointed. Circum- stances had rendered it necessary for Mr and Mrs M'Donald to remain at Earotonga for a time, so we had only Mr and Mrs Hardie to convey to their station. We had got so near the island that a boat w^as lowered, into which a party of us descended in order to proceed to the shore. We had left the ship but a short time, when the officer who was in charge of the boat looked behind and perceived that she had struck on some rock or slioal. We made all haste back, and found all confusion and consternation on NARROW ESCAPE FROM SHIPWRECK. 25 board. The ship was in extreme danger, striking heavily every few minutes, and appearing as if she would very soon be a wreck. The rudder was unshipped, and it seemed as if more serious damage must speedily follow. By great exertion, however, she was got clear of the patch of coral on which she had struck, and was again afloat in deep water ; but she was surrounded with shoals, and was still in great danger, and in that state she lay from Saturday the 18th of June till Wednesday the 23d. On the day the accident occurred, the wind was strong and the sea rough. Hence it was a marvel that she escaped. Through the favour of a kind Providence, the weather was moderate during the intervening days. Had it been otherwise, it seems as if the vessel must have been wrecked. On Wednesday morning a gentle land breeze took her out of danger — a very great mercy, especially to those of us who had everything we owned on board, and who were dependent upon her to get to our stations. There were no trading vessels about in those days. Hence if our vessel had been wrecked, many months must have passed before we could have got to our stations, and our whole subse- quent course miglit have been seriously affected. All ended well however. We cried unto God in our trouble, and He delivered us out of our distresses. While the vessel lay in the circumstances above described, Mr Hardie's property was landed, and he and Mrs Hardie, and Mr and Mrs Buzacott, who were about to remain with them for a season, left and took up their abode on shore. Hence, when the vessel was got out of danger, we had nothing to detain us longer at Savaii, so, not reluctantly, we left the scene of danger and consequent anxiety, and directed our course back to Upolu. A makeshift rudder was rigged, and we got safely to anchor in Apia harbour on the 24th. Here we were detained till the 5th of July, owing to the accident that befell us at Savaii. The 26 RETURN TO TUTUILA. rudder had to be repaired, and to get that done in Samoa in those days was a matter of no small difficulty. At the above date, however, it was completed, and we had the great satisfaction of again putting to sea and entering upon the last stage of our voyage. ( 27 ) CHAPTEE IV. LAST STAGE OF OUR VOYAGE — SETTLEMENT AT OUR OWN STATION. The distance between Apia and Pangopango is only about eighty nides, but Tutuila lies dead to windward of Upolu, and there are also strong opposing currents ; hence the time occupied in passing from island to island is generally altogether out of projDortion to the distance. And in this, our first voyage, it was so in an unusual degree. As mentioned above, we left Apia on Tuesday, 5th July, and we did not reach Pangopango till the 10th. Early on the morning of that day we were close to land, and in a good position for entering the harbour ; and during the course of the forenoon a fair wind enabled us to enter the beautiful bay, which we have so often entered since, and connected with which we have so many pleasing and solemn recollections. It had only been entered once before by a foreign vessel. A London whaler, the " Elizabeth," Captain Cuthbert, anchored in the bay a few months before our arrival. She was guarded night and day by her own crew, assisted by white men — English and American — who, at that early day, had taken up their abode on the island. The wliitc shins of these men commended them, I suppose, to the confidence of the captain. The truth is, there was more to be feared from them than from the natives, most of them being desperate characters, who, according to re- port, had managed to escape from Van Dieman's Land, or 28 PANGOPANGO HARBOUR. Botany Bay. However, the " Elizabeth " got safely away, and Captain Cuthbert, as being the first who had anchored in the harbour, gave it the name of " Cuthbert Harbour." The name never obtained anything like general currency. An influential notification was needed in order to tliat, which Captain Cuthbert failed to procure. The conse- quence has been that the native name, Pangopango Har- bour, has superseded the foreign one, and is now universally accepted. We were all charmed with the entrance to the bay. It is magnificent — the grandest sight we had seen during the whole of our voyage. Many equally heautiful sights are to be seen among the isles of the Pacific, but in some respects this stands alone — it is perfectly unique. The description by Captain (now Admiral) Wilkes, of the United States Ex- ploring Expedition, which visited Samoa towards the close of 1839, may be given : — " The harbour of Pangopango is one of the most singular in all the Polynesian isles. It is the last point at which one would look for a shelter ; the coast near it is peculiarly rugged, and has no appearance of in- dentations, and the entrance being narrow, is not easily observed. Its shape has been compared to a variety of articles ; that which it most nearly resembles is a retort. It is surrounded on all sides by inaccessible mural preci- pices, from eight hundred to one thousand feet in height. The lower part of these rocks is bare, but they are clothed above with luxuriant vegetation. So impassable did the rocky barrier ajjpear in all but two places, that the harbour was likened to the valley of ' Easselas ' changed into a lake. The harbour is of easy access, and its entrance, which is about a third of a mile in width, is marked by the Tower Eock and the Devil's Point." These names, I suppose, were given by Captain Wilkes. I never heard of them tiU after his visit. A coral reef on each side of the entrance, over which the SETTLEMENT AT PANGOPANGO. 29 sea generally breaks heavily, adds to the picturesqueness and beauty of the scene. The reef extends about half-way up the bay, but inside, instead of heavy rollers, the waves break softly over the opposing barrier, and gently die along the shore. But to return from this digression. About 2 p.m. we landed, and as it was Sablmth, we got the people together, and had a service with them. Mr Wilson, who was best acquainted with the language, was the preacher. Shortly after the service we returned to the ship, to close quietly the last Sabbath we were to spend there. On the follow- ing day our goods were landed, and on Tuesday we quitted the ship, and took up our abode in a native liouse, kindly given up by the chief Mauuga for our use. Our kind friends, Messrs Piatt and Barff, lent us very valuable aid during the few days they were with us ; and it was no small trial to us when, on the 15th of July, they took then* departure, and left us alone in our new and un- tried circumstances. On that day the " Dunnottar Castle " sailed. And now our small party was left on a dark heathen shore, with no opportunity of escape should trouble arise, and no human means of safety or defence. Native houses have neither locks nor bars. In truth, we felt ourselves very insecure ; Ijut our apprehensions arose, not so much from our being in the power and at the mercy of the heathen, as from the character of the men already referred to — men of our own colour, and speaking our own tongue, whom we found upon the island. And now our narrative must take a more contracted form. So far we have given all the leading events con- nected with the commencement of the Samoan mission; but, as we do not purpose to write a history of the mis- sion, we shall now confine ourselves to matters more or less directly connected with our own work, and the spheres we 30 SCOPE OF THIS WORK. have been called to occupy during our protracted term of service. Such, however, have been our relations to the mis- sion throughout the period over which these recollections will extend, that they ^vill unavoidably have something of an historical relation to the whole mission. ( 31 ) CHAPTER V. ENTERING UPON OUR WORK— DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLAND — STATE OF THE NATIVES — WHITE MEN AMONG THE NATIVES — AN EXCEPTIONAL CASE — HOSTILITY TO US AND OUR WORK — MURDER OF A WHITE MAN BY THE NATIVES — DISPERSION OF THE WHITES. The first tiling that claims the attention of a missionary to a people of a strange tongue on reaching his field of labour is the language. Till that is in a good degree acquired, there is between him and his people a middle wall of partition that interposes an effectual barrier to the carry- ing out of his object. He and they dwell, as it were, apart ; though living, it may be, in close proximity, they are really strangers to each other. Such being our conviction, we had endeavoured to do a little on the voyage towards acquiring a knowledge of the Tahitian language, which is a kindred dialect to that of Samoa. " We had also a few words and sentences of the Samoan, which we had obtained from Mr Williams in England, and from the time of our reaching the islands we had been picking up words and sentences as opportunity offered ; and now we were in circumstances to set to work in good earnest. We had some help from Mr Wilson, who had been appointed to assist us at the commencement of our mission, but at the close of six weeks he left us, and we were thrown upon our own resources, and placed in circumstances in which we were compelled to be talking to the natives all day 32 DESCRIPTION OF TUTUILA. long, and tliis had its advantages as well as its disadvan- tages. Our young friend Pomare, who accompanied^ us to Upolu, became our instructor ; and, with his help and constant practice, we were soon able, to a considerable extent, to understand and be understood. The island of Tutuila is the smallest of the three prin- cipal islands of the group. It is about twenty miles in length, and five or six at its greatest breadth. Captain Wilkes' description of it is as follows : — " The island of Tutuila is high, broken, and of volcanic appearance. It is seventeen miles long " (in a straight line, I suppose, but the island is something of a curve), " and its greatest breadth is five miles. The harbour of Pangopango penetrates into the centre, and almost divides the island into two parts. It is less varied in surface than the Society Islands, and its highest peak, that of Matafao, was found to be 2327 feet above the sea. The spurs and ridges that form the high land are, like those of Tahiti, precipitous, sharp-edged, and frequently rise in mural walls from the water to a heisiht of three or four hundred feet, showincj the bare basaltic rock. Above this height the surface is covered with luxuriant vegetation to the very top of the mountains ; the cocoa-nut tree and tree-fern give the princijDal character to this beautiful scenery." There is one thuig that gives Tutuila an advantage over the larger islands, viz., its harbour. There is no harbour in the group at all comparable to that of Pangopango for safety. There is but one drawback — the entrance is narrow, and the prevailing trade-wind blows right into the bay ; hence it is difficult of egress, and sailing vessels anchoring in it run the risk of being detained for an indefinite time. But for steamers there is no harbour in Eastern or Central Polynesia, so far as my knowledge extends, which can bear comparison with it. Should a time come when steam shall be in extensive use iu these seas, the harbour of Pango- STATE OF THE NATIVES. IZ pango will take rank with the first resorts of shipping in the Pacific Ocean. At the bottom of the bay which forms the harbour we took up our abode, and entered upon our labours. The population at the time of our settlement was about four thousand, rather under, I think, than over. Politically there are two divisions of the island ; Pangopango is the headquarters of the one, Leone of the other. The Leone division has the larger population. It was somewhat over two thousand. At the time we commenced our labours darkness cov- ered the island — darkness almost unbroken. X. few rays of light had found their way from the other islands, where teachers had been at work for about six years, by means of travelling parties, and especially the visit of Teava ; and sometliing liad been done by a foreigner who left the island a few months before our arrival. We could never learn much respecting this person — not even his true name. Among the foreigners he went by the name of Xorval ; his native name was Salima — probably intended for Salem. Nerval, I doubt not, was an assumed name. When he knew that missionaries were at hand he left the island, and nothing was ever afterwards heard of him. He evi- dently was not a truly religious man, as he led an immoral life ; but he taught the natives some truth, and was instru- mental, in some measure, in preparing the way for us. He induced a number of the people to renounce heathenism and become nominally Christian. Among these were the chief Maunga, his son Pomare, and others by whom we were received on our arrival. When he left the island he told his adherents to receive us when we should arrive, and place themselves under our instruction. Hence the ready welcome with wliich we met. He had translated, after a fashion, part of the Church of England Prayer-Book, and taught some young men to repeat it. So when we c 34 WHITE MEN AMONG THE NATIVES. arrived we found a man, who had been authorised by him, actually keeping up a sort of service. I notice the case of Norval and his doings the more particularly as, in some of its aspects, it forms a striking exception to the conduct and influence of the class to which he seems to have belonged — the class of outcasts, who seek concealment and an opportunity to live as they list amid the darkness and pollution of heathen lands. Well would it have been for the island and for us if all the foreigners who found their way to it prior to our arrival had been of the stamp of NorvaL Far, however, was this from beinc' the case. We found on the island some dozen or more, among whom were men of the most desperate character I ever came in contact with before or since. As Tutuila remained in the darkness of heathenism so much longer than the other large islands of the group, it seemed to be the favourite resort of these sons of Belial. Where these men had come from, or how they had reached the island, was, in most cases, involved in mystery. According to current report, as already hinted, the worst of them had escaped from the adjacent colonies, at which, in those days, there were penal settlements. "Whatever their ante- cedents may have been, they were men of the most reckless and abandoned character, and they were decidedly the most formidable opponents with whom we had to contend at the outset of our career. Some of them had been many months on the island ; hence they had got a considerable hold of tlie language, and had gained some influence over the natives. Thus they had a great advantage over us, and, but for their infamous characters, their opposition would have been a much more serious affair than it really was. We could not speak a language which the natives could understand, but we could act one which they were not slow to comprehend. The language of deeds is intel- ligible even to pagans. HOSTILITY OF THE FOREIGNERS. 35 Our opponents were determinedly and Litterly opposed to us and our object. " They that do evil hate the light." These men had been fleeing from the light, and, to their intense annoyance, the light was following them. They were perfectly aware that our success would be tlieir defeat. Hence their virulent opposition. When they heard of Teava's intended visit, they assembled at Leone, which would be among the first places he would reach, determined to oppose his landing. One of the better class of them, for they were not all equally bad, managed to dissuade them from their purpose. They were not sure, moreover, that the natives would not take sides with their visitors against them, and in that case they would have exposed themselves to danger. The natives were not to be played with in those days. On the day we touched at the island on our first arrival, a number had assembled at Pangopango, and they behaved to us in a very rude and insolent manner. And from that time forward I had a firm conviction that our greatest danger in commencing a mission on Tutuila would be from these men ; and so emphatically it proved. We had no human means of protection or defence. Our house was open, and we and all we had were entirely at their mercy. Night after night we used to lie down, feeling that there was nothing restraining them from putting us all out of the way but the dread of the natives and the hand of God. Amid all our perils, however, we were safe ; an unseen eye was upon us, and an unseen hand was our defence. The designs and attempts of our enemies against us were baffled, and they were vu-tually taken in their own snare. We were ignorant of it at the time, but we found out afterwards tliat our fears liad been but too well founded. A plot was formed, and well-nigh carried into execution, to cut us all off by poison soon after our settlement on the 36 A REMARKABLE DELIVERANCE. island. The opportunity was to be embraced when the tea-kettle was on the fire. Cooking, boiling of water, &c., are done in open sheds on the islands. The time fixed upon for carrying the plan into effect was service after- noon. The lad who attended to the boiling of the water was accustomed to fill the kettle and put it upon the fire before going to the service. Hence there was afforded just the op]3ortunity wliich our enemies sought. We had all gone to the service, and there was no human eye to watch their movements. The appointed afternoon hap- pened to be windy, and while the man who had under- taken to carry the plot into effect was in the act of doing the deed, another, who had been smitten with remorse, struck his arm and scattered the poison; they had no means of obtaining more, and so the attempt faiLed. The man who was instrumental in saving our lives remained on the island several years, acting as pilot to vessels enter- ing the harbour of Pangopango, and in 1841 he left in our missionary brig, " Camden." It was not from himself that we learned our obligations to liim, but from another foreigner who was on the island at the time, and who got to know all the particulars of the plot, though he liimself was not in it. Looldng at the thing apart from man, we mark with devout gratitude the hand of God in the whole affair. He had work for us to do, and He kept us in safety while destruction hovered over us ; and by means of the attempt to cut us off. He wrought for us a great and most unex- pected deliverance. It led to the breaking up and scatter- ing of the party. They no doubt felt that they had laid themselves open to be dealt with as murderers. A man- of-war might drop into the harbour any day, and they could no longer trust one another. One sad occurrence, wliich must have happened very soon after the attempt upon our lives, increased their feeling of insecurity, and no doubt increased their desire MURDER OF A WHITE MAN. 37 to get away. About two months after our settle- ment on the island, one of them was murdered by the natives. He was an audaciously wicked fellow. He was one of a party who were assembled at Pangopango on the day we first landed, and on that occasion he made himself conspicuous by appearing nearly naked, flourishing a war- club in a defiant manner, and addressing us very rudely and indecently. He liad got himself tatoocd after the fashion of the natives, and seemed to all intents and purposes a thorough savage; but the triumphing of the wicked is short. AVhile he was glorying in his shame, destruction was impending over him. He quarrelled with the people with whom he lived, and threatened to leave them. Human life was not of much account on Tutuila in those days, especially when a little property was in the way ; so, before he was able to carry out his threat, a party belonging to the family in which he lived waylaid him at a convenient spot for the perpetration of a deed of darkness, which they knew he had to pass, and put an end to his wretched existence. The news soon spread ; and his companions gathered together at Eangasa, where he had lived, and brought his body to Pangopango for burial. Very vividly do I remember that sad morning when we were startled by the arrival of the party bearing the body of the murdered man. Of course the murder of a white man by the people in whose power we were did not increase our own feeling of security, but other feelings, I think, predominated. The demon-like character of the foreigners, the darkness that might be felt among the natives, and a murdered man of such a character before us, who had been smitten down without a moment's warning, produced feelings which language cannot express. I was not yet able to address the natives in their own language, so all I could do was to conduct a little service 458850 38 DISPERSION OF THE WHITES. iu English, and address words of sadness and -warning to the foreigners. This occurrence read them a lesson which doubtless they were not slow to understand. It showed them unmistakably that they were losing their hold upon the natives ; and this, with the consciousness that they had laid themselves open to be treated as criminals, and that they could not trust one another, seemed to shut them up to one course, viz., to leave the island as quickly as pos- sible. Tluis, in the course of Divine Providence, was the greatest obstacle with which we had to contend at the outset of our course removed, and we were left to pursue our labours without molestation. All was overruled for the furtherance of the gospel. The wrath of man was made to praise God, and the remainder of wrath was restrained. The natives saw more and more clearly the difference between us and the men who had lived amonir them only for their own selfish and wicked ends ; and, as a natural consequence, they soon reposed in us entire con- fidence, and we acquired an influence over them which we sought to use only for their good, and for the advancement of the interests of the cause, to promote which we had taken up our abode among them. ( 39) CHAPTEE VI. FURTHER REMARKS ON THE STATE OF THE NATIVES — FIRST DIRECT MISSION- ART EFFORTS — FOREIGN VISITORS — CAPTAIN MORGAN. TuTUiLA, as we have seen, v/as virtually a heathen land at the time of our settlement upon it. The great body of the people were avowedly heathen, and the bulk of those who professed to have abandoned heathenism differed from their countrymen in little else than in name. There was indeed one very important difterence — they attended religious services and schools with more or less regularity ; but in a moral point of view the difference was slight. The Samoans had by no means sunk so low as the generality of the South Sea Islanders. CannibaKsm, so far as we have been able to make out, never was practised in Samoa to any considerable extent.* Nor were the Samoans characterised by anything like the bloodthirsty cruelty of the Fijian, nor the implacable revenge of the New Zealander, nor the deep moral pollution of the Tahitian and Hervey Islanders and the Hawaiian. They were savages of the best type. They were far, however, from beiug the happy innocent children of nature whom some voyagers and travellers would have us believe they have found on some of the islands of the Pacific. Among * It was reported that the people of Manua ate a white man after the introduction of Christianity to the larger islands, who had rendered him- self specially hateful by taking part in their wars. 40 HEATHENISM IN SAMOA. these islands the writer has been dwelling and voyaging for a period approaching forty years, and, with every dis- position to judge favourably of the natives, he has never had the good fortune to fall in with any of these happy children of nature. So far as he knows, Samoa was about the most likely place to find them; but we have only to look beneath the surface to be satisfied that even in Samoa the vaunted innocence and happiness are all a delusion, — that they have no existence except in the fancy of superficial observers, or of men whose standard of judg- ment is not according to truth and righteousness. Could these mistaken men have spent a few weeks with us during the early months of our missionary life, they would have formed a more correct and sober judgment. The heathen dances that used to be carried on about thirty or forty yards from our house, beginning a little after sun- set, and being carried on sometimes till broad daylight, and accompanied with the most hideous noises and the most shameful practices, would have dispelled the delusion. It is difficult to conceive of anything more demon-like than were these dances, as they were practised in the days of heathenism. Those who practised them could not be otherwise than deeply polluted. There is much in the ' moral condition of every heathen people over which a veil must be drawn, and to this rule the Samoans are no ex- ception. Polygamy existed in Samoa, but not to a very great extent. Domestic and other feuds often disturbed the peace of the community, and wars, on a greater or smaller scale, were of frequent occurrence, and sometimes they were attended with deeds of revolting cruelty. But it would not answer any end of importance to go on particu- larising tlie evils that were found among the Samoans. Enough has been said to show that they needed the gospel — that it was no needless errand on which we had come, FIRST DIRECT MISSIONARY EFFORTS. 41 and no superfluous work in which we purposed to engage. Our foreign neighbours, who, of course, knew the natives well, entertained very different views of them and their character to those on which we have just been animad- verting. They were fond of taunting us with what they regarded, or pretended to regard, as our hojieless task. " Do you think you will ever turn these people ? " they would ask, with something like an air of scorn or pity at our sim- plicity. Poor fellows ! they were right so far. We could never have turned the people, but they knew not the secret of our strength and confidence. From their point of view our task was indeed hopeless, but, with the eternal God for our refuge, we were not to be discouraged by any obstacles which men or devils could throw in our way. We lost no time in commencing an aggressive war against the powers of darkness and the manifold evils by which we were surrounded. Eeligious services, as ah'eady noticed, were begun at once, and on the 19th of July, about a week after our arrival, we opened school. Of course, we ourselves could do but little in the way of teaching at that early day, but we had the assistance of Mr Wilson while he was with us, and of Eald, a native of Atiu, who had been a teacher on Upolu for some years ; and in attempting to teach others we were in the way of learning something ourselves. All in our neighbourhood who had abandoned heathenism, about forty, adults and children included, attended with more or less regularity ; some, especially young men, such as Pomare, learned to read with amazing rapidity. School was held once a day, five days in the week, for about an hour and a half, but, at intervals of leisure throughout the day, the book was the constant companion of the more eager and zealous ; hence their rapid progress. In about three months some had learned to read tolerably, and those who were in advance of their fellows were soon set to work to assist in teaching 42 FOREIGN VISITORS. them. The services, which were conducted by Mr "Wilson during his stay, and afterwards by Eaki, increased the interest felt in the new religion, and tended to awaken a spirit of inquiry among its adherents. Very soon after the commencement of our labours we set about house-building, and with that and the study of the language, the dispensing of medicine, receiving parties who came from all quarters to visit us and exchange pre- sents and friendly greetings, we had our hands full. We have referred to the ojDposition we met with from foreigners living on the island at the time of our arrival, and the relief we felt when that opposition was at an end. It is painful to have to state that we were soon called to en- counter oj)position, still more formidable, from foreign visitors — men from our own native land, and other coun- tries professedly Christian. The struggle with those we found on the island was of short continuance, and the in- fluence they exerted for evil was comparatively circum- scribed and short-Kved. It was otherwise, however, with the opposition that came upon us from without. Our fine harbour, and the facilities which the island afforded for obtainmg wood and water and fresh provisions, attracted a large number of whalers. A little over two months from the time of our settle- ment, an American whaler, the "North Star," Captain Eichards, and an Enghsh whaler, the " Montreal," Captain Stewart, led the way. It was a great mercy that these gentlemen were decided exceptions to the general run of masters of whalers in those days. They did everything in their power to strengthen our hands, and the influence they exerted was altogether favourable. After them we had occasionally one or two of similar character, but the great majority were a disgrace to the countries to which they belonged. These countries were England and the Austra- lian Colonies, and especially the United States of America. FORMIDABLE OPPOSITION. 43 Tlie opposition we had to encounter from tliese men and tlieir lawless crews was formidable indeed. There they were — men of our own colour, speaking the same language with ourselves, and some of them our own countrymen, and claiming to be Christians, while giving themselves up to the most shameful immoralities, and telling the natives all manner of lies, so far as they could manage to make themselves understood. How stumbling their conduct must have been to our poor benighted people will be readily conceived. So long as our influence was insufficient to oppose any very serious check to their doings, they did not directly molest us, but we were, of course, greatly ashamed on account of their conduct, while we mourned over the moral havoc they wrought, and tlieir influence in drawing the people away from schools and services. But they did not have it all their own way for a great while ; indeed they never had it quite that. We gradually gained influence, and the truth of God, after a few months, began to take hold of some hearts, and then came the " tug of war." The great difficulty was with the avowedly heathen part of the community, and for many months they were a large majority. With them we could do nothing directly, so among them the parties in question met with but little check ; and when, as was sometimes the case, we had as many as six large whalers at anchor at the same time, having crews averaging thirty, and all of the baser sort, some idea may be formed of the state of tilings in our neighbourhood in those dark and trying times. It is deeply interesting and instructive to mark how, in the arrangements of Providence, one thing is set over against another — ^how the dark and the bright alternate, or appear side by side, so as to prevent undue depression on the one hand, and undue elation on the other. After we had been sorely tried and hindered in our work by a 44 CAPTAIN MORGAN'S VISIT. succession of visitors of the stamp above described, we were favoured with a visit every way fitted to counteract the mischief which those had wrought. On the 6th of January 1837, a man of whom we had heard much, but whom we had never seen, came to visit us. A boat landed near our house on the afternoon of the said day, and, on going to meet it, how were we surprised and dehghted when a gentleman jumped from it, and, saluting us very warmly, informed us that his name was Moegan ! "What a God-send did the visit of this good man seem to us at that particular juncture ! To ourselves it was cheering in the highest degree, and its influence upon the natives must have been of the happiest kind. Better than a thousand arguments was the exhibition of this living epistle of Christ among our people at this critical period. It was at once a confirmation of all we had been telling the natives about the difference between a religion which is nothing more than a name, and that which is what the name im- ports. At the time referred to. Captain Morgan was in com- mand of the " Duke of York," a vessel engaged in whahng. He had been cruising off Tutuila without any idea of coming into the harbour, and, so far as I remember, he was not aware that there were missionaries on the island. One or more of the white men who remained on the island went off to his ship and told him that there were mis- sionaries on shore ; that their lives were in danger, and that they were just waiting an opportunity to leave the island. The wish was father to the report, but this, of course, Captain Morgan did not know, and he was not the man to hear such a tale and not test its truth ; so he came on shore in a boat to ascertain how the case really stood, and to offer us a passage in his ship, if it were as it had been represented. Of course he was rejoiced to find that he had been misinformed, and that the idea of leaving the island was entirely new to us. When he found how CHEERING INTERCOURSE. 45 tilings were, he brouglit his ship into the harbour, and remained with us three weeks. How our hearts were cheered and our hands strengthened by his visit words can hardly express. Many were the hallowed seasons of spiritual communion which we enjoyed both on shore and on board ship during those memorable weeks. The chief officer and a number of the ship's company were like- minded with the worthy captain, and this, of course, added greatly to the interest which his visit excited, and to the influence for good which it exerted. Very pleasant indeed was the intercourse we enjoyed with our guest from day to day, and refreshing is the recollection of it even now. I love to cherish the memory of the dear man of God ; and the anticipation of reunion within the veil is very precious. It was during Captain Morgan's stay with us on this occasion that the idea of commanding a mission ship occurred to his mind. We were not well off for supplies at the time, and all our fellow-labourers were suffering more or less from the same cause, and it was a very diffi- cult thing to get our wants supplied with anything like regularity in those days ; so it struck Captain Morgan that we ought to have a vessel of our own, and in case we should get a vessel, he felt that nothing would please him so much as to take the command of it. I knew that Mr Williams, who was in England at the time, had determined to make an efibrt to get a vessel to meet the idea which occurred to Captain Morgan, and, in addition, to carry teachers and missionaries to new fields. This I mentioned, and suggested to the captain to make an offer of his ser- vices to the Directors of the London Missionary Society. The captain acted upon the suggestion. He wrote an application during his stay with us, which I laid before the next meeting of the members of our mission, which was held in the following April, A minute was adopted. 46 ARRIVAL OF AIR AND MRS BUZACOTT. strongly urging the Directors to procure a vessel ■with all practicable speed, and concluding as follows : — " For these reasons we strongly urge the Directors to accept the offer of the pious Captain Morgan to command a vessel of this description." The minute with the application was duly forwarded to the Directors, and all who are acquainted with the early records of our mission know what followed. On the 23d of January Captain Morgan left us. We felt his departure much, but how were we surprised and delighted when four days after he returned, bringing our esteemed fellow- labourers Mr and Mrs Buzacott, who had been waiting for some time on Upolu for an opportunity of getting to Tutuila to remain a few weeks with us. After performing this most acceptable service, our friend left to pursue the occupation to which he was then called. In all his former voyages he had been a most successful whaler, but during the present voyage down to the time of his visit to us, he had what sailors call a " clean ship," and a few months later the " Duke of York " was wrecked off the coast of Australia — the first time a disaster of the kind had befallen Captain Morgan. The loss of his ship led to his return to England, where he arrived just in time to take command of the mission brig " Camden." If he had been twenty-four hours later another captain would have been engaged. But He who had designed him for the post for which He had so admirably fitted him, took care that he should be forthcoming at the right time. He was at once engaged, and for fifteen years he commanded our mission ship, beloved and respected by all, missionaries and natives. In 1856 failing health compelled him to leave his loved work. He remained a few years in England, and then sought a milder climate in Australia ; and after a short residence in Melbourne he was called to the presence of that Saviour whom he so much loved, and had so faith- CHARACTER OF CAPTAIN MORGAN. 47 fully served. Farewell, thou man of God ! a short fare- weU! I cannot give particulars of his last illness, nor of the manner of his departure, but of one thing I feel perfectly- assured, viz., that he died in the Lord, and that is enough. I have known many eminent Christians during my not short life — but I have never met a more lovable, a more Christ-like man than Captain Morgan. I ought to add that Captain Morgan was brought to religious decision in the mission field. During a visit to the island of Huahine to obtain supplies for his ship, he was, through the instrumentality of Mr Barff, led to a saving acquaintance with Christ. This took place some considerable time before the commencement of our mission. At that time he had an established reputation for eminent piety. During our stay at Huahine, on our way to Samoa, we heard of the good man, and so were prepared to wel- come him at Tutuila as a brother in Christ. (48) CHAPTEE VII. FIRST ATTEMPTS AT PREACHING IN THE NATIVE LANGUAGE — REMARKS — A VISIT TO THE HEATHEN VILLAGES INCIDENTS — A GLEAM OF LIGHT AMID THE DARKNESS OF HEATHENISM — VISIT OF A DEPUTATION FROM THE TAHITIAN MISSION ARRIVAL OF MR AND MRS M 'DONALD AND TWO TEACHERS FROM KAUOTONGA. The beginning of 1837 was an important era in our mis- sionary life. On the 1st of January of that year I made my first attempt at preaching in the native language. That and many subsequent attempts were no doubt very imperfect, but I have never regretted having made them. In the case of first missionaries, at least, I believe it is advisable to begin preaching as soon as ever they can make themselves generally understood. Some have a great idea of waiting till they may be able, as they think, to speak without making mistakes. This, I have no doubt, is an unwise course. Mistakes will be made anyhow, unless the delay be carried beyond all reasonable bounds. A greater degree of correctness will of course be attained by waiting, if there be proportionate appHcation, but that will be purchased at the cost of making much slower progress, especially in acquiring the power of free speech, which, among a pagan or semi-pagan people, is a not less valuable acquisition than it is in civilised lands. My first address was from Mark xvi. 15, IG. A poor, imperfect performance no doubt it was, yet to myself and others it was an event of importance. Having made a BRIGHTENING PROSPECTS. 49 beginning, I went steadily forward, every successive effort becoming more easy; and very soon tokens for good were apparent, and so we were cheered and encouraged by the hope that God was working with us. Growing numbers attended the services ; greater attention and deeper interest were manifested ; the people became more kind and respect- ful; individuals left off attending the night dances, and, instead of betaking themselves to these scenes of reveUinc and wickedness, gathered around us, joining in our evening- worship, and listening to the wonderful things we had to tell. How welcome were these streaks of opening day, these signs that the Sun of Eighteousness was about to arise upon the dark minds around us with healing in His wings, will be readily conceived. They were as cold water to a thirsty soul. They powerfully reacted upon ourselves, confirming our faitli, strengthening our hopes, enlarging our desires, and so contributing to the greater efficiency of our labours. The visit of Mr and Mrs Buzacott was of great service to ourselves and the mission ; it was specially opportune on many accounts. Their arrival has been mentioned out of its proper place, as it occurred in connection with the visit of Captain Morgan. It was on the 27th of January that we were privileged to welcome them to Tutuila, and they remained with us about seven weeks. Up to the time of their arrival we had been favoured with uninterrupted health ; but soon after w^e were all taken ill — some of us rather seriously so. We were all, Mrs Murray, Mrs Barnden and myself, laid down at the same time ; and, but for the presence and kind nursing of our friends, we must have been in very awkward circum- stances. With their unwearied attention, however, and the blessmg of God on their efforts and those of the doctor of a ship which was in the harbour at the time, we soon rallied, and were able to resume our accustomed duties. D 50 VISIT TO THE HEATHEN. Mr Buzacott and the people who were with him from Earotonga lent us important aid in house-building and kindred matters, while Mrs Buzacott was very helpful to Mrs Murray in her department. Before our illness Mr Buzacott and I made a tour of that part of the island which forms the Pangopango dis- trict. Hitherto I had not ventured far from home. Be- yond the bay where we were located the great bulk of the people were heathen, and till we were able to under- stand and be understood it was very aMdcward to go among them, and not likely to be of much use. Hence the visit made in company with Mr Buzacott was the first to the distant villages. We were everywhere treated with civility. Where we found a jDarty professedly Christian, we were received as friends and kmdly entertained. In villages where all were heathen, we met with nothing beyond civility. In one village where we spent the night, we were obliged to have our evening worship out of doors. The public building in the village, designed for the accom- modation of strangers, was at our service as a place to lodge in, but we must not desecrate it by conducting in it a religious service. That the natives feared, or pretended to fear, would be displeasing to their gods ; and private families, sharing in this fear, or, it may be, instructed by the authorities, refused the use of their houses also. Hence we gathered together under a tree, and there lifted up our song of praise, and poured out our hearts in prayer to Him who had doubtless never been before acknowledged on that dark spot. At another village where we found all heathen, and avowedly determined to continue so, a very remarkable circumstance came to our knowledge. I think it took ])lace during a subsequent visit, but it may as well be mentioned here. The village at which it occurred, Fangaihia, was obstinately lieatlien for years after our settlement on A STRIKING INCIDENT. 51 the island ; and being politically important, and the resi- dence of one of the principal cliiefs, its influence was great in preventing tlie heathen from embracing Christianity. On the occasion referred to, a man of onr party, while addressing the chiefs and people, and urging them to abandon heathenism and receive the new religion, spoke to them to the following effect : — If your father Leiato had been alive he would have embraced Christianity long ago ; for its being brought to our land is the fulfilment of his prophecy ; " Blessed are the generations to come, and children in the womb ; they shall see the peaceful kingdom." Their father to whom the speaker referred was the chief of the village, who had died some considerable time before the introduction of the gospel to the Samoan group. Chiefs are often spoken of as the fathers of the people. Leiato had the reputation of being a man of extraordinary sagacity, and something of a prophet. Another of his utterances, which had a political refer- ence, had been remarkably fulfilled, and was not forgotten ; but, strange to say, the people did not show the same readi- ness to give heed to the fulfilment of the above remarkable words. His natural sagacity may sufficiently account for his political prediction, but surely the other was a gleam of light from a Divine source designed to prepare the way of the Lord. It was before anything was known of the near advent of "the peaceful kingdom" that the words were uttered, and when the heralds of that kingdom appeared, intelligent natives at once made the application. I expect many similar things might be gleaned by first missionaries in different fields, showing that God does gO out before His people, and that wherever His servants go^ following the leadings of His providence, they will find their way in some measure prepared. How remarkable is the case of the Sandwich Islands, where the natiotii moved by some mysterious influence, had actually aban- 52 RECEPTION BY THE HEATHEN. doned lieatlienism, and were found on the arrival of mis- sionaries without a religion at all, and so in a position to embrace at once that which they brought ! In my own experience, I have generally, if not invariably, found that where missionaries or teachers have obtained a footing, there have been individuals, two, three, or more, who have seemed prepared to receive their message, and these have become their first decided converts, and stuck to them through every emergency ; and I have noticed the same thing in some other fields of which I have read. There were no visible results from our visit. The tena- city with which the heathen clung to their gods and objects of religious veneration was surprising. All we and their own countrymen who accompanied us could say seemed to produce no impression. They had heard of our coming beforehand, and, being forewarned, they took care to be forearmed. A consultation was held at each place before we reached it, a reply to what we might say agreed upon, and a person appointed to speak for aU. Generally the address to us was couched in as soft and complimentary language as possible, but it was none the less decided on that account; though, till we became acquamted with Samoan politeness, we were apt to be misled by the first part of the speech, and fancy that we were about to gain our point. Sometimes we had almost a blunt refusal, but generally it was softened, and a hope held out that ere a great while aU would join us. " Don't be in a hurry," they would say ; " act leisurely ; we shall all end in tliat. Our children are lotu (the term by which Christianity is designated among the Samoans and many other islanders), and this one and the other are lohi, mentioning some well-known parties, and we shall all follow some day." It was vain to remind them that the some day might never come — that death and judgment are not leisurely in their approach, &c. They stuck to OBSTINACY OF THE HEATHEN. 53 their text, and became more decided in their denial the more we urged our point: — "We won't lotu" generally came out bald and blunt when they were much pressed, with an intimation tliat that was all they had to say, and a call to the young men or women present to go and look out for a bit of food for our party ; and so they put away from them God's message of mercy. What they said about the young people joining us was true. They were less difficult to deal with than those advanced in years. Age in Samoa, as elsewhere, is inclined to be conservative, and a number of the old people clung to paganism, and died in darkness though surrounded witli light. May not triflers and procrastinators in more favoured lands see in the character of these pagans the counterpart of their own ; and ought they not to reflect how much greater is the responsibility which they incur by neglecting the great salvation than that of the heathen, who in their blindness put away from them the words of eternal life ? When we were sufficiently recovered from our attack of illness, Mr Barnden left us to remain permanently at his own station, Leone. Mr Buzacott accompanied him, and remained vHth him some time, during which they made a tour of the Leone district. In that they found a larger number of persons who had embraced Christianity than in the other division of the island. In other respects the two districts did not materially differ. After Mr Buzacott's return to Pangopango we went steadily on our way, filling up our time with such engage- ments as tlie state of the mission seemed to require, till the occurrence of an event, which had long been expected, occasioned an interruption which was far from unwelcome. The event referred to was not a great thing in itself. It was only the arrival of a very small vessel sent to visit us by the brethren of the Tahitian mission. But, circum- stanced as we were, it was to us a matter of great moment. 54 A WELCOME VISIT. Mr and Mrs M'Donald and Mr Piatt, who came to visit us as a deputation from the Tahitian mission, and two Earotongan teacliers and their wives, were passengers; and Mr riatt was tlie bearer of wliat to us was a priceless treasure — twenty-one chapters of the Gospel according to Matthew printed in the Samoan dialect. Oh, what a boon were these chapters ! — imperfect though the translation necessarily was. Hitherto we had had to translate, as best we could, every text from which we preached, every quota- tion we made, and every portion of Scripture w^e read, and WT had had nothing except a small spelling-book to put into the hands of the natives. By the schooner we received, in addition to the Gospel, a few hymns printed in the Samoan language, a catechism, and an enlarged and improved spelling-book. How all these were prized by us and many of our people, and of what service they were to us, words cannot express. Great were our obligations to our brethren Piatt and Wilson, by whom they were pre- pared, and to the worthy brother, Mr Barff, by whom they were printed. Tliey have aU j)assed away, and their works have been superseded; but the effects of their labours remain, and, blended with those of their successors, are flowing on in an ever-widening stream, and so they will continue without limit and without end. (55) CHAPTER VIII. VISIT TO UPOLD — GENERAL MEETING OF THE MISSION — REPORTS OF STATIONS — THE PREPARATION AND PKINTING OF BOOKS — APPLICATION FOR A MISSION SHIP — STRIKING CONTRAST — NARROW ESCAPE. The vessel from Tahiti arrived on the 21st of March, and on the 23d she sailed for Upohi. Mr and Mrs M'Donald went on in her towards their appointed sphere of labour, and I took a passage in her to Upolu, to attend a meeting of the brethren of the mission which was to be held there. Mr and Mrs Buzacott remained at Tutuila, intending to follow in a few days in the "Briganza," an American whaler, the captain of which had agreed to take them to their own station at Earotonga. Shortly after getting out to sea we were overtaken by stormy weather, which continued to the close of the voyage. With a fair wind we might have reached our destination in eighteen hours ; but, with the winds and weather we had, we were four days on our way. And a trying voyage we had, and not free from danger. Such was the state of the weather, that some of the captains of the vessels which we left at anchor comforted Mrs Murray, who remained behind, by telling her that it was impossible our vessel could have reached Upolu. Eeach Upolu, however, we did ; and just in time to escape a gale through which, I suppose, our little craft could not have lived. It was one of those storms, with which we have since become familiar, 56 MEETING OF THE MISSION. which, from time to time, work such havoc among our stations in these seas. Our vessel was in imminent danger of being driven from her anchorage, and wrecked on the beach at Apia. However, the same watcliful Providence that was over her at sea was over her still, and she rode out the storm. A few days after we reached Upolu, the " Briganza " arrived with Mr and Mrs Buzacott and Mr Barnden. Mr and Mrs Buzacott merely stepped on shore to say farewell, and to get some things which they had left behind when they went to Tutuila. Mr Barnden had come to attend the meeting of the mission. The meeting was held at Apia on the 4th of April 1837. The missionaries and teachers furnished reports as to the state of things in their respective districts, which showed that progress was being made in the different departments of our work. The professedly Christian party was steadily increasing in numbers. Schools and services were well attended, and many were desirous of making a public avowal of their attachment to Christ. At two places, Sapapalii on the island of Savaii, and Manono, churches liad been organised ; at the former place, where Mr Hardie was the missionary, the newly-formed church consisted of eleven members ; at the latter, where ]\ir Heath was sta- tioned, the number was twenty-four. A variety of other matters were discussed and arranged at the meeting, such as the location of the two teachers newly arrived, one of whom, Ngatikiri, was appointed to i'angasa, on Tutuila, and the otlier, Marie, to a station on Savaii ; the appropriation and disposal of the books just received, the printing of others which were in manuscript, and the preparation of others, the most important of which was a New Testament History. The works in manu- script referred to were an Old Testament History pre- pared by Mr Wilson, and the " History of Joseph," and a APPLICATION FOR A SHIP. 57 tract entitled, " Christ, the True Ark," translated by INIr Buzacott. A minute was also adopted, warmly acknowledging the valuable services rendered by Mr and Mrs Buzacott during their nine months' stay amongst us ; and another, asking Mr Buzacott to favour us still further by printing for us, at his press at Ptarotonga, the works referred to above. But the most noteworthy part of the business which occupied our attention at this meeting was that which referred to the procuring of a ship to be employed in sus- taining and extending our work. To this I have already alluded in connection with Captain Morgan's visit to Tutuila, but its bearing on the subsequent liistory of our mission will justify a further reference to it here. The following is a copy of the minute on the subject that was adopted at the present meeting : — "That in our opinion it would be of incalculable ad- vantage were our Society to place a small vessel, under the command of a pious captain, for the joint use of the various Polynesian missionary stations, and for the pur- pose of enabling the brethren to commence missionary operations on other islands and groups, as opportunities may occur. At present the communications between the brethren are by no means so frequent or regular or efficient as they might be rendered ; and as to other groups, it is well known that a large portion of those to the westward of Samoa use dialects of the Polynesian language ; the introduction of the gospel among them will therefore be easy, and would pave the way to the millions of the Papuan race who are partly mingled with them ; but in order to effect this a vessel should be at the command of the brethren." It is deeply interesting to refer back to the time when the above minute was adopted, and contrast the state of things then and now. Then, with the exception of the 5 8 RETURN TO TUT VILA. Tongan group, all beyond Samoa was enshrouded in beatlien darkness. A dreary waste, indeed, was that which at that time lay beyond us, and mighty were the obstacles which must be overcome before the light of the gospel could be spread over those regions of " Satan's dark domain ; " but we were being moved to feel after the accomplishment of the great object, and to form plans and purposes, which were in due time to be carried into effect. We adopted and endeavoured to act upon the principle laid down by the illustrious Carey, — " Attempt great things for God, and expect great things from God." And God has honoured our confidence, and granted us our desire, to an extent which calls for the devoutest gratitude. That part of the minute which refers to the Papuan race has long been in the course of fulfilment by the agents of our own and other Societies ; islands which are inhabited by the Malay race, which were then in darkness, are now evangelised, and the great land of Papua itself is reached, and a broad belt of light stretches across the vast Pacific from the Marquesas to New Guinea. "Well may we exclaim, " \Vliat hath God wrought ! " Our business at Upolu being finished, we embarked again on board our little vessel, and set out to return to Tutuila. We had fine weather but a most tedious passage, owing to calms and unfavourable winds. Nearly a week was occupied with the voyage, and at its close Mr Barnden and myself came very near arriving at another home than that to which we were bound. We had reached the entrance to the harbour of Pancro- pango. We were considerably within the bay, and were trying to make our way up to the anchorage, when the wind failed us, and left us helpless between two reefs over which a heavy sea was breaking. The sun had long gone down, and the moon, which had lighted our way so far, was about sinking behind the hills over our longed-for home. NARROW ESCAPE. 59 We had no boat ; hence our situation was critical. There were a number of vessels at anchor in the harbour, but the masters of these knew not of us and of our circumstances. As a substitute for a boat, our vessel carried a small double canoe. In this Mr Barnden and I determined to leave the vessel, with the twofold object of procuring assistance from the ships at anchor, and afterwards pro- ceeding on shore. We either did not know at the time, or had forgotten, that there is a sunken rock about mid- channel in the entrance to the harbour, over which the sea at times breaks very heavily. Unhappily, when we left the vessel we were in the immediate vicinity of the said rock, and at the time it was not in one of its quiet moods. We had left the vessel but a few minutes, and were going briskly along, utterly unsuspicious of danger, when the sea broke under us, and we and our frail skiff were engulfed. Neither of us could swim much, but we had two men with us, a Tahitian and a Samoan. When we came to the sur- face, the Tahitian, instead of helping us, thinking probably that we could swim as well as himself, busied himself in looking after our travelling bags ; so we had only the one Samoan. He stuck to us nobly, and we managed to hold on to the canoe. The receding waves carried us beyond the breakers, and our faithful Samoan, Lota by name, made the best of his way out of their reach, dragging the canoe with us holding on to it. After we came to the surface, one huge wave came over us which looked very dreadful ; Mr Barnden remarked as it was coming upon us, "We shall not stand many more like that." That same wave, however, I suppose, carried us beyond the breakers. When we were clear of these, we shouted for help ; and happily we were sufficiently near the vessel to be heard by those on board. Two strong men, who had accompanied us to Upolu, leaped into the sea and swam to our aid. By 6o HOME SAP EL V RE A CHED. their help we were enabled to reach the ship, and so to escape from the perils of the deep. We were young at the time, and inexperienced in such adventures, and perhaps were inclined to exaggerate the danger in which we had been ; but certainly both of us felt ourselves in imminent peril, and when we reached the vessel, the sense we had of the deliverance we had ex- perienced, was something never to be forgotten. I have been in dangers since, not a few ; but nothing has ever equalled the event of that memorable night. It was a night to be remembered to the praise of our gracious Deliverer. By some means our situation got to be known to the masters of the vessels in the harbour ; and they kindly sent boats by which our little craft was towed in to the anchorage, and we were enabled to reach the longed- for shore. By this time it was past midnight. Happily no tidings of our disaster had preceded us, to alarm the solitary one who was anxiously awaiting our arrival at home ; so she heard of the danger and the deliverance at the same time. The three weeks we had been absent had been a trying time for her. There had been vessels in the harbour all the time, and we found no less than six when we arrived. One might have expected that the presence of these, from Christian lands, would have been cheering and assuring. Such, however, was far from being the case ; on the contrary, from the lile conduct of their law- less crews had arisen the heaviest part of the trial. Shortly after our return from Upolu, Mr Piatt left us to return to the Tahitian group. Mr Barnden also went to his own station, and we were left alone to resume our accustomed duties. (6i) CHAPTEE IX. KESUMPTION OF ACCUSTOMED DUTIES — CLASS FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS- POSITION OF WOMEN AMONG THE SAMOANS — THE FKIDAY MEETING — FIRST NATIVE TEACHER — SECOND TOUR OP THE DISTRICT — CONDUCT OF FOREIGN VISITORS — AWFUL OCCURRENCE — CLOSE OF OUR FIRST TEAR's LABOURS. We were now at liberty to resume our accustomed occupa- tions ; the pleasant interruj)tions of the past month were over, and we were left to give our undivided attention to the duties of our own station. Our school was recommenced, and our services continued as heretofore, and as Eaki was now transferred to the other district, I was left single-handed ; so that, with my limited knowledge of the language, I had quite as much to attend to as I could well manage. So far notliing had been attempted specially on behalf of the women and girls ; or rather, all previous attempts to get them to come together for instruction had failed. On this account Mrs Murray liad turned to boys and lads, and for a length of time she had been instructing a class of them daily. About twelve attended ; they learned to read and write in a very short time, and the acquisitions of some of them were afterwards turned to good account. Now a class of women and girls was got together, numbering about twenty, who attended with tolerable regularity ; but all our classes still continued to be greatly interrupted by the shipping which frequented the port. 62 POSITION OF WOMEN IN SAMOA. Woman in Samoa had never occupied the inferior position which she does in most heathen lands ; still there was a marked difference between the women and the men in point of intelligence, and as regards a desire for instruction. Hence, to awaken their interest and gain their attention was proportionably more difficult than in the case of the men. Persevering effort, however, with the Divine bless- ing, overcame every difficulty. Not a very great while passed before their interest was effectually aroused, and, eventually they were not behind the other sex in attention to the means of grace and instruction ; and fully as large a proportion of them, I think, have all along given evidence of being Christians indeed. Hitherto my preaching efforts had been chiefly confined to the immediate neighbourhood of Pangopango. Now I began to visit more distant parts, and the people also began to come more about us, and to show a disposition to inquire into the meaning of what they read and heard. jSTumbers came regularly to our house in the evenings, except when a night- dance, the presence of profligate sailors, or some other special attraction, w^as in the way. Prom the first a few were proof against these temptations, and the number of these slowly but steadily increased. Those who assembled united with us in our family worship, after which the more intelligent assisted us in the acqui- sition of the language, and occasionally questions were asked and subjects came up which led to useful conversa- tions, to which all listened. These evening engagements were among the most pleasant and profitable of our occupa- tions at this time, and I believe they were as useful to the natives as they were interesting to us. About this time a few of the more advanced among the natives commenced the observance of family worship ; so our ears were greeted by other sounds than those of heathen revelry, or of the low and filthy songs of abandoned sailors. THE FRIDA V MEETING. 63 We liacl now a few individuals in our immediate neiglibour- liood, and also in the villages around the hay and else- where, who had renounced heathenism in something' more than name. They had given up frequenting the dances, and other heathen practices, and they avowed their determination to follow Christ; to endeavour to refrain from all that He forbids, and to practise all that He enjoins. Extraordinary circumstances require to be met by extraordinary expedients. Our circumstances at the time referred to were such as seemed to require some special adaptation. It seemed desirable that something should be done to distinguish those who appeared to be in earnest in the pursuit of truth from those who were still heathen in almost everything except the name; to give definiteness and force to their example, as well as to encourage them in the struggle they had to maintain against temptations within and without. We did not feel satisfied that they had really passed from death unto life. Hence the idea of forming a church could not yet be entertained. What, then, was to be done ? I state the case thus particularly, because exception has been taken to the course we adopted. We followed the example of our elder brethren in the Tahitian and Rarotongan missions, and set up what was called the " Friday meeting," from the day on which it was held. This meeting consisted of the select class referred to above, and was virtually a cate- chumen's class. After a time, when the circumstances which gave rise to it no longer existed, its character was changed. It was made an open meeting, and the candidates' class in the different villages took its place. At the time referred to, however, it was of great use. None of our services excited more interest or appeared to lead to more valuable results than our Friday meet- ings. The exercises consisted of a sermon, generally of a somewhat special character. This was followed by 64 FIRST NATIVE TEACHER. addresses from teachers who might be present (after we came to have teachers), and from the more advanced of the members ; and in the evening we had a catechetical exercise upon the discourse, extending sometimes to passages of Scripture on which the addresses of different speakers had been founded. In early days I conducted this exercise, the whole company meeting in the large house in which our services were at this time held. Afterwards, when each village had its own teacher, the plan was changed, and a separate service was held at each village. In June of this year, 1837, I made a second tour of the district, and took a step wliich had an important bearing on the work. So far nothing had been attempted by native instrumentality — I mean natives of our own island. None of them had, up to tliis time, been sufficiently advanced to be placed as teachers over others. Now one man, a native of the island, who had recently returned from Upolu, where, for a length of time, he had been near the Earotongan teacher Teava, was considered eligible to be employed in teaching his countrymen. He was naturally a shrewd man, and, during his connection with Teava, he had learned to read and write, and had gained considerable acquaintance with the truths of the Bible; and, withal, there was reason to hope that he had felt the power of the truth in his own heart. Thus he was far in advance of his countrymen, and it was thouglit desu-able to try to turn him to account. Eespect for his teacher had led him to assume his name, so he went by the name of Teava. We set out on our tour on the 29th of June, taking Teava with us, with the intention of placing him on Aunuu, a small island about ten miles distant from Pango- I)ango, should we be able to induce the pe(5ple to receive him. In this we succeeded, though not witliout difficulty. The people wished to have a teacher, but they wanted a Earotongan or a Tahitian, and did not see why one of VISIT TO THE HEATHEN. 65 themselves should be set over them as their instructor. However, we carried our point, and a new stage in the history of our little island was entered upon. Our reception during this tour was much the same as on the former occasion, and nothing particularly note- worthy occurred. In addition to meeting the people of the different villages in the large house, according to Samoan fashion, I tried household visitation. No visible effect, however, followed. At one village we had a serious disturbance, which might have led to awkward conse- quences. A wliite. man, one of the class with whom the reader is already familiar, had sought and found a con- genial retreat in one of the dark heathen villages whicli we had visited, or were about to visit — I forget which. He felt annoyed, I suppose, that the light should follow him, and vented his indignation in abusive language directed against me. One of our party, more zealous than wise, laid violent hands upon him, and he in turn seized a hatchet, with which he threatened to murder my friend. By the intervention, I suppose, of others of our party who took the matter more calmly, the affair was ended witliout any serious consequences. I saw the white man after- wards, and took the opportunity of talking a Kttle to liim ; but he appeared awfully hardened, and simk — more so than the heathen around us. The natives seemed to wonder that I did not resent his conduct, and tlius the incident was of use as affording an opportunity of showing how a Christian should act in such cii'cumstances. My efforts to induce the heathen to embrace Christianity were zealously seconded by some of the natives of our party, and their remarks sometimes were strildng and approj)riate. On one occasion, Pomare was urging upon his countrymen the acceptance of the new religion on the ground that missionaries were true men, and actuated by genuine love to them. " Why," said he, " when any one is 66 AN A WFUL OCCURRENCE. sick at a distance from us on this island, or on Upolu, we don't go to visit him, and try to relieve him ; but they, the missionaries, have left all, and come from a very, very dis- tant land to seek our good. Can this be anything but true love?" On our return home, we found everything going on comfortably. For a length of time we had had no ships in the harbour, and schools and services had been well attended, and all had been progressing favourably. Our lull, however, was of short continuance. On the day after our return, two vessels arrived, the crews of which had not been outdone in wickedness by any who had preceded them. One of them had met with a dreadful disaster a few months before their visit to Tutuila, which, one would have thought, would have left some impression. Whales were in sight, and the boats were being lowered to give them chase, when the captain, in stepping over the side of the ship, gave utterance to language almost too awful to place on record : — " D my soul ! I'll take a whale to-day or go to hell." Wretched man ! there is too much reason to fear he did go to hell that day. The boat in which he was, and all in it, through some accident, were lost that same day. The mate was now in charge of the ship, and he, and those who remained of the crew, did not appear to have profited by the awful warning. Tlie doctor of the ship, who professed to have some regard for religion, told me the above tale ; he seemed to have been much shocked by the occurrence. The conduct of the crews of these vessels produced the usual disastrous effects, though to a somewhat less degree ; and so it continued to be — vessels came and went as they had been wont in considerable numbers, and the character of their captains and crews was, in the gi-eat majority of cases, of the above stamp ; but, by the help and blessing of God, we were evidently gaining ground all the time. INDICA TJONS OF PROGRESS. 67 and at the close of our first year's labours the review was fitted to cheer and encourage with reference to the future. What an eventful year had it been to ourselves, in our own immediate sphere, and to our mission as a whole ! — a year of marvellous mercy. Trials and checks we had met with — this was a matter of course. It had been ex- pected, so we were not taken by surprise. But, on the whole, our mission had a wonderfully auspicious com- mencement. Instead of a long dreary " niglit of toil," such as most first missionaries have to pass through, the day had already dawned when we entered upon our work, so that our mission was inaugurated and prosecuted amid the cheering light and bracing influences of opening and advancing day. Hence our labours began to take effect almost as soon as they were commenced. In subsequent years we had our share of trials and reverses, but our mission certainly had an exceptional beginning. The above remarks, as will probably have occurred to the reader, are more applicable to the mission as a whole than to our own immediate sphere. That^ as we have seen, was in all but total darkness when we commenced our labours. By the Divine blessing on these, however, they soon began to take effect ; the evidence became more and more clear that we were not labouring in vain ; and we entered upon the second year of our missionary life in cir- cumstances full of encouragement. The number of the Christian party was steadily aug- menting ; we were gaining upon the confidence and affec- tions of the people ; our knowledge of the language, and ability to use it effectively, were increasing; the select number who professed to be seeking in earnest the salva- vation of their souls was receiving additions from time to time ; and, to crown all, a fciu appeared to be under the teaching of the Spirit of God; and in this, tlie event proved, we were not mistaken. " God was working with us, and confirming the word ^dth signs following." (68) CHAPTEE X. TOUR OF THE ISLAND WITH JIR BARNDEN — TEMPORARY EXCHANGE OP STA- TIONS — STATE OF THE LEONE DISTRICT — STRIKING INCIDENT — MISSIONARY VOYAGE TO MANUA — LOSS OF A CANOE AND CREW — SUCCESS OF THE EXPEDITION TO MANUA — THE FIRST VISIT OF AN ENGLISH MAN-OF-WAR TO SAMOA. In the month of September 1837, Mr Barnden and I visited the greater part of the island. As on former occa- sions in the Pangopango district, our efforts were vain in as far as appearances went. After the completion of this tour, we exchanged stations with Mr Barnden for a few months. This he kindly pro- posed that he might finish our dwelling-house, as he was better acquainted with house-building than I was. I left Pangopango for Leone on the 19th of September. The weather was too rough at the time to allow of Mrs Murray accompanying me. She followed in a few days, and reached Leone in safety, but not without having been in some danger. The weather was still too rough for the journey by sea. However, she and her party were merci- fully preserved. We were very apt to get into danger in those days from ignorance and inexperience. A few years later, such a journey Avould not have been attempted in such weather. We enjoyed the change to Leone exceedingly. It was such a relief to get for a time to a place where there was no harbour ; and where, on that account, we were free from VISIT TO LEONE. 69 the interruptions and hindrances which shipping such as that which frequented Pangojiango harbour occasioned. Another great advantage which Leone has over Pango- pango is that the village itself is double the size; and, moreover, there were at the time referred to a number of villages in the immediate neighbourhood, containing a much larger population than was to be found in the neighbourhood of Pangopango. And another very im- portant difference at the time of our visit was, that the great body of the people, both in Leone and in the neigh- bouring villages, had abandoned heathenism, and were nominally Christian. Hence the state of things there was much more encouraging than at Pangopango. Schools and services were attended steadily and regu- larly by, I suppose, four times the number. With refer- ence to the real character of the people, the difference was not great ; but the fact that so many more were nominally Christian, and on that account were accessible, and in attendance upon schools and services, gave this station important advantages over the other at the time referred to, and rendered it a very much more attractive sphere of laljour. We went to work at once, and spent nearly four months very happily. The people were eager after knowledge, and applied themselves to learn to read and wi'ite with great diligence. The house in which our schools and ser- vices were held was crowded, and every night our house was filled to overflowing, and many were the delightful evenings we spent in communicating information to eager listeners. The women and girls were especially anxious to make the most of our visit. Mr Barnden was unmar- ried, and our stay was not to be very long ; hence their anxiety to turn to the best account Mrs Murray's brief sojourn among them. She had school twice a day. In the forenoon a select class met, and had special instruc- 70 A STRIKING OCCURRENCE. tion to fit them for acting as monitors ; and in the after- noon, from seventy to eighty assembled and sought with most commendable diligence to improve their opportunity. During our stay at Leone, the people there took a very important step, which led to important results on other parts of the island — they gave up heathen dances. Pango- pango soon followed their example, and thus at the two leading places we got rid of one of the most formidable obstacles to progress in everything good. During our stay at Leone an event took place which is perhaps worth men- tiouino;. It struck us much at the time of its occurrence, and it exerted a powerful influence among the people. The wife and daughter of a man named Uo were taken ill. He applied to me for medicine, which was supplied. He was a large, powerful man, and, to all appearance, in perfect health. Towards evening on the same day, a request was sent to me to visit him, as he had been taken ill. I went, and found him unwell as reported, and the people about him in very ill humour, scolding the poor man, because, as they said, he had acted wickedly. His wife and daughter had continued to get worse, and he had given expression to wrong feelings towards God in some such language as the following :- — " If God is really a God of power, may I go first, or may I be taken instead of my wife and daughter." I did not think much of the matter ; the case did not appear to me serious, so I returned home and sent him a dose of medicine, not dreaming of anything serious. How- ever, about midnight the same night, we were aroused by the dismal death-wail which the heathen were accustomed to raise when one of tlieir number died ; and in the morn- ing we were surjjrised and shocked to learn that Uo was dead ! He had been taken first, as he had requested, and his wife and daughter recovered. The natives regarded the thing as a judgment, and as a proof that God is indeed VISIT TO MANUA. 71 powerful, and that it is a hazardous thing to appeal to Him as poor Uo had done. In such a state of society an occurrence like the above produces a very deep impression, and supplies a powerful check to the habit of making rash vows and passionate appeals to the true God, such as, in their heathen state, the people were accustomed to make to their gods. The effect produced upon survivors bears a resemblance to that described in Acts v. 11, as having fol- lowed an occurrence someivhat similar : — " And great fear came upon all the Church, and upon as many as heard these things." The case of Uo has never been forgotten at Leone, and who can tell to how great an extent it has operated as a salutary warning ? Other things of a similar character occurred during the early years of our missionary life, but the above will suffice as a specimen. It was during our stay at Leone, in the month of November, that a mission to Manua was projected. No attempt had yet been made towards the evangelisation of that group, and it is remarkable that, unknown to each other, the brethren on the Leeward Islands, and we on Tutuila, projected and arranged for a visit to the group at the same time. After our arrangements were completed, and our party had started on their mission, but before they had finally quitted Tutuila, a boat arrived from Upolu with three Samoans, commissioned by the brethren, by whom they were sent, to act as teachers on Manua. They were accompanied by Teava and Uea, a Tahitian teacher, who were in charge of the expedition. They had been instructed to call at Tutuila and confer with us, that we might render such aid as was in our power towards carrjdng the object into effect. Eaki was in charge of our party. The boat from the leeward followed them without delay, and overtook them at some point on Tutuila. Both parties proceeded to the small island of Aunuu, the start- ing-place for Manua, to wait a favourable opportunity for 72 A PAINFUL DISASTER. setting out on their voyage. A sad disaster was connected with the commencement of the Manna mission. Our people found at Aunuu a party from Manua waiting for a fair wind to return to their home. As is usual on such occa- sions, the whole party started together, and, unhappily, one of our people, for what reason does not appear, took a ]Dassage in the Manua canoe. A violent storm overtook the party. Our people, who had one boat and two canoes, managed, with great difficulty, to get back to Aunuu ; but the Manua canoe was lost, with all lielonging to it, includ- ing, of course, our man. There would be at least ten or twelve persons in the canoe — most likely more. A second attempt was successful; the party reached Manua in safety, and were well received, and about 300 people abandoned heathenism and embraced Christianity. The teachers were located under encouraging circumstances, and tlie deputation returned much pleased with the result of their expedition. And thus, in November 1837, was commenced, by native instrumentality, the Manua mission. iSTo wliite missionary had, up to this time, set foot on its shores. Towards the close of our residence at Leone, an event occurred which deserves a permanent record. The " Con- way," a British man-of-war, \asited the Samoan group. Her visit to Tutuila was in the last week of December 1837. She was the first man-of-war which visited the Pangopango side of the island. No other man-of-war had touched at Tutuila, or on any other island of the group, so far as can be ascertained, since the unfortunate expedition of La Perouse in 1787. Hence the visit of the " Conway" was a thing to be noted and remembered. She was under the command of a gentleman of high character and posi- tion, Captain Drinkwater Bethune. Her special errand was to rid the islands, as far as possible, of the presence of certain characters who had escaped from the penal settle- VISIT OF A MAN-OF-WAR. 73 ments wliich at that time existed in New South Wales and elsewhere in Australia, and any other British subjects who might, by their misconduct, have rendered themselves obnoxious to the natives. She was too late to have much success in her special errand. Something, that finds its way where men-of-war cannot penetrate, had found out the characters of whom she was in quest, and sent most of them to seek other hiding-places on islands where the darkness of heathenism remained unbroken. The visit of the " Conway " was useful to us in many ways. Captain Bethune did everything in his power to streuQ-then our hands. The conduct of himself, and his officers and ship's company, contrasted strikingly with that of the masters and crews of whalers, and gave the natives a high idea of British men-of-war. Captain Bethune had our harbour surveyed and examined, and a chart of it prepared — the first, no doubt, that was ever made of any Samoan port. He also drew up port regula- tions, which were adopted by the native authorities, and which were of great use in restraining and keeping in check future visitors. The visit of the " Conway " was an event in our history connected with which there is nothing to regret ; the influence it exerted was altogether beneficial ; and, to a large extent, this has been the case with reference to all the men-of-war which have visited the islands in subsequent years. (74) CHAPTER XL RETURN TO PANGOPAXGO — TEACHERS* CLASS — INCREASE OF CONGREGATIONS, AND DEEPENING INTEREST AMONG THE PEOPLE FIRST CHRISTIAN MAR- RIAGE HEATHEN MARRIAGES AND DIFFICULTIES ARISING THEKEEROM — OPPOSITION OF FOREIGNERS TO THE PORT REGULATIONS — ISSUE OF THE STRUGGLE. We left Leone, and returned to our own station, on the 1st of January 1838. Our labours at Pangopango were resumed under circumstances on the whole encouraging. The experience of the past, so different from the quiet of Leone, was of course vividly remembered, and we knew that similar trials w^ere before us ; but the conviction that it was the sphere allotted us by the Master, made us feel reconciled and hopeful ; so we girded up our loins afresh, and applied ourselves to our work, looking to God for the needful help, and the promised blessing. We had now a comfortable dwelling-house, through the kindness of Mr Barnden — a thing of no small consequence in a climate like that of Samoa. Up to this tune we had encouraged the natives to assemble in our liouse at the hour of evening worship ; so we had had a sort of public service every evening. At the commencement of our work this was, perhaps, the best plan that could have been adopted, and it answered important ends both to the people and to ourselves. But it was not of course adapted for a permanent arrange- ment. It was not suitable for those who were heads of INC RE AS I. YG CONGREGATIONS. ■ 75 families, nor was it a desii-able thing for young people ; so, as soon as it seemed advisable to encourage the people to set up family worship in their own houses, they were recommended to do so. In cases where there was no one that could conduct a service, the family so circumstanced could unite with a neighbouring family, or they might still come and join with us. The recommendation was generally adopted ; so in the Christian families throughout the village, the voice of prayer ushered in and closed the day. There were no heathen dances now, to prevent attention to, and attendance upon, better things. Our Friday services became more and more attractive and useful. They exerted an important influence in forming and moulding puUic ojnnion with reference to a great variety of subjects, touching which the notions and practice of the Samoans were radically wrong. A class, which had recently been commenced for imparting special instruction to a select few who were acting to some extent as teachers in their respective villages, also came together on Friday. With them I used to spend the greater part of the forenoon. Hence Friday became one of our busiest and most profitable days. It had an important bearing on our Sabbath services. Many of the people who attended the Friday meetings remained for these; and the conse- quence was, that instead of ha-sdng, as we had been wont, a congregation of seventy or eighty persons, we had from two to three hundred, embracing select parties from many villages far and near. They made an effort— a gTeat effort in some cases — to be with us, coming considerable distances, over very rough roads and sometimes stormy seas, to enjoy what they were learning to esteem as a high j)rivilege. And such being the cii'cumstances under wliich they united with us, they were not likely to be inattentive or forgetful hearers ; nor were they likely to be silent as to what they had seen and heard when they returned to their homes. 76 DEEPENING INTEREST. And thus the interest in the new religion was being deepened and extended, and the way was being prepared for the entire subversion of heathenism, and the universal prevalence of a new order of things. In February I made another tour of the district. I visited twelve principal villages and a few smaller ones — consisting of only a few families. Four out of the twelve were wholly heathen. In aU the others there were a few professedly Christian, and a little progress was being made. On the 20th of this month, February 1838, the first Christian marriage took place on Tutuila, and shortly after that came an affair presenting a painful and revolting contrast — a heathen marriage, and one of the worst sort. It would not be to edification to enter into particulars. The brides were two young women, who, against their own wishes, were given to two chiefs, both of whom were already married, and had each one wife or more living. They were important chiefs — refugees from Upolu. They were con- cerned in the murder of Tamafainga/'- and to escape the vengeance of his adherents, they had fled to Tutuila, where they had resided a number of years. They were men of rank and mark, and to form an alliance with them was a thing not to be lightly regarded. Hence the forthcoming marriages, which were to come off on the same day, were regarded as a grand occasion, such as did not very often occur on Tutuila. Besides, one of the brides, the one who was to be given to the greater of the two chiefs, was an adopted daughter of Maunga, the most famous chief on the island, and she was viewed and treated exactly as if she had been his own daughter. Preparations had been making for the affair for many months, and a great part of the island was involved in it, and everything was to be gone about in thoroughly heathen style. * See Williams' "Missionary Enterprises," p. 327, page 85 of the cheap edition. A HEATHEN MARRIAGE. 77 Hence we could only discourage those who professed regard for the Word of God, and looked to us for advice, from taking any part in it ; so it became a testing thing. Those who took part in it must cease to be members of our select class. A number gave way, but, considering the circumstances, it is a marvel that so many stood fast. Pomare, Maunga's own son, and reputed brother of one of the girls, was among the number of those who held fast their integrity. He and others fled to our house on the day when matters came to a crisis, to get out of the way of danger, and remained till all was over. The daughter of Maunga was compelled to live with the man to whom she was given till the death of Maunga, which occurred about two years after the marriage. Then she left him and fled to Pomare for protection, and so the unhallowed connection terminated. After a few years, Tuisainoa (King of Samoa), as he was then called, returned to his own land, Upolu. He took to himself the name of Le Aitu Lalonci, the devil or demon here below — a most appropriate name truly. He lived many years after his return to Upolu, but continued a heathen to the end of his days. He was killed during the course of the long war, as it is called in Samoa, about the year 1850. This trial was not well over till another of a different character, but not less difficult to deal with, came upon us. During the early years of our mission, and indeed to a great extent all through, we realised pretty fully Bunyan's quaint description of the Christian man, who — " Is seldom long at ease ; When one trouble dotli leave him, another doth him seize." The trouble that came upon us now was one of the most trying we had yet been called to encounter. The port regulations have been mentioned. Little did we think, when we were congratulating ourselves on the establishment of these, that they would be the occa- 78 A DESPERA TE STRUGGLE. sion of a fierce straggle, in wliicli we sliould have to contend, almost single-handed, against both foreigners and natives. Yet so it was. The first vessel that anchored in the harbour after the visit of the " Conway " was an IJnglish whaler. During the first two or three days of her stay all was quiet. It was a marvellous change to what we had been accustomed ; and we were rejoicing over it, and thinking what a blessing our new laws were likely to ]>rove. Alas ! we little knew what a storm was gathering. Laws were not to be established without a struggle. The captain of the vessel, and certain parties among the foreigners residing on shore, like-minded with himself, united their counsels and efforts, and made a vigorous and determined attempt to get the laws abrogated. They re- presented to the chiefs that, if the laws were carried out, vessels would not come into the harbour, and they would be deprived of the opportunity of getting property. This was a telling argument with the natives, and it was all the more difticult to deal witli that there was some truth in it. They had but recently come into the possession of foreign property, and they were gaining importance and influence in consequence of their increasing wealth. They owed what they had almost solely to the visits of ships ; and the prospect of having the source of supply cut off, and being thrown back upon the destitution of former days, was anything but agreeable. Hence it is not sur- prising that they gave way, and consented to the abroga- tion of the laws. This they did ; and the enemies of law and order lost no time in making us feel that we were again in a lawless land. Their joy seemed to know no l)ounds while tliey gloried in their shame and revelled in their fancied freedom— freedom to act as the slaves of sin and Satan. But " the triumphing of the wicked is short." The laws were not mine in any sense, though our enemies were fond of asserting that they were. They TRIUMPH OF RIGHT. 79 originated solely with Captain Bethune, and Ly him tliey were drawn up, without my having any hand in tlie busi- ness. At his request, I translated them into the Samoan language, and explained them to the natives, advising and encouraging them to receive them ; but the adopting of them was their own unconstrained act. Of course I re- joiced to have them, knowing that, if they were carried out, they would be a great blessing to the people ; and, now that a crisis had come, I was not going to stand quietly by and see the natives befooled and robbed of the boon they had just obtained, by wicked men who sought only their own base ends. I lost no time in remonstrating with the chiefs. The sin and folly of their conduct were strongly set before them, with all the advantages they would throw away, and all the evils they would bring upon themselves and their families and country by persisting in it. It was no easy matter, however, to get them even to reconsider tlie subject. They would make themselves look foolish, and expose themselves to the reproach and ridicule of the opponents of the laws ; and there was the grand argu- ment that by enforcing the laws they would drive away shipping. This we had met by telling them that the absence of such ships as would stay away on that account would not really be a thing to be regretted, and that the carrying out of the laws would be an inducement for ships of a better class to come. For some time they remained firm, till a discourse from Titus i. 16 brought them to a stand. By the blessing of God this produced the desired effect. The same evening on which the discourse was delivered, parties belonging to the ship were sent on board to sleep, according to the laws. The next morning the captain came on shore to complain. His complaint was based on the ground that the laws had been abrogated. A consultation was at once held among the chiefs, and it 8o RAGE OF OUR ADVERSARIES. was determined there and then to abide by the laws. Great, of course, was the mortification and wrath of Captain H. and his aiders and abettors. One is ashamed that an Englishman — a man who would have considered himself insulted had the name of Christian been denied him — should have acted such a part. For such a man to set himself to undo what the captain of a British man-of- war had just done would have been audacious enough ; but when it is remembered that the object was to have liberty to spend the night on shore in revelling and wicked- ness, one hardly knows how to characterise it. Yet the gentleman in question had the assurance to assume the tone of an injured man. He complained most bitterly that he was obliged to suljmit to laws among naked savages, as he termed the natives ; and he, and Ms accom- plices on shore, raged most furiously. All their indigna- tion was directed against us. They complained, remon- strated, threatened. All was unavailing, however. The natives were firm, and we had no misgivings as to the part we had acted. Hence we feared not what man could do unto us. The end was gained. Attempts were made again and again, in subsequent years, to evade the laws or set them at nought ; but this was . the first and the last time that a deliberate attempt was made to get the native authorities to set them aside. From this time onward, for many years, they were generally obeyed, or, if trans- gressed, the penalty was inflicted ; and the consequences to the island, especially to Pangopango and the neighbour- hood, were most happy. The captain of every vessel that arrived heard of the unsuccessful attempt of Captain H., and was deterred from adopting a similar course. We were now approaching the close of the second year of our missionary life. We left England in ISTovember 1835, and it was now about the middle of 1838, No letters, either from the Directors of the Society, or from TRIED BUT NOT DISCOURAGED. 8i private friends, had readied us. All the members of our mission, especially the ladies, had suffered from the non- arrival of supplies. But none of these things moved us much. Of course we longed to hear from those dear to us at home, and to know what was going on in the civilised world ; but, being fully engaged in our chosen work, and seeing that work prospering in our hands, we were far from thinking our lot a hard one. Eather did we feel ourselves higldy favoured, in that to us was " this grace given, that we should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." F (82) CHAPTEE XII. MISSIONARY PRATER-MEETING COMMENCED — FIRST MAT MEETING — A CHURCH FORMED — BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. On tlie 2d of April 1838, our first missionary prayer- meeting was held. We did not think it advisable to com- mence such a meeting till we had among our people some who were themselves spiritually alive. At this time we were satisfied that there were a few such, and we sought from the earliest period of our mission to teach those who were alive themselves the duty and privilege of imparting the word of life to others. Hence the setting up of a mis- sionary prayer-meeting. And in the following month we took another step in the same direction — a hold step under the circumstances, and perhaps a little premature. However that may be, it passed off well, and, so^ far as we could judge, it was a success. In the month of May we had a meeting of all the Christian party from both districts — a " May meeting," we called it. It was held on the 9th of May. A large com- pany assembled — probably about 1500. The object we had in view was not exclusively, perhaps not principally, missionary ; the people were not yet sufficiently advanced to take an intelligent interest in missions. We aimed to promote harmony and good feeling between the two dis- tricts into which the island was divided. There had been FIRST MISSIONARY MEETING. 83 war between them shortly before tlie introduction of the gospel. ISTeither party had been decidedly victorious, and a good deal of jealousy and bad feeling remained on both sides. By bringing them together for an object entirely unpolitical, we thought that such feelings would be likely to be lessened, if not removed. All passed off happily, and the end appeared to be in a good degree answered. It need hardly be added that the people were not asked to contribute anything to the missionary cause. The time for that had not yet come. The engagements of the day were begun by a sermon, preached by Mr Barnden, from Acts xiii. 46, and in the afternoon a meeting was held, at which addresses were delivered by the more advanced among the people. A fine feeling appeared to be produced, and the peojDle returned to their respective homes much pleased with the proceed- ings. Those from the Leone district had been very gene- rously provided for and kindly entertained by those of the other, and this tended in no small degree to advance the end we had in view. So passed the first great religious gathering held on Tutuila. And soon after this another important step was taken — a step which forms an era in the history of our mission — a church was formed. This step was taken after much anxious debberation. Feeling deeply the importance of first movements in such matters, we were very desirous that those who led the way in making a public profession of attachment to Christ should be His genuine disciples. This had led us to wait and watch and pray that we might have such evidence of this as would enable us to go forward without misgiving. Such evidence it was now our privilege to have in the case of three individuals. These were Pomare, Pita* (Peter), a very interesting young man, who attached * Throughout the whole of Polynesia the vowels are sounded 0.% in the Italian and other Continental languages. 84 FORMA TION OF A CHURCH. himself to us soon after our settlement on the island, and Fauvasa, a man belonging to a village not very distant from Pangopango, but separated from it by one of the worst among the many bad roads on Tutuila. In reference to these, we felt satisfied that they had passed from death unto life, and so the way was clear to take the step in question. Accordingly, on the morning of Friday, June the 29 th, I met these three in my study, and, after much converse with reference to the important step we were about to take, and earnest prayer for the Divine guidance and blessing, we agreed to unite together for the observance of the laws and ordinances which Christ has given and instituted, as these are recorded in the Old and New Tes- taments. On the Sabbath following, July the 1st, 1838, the ordinance of the Lord's Supper was observed. It was a season of deep and hallowed interest. Many hearts were moved on that memorable occasion besides those of the little company who showed forth the Lord's death. We had, I trust, the presence and blessing of the Master of the feast, and many felt that it was good to be there. . A brief glance at the subsequent history of the little company, who were the first-fruits to Christ from Tutuila, will not be out of place here. To me it is a thought some- what tinged with sadness, that they have all passed away ; yet, in reality, it is matter for joy rather than grief that they are, as I trust, safe in the better land. On the second missionary voyage of the " Camden," in 1840, in charge of Mr Heath, Pomare and Fauvasa went as evangelists to the dark regions to the west of Samoa. Pomare was left on the island of Tanna, at Port Eesolution. On the former voyage, Mr Williams had landed two teachers at that place. Pomare and Salamca, a native of Upolu, were added by Mr Heath, with the view of strengthening the mission. They endured many privations, and passed through many trials, on that dark, inhospitable shore, and when the BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 85 island was again visited in April 1841, we found that two out of the four, one of whom was Pomare, had finished their course. They had suffered much from sickness and want of proper nourishment. It was a sad disappoint- ment to us to find our friend, wlio had so lately left us in circumstances so full of interest and promise, gone ; and, to his widow, who had come with us in the expectation of joining him in the service of Christ, it was a stunning blow. She bore it nobly, however, as did also the widow of Salamea, wlio had come with the same expectation. Looked at from a human point of view, Pomare made a foolish choice — threw himself away. There was no man of higher rank on Tutuila than he, and, if he had remained at home, he might have succeeded his father, Maunga, after a while ; but his heart was set on better things than rank and position among men. He was virtually a martyr in the cause of Christ, and he and Salamea deserve a place among the martyrs of Polynesia. From all I could learn, he was patient and resigned amid his trials and sufferings ; but it was not possible to learn much, as his fellow- labourers were all ill at the time of his death. There was not one to help another, or to take any particular note of what occurred. It seems a marvel that any of them sur- vived ; but, even among the savage Tannese, He who has all hearts in His hand inclined some to pity the strangers and show them kindness, and to that probably it was owing, instrumentally, that we found two out of the four, Lalolangi and Mose, alive. Fauvasa and Pangisa, another teacher from Tutuila who went on the same voyage, were designed for New Caledonia. An attempt was made to locate them at Port St Vincents, on that island, which proved unsuccessful ; and as it was the last place at which the vessel was to call on that voyage, they were brought back to their native land. Fauvasa lived only a few years after this. He was use- 86 A LIFE OF USEFULNESS. fully employed as a teaclier as long as his health allowed, and he maintained a consistent course to the last. Pita, after being employed a few years as a teacher in his native land, went to the New Hebrides, and was located at Port Eesolution, where his brother-in-law * Pomare had been stationed during his brief term of service in the mission field. Here for several years he and his courageous wife nobly braved the dangers and contended with the difficulties of that land of darkness and the shadow of death. Again and again they were in imminent peril, and at length they were obliged to escape for their lives. They fled to the neighbouring island of Aneiteum, where they found the state of things almost as critical as it was on Tanna. Pita, however, was not a man to be easily daunted, and the event proved that he had been brought there for an important end. Soon after their arrival matters came to a crisis. In 1846 the Eev. H. Nisbet from Samoa and the Pev. W. Gill from Earotonga visited the island. The teachers had entirely lost heart, and they proposed to the deputa- tion that the mission should be given up ; and it was only saved by Pita's volunteering to hold on along with another who was also willing to remain. He and his faithful wife remained on Aneiteum many years, and during the greater part of the time they were associated with Mr and Mrs Inglis, by whom they were held in high esteem. Advanc- ing years, together with family cuxumstances, led to their returning to their native isle about 1860, There Pita continued to labour faithfully and zealously till 1870. In the month of March of that year he was seized with an illness which in a sliort time proved fatal. Mr Powell, who had been connected with him for a time on Aneiteum, and with whom he was associated on Tutuila from the time of his return till his death, bears a delightful testimony to the Christian consistency which marked the closing years * Pomare was married to a sister of Pita, A HAPPY DEATH. 87 of his life, and to its beautiful and triumphant termination when the goal was reached, and he passed into the presence of Him whom he had so ardently loved and so faithfully served. A noble man was Pita in the genuine sense — a large-hearted, generous soul, scorning everything low and mean, and adorning the doctrine of God his Saviour in everything great and small. A very prominent trait of his religious character from the first was love to Christ, and Mr Powell bears testimony that towards the close of his life, and especially at the last, this shone out with peculiar brilliancy — like the setting sun as he passes away to irradiate other lands. The Christian reader will understand how the writer loves to dwell on Pita's memory, and with what joy he anticipates re-union with him and others in the undying world. Besides being the engaging character we have described, he was the first on Tutuila who gave decisive evidence of conversion to God. His widow, so far as I know, is still alive (1875). She is a woman of a similar stamp to himself. She was the wife of his youth, and shared with him all the dangers and trials of his eventful life. She felt the death of her husband very deeply, but seemed to bow with submission to the will of God, while she looks forward with joyful anticipation to re-union after a little while. So much for the first three worthies whom Tutuila furnished. The fact that they were the first, and that they were all more or less men of mark, must be the writer's apology, if an apology is needed, for dwelling so long on their history At the tune the church was formed, there was another young man in a very interesting state of mind. He had taken to himself the awkward name of " Ship," a name that no Polynesian can possibly pronounce. In the mouth of a Polynesian it becomes Sipi — pronounced Seepee — which sounds more like sliccp than sli%id. It is a rule which knows no exception in Eastern Polynesia that two con- 88 A STRIKING CONVERSION. sonants cannot stand together, and that every word and every syllable must end in a vowel ; hence foreign names necessarily undergo great changes in passing into the lan- guage. But to return to our young friend Sipi. He was a ser- vant in our family at the time to which we refer. For months he had been under religious concern. He had been aroused by a discourse on the parable of the sower, and had been labouring with all his might to find peace by his own efforts. It is deeply interesting to note how uni- form are the workings and developments of human nature. Poor Sipi laboured as zealously to work out a righteousness for himself, as convinced sinners are wont to do in Chris- tian lands, and, of course, with as little success. He' was constantly failing — giving way to a hasty temper, or in some other way yielding to temptation — and every fresh failure plunged him into deeper distress. At length he was en- abled to understand "God's way of peace," and to cast himself, a helpless sinner, just as he Avas, upon the finished work of Christ ; and in so doing he found the rest he sought. As I came out of my bedroom one morning, I was surprised by finding him waiting for me, and still more so when he seized my hand with such a loving grasp, and told me with deep feeling that he had found what he had so long been seeking — that his burden was gone, and he had found peace. He was naturally a bashful, retiring lad. Hence I was the more surprised at his conduct at this time, and the more satisfied that his professions were genuine. And in his case, like that of the first three, his subsequent course proved that we were not mistaken. After a few years of consistent conduct in his native land, he went as a teacher to the island of Vate, in the New Hebrides. There, amid the privations and trials incident to a residence among a savage people and in an unhealthy climate, he spent several years, maintaining a consistent and exemplary course. The A NATIVE NOT/ON. 89 manner of his death was never satisfactorily ascertained. He had been suffering from disease, and during the pro- gress of his ilhiess he became delirious ; and it was sup- posed that on that account the natives put an end to his life, influenced by a notion found among them that the insane are possessed. However it may have been with re- ference to Sipi, I doubt not tliat to him to die was gain. Traces of him and his labours may yet be found on earth, or, if not, his memorial is on high. " Blessed are the dead that die in the l;ord from henceforth ; Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours ; and their works do follow them." (90) CHAPTEE XIII. THE PAST AND PRESENT — CONTINUED PROGRESS — ADAPTATION OF PLANS — NATIVE HELPERS — FIRST NEWS FROM HOME — ARRIVAL OF THE " CAMDEN " — STIRRING INCIDENTS. Feom the formation of the church dates a new era in the history of the Tutiiila mission. The time that preceded and tliat whicli followed had their respective characteristics distinctly marked — closely related indeed, yet clearly dis- tinguishable. Clearing, tilling, sowing, marked the one — it was our spring time ; or, to change the figure, it was our " night of toil," — brief, it is true, but still a time of consider- able trial ; a time of conflict — " fightings without and fears within." But enough has been said on the subject of diffi- culties and trials. Let us address ourselves to the more pleasing task of tracing the progress of the brighter era that now opened upon us, noticing occasionally, as we proceed, matters of more general interest and wider range than those which belong to our own immediate sphere. The happy change that was now in progress led to some alterations in our plans and modes of operation. Hitherto I had spent much time in itinerating on week-days, and on Sabbaths I had been accustomed, during the interval of the morning and afternoon services, to go to the villages that were within a manageable distance, generally con- ducting two short services in addition to those at home. Now this was no longer necessary, as the bulk of the people belonging to the villages I had been accustomed to NATIVE HELPERS. 91 visit preferred coming to me to waiting for me to go to them. Hence, I was able to spend my Sabbaths chiefly at home, and to concentrate my energies on two services. By this arrangement all concerned were gainers. The services were, of course, more effectively conducted ; hence the natives derived more benefit ftom them, and my work was much lightened. From this time, also, I had very effective help from the native brethren — Pita, Pomare, and Fauvasa. Hitherto, being almost single-handed as regards preaching, only a small part of the district could be supplied with that, except at distant intervals. Now, all the villages where Christianity had obtained a footing were visited almost weekly by our native preachers, and the number of these was soon so much increased, that we were able to send a regular supply every week to each village. The preachers were, of course, but poorly qualified for their work as regards mental furniture, but they were a long way ahead of most of their hearers ; and what they lacked in know- ledge was in a measure compensated by the warmth and zeal with which they exhibited and pressed upon the ac- ceptance of their congregations their newly-found treasure. In all the warmth and freshness of their " first love " they went forth, beseeching those whom they addressed to be reconciled to God, and being themselves living epistles of Christ which all might know and read. To have at this early stage of our labours a few cases of so decided a type as were theirs, was an unspeakable mercy. The influence they exerted on the subsequent history of the mission it would not be easy to overrate. I did my best, of course, to furnish them with matter for their addresses. We always tried so to arrange that each might hear one sermon on the Sabbath, and I met them weekly, as already stated, for instruction, and we met also for prayer and conversation at not distant intervals. 92 FIRST LETTERS FROM ENGLAND, The plan of spending my Sabbaths at home wrought well. The congregations continued to increase, and grow- ing interest and attention were manifested, and a decided case of conviction and conversion now and again cheered our hearts, and stimulated us to greater fervency in prayer, and greater longing after the showers of blessing, of which we regarded these first drops as the earnests and precursors. I continued my visits to the heathen at intervals of two or three months. The leaven was spreading slowly but surely among them ; there was no general movement, but they were dropping over by ones and twos into the ranks of the professedly Christian. On the 5th of August, the ordinance of the Lord's Supper was again observed; and in the beginning of October, a fourth member was added, and in November, a fifth. We had not yet received Sipi. Perhaps at this time we erred on the side of over-caution. It was the safer extreme, however, and did little, if any injury; thouirh, could we have looked into the future history of such men as Sipi, we should not have detained them, as we did, on the threshold. On the 11th of September of this year, 1838, we received our first letters from England ! We sailed from home on the 7th of November 1835. Wliat a tale does this tell as to the changes that have taken place, and the progress that has been made during the intervening years ! Now European news reach Samoa, and most of the principal groups of the Pacific where missionaries or foreign settlers have found their way, in about three months — more or less. How we were delighted to hear from loved ones at home will be more easily conceived than described. " As cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country." So emphatically we felt at this time. But something much more exciting, and of vastly greater moment than the arrival of letters from relatives ARRIVAL OF THE « CAMDEN." 93 and private friends, was at hand — a missionary ship was nearing our shores. Of this we were ignorant. We were not aware even that a vessel had been obtained ; hence the arrival of the " Camden " took us completely by surprise. It was a beautiful, sparkling morning towards the close of November. I had gone to the morning school as usual, and was engaged among the classes, when I was startled by an announcement that a vessel with two masts was at anchor in the harbour. The only vessels we were accus- tomed to see in those days were whalers, and they, with rare exceptions, had three masts. The first announce- ment was speedily followed by a second, w^hich effectually aroused us all, and brought our school to an abrupt ter- mination for that morning — Mr Williams and a company of missionaries are on board the ship ! Of course I was soon alongside of the vessel, and, sure enough, there was Mr Williams with a band of missionaries such as had not come forth to these seas since the "Duff" led the way. To see Mr Williams and the young missionaries and a mission-ship was a joyous sight ; but what struck me most was finding Capti^in Morgan in command! Since he left us, about two years before, to pursue his whaling voyage, we had heard nothing of him. How changed the circumstances now ! Wonder and gratitude fiUed our hearts ; and, after a short time spent in mutual congratu- lations and inquiries, we united on the deck of the " Cam- den " in pouring out our hearts in prayer and thanksgiving to " Him from whom all blessings flow." Very delightful was the intercourse we had with Mr Williams and the young friends during their brief stay with us. They arrived on Friday, November the 16th, 1838, and left on the Monday following. Thus we had a Sabbath together, and what a day of hallowed interest was that Sabbath ! Our native congregations were unusually large, Mr Barnden having come on from Leone with a number of his people ; 94 A MEMORABLE SABBA TH. and in the morning we had the whole party from the " Camden." There were Mr and Mrs Williams, Mr and Mrs Day, Mr and Mrs Eoyle, Mr and Mrs William Gill, Mr and Mrs Charter, Mr and Mrs Stair, Mr and Mrs Stevens, Mr and Mrs Buchanan, Mr ThomjDson, and Mr and Mrs John Williams, junr. The presence of such a company was, of course, a new tiling on Tutuila, and awakened a profound interest among the natives, while it deeply stirred our own hearts. At the morning service, Mr Barnden preached to the natives. The sermon was followed by the observance of the Lord's Supper. At the close, Mr Williams gave an address in English, which added interest to the occasion. It was the first time that most of us had met in such circumstances, and, as is so often the case when companies of missionaries meet, it was the last. In the afternoon the natives again assembled, and were addressed by a number of the newly-arrived brethren, through an interpreter, of course, and were much interested. In the evening we all, including Mrs JMurray, with our infant son, about ten days old, went on board the " Cam- den," to be ready for an early start on the following morning for Upolu. The day was closed by a service. Mr Williams was the preacher. His subject was the love of Christ — a subject altogether appropriate to the occasion. What could have been more so ? For what had brought together those there assembled, and what was the bond of union among us, and what was the motive power that was to move and regulate our future life ? — What, if we were true men and women, but that same higli and holy prin- ciple ? So some of us, at least, felt, on that evening of haUowed interest, as Mr Williams expatiated with evident sympathy and enlargement on his lofty theme. He gave a beautiful (quotation from the late saintly Dr Waugh, which made an abiding impression on my mind, though I FUTURE RE-UNION. 95 cannot recall the words. It was the last time I had the privilege of hearing Mr Williams, In little more than twelve months from that time, his testimony was finished and his work done, and he had joined the noble army of martyrs in that world where love reigns and bliss is full. Not a few of those who united in that service have since followed him there. God grant that all who remain may, in due time, be gathered in, and renew their acquaintance and fellowship before the throne of God and the Lamb ! (96) CHAPTER XIV. REMARKS ON THE ARRIVAL OF THE " CAMDEN " — VISIT TO UPOLU — JOURNEY TO MANONO WITH MR WILLIAMS — DEATH OF MRS HEATH — REMARKS — MEETING FOR BUSINESS AT UPOLU — RETURN TO TUTUILA — INCIDENTS OF THE VOYAGE — DEATH OP MR BARNDEN. If the event recorded in a previous chapter formed an era in the history of the Tutuila mission, the arrival of the " Camden " still more emphatically was an era in the history of the Samoan mission as a whole. From this time we were no longer cut off, as we had .been, from com- munication with our brethren of other missions, and from the civilised world ; we no longer suffered much from the non-arrival of supplies; and, most important of aU, we were no longer confined in our operations to our own single group. Events of mighty moment to the interests of the cause of Christ throughout the Pacific were the procuring of the " Camden," and her safe arrival at the scene of her destined operations. None of her successors has eclipsed the glory of her brief and eventful career. By far the greater part of the ground beyond Samoa, on which we and others, who have entered into our labours, have been at work during the last thirty years, was taken possession of by her. So, in hailing her advent to our shores, we were only acting as the event justified. And besides the work directly done by the " Camden," did not the employment of a mission ship by the London Mis- sionary Society lead to the same course being adopted by DEA TH OF MRS HE A TH. 97 the Wesleyans, and the Episcopalians, and the Presby- terians, and the American Board ? Hence the " Triton," the two " John Wesleys," the " Southern Cross," and the " Morning Star," all stand closely related to our old " Cam- den " and her successors. On the morning of Monday, the 29th of November, we sailed from Tutuila, and on the morning of the following day we reached Upolu, and anchored in the harbour of Apia. The exciting news of the arrival of the mission ship flew from station to station throughout our mission, awakening an interest similar to that occasioned by the arrival of the " Dunnottar Castle." On the day of our arrival, ]\Ir Williams left Apia for Manono on important business, and I had the privilege of accompanying him and enjoying his society during the long journey. Neither of us was aware of the distance we had to travel. It is not less than thirty miles from Apia to Manono, so we had a weary journey in our native canoe, and did not reach our destination till about 9 p.m. We came upon our brother Heath all unexpected, and startled him in his sad loneliness. Poor man ! a grievous calamity had befallen him. His wife, a devoted, excellent woman, had been taken from him a few months before the arrival of the vessel. Very mingled, of course, were his feelings, and so were ours, when we met. Some time passed before he was able to speak. The sight of us, and the announcement of the arrival of the mission ship, seemed vividly to recall the painful scenes through which he had so recently passed ; and the bitter pangs of the hour of sepa- ration seemed renewed. How would she have hailed our visit, and the arrival of the mission ship, had she been alive ! The long-ed-for letters from home, of the arrival of which he and she had so often talked — ^how they would have been prized ! But she is gone, and with trembling hand and tearful eye he must open and read the letters G 98 CHARACTER OF MRS HEATH. alone, and rejoice or weep over the tidings they bring, alone. Alas ! what a blank had her removal made, and how sad and desolate did everything appear ! We sympa- thised very deeply with our afflicted brother, but how little can human sympathy avail in such a case ! Mr and Mrs Heath were both considerably advanced in life when they came to the mission field. They had been married a number of years, and had no family. They were much attached to each other, and it seemed as though the one were a necessity to the other. Hence the deep distress in which we found our brother. Mrs Heath never enjoyed very good health in Samoa, and in May 1838 she died of consumption. Probably she laboured beyond lier strength among the native women and girls, and she, in common with others, suffered for want of proper nourishment. On these accounts the progress of her disease may have been accelerated ; but her work was done, her warfare was accompHshed, and the time had come for victory and repose. ISTear the mission house at Apai, on the island of Manono, lie her earthly remains. The spot is marked by a mound of stone and lime, overshadowed by surrounding trees, but no memorial stone tells the visitor who and what she was. But she has an imperishable memorial. She did what she could, and though her plans were cut short ere the execution of them was well begun, yet were her desires and purposes accepted even as if she had lived to carry them into effect, and she shall have a full reward. The business that took Mr Williams to Manono so early was important in its bearings on the future history of our mission. He was the bearer of a letter from the Board of Management of Wesleyan missions in London to their missionaries who were then in Samoa. Of these, there were two at this time, and they were both on Manono. The letter brought by Mr Williams informed them of an DIVISION OF WORK. 99 agreement entered into in London between the Wesleyan Board and the Directors of the London Missionary Society, to the effect that the Samoan group should be left to the exclusive occupation of the agents of the London Mis- sionary Society, while Tonga, Fiji, and other places should be left to the Wesleyans, and requesting those then in Samoa to withdraw. In compliance with the instruc- tions from London, the Wesleyan missionaries and their Tongan assistants did leave Samoa at the time referred to, and rejoined their brethren of the Tongan mission. Into the history of their subsequent proceedings we shall not enter. To do so would be neither interesting nor edifying to most readers. After finishing our business at Manono, we returned to Apia, where all the members of the mission were soon collected. Business was attended to, and got through with all practicable despatch. We were too large a company to remain long together. The newly-arrived party consisted of nineteen persons, and our mission numbered ten. Three of the newly-arrived were appointed to our mission, viz., Mr Day, Mr Buchanan, and Mr Stair. Mr Stair was a printer, and came furnished with a printing- press and everything needful for the exercise of his calling. His arrival was hailed by us with especial gladness, as opening to us the prospect of pouring forth light with- out stint or limit throughout our own group and others beyond. Arrangements connected with the settlement of the newly-arrived brethren being completed, and all other necessary public business finished, we, after enjoying much pleasant intercourse with our fellow-labourers, pre- pared to return to Tutuila in the " Camden." Mr Williams went with us, intending to extend the voyage to Manua, which had not yet been visited by a European missionary. The vessel had discharged the greater part of her cargo, loo A STORM AT SEA. and so was not in a fit state to go to sea ; but as tlie dis- tances were so short, it was not considered much of a risk to venture upon a voyage which was expected to occupy- only a few days. Hence no additional ballast was taken in, and we sailed with the vessel quite out of trim, and for this we paid dearly. We were from Tuesday till Sabbath afternoon in going a distance of ninety miles. We had a rough, disagreeable voyage all the way, but we got along tolerably well till we reached Leone. There Mr Barnden was landed on Friday, and, as Pangopango is only about twelve miles farther on, we hoped to get there in a few hours. Instead of that, however, it was forty-eight hours before we reached our destination, and during the interval we had a very heavy blow. The " Camden " had encoun- tered nothing equal to it since she had left England. We had a frightful tossing about, and as we were young sailors in those days, and suffered much from sea-sickness, we were in a trying plight. Especially was this the case with Mrs Murray. Indeed, I do not know how we should have got along but for Mr WiUiams' kind attentions ; but he, gene- rous, fatherly man, was as much at home nursing a baby or attending upon an invalid as in building a ship. The length of time occupied in our voyage to Tutuila led to the abandonment of the intended \asit to Manua, and on the Wednesday after our arrival, the "Camden" sailed on her return voyage to Upolu, taking with her our fellow-labourer, Mr Barnden. He had been appointed by the mission to leave his station on Tutuila for a tune, that he might assist in the building of a printing-ofiice on Upolu. Alas! it soon appeared that he was called to Upolu for a very different purpose from that designed by man. After a few weeks we were startled and shocked by a report brought by a party of natives from Upolu, that Mr Barnden was dead ! At first we were inclined to doubt the truth of the report, but it was speedily confirmed DEATH OF MR DARNDEN. loi by letters from Upolu. Mr Barnden was indeed gone. Mr Barnden, the most likely man of our whole party, in as far as appearances went, to have a long term of service, had finished his course, and that in a most melancholy manner — he had been drowned ! On the 31st of December 1838, he went in company with some others to bathe in a stream — it is hardly entitled to be called a river — three or four minutes' walk from the mission premises at Apia. The stream was flooded at the time, and though ordinarily it is so inconsiderable a thing, it sends down a large body of water at such times, and the current runs very strong. Mr Barnden could not swim, and how he came to plunge into the river as he did seems utterly unaccountable. He was carried away by tlie cur- rent, and swept into a pool of considerable depth, where he sank. The natives were speedily on the spot, and the body was got out of the water at once, but life was extinct. He was gone — he who had escaped the perils of the sea was drowned in an insignificant stream, in which, I suppose, no adult, at all events, was ever drowned either before or since. This mysterious and melancholy event was much felt by us all. The time at wliich it occurred was remarkable. The arrival of the mission ship with ]\Ir Williams, the father of our mission, and reinforcements for our own and other missions ; the arrival of the printer, printing-press, &c., had caused great joy, and perhaps unduly elated us ; and here was something fitted to temper and moderate our views and feelings, and teach us to look away from men and means to the living God, on whose help and blessing all depends. Mr Barnden's untimely end — untimely as it seemed to us — was very melancholy in some of its aspects. Like his fellow-labourers, he had left his native land, and come forth to these far-off regions, hoping to spend a useful life in his I02 MR BARN DEN'S WORK. Master's service. He was full of large plans, and very- sanguine as to what he was to accomplish ; and had his life been spared, all, by the help and blessing of God, might have been accomplished. As it was, however, his brief day closed before his work was well begun. He was but a few months at his own station. During the first six months we were on Tutuila, he lived with us at Pango- pango. Then, after being a short time at Leone, he exchanged stations with us for about four months ; and again, after a short interval, he went to Upolu to assist Mr Mills in finishing his dwelling-house, and he had been back but a sliort time when the " Camden " arrived. Thus, owing to his being able to help his brethren in work for which he was better qualified than they, and his being kindly disposed to do so, and, perhaps, partly owing to the fact that he was unmarried, he never got properly settled. He had come out single, intending after a few years to return to England to bring to his distant liome a lady to whom he was engaged. Perhaps it was well he did come out single ; though, as it appears to us, had it been other- wise, the calamity that put a period to his life and labours might have been averted. In view of such events as his removal, the mind can only find repose in looking beyond this transitory state, and remembering that perfect wisdom and perfect love regulate all the dealings of the Supreme Disposer with His people. All that concerns them in life, He orders and regulates in a manner that will commend itself to their own grateful and adoring approval when tlie light of eternity shall be shed on the mysteries of time; and "I'recious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." ( 103) CHAPTEE XV. ARRANGEMENTS TO MEET OUR ALTERED CIRCUMSTANCES— NATIVE AGENCY — STATE OF THE LEONE DISTRICT — CHAPEL-OPENING AT LEONE — THE FRENCH MASSACRE — ENCOURAGING STATE OF THINGS IN THE PANGO- PANGO DISTRICT — DEATH OF MAUNGA — VISIT OF THE " CAMDEN." After tlie death of Mr Barnden, our first care was to make such arrangements as the cii'cumstances admitted of, with a view to embrace as fully as possible the whole island, which, by that event, was thrown upon our hands. The island, as already stated, is not large, and the population is under 4000 ; but a great part of it is very difficult of access, and the people are widely scattered. There are over thirty villages. Thus it could only be embraced, and the population brought under Christian instruction and influence, by the employment of a numerous staff of native teachers. Hence the necessity that every available man should be turned to account ; and a prime object was to get such as well furnished as possible, that they might be able to instruct others. The Leone district, though in some respects less advanced than the other, was yet in a deeply interesting state. No decided case of conversion had yet occurred, but the desire for instruction was as great as in the other. The teachers of both districts assembled weekly at Pangopango, and my labours were divided between the two stations. At the time referred to, the state of things was full of promise throughout the whole of the professedly Christian part of the I04 OPENING OF A CHAPEL. island. There was manifest and rapid progress. Light was spreading, and the truth was taking hold of many hearts. The number of candidates for baptism and church member- ship had risen to about three hundred, and the church was slowly increasing. In March of this year, 1839, the number of members was eight — seven men and one woman. Tuesday, March the 6th, 1839, was an important day in the Leone district. On that day a chapel, which had been recently completed, was opened. It was a noble building, considering the circumstances of the people. It was ninety feet in length by forty in breadth, and finished in the first style of Samoan architecture. A very large company assembled on the occasion — many more than the house could hold. Very liberal provision was made by the people of Leone for the entertainment of strangers, and the services appeared to produce a happy influence. About twenty foreigners came together from different parts of the island, and with these a service was held in English at their own request — a pleasing circumstance, indicating that a change had come over them as well as the natives since earlier days. During a tour which I made of the whole island about this time, the place at which the famous French mas- sacre occurred in 1787 was identified. It was at a village named Asu, about two miles and a half or three miles to the west of Fangasa, which at the time of our arrival bore the name of Massacre Bay, from its having been, as was su23posed, the scene of the afiray. I found only one individual who remembered having been present at the fight. It occurred about fifty years before the time of my visit, and my informant seemed as if he might be verging upon seventy years of age, so he must have been approach- ing manhood at the time. He complained that it was a very long time ago, and seemed afraid lest he should give me incorrect information; still he appeared to have a THE FRENCH MASSACRE. 105 distinct remembrance of the leading circumstances. The substance of the account he gave me was as foUows : — The attack was not made by natives of Tutuila, but by a party from Upolu who were at Tutuila on a visit. When the ships arrived, they were at a village near Leone, about ten or twelve miles from Asu. The news of the arrival of the strange visitors soon sj)read far and wide, and among those who hastened to see the wonderful ships, and the equally wonderful men, were the party from Upolu. Tliey went first to the ships, which were standing off and on in tlie neighbourhood of Asu. M. de Langle, the fellow-commander of La Perouse, with some of the scientific gentlemen and a number of seamen, had gone on shore. To obtain water seems to have been a chief, if not the chief errand, which induced them to go in with the boats and land. They had taken casks on shore, but whether anything had been done towards filling them does not appear. Nothing untoward seems to have occurred till the Upolu people made their appearance. They, as already mentioned, called at the ships. A lad in one of the canoes, a native of Tutuila, but identified with the Upolu party for the time being, attempted, or at least was supposed by the French to have made an attempt, to steal something from one of the vessels. My informant could not tell me what it was. The would-be or real thief was fired upon, and wounded in the shoulder. The wound did not prove immediately fatal, but the natives were enraged ; and, leaving the vessels, they went straight to the shore, and attacked the party they found there. It was low water at the time, and the boats were aground ; hence the French were very much in the power of their assailants, who fell upon them in regular native fashion. Stones were freely used, and it is probable they had clubs in their canoes, which would be in requisition, no doubt ; and the melancholy issue was, that eleven of the French were io6 TREATMENT OF THE DEAD. killed, among whom was M. de Langle, and some of the scientific gentlemen. This appears from La Perouse's nar- rative. My informant either could not, or did not choose to tell me the number of natives who were killed. As soon as the French got their boats afloat, they re- treated, leaving the dead on the beach. The natives of Upolu stripped the bodies, and probably dreading the con- sequences of what they had done, they made off at once for their own island. This accounts for the remark of La Perouse that he saw at Upolu on the following day persons whom he had seen at Tutuila, and also for the fact that we were not able to obtain on Tutuila anything that had belonged to the murdered persons. All was carried off — the only thing I succeeded in getting, that had been obtained by the natives from the expedition, was a few beads. They are common glass beads, of a light, pale colour, very old- fashioned, and have every appearance of being genuine. The Tutuilans, according to my informant, disapproved of the attack, and took no part in it. After the affray they lied to the bush, where they remained till after the vessels had left the island, when they came down, collected the bodies of the slain, covered them with native cloth, and buried them as they were accustomed to bury their own chiefs. Xo monument of any sort marks the spot where they lie, nor can it be very exactly identified. One won- ders that the French nation, which has shown great interest in the fate of the expedition and its chief commander, should have taken no notice of M. de Langle and those who fell with him on Tutuila. It was well that La Perouse followed the promptings of his own humane mind, and was guided by his own judg- ment, instead of yielding to the wishes of those about him to inflict punishment upon the Tutuilans. Had he done so, the chastisement intended for the murderers of his countrymen would have fallen upon parties who were not HUMANE CONDUCT OF LA PEROUSE. 107 only innocent of the crime, but who had done what they could to prevent its commission ; and who had consistently followed that up by showing respect for the dead, and doing all for them of which the circumstances admitted. And what a lesson does this read to all on whom is de- volved the responsible trust of inquiring into disputes and quarrels between civilised and savage men, and avenging the real or supposed wrongs of the former ! To ascertain where the right lies in such cases is an exceedingly difficult thing. Hence the great need of caution. It is far better to do as La PerDuse did — leave an outrage unpunished — than fall upon the wrong parties, and make the innocent suffer for the guilty. And it should be borne in mind that the origin of quarrels between civilised and savage men is quite as likely to be found in the conduct of the former as the latter. And indeed, so far as my experience goes, and I may add, what is of much more weight than the experience of any single individual, that the whole history of the intercourse of civilised with uncivilised men looks strongly in this direction, and seems to warrant the conclusion that, in the great majority of cases, full and impartial investiga- tion, with the aid of competent interpreters, would show the white man to be in the wrong. And when punishment is either wrongly inflicted, or with undue severity, besides the wrong done, the end is not likely to be answered. The minds of those who have been unjustly or cruelly treated are embittered, and an opportunity is sought of avenging their wrongs, and their vengeance will almost certainly fall upon innocent parties. But to return to my narrative. Indications of the presence and power of God were becoming more and more marked in the Pangopango district. Our church-meeting on Saturday, April the 6th, and the morning service on the following day, were remarkable seasons — " times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord." I o3 DEA TH A ND CHA RA CTER OF MA UNGA . Towards the close of that month the island was visited by an epidemic — a kind of influenza. It spread over the whole island ; I know not that a single individual escaped. In the great majority of cases the attacks were slight. There were about thirty deaths. Those who died were chiefly elderly people. Among those was Maunga, the most influential man on the island. He was an old man, over seventy years of age. In addition to being a great chief, he had been a noted warrior in his day, and to this it was partly owing that he was so much respected. Moreover, he had acted an important part in connection with the introduction of the gospel to the island. He had embraced Christianity as taught by Nerval, and so was prepared to welcome us when we arrived ; and he was our steadfast friend all along, though it is doubtful whether he ever had any correct conception of our message. He had a great idea of keeping straight with all parties, and did not at all approve of the zeal of myself and his son Pomare in using eftbrts to induce the heathen to abandon paganism and place themselves under Christian instruction. " Leave it with themselves," he was wont to say. All right so far, but not as he meant it. With him the idea was. Use no means to induce them to embrace Christianity, but just leave them alone, and don't concern yourselves about them. He thought liis son Pomare altogether too strict and parti- cular, and though great allowance must be made for a man who had reached the verge of threescore years and ten before he heard the gospel, yet he was far from affording the satisfactory evidence one could have wished of having felt the power of the truth. Pomare's judgment was that " He died a bad death ; he died in his sins ; " but he was a young man, in the glow and warmth of his first love, and may have judged harshly. " The Lord seeth not as man seeth," and we are not called to pronounce a judgment on those who have gone to His tribunal. Maunga was LAST MEETING WITH MR WILLIAMS. 109 succeeded by an adopted son, a very indifferent character, who had hitherto Lome the name of Manuma* but who now had conferred upon him the name of ]\Iaunga, agree- ably to Samoan custom, the same name being borne by successive chiefs from generation to generation. While the epidemic was at its height, we were cheered by a visit of the "Camden." She had been to the Tahitian group and the Hervey Islands, and was now returning to Upolu with Messrs Williams and Pritchard on board. They arrived on the 28th of April, and left on the 1st of May. A very touching interest attaches to that visit. It was the last time we saw Mr Williams. After being a few months with his family on Upolu, he set out on that memorable voyage from wliich he never returned. * Manuma is the name of a beautiful bird of the parrot species found in Samoa. (no) CHAPTEE XVI. TEAVA SENT TO OUR AID — HIS HISTORY, CHARACTER, AND USEFULNESS — MAY MEETINGS — POMABE'S SPEECH — FIRST DECIDEDLY CHRISTIAN DEATH- FIRST ADMISSIONS TO THE CHURCH FROM THE LEONE DISTRICT — BIOGRA- PHICAL SKETCH — TIMES OF REFRESHING — INTERESTING OCCURRENCE — LOVING DARKNESS RATHER THAN LIGHT — REMARKABLE CONVERSION. In the month of May 1838, Teava, the Earotongan teacher mentioned in an earlier chapter, was sent to our aid. He was stationed at Leone, and continued for many years to labour faithfully and usefuUy there and elsewhere on Tutuila. Among all the native brethren from the Tahi- tian and Hervey Islands who took part in the evangelisa- tion of Samoa in early days, I do not know that there is one more deserving of esteem than Teava. He was ap- pointed to the office of an evangelist to the heathen as far back as 1832. In October of that year, he left his native land in the far-famed " Messenger of Peace " for Samoa, and was placed by Mr Williams on the island of Manono.* He remained there till our arrival in 1836, when he was removed to Palealili, a large and populous district on Upolu, and from Falealili he was sent to Tutuila in con- sequence of the death of Mr Barnden. His arrival was specially opportune, and the assistance he rendered me in many ways was of inestimable value. He was from Mr Luzacott's district on Earotonga, and by hun he had been * See Williams' Missionary Enterprises, p. 410. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE OF TEAVA. in trained for Lis work. He was a man of superior natural abilities, and he had turned to good account the advantages he had enjoyed at Earotonga ; and his knowledge of the Samoan language was accurate and extensive, equal, if not superior, to that of any teacher whom I have known from another group. He was not a young man when he came to Samoa. He remained there for about tliirty years, till increasing infirmities rendered a return to his native land desirable. There I saw him in 1869, and, so far as I know, he lives still (June 1875) — a venerable patriarch, adorning the doctrine of God his Saviour, and calmly waiting his dismissal to the land of rest. It was a high gratification to us to meet him and his faithful and affec- tionate wife once more on earth. We had kept up cor- respondence at intervals, from the time of his leaving Samoa; but it was more than we expected to meet them again on this side heaven. Deeply interesting and not a little affecting to us are the recollections connected with the years during which we were associated with Teava on Tutuila. Very bright days alternated with very dark ones in the course of those eventful years, and through all, Teava and liis kind wife were our steadfast friends and helpers, rejoicing with us in our joys, and sympathising with us in our sorrows. If our lives are spared for a few years, we shall hear of their having passed on before us to the abiding home, and we shall soon follow, and then our joy will be full. Soon after the arrival of Teava, we had our annual missionary gathering — our " May Meeting." The time had not yet come when it was thought advisable to ask the people to contribute to the funds of the Society. They had no money, and little or no property that was available for such a purpose. However, this was the last occasion on which we did nothing but talk. The meetings were 1 1 2 MI SSI ON A R Y MEE TINGS. held at Leone. A great crowd of people assembled from all parts of the island— all the professedly Christian part of the community who conld leave their homes. There must have been from 1800 to 2000 people present. In the morning, I preached to as many as could get within hearing from Eom. x. 13-15 ; and at noon I preached in English to the foreigners who had come together from different parts of the island. In the afternoon a meeting was held, at which spirited addresses were delivered hy Teava and some of the more advanced of our native converts. In the course of the meeting it was resolved that, if God should spare us another year, there should he something done as well as said. But the most touching incident of the day, and the one which made the deepest impression, was an offer of personal service for missionary work. In the course of his speech, Pomare, with great solemnity and evident sincerity, declared his readiness to give himself to the work of God in heathen lands, should an opportunity be afforded him of so doing. After a few months, as the reader will remember, such an opportunity was afforded ; and Pomare's sincerity was put to the test after he had had time and opportunity fuUy to weigh the matter and count the cost of the sacrifices which he had professed his readiness to make. From this tune forth we had steady and uninterrupted progress. Light and life found their way from mind to mind and from heart to heart, and there were indications, becoming more and more distinct, of the times of refresh- inrf which were now not very distant. On the 1st of June 1839, we had an addition of five to the church, some of whom had been notorious for wicked- ness in the days of heathenism, but by the powerful influence of the truth of God, applied by the Holy Spirit, they had been subdued and brought to the Saviour's feet, A SABBATH-SCHOOL COMMENCED. 113 and in their case the words of Watts were strikinj^Iy exemplified : — " Lions and beasts of savage name Put on the nature of the Lamb." Such cases, of course, excited more attention than those of a less marked character, and produced a deeper impression upon observers. The more intelligent of these could not hut infer that that which produced such effects must l)e deserving of attention. On the following day, June the 2d, we commenced a Sabbath-school. On the second Sabbath after the school was commenced, there were one hundred and thirty present. About this time Mrs Murray began a select female class, which, by the blessing of God, tended much to deepen the convictions of those who were under concern. At the close of the second meeting which she held, several slipped quietly away into the bush to pray, instead of going direct to their homes, or loitering about and engaging in general conversation. It was about this time, also, that the first decidedly hopeful death occurred, — that is, so far as came to our knowledge. The case referred to was that of a woman of Nuuuli, where Pomare was teacher. She had not been admitted to the church, but she seemed to be taught of God and to have found the Saviour. She bore a clear and decided testimony to the fact that He was her only hope, and that, because of her hope in Him, she did not fear death. " Jesus, where art Thou ? " — were her last words, as if she were longing to go to Him and be with Him. Her death occasioned much surprise, and produced a very favourable impression; those who witnessed it declaring that they had never before seen such a death. On the 19th of June another church-meeting was held, H 114 FIRST ADMISSIONS FROM LEONE. and four additional members were received; and at the close of the month we had a further addition of seven, five of whom were from the Leone district — the first who from that division of the island were numbered with the visible Church. Four out of the five proved true and use- ful men, and one of them, Taulani, was a man of more than ordinary mark. He was one of the two from the Leone district who accompanied us to Upolu on our first arrival. He at once took a foremost place among our native teachers, and for more than a quarter of a century he maintained an unblemished reputation, and laboured diligently and usefully in his Master's work. Great was the service rendered by him to the cause of Christ during his long course, and calm and peaceful was his end. I knew Taulani very intimately for a long course of years, and I have not known yery many men equal to him either in the mission field or elsewhere ; and he was approaching middle-life before he knew the gospel. Well may we glorify God in him ! Our church -meetings and ordinance Sabbaths were seasons of special interest at this time. Such emphati- cally was the meeting at which those just referred to were admitted, and the Sabbath that followed, June the 29th, 1839. Eleven new members sat down with us at the Lord's table. The little company of communicants were full of life and warmth. They had but just been " called out of darkness into His marvellous light." Nothing had occurred to chill their ardour or damp their zeal. Their inward foes were as yet restrained or overborne, and the conflict with external foes was in the future. They were " like ransomed Israel on the shore " — Egypt and the Eed Sea behind them, and the wilderness lost sight of, while the land of promise seemed within easy reach. Love and gratitude to their great Deliverer, with anticipations of being with Him in His kingdom and glory, seemed for A MEMORABLE SABBATH. 115 the time being to fill their minds. Ah ! these were bright days to ourselves as well as to the people ! — such days as we have not seen since, and do not expect to see again till we join the worshippers within the veil : — " What peaceful hours we then enjoyed ! How sweet their memory still ! " The consolation is, that brighter and better things are yet in store for us, of which these were but the earnests and foretastes. Around our little company of communicants was a con- gregation numbering some four or five hundred, many of whom were anxious inquirers after salvation, and longing for the time when they should find rest in Jesus, and be numbered with His professed followers, and be sharers in their privileges ; and some of whom, in all probability, were already rejoicing in Christ, and so were in full sympathy with what was going on. I preached from Eevelations iii. 21, after which we observed the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, and so passed this memorable service, during which precious drops of blessing had descended upon us — earnests of the plenteous rain which was ere long to come down " as rain upon the mown grass, and as showers that water the earth." About this time an event occurred, small in itself, but deserving of a passing notice. The village of Fangaitua, the stronghold of heathenism on the island, had hitherto re- sisted all overtures to embrace Christianity, and refused to allow a teacher to live among them. Now a small party, chiefiy women, had abandoned heathenism, and avowed themselves Christians, and they wished to have a teacher to live amono- them and instruct them. To this tlie autho- rities were violently opposed, but the little band of Chris- tians were firm, and determined to carry then- point, and, by the help of God, they succeeded. They had recourse ii6 AN IMPORTANT END GAINED. to a plan which led the heathen to yield. If they were not allowed to have their teacher and enjoy their religion, they determined to leave the village, and go and seek a home for themselves elsewhere, where they should have " Freedom to worship God." This settled the business. The heathen, rather than liave their village broken up, withdrew their opposition, and allowed a teacher to settle among them, and carry on his work without molestation. This was a triumph which filled our hearts with gratitude to God, and exerted an im- portant influence for good on the subsequent history of tlie mission. The state of things was now so changed, that the masters and crews of vessels visiting the island could not indulge in profligacy, as formerly, in the neighbourhood of the har- bour. This led some of the more determinedly wicked to shun that, and go to the dark corners of the island, where they could find a congenial state of things. There is no other harbour, properly so called, belonging to the island, except that of Pangopango ; but anchorage can be found in open bays and roadsteads, and the persons in question chose to risk their vessels rather than submit to the re- straints which the altered state of things at Pangopango imposed. " They that do evil hate the light." Many striking veri- fications did we have of these words in the early days of our missionary life. Wicked visitors and wicked residents retreated away into the further darkness as the light spread, thus unmistakably showing in what direction their prefer- ence lay. Of course, to be shunned by these children of the ni"ht was the reverse of a calamity to us and to the natives around us, but we could not but feel grief and shame on their account. Happily, our visitors were not all of the stamp of those referred to. Now and again, to our great A REMARKABLE CASE. uy joy, a vessel would drop in upon us -with a decidedly pious captain, who would employ all his influence to strengthen our hands, and encourage the natives to hold fast their integrity, and remain steadfast to their profes- sion. In tlie second week of August we went to Leone, and LliONK bAV ASK VILLAUK. spent a few weeks. The state of things there was now very similar to what it was at Pangopango. During our stay, a Sabbath-school was commenced, as at Pangopango, and visits made to other villages in the district, and various means used with a view to deepen and extend the work that was in progress. I was particularly struck with the case of an old woman, at a village named Yaitongi, as showing, in a very clear ii8 A REMARKABLE CASE. manner, the finger of God — the presence of a Divine Teacher. She was old and feeble, unable to leave the couch on which she lay; yet, to my astonishment, on conversing with her, I found that she had clear and definite views of the way of salvation, even as if she had been brought up in a Christian country, and instructed in the truths of the gospel from her youth, whereas she had grown old amid the darkness of heathenism, and it was little beyond the dim twilight now. Yet into her mind had shone a light so clear as vividly to discover to her her own sinfulness and helplessness, and reveal to her the Saviour and His work as the only and all-sufficient ground on which sinful man can rest. She declared to me that such was her per- suasion of the power and willingness of Christ to save, that she had no fear of death ; but that, on the contrary, she desired to depart and enter upon the good life that lasts for ever. How evident is the hand of God in a case like this ! Wliat power or wisdom of man could . have pene- trated and scattered the dense "darkness that had been accumulating for threescore years and ten ? Wliat power less than Divine could have subdued and melted into con- trition that hard heart, so long filled with the debasing pollutions of heathenism ? No ; as it was in prunitive times so it is still : " The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." All things are pos- sible with God. ( 119) CHAPTER XYII. CONTIMUED PROGRESS — THE AMERICAN EXPLORING EXPEDITION — ARRIVAL OP MR AND MRS PRATT — ADMISSIONS TO THE CHURCH — DEEPENING AND EXTENSION OF THE WORK — FIRST DECIDED INDICATIONS OF ITS PASSING into' THE REVIVAL FORM — REMOVAL OF DOUBTS AS TO THE GENUINENESS OF THE WORK — REVIVALS IN SCOTLAND. The reader will have observed that from a very early- period of the mission's history our labours began to take effect. From about the time of my beginning to address the people in their own language, a movement commenced which advanced slowly, but steadily and surely, becoming- more and more marked as time wore on. It was our great privilege to have but a very brief "night of toil." The sowing time and the reaping time followed each other in quick succession. Very soon after I was able to open my commission, and go forth preaching the gospel, evidence began to appear that the Lord was working witli us, and confirming tlie word with signs following. The continued unfolding of the work we proceed to trace. During the month of October of this year, 1839, there were symptoms of something more marked and extended being at hand than had yet appeared. The church meeting held on the 5th was a remarkable season. We had only one addition to our number, but the presence and power of the Holy Spirit seemed to be amongst us in an unusual degree. A spirit of deep contrition, earnest desires after nearness to the Saviour, and longings to be instrumental I20 THE U.S. EXPLORING EXPEDITION. in leading otliers to Him, seemed to fill' the hearts of our little company ; and, on the Sabbath following, the services were of the same promising cliaracter. Tlie large con- gregations were earnestly attentive, and, in many cases, much moved by what they saw and heard. The next Sabbath was spent at Leone. Nothing remark- able appeared there on that occasion. The ordinance of the Lord's Supper was administered for the first time in that district, and we had large congregations, but there were no indications of an approaching awakening similar to what we had at Pangopango. In this respect there was a striking difference between the two places at the time to winch we now refer, and for a considerable time after. On my return to Pangopango, I found the United States ship of war "Vincennes" at anchor. The "Vincennes" was one of six vessels sent by the United States Govern- ment on an exploring ex2:)edition. She was the flag-ship, and was commanded by Captain, now Admiral Wilkes. This of course is not the place to say much of an expedi- tion, all whose proceedings have become matters of history. The " Vincennes " remained three weeks with us, and by previous arrangement the "Peacock" and the "Flying- Fish " met her at Pangopango, so we had all three for a time at anchor together. We had much pleasant intercourse with those of the commanders, and officers, and scientific gentlemen of the expedition with whom we met, and it is due to them to state that their conduct towards us and the natives was uniformly kind and respectful. Every disposition was shown by the commanders and others to further the objects of our mission, and any unworthy conduct that was attempted by some, was discountenanced and frowned upon by the great majority. On the 23d of the same month, October 1839, we were agreeably surprised by the arrival of the "Camden." She VISIT OF THE " CAMDEN." 121 had been to the Tahitian group and the Hervey Ishands, and was on lier -vvay to llpohi. It was long after sunset, and we had just finislied our evening worship, when a rap was heard, and who shoukl we find on opening the door but good Captain Morgan, with a new missionary and his wife for our gToup. They had come into the harbour by the liglit of the moon— a tiling seldom attempted ; hence we had no intimation of them till we saw them. The new arrivals were ]\Ir and ]\Irs Pratt. They had joined the " Camden " at Tahiti, having come to that place rid Sydney and New Zealand. They were stationed at Matautu, on the island of Savaii. Mrs Pratt's course was brief. A few years passed and she rested from her labours ; but Mr Pratt continues to the present time, 1875, diligently prosecuting the work to which he has devoted his life. The " Camden " made a very short stay with us on the present occasion. She sailed for Upolu on the 25th of October. She was making haste to that island, whence she was to start on the voyage to the New Hebrides, which was to have so sad and unexpected a termination. At our next church meeting, which was held on the 2d of November, we had an addition of six to our number. On no former occasion had a more desirable state of mind been manifested. All were melted and subdued. If the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, and if He delights in the contrite heart, then is there good reason to conclude that He looked with comj)lacency on our little company, and fulfilled to them His graciovis promise : — " Por thus saith the High and Lofty One, that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to cheer the heart of the con- trite ones." On the following Sabbath we were again much favoured. I preached from John xi. 56, last clause 122 DEErENING IX TE RE ST. of the verse, and administered the ordinance of the Lord's Supper. From the commencement of the service, all appeared solemn, and, while the ordinance was being observed, almost all the members were deeply affected. The congregation was profoundly attentive, and appeared much impressed. The afternoon service was similar in character to that of the morning, and the influence ex- tended to the Sabbath-school, at which there were about two hundred present, old and young. On the following day, Monday, November the 4th, we had our usual monthly missionary prayer-meeting in the afternoon. It was an interesting occasion, but there were no extraordinary manifestations of feeling. We were now, however, on the very eve of a movement, deep, extended, and long-continued. For a length of time the cloud had been gathering, and first drops not a few had fallen, but now we were about to have showers instead of drops. God was about to " send a plentiful rain " to confirm His inheri- tance when it was weary, and to quicken many who were as yet dead in trespasses and sins. It is a noteworthy fact, and strongly confirmatory of what those who were pri\aleged to be on the spot and share the blessing do not now doubt — that the movement was from God — that on the same evening there were manifestations precisely similar to those I am about to describe at the village of JSTuuuli, about seven miles from Pangopango, and, on the following morning, at Vaitongi, still farther distant. At these places, as at Pangopango, much prayer had pre- ceded the bestowal of the blessing, and there had been much longing for it. In prayer and fervent desire those who were the Lord's remembrancers had opened their mouths wide, and, according to the promise, the blessing came. Let me try to depict the scene as it occurred at Pangopango, in our own family, and under my own eye. It was the hour of evening worship, and all the members EXTRA ORDINAR Y MO VEMEXT. 123 of oiir household — some dozen or more — were assembled. We had sung a hymn, and passages of Scripture were being repeated, according to our custom, which was for each member of the family to repeat a verse. I was com- menting upon the texts as they were being given, dropping words of explanation, warning, or encouragement, as the case might be, when to my astonishment and almost alarm. (I had never before witnessed anything of the kind), a number of our company were seized with overpowering convictions. There was no more repeating of texts, and to attempt to read the Scriptures would have been useless, so I tried to pray ; but while I was so engaged, the feelings of those who had been seized with convictions became more and more ungovernable, and when prayer was finished, the house was a very Bochim. It was vain to attempt to restrain or calm them by words, their distress was evi- dently too deep to allow of their attending to or being affected by anything that man could do or say. As soon as they were able, they retired — not, however, to find relief or rest, but to mourn in secret and cry in the bitter- ness of their spirit. Eight were thus affected — three men and five women. Some of them, I afterwards found, had been under concern for some days before. It appeared as if they had come together that evening with their hearts full like pent-up waters, and, during the com^se of our exercises, the moment came when they could no longer restrain their feelings, and thev found vent as above described. Those who were unaffected looked on with a sort of blank amazement. At the time referred to, we had an unusually large number of people about us. To live in our family in those days was considered an honour and a privilege, and as our domestics were in the way of getting good and being fitted for usefulness as teachers or otherwise, we did not object to ha^-ing a larger number than wore needed for servants. 124 STATE OF THE AWAKENED. Of course we took care to find them some useful em- ployment. There was no sleeping among those in distress during that night. Its hours were spent by them in weeping and supplication, and the dawn of a new day found their distress but little abated. Some of them appeared to have got a glimpse of the mercy of God in Christ suffi- cient to inspire a ray of hope ; others had found no relief. They did not appear to doubt the ability and willingness of Christ to save them, but they seemed to have such views of their own sinfulness in connection with His sufferings and death, as filled them with overwhelming emotion, and prevented their looking away from them- selves to Him. Their distress continued throughout the day. Towards evening they became more calm, perhaps partly from physical exhaustion, but in the case of some, I trust, from having found rest in Christ. Seven out of the eight appeared, after a while, to be truly converted to God, and were admitted to the church. Such was the commencement of the awakening which subsequently spread over very nearly the whole island. There were but few corners to which its influence did not, more or less, extend. We had many fears and anxieties connected with the movement during its early stages. Neither Mrs Murray nor myself knew anything of re- \dvals, as these general awakenings are usually called, except what we had read in books, and to this perhaps our anxieties and misgivings were chiefly owing. Gra- dually we reached the settled conviction that it was God's work, and then our minds were at rest. As we realised the fact that the Holy Spirit was really working mightily among us, quickening dead souls and raising them to a new and divine life, our joy was great, and we thanked God and took courage. REVIVALS IN SCOTLAND. 125 Had we known at the first what we afterwards learned, it would have tended not a little to assure our hearts and relieve our anxieties. At the very time when our awak- ening commenced, and while it was in progress, similar awakenings were taking place in Scotland, in my own native town, JedLurgli, and in Kelso, and other places ; and in some of these were friends, between whom and myself a close connection was kept up, though we were separated by half the globe ; and while showers of blessing were falling around tliem, they were accustomed to think of us, and pray that we, in our distant sphere, might share in the merciful visitations with which they were being favoured. By a comparison of dates, those acquainted with the history of the movements referred to will see that the revivals in tlie places I have named, and in Perth, Dundee, and elsewhere, began about the same time as did ours, and that for many months they pro- gressed simultaneously. It was on the 4th of November 1839 tliat our awakening commenced. It reached its height during 1840, and gradually subsided during 1841 and 1842. Many months passed, of course, before we knew of what was taking place in Scotland. When the tidings did reach us, wonder and gratitude filled our hearts, and witli increasing confidence and hopefulness we laboured on in our own distant sphere. (126) CHAPTEE XVIII. HINDRANCES — STEADFASTNESS OF THE PEOPLE — PROGRESS OF THE AWAKENING — EFFECT UPON BELIEVERS — CASE OF LASALO — CONVERSATIONS WITH THE AWAKENED — CLOSE OF THE TEAR 1839 — REFLECTIONS. Our revival would have lacked one mark of genuineness if it had proceeded long without checks. In the case of communities, as of individuals, '• Trials must and will befall." So it has ever been, and so, no doubt, it will continue to be till the brighter era for which we wait ojDcns upon the Church and the world. The death of the old chief ]\Iaunga was noticed in the former chapter, where it was also mentioned that he was succeeded by an adopted son, a young man of a very indifferent character. Some months before the date at which we have now arrived he had gone to Upolu, taking with him a large number of people. What afterwards appeared to be his real errand was concealed at the time lie left, and only came out now when it could no longer be kept secret. It was probably known from the first by some of the leading men who accompanied him. Shortly after obtaining the chieftainship, he had talven to himself a wife, a young woman belonging to Paugopango. She was not considered a suitable match for him, but he was bent on having her, and as there was no obstacle either A SERIOUS CHECK. 127 legal or moral, he was married to her. After a time he had repented of his choice, and his errand to Upolu was to look out for another wife. He had succeeded in finding a lady to his mind, and her relations had consented to his having her, and probably she herself was also agreeable. The name of Maunga, which the young man bore, carried weight, and a large amount of property would be obtained by the family and relations of her who should become his wife, and they were either not aware that, he was already married, or did not regard that as an insuperable difficulty in the way of his taking another. So all preliminaries were settled, and part of Maunga's attendants were de- spatched to Tutuila to collect the pro})erty that was to be presented to the family of the bride. Three hundred articles of foreign property were to be given, and, as Maunga was a great man, a large proportion of them would be expected to be articles of value. Maunga himself and part of his followers remained on Upolu. The party arrived on the third day after the revival com- menced. It was composed of all the worst characters that could be collected from Pangopango and the neigh- 'bourhood. Among them, however, were some important chiefs. What was going on at Upolu was soon noised abroad, and confirmed by orders being issued in the chief's name for the co-operation of the people, by collecting the required amount of property. The people had no wish to act disloyally towards their chief, but how could they become parties to such a business as that now jDrojected, and remain faithful to God ? Here was Maunga's lawful wife living among them, and it was not even pretended that she had given him any cause to cast her off. Hence, the step which they were required to sanction and become parties to was a fiagrant violation of all law, human and divine. Still it was a serious matter to refuse obedience 128 DIFFICULTY OF OUR POSITION. to Maunga, and expose him to shame on Upolii, and so incur Iiis wrath, and that of all who were making common cause with him ; — especially was this the case with his own family and relatives. Such a thing was never dreamt of, I suppose, in bygone days as to refuse to obey Maunga's order in such an affair. And it was not considered a hardship, but an honour and privilege to contribute property on the occasion of a marriage, especially to that of a great chief. A corresponding amount to that given was expected from the family and friends of the lady; and, after the marriage, this was served out among those who had con- tributed towards that given by the chief. Hence it was something like taking shares in a joint-stock concern, and every one expected to get back at least the full value of what he had given ; and then there was the 4clat and excitement connected with the business, so pleasing and attractive to human nature. After fully considering the matter — indeed it did not require much consideration — our course seemed clear to stand entirely aloof from the affair, and leave the con- sequences with God. So it was intimated to the church members and candidates, and also to the members of the Friday meeting, that we should regard all who made themselves parties to the proposed marriage as having renounced their connection with us ; and the result was that, with a single exception, all determined to obey God rather than man ; and the individual, a member of the Friday meeting, who at first declared his intention of standing by the chief, did not carry out his declaration. After a few days lie came and told me that he had changed his mind, and was resolved to abide by the Word of God. Thus the people remained steadfast through this trial, and Maunga's lawless party had to seek the property among the remaining heathen, and others of similar stamp PROGRESS OF THE AWAKENING. 129 throughout the district. They succeeded in getting to- gether the required amount, and returned to Upolu in no pleasant humour, where, for the present, Ave will leave them. Indications that the work which had been so remarkably begun was about to spread, soon appeared. The arrival of the party from Upolu, and the errand on which they came, distracted the minds of the people, and doubtless operated as a slight check; but attention was soon again concentrated on the one great subject which, to increasing numbers, was becoming all-engrossing. My meeting with the teachers on Friday, November the 8th, was unusually solemn, as was also the service in the afternoon. At that there was much deep feehng — too deep, in some cases, to be restrained. At Mrs Murray's class with the women, also, there were similar indications of deep concern. Nothing particularly noteworthy appeared on the Sabbath. So far, the extra- ordinary manifestations were confined within narrow limits, but the movement of which they were the precursors was widely extended, as well as deeply seated. About the middle of the month (November), I visited Leone, and spent a Sabbath between that place and Vai- tongi. I thought I perceived symptoms of an unproved state of things at Leone, and my hopes were strengthened that ere long it would share in the blessing that had begun to descend elsewhere. A disposition to doubt the genuine- ness of what was in progress at other places had appeared. Some even went the length of ridiculing those who were the subjects of deep convictions. Having no experience of a similar kind themselves, and being under the influence of a carnal mind, the things of the Spirit appeared unto them foolishness. How uniform are the workings and developments of human nature all the world over, and in all generations ! Whatever may be said as to the physical identity of the various races of man, surely the more im- I 130 A MAN MIGHTY IN PRA YER. portant of tlie two, their moral identity, cannot be called in question ; and does not the greater involve the less ? At Pangopango the work continued to progress. The members of the church seemed as if they had undergone a re- conversion, and risen all at once to a higher life. A remarkable degree of earnestness appeared amongst them, and such a spirit of prayer rested upon them as seemed plainly to reveal the soiu'ce whence it came. It was re- freshing to listen to their pleadings for their own growth in grace, and for the salvation of others, far and near. Among those who were specially remarkable for the pos- session of a devout and prayerful spuit, was a young man, named Lasalo (Lazarus), whose case was the most marked of all. He was a native of a small island, mentioned in a former chapter, named Aunuu, about ten miles from Pango- pango, Before his conversion he had been regarded as being a little simple. He was so shy and bashful as to be called a hushman ; but, to the surprise of every one, Christianity seemed at once to make a man of him in every respect. From being a basliful, retiring youth who could scarcely look any one in the face, he stood forth at once a man of respectable talents, and especially a man mighty in prayer, and full of zeal in the cause of Christ. I have not known another whose prayers were so uniformly fervent, and in so high a degree ; and this lasted for many months — I may say years. He was a decided Christian, and a member of the church some time iefore the awakening commenced. He and his wife, Elisapeta (Elizabeth), were members of our family at the time the revival began, and for many years afterwards. He had striven earnestly by prayer," and the use of other means, to lead her to the Saviour, and he had his reward. She was one of the eight who were seized with convictions on the 4th of November, and at the time of which I ^vTite she and her husband were, to all appear- ance, heirs together of the grace of life. For many years CONTINUED PROGRESS. 131 they were spared to each other. When visiting Tutuila in 1867, I found that Elisapeta had finished her course some years before. Lasalo was still alive ; he had retired to his native isle, where he was much respected. He was afflicted with a painful disease, but was holding fast his hope, and looking joyfully forward to its consummation in the land of rest. On the 26th of this month (ISTovember), tidings reached us that an awakening had commenced at Aunuu, the native place of Lasalo and Elisapeta. Shortly before the tune to which we now refer, he had paid a visit to the island. He went with a heart glowing with love to the Saviour, and yearning over perishing men, and besought his kindred and friends and countrymen to betake them- selves to Christ. A good work was in 'progress on the island before his visit. A number of the people had been in the habit of attending the services at Pangopango on Eridays and Sabbaths, and a teacher had been at work on the island for many months. At this time our Sabbaths were seasons of special interest. Every successive one had been marked by in- creasingly deep seriousness and solemnity, especially since the commencement of the awakening ; and, among our Sabbaths, one stood out with special prominence — the first Sabbath of the month — the day on which we were accus- tomed to observe the ordinance of the Lord's Supper. Sabbath, December the 1st, was the first ordinance Sabbath since the commencement of the awakening, and the ser\dces were times of melting and refreshing to believers, and of quickening to others. There was no outburst of feeling, but sighs and silent tears told in eloquent language how deep were the emotions that swelled the bosoms of many. Nearly a month had now passed since the awakening commenced, and a considerable number in different places 132 CONVERSING WITH THE AWAKENED. had been aroused and were anxiously inquiiing after the way of peace. This, some to all appearance had already found, but much the greater number had not as yet been enabled to lay hold of the hope set before them. Theii^ circumstanpes were very critical, and required cautious and careful treat- ment. There w^ere opposing dangers. On the one hand, to bring them forward into notice might tend to lift them up, and so induce a state of mind unfavourable to the continuance of their impressions, and subversive of the desired end ; or it might be an inducement to others to act a hypocritical part in order to get into notice. On the other hand, to leave those who were sincerely groping their way without special instruction, was to expose them to danger. They needed light, and they needed encourage- ment. Without these they might stop short of the true foundation, and take up with a false peace, or they might yield to temptation and lose their impressions. On the whole, I concluded that it was clearly my duty to converse with them individually, and do what I could, by the help and blessing of God, to guard them from danger, and guide them to the Saviour. So on Monday, December the 2d, I began the deeply-interesting work of dealing with anxious souls. On that day I conversed with twenty-eight persons, one by one. With two or three exceptions they appeared to be really awakened. Some seemed to have been enabled to lay hold of the Saviour, but the gTcater part had not reached this stage. An occasional extract from records made at the time will assist the reader in forming an idea of the present state of things. No alteration will be made in the extracts materially aftecting the sense. The following is from an entry made in my journal, under date December the 7th, 1839 :— "During the past week the work has appeared to go on prosperously. None have at all seemed to decline, and THE POWER OF THE TRUTH. 133 several have "been newly awakened. Tliere is an astonisliing influence at work among the people. Proud, hard-hearted, cruel savages are being huml)led and subdued, and are mourning over tiieir sins, and earnestly looking to the Lamb of God. The lofty looks of men are indeed being liumbled, and the Lord alone is being exalted. Men who liardly ever feared before, are being brought trembling to the foot of the cross, with the anxious inquiry, ' What must we do ? '" About the middle of this month I \dsited Leone, and was cheered to observe indications of an improved state of things. There was nothing approaching to what was taking place in the other district, but I felt as if not a great while would pass before we should have a shaking among the dry bones there, as elsewhere. On my way from Leone I visited Vaitongi, and conversed with thirty of the recently awakened, most of whom appeared under deep convictions, and some of whom seemed to have found rest in Christ. Such was the state of things as this eventful year drew to a close. During its progress God had done great things for us, and, towards its close. He had opened the windows of heaven, and poured us out a blessing the measure of which filled us with grateful wonder. I may say without qualification, He had done for us " exceeding abundantly above all that we asked or thought." Among the means which contributed towards deepening and extending the awakening, the meetings which IMrs Murray held with the women were not the least efficacious. Many melting and refreshing seasons did she and they enjoy, and eternity alone will reveal how much many owed to these meetings. It was easy and delightful to conduct services during these times of refreshing. With so many thirsting souls around us, in full sympathy with ourselves and our work, 13+ SHOWERS OF BLESSING. and clouds of blessing hovering over us, it seemed only- needful to place ourselves in the attitude of suppliants and receivers to have the life-giving influence descend upon us as the early and the latter rain. The words employed in a former chapter are felt to be still more appropriate to these subsequent times — " What peaceful hours we then enjoyed! How sweet their memory still ! " Not till we get within the veil, and drink from the foun- tain-head, are we likely to experience such times again. Such is our feeling, yet why should we so feel? "The Lord's arm is not shortened that it cannot save, nor His ear heavy that it cannot hear." Oh ! that He would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might flow down at His presence, and such a mighty blessing descend on this sin-stricken earth as the prophetic page warrants us to pray for and expect. Sooner or later it will come. The Lord hasten it in His time ! (135) CHAPTER XIX. ENTERING UPON THE YEAR 1840 — VISIT OF MESSRS HEATH AND BUCHANAN — VISIT TO LEONE AND VAITONGI — CHAPEL-OPENING AT LEONE — VISIT TO MANUA BT MESSRS HEATH AND BUCHANAN — RETURN OF MAUNGA AND PARTY FROM UPOLU — WAR THREATENED BUT AVERTED — CHAPEL-OPENING AT PANGOPANGO — FAREWELL SERVICE WITH THE BRETHREN FROM UPOLU — PROGRESS OF THE AWAKENING FIRST DEATH IN THE CHURCH. We have spoken of the year that has just closed as eventful, and so it was ; but that on which we are now entering was so in a still higher degree. Early in the month of January we were favoured with a visit from a deputation of our brethren from Upolu. We had not met any missionary brother since the death of Mr Barnden, and none of the members of our mission had visited IManua. Except a passing call from Mr Williams, no mis- sionary had yet been to that group ; and the commission of the brethren, Messrs Heath and Buchanan, who now visited us, included a visit to Manua. They arrived at Tutuila on the 9 th of January. INIr Buchanan was an infant-school teacher, and, on that account, he was selected to accompany Mr Heath, that he might do something during their stay at Tutuila and Manua in his special department. The visit of these brethren was specially opportune. It was a great satisfaction to us to have a man of Mr Heath's years and experience to see for himself, and form his own judgment of the revival movement from actual observa- 136 MR HEATH'S TESTIMONY. tion and conversations with tlie awakened ; and it tended much to assure our own minds, that he and his companion were fully satisfied that it was from God. In a letter from Mr Heath to me, written shortly after their return to Upolu, the following sentence occurs, " I bless God from my heart for what I saw and heard on Tutuila." The brethren arrived on Thursday, and on the Friday and Sabbath following Mr Heath conducted the services. We need hardly add that the congregations were large and attentive. On Monday, January the 13th, we left Pangopango to visit Leone. We took Vaitongi on our way, and spent a night there, so the brethren had an opportunity of seeing what was going on at that place. At Leone we had a chapel- opening. The fine place, described in a former chapter, was not substantial enough to bear the heavy gales that occasionally sweep over Samoa, so it had to be taken to pieces, and rebuilt before it had stood two years. It was the people's first attempt at building a house of such shape and dimensions. Hence it is not surprising that they failed. The work of reconstruction was completed at the time the brethren from Upolu visited us, so we took advantage of their presence to have the chapel re- opened. The occasion was less interesting than it might otherwise have been, on account of the brethren being in haste to return to Pangopango that they might take advantage of the first fair wind to Manua. A large number of people assembled, to whom Mr Heath preached, and in the afternoon of the same day we returned to Pangopango. On the Friday following, appearances were promising for a fair wind, and, in the afternoon of that day, the brethren started, hoping to reach Manua in twenty-four hours. Instead of that, however, they were obliged to return to Pangopango. We were all taken by surprise A WORD FITLY SPOKEN. 137 when, on Saturday afternoon, their little craft again made its appearance in the harbour ; so we had the privilege of having them again with us on the Sabbath. A little incident which occurred while Mr Heath was conducting a catechetical exercise on a sermon which he had just preached on Sabbath morning, is worth noticing, as show- ing how appropriately the natives sometimes quote and apply Scripture. During the corn-se of the examination, Mr Heath asked the people how they liked missionaries and their message when they first took up their abode among them. They replied that they disliked their mes- sage very much. They might have added, that many of them disliked ourselves as well as our message, but that would not have suited Samoan ideas of politeness. Mr Heath then asked, How they felt noxo ? Pita, whom the reader will remember as our first decided convert, was sitting right before the pulpit. He fixed his large, expres- sive eyes, glistening Avith emotion, upon Mr Heath, and quoted, without introduction or addition, the following beautifully appropriate passage, from which I had preached some time before : " How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth cfood tidino;s, that publisheth peace ; that bringeth good tidings of good, that pubHsheth salvation." On Monday the wind was fair for Manua, so the brethren again started, and this time they succeeded in reaching their destination. As already remarked, we had been much cheered by the visit of our brethren ; and we were rejoicing in the con- tinued prosperity of our work, when our bright prospects were suddenly overcast. The same wind that took Messrs Heath and Buchanan to Manua, brought Maunga and his wicked followers from Upolu. They had accomplished their object, but were greatly enraged against the Christian party. Maunga was full of wi^ath, and vowed vengeance against them, because they had refused to countenance 138 A CRITICAL JUNCTURE. and aid liim in his evil deeds. He and his party did not come near Pangopango on their first arrival, but went from village to village in those parts of the island where heathenism still retained a considerable hold, indulging in all the excesses to which they had been addicted in the days of darkness, and openly avowing their intention to make an attack upon those who had incurred their wrath. These lost no time in using their best endeavours to avert the threatened danger. They sent messengers — men of the highest rank and influence among them — to try to con- ciliate the chief and his adherents. In this, however, they had no success. They were treated with insolence, and all their efforts scornfully rejected. The offended party declared their intention to drive us away, burn the chapel at Pangopango, which had just been finished, and make war upon the Christian party. We supposed that they were encouraged in their hostile intentions by an idea that the Christian party would not fight — would not even defend themselves. The people were much alarmed, and looked to us for advice in the awkward circumstances in which they were placed. Happily, just as matters were approaching a crisis, Messrs Heath and Buchanan returned from Manua. This we regarded as a great mercy. It is so pleasant in such circumstances to have others to con- sult with. We advised the natives to continue their efforts to bring about a peaceful settlement of the affair ; but to be in readiness to defend themselves, in case of these being disregarded by the war party. And we sug- gested that they had better give that party warning that, if they persisted in their determination to attack them, they would find them prepared to defend themselves. The hostile party were drawing nearer and nearer, and becoming more and more haughty and insolent, when a second and decided message from the Christian party that they were prepared for them, had the effect of cooling CHAPEL-OPENING AT PANGOPANGO. 139 their courage, and leading them to pause and bethink them- selves. They stopped short in their progress towards Pangopango, abandoned their warlike intentions, and returned quietly to then- homes, as soon as shame and other feelings, consequent upon the awkward circum- stances into which they had brought themselves, would allow. The cause of righteousness had triumphed, and the adherents of that cause were filled with gratitude and joy- On Monday, February the 3d, very soon after we got over the above troubles, the chapel, against which Maunga's wrath had been specially directed, was opened. We should probably have deferred that step for a short time, as it looked somewhat like an act of defiance; but we were anxious to have it while our friends from Upolu were with us, and this was a reason which the natives could appreciate. And we had no cause afterwards to regret the step, as all passed off happily. A sermon was preached in the morning by Mr Heath, from 1st Kings viii. 29, and in the afternoon we had a valedictory service. The ordinance of the Lord's Supper was administered, and suit- able addresses delivered. The occasion was an interesting one, and to many it was a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. On the following day Messrs Heath and Buchanan sailed for Upolu, and so ended their most welcome and opportune visit. At this time I was much occupied in conversing with those who professed to be under concern. Such notices as the following frequently occur in my journal : — " Spent the whole day, with scarcely any intermission, in con- versing with persons under convictions. Talked with over forty. Most of them have been but recently awakened." Among those with whom I conversed from day to day, there was of course great diversity. They were selected 140 HOPEFUL APPEARANCES A T LEONE. by the teachers of the different villages as those who appeared to them the most decidedly awakened and in earnest in seeking salvation. Sabbath, the 9th of February, was spent at Leone, and of that Sabbath and the visit connected with it, the fol- lowing notice occurs in my journal : — " Spent a very pleasant Sabbath at Leone. Had congregations of nearly a thousand people, who listened with great apparent solemnity to the word of life. There is a very great chancje for the better there of late .... A considerable number seem really awakened. After the public services I conversed with thirty persons who jprofess to be under concern." A few days after this, Maunga paid me a visit ! He professed to have seen the evil of his past conduct. His professions, of course, did not amount to much, but it was a great thing that his active opposition was at an end, and that he was desirous of being on friendly terms. Things went on pretty much as I have described during the remainder of the month of February. We had crowded and attentive conOTearations, and fresh cases of conviction occurring from time to time as heretofore, but on the first Sabbath of March a new phase of the awakening appeared. The church meeting on the Saturday afternoon was a time to be remembered. Twenty-one new members were re- ceived, nearly all of whom were of those who had been awakened since the revival commenced. They were the first-fruits of that awakening that were gathered into the visible Church. It was a new thing to have such a nume- rous addition at once. That, I suppose, had its effect upon the members. All hearts seemed full, and very fervent were the prayers that were offered, and the expectations that were cherished — seeming to forebode more signal dis- plays of Divine power and grace than liad yet appeared, and so it proved. A DAY TO BE REMEMBERED. 141 Tlie Sabbath which followed, March the 1st, was dis- tinguished beyond any that had preceded it. From the commencement of the morning service the deepest solem- nity appeared. During the first prayer there was much feeling, and' as the discourse, which was from 1 Cor. i. 18, proceeded, the tide continued to swell higher and higher, and while the ordinance of the Lord's SupjDer was being observed, many were completely overcome. Ten or twelve sank down exhausted, and had to be carried out of the chapel in a state of complete prostration. Tlie afternoon service was of a similar character. Many were overcome M'ith the depth of their feelings, and, after the public services of the day were over, and the people had dis- persed to their homes, the whole neighbourhood seemed in a commotion. Nothing was heard on all sides but the sounds of weeping and supplication. Very solemn and affecting was it to listen to these sounds, amid the dark- ness and stillness of the night, as I was going to and re- turning from a ship which was at anchor in the harbour at the time, and on board of which I preached in the even- ing of that remarkable day. What a tale did these un- wonted sounds tell, and how were they fitted to fill the heart with wondering joy — with adoring gratitude ! But a short time had passed since we used to be shocked by hearing the coarse and filthy songs of abandoned sailors, and the liellish revelry of the night-dance. How changed now ! What power on earth could have effected such a change ? No ; it was not man that did it. The light of heaven had penetrated these dark minds, and revealed to these anxious souls the misery and ruin into w^hich sin had brought them, and the truth of God, applied by the Holy Spirit, had subdued and broken their hard hearts. Hence they mourned and were in bitterness, as one that mourueth and is in bitterness for a first-born, and sought 142 FIRST DEATH IN THE CHURCH witli intense desire after Him who came to heal the broken-hearted. Through the whole night the state of things just described continued to a greater or less degree. The last sounds we heard before retiring to rest, and the first that fell upon our ears in the morning, were still the same. It seemed as if some must, after the example of Him whom they sought, have continued all night in prayer to God. The next Sabbath, March the 8th, was very similar to that just described. Overflowing congregations listened to the Divine message, and the power of God appeared to accompany the services of the day. During this month the first death occurred among our church members. Letuli, the chief of the Vaitongi dis- trict, died after an illness of three or four months. He was one of the seven chiefs of the island of the same rank as Maunga. Before he became a decided Christian, he was said to have been an overbearing, tjTannical man, but after his conversion he was remarkable for humility and meekness ; so that there was no mistaking that he was a changed man. Old things had passed away, and all things externally had become new, and everything about him indicated that a corresponding internal change had taken place. He appeared to have a very deep sense of his own weakness and unworthiness, and a high appreciation of the Saviour in whom he trusted. Frequently during his illness he would exclaim — "Oh, may I remain steadfast to the end ; may I cleave to Christ to the end ! " His last words, uttered about ten minutes before his death, were — "I cannot speak much, but my mind is upon Jesus ; may I cleave to the cross of Christ ! " And so he passed away, and entered, as we trust, into the j)resence of Jesus. The examples of such men as Pomare and Letuli, chiefs INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 143 of the highest rank, exerted a mighty influence for good. There was no attempt to exercise their authority as cliiefs in matters of religion and conscience, but their lives spoke and hore evidence, which no doubt influenced many, of the power and excellence of the religion which had wrought such a marvellous change in them. ( U4) CHAPTEE XX. KETURN OF THE " CAMDEN " — THE DEATH OF MESSRS WILLIAMS AND HARRIS — ARRIVAL OF MESSRS SLATTER AND HARBUTT, AND MR LUNDIE — EFFECT OF THE NEWS OF MR WILLLAMS' DEATH UPON THE NATIVES — A HURRI- CANE — A MISSIONARY SCENE — VISIT TO UPOLU— IMPORTANT DELIBERA- TIONS AND DECISION RESPECTING THE " CAMDEN " — DEPARTURE ON A SECOND MISSIONARY VOYAGE. On Saturday, March the 14th, I went to Leone, intend- ing to spend the Sabbath there. Sometliing very diffe- rent, however, awaited me to spending, as I had hoped, a quiet Sabbath at Leone. Very early in the morning, before or about daybreak, I was aroused by an announce- ment that a messenger had arrived from Pangopango — a startling announcement, as a messenger would certainly not have been sent from that quarter during the night, unless something of a serious character had occurred ; and I soon found that something serious had occurred. The " Camden " had arrived bringing sad tidings — tidings which fell upon us like a thunder-clap — Mr Williams was dead ! — he and Mr Harris had been murdered by the Eramaugans. With a heavy heart I returned to Pango- pango, my mind occupied almost exclusively with the sad subject during the whole journey. Either the messenger did not tell me, or I was so much engrossed with the one thing, that I was not aware that there was so much con- nected with the arrival of the vessel to alleviate the deep sorrow caused by the blow that had so unexpectedly fallen ALLE VIA TIONS. 1 45 upon us. Hence I was the more cheered and relieved to find that all was not dark connected Avith the arrival of the vessel. She had brought a valuable reinforcement to our mission. This consisted of the Eev. W. Harbutt and Mrs Harbutt, the Eev. Thomas Slatyer and Mrs Slatyer, and a dear young friend of my own, Mr George Archibald Lundie. Mr Lundie was the son of the Eev. Eobert Lundie of Kelso. His father had gone to his rest many years when his son left his native shores in quest of health. He was a young man of rare promise, and when he reached Tutuila he looked healthy and vigorous. He had been studying with a view to entering the Christian ministry, but failure of health had induced him to accom- pany an elder brother who was coming to Australia in the hope that the mildness of the climate would, by the blessing of God, restore him to health. In Sydney he had consulted with friends, and had been advised to come on in the " Camden " to the still more mild climate of Samoa. It afforded us great pleasure to receive our dear young friend, and to have it in our power to show him kindness. Between his surviving parent, Mrs Lundie Duncan, and myself there had existed a warm friendship for a long course of years, and I was indebted to her for many favours. Hence it was a high gratification to us to have her son under our roof, and in that way to be able to make some return for her kindnesses. I reached home about 10. a.m., just before the close of the morning service. When the service was over we listened with the deepest interest to the tragic account of what had occurred at Eramanga, and felt much as we thought of the bearing of the sad event on the cause of God, and on the widow and family of him who had been so unexpect- edly taken from us. The effect produced ujion the natives by the intelligence was remarkable. A single 146 EFFECT UPON THE NA TIVES. individual went off to the vessel soon after she got to anchor on Saturday, the day of her arrival, and when he got alongside and was told what had occurred, his paddle dropped from his hands into the water, as if he had been shot, and, as the news spread, all was consternation. The congregation had managed to restrain their feelings to a great extent during the morning service on Sabbath, but in the afternoon there was such a scene as had not I think been before witnessed on Tutuila. It was towards the close of the service, when I was reminding the people of their obli- gations to Mr Williams as " The first tliat ever bore Glad tidings to their distant shore," that their feelings became altogether ungovernable, and there was a general burst of weeping. Many of the people had recently learnt to value, beyond all price, the glad tidings which he had borne to them. Hence their feelings towards him, which led them thus to mourn over lus tragic end. We closed the painfully interesting Sabbath with a prayer-meeting in English, at which were present all the newly-arrived friends, with Captain and Mrs Morgan ; and, on the following day, it was arranged that we should all proceed to Upolu to be jjfesent at the general meeting of the mission that it would be necessary to hold on the arrival of the vessel, and at which subjects of great importance would need to be considered and arranged. It was expected that we should have got off on the following day, Tuesday. Instead of that, however, we were detained for nearly a week ; and well it was that we were prevented from leaving the harbour at the time we had intended. One of our South Sea hurricanes came upon us. Happily it found more than half of the newly-arrived friends on shore, as we could have no intercourse with the A HURRICANE. 147 ship during its continuance. Mr and Mrs Harbutt only remained on board. On the evening of Tuesday the wind blew so fiercely, and our house creaked and shook to such a degree under the furious gusts that ever and anon came upon it, that we thought it advisable to seek shelter elsewhere. This we found in an unfinished house which was in the course of building, in the rear of the other, and sheltered by it. It consisted of little besides a roof, but by the prompt efforts of our kind natives, who at such times are specially considerate, it was soon surrounded by braided cocoanut leaves ; and partitions of native cloth were extemporised, and so we and our newly-arrived friends were accommo- dated in true missionary style. To them it was an interesting but rather rough initiation to missionary life. On the following day the gale had moderated considerably, and our dwelling-house had weathered the storm, so we were able to return to civilised life. During the remainder of the week we enjoyed much delightful intercourse with our newly- arrived friends, and they had an opportunity of observing the state of things among the people. "V\1iile they were with us a Church meetinrr -was held at which we had the larci;est addition to our number that we had ever received at one time — thirty persons. The Sabbath was a day of deep and hallowed interest. In the morning, at the close of the service, we observed the ordinance of the Lord's Supper with tha natives, and truly it was a memorable season; and at noon ]\Ir Slatyer preached a sermon that was well fitted to deepen the impressions which the morning service had produced. A prayer-meeting in English, in the evening, closed the services of the day. On Llonday, March the 28th, we sailed for Upolu, which we reached on the Wednesday following. As soon as the brethren got together from the different stations, which 148 ARRANGEMENTS FOR A SECOND VOYAGE. was not till the next week, we met for business. The one subject of difficulty and responsibility with which we had to deal, was the course to be adopted with reference to the " Camden," which by the death of Mr Williams was thrown into our hands, and we had no authority to take any action in the matter. The Directors of the London Missionary Society had given Mr Williams sole authority over her, and no provision had been made to meet such an emergency as had now arisen; but something must be done, and some parties must take the responsibility of acting. Our mission, though the youngest in the South Seas, was the largest; and the providence of God had placed the vessel in our hands, so we determined to act according to the best of our judgment. The course resolved upon was that the vessel should be kept employed in the work for which she had been pur- chased, till the mind of the Directors should be known ; and, in accordance with this resolution, we appointed the senior member of our mission, Mr Heath, to take a voyage forthwith in order to visit the islands, liotuma and Tanna, on which Mr AVilliams had placed teachers, and to attempt to occupy new ground, as the providence of God might bpen the way. ]\Ir Heath took a very grave view of the step we were taking, as, indeed, did we all. He expressed his willingness to comply with the request of his bretliren on three conditions, viz. : — 1st, That his station should be looked after during his absence ; 2nd, That we should follow him with our prayers ; and 3rd, If he should fall, another should follow. There was no hesitancy in agreeing to these conditions, so the thing was settled. The only other business of much importance that occu- pied the meeting was the location of the newly-arrived breth- ren, and this was arranged without difficulty. Mr Harbutt was appointed to commence a new station on Upolu, embracing a large district on the east end of the island, MESSRS HARBUTT AND SLATYER. 149 having a population of some 5000 or GOOO people. He chose as his place of residence Lepa, a village about the centre of the district ; and there for many years he lived and laboured, till ])odily infirmity compelled him most reluctantly to leave the mission field ; and after a brief term of service at home, his Avork was done, and he entered, "we doulit not, into the joy of his Lord. Mr Slatyer, to our great joy, was appointed to the vacant station at Leone. And, as soon as Mr Heath's preparations for his voyage were completed, we sailed for Tutuila, whence he was to take his final departure for Samoa on his important enterprise. We sailed on the lOth of April, and anchored in Leone Bay on the evening of Monday the 13th. There we remained but one night. On the 14tli, Mr Slatyer's goods were landed, and the vessel went on to Pangopango, leaving some of us at Leone who preferred going to Pangopango by land. Tlie whole mission party went there for the present — Mr Lundie to make it his home for an indefinite time, Mr and Mrs Slatyer to remain with us for a few weeks till they might get a little acquaintance with the language, and a little insight into practical mis- sionary life. All was interest and excitement on Tutuila on the return of the vessel. The people of the Leone district were delighted that they had got a missionary ; and the projected missionary voyage awakened great interest, and the fact that a number of teachers had to be selected to join those whom Mr Heath had brought from the Leeward,* was a matter of special concern to many. The selection of the teachers was the first business that required to be attended to, so the subject was laid before the teachers of the Pangopango district, sixteen in number, and they Easterly winds prevail during three-fourths or more of the year ; the islands Upolu, Savaii, and Jlanono lie to the west of Tutuila ; hence we call them the Leeward Islands. 150 SELECTION OF TEACHERS. were requested to consider the matter and let us know who among them were willing to consecrate themselves unto the Lord for the proposed service. The result of their con- sultation was that they were all ready for the service, and they left it with us to make the selection. The subject was laid before the teachers of the Leone district also, and of them, six oifered their services. Of these, one, Taniela, was chosen ; and from those of the other district we chose four — Pomare, Fauvasa, Pangisa, and Vaiofanga. Preparations for departure were made forthwith, and, on the afternoon of Wednesday the 15th, a farewell service was held. Mr Heath preached Pomare and Fauvasa gave addresses, and the ordinance of the Lord's Supper was ad- ministered. The occasion was deeply interesting, but very mingled, of course, were our feelings. There was gladness, no doubt, but there was also great solemnity not unmingled with a tinge of sadness. Those who were about to leave us were going to the very islands on one of which the tragic deeds had been enacted the news of which had so recently reached us. Very little was known about these islands at the time, and what was known was the reverse of assuring or inviting. Our friends were indeed going forth as lambs in the midst of wolves. And they were going alone, leaving behind them their wives and children, and all that on earth they held dear ; bidding what might very probably prove a final farewell to all. And so indeed it proved in the case of some. Four of the teachers never did return. Pomare, as already mentioned, died on Tanna ; Taniela died on Upolu on his way back from the field of foreign service ; and two of the teachers from the Leeward, Taniela* and Lasalo, after enduring great hardships on the island of Eramanga, were murdered on the Isle of Pines, to which tliey had been removed from the inhospitable shores of Eramanga. Alas! those * There were two Tanielaa in the party. FAREWELL SCENES. 151 to wliich they were conveyed proved more iuhospitaLle still. Preparations for tlie departure of the expedition were completed on the day following the farewell service, and, on the next day, Friday, April the 17th, the " Camden " sailed on her second missionary voyage, followed by the prayers and best wishes of thousands throughout Samoa. Her departure is thus noticed in my journal: — "A memor- able day. The ' Camden ' sailed on her important enter- prise about mid- day. Ever since it was known that Pomare and others were going, the wliole village has been in a state of excitement, and a large part of the island besides. And, as the time of departure drew near, the excitement seemed to rise higher and higher. The scene on board was very affecting. The teachers and their relations and friends, while they manifested very deep feeling, conducted themselves with great propriety. They seemed to realise pretty fully their circumstances, but they bore up wonderfully." After we had committed ourselves to the care and blessing of Him "whom winds and seas obey," we bade each other an affectionate farewell, and parted ; we re- turning to our quiet home, and the "Camden" party setting forth on their lofty errand of mercy. ( 152 ) CHAPTEE XXI. GENERAL KEMAEKS — STATE AND PROSPECTS OP THE WORK— VISIT TO LEONE WITH MR SLATTER — STATE OF THINGS THERE — ADDITIONS TO THE CHURCH — MISSIONARY MEETINGS — FIRST CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MISSIONARY CAUSE — PECULIARLY INTERESTING CHARACTER OF THE MEETINGS — GREAT AWAKENING AT LEONE — EFFECT UPON THE PANGOPANGO DISTRICT. On no part of our missionary life do we look back "with deeper interest and fonder recollections than that which is now to pass under review. The awakening had not yet, indeed, reached its height, and the number whom we could regard as having decidedly passed from death unto life was comparatively small ; still the state of things was intensely interesting. Eeligious concern was general over a large part of the island, and it was steadily deepen- ing and extending. The thii-st after the means of grace seemed insatiable, and multitudes flocked from all quarters to hear the gospel, and wait upon God in the services of the sanctuary. And how full of promise was everything for the future ! It resembled an advanced spring, when the trees are covered with blossoms, fragrant and beautiful, and are giving promise of an ample harvest. And not least among the things that contributed to invest the period of wliich I ^Tite with special interest, and to make it perhaps the brightest spot in all the past, was the society and intercourse which we enjoyed with our newly-arrived friends, Mr and Mrs Slatyer and Mr DWELLING TOGETHER IN UNITY. 153 Liindie. Tliey were characters whom to know was to esteem and love ; and they were at once in such full sym- pathy with the state of things which they found among the people on their arrival, and we were so entirely one in heart, that our intercourse was of such a character as is seldom found in this imperfect state. We lived together and laboured together in peace and love, and the God of love and peace was with us. As a morning without clouds, bright and beautiful were the early months of our connection with our beloved friends ; but such a state of things is not for a permanence in this changing world. It was too good to last, too much like that which lies beyond to be long continued. Nothing, indeed, ever occurred to disturb the harmony that subsisted among ourselves; but trials, great and manifold, soon overtook us, and broke up and separated our happy circle, and pain- fully reminded us of the " much tribulation " through which the way to the kingdom lies. But I will not further anticipate. Mr Slatyer and I took an early opportunity of visiting Leone. We spent a Sabbath there, and were pleased and encouraged by what we saw and heard. The blessing seemed drawing nearer and nearer. At Pangopango we continued to have marked progress. Every month we had additions to the Church. Much of my time was spent in conversing with the awakened, who crowded upon me from all quarters ; while Mr and ]\Irs Slatyer and ]\Ir Lundie were applying themselves with all diligence to the study of the native language, and longing for the time when they should be able to take a direct part in the work on which their hearts were set. Towards the close of this month. May, we had our annual missionary services. They were held at Pango- pango on the last Wednesday of the month. The people flocked together from all parts of the island, so we had a 1 54 FIRST MISSIONAR V CONTRIBUTIONS. very large gathering. The late events connected with the return of the " Camden " from her first missionary voyage, and her departure on her second with a number of their own people for foreign service, invested our meetings this year with special interest. And there was the presence of the new missionaries, and above all, there was the fact that God was powerfully at work among us. Many had recently found rest in Christ, and were all aglow with love and zeal, longing to tell to sinners far and near what a precious Saviour they had found ; others were anxious inquirers and seekers; and the bulk of the people had their interest more or less aroused with reference to religious matters. As the numbers that assembled were far greater than the chajDel could contain, we had two services in the morning at the same hour, one in the chapel and one outside. Both congregations were addressed from the same text, Isaiah Ixi. 1. After the morning services the people brought their contributions. They had no money, but they gave liberally of such things as they had. Their offerings consisted of a quantity of arrowroot, about 2000 lbs., fifty-two pieces of native cloth, and twelve fine mats. These, the mats, are the most valuable property, in their estimation, that they possess — their gold as they used to style them, after they became acquainted with gold. Such was the first missionary collection made on Tutuila, not a great matter in itself, but interesting as being the first effort of the kind — the first link of a chain extending down- wards to the present time. After the contributions had been made, we had another public meeting. It was held in the open air. Many stirring speeches were made. One speaker after another poured forth words of life and power till rain and dark- ness compelled us to break up before the interest appeared to have reached its height, much less begun to abate. PROMISING INDICATIONS. 155 There seemed no danger of the people getting weary of long sermons, prayers, or speeches in those times when all was fresh and full of life, so long as they were of the right kind. One of the newly-arrived missionary party, noticing the insatiable thirst which there seemed to be among the people after spiritual things, suggested that another meeting should be held on the following morning. The suggestion was adopted, and we met at 6.30 a.m. on Thursday, and had a service full of interest and promise, after which many of the people departed for their respective homes, cariying with them impressions which, I doubt not, proved abiding in the case of some. Many remained, loath to leave the place which had proved to them a Bethel, and waited for the Friday and Sabbath services. Hence at these we had very large con- gregations, and equally hopeful indications as those which had already appeared. These services, with the May meetings, seemed to have a direct and easily traceable connection with the extension of the awakening to the Leone district. Seven months had passed since it commenced. It had spread to many parts, both far and near, in the Pangopango district ; but that of Leone, except the village of Vaitongi, was very slightly moved as yet. Now the time to favour it had come, and among the secondary causes which operated upon it, the services and meetings just referred to had, I doubt not, an important place. On Thursday, June the 3d, Mr Slatyer and I went to Leone, and remained nearly a week; and such a week it proved ! It seemed as if the windows of heaven were opened, and a more abundant blessing poured out than there was room to receive. On the Friday a large con- gregation assembled, and was addressed from 2 Cor. v. 17. At this service there were more decisive symptoms of 1 56 A GREA T A WAKENING A T LEONE. an approaching awakening tlian liad before appeared. Saturday was an important day — a "preparation day" in tlie best sense. A Clmrcli meeting was held in the afternoon, at which eight new members were received, and a most desirable spirit was manifested; and during the evening there was much prayer, and large desires and expectations were awakened in the hearts of many. To compare small things with great, I fancy it somewhat resembled the night that preceded the great awakening at the Kirk of Shotts in 1630. The Sabbath came, and the same prayerful, expectant spirit appeared that had been manifested on the previous evening. The congregation in the morning was large; little, if at all, short of a thousand. At the commence- ment of the service there was a marked solemnity and stillness throus^hout the congregation, and during the prayer before the sermon many were much moved, and were scarcely able to restrain their feelings. The text was from Isaiah xxx. 18, first clause of the verse: "And therefore will the Lord wait, that He may be gracious." As the dis- course proceeded, the feeling swelled higher and higher, till, like a pent-up flood, it burst forth, and there was such a scene as I had not before witnessed. Very many were quite prostrated, and others were seized with violent con- vulsions. This was a new feature of our awakening. The afternoon service was very similar to that of the morning. Amojig those wdio were aroused was one case specially remarkable. It was that of the wife of Teava, the Earo- tongan teacher. She had been a very indifferent character hitherto. Mr Buzacott did not admit her to the Church at Earotonga, but she had been received in Samoa by Messrs Piatt and Wilson before our arrival. Her real character, however, was unchanged ; and to her husband and others with whom she had to do, she continued to be an occasion of great annoyance. She had been so bad at A STRIKING CASE. 157 Tutuila that "we liad felt constrained to suspend lier from the fellowsliip of the Church. She had gone the lengtli of mocking some who had been aroused during the awaken- ing. Now slie lierself was constrained to give way. She was among tlie number of those who " were pricked to the heart," antl made to feel themselves helpless and perishing sinners on this day of the Lord's power among us. And the issue was such as to prove her repentance genuine. From that day forth she appeared "a new creature, old things having passed away, and all things having become new." The change was marvellous. From being a bold, self-righteous, overbearing woman, near whom nobody could live in peace, she became meek, quiet, and for- bearing, and she held fast her integrity for a long course of years. As mentioned in a former chapter, I saw her at her own home at Earotonga in 1869, about thirty years from the time of which I write ; and, for aught I know, she still lives, and maintains a consistent Christian course. Such cases as hers confirm the truth of a remark that has often been made with reference to great awakenings — viz., that at such times characters are often reached that, under ordinary circumstances, continue hardened and im- penitent. The Sabbath closed upon large numbers still in deep distress, and at break of day on Monday, the voice of mournmg and lamentation had scarcely ceased to be heard. Such was the state of things, that we thought it well to have another meeting on Monday afternoon. Very few of those who were with us on Sabbath had left, so we had again a large congregation. It was impossible to converse individually with the large number of anxious souls who had just been aroused. Hence the importance of getting them together in order to address to them words of counsel, and offer united prayer for the teaching and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Our native assistants as 158 DISTRESS OF THE AWAKENED. yet were but babes, and of course able to do very little in the way of instructing and counselling the awakened ; and Mr Slatyer was not yet able to speak in the native language. Hence we seemed shut up to multiply public meetings. There was again an astonishing commotion during the meeting, and at night every family seemed to be mourning apart. The words of the prophet Zechariah were strikingly appropriate : " They shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him as one that is in bitterness for a first-born." And again, " The land shall mourn, every family apart." On the foUo^ving day, Tuesday, we had no public meet- ing ; but on Wednesday afternoon we again met the people in the chapel. All was still and solemn throughout almost the whole of the service. The stillness was death- like. It was broken only by the occasional sighs and groans of burdened souls. On the following afternoon, Thursday, we had another meeting similar in character to those that preceded. It was now the sixth day since the awakening commenced, and it was still deepening and extending. Young and old, high and low, were mourning over their sins, and seeking mercy with the earnestness which a clear view of sin unforgiven inspires. When the Holy Spirit convicts of sin and of judgment, and shows the need of a Divine refuge to shelter from the impending doom, then men are in earnest — " no room for mirth or trifl- ing " then, and no room for peace either, tiU He is found " who is a hiding-place from the storm, and a covert from the tempest." As yet, few of the recently awakened had found their way to the Eefuge. They saw themselves guilty, exposed, and helpless, and in many cases they seemed to have vivid views of impending ruin; but the way of escape they saw not. Hence their distress, and the earnest- EFFECT UPON THE PANGOPANGO DISTRICT. 159 ness with whicli tlicy cried for mercy, and sought for deliverance. On Friday, the 11th, we returned to Pangopango. Pan- gopango and Leone, as already mentioned, were enemies in former days. Not a great while before the introduction of the gospel, tliere had been war between them, and the spirit that had been engendered by the strife had not died out when we arrived. How different was the state of things now ! Prom the commencement of the awakening at Pan- gopango, the people of that district had longed and prayed that the other might share in the blessing. And now that their prayers were answered, and their desire granted, they manifested the deepest interest, while they themselves were encouraged and quickened. President Edwards remarks in his " Thoughts " upon the revivals which took place in New England in his time, that nothing seemed to contribute more to the deepening and extending of the work, than accounts of what God was doing in different parts of the country ; and so it seemed to be with us. On the Priday after our return from Leone, instead of preaching as usual, I gave an account of what had taken place there. A good deal of feeling was manifested, but it was chiefly, if not exclusively, among those v/ho had been already awakened. These had their impressions deepened, and those more advanced were stirred up to long and pray for themselves and others, that still more copious showers of blessing might descend upon us ; and on tlie Sabbath the blessing came. Prom the early morning prayer-meeting onwards, a remarkable influence seemed to be operating. The afternoon service was espe- cially solemn. The people seemed to make a great effort to restrain their feelings, and most of them managed to do so till the close of the service ; but when they got outside, many gave way, and hastened away to get alone with God ; and during the course of the evening some were missing i6o A NIGHT TO BE REMEMBERED. from tlieir families, and liad to be sought for in the bush, to which they had retired, and, being overcome by their feehngs, liad been unable to walk home. Some time after sundown, I took a walk round the vil- lage in company with Mr Lundie. It was the hour of family prayer, and the different households were gathered around their domestic altars. All can be heard that is going on in native houses by a person outside, and, after nightfall, much can be seen as well, while those inside are not aware that they are being overheard or overlooked. It was most affecting to go from house to house and listen to the simple, fervent pleadings of their resj)ective in- mates. Melody, such as angels love to hear, arose from many hearts and tongues of the dwellers in these lowly habitations during those days of life and power. " There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." As at some former times, the voice of prayer continued to be heard from many quarters almost aU through the night. There was only a break of about half-an-hour near midnight. Bodily fatigue was either not felt, or it was disregarded in the intense desire to obtain the longed-for blessing. I went out to the verandah during the night, and listened awhile to the affecting sounds with feelings which language cannot express. Except those sounds, all was still. The bay was calm and placid as a summer lake, and overhead was a sky without a cloud, and a moon near the full shedding her silvery light over the enclianting scene. Island scenery is never more beautiful than when the moon walks in brightness in a cloudless sky, and the cool and quiet of night have taken the place of the heat and glare of a tropical sun. So emphatically it appeared to me on that never-to-be-forgotten night. More than thirty years have passed since then, and the great bulk of the principal actors in tlie scenes then AN ABIDING IMPRESSION. i6i transpiring have passed away, but the impression made upon my mind by that scene and by what was taking place around me lives, and will continue to live till scenes more lovely still, and with more blessed surroundings, shall open in a land where there are no drawbacks, and where all the loved ones who have gone before shall be found again, and severed bonds be reunited to be broken no more. ( i62) CHAPTEE XXII. SPECIAL SERVICES AT PANGOPANGO — MAUNGA BROUGHT UNDER CONVICTIONS EXTINCTION OF HEATHENISM IN THE VILLAGE OF PANGOPANGO — MIS- SIONARY VOYAGE TO SAVjLGE ISLAND — CASE OP PAULO, A NAJIVE OF SAVAGE ISLAND — SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF THE FORMATION OF THE CHURCH AT PAJJGOPANGO. During the week wliicli followed, the Sabbatli particularly referred to at the close of the preceding chapter, we held special services. Such was the hungering and thirsting of the people that we seemed shut up to this course. The more they got the more their desires seemed to be en- larged.. The word of God was indeed precious in those days. The habitation of God's house was intensely loved, and the place where His honour dwelleth, and there was unmistakable gladness when it was said, " Let us go into the house of the Lord." It should be borne in mind that the people were dependent upon the public means of grace to an extent vastly greater than is the case in Christian lands. They had only detached portions of the New Testament in their hands, and they had no other books of much account. Hence their circumstances were altogether pecuhar, and a special adaptation was required to meet them. Our first special service was held on Monday, June the 15th. One noticeable thing connected with it was the large number of men who were overcome by their feelings. They were sooner overcome, and in larger numbers, than HE A THENISM EXTINCT IN PANGOPANGO. 1 63 the women, but the most remarkable tiling of all was, that Maunga, the proud, haughty Maunga, who had so recently acted such an outrageous part, was among the number of those who fell under the arrows of conviction. " Saul was among the prophets." He was carried out of the chapel in a state of complete prostration. As soon as he was sufficiently recovered to be able to walk, he went into the bush, where he was afterwards found and assisted home. Nor did his convictions pass away " like the morning- cloud and the early dew," as we shall see by and by. The meet- ings that were held on the following days of this week were similar to tliat of Monday. It will surprise the reader to learn that, down to this- time, heathenism was represented in the village of Pango- pango, notwithstanding all that had been in progress dur- ing the past months. By ones and twos the heathen rem- nant had been quietly dropping into the Christian ranks, and on tliis day, June the 15th, 1840, the last yielded, and avowed himself a Christian, In some of the more distant villages, a considerable number held out for years after this date, obstinately resisting all the influence we could bring to bear upon them. This, of course, made wliat was going on elsewhere all the more remarkable ; and made us realise more fully than we might otherwise have done, that it is not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of God that hearts are subdued and drawn to the Saviour. Towards the close of June, I spent a Sabbath at Leone. Mr Slatyer had now taken up his permanent abode there, and was able to take a general superintendence of the station, but he was still glad of help. We spent a very pleasant and I trust profitable Sabbath at Leone ; and, on the following day, I returned to Pangopango, being unable to remain longer from home for a reason that will presently appear. At a meeting of the mission held iii April 1840, at 1 64 SAVAGE ISLAND. whicli we of Tutuila were unable to be present, a minute was adopted with reference to an island, about three hundred miles from Samoa, of which not very much was known at that time, — Savage Island, — to the effect that an effort should be made to introduce the gospel to the island, and the carrying out of the resolution was left to us on Tutuila. A small vessel belonging to the mission which had recently been built, the " Samoa," was to be placed at our service ; we were to furnish the teachers, and Mr Hunkin, a young man in connection with us at the time, an Englishman and a professing Christian, was to take charge of the expedition. Mr H. had been a sailor, and was able to manage the vessel. Messrs Williams and Barff had called at the island as far back as 1830,* when on their way to Samoa, and made an unsuccessful attempt to settle teachers upon it ; and, since then, no further steps had been taken, though Mr Williams had intended to visit the island shortly after his return from England. Circum- stances prevented his carrying out his intention, and by his lamented death it fell to us to undertake what he had been prevented from attempting. The "Samoa" had arrived at Pangopango after I left for Leone, and, on that account, I was obliged to hasten home to make the necessary arrangements for the voyage. These were soon comjileted. Out of the many teachers who were willing to go, four were selected. An interesting farewell service was held, and on the 25th of June the party sailed on their important but perilous undertaking. Their danger arose chiefly from the smalluess of the vessel. The Savage Islanders are bold, powerful men, and they have large numbers of canoes, wliich they manage with great dexterity, and in wliich they move with great celerity. Hence it would liave been a very simple matter for them to have surrounded and taken posses- * See "Missionary Enterprises," pp. 293-299. A MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 165 sion of the little craft in ■which our party sailed, and in that case, what a plight would they have been in ! The natives came u])on them in a very rough and boisterous manner, but a kind Providence watched over them, and the natives did not attempt to injure them. They kept buying ujd their clubs and spears as fast as they were able, and in tliat way strove to keep them disarmed. They tried their utmost, but %vithout success, to get teachers settled on the island. The time did not seem to have come. By the assistance of a native whom they had on board, and who had been in Samoa for some years, they succeeded in inducing three natives to come with them. These were brought to Pangopango and left there. One of them died shortly after their arrival; another, a giddy, thoughtless, young man, left in a whaler after he had been some months on Tutuila, and we heard no more of him; the third, who took the name of Paulo, turned out a steady, thoughtful man. He became an inmate in our family, and continued with us till his death in 1852. He was for many years a member of the Church, and a remarkably consistent character in the main ; and thougli he made one or two slips towards the close of his life, I cannot but hope that he was safe at last. We need not further refer to Savage Island, now gene- rally known by its native name, Niue. Its story has long been fuUy before the world.* But to return to Tutuila : — The good work continued to progress. In the Pangopango district external manifes- tations of feeling were becoming less violent, thougli at almost every service there w^ere instances of persons being overcome, and all the time the work seemed to be deepen- ing and extending. Over about two-thirds of the island there were marked indications of seriousness, if not of anxious concern, and these indications were not confined * See " Missions in Western Polynesia, " chapters xiii. and xiv. 1 66 REMARKABLE STATE OF THINGS. to the public sendees and the liouse of God, but were apparent at all times and under all circumstances. It seemed like one continued Sabbath, except that the people went about their accustomed employments. Every one seemed instinctively to feel as if levity and trifling would be out of place, and that it became all to be in earnest, and do with their might what their hands found to do. Such was the state of things at the time referred to, that \dsitors from a neighbouring island told other intending visitors on their return home, that, if they went to Tutuila, they would hear about notliing but their souls from Tapu- tajm to Tula — the Dan and Beersheba of the island. N"o doubt a great deal that then appeared was mere sympathy — merely indirect and incidental — passing away with the occasion ; but how powerful must have been the influence which brought about such a state of things, and kept it up for such a length of time ; for it was not for a few days or weeks that it continued, but for many months the bulk of the community seemed to feel and act as though looking habitually at, and under the influence of, things unseen and eternal. Such was the desire of the people of the more distant villages to be within reach of the services at Pangopango, and to enjoy Christian fellowship, that many of them built houses, and made plantations in our neighbourhood, that they might be there wlieu they chose without incon- venience to any one. Quite a number of little settlements sprung up round the bay. In eacli there was generally one or more white, plastered cottages, which gave the harl)our a lively and picturesque appearance — an external indication of the great change that was in progress among the people. About tliis time Maunga came out very decidedly. After a severe conflict witli opposing feelings and in- fluences from without and from within, he gave about as CASE OF MAUNGA. 167 convincing evidence of sincerity as he could well do. He determined to give up the lady from Upoln, about whom there had recently been such a stir, and return to his lawful wife. This step astonished and silenced all who were inclined to doubt liis sincerity. The case was a painful one to others besides Maunga. He appeared sincerely attached to the woman with whom he was living, and she was in every respect a suitable match for him, and she was a person of rank from Upolu. And what an amount of shame and mortification would he have to bear, especially after wliat had occurred in connection with his becoming allied to the lady. He had taken such a bold and brave stand, as those who acted with him in the affair no doubt thought, and after all to give in and acknowledge himself in the wi'ong, and practically 2:)ass condemnation on himself and all his accomplices — what a fool would he appear in the eyes of all who could not sympathise in his religious scruples ! Keenly alive to all this, he tried hard, after he was brought under convictions, to find a way out of the difficulty without making the surrender for which conscience called. He sought a divorce from his lawful wife tliat he might be able to get married to the other, but there was no Scriptural ground on which that could be obtained, and the issue was that he was enabled to overcome every obstacle. Tlie lady from Upolu was sent home to her family, and he returned to his lawful wife. After a while he was ad- mitted to the Church, being, to all appearance, a new man. On the 12th of tliis month, July 1840, the ordinance of the Lord's Supper was administered. There was nothing connected with the services of the day calling for special remark, but there was one interesting circumstance which deserves a passing notice. Tlie ordinance of the Lord's Supper was observed for the first time on Tutuila in July l68 STRIKING CONTRAST. 1838, so that two years had now passed since the formation of the church. And what an eventful two years had those been on which we were now called to look back ! What a contrast did the present state of things present to that of July 1838, though that did not lack interest ! At our first communion the reader will remember there v/ere only three natives, now we had one hundred in Church fellow- ship, and hundreds more were hopefully converted, and waiting for admission. So mightily had the word of God grown and prevailed. And at Leone, where no church had been formed at the time referred to, a wonderful change had also taken place, and a gi-eat work was in pro- gress. Well was the review of these years fitted to fill us with wonder and gratitude with reference to the past, and to supply the highest encouragement as regards the future. The excitement ha\dng now somewhat subsided, and a considerable time having passed since the awakening com- menced, we began to admit more freely to the church. At the close of this month, July, nineteen were admitted, and generally we had additions more or less at every church meeting from this time onward. ( i69) CHAPTER XXIII. VISIT TO LEONE — MR LUNDIE — MEETINGS FOK PRATER AND INTERCOURSE — . A HEATHEN TEMPLE AND SACRED GROVE — INCREASE OF THE CHURCH — EXCLUSIONS FROM THE CHURCH — CONVERSION OF AN ENGLISHMAN — SKETCH OF HIS LIFE. At the Ijeginning of September I spent a few days at Leone, including a Sabbath, assisting Mr Slatyer, whose circumstances, though animating and interesting in a high degree, were diificult and trying, as his knowledge of the language was necessarily very limited as yet. Hence he was always glad of the help which it was a pleasure to me to render. During my absence from home, a step was taken at Pangopango, 7iot without my consent, wliich, under ordinary circumstances, would have occasioned only gratitude and joy, but which, as the case really stood, became to us a source of great and lasting regret. Our dear young friend, Mr Lundie, had been applying himself to the study of the native language with untiring dili- gence from the time of his arrival, and he had now so far mastered it as to be able to address the natives intelligibly. He was longing to turn to account his newly-acquired talent ; he looked well as regards health, and thought himself well, and the consequence was that I was misled, and gave my sanction to his ^jrcctcAm^ to the natives during my absence. He preached once on that occasion, and did not apparently suffer from the effort ; but a second attempt which he made, three weeks after, brought a 170 A MISTAKE. return of the symptoms wliich he had before leaving his native land, and then we saw too late that we had been misled. So far as I know, he did not again speak in public, but the evil was done, and very deej^ly was I grieved on account of it. Our dear young friend was filled with a zeal which continually exposed him to the danger of going beyond his strength, and though it was difficult to restrain liim, I might have kept liim from pubhc speaking ; but, hoj^ing with himself that he was in better health than he really was, I failed to do so. Alas ! his days were numbered, and tlie apprehension of this no doubt made him all the more desirous of working while it was day. Thus his desire to be doing something in his Master's service in- creased as his ability decreased, and he and we were in a painful strait. We were all comparatively young and inexperienced, and to that, I daresay, it was partly owing that we did not hold a tighter rein. In the month of September of tliis year, 1840, we commenced a meeting among ourselves, with the %dew of promoting our own imj)rovement, and advancing the in- terests of the mission. It has already been remarked that the little band of workers now thrown together on Tutuila were united, loving, and happy, and tlie plan now adopted was designed to promote the continuance of this, and turn all to the best account. Tlie meetings were held monthly, at Leone and Pangopango alternately. The first was at Pangopango, on the 30th of September, and they were continued till, in the course of providence, our party was broken up. We took our native teachers with us, so they had an opportunity, like ourselves, of meeting, and seeking their own improvement and the prosperity of their work. We were accustomed to spend the early part of the day in devotional exercises among ourselves, and in the afternoon a public meeting was held with the BRIGHT SPOTS IN THE PAST. 171 natives. The end we had in view seemed to be fully answered. The meetings were generally hallowed and delightful seasons both to ourselves and to the natives ; and now at the distance of over thirty years, I look back upon them as among the brightest spots in the past, not, however, without a feeling of solemnity bordering on sadness, for all the loved ones with whom we were wont to meet and take sweet counsel, and join our hearts and voices in prayer and praise, are gone — long gone. And of the teachers also who used to assemble with us, between thirty and forty, not more than two or three remain. Thus the review is somewhat saddening, but there is the bright beyond. There is the assured hope of reunion not far dis- tant, and that meets the case. Even now it has power to make joy preponderate, and if such be the hope, what will the full fruition be ! It is probable, I think, that if we had been permitted to continue our meetings for a great while, we should have found it desirable to have them less frequently, say once in two months; but in the then state of the island, they answered well as they were held, and so it might have continued. During a visit made to the remaining heathen at this time, in company with Mr Slatyer, we fell in with a great curiosity — as things go in Samoa — a heathen temple. Samoa was famed, among other islands of I'olynesia, as being a nation of atheists, from the fact that they were reputed to have neither temples nor idols. " Hamoa ore atua " — Samoa without gods, or godless Samoa — it was called in the ancient songs of the Tahitian group. And that teas the rule, but there were a few exceptions, and one of these was now found at Sailele, one of the villages visited during this tour. At this village we found a heathen temple — not a great affair by any means, but still a real heathen temple. It was a small house made of the wood of the bread-fruit tree, and thatched, as other Samoan houses are, with the 172 A HEATHEN TEMPLE. leaf of the sugar-cane. It was only about ten feet in length, and six in breadth, and so low that a man of middle height could not stand upright in it. It is re- markable that the priest only was accustomed to enter it — the worshippers remaining outside. Within were deposited three sacred stones, each of which bore a signi- ficant name. One was called, " Ze fatu le gacetia " (the immovable stone) ; another, " Le malo tumcm " (the endur- ing kingdom) ; the third, " Ze maa mau i h malo " (the stone fixed in the kingdom). Close by was a small cocoa- nut grove. There had been originally but one tree, but as it was regarded as belonging to the presiding deity, it was sacred and must not be touched by human hands ; hence its fruit had been allowed to fall around it and remain on the ground, and the consequence was that, at the time of our \dsit, instead of one tree, there was a grove, all of which was regarded as sacred. This now obscure and insignificant village must have been a place of note in olden times, as worshippers used to resort to it from all parts of the island ; and this may account for the obstinacy with which its people clung to heathenism. On a subsequent occasion, another missionary brother who accompanied me broke some chips off one or more of the sacred stones, with the view, I suppose, of convincing .the heathen that they were worthless in a religious point of view, and when I next visited the village I found that the stones had been buried that they might not again be desecrated by profane hands. The village remained wholly heathen for many years. I fear all the adult generation, who were found in it when the gospel was introduced died in heathenism. There is something touching in their burying their poor objects of religious worship. It looks as though they had some kind of affection, or at least veneration, for them. FIRST FAILURES IN THE CHURCH. 173 At our churcli meeting, towards the close of the month of November, it was our painful duty to exclude two of our members. Two others had been excluded some time before. All the four were afterwards restored, on affording satisfactory evidence of penitence ; so that, in as far as appearances went, no one had yet quite made shipwreck. About this time we were cheered by an event — unhappily of rather rare occurrence in the mission field — the conversion of one of our own countrjTnen. After what has been said about the conduct of foreign visitors and foreign residents, the reader will be prepared to understand how it cheered our hearts to have one of these decidedlv change masters — leave the service of Satan for that of Christ. Such a favour was now granted us. The good man of whom I write — for such he emphatically became — has gone to his rest, so I may speak of liim without reserve, and he is well entitled to a place in this record, as he was for many years a most faithful friend, and an efficient helper to me in my work. Henry Gibbons was a native of Islington, London. I know not at what age he went to sea, but he had been a sailor from his youth. For some years before he became a resident on Tutuila he had been in whaling vessels, and when he bade farewell to a sea-life he was an officer, of what rank, I forget, in an American whaler. The vessel was cruising off Tutuila in search of whales, when a quarrel arose between him and the captain, of so serious a character, that the captain told him he might go on shore if he was so disposed. He took the captain at his word, and went on shore, landing at a small village named Poloa on the south-west side of the island, and so ended his sailor-life. Down to this stage of his history. Gibbons, as during all our subsequent connection we used to call him, was according to his own account, which I doubt not was correct, a haughty, daring, godless fellow. In addition 174 CONVERSION OF A WHITE MAN. to being brought up in a Christian land, he had come into contact witli missionaries in foreign lands, and had been admonished again and again to turn from his wicked ways ; and he had had some marvellous escapes, but nothintj had in the least moved him ; and he landed on Tutuila, and took up his abode at the above-named village, almost as ignorant of everything connected with religion as a heathen, not much less wicked, and certainly much less excusable. And so he continued for a length of time. It was during the course of 1837 that he became a resident on Tutuila, and there he found himself sur- rounded by influences which he could not long withstand. The wonderful change which the gospel was producing among the natives, evinced by then- earnest attention to religion, and their consistent conduct ; and especially the Christian deportment of a young man named Joane (John), the teacher of the village where he lived, and, most of all Joane's prayers for him — these all combined to arrest his attention, awaken reflection, and give rise to remorse and shame, which eventually, by the Divine blessing, led him to repentance and faith in Christ. He told me after his conversion that nothing affected him so much as Joane's prayers on his behalf. He would think with himself, " AVhat a wretch must I be ! Here is a man, who but lately was a benighted heathen, praying for me while I do not pray for myself ! I who have been so much more highly favoured." When thus led to reflection, he attended the native services, conducted by the teacher at the village where he lived, from which, as his knowledge of the language increased, he was able to derive benefit ; and he soon found his way to Pangopango, where he attended the services occasionally and obtained a supply of books, which were no doubt eagerly read. In 1840, when Mr Slaty er arrived, he was an anxious inquirer, groping his way towards rest and peace. Poloa is in the SUBSEQUENT COURSE. 175 Leone district, so, after Mr Slatyer's settlement at his own station, he came more into contact with him than with me. A sermon preached hy Mr Slatyer from the words, " How long halt ye between two opinions ? " made a deep impression on his mind, and in Novemljer, 1840, he was admitted to the Church at Leone. In 1842, he left Poloa and took up his abode at Pangopango. He built a house near to our premises, and was closely connected with us during all the time we remained on Tutuila. In many ways he was of great service to me and to the cause of God on Tutuila. Brought to Christ during times of revival, his piety was of a very decided type. No trimming, compromising, half-hearted. Christian was Gibbons. He had been a decided character in the devil's service, and he was not less so in that of his new Master, For many years he was superintendent of our Sabbath- school at Pangopango., and in many other ways he sought to make himself useful, while his consistent walk was a living testimony to the pov/er and excellence of the gospel. In 1845,. when Mr Pritchard arrived as Britisli consul for Samoa, he appointed our friend consular agent for Tutuila, and shortly afterwards, Mr J. C. Williams, who was consul for the United States of America at tlie time, gave him a similar appointment. For a number of years he continued agent for both these gentlemen, ap- proving himself faitliful in all things. He spent the latter years of his life at Poloa, acting as teacher of the village under the superintendence of Mr Powell, who suc- ceeded us at Pangopango. More than once during my connection with him things occurred wliich put his principles to a severe test — occa- sions when a little sacrifice of principle or a little com- promise would have been to his temporal advantage ; but he stood firm, resolutely refusing to do what his conscience disapproved. 176 LAST ILLNESS AND DEATH. He died rather suddenly in March 1864. At the close of February, he walked across the island from Poloa to Leone to be present at the celebration of the ordinance of the Lord's Supper. In the course of his journey he got drenched with rain, and, after reaching Leone, he was seized with an illness which proved fatal. His death took place on the lOtli of ]\Iarch at Poloa, to which he had been conveyed after he was taken ill. It is to be regretted that there was no kindred spirit with him during his illness to speak to him appropriate words of comfort and consolation, and commend him to the sympathising care of the great High Priest ; but doubtless He Himself was near, and sustained His faithful servant as he drew near to and entered the swellings of Jordan. Few that I have known have, on the whole, maintained a more con- sistent course than Henry Gibbons ; and I cannot doubt that with him to be absent fi-om the body was to be present with the Lord. It oucrht to have been mentioned that he married a native, soon after his settlement on the island, by whom he had a large family, and with whom he lived till the time of his death. He never went beyond the Samoan group after his conversion. In Samoa he found all he seemed to care for in this world, and so never left it till called to a better country. What an interest attaches to such cases as the above as incidental results of Christian missions ! The object of missions is, of course, the conversion of the heathen, and, in as far as that object is faithfully attended to, mis- sionaries do their duty, and more cannot fairly be de- manded of them; but here we see that, beyond that, missions are made the occasion of incalculable good. For though such cases as that, in question are comparatively rare — alas ! that it should be so — yet they are sufficiently numerous to supply a powerful stimulus to the supporters INDIRECT FRUITS OF MISSIONS. 177 of missions. Had we the means of ascertaining Low many wanderers have been arrested and led to the Saviour by the instrumentality of missionaries in China, India, Africa, the isles of the Pacific, and elsewhere, we should, I am sure, have a goodly company, the records of whose lives, could such be obtained, Avould furnish one of the brightest and most encouraging chapters in the history of modern missions. As we proceed with this narrative, other cases will come before us illustrative and con- firmatory of these remarks. In the meanwhile we turn to other subjects. M ( 178) CHAPTEE XXIV. ■WRECK OF AN ENGLISH WHALER IN PANGOPANGO HARBOUR — A HURRICANE — CLOSE OF THE YEAR 1840 — RETURN OF THE " CAMDEN " — SUCCESS OF THE VOYAGE — VISIT TO UPOLU AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR ANOTHER MIS- SIONARY VOYAGE — PREPARATIONS FOR THE VOYAGE — DEPARTURE — PRO- CEEDINGS AMONG THE ISLANDS VISITED — VISIT TO SYDNEY — RETURN TO SAMOA WITH A PARTY OF MISSIONARIES — STATE OF MR LUNDIE's HEALTH — LAST ILLNESS AND DEATH — REMARKS THEREON. On the lOth of December 1840, an event took place which occasioned us considerable anxiety. It was of a character to put to a pretty decisive test the princij3les of the people, and show how far their professions were genu- ine. An English whaler, the " Hope," from London, com- manded by Captain Eains, was wrecked in attempting to get out of the harbour. She missed stays, to use a sea phrase, and went on the reef inside the bay, about a mile and a half distant from the heads, and stuck fast. She remained on the reef till the following day, when she was carried into deep water and sank. All lives were saved and a considerable amount of property. The natives did everything in their power for the shipwrecked people, and exerted themselves to the utmost in saving property. The things saved were conveyed to the houses nearest the scene of the wreck that no time might be lost ; and, when all was got together that could be recovered, persons were appointed by the chiefs to make a thorough searcli all round the l^ay, and collect everything that had been saved ; and, when that was done, they sent for the captain, CHARACTER TESTED. 179 and delivered all to him that he miglit make such an. apportionment as he thought right. Tlie captain did as he was requested, taking what he considered his fair share, and leaving the remainder for the natives. I think lie acted fairly; at least we heard no complaints. Thankful indeed were we that the matter passed off as it did. It was more than could have been expected, when the cir- cumstances are taken into account. The Samoans in tlie days of heathenism, in common with the Soutli ,Sea Ishanders generally, had a notion that all wrecks were lawful prey — the gift of the gods to the people in whose neighbourhood the wreck occurred. Hence, in the days of darkness, the very least that a shipwrecked party could have expected would have been to lose their property. If their lives were spared, they might consider themselves specially favoured. Among the Fijis, the New Hebrides, and some other islands, to kill aU such parties was the rule; to spare, the exception. Among the Samoans, to spare was the rule, to kill the exception ; but, with refer- ence to plundering wrecks, I am not aware that there was any difference. Hence, it was something to be thankful for that, among a people who less than five years before had neither teacher nor missionary among them, we should be able to record that not a single article belonging to a ^vreck was known to have been stolen, though there was every opportunity to have taken what they pleased.* It is surely a proof that cannot, with any show of reason, be gainsaid, that the gospel had come to many of the Tutui- lans " not in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost." Soon after the wreck of the "Hope," tlie island, or rather parts of the island, were visited by a terrific hurri- I had forgotten that there was one instance of theft. A p!g' was stolen, but the parties that stole it were made to give two instead of the one they had stolen. i8o A SOUTH SEA HURRICANE. cane. It occurred on the iVtli of December, unusually early in the season. January, February, and March are the months during which hurricanes generally occur. I remember only two in December, during all the years of my connection with Samoa, and once we liad one in the month of April. Mrs Murray and myself had gone to Leone to remain a short time, in order to secure rest and quiet, which we much needed. The gale sprung up suddenly about mid- forenoon, and continued only a few hours, but notwith- standing its short continuance, it made dreadful havoc. Mr and Mrs Slatyer lived in a low native house, which had been enclosed with lath and plaster. The natives tied the roof down so as to prevent its being carried away ; but the wind stove in the lath and plaster, though it was strong, and the house was very low ; so we were obliged to flee in the midst of the storm — no easy matter, especially for the ladies. Trees were falling in every direction — torn up by the roots, or, as in the case of the tall cocoa- nuts with their heavy loads of fruit and leaves, they were being snapped in two, to the imminent peril of any one who might be near. The rain was pouring in torrents, and the wind blowing so furiously that it was with difficulty we could keep upon our feet. The natives laid hold of the ladies and hurried them along — ^half carried, half dragged — in search of a place of refuge. We made first for the faU tele, the caravansary of the village. We had scarcely got inside, however, when we perceived the roof swaying to and fro, plainly enough indicating that there was no security there ; so we had again to face the storm, and direct our search elsewhere. A place of safety was at length found in a new native house, so strong and low that it was little affected by the gale. While the storm was at its height it was something awful to see and hear. Trees crasliing, houses falling, the A SCENE OF DESOLATION. i8i wind howling, and the sea roaring, and the poor natives fleeing hither and thither in search of a safe retreat — presented a scene which baffles description. But it was not till the following morning that we could have any correct idea as to the effects of the storm, as night closed in before it had spent itself. The morning revealed a sad scene of desolation. A large number of houses were in ruins, and the destruction of bread-fruit and cocoa-nut trees was very great; but the most serious loss to the natives was their chapel — the large, noble chapel so lately finished. The great roof, and the walls, which were lath and plaster, had fallen down flat, and all that remained standing was the pulpit. It was a wonder, and a great mercy, that no serious accident occurred among the natives ; but to ourselves it proved a serious affair, as Mrs Murray sustained an injury the effects of which remain to the present day. Feeling anxious about home, we returned on the day after the gale. We fully expected to find at Pangopango a state of things very similar to what we had left at Leone. Hence, on entering the bay, we were surprised, and, of course, very thankfid, to observe that scarcely any traces of the storm were to be seen, and so also we found it in the village of Pangopango, and about our own premises. "We w^ere not aware, in those early days, that such is the character of these storms, that they not unfrequently sweep over a locality, carrying everything before them, but a few miles distant from another that they leave almost untouched. Nothing else specially noteworthy occurred during the closing days of this eventful year. It had been a memor- able year on many accounts to the Tutuila mission, and that which succeeded it, 1841, was scarcely, if at aU, less so. The first event of special importance that occurred 1 82 RETURN OF THE " CAMDEN." in the new year was the arrival of the " Camden " from her missionary voyage. She reached Tutuila in safety on the 24th of January. The voyage had been successful to an encouraging extent. The island of Eotuma, on which Mr Williams had placed teachers, had been visited, and all found going on well. The mission on Tanna had been reinforced, and on the island of Niua, near Tanna, teachers had been placed, and also on Eramanga and the Isle of Pines. The large island of New Caledonia had also been visited, and an attempt made to introduce teachers, which, however, was unsuccessful. And another thing connected with the return of the vessel which afforded great satisfaction, and called for special gratitude, was the arrival of a new missionary and his wife. She had called at Tahiti and found there the Eev. George Drummond and Mrs Drummond, recently arrived from England. They had been appointed to occupy a station on Tahiti, but at a meeting of the members of the Tahitian mission, held during the visit of the " Camden," it was arranged that they should come on to Samoa, where they seemed to be more needed than at Tahiti. By our mission they were cordially welcomed. Mrs Drummond has long since gone to her rest (she died in 1855), but Mr Drummond, with a second Mrs Drummond, a worthy successor of the iirst, occupied a station in Samoa till 1871, beloved and honoured by his brethren as a faithful and devoted servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, when failure of health compelled him to retire from active service. On the 20th of January the " Camden " sailed for Upolu, Mr Slatyer, Mr Lundie, and myself proceeding in her to attend the meeting of the mission that would be held in consequence of the return of the vessel. We reached Apia on the 27th. At the meeting, which took place as soon as the brethren got together from their respective stations, tlie principal business was to receive the report ANOTHER VOYAGE PROJECTED. 183 of the late voyage, and arrange for another, and for the settlement of Mr and Mrs Drummond. The result of the consnltations with reference to the vessel was, that she should start on another voyage as soon as she could be got ready for sea, and that I should go with a number of teachers, visit the stations already formed, and attempt the introduction of the gospel to new fields as the provi- dence of God might direct and open the way. Mr Drum- mond was appointed to commence a new station at Falea- lupo, on the island of Savaii. We were detained on Upolu till the 15th of February. On that day we set sail, and the wind favouring, we reached Tutuila on the following day. The interval between our return to Tutuila and setting out on our voyage was a trying time. It was occupied in making preparations for the voyage, arranging for the care of the station during our absence, the selection of teachers to accompany us, farewell services, &c., &c. It was a grmt relief to have brethren in whom we had the fullest confidence in whose charge to leave the station — a great relief and comfort to ourselves, and also to the people — although, with reference to one of these, there was no little difficulty and anxiety felt. Mr Lundie's health was not at all in a satisfactory state. His own wish, however, after much anxious delibera- tion and consultation, was to remain on Tutuila, and at Pangopango. The principal responsibility connected with the care of the station was to be upon Mr Slatyer, Mr Lundie just remaining on the spot, and taking a general superintendence. The people loaded us with presents. They put on board a large quantity of provisions for the ship, and of native cloth, &c., &c., to be expended as we might judge best for the good of the cause of missions. Our prepara- tions being completed, we sailed on Wednesday, the 24th i84 EMBARKING ON THE VOYAGE. of February, and on the following morning we anchored at Apia. We were detained here till the 8th of March, when we set out on our important voyage. We had a large and miscellaneous company on board. There were nine teachers. Three, Tavita, Fuat'aiese, and Tataio, were from Mr Hardie's church at Sapapalii ; two, Samuela and Tanielu, were from Mr Harbutt's church on Upolu ; three, Apdu, Tanielu, and Ajyolo, were from Tutuila, and one, Mataio, was from Earotonga, but had been some years on Samoa. We had also the wives of three of the teachers who had gone on the former voyage. These, with a man and his wife who went with us, made up our native party. We had also a small number of passengers for Sydney, as the vessel was to proceed thither after finishing her work among the islands. Among these was one in whom we all felt a special interest — Mrs Williams — the sorrowing but wonderfully resigned widow of John Williams. She was among us as a " Mother in Israel," and towards her we all turned with tender and affectionate sympathy. She was a woman of a remark- ably " meek and quiet spirit." No murmuring word ever escaped her lips ; no symptom of discontent did she ever manifest. And, not only was this the case during the time we spent together on board the " Camden," but it was so also during those days of bitter sorrow when the stunning intelligence had newly reached her. Scenes and doings at the islands we visited, and on board the vessel, brought vividly, of course, to her recollection her recent loss, and brought out strikingly the spirit in which it was being borne. Especially was this the case at Eramanga, and very touching was it, when assembled for our morning worship on the day we were off that island, we were repeating, according to our custom, a passage of Scripture all round, Mrs Williams gave the following as her text for the day : — " When my heart is PROCEEDINGS AMONG THE ISLANDS. 1S5 overwhelmed, lead me to the Eock that is higher than I." Mrs Williams was accompanied by her daughter-in-law, the wife of her eldest son, whom she had left in Samoa, She was going with her to Sydney, to remain till she might leave for England. Both mother and daughter have long since passed away " to the regions where the mourners cease to weep." Mrs Williams, senior, finished her course after a few years; and her daughter-in-law, who was a very superior woman, and earnestly laboured, while health allowed, to serve her generation and glorify her Saviour, died in Sydney in 1853. By the help and blessing of God our voyage was suc- cessful, but as a full account of it has long been before the public, I need not enter into particulars here.* When we got clear of Samoa, we stood for Eotuma, which we were unable to make on account of strong head winds and rough seas. We next stood for the New Hebrides, and succeeded in introducing teachers to Fotuna and Aneiteum, the most easterly islands of that group. From Aneiteum we proceeded to Tanna. Having reinforced the mission there, and attended to necessary business, we crossed over to Niua, and thence to Eramanga, from which we were obliged to remove the teachers who had been left there by Mr Heath. From Eramanga we went to Mare of the Loyalty Islands, where we succeeded in land- ing two teachers under interesting and encouraging cir- cumstances. From Mare we proceeded to the Isle of Pines, where we found a state of things on the whole promising. There we left the two teachers whom we had brought from Eramanga, taking one teacher from the island to assist us in an attempt we were contemplat- ing to introduce the gospel to New Caledonia. In that attempt we were successful. We left there Tanielu and Mataio, and the teacher from the Isle of Pines (also * See "Missions in Western Polynesia." 1 86 RETURN TO SAMOA. named Tanielu), to remain with tliem and assist them for a time. This closed our work among the islands. The teachers were lauded on New Caledonia on the 15th of April 1841, and on the same day we stood on our way towards Sydney, which we reached on the 28th of the same month. We were delighted to find, on our arrival in Sydney, a company of missionaries waiting to come on to the islands. Some of these have been privileged to labour long and successfully in the mission field, and their names have been familiar to the friends of missions for many years. The party consisted of the Eev. George Turner, now Dr Turner, and Mrs Turner ; the Eev. Henry Nisbet, now Dr Nisbet; the Eev. Thomas Bullen and Mrs Bullen ; and Mr Smee, a printer, appointed to the Tahitian mission. The " Camden " required extensive repairs, on account of which we were detained in Sydney till the 13th of July. On that day we bade farewell to friends, and dropped down towards the mouth of the harbour, and on the following morning we stood out to sea, and pro- ceeded on our homeward voyage. After being nearly a month at sea, we drew near the much-loved and longed- for scene of our stated labours. Early in the morning of the 10th of August we sighted Manua, and shortly after the well-known outline of Tutuila was descried in the distant horizon. During our long absence of over five months, no tidings had reached us from Samoa; hence it was with deeply anxious hearts that we drew near Tutuila. The state of things was such when we left, that we trembled to think of what might have oc- curred during the long interval. Should we find the good work that was in progress when we left still advancing, or would a reaction have taken place ? And our dear friends whom we had left on the island, how should we find them ? and especially the dear young man who was STATE OF THINGS ON TUTUILA. 187 in such a precarious state of health, what change would have taken place in his case ? Such were the questions we were revolving during the long, weary hours that passed heavily by as we made our way towards Tutuila on that exciting day. With reference to all, we were much relieved on reaching our destination, except as regards our young friend's state of health. That was about as unsatisfactory as it could Avell be. He had remained at Pangopango about six weeks. At the close of that time, Mr Slatyer saw that he was quite unfit to continue there alone, and kindly constrained him to go to Leone; and there we found him being most tenderly nursed and cared for by Mr and j\Irs Slayter. I had to go on to Upolu in the " Camden," but, before leaving, I went to Leone and saw Mr Lundie. I was much struck with the marked change that had taken place upon him since we parted at Pangopango. At that time he himself and all of us clung to hope. Now it was unmistakably evident that his days were numbered, and that but a few remained. Under the circumstances, it was a very painful thing to be obliged to leave him ; but duty called, and we strongly hoped that we should get back to be with him during his closing days. A young man who had been a passenger with us from Sydney, who had a considerable acquaintance with medi- cine, offered to remain with our friend and do everything in his power for him, and ]\Irs Llurray came on after we left to assist Mrs Slatyer in nursing him. Mr Slatyer thought that he might also go to Upolu, as w^e hoped to get back in a fortnight or three weeks, and there seemed every j)robability that our friend would hold out longer than that. Instead of getting back, however, as we expected, we were absent about six weeks, and duruig our absence he passed away. He died on the 18th of September, amid 1 88 CLOSING HOURS OF MR LUND IE' S LIFE. the tears and fond regrets, not only of the members of the mission, but of hundreds of the natives, by whom he was very highly esteemed' and warmly loved. We may give the reader a glimpse of the closing scene. It was not so bright and joyous as we could have wished. He had been much troubled with doubts and fears as to his prepared- ness for death, and had been very much disposed to judge severely in his own case, and " wiite bitter things " against himself — but at eventide there was a gleam of sunshine. On the morning of the 17th, when death was evidently near, Mrs IMurray inquired as to the state of liis mind ; he replied, " I am dreading the last conflict very mucli ; I fear I shall not have strength to bear it." She repeated some appropriate promises, and expressed a confident hope that the Lord would be with him. He asked her to read a chapter from the Bible. She selected the eleventh of John, and as she was reading he interrupted her, saying, " I am feeling something that I trust will do my soul good. I have been thinking of the pain I was in the other day, and, if that was so great, what must the pains of hell be ? I have been thinking also of what Christ suffered and endured for me." " Oh," he said, " I have got a nevj view — quite a new view ! I will try to think of this love." After a while ]\Irs ]\f urray read a hymn relative to the sufferings of Christ. He remarked, " Wliat a sweet hymn ! Jesus is mighty — oh, yes! He is all mighty." Mrs Murray read another hymn relating to the glories of heaven. When she had finished, she asked if he had not a hope that he should soon enter into these glories. He replied that he had such a hope. His fears with reference to the " last conflict " proved groundless. On the morniug of the 18th, about nine o'clock, it was evident that the change was at hand. Those who had been his attendants during liis descent into the dark valley were gathered around his bed ; he recognised all, and gently pressed the THE MEMORY OF THE JUST. 189 hand of each, and then beckoned to be turned, which being done, he gently breathed his last, and so terminated his brief career. Seldom has one so young, and during so short a space of time, won for himself so large a place in the esteem and affections of a people as he did among the Tutuilans. His sojourn among us, as the reader has seen, was only about twenty months, and, during the greater part of that time, he was struggling with disease, and yet lie made an impression deep and abiding, and his memory will be cherished on Tutuila as long as any remain of the genera- tion to whom he was known. It was a mysterious pro- vidence tliat nipt in the bud a plant of such rich promise. Had his life been spared, and his subsequent course realised its early promise, which I do not doubt it would have done, he would have occupied a high place among tlie labourers in the Lord's vineyard. The field, then as now, was great and the labourers few, yet the Lord of the vineyard saw fit to call him away ere his work was well begun. And what shall we say ? It is the Lord, and, whatever appearances may seem to indicate, all that He does must be wisely and kindly done. And so we leave our dear young friend, thinking of him and speaking of him as he was when he was taken from us. What he is now, after having been more than thu'ty years in a higher state, " doth not yet appear," and we ^^aLl not indulge in conjectures. A Little while will reveal all, and confirm wliat faith now decides, that all is right — that '•' He hath done all things well." Yet one can hardly help having a Kngering feeling as if those who are called away as he was must be, in some resjDccts, losers. One who could not be mistaken, however, has declared, without reserve or qualification, that " to depart and to be with Christ is far better." To the cause of God, and to those they leave behind, their removal is a loss, 190 IN MEMORLLV. but for themselves " it is far better." But we will stop. God all-sufficient remains, and He will take care of His own cause, and provide the needful instrumentality for the accomplishment of His own wise and holy purposes, in the way that will eventually yield the largest revenue of glory to Himself, and happiness to the countless myriads who shall be gathered from the successive generations of men, and who, with the unfallen sons of light, shall form His great family when the wonderful history of our world shall have been wound up. The following touching lines, written by Mrs H. Bonar, Mr Lundie's youngest sister, will suitably close our notice. They are headed " VALEDICTORY STANZAS." " Afar lie sleeps ! tlie ocean's roar Disturbs liis calm repose no more. What though the rich banana-tree Waves where the elm or yew shoiilcl be ! What though the hymn above him sung Breathes wildly in a foreign tongue ! * What though no voice of home was near To soothe with love his dying ear ! What though to other hands than ours 'Twas "iven to tend his latest hours ! What though that gentle heart alone, Stood still upon a shore unknown ! That beaming eye dimmed day by day, While ours were weeping far away ! Not friendless did the stranger die, Though far from scenes of infancy ; And He who did with Mary weep Watched Ijy his couch and soothed to sleep. We murmur not ! the day draws on When all the hidden shall be known ! We yet shall see his jewelled crown * The allusion is to hymns iu the Samoan language, that were 8UDg on the way to and at the spot where hia remains rest. RE UNION ANTICIPA TED. 191 Bright with the souls in exile won ! In heaven's clear light we yet shall know The cleansing use of all this woe. Oh, lonely though his earthly lot, His trusting spirit fainted not ! The cloud is passed from that young brow ; It glows in heaven's own brightness now. We give him up ! thrice happy one — The fight well fought — the victory won ! We give him up ! His exile o'er, He'll leave his Father's house no more." Farewell, dear friend ! — a short farewell. We shall meet thee soon where " Adieus and farewells are a sound un- known." ( 192 ) CHAPTER XXV. STATE OF THINGS ON TUTUILA ON CUB RETURN — THE REMAINING HEATHEN — REMARKS UPON THE COMMENCEMENT OF 1842 — OPENING OF A NEW CHAPEL AT LEONE — BRIGHT ANTICIPATIONS ON THE OCCASION — PAINFUL DISAPPOINTMENTS — ILLNESS OF MRS SLATYER — RETURN OF THE " CAM- DEN " FROM A YOYAGE AMONG THE TAHITIAN AND HERYEY ISLANDS DEPARTURE OF MR AND MRS SLATYER — THEIR SUBSEQUENT HISTORY. Aftek full inquiiy into and observation of the state of things on Tutuila, I found that the impression I had received, on our return from our voyage, was in the main correct. From the time of our departure till our return from Upolu after the meeting, about seven months, the station had been without a resident missionary except for the first six weeks. At the close of that time, as we have already seen, Mr Lundie was obliged to leave. Mr Slatyer was hindered, by circumstances which he could not control, from sivino- the station much of his time and attention ; hence the public services had to be left to the natives almost entirely. Such being the case, it would not have been surprising if there had been considerable retrogres- sion. As it was, however, that, in as far as appearances w^ent, had not been the case to any great extent. Only two cases of decided defection had occurred among the church members. Large numbers continued, as formerly, to wait upon the means of grace, and the bulk of those who were professedly under concern when we left con- tinued steadiast. These had now been w^ell tested, so we PROGRESS AND CONSOLIDATION. 193 could admit them to the church with greater confidence than we could have done at an earlier date and amid the excitement of former days. On the 20th of October, we received twenty new members, and restored the first individual who was ex- cluded after the formation of the Church. The foUowincr Sabbath was a pleasant and refreshing season ; but our ser- vices now were not attended by the same external manifesta- tions of feeling as formerly. When feeling was manifested, it was generally either among those who were decided Christians or the anxious inquirers. Between these and the class beyond, there was now a marked distinction, whereas, formerly, almost all were at times more or less impressed and affected. The heathen remnant, so often referred to, still con- tinued as obstinate as ever — indeed, their case was be- coming more and more hopeless. Having withstood all the influences brought to bear upon them during the extraordinary times that had passed over us, there seemed little encouragement to hope that they would yield now. The tenacity with which they clung to the gods of their fathers, amid so much fitted to move them, while mournful in itself, was an instructive lesson to us as to the inefficacy of everything short of the mighty power of God to move the heart and bend the stubborn w411 of man. The state of things in the Leone district at this time was highly encouraging. ]\!rr Slatyer, wdio had now got a good hold of the language, was labouring with great zeal and earnestness, so that the people were privileged as they had never before been for a continuance, and Clod was evidently blessing the labours of His servant. Such were our circumstances with reference to our work^ when the year 1842 opened upon us. With reference to ourselves personally, the case was different. Heavy N 194 THE PAST AND THE PRESENT. domestic affliction had come upon us, painfully remind- ing us of the precarious tenure by which earthly blessings are held; still we were not greatly cast down. With " so much mercy past," and such manifest tokens of the presence and power of God among us, we were not readily discouraged by personal trials. The first Sabbath of the year was a season of great interest. It was the fifth anniversary of my beginning to preach in the native language, and what an affecting contrast did the first Sabbath of January 1837 present to the first Sabbath of January 1842 ! Cold indeed must the heart have been that could have dwelt on the subject without being deeply moved. How much was there in the eventful interval calling for humiliation on our part, and for wonder and gratitude towards God in considera- tion of the great things He had done for us ! Why had we Ijeen so favoured? In some other fields eminently able and faithful missionaries had laboured double the time we had before seeing any decided fruit of their labours. How signally therefore had we been favoured — and why ? " Even so, Father ; for so it seemed good in Thy sight." Towards the close of February, an event of no common interest took place at Leone. The people there had built another chapel. They had set to work soon after the destruction of the former one by the gale at the close of 1840, and had now completed a building superior to anything that had hitherto been attempted in Samoa. With the assistance of two EngUshmen, one of whom was Henry Gibbons, they put up a very neat, com- modious place, with a gallery of considerable depth. It was furnished throughout with comfortable seats, and finished in every part in workmanlike style. It would seat from 1000 to 1200 people. The gallery contributed greatly to the strength of the building, and a much less IXTERESTLXG CHAPEL-OPEXIXG AT LEONE. 195 effort of voice was required to reach the congregation than if they had been all seated on the floor. It was in hand fourteen months, and a great amount of labour was expended upon it. It was opended on the 24th of February. Two sermons were preached. That in the morning was from Psalms Ixxxvii. 5, G ; and that in the afternoon, by Mr Slatyer, was from Nehemiah, x. 39 — last clause of the verse. The occasion was a joyous one' to all of us — especially to the people of the district and their esteemed pastor. Grati- tude to God that the great w^ork, for such it was to them, had been brought to so satisfactory a close, and that they had now a chapel which was likely to weather any storm, was deeply and generally felt ; while sanguine expectations were cherished that it would indeed prove the birthplace and nursery for heaven of many souls — especially did such thoughts and feelings as these fiU the pastor's heart, as he looked forward and anticipated happy years of labour in the cause he so much loved. Alas ! even then a storm was gathering over his head, and was well-nigh bnrstinu', which was to dash to the ground all his fond hopes, and, in a few short weeks, compel him to bid a final farewell to the sphere of labour which was so dear to his heart — a terrible trial was at hand. We met at Pangopango on the 13th of April, to hold one of our monthly meetings for prayer and Christian fellowship. "We united in our accustomed exercises, which were not marked by anything unusual. Mrs Slatyer, who had been in a delicate state of health for some time, remained with us at Pangopango, while Mr Slatyer re- turned to attend to his duties at Leone. We hoped that the change w^ould be beneficial ; and that in a short time she would return, with recruited energies, to her home. Alas! she was to see that home no more. On the day after Mr Slatyer left, symptoms of a most distressing 196 HEAVY AFFLICTIONS. malady appeared — a mental affection, wliich in a short time necessitated her removal from Tutuila, and ultimately from the mission field, and from ^yhicll she never fully recovered. Of course Mr Slatyer was soon with us again ; and as j\Irs Murray was also ill, so ill as to be totally unable to do anything towards nursing or tending her afilicted sister, our cu'cumstances were of a peculiarly trying character. Happily and most opportunely, about a fortnight after the commencement of Mrs Slatyer's iUness, the " Camden " arrived. She was about to make a cruise among our out-stations, and, having accomplished that, go on to Sydney ; and on board were our esteemed friends, Mr and Mrs Buzacott. Anxious consultations were held, and the decision to which these led was, that it was Mr Slatyer's duty to embrace the opportunity, provi- dentially put in his way, to try the effect of change of place and climate, and seek in Sydney better medical aid than could be obtained in the islands. Mr Slatyer clung fondly to the hope that in a few months they would be able to return ; and perhaps it was well he did, as it was a considerable alleviation of his peculiarly heavy trial. They did mdeed return to Samoa, and spend about two years most usefully at Saluafuta, on Upolu ; but a return of Mrs Slatyer's malady compelled them to bid a final adieu to the mission field about the close of 1845, and return to their native land. It was another of those dis- pensations into the reasons of which man cannot pene- trate, and in reference to which we can only exclaim, "How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out ! " " Thy way is in the sea, and Thy path in the great waters, and Thy footsteps are not known." When our dear brother was compelled to turn his back upon his chosen and loved work, I believe he did not leave behmd him a truer-hearted missionary, or one more likely to labour successfully in leading souls to the Saviour, REMOVAL OF MR AND MRS SLATYER. 197 and training them for heaven, throughout the isles of the Pacific. I speak strongly, but I speak from intimate knowledge of the man. His whole soul seemed to be set on missionary work, and I doubt whether any one ever felt it a more bitter trial to leave that work; yet the Master saw fit to withdraw him from it for reasons which no doubt will be seen to be wise and good and kind Avhen we shall be in a position to understand them. The distressing malady with which Mrs Slatyer was afflicted was never removed ; and, after a few years, she was released from the sorrows and sufferings of earth, and taken to the blessed home beyond. She, like her hus- band, was warmly attached to the mission cause, and longed to be useful, and was well fitted to be so — so that much that has been said relative to his case is equally applicable to hers ; but we will not further enlarge. She has gone where all that by the grace of God she was, and all that it was in her heart to do, is known and approved by Him whose she was, and whom she served. In Mr Slatyer's case, symptoms of a tendency to disease in the chest appeared after his return to the stern climate of England. He spent some time in travelling for the London Missionary Society, and advocating the claims of missions, after which he took charge of a small church in Torquay, Devonshire, where he laboured assiduously till he too was called home, having finished the work given him to do, and been made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light. He died in 1854. Between Mr and Mrs Slatyer and ourselves a very warm attachment subsisted. With ]\Ir Slatyer con^espon- dence was kept up while he lived, and we have never ceased, nor shall we cease, to cherish the memory of both while we remain behind. Fondly do we recall and dwell upon the scenes so long gone by — bright spots hallowed by inter- course akin to that which we hope shortly to enjoy 19S FAREWELL SERVICES— DEPARTURE. beyond this changing scene. Very precious is the recol- lection of the past, and more precious still is the anticipa- tion of the future — the blessed reunion which cannot now be very far distant ; but I must forbear. May the Lord of the harvest raise up and send forth to His vineyard many more labourers of the stamp of George Lundie and Thomas and Amelia Slatyer ! We were privileged to spend a Sabbath with our beloved friends at Pangopango before parting. The services were, I need hardly remark, of a solemn and affecting character. ]\Ir Slatyer preached in the morning to a very large native congregation, and after the ser- mon I administered the ordinance of the Lord's Supper At noon Mr Slatyer preached in English, and in the afternoon Mr Buzacott addressed the natives through Teava. Large numbers of Mr Slatyer's people were present, and sad were the hearts of many — indeed, of the great majority of us — on that mournful day. Could we have seen reason for strong hope that ere a great while our beloved friends would return to us, it would have greatly relieved us. As it was, however, some of us, at least, could not rid ourselves of dark forebodings that the separation would be, what it actually proved, final, in as far as our relations on Tutuila were concerned. The " Camden " was to have sailed on the following day, but contrary winds detained her till Wednesday, May the 5th. On the morning of that day she took her departure, and we were again left with the care of the whole island upon us, and, in addition to that heavy burden, a load of domestic alfliction ; so our circumstances were very trying. But He who comforteth those who are cast down did not forsake us, and we were enabled to struggle on, often sorrowful and sad, but still upborne. During those trying days we went forth emphatically SOWING IN TEARS. 199 sowing in tears, realising to a large extent tliat afflic- tion for the present is not joyous, but grievous ; but learning lessons of inestimable value, which we could not have learned in any other school. For all our trials, heavy and long-continued as they were, there was doubtless a needs -be. We had been specially favoured, and He who knows the dangers to which His weak, erring children are exposed, doubtless saw that our safety, and perhaps higher interests, required that our afflictions should be somewhat in proportion to our mercies. And now in the retrospect, though our present light is so small, we number them among our choicest blessings ; and if so, wdiat will be the estimate which we shall form when all shall be seen in the light of heaven ? " For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." When I returned alone from the sad scene on board the " Camden," on the day of parting, it required no small effort to brace myself up for the duties that awaited me. Unhappily our May meetings had been appointed to be held on the day the vessel sailed. The arrangement had been made before the commencement of Mrs Slatyer's illness, and could not well be altered, and we had hoped that the " Camden " would have sailed two days earlier- As it was, I was enabled to get through the services of the day, but the occasion did not equal in interest similar services and gatherings in former days. A dark cloud had come over us, and our hearts were heavy and sad. The people of Leone were greatly cast down on account of the loss of their beloved missionary, and we were scarcely less so on account of losing our fellow- labourer. Soon after the departure of our friends, I spent a Sabbath at Leone, and sought to lead the sorrowing 200 COMFORTING THOSE WHO ARE CAST DOWN. people there to a suitable improvement of tlie painful dispensation that had deprived them in so trying a manner of their missionary, and to speak to them words which, l)y the Divine blessing, might tend to comfort and encourage them. I addressed them from Heh. xiii. 7, 8. The truth is, I needed words of comfort and encouragement about as much as they did; so it was one mourner trying to comfort other mourners. The end, I trust, both in their case and my own, was in some measure answered ; I left them I hope somewhat relieved, and returned home with my own burden somewhat lightened. ( 20I ) CHAPTER XXVI. AKRANGEMENTS TO MEET ALTERED CIRCUMSTANCES — ENCOURAGING STATE OF THINGS — FAILURES IN THE CHURCH— MAUNGa's DEFECTION — SUBSE- QUENT COURSE AND DEATH — RETURN OF THE " CAMDEN " — A GALE — DEPARTURE OF THE " CAMDEN " FOR ENGLAND — REMARKS. The first thing tliat demanded attention after the de- parture of Mr and Mrs Slayter was, of course, arrange- ments to meet, in the best way in our power, our altered circumstances. In some respects tliis was less difficult than formerly ; in others more so. There was now no lack of native assistants who were growingly efficient; but as the people were rapidly advancing in intelligence, and many of them, I trust, in Christian experience, it was needful that the teachers should have increasing attention, so as to keep them in advance of those whom they had to instruct ; and both teachers and people required con- stant superintendence, and my circumstances were such as to render the satisfactory accomplishment of these ends a matter of great difficulty. Mrs Murray continued to be heavily affiicted, and it was often to me an exceed- ingly trying thing to leave lier, as I was obliged to do, if Leone was to liave the attention it needed. By the help of God we struggled on, striving to do the best of which the circumstances admitted, and being sustained amid aU our difficulties and trials, by continued indications of the presence and power of God among us. 202 UNITED MEETINGS OF THE CHURCHES. Tlie teachers from all parts of the island assembled weekly, excej)t when unavoidable interruptions came in the way, either at Pangopango, which is about the centre of the island, or at some other village more easy of access to those of the Leone district. At these meet- ings with the teachers, we were occupied with Scripture exposition, instruction more especially designed to furnish them for their public addresses, and matters of business connected with occurrences which took place in their respective villages. We had recourse to a plan at this time which proved very useful. A united meeting of the members of both churches was held monthly at the villages most conveni- ently situated for both districts. These were Nuuuli, the last village of the Pangopango division of the island, and Tafuna, a short distance beyond, but belonging to Leone. The first was held at Nuuuli on the 17th of June. Our plan was to have first a regular service, at which a sermon was preached having special reference to the circumstances of church members — their relations, privi- leges, obligations, dangers, encouragements, &c., &c. At our first meeting I preaclied from Matt. v. 13. This service was in the afternoon, and in the evening there were a number of separate meetings, conducted by the teachers of the different villages, at which the subject of the after- noon service was talked over, and short addresses delivered by such as felt inclined to speak, while all was preceded and followed by prayer. These meetings were kept up for years, and were, I doubt not, productive of much good. They were suited to the circumstances in which the people were when they were commenced, and for a length of time afterwards. They tended to ^Dromote a spirit of union and brotherly love among the members of the different churches, and to bind together the two divisions of the island. And, moreover, they tended powerfully. A SABBATH AT LEONE. 203 by the Divine blessing, to promote the life and power of godliness among us, which was the great end at which we aimed, as more or less including every other desirable good. We were aided in keeping before us, at least, a liigh standard of Christian life and practice. Often did they prove strengthening and refreshing to myself, and some of them are among the most interesting recollections of my early missionary life. On the occasion referred to, as often afterwards, instead of returning to Pangopango I went on to Leone, and spent there the Sabbath. I found much to cheer and encourage at Leone. The people had evidently laid to heart the loss they had sustained in the removal of their late pastor, and it appeared as if the trial were being blessed to them. It has been remarked that, at the time Mr Slatyer was called to lay down his work, he was labouring under circumstances of much encouragement — and this was doubtless the case. Still, as it seemed to me afterwards, the great work connected with the building of the chapel, and perhaps some other distractions, had exercised a slightly deadening influence upon the people, and a feeling of security appeared to some extent to have stolen over them. They had a missionary among them, and did not dream of losing him ; and they had the best chapel, not only on Tutuila, but in the whole of the Samoan group ; and perhaps, after the manner of human nature, they were in danger of looking too much to man, and being exalted above measure. If such was the case, they had now had a lesson fitted effectually to arouse them, and teach them to " cease from man," and by many the lesson was not disregarded. At all the services the chapel was crowded with most attentive and apparently deeply impressed worshippers ; numbers of those who had been awakened twelve or eighteen months before were admitted to the church, and new cases of conviction and 204 REVIVAL AND PROGRESS. conversion occurred. This state of things continued for some weeks, till it issued in an awakening nearly as ex- tensive and powerful as that of 1840. On Thursday, the 21st of July, the united meeting of the churches was held, after which I again went to Leone, and remained over the Sabbath. The meeting of the churches was a very refreshing season. The members from tlie Leone district came full of life and warmth, and the people of the other were also in a pretty lively state. Hence they came together with large desires and expec- tations, and we found it good to wait upon God. The Friday and Sabbath services were also times of blessing ; but they were so similar in their character to others of Avhich a particular account has been already given, that they need not be again described. The people crowded to hear the word with eager desire, and the work of con- viction and conversion appeared to go on to a greater extent than had been the case since the movement in June 1840. In the Pangopango district there was less excitement, but the state of things was not less interesting. Believers Avere being established, and additions to the hopeful were l)eing steadily made. These tokens for good were exceed- ingly opportune, as we had a good deal to try us from some quarters at this time. We were often feelingly reminded of John Newton's homely but truthful words : — " 'Wliat contradictions meet in minister's employ ! It is a bitter sweet ; a sorrow full of joy." While one page of my journal tells of admissions to the church and hopeful conversions, another sorrowfully records defections and exclusions. Not that we had very much of the latter, but we had been so accustomed to have all going on smoothly in the churches, that when defections did take place, they w^ere very keenly felt. PAINFUL EXPERIENCES. 205 We were apt to feel as though some strange thing had hajipened to us. We were somewhat as young Christians are wont to be, wlien, in the warmth of their first love, they carry themselves as though they were already victors, whose i^eace was not again to be broken, whereas the conflict is yet to begin. About this time we had to exclude four persons after they had occasioned us a gTeat deal of trouble and anxiety. This was the most serious defection we had yet had. Every month almost we were having additions, more or less, at Leone, and there also we liad some defections. On the 5th of Auiiust, two were excluded and twenty received. Our next trouble was occasioned by one who has already been introduced more than once to the reader — Maunga, the chief of Pangopango. He was an im- jjulsive, unsteady man, and when he got wrong, he was inclined to be very headstrong. He took a step now — it was a marriage affair again — which so displeased his people and the subordinate chiefs that they deprived him of his ofiice, and banished him from Pangopango, ap- pointing anotlier chief in his stead, a quiet, steady man, an own son of the former Maunga. Of course the deposed chief was excluded from the cliurch, and, connected with his fall, there was another defection on account of which we felt more than on his. This was the widow of Pomare, whose brief career was so full of interest, and whose memory was so fragrant on his native isle. She had been a woman of great promise, and apparent, perhaps real, devotedness ; but she was naturally ambitious and aspiring, and to be the wife of the chief, Maunga, had attractions for her before which she yielded and fell. Maunga and she wished to be married, but, as formerly, there were insuperable difficulties in the way of that. They took the matter into their OM'n hands, and eloped. After a length of time they were married, tlie obstacle to 2o6 RESTORATION OF MA UNGA— REMARKS. that having been removed ; and both, I trust, recovered themselves. The chief who took Maunga's place when he was deposed died after a few years, and he (Maunga) was reinstated in his office ; and, as he appeared to have truly- repented of his misdeeds, he was restored to the church, of which he continued a consistent member till his death, which took place in IMarch 1849. Poor fellow ! I trust, he was safe at last, notwithstanding his grievous fall. He had reached the years of manhood when he first heard the gospel. He was a man of strong passions, and had been accustomed to live as he listed. Hence his subsequent course is the less surprising. The stand he took when he was first brought under convictions was very noble, and it is hard to account for it on any otlier supposition than that of a powerful Divine influence operating upon him. It is difficult for those who have had their birth and education in Christian lands, and who have been brought up under the salutary restraints and beuiiin influences of these lands, to make due allowance in a case like that of Maunga. Even missionaries, who are in favourable circumstances for forming a just judg- ment and making due allowance, are apt to fail in doing so, and to apply pretty much the same standard that we should to those who have had all the advantages of a Christian land. We know, however, who has said, " Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required; and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." With reference to the woman there is also gTOund for hope. She was restored to the church. She was spared many years, during which she maintained a consistent course, and she died apparently resting on the true foundation. Towards the close of the year, the history of which we are now tracing, we had a pleasant interruption for a few LAST VISIT OF THE " CAMDEN," 207 days. Tlie " Camden " paid us a visit after her return from her last missionary voyage. She arrived on the 11th of December. Mr and Mrs Buzacott and Mr Heath were on board. ]\Ir and Mrs Buzacott were returning to their station at Earotonga, and Mr Heath was about to proceed to England. The " Camden " was an old vessel when she was purchased by the Directors of the London Missionary Society. She had now been from England about five years, and required extensive repairs ; hence it was considered advisable that she should g;o to Endand, either to undergo tlie necessary repairs, or be sold, as the Dii-ectors might determine. The result is known to all who are acquainted with the history of the Society. The " Camden " was sold, and anotlier vessel purchased, whose history we need not anticipate. During the stay of the " Camden " we had one of our periodical gales. It was not so heavy or destructive as that of 1840, but it was pretty severe. After the gale our friends prepared for their departure, and on Friday, December the IGtli, 1842, the "Camden" took her final leave of Samoa. The history of the "Camden's" connection with our missions does not extend over a very lengthened period, but it was in a high degree eventful and interesting. About forty years had passed since the "Duff" set forth on her memorable voyage to the then little known Isles of the Southern Sea, when John Williams determined, God helping him, to get another mission ship in order to push forward the evangelisation of the numerous islands and groups that were then in heathen darkness. By the blessing of God on his efforts the "Camden" was obtained, and full of hope, and planning great things, he came forth with his much-prized treasure to the work on which his heart was set. With characteristic ardour he entered upon the mighty task which he had assigned himself. 2o8 LAST GLIMPSE OF THE " CAMDEN." He planted the standard of the cross on the island of Eotiima, and on Tanna of the New Hebrides, and then his work was done. He obtained the martyr's crown and the martyr's reward ; and his loved " Camden," and still more loved work, passed into other hands. Others entered into his plans, and set themselves to carry them into execution, and by the Master's help their efforts were crowned with a large measure of success, as the reader has already seen. Mighty consequences flowed from the purchase of the " Camden " for missionary work, and from her employment in that work ; and though her term of service w^as so short, it was highly dis- tinguished, and has not been eclipsed by any of the mission vessels which have been employed in these seas since she led the way. ( 209 ) CHAPTER XXVII. CLOSE OF 1842 AND ENTERING UPON 1843 — CONTINUED TRIALS AND DIF- FICULTIES — UNITED MEETING OF THE CHURCHES AT PANGOPANGO — KEMO.VAL OF MR AND MRS BULLEN FROM UPOLU TO TGTUILA — MIS- SIONARY MEETINGS — MR AND MRS BULLEN ENTER UPON THE CHARGE OF THE LEONE DISTRICT — PLANS OF USEFULNESS — BOARDING-SCHOOL AT LEONE — teacher's CLASS AT PANGOPANGO — PROSPEROUS STATE OF THE WORK — CONTINUED TRIALS. After the departure of the " Camden," nothing else par- ticularly noteworthy occurred during the remaining days of 1842. It had been in some respects the most trying year we had spent in the mission iield. The abrupt and most painful termination of our connection, as labourers on the same island, with Mr and Mrs Slatyer, with our own deepening affliction, extending from the beginning of the year to its close, had stamped it with a peculiarly sombre hue. Nor did the new year open upon us with any indications of an assuring character as regarded the future. Indeed, at no time had our circumstances been more trying than they were at the commencement of 1843. Hitherto I had managed to spend at least one Sabbath out of every three at Leone, though more than once I had been hastily summoned home on account of alarming symptoms, which rendered it doubtful whether I should be in time to see the end. At this time I could not be away for a single night, so I got the church members of the Leone district to come to 210 ARRIVAL OF MR AND MRS BULLEN. Pangopango, where we had a united meeting of both churches, and a commimion service. We had pleasant and interesting services. Twenty new members were re- ceived, sixteen belonging to the Leone district, and four to that of Pangopango. Towards the close of January I was able to pay a hurried visit to Leone. I spent an interesting Sabbath, preaching to very large congi-egations, and witnessed marked indications of prosperity and pro- gress. Throughout our times of trial we were cheered by the affectionate sympathy of our fellow-labourers on Upolu and Savaii. As opportunity offered, words of kind con- dolence reached us, and now the time drew near when we were to have a more substantial expression of sympathy than words. Feeling it impossible to attend properly to the whole of the island, I had asked the brethren to send us help, and had proposed that Mr and Mrs Bullen, then occupymg a station on Upolu, should be removed to Tutuila ; and on the 20th of March the joyful tidings reached us that my proposal had been approved and acted upon — Mr and Mrs Bullen were appointed to Tutuila, and, on the 29th of April, we had the happiness to welcome their arrival, to be associated with us as fellow- labourers. They remained with us at Pangopango tiU the 1st of June, when they went to Leone, and entered upon the care of the station there. They began their work in their new sphere in circumstances of great encouragement. The people were delighted to have another missionary settled among them so soon, and there w^ere decisive indi- cations of spiritual life all around. During the interval we had our annual missionary meetings. They were held at Leone this year, on Wednes- day, ]\Iay the 16th, and were of a very different character to those held at Pangopango after the departure of the " Camden " in May 1842. We had a very large gather- ANNUAL MISSIONAR V MEE TINGS. 2 1 1 ing, as we bad not yet adopted the plan of having separate meetings in each district. I preached to the principal congregation in the chapel from Mai. iii. 10, and a second service was conducted in the schoolhouse for the accom- modation of those who were unable to get into the chapel. From 11 A.M. till 4 p.m. we were occupied in receiving the contributions. Money was still a very scarce commo- dity in Samoa, but cocoa-nut oil and arrowroot were obtainable, and these were easily converted into money. I have no memoranda at hand from which I can give the amount contributed, but, from the time we were occupied in taking account of it, though we had ample assistance from teachers and others, it must have been something very considerable. In the evening a general meeting was held, at which spirited speeches were delivered, but the meeting would have been more interesting and profitable if we had had more time. It was held in the open air, and continued sometime after nightfall The spirit of the meeting was excellent, and appearances altogether were most cheering. Mr and Mrs Bullen came to Tutuila prepared to enter cordially into all the plans which we had been led to adopt, with a view to the deepening and extending of the work of God among us ; and they were in full sympathy with the state of things which they found on their arrival. Hence all went on smoothly, and there was no stumbling of the people by the sudden adoption of new plans and measures. On the 21st of June we had one of our united meetings of the churches — the first at which I had had the presence and assistance of a fellow-labourer. The meetings were interesting, and I trust profitable, to ourselves and the people. While these things were transpiring, some of our mem- bers were passing away from the Church on earth, and being added, as we trust, to the Church in heaven. One 212 HOPEFUL DEATHS. who had suffered long, and borne her sufferings with exemplary patience, sai4 to the teacher on the evening before her death, " I am just preparing and waiting till Jesus send for me." Another, who had been a violent, quarrelsome character before lier conversion, which took place during the great awakening, but wlio since that had been strikingly the reverse of her former self, had also been long a sufferer. She had borne all meekly and patiently, her general reply being to those who alluded to her sufferings, that they were light compared with those which her Lord had endured — the same thought that Eobert Hall expressed with reference to his sufferings when near his end, and an interesting point of resemblance between the highly cultivated and great preacher and the poor, untutored Samoan, who knew little that is worth knowing, beyond the one great truth that had raised her to the dignity of a daughter of the Lord Almighty. As soon as Mr Bullen got settled down to his work, we began to consult about plans for consolidation and exten- sion — for edifying those who had believed, bringing the truth to bear in the most effective manner on the un- decided, and laying a solid foundation for the future. Among other things, it was arranged that a boarding- school for girls should be commenced at Leone, to be under the care of Mrs Bullen, and a class at Pangopango for young men, to be trained for teachers at home or abroad. Girls from both districts were eligible for admis- sion to the school, and young men also for the teacher's class. Land was obtained at Leone without difficulty, and the people soon erected a suitable building, and the school was in operation in a very sliort time. Mrs Bullen, aided by her husband, applied herself with great zeal to the instruction of her pupils and the improvement of their ha1)its, and, doubtless, good was done. Sucli institutions, however, have not been found to answer so well in these A yO YFUL REAPING- TIME ANTICIPA TED. 2 1 3 islands as tliey seem to do in otlier parts of the mission field. All that loving zeal and devotedness and aptness to teach could do, was done in the present case; and yet the results, so far as they could he traced, were not all we had hoped for. That, however, is not very far, and when the great reaping time conies, many a faithful labourer, who has gone forth weeping and bearing precious seed, with very humble expectations as to the results, shall reap a harvest that will fill him with glad surprise, and lead him to exclaim in the words of the prophet, " I was left alone ; these, where had they been ? " During my long connection Avith Christian missions, I have known few more likely to be found in this case, than the estim- able woman of wdioni I now WTite. She came to the mission field glowing with love to God and man, and longing to spend and be spent in her Saviour's cause, and while the opportunity was afforded her, she was "in labours more abundant," and of her I may say without fear of exaggeration, " she did what she could." I began my class with fourteen young men, and went on with it till some time after the formation of our central institution on Upolu, the now w^ell-known Malua Insti- tution, on a scale adapted to supply the group with teachers, and also to furnish a supply for the foreign field. After the settlement of Mr and Mrs BuUen at Leone our burden was much lightened, and our circumstances and prospects for the time being considerably brightened. A change to Leone for a few weeks was, by the blessing of God, of great benefit to Mrs Murray. She returned home very much improved in health, and the state of things among the people was exceedingly cheering, and so it continued during the remainder of this year. The great drawback was ill health. Towards the close of the year Mr Bullen had a tedious illness, wdiich extended 214 CONTINUED AFFLICTION. indeed into the ne.w year. Mrs Bullen and child were •also ill, and Mrs Murray's improvement did not last a great while. Hence we were, with brief intervals, more or less under the rod. It seemed as if a constant pressure were required, and, doubtless, it was so ; " for He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the cliildren of men." Often and earnestly did we entreat that the thorn in the flesh might depart from us ; but He who knew what was best, did not see fit to grant us our request according to the letter. Doubtless, however, He did what was better. He made His grace sufficient for us, and perfected His strength in our weakness. Mrs Murray's illness had now extended over two years, and there was just as little prospect, to all appearance, of any material improvement as there had been at any former time. Hence her circum- stances were exceedingly trying. She longed to labour for Christ, as she had delighted to do when she had health, but instead of that, it was given her to suffer in His cause — a thing vastly less agreeable to human nature. But amid all she was sustained, and, in her case, the words referred to above had a striking fulfilment. His grace toas made sufficient for her ; His strength vms made perfect in her weakness. (215) CHAPTER XXVIIL VISIT TO UPOLU — MEETINGS OF THE MISSION — COMMENCEMENT OP THE MALUA INSTITUTION — ARRIVAL OF MR STALLWORTHY — SETTLEMENT AND SUBSE- QUENT COURSE — STRIKING AND AFFECTING CLOSE OP HIS LIFE AND LABOURS — RETURN TO TUTUILA— MR BULLEN's VISIT TO MANUA — MAR- VELLOUS DELIVERANCE OP HIMSELF AND PARTY — MAY MEETINGS — STATE OF RELIGION ON THE ISLAND AT THE CLOSE OP 1844 — SERIOUS ILLNESS OF MR BULLEN. In the month of January 1844, we were induced to try what effect a change to other parts of the Samoan group would have on Mrs Murray's health ; and, on the 30th of that month, we availed ourselves of an opportunity to go to Upolu by an American whaler, the captain of which had kindly offered us a passage. During my stay on Upolu, two meetings of the mission were held, at both of which business of great importance was transacted. I shall refer particularly to one only of the subjects that occupied our attention at these meetings, Down to the time of which I am now writing, no regular, systematic effort on anything like an adequate scale, had been made towards training a native ministry; and now, some of us felt very strongly, that the time had come when a central institution should be formed on a scale adapted to meet the wants of the group, and also to furnish evangelists for pioneer work among the heathen beyond us ; and that, to effect this object, two brethren should be relieved from ordinary station work, and left at liberty to give themselves wholly to the duties of the insti- 2i6 THE MALUA INSTITUTION. tiition. The meeting at wliich the subject was discussed was held at Sapapalii, on the island of Savaii, on the 8tli and 9th of February 1844. All the brethren of the mission were found to be of one mind, and it was resolved that immediate steps should be taken towards the accomplishment of the proposed object. Two brethren were appointed to take charge of the institution, and authorised at once to take the necessary preliminary action in the matter — Mr Hardie, then occupying the station of Sapapalii, and Mr Turner, then at Vaiee on Upolu. At tlie subsequent meeting, which was held at Fasitoo, on Upolu, on the 21st of March, definite arrangements were made for commencing operations at the spot whicli for many years has been known as Malua, but which, at the time referred to, was without inhabitant, and covered with bush. Such was the origin and commencement of an institu- tion which, by the blessing of God on the zealous and well-directed efforts of the tutors, soon took an important place among similar establishments, which it has main- tained with growing efficiency to the present day. Par- ticulars relative to its history for many years after its formation may be found in Dr Turner's work, " Nineteen Years in Polynesia." There is one thing connected with the ]\Ialua Institution which should be known far and wide, and which should surely be imitated as extensively as possible tliroughout the mission field, if not elsewhere, viz., from its commence- ment until now it has been, to a great extent, self-support- ing. How this has been effected may be learned from Dr Turner's work referred to above. Little else occurred during my stay on Upolu deserving of particular remark. The settlement of Mr Stallworthy, who had recently joined our mission, was an interesting and important event. In the proceedings connected witli NO TICE OF MR STALL WOR THY. 2 1 7 that it was my privilege to have a hand. I must not, however, enter into particulars with reference to these ; but a brief notice of the life and labours of the man him- self will, I think, interest the reader. Mr Stall worthy sailed from England in October 1833, and, in the same month of the following year, he com- menced his labours on Santa Christina of the Marquesas group. In 1841, the Marquesas mission was given up with the approval of the missionaries on Tahiti, and, after being some time on that island, Mr Stallworthy joined our mission. He laboured at Falealili, where he was settled at the date at which we have now arrived, 1844, till 1859, and during a great part of that time he had under his care a very large district — all that constituted Mr Harbutt's before Mr Stallworthy's arrival, and another considerable district in addition. At the above date, he was requested by his brethren to move to Malua in anticipation of the departure of Dr Turner on a visit to England. He had but just entered upon his new work when he was called to rest from his labours ; he had just completed his fiftieth year. Mr Stallworthy was a man of a remarkably catholic spirit, and of large and liberal views. Though occupying for many years so large a district, and necessarily so fully engaged with duties connected with that district, his attention and interest were by no means confined to his own sphere of labour, or to the mission of which he was a member ; but with a largeness of heart and a breadth of view not very common, he regarded the progress of events in the Church and in the world, keeping himself well informed respecting these, and manifesting a deep interest in their bearing upon the cause of Christ. His interest in Polynesian missions. East and West, was peculiarly deep ; and his conviction, from intimate and extensive acquain- tance, was very decided that in no part of the world was 2 1 8 AN EN VI A BLE DEPARTURE. God more manifestly summoning His Churcli to the vigor- ous prosecution of heathen evangelisation than in Polynesia — that nowhere was He more evidently leading the way, and by His providence beckoning His people onward to conflict and victory. The circumstances of his deatli were remarkable and peculiarly affecting. On the Sabbath preceding his departure, he discharged his accustomed public duties, and appeared in liis usual health, and when he retired to rest he still seemed quite well. Notwithstanding these appearances, however, his work was done ; he had rendered his last service to the Church on earth, and was on the very tln-eshold of the upper sanctuary. It seemed as if he had been unconsciously led to preach his own funeral sermon. His text was, " Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his ; " and, on the preceding Sabbath, he had preached from a text equally remarkable, " Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly," and now both these passages ■were about to be fulfilled in his own case. As a thief in the night his Lord came. " At midnight a cry was heard, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh ! " And if to depart in peace, having lived the life of the righteous, be to die the death which he desired, then may we safely conclude that he had his desire. So far as he was concerned, he died a truly enviable death ; he ceased at once to work and live, passing directly from his loved work on earth into the presence of his Lord above. No depressing season of suffermg and inaction preceded his departure; no scenes of mourning and tears wrung his bosom, but all unconsciously the many strong and tender ties that bound him to earth were loosened, and he awoke to consciousness in that world where cares and sorrows enter not, and tears are for ever wiped away. And what a mercy was this to one who left behind him a widow and nine children, the eldest of whom was only fourteen years of age, and the DEPARTED WORTHIES. 219 youngest ten days ! About 3 a.m. on Monday, the 7th of November 1859, he was found dead in his bed. " At midniglit came the cry, ' To meet thy God prepare.' He woke and caught his Captain's eye, Then, strong in faith and prayer, His spirit with a bound Left its encumbering clay ; His tent at sunrise on the groimd, A darkened ruin lay. " The pains of death are past ; Labour and sorrow cease ; * And life's long warfare closed at last, His soul is found in peace. Soldier of Christ, well done ! Praise be thy new employ ; And while eternal ages run. Best in thy Saviour's joy." The reader will doubtless bear with the %vriter in yield- ing to the temptation of doing what to him is an exceed- ingly grateful work — penning these little memorials of loved fellow-labourers who have passed away. They afford glimpses of faithful and excellent men who have done good service in their Master's cause, but who have been so circumstanced that men have heard comparatively little of them and their labours. It is pleasant and en- couraging to think that there have been so many such connected with our missions in days gone by, and that there are, as we trust, many now — good, faithful men of God, and women, too — labouring quietly on in their respec- tive spheres, thinking little of either the applause or the censures of men. " Ambitious little they, to be by men admired, Ambitious most of all to be by God approved. And have their names recorded in the Book of Life." 220 RESUMING WORK ON TUTUILA. But to return to matters of a more personal character. When we had been about ten weeks on Upolu, Mrs Murray's health was so much improved, that we thought I might return to my work on Tutuila, leaving her and her native attendants in the care of kind friends on Upolu, for a more prolonged stay. So on the 13th of April I left in the " Victoria." a small, island-built vessel, takincc with me our little boy. We had a trying voyage, but got safely to the end of it, and had the satisfaction of finding all well at Tutuila. We found Mr and Mrs Bullen at Pangopango. They had kindly come round to visit the station, and welcome us to our solitary home. The cir- cumstances in which I was placed were, of course, fitted to depress and sadden ; but my mind was soon diverted, in a measure, from dwelling upon my own personal circum- stances and concerns by important duties which de- manded immediate attention. A united church meeting was held at one of the central villages on Wednesday, the 17th of April, the day after I reached home, and on Thursday I accompanied Mr Bullen to Leone, to assist him in making preparations for a visit to Manua. It had been arranged that he should embrace an opportunity which offered of getting to that group in the " Victoria." Manua is considered as being specially under the care of the Tutuila missionaries ; and in those days it was a rare thing for an opportunity to offer of getting to it from Tutuila in a vessel of any description. Moreover, no missionary had done more tlian make a passing call at the islands since the visit of Messrs Heatli and Buchanan. Thus the case was urgent, and Mr Bullen determined to go, though there was a formidable difficulty in the way. The master of the "Victoria" would not agree to brintj him back to Tutuila : hence he had to trust to an open boat for his return ; but as the wind is generally fair from Manua, and as tlie natives were constantly going to and A VISIT TO MANUA. 221 fro in their canoes, and serious accidents but rarely occurring, we thought that, with proper precautions, we should be justified, under the circumstances, in tak- ing the risk which the step involved. ]\Ir Bullen took his own boat, and a boat's crew with him, and our faith- ful friend, Henry Gibbons, went to take charge of the boat on the return voyage. The party sailed in the "Victoria," on Saturday, April the 20th, and reached Manua safely. The object of the visit being accomplished, preparations were made for their return, and on the 16th of May they started. There were two boats and a large native canoe, so that, in case of difficulty arising, help might be at hand. A crew of natives were in Mr Bullen's boat, and he and Gibbons and a boat's crew of natives were in a whale-boat which they had obtained at Manua. Whale-boats are considered specially safe. Owing to some cause or causes which I do not remember, they left Manua rather late in the day, and it is sixty miles in a straight line from where they started to Tutuila, so they had lost sight of Manua, and had not sighted Tutuila when night overtook them. The day was fine when they set out ; but as night drew on, the weather became rough. The wind rose, and with it the sea, and rain poured upon them in torrents. Of course it was impossible to have lights in the boats, and there was no moon by which they might see the compass, and know in what direction to steer. Hence they were in an awful plight. Happily the wind was fair, and drove them before it right onward towards their destination. But their situation was extremely perilous. Between them and Tutuila, and right in tlieir track, lies the island of Aunuu, and the side of the island which is towards Manua is enclosed by an iron-bound coast, which rises abruptly out of the ocean to the height of forty or fifty feet. Had they been driven upon this, and it was perhaps the most likely thing, humanly speak- 222 A MARVELLOUS DELIVERANCE. ing, that they would be, they must inevitably have been lost. There is just a bare possibility that some of the natives might have managed to swim to a part of the island where a landing mioht have been effected. Their " extremity, however, was God's opportunity ; " His eye was uj)on them, and He wrought for them a most marvel- lous deliverance. If they had made any other part of the island of Tutuila, within ten miles on either side of the very spot they did make, they would have been in extreme danger. And, as if to miake their deliverance the more remarkable, the canoe made the shore a short distance to leeward, and was dashed to pieces on the reef. Happily all lives were saved. Being natives, and used to the sea from their childhood, they will live where a white man would have no chance. But to return to our friends. As they were driven along by fierce winds they knew not whither — the night was exceedingly dark — all hands were on a sudden startled by the ominous sound of, " Breakers close to ! " Every eye was instantly strained, and every ear attent, and the cry arose, " Where are we ? " " Is it Aunuu we are upon, or some part of the mainland ? " On the answer to these questions their safety depended. Of course the boat's head was immediately turned, and that was scarcely done when they found themselves running upon breakers on the opposite side, and then a thought struck them, or rather a question occurred to them — Could it be that they were in the entrance to Pangopango harbour ? And so indeed it proved. To that door of hope and safety they had been guided by a Divine hand, and, in a few minutes, from being, as they supposed, in the extreme of danger, they found themselves safe ! Their surprise and gratitude may be imagined ; it cannot be described. The boat in which Mr BuUen was, led the way, and those in the other were enabled to keep it in sight ; so that both the boats PI^OGJ^ESS AT MANUA. 223 ■were safe. The deliverance ivas a marvellous one, and deserves to be had in remembrance to the praise of the great Deliverer. Seldom have I had a greater surprise than when I was aroused from sleep on the night of their arrival, about eleven o'clock. The time had come for us to expect them, but I never dreamt of their making their appearance at that time of night, and in such weather. My impres- sion is, that during the day the weather had been un- settled at Tutuila, and that it was a stormy night. I listened, of course, with wonder and gratitude to the mar- vellous tale of their danger and deliverance. Mr Bullen found an encouraging state of things at Manua. There was the nucleus of a church there before his visit. Five persons had been received at Tutuila many months before, and to these thirty were added, selected from about 300 candidates, during Mr Bullen's stay. Soon after my return from Upolu, we had a visit from a British man-of-war, the " Hazard," Captain Bell, com- mander. During the stay of the " Hazard " all the principal chiefs of the island assembled at Pangopango, and resolved to make an application to Her Majesty^ Queen Victoria, to be taken under the wing of the British Government. They were induced to take this step chiefly on account of the proceedings of the French at Tahiti. Their application met with attention and a gracious reception from Her Majesty, as will be noticed in its proper place. An amusins? little incident occurred while the "Hazard" was with us, which, perhaps, is worth mentioning. Captain Bell took an odd fancy. He wished to take home in his own person a specimen of Samoan tatooing, and in order to accomplish his object he must have the services of a native operator, Tatooing was a regular profession among the Samoans. Ic Tiifunga ta tatau, or the tatoo-marker, 1 224 TATOOING IN SAMOA. was a personage of no small importance in the days of darkness ; but now that the light had come, his profession was no longer in repute, and tatooing was numbered among the works of darkness, and abandoned wherever Chris- tianity had been received. And this is why I came to hear about Captain Bell's tatooing. After trying his utmost without success to induce parties who were acquainted with the art to operate upon him, he applied to me to help him out of his difficulty. It was easy to make the natives understand that what Captain Bell wished them to do for him was a very different thing to tatooing as they had been accustomed to practise it in their heathen state. So their scruples were got over, and the captain accomplished his object ; and I took care to guard against the tiling being regarded as giving a sanction to heathen tatooing. As practised among the heathen, besides being barbarous and useless in itself, it was always accompanied by a variety of abominable customs. A whole train of evils generally accompany such practices. Hence, on relative grounds, it is often of great importance to get practices discontinued, which, in themselves, are compara- tively harmless ; and ignorance of this fact sometimes leads visitors to go away with the impression that mis- sionaries attach undue importance to trifles, and forbid practices in which they can see no harm, but in which they would see harm were they better informed. Soon after ]\Ir BuUen's return, we had our annual mis- sionary meetings. They were conducted much as in former years, and need not be particularly described. Two days were occupied this year, instead of one, that we might not be hurried as we had formerly been. In addition to our accustomed meetings we had a gathering of children, with a view to awaken their interest in the missionary cause. Between five and six hundred assembled from the two districts, and with them we had an interesting meeting. MISSIONARY MEETINGS— CONTRIBUTIONS. 225 Tlie contributions consisted of between two and three thousand pounds of arrowroot, between two and three hundred gallons of oil, and £10, 4s. in money. The ser- vices are noted in my journal as having been " interesting and encouraging in a high degree." There were two sermons as usual, the principal of which was from Isaiah liv. 2, 3, and Carey's two celebrated ideas — " Attempt great things for God, and expect gi-eat things from God," were the thoughts chiefly dwelt upon. Perhaps friends at a distance will be ready to smile at our presumption in pitching upon and discoursing upon such lofty themes in our insignificant and obscure corner, and to such audiences as composed our congregations. So it was, however ; w^e gravely entertained such subjects, and sought, by the help of God, to act upon them, and to stir up our people to aim at the same. In July I had an addition of five young men to my teacher's class from Manua, the first-fruits of that sort from that quarter. Many others followed in subsequent years, and were instructed by Mr Powell on Tutuila, or passed on to Malua. During the remainder of this year we went on much in our usual way. There was not the uninterrupted progress of former years, still there was much to encourage, and for which to be thankful. My long absence from home had proved somewhat disadvantageous, still we had no cause to complain. Only two had been excluded from the church during the year ; seven had been suspended, six sent out as teachers, two had removed to other churches, and thirteen had died ; and the number of admissions was forty-five. At Leone the state of things was very similar to what it was at Pangopango. The frequent changes there, and the illnesses of the missionaries, were trying to that station. Towards the close of the present year Mr Bullen was p 226 SERIOUS ILLNESS OF AIR BULLEN. again laid aside witli a tedious illness, which at one time was so serious as to threaten a fatal termination. He was taken ill early in December, and was able to do very- little in the way of work till towards the middle of Janu- ary. Thus we continued to meet with checks and inter- ruptions, but in the midst of all w^e were cheered by the assurance that our labour was not in vain in the Lord. (227) CHAPTEE XXIX. ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST " JOHN WILLIAMS " — RETURN OF MR HEATH — ARRIVAL OF MESSRS POWELL AND SUNDERLAND — VISIT TO UPOLU — MISSIONARY VOYAGE — TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF MR AND MRS POWELL TO PANGO- PANGO — INTEREST EXCITED BY THE VOYAGE — NATIVE PIONEERS — LEAD- ING INCIDENTS OF THE VOYAGE — CLOSE OF THE VOYAGE — STATE OF THINGS ON TUTUILA ON OUR RETURN. The first noticeable occurrence in tlie year 1845 was an event of great importance to our South Sea missions — the arrival of the first " John Williams." She reached Tutuila on the 31st of January, having on board our brother Heath, accompanied by two young brethren, Messrs Powell and Sunderland. Having taken oh board our Tutuila party, Mr and Mrs BuUen and myself, she proceeded to Upolu, and on the 3d of February she anchored in Apia har- bour. A meeting of the members of the mission was held at Apia on the 12th and 13th of February, at which much important business Avas transacted, most of which was not of a character calling for particular notice in these records. One or two things may with propriety be spe- cified. It was at this meeting that arrangements were made for the publication of the " Samoan Picporter" — a paper designed especially for circulation among our per- sonal friends. It was to be published twice a year, and Mr Heath, with whom the thing originated, was appointed editor. The design was to supply a medium through 2 28 THE " SAMOAN REP OR TER!' Avhicli reports of our \york miglit be given to our personal friends, and others with whom we had relations, and so relieve us from the necessity of keeping up so large a letter correspondence as would otherwise have been required; and also to afford an opportunity of giving to the world any in- formation of importance, scientific or otherwise, which our circumstances might enable us to obtain. The publication was kept up for a number of years, and the object we had in view was in a good degree answered. After the lamented death of Mr Heath in 1848, the editorial department was chiefly in the hands of Dr Turner. By him the interesting series of ethnological articles, begun by Mr Heath, was continued, and the other matter was furnished principally by other members of the mission. The idea of the publication was suggested, I believe, by a similar thing originated by the late Dr Milne of the Chinese mission. Another arrangement made at the meeting was that tlie " John Williams " should proceed with the least possible delay to visit the out-stations of our mission, and to occupy new ground, as far as we might have the means, wlierever eligible openings could be found; and Dr Turner and myself were appointed a deputation to carry out the objects of the voyage. And another arrangement, arising out of that just named, was to us j)ersonally a great relief and satisfaction — Mr and Mrs Powell were appointed to reside at Pango- pango during our absence on the voyage. On the 12th of March we sailed from Upolu, on our return voyage to Tutuila, and among the passengers was Mrs Murray, whom I had the happiness to find much improved in health. We reached Pangopango on the following day. Great interest was excited among the people of Tutuila. They were delighted to see the fine F/7^S7' VOYAGE OF THE ''JOHN WILLI A MSP 229 new ship * and tliey gave expression to their pleasure and interest by very liberal presents to the ship, and also to the teachers who went forth in her as evangelists to the dark regions of heathenism beyond us. On this occasion sixteen persons, nine men and seven women, went from the church at Pangopango, and four, two men and two women, from the church at Leone, and one man and one woman from Manua. We took our departure from Tutuila on the 29tli of March, and reached Upolu on the following day, and on the 1st of April we sailed from Apia for Matautu, our last place of call in Samoa, and thence we stretched away westward on our missionary voyage. ]\Irs Turner accompanied her husband, and ]\Irs Murray also went, so we were quite a family party, and much pleasant and profitable intercourse did we enjoy during our cruise. We directed our course first to the island of Rotuma, where, it will be remembered, Mr Williams placed teachers a few days before his death. Our errand to the island now was to remove our teachers, pursuant to the arrangement made in London by the Directors of the missions of the Wesleyan body, and the Directors of the London IMissionary Society, as Eotuma was within the limits assigned to the Wesleyans. I do not enter into particulars, nor shall I do more than give a mere outline of our proceedings, and of the facts and incidents of the voyage, as all are fully narrated in Dr Turner's work, " Nineteen Years in Polynesia," and in " Western Polynesia." In the New Hebrides, to which we proceeded on leaving Piotuma, we found perhaps as much of an encouraging character as we had reason to expect. Our missions on * She did not come into the harbour on her first arrival, so they had not seen her before. 230 BRIEF NOTICE OF THE VOYAGE. the different islands of tliat group, on which operations had been commenced, were still in their infancy, and to find here and there indications of progress was matter for thankfulness, and such indications we thought we did find, though the prospects were far from briglit. On Eotuna, the first island of the group at which we called, the teachers had been murdered ; the nativas, of course, were shy and distrustful, and the door was closed against us. At the island of Aneiteum, however, a gleam of light appeared amid the dense darkness — ^just enough to keep hope alive. On Tanna there was more of an encouraging character. A favourable reaction had taken place since the mission- aries and teachers were compelled to leave the island in 1843, and tlie people were now earnestly desirous that missionaries should again take up their abode among them. So the mission was resumed under circumstances of much interest and promise. Operations were also recommenced on the island of Xiua. Eramanga was still closed, but on Yate a most encouraging opening was found and embraced. Darkness still covered the Loyalty Islands. The teachers were just able to hold on ; their lives were often in extreme jperil, and their privations were many and great, yet they were willing to labour on in hope that success would come in due time. On the Isle of Pines a fearful tragedy had been enacted — the mission party had been all murdered ; and such might be their lot any day, yet their faith did not fail them. The circumstances in wliicli we found the mission on New Caledonia were such that we felt constrained to abandon that island. Nothing calling for particular notice in these records occurred during our return voyage. We got back to Samoa, and anchored in Apia harbour on the 7th of June. RETURN TO TUTUILA. 231 Our voyage had been interesting and very pleasant, and though we had not accomplished all we could have wished, yet we had very much for which to be thankful ; and the trials and reverses which we had to report, though of a deeply painful character, were no strange things, but such as have been common from the Ijeginning wherever efforts have been made to subvert the reign of darkness by in- troducing the gospel of the grace of God. We were detained on Upolu till the 19th of June. On that day we sailed for Tutuila, which we reached on the 23d. No tidings of our home and people had reached us since we set out on our voyage, which had occupied three months. Hence we drew near Tutuila with some anxiety. We were deUghtfuUy relieved, however, on our arrival. We found all well, and the good work going on encouragingly. The " John Williams " made no stay with us, but, after landing us, stood away at once for the Hervey and Tahitian islands. In order to avoid detaining her at this time, it had been arranged that Mr and Mrs Powell should remain with us till her return. There had been three failures in the church during our absence, but the state of things, on the whole, was such as to call for much gi^atitude to God. To this no doubt the presence of Mr and Mrs Powell, and the occasional visits of Mr Bullen, had, by the Divine blessing, much contri- buted, and to them we and our people owed a large debt of gratitude. Meetingjs were held in both districts soon after our return, at which accounts were given of our voyage. These were listened to with intense interest, and ap- peared to diffuse a healthy influence among the people. And so ended the first missionary voyage of the "John WiUiams." The " John Williams " has long ceased to be ; and some 233 ABIDING RESULTS. of the loved ones, whose presence contributed so much to the interest of the first and subsequent voyages, have also passed away — "gone before" — but the effects of her voyages, and of their character and labours, live, and will continue to live, till the great work be done, — " And the kingdoms of this worhl Are the kingdoms of His Son." -^ -> •-> \ -JO ) CHAPTER XXX. " — ARRIVAL OF MR CONSUL PRITCHARD — A MESSAGE FROM HER MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA TO THE CHIEFS OP TUTUILA — DEPARTURE OF MR AND MRS POWELL — JUBILEE OF THE LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY ENCOURAGING STATE OF THE WORK DEPARTURE OF THE " JOHN WILLIAMS " FOR ENGLAND — PERSONAL TRIAL CONNECTED THEREWITH — ARRIVAL OF THE REV. JOHN GEDDIE AND PARTY FROM NOVA SCOTIA — REMARKS ON THE ORIGIN AND BEARING OF THEIR MISSION. In the month of July 1845 we had a visit from a British man-of-war, no very unusual occurrence, hut connected with the visit of H.M.S. "Daphne" at the time referred to, there were circumstances which invested it with peculiar interest to the Samoan group, and to the island of Tutuila more especially. She had on board Mr Pritchard, just arrived from England as Consul for the group ; and she brought a message from Queen Victoria to the chiefs of Tutuila, in answer to the application from them for- warded by the "Hazard" in March 1844. The purport of the message was, that the Queen declined to take the island formally under her protection ; but that she would befriend the people, and not allow any other power to interfere with tlie independence of the native Government, or to have a greater interest in the island than herself. The message gave great satisfaction to tlie chiefs and people ; it met their request in a way which satisfied them ; and they were not a little surprised and pleased that they should be treated with so much consideration by so 234 DEPARTURE OF MR AND MRS POWELL. august a personage as Queen Victoria. Happily no occa- sion lias yet arisen rendering protection from, or defence against, a foreign enemy necessary, and we hope none ever will ; but the kind and prompt response of the Queen of Great Britain to their application was a great encourage- ment to a people who felt themselves at the mercy of any great power that might be disposed to treat them as others in circumstances sunilar to their own had been treated, and with the tale of whose calamities and sufferings they were well acquainted. The " Daphne " arrived on the 13th of July, and sailed for Upolu on the 23d. Captain Onslow, commander of the " Daphne," kindly offered Mr and Mrs Powell a passage to Upolu, and as they were naturally anxious to get to the station to which they had been appointed on the island of Savaii, they gladly accepted CajDtain Onslow's offer; so we were deprived of their society and help much sooner than we had expected. We felt their leaving much, especially as it was so unex- pected, though we could not but approve of their wish to get to their own station as quickly as possible. The people, also, who had become much attached to them dur- ing their lengthened sojourn among them, felt their leaving, and they took their departure from Tutuila followed by the grateful affections and best wishes of all. Mr Powell had not, of course, been able to do much direct missionary work, as his acquaintance with the language was necessarily very limited ; but his knowledge of medicine had been turned to good account. He had been instrumental in affording relief to large numbers throughout the island who had been suffering from various maladies, and on that and other grounds his departure was regretted. At the meeting of the mission held on the arrival of the " John Williams " from England, it had been arranged that services should be held this year at all our stations, to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the London JUBILEE SERVICES. 235 Missionary Society, and that a special effort should be made in aid of its funds ; and jubilee services were held accordingly throughout the group. The services at Leone took place in the last week of August ; those at Pango- pango in the first week of September. The amount raised at Pangopango in aid of the funds of the Society was large considering the circumstances of the people. We had in cash £21, 19s. Id. ; oil, 265 gallons, and a small quantity of arrowroot. Of the cash, £3, 5s. 4d., and of the oil, 3G gallons, were from the children, contributed by them in imitation of the noble example set them by the children of England in the purchase and outfit of the " John Williams." Mr Bullen was with us at Pangopango, and took part in the services. We had a regular service in the morning, conducted by Mr Bullen, and in the afternoon a public meeting was held, at which some very interesting speeches were made. It appeared that there had been some talk about so many of our people going as evangelists to heathen lands, to the effect that those who gave up their rela- tives for that object were acting foolishly, and (with the exaggeration in which fault-finders of the class referred to usually indulge) predicting tliat soon only old people and women and children would be left in the land. With reference to the doleful predictions of these grumljlers, and the cliarge of acting foolishly, which they were bring- ing against their neighbours and countrymen, interesting remarks were made by several of the speakers. One of the leading men of the village of Pangopango, who was for many years a pillar in our church, and whq remained steadfast unto death, spoke to the following ehect : — " If to give up our children and young people to the cause of Christ be to act foolishly, let us continue to act foolishly ; let our land be left desolate, and our chil- dren faU in the work of God ; and let only the women, 236 REFLECTIONS AND ANTICIPATIONS. and the weak, and the children be left. Don't let us grudge our children to the cause of Christ," with much more in the same strain ; and, in this and other speeches, touching allusions were made to 2 Cor. viii 9, " For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich." The occasion, on the whole, was interesting and solemn. The past was crowded with recollections in a high degree suggestive and encouraging, as the future also was full of promise; but still feelings of solemnity, mingled with a touch of sadness, seemed to predominate. The thought that those who were taking part in the service, and the great bulk of those who united in it, would never see another jubilee of the Society — would be all in the eternal world before such another service would be held, w-as fitted deeply to solemnise our minds, and lead to reflections and fore- castings of a sombre hue. And already, though many years are still to run before the friends of the Society shall be called to celebrate its centenary, the thoughts that passed through our minds on the present occasion have become facts. Of the two missionaries who took part in the service, one has long been taldng part in the celebration of a higher jubilee, and I doubt whether one of the native speakers remains. Such is the evanescent nature of all on earth ; all that is external, and of the nature of means and instruments, passes away like the baseless fabric of a vision. But there is another side to the picture. The changes in the future are far from being all of tlie sombre and melan- choly cast. On the contrary, there is joy — solid joy — arising from no vain dreams or baseless fancies, in contemplating the changes that tlie future will assuredly bring. The precise character of the changes before us we do not of course know, but, one thing we do know, viz., that if the great end at which missions aim be not fully realised REVIVAL AND PROGRESS. 237 twenty years hence, it will be vastly nearer being so then than it is now. Taking as the basis of our calculations the progress that has been made during the past half century, and allowing for ever-increasing facilities, and ever-multiplying and extending agencies and influences, it would be an intensely interesting problem to work out. What will be the state and prospects of our world as re- gards its evangelisation in 1895 ? Surely millennial ages will then be near, if they have not actually begun to run their course. During the remainder of 1845 we went forward in our usual way, nothing particularly noteworthy occurring, and so it was also during the early months of 1846 ; but about the middle of that year we were again favoured with indications of revival and progress. A change w^as per- ceptible from about the middle of May — from the time our missionary meetings were held. There was nothing par- ticularly remarkable about these. The services w^ere of average interest, and the contributions were liberal; but it was not till the first Sabbath of June that unusual indications of spiritual quickening appeared. On that day I preached from Psalm Ixviii. 9, and we observed the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, and many of the people were very much moved. The afternoon service also was ■ very solemn, and for a length of time we continued to have growing evidence that the work of God was being deepened and extended. The church and the teachers were stirred up and revived. Inquirers and candidates who had grown slack were aroused afresh, and some who had hitherto been "stout-hearted and far from riditeous- ness" were subdued and brought to repentance. Forty- one were admitted to the church during the course of the year, and the state of things altogether was improved. It would be speaking too strongly to say that God sent us " a plenteous rain," but it is not too much to say that He 238 THE SOREST TRIAL OF MISSIONARY LITE. sent ns refresliing sliowers by which He confirmed His heritage when it was weary. I wish to avoid as much as possible, or at least to touch very lightly, matters that are strictly personal, and to con- fine myself to things that bear directly upon our work, or are of a character to suggest profitable remark. Still I suppose I may without impropriety notice and remark upon a trial of a personal character which came upon us towards the close of this year, viz., parting with a child for an indefinite number of years. This trial, common thouerh it be in the mission field, is a dreadful one. There is but one thing with regard to children, judging from our own experience, to be compared with it — only their being taken away by death ; and, in our case, the trial was inten- sified by the fact that at the time referred to we had but one child. The " John Williams " arrived unexpectedly at the close of October. She was returning from a cruise among the islands to the west of Samoa, and was on her way to Upolu, whence she was to start, in a short time, for Eng- land. Her arrival on the present occasion was, of course, regarded by us with anything but joyous feelings ; and when the boat left the beach (the vessel did not come into the harbour), bearing away from us our only child, the feelings experienced on returning from the parting scene to our desolate home, were pretty much akin to those which bereaved parents feel when returning from committing the remains of a loved one to the grave. Between the two trials there is, of course, this difference — in the one case hope is extinct as regards the present life ; in the other the chUd is alive, and may continue to live, and parent and child may meet again after long years have passed away ; but, oh, the anxieties, the struggles, the yearnings of the intervening years ! — these no pen can describe, no tongue fully express. Surely all in Cliristian lands whom THE ''JOHN WILLIAMS'' GOES TO ENGLAND. 239 missionaries represent — especially Christian^arcw^s — should deeply sympathise with them in this trial of trials, and do their utmost to supply all the alleviations of which the case admits ; and this, indeed, they are doing to a praise- worthy extent ; but let them beware of gi'owing slack in this labour of love. Rather let them abound more and more in a service, than which one would thmk few would be more acceptable to Him who has said, " Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me." The " John Williams " arrived off the island on the 29th of October, but was unable to come to anchor on account of the weather. On that day our kind friend and fellow-labourer, Mr Nisbet, wdio, with the Eev. W. Gill, then of Rarotouga, had been visiting our out-stations, came in in a boat. The vessel was driven out to sea, and to lee- ward of the harbour ; hence the dreaded moment of separ- ation was deferred till the 2d of November. On that day the vessel got sufficiently near for a boat to come in for the passengers, and these being conveyed on board, she stood on her way towards Upolu. Nothing else calling for particular notice occurred during the remaining months of this year ; nor was there any- thing out of the usual course during the greater part of 1847. But towards the close of that year, an event occurred having bearings of vast importance upon our South Sea missions, and possessing features of very pecu- liar interest. Hitherto the Presbyterian section of the Christian Church had been unrepresented in the South Sea Islands, nor had any British Colony in any part of the world un- dertaken a mission to the heathen ; but this state of things was no longer to continue, and the way in whicli the new epoch in the history of modern missions was introduced is worthy of special note. Wlio would have thought that 240 ARRIVAL OF PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONARIES. one of the smallest and least known of the British Colonies, and one of the most remote from the sphere of action, would have been honoured to lead the way — and that mainly- through the instrumentality of a single individual ; and that the small beginning would in so short a time have led to results so great as those which have already been real- ised ? Of course, it is all in keeping with the usual mode of the Divine procedure, but how different is that from the manner of men ! But to proceed: On Monday, October 18th, 1847, to- wards evening, Mrs Murray and myself went for a little walk down towards the sea. We had gone but a short way, when we were startled by an announcement that four boats were in sight. A thing so imusual led to all manner of conjectures as to what was coming upon us. Whence could four boats have come, and what could be their errand ? All our conjectures, of course, were wide of the mark. And when the boats reached the beach, towards which we were making our way, and the natives called out that " there were missionaries in the boats," we were at our wits' end, and our wonder was at its height. We had no reason to expect missionaries, and coming in oj)en boats too ! The thing seemed incredible — yet so it was. The Eev. John Geddie and Mrs Geddie, and Mr and Mrs Archibald, were in the boats. They had come forth from their distant home. Nova Scotia, sent by the United Pres- byterian Church in that colony, to seek a field on which to commence a mission on some island of Polynesia, as the providence of God might direct. Their instructions were to come to Samoa, and confer with the missionaries there, and seek their advice and co-operation in carrying out the object of their mission. The idea of a foreign mission had originated solely with Mr Geddie, and like most under- takings of the kind — especially when they originate with comparatively young men — it was strongly opposed by the ORIGIN OF THE PRESBYTERIAN MISSION. 241 elder men of the church. Some of these were not much more complimentary to Mr Geddie than was Dr Eyland to Carey, when he ventured to unfold to his seniors liis project for a foreign mission. The same hand tliat was upon Carey, however, was upon John Geddie ; and he and his heroic wife were enabled to overcome all the obstacles that lay in their way; and now it was our high privilege to welcome them to the mission field, and bid them God-speed in their gi-eat and noble entei^prise. Mr Geddie had been a settled minister on Prince Edward's Island for eifrht years before he decided to give himself to foreign mis- sionary work. Still he was comparatively a young man when he came forth to the mission field. He had been ordained to the work of the ministry at home when only about twenty-two years of age. The idea of seeking a field in the South Seas was not a thing of haphazard. It was suggested by a fact which deserves a permanent record in the annals of missions. The United Presbyterian Church of Scotland, in response to an application made by John Williams, when he was in England about 1836, gave a sum of money, I think £300, to tiie London Missionary Society to assist in the opening up of New Caledonia as a sphere for missionary labour, the understanding being that missionaries should be furnished by that Church to occupy the island, as soon as the way had been prepared by native pioneers. All this was known to the United Presbyterians in Nova Scotia, and they were led in consecpience to tuiii their attention to the South Seas as a place in which they had some interest. It is a remarkable illustration of the common saying, that " Coming events cast their shadows before them," that the mission party were ultunately led, in the providence of God, to the very island towards whicli ]\Ir Geddie had felt especially drawn before they left Nova Scotia. He. Q 242 LED BY A RIGHT IV A V. had read the account of the introduction of Christian teachers to the island of Aneiteum in 1841, and a desire had taken possession of his mind that that might be his sphere of labour, if such should prove to be the will of God. Mr Archibald, a young man, had come out in a subor- dinate capacity. He was to act as schoolmaster and mis- sionary-assistant. His connection with the mission lasted only a few months after the field of labour was reached. He retired to Australia, and for a number of years Mr and jMrs Geddie were the only foreign labourers in Western Polynesia. Tlie party had come by way of the United States and the Sandwich Islands. From the latter place they had come in a whale-ship, having made an arrangement with the captain that he should land them on some island of the Samoan group. Tutuila was first made, and the captain, without having any communication with us, had sent them, with everything belonging to them, on shore in his boats. As it happened, it was all right. They were not moving at random, but were being led by the right way towards the attainment of their great object. The best arrangements of which the circumstances admitted were at once made for the accommodation of our guests ; we were soon at home with each other, and the foundation was laid of a friendship between ourselves and Mr and Mrs Geddie, which subsisted unbroken till one of the parties finished his course and rested from his labours. ]\Iany were the hallowed and delightful hours spent in the society of our dear friends, both on Tutuila and elsewhere ; but I will not anticipate. The glad tidings were of course conveyed without delay to our fellow-labourers at Leone, and our brother, Mv BuUen, was soon with us, sharing in our pleasure and gratitude on account of the auspicious arrival, and rejoicing CONSULTATION AS TO FUTURE MOVEMENTS. 243 in the unexpected opening of a new door of liope for the dark regions of "Western Polynesia. No wliite missionary- had as yet obtained a permanent footing in that great division of the " isLand world." Anxious consultation took place as to the steps that should be taken towards carrying out the views of our friends ; and it was arranged that, as soon as practicable, Messrs Geddie and BuUen should proceed to Upolu, to be present at a meeting of the mission which was about to be held, and confer with the brethren as to future plans and proceedings. (244) CHAPTEE XXXI. MEETING OF THE MISSION — DETERMINATION TO ATTEMPT THE FORMATION OF A MISSION ON THE NEW HEBRIDES — AFPOINTMENT OF MR BULLEN TO THE PROJECTED MISSION — VISIT OF BISHOP SELWVN— REMARKS — PREPARA- TIONS FOR THE HEW MISSION — ILLNESS AND DEATH OF MR BULLEN. According to the arrangement mentioned at the close of the last chapter, Mesvsrs Bnllen and Geddie proceeded to Upolii to attend the meeting of the mission. It was held early in November; the business on which the brethren went was fully considered, and the result was, a deter- mination to attempt the formation of a mission on Vate, or some other island of the New Hebrides, as the provi- dence of God might direct ; and ]\Ir BuUen was appointed, in conjunction with Messrs Geddie and Archibald, to the important undertaking. Soon after the return of the brethren from Upolu, we were surprised by the arrival of a most unexpected visitor. On the 18th of January 1848, H.M.S. "Dido" called, having on board Bishop Selwyn from New Zealand. The Bishop spent the greater part of two days with us, and we had much very pleasant intercourse. He manifested anything but an exclusive or intolerant spirit. Our regular week-day service was held while he was with us, and he not only attended the service, but took part in it, by giving an address to the natives. His address was given in English, and by me interpreted VISIT OF BISHOP SELWYN. 245 to the natives. He appeared full of missionary zeal, and a very warm friend to the native races. His conduct and bearing towards all the members of our mission were exceedingly kind and Christian ; and in all our subsequent intercoui'se, though some serious difficulties arose in arranging our fields of labour, he uniformly acted as a Christian and a gentleman. With reference to an island on which we had long had teachers at work, to which he took a great fancy, he remarked to me, " I should very much like to have , but I will not take possession of another man's field without his consent; the apostle Paul tells me not to do so, and I Avill not." How much trouble and vexation and mischief might have been avoided, and what a saving might have been effected in missionary resources, if all missionaries and missionary directors had acted an equally honourable and Christian part with Bishop Selwyn ! If the authority of the apostle Paul were allowed to rule as it was in the Bishop's case, all unseemly strife and contention would be at an end. And during the many years that the Bishop went about on his missionary voyages, our missionaries and teachers in the Loyalty Islands and the New Hebrides were in- debted to him for many acts of kindness. In the early days of the New Hebrides mission, especially when Mr and Mrs Geddie were toiling and suffering alone in Western Polynesia, the visits of the kind, genial Bishoji were most seasonable and welcome ; and when Mr and Mrs Ingiis determined to leave New Zealand, where they had laboured for some years, and join the Aneiteum mission, the Bishop brought them and their property in his own vessel to their new station, and I need hardly add, without expense to them and the Society to which they belong. On the whole, the Bishop deserves to be, and is, gratefully and affectionately remembered through- 246 PREPARATIONS FOR PROJECTED MISSION. out our missions, and so lie will continue to be as long as any of those to -whom he was known remain. That he may be long spared, and be very happy and useful in his present important sphere, is, I doubt not, the hearty wish and prayer of all his old friends throughout Poly- nesia.* Soon after the return of the brethren Messrs Geddie and Bullen from Upolu, they set to work to make preparations for their mission. As they expected to be associated in their future labours, they remained together at Leone. The principal thing required was the frame of a house, and that involved a great deal of heavy work, as every bit of wood had to be cut from the bush. The felling of the timber and dragging it down to the village was done by the natives, and some other of the heavier parts of the work was also done by them ; but a large share fell to the lot of the brethren themselves, and there was not a great deal of time in which to get through that and other necessary things. Mr and Mrs Archibald remained with us at Pangopango, and Mr A. employed himself in similar work to that which occupied Messrs Bullen and Geddie. Time wore on, and the arrival of the " John Williams," by which the party expected to proceed to their destined sphere of labour, might not be distant ; Mrs Murray went on to Leone to pay a farewell visit to her dear sister from * Since the above was written, I have observed with deep regret that Bishop Selwyn has adopted a policy, in managing the afiairs of his diocese, which will disappoint and grieve all his old friends in the mission field, viz., that of sanctioning, and of course abetting to some extent, the Romanising jjarty in the Church of England. It seems very sad that so amiable and zealcms a man should countenance and abet practices which are fast work- ing the ruin of the Church which he so much venerates and loves, and of whose interests he is bound to be, and no doubt means to be, a faithful guardian and conservator to the aitmost of his power and influence. Alas ! alas ! what strange and mournful transformations, positions and circum- stances bring about ! ILLXESS OF MR BULLEN. 247 whom she expected soon to be separated, and we were all anticipating, without any misgivings, the speedy carrying out of our plans. Alas ! how wide of the mark were we in our calculations and expectations ! While no warning cloud dimmed our horizon, we were on the eve of a change of wliich none of us had dreamt, which disarranged our plans, and brought a dark and portentous cloud over the great undertaking which we had been regarding with such joyous and hopeful anticipations. A united meeting of the churches of both districts was to be held at Tafuna, a central village, on Wednesday the 10th of ]\Iarch, at which Mr BuUen was to preach, and wliich was to be of a valedictory character, as it was imcertain how soon the "John Williams" would arrive. On Monday, I received a note from ]\Ir Geddie stating that Mr Bullen was not well, and that he would not be able to preach as had been arranged, though he hoped to be present at the service. On the day appointed, I went with the people of our district to' the place of meeting, where I was met by our brother Geddie alone. Mr Bullen's illness had greatly increased, and the symptoms were those of acute rheumatism, brought on by fatigue and exposure. He had been weakened by the hard work in Avhich he and Mr Geddie had been engaged — work to which his strength was not equal, and to which he was quite unaccustomed. While thus weakened, he had gone in company with Mr Geddie to pay a farewell visit to Aoloau, a village on the opposite side of the island. They had a long and very fatiguing walk. It is a most laborious walk even for a person hale and strong. The road is very steep on both sides, and when the mountain ridge is reached in the centre of the island, the traveller is bathed in perspira- tion, and perhaps drenched with rain as well. Such, I think, was the case with our friends on the fatal day 248 PROGRESS OF THE DISEASE. of their journey, and a fresh Lreeze generally blows from the one side or the other, and the temptation of course is very strong to sit down to rest and enjoy the cool breeze ; and to this temptation our friends yielded, and the conse- quence was that Mr Bullen received a chill, which, together with what followed, cost him his life. Meetings were held with the people of Aoloau the same evening, and, on the following morning, he and his friend returned to Leone, again walking across the island. The distance is not very great, perhaps not more than from six to eight miles ; but it is an exceedingly trying walk. Mr Bullen was taken ill immediately on his return home, or rather I suppose he was ill when he reached home, and his illness rapidly increased, and assumed a serious aspect. Mr Geddie, who was tough and wiry, and probably had been more accustomed to fatigue and hard work, escaped with but little inconvenience. After the services at Tafuna, I went on to Leone with Mr Geddie, and found our brother as above described — very ill. He was suffering great pain, but we did not apprehend danger. On the following morning he appeared somewhat better, and as I was much needed at home, I returned on that day to Pangopango. I should have returned again to Leone on Monday morning, as unfavour- able tidings had reached us in the meanwhile ; but Mrs Murray was taken ill on Sabbath evening, and was not in a fit state to be left. I started, however, early on Tuesday, and had the satisfaction to find our friend apparently a little better than he had been. The pain was less severe, and altogether appearances were hopeful. And so they continued till Thursday morning; then he appeared decidedly worse, and in the afternoon of that day his mind began to wander, and throughout the night he was very ill. He was in a high fever, and the disease seemed to be rapidly gaining ground in spite of all our FATAL TERMINATION. 249 efforts to check its progress ; and on Friday morning our worst fears were confirmed. There was no mistaking tlie symptoms ; our friend was evidently dying. Oh, what a sliock did I experience when, drawing aside the curtains on that sad morning, the conviction forced itself upon me that our brother was dying ! and what a sad, gloomy day followed ! The mourniful truth could not he concealed from her on whom the stroke would most heavily fall; and how intensely painful a duty was it to apprise her of what was now at hand ! He w^as speechless during the remaining hours of his life, but retained a degree of consciousness. He could only gaze wistfully on the dear ones he was about to leave, and speak to their hearts by looks of yearning affection, the general import of which it was not difficult to understand ; but his inability to speak was very affect- ing to the mourners who watched around his bed. As passages of Scripture and hymns were repeated, and words of consolation dropped, he signified from time to time that he understood what was being said, and that his mind was in peace. He continued gradually sinking till about three P.M., when he ceased to breathe, and his spirit passed peacefully away to the land of rest : " So fades a summer cloud awaj", So sinks the gale -wlieu storms are o'er, So gently sluits the eye of clay. So dies a wave along the shore." So indeed it was, a calm and peaceful departure. The gale had spent itself, the storm was over, and to him who was gone it was no doubt gain. But, oh ! what a blow had fallen upon those he had left — the widow and her three little ones, who were too young to understand their loss ! The stroke came upon us so suddenly and so unex- pectedly, and, as it appeared to us, so unseasonably, that 250 BURIAL— REMARKS. we all felt it very deeply. Its aspect towards the new mission appeared especially mysterious ; and to us all it looked dark — very dark, on the human side, and we could only find relief by turning to that side which, to the eye of faitli, is ever bright. On the following day, Saturday, the remains of our dear brother were committed to the grave. The grave was dug near the spot where his infant son had been buried about twelve months before ; and, while the digging was in ]orogress, the little coffin was found; so father and son were laid together in the same grave. Before leaving the house of mourning, the soul-cheering words in 2 Corinthians, about the resurrection and the life, wliich have been balm to so many bleeding hearts as the remains of their dear ones have been laid in the tomb, were read; prayer was offered, and an address aiven from Rev. xiv. 13, and then all that was mortal of our departed brother was laid in the grave — in the little burial-ground to which we have already had occa- sion more than once to introduce the reader. There he sleeps, side by side with the beloved Lundie, and other dear ones who have since found a resting-place witliin the same enclosure : — " We laid them clown to sleep, But not in hope forlorn ; We laid them but to ripen there Till the last ^lorious morn." o* On the following day. Sabbath, I sought to improve the solemn event by addressing the natives in the morning from Heb. xiii. 7, and in the afternoon from Heb. xii. 5. It was a great relief and comfort to us all, under the very trying and painful circumstances in which we were placed, that our kind friends Mr and Mrs Geddie were with us. But for their presence at Leone, it would hardly CHARACTER OF MR BULLEN. 251 have been possible for me to have left so soon as I did ; such was the state of things at my own home that my presence there was m^gently needed. Mr BuUen's term of service, as the reader has seen, was short. It was 'not quite seven years. He spent about two years on Upolu, and tlie remainder on Tutuila. He was very warmly attached to missionary work. In early life, when he was yet in his " first love," an earnest desire to be engaged in that work took possession of his mind, and he gave himself to preparation for it with a remarkable degree of warmth and singleness of purpose. The depth aiid sincerity of his attachment to missionary work were severely tested. Discouragements were thrown in his way before which a less ardent attachment and a feebler purpose Avould have given way. Not so, however, was it with our brother. When one door was closed, and hopes that had been highly raised dashed to the ground, he sought to gain his object in another way ; and, after years spent in preparatory studies, he renewed his offer of service for the foreign field ; and he came forth to his long-desired work, and threw himself into it with a zeal and an ardour in keeping with his early pre- ference. It was probably his desire for a wider sphere than he had at Leone, and a wish to break up new ground among the dark regions to the west of Samoa, that led him to offer himself for service there. But that was a work to which his physical strength did not seem equal ; hence his health gave way on the threshold, and his life and labours were brought to what seemed to us an untimely close. He could only have been about thirty- two years of age. His death took place on the 24th of March 1848. And so his brief course closed; he rested from his labours, and his works followed him ; and another of tliose mysterious dispensations which had so often occurred in our mission supplied lessons of warning and 252 LESSOiXS. caution to those of us who were left, teaching us to improve the present, and not to build upon the uncertain future. Very affectingly and forcibly were we taught to cease from man, and to look with greater singleness of heart and simplicity of purpose to Him who is " the same yesterday, to-day, and forever." (253) CHAPTER XXXII. MIS5I0MAEY SERVICES — RETURN OF THE " JOHN -WILLIAMS" FROM ENGLAND — ARRIVAL OF MESSRS ELLA AND SCHMIDT — MEETING OF THE MISSION — ARRANGEMENTS TO MEET THE ALTERED CIRCDMSTANCES WITH RE- FERENCE TO THE NEW MISSION — COMMENCEMENT OF THE MISSION ON ANEITEUM OF THE XEW HEBRIDES — RETURN TO TUTUILA — VISIT TO LEONE — ENCOURAGING STATE OF THINGS IN BOTH DISTRICTS ON TUTUILA — REMOVAL TO LEONE. The " John Williams " did not arrive tiU the 27th of May. In the meanwliile we had our annual missionary services, which were interesting, and the contributions liberal, not- withstanding the depressing circumstances under which they were held. Tlie " John WilHams " had on board our esteemed friends and fellow-labourers Mr and Mrs Miles, who had been to England on a visit, and were returning to their work in Samoa, and reinforcements to our mission, consisting of Mr Ella and Mr and Mrs Schmidt. The vessel made no stay at Tutuda, only waiting to take on board our party, consisting of Mrs Bullen and family, Mr and Mrs Geddie and ourselves, and proceeding at once to IJpolu. On Thursday and Friday of the following week, the 1st and 2d of June, tlie members of the mission met and made the needful arrangements for the new missions. Mr and j\Irs Powell were appointed to fill the vacancy caused by Mr Bullen's deatli. Mr Nisbet was also appointed to oo with the brethren, and with Dr Turner, who ^vas the deputation, to visit the out-stations, to assist in the selection 254 THE NEW MISSION COMMENCED. of a field of labour, and remain for a time, or return with Dr Turner, as might be deemed advisable. Such were the arrangements which led to the commencement of the Presbyterian mission in the New Hebrides. Mr Schmidt was appointed to the station wliich Mr Powell had occupied on Savaii, and Mr Ella took charge of the printing-press, according to his appointment from England. The state of things on the Leeward Islands of the Samoan group was very critical at this time. A war involving all these islands was on the eve of breaking out when we arrived at Upolu, and before we left actual hostilities had commenced. We sailed from Apia for Tutuila on the 19th of June, and anchored at Pangopango on the 22d. On the follow- ing day the " John Williams " left on her return to Upolu, whence she sailed on the 3d of July on a missionary voyage second in interest and importance to none that had yet proceeded from our group. Hitherto, with the exception of the unsuccessful effort to occupy Tanna by foreign missionaries in 1842, we had sent forth native agents only, and only pioneer work had been done. Now we Avere about to attempt, Avith something like an adequate force, to follow up the labours of our teachers by the establishment of a mission under the conduct of men able to meet all the requirements of the work. After a careful examination of the different fields from which the choice had to be made, Aneiteum of the New Hebrides was fixed upon as the most eligible place at which to commence operations ; and the event has proved that the choice Avas made under Divine guidance. The occurrences just narrated left us once more in our OAvn sphere alone, and solitary enough Ave felt after the eventful months that had just passed. Months of very unusual stir and bustle they were to us in our little obscure corner of the Avide Avorld — very pleasant in some of their AFFECTING CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES. 255 aspects, and very sad in others ; and now they, like other times of mingled joy and sorrow that had preceded them, had passed away, and all who had shared with us their pleasures and trials had gone too. Even j\Irs Bullen liad remained on Upolu. It would have been a high gratifi- cation to us could she have continued with us till the time came for her to take her departure for England. Her cir- cumstances, however, were such as to render it desirable that she should be elsewhere. She found a home with her kind friends, Dr and Mrs Turner, with whom she resided, with the exception of a short interval, till she took farewell of Samoa. With the whole island upon our hands we had enough to occupy fully our time and attention ; and in our work, and in Him to whom the work belongs, we found support and consolation. His providence had brought us into the circumstances in which we were placed, and He would not fail us. Shortly after our return from Upolu I paid a visit to Leone. Alas ! how altered the circumstances compared with what they had so recently been ! And how greatly had the station been tried ! Wliat with the building of chapels, and losing their missionaries, the people had been kept more or less unsettled from the commencement of the mission. And they had a very heavy work in hand at the time of ]\Ir BuUen's appointment to the new mission. A large stone dwelling-house for the missionary was in an advanced state ; and now, in as far as present appearances went, they had been labouring in vain. They manifested a very becoming spirit under their trials. My visit on the present occasion was of an encouraging character, and I returned home cheered by what I had seen and heard, and every successive visit confirmed the impression I now re- ceived. I gave a considerable amount of time and atten- tion to the station at the present juncture, and was cheered 256 REMOVAL TO LEONE PROJECTED. and rewarded by growing evidence of progress. At Pan- gopango also the state of things was encouraging. In the month of August, partly on our own account, and partly on account of the peojDle, we thought it our duty to spend some time at Leone. Mrs Murray's health was still very delicate, and having the whole island under our care, it seemed but reasonable that, circumstances per- mitting, we should reside part of our time at Leone. Such were our views and such was our plan, when, about the middle of August 1848, we left Pangopango, and took up our abode there. As it turned out, however, another course was marked out for us. The people of Leone, and the district therewith con- nected, were much pleased with the movement, and seemed very desirous that our sojourn among them should be turned to the best account. Schools and services were well attended, and all went on encouragingly. On the 2d of September we were surprised by the arrival of the "John Williams." She had accomplished the objects of her voyage — the out-stations had been visited, and the new mission commenced under circumstances, on the whole, encourasjinrr. In the meanwhile, a thought had struck us, involving a somewhat serious responsibility. Hence we were glad of an opportunity of naming it to our brethren, Messrs Turner and Nisbet, who were on board the " John Williams," and having their advice in the matter. It had not been deemed necessary for Mr Nisbet to remain at the New Hebrides, and he was now returning to his station in Samoa. It had occurred to us that, as we were now alone on the island, and Mrs Murray seemed to liave her health some- what better at Leone tlian Pangopango, we might as well make Leone our home. The subject cost us much anxious tliought, and many painful conflicts. To take final leave of a place so endeared to us as was Pangopango as our own REMOVAL DETERMINED UPON. 257 station and home, was a step ■which it was painful to con- template. It was some alleviation that we were not going to leave tlie island, and that the station, for a time at least, would still be under our care. It cost us a severe struggle, however, to make up our minds to take the step. The views of our brethren, very kindly expressed, were to the effect that they did not doubt that the step we were con- templating would be cordially approved by the mission, should we decide to take it. This cleared the way so far, and about a month after, our minds having in the meanwhile been fully made up, the vcri] painful duty of intimating our decision to the people had to be under- taken. On the 28th of September I went to Pangopango to spend a few days, and acquaint the people with our deci- sion. Never before was the journey to Pangopango made with so heavy a heart and so anxious a mind. In all my former journeys I had been going home — going to our first and most endeared home, where we had spent the early years of our missionary life, under circumstances fitted to make a very deep impression on the mind, and take a very fast hold of the heart ; now I was going to take a step that would render that home no longer ours. I hoped yet to make many msits to Pangopango, but never again should I approach it as my home. Oh, wliat a break-up did it seem ! And it really was so. We have had many homes since, and to some of these we have been much attached, but around none have our affections clung with equal fondness as they did to the first ; nor will they to any future earthly home. Blessed be God ! there is a home connected with which there are no drawbacks, no regrets — an abiding home, which may be loved without fear of excess, and from which the aftec- tions will never need to be withdrawn. R 258 SE VERING EA RL V BONDS. The making known our decision to the people was, of course, exceedingly painful — painful to me and painful to the people. Tlie spirit which they manifested was some- what relieving. They felt much, but they showed a very becoming spirit. The question of health, whicli had led to the step, made tliem feel that they could not reasonably offer much objection. They knew how long and how severely Mrs Murray had suffered, and they knew that Leone was a more favourable place for her ; lience to have offered much opposition would have seemed unkind. And the fact that we were not going to leave the island was a great alleviation. This, perhaps, prevented them from realising so fully as we did what the step involved. We felt that we no longer stood to them in the same rela- tion we had done, and that a bond was severed that in all probability would never be reunited. Judging from our experience, I should think that no subsequent sphere of labour can be to a missionary all that the first has been — i.e., of course, if his connection with the people of his first charge has been happy, and his work successful. What spring is to the succeeding seasons of the year, what youth is to the successive stages of human life, that is the early years of missionary life to those which follow. Let missionaries therefore make much of their early years and early attachments, and let them not he forward to desire change unless plainly called thereto in the providence of God. Such a call we con- ceived we had now, and nothing afterwards occurred to lead us to doubt that we had been led by a right way. So far the people of Leone were ignorant of our inten- tions. We had no doubt as to how they would feel, and I wished the people of Pangopango to have the information first, and direct from myself. On my return to what was now our home, I got the leading people of the district ENTERING UPON NEW RELATIONS. 259 together, and explained all to tlieni. They gave a hearty- response to our desires and wishes, and so we and they entered into a new and closer relation than had hitherto subsisted between us, and our interview closed with the expression of earnest desires and prayers that the blessing of God might largely rest on our connection. ( 26o) CHAPTEK XXXIII. STATE OF THE MISSION AT THE CLOSE OF 1848 — OCCDRRENCES AT PANGO- PANGO— MISSIONARY MKETINGS LIBERAL CONTRIBUTIONS— PAINFUL DOMESTIC TRIAL— REMARKS THEREON— VOYAGE AMONG THE OUT- STATIONS— STATE AND PROSPECTS OF THE WORK— RETURN OF MR AND MRS POWELL TO SAMOA, AND SETTLEMENT AT PANGOPANGO. OUK removal to Leone proved to be " the beginning of tlie end," as regarded our connection with Tutuila. The object we had in view in making the change was in some measure answered, but not a great while passed before we were called to make another move. In the meanwhile, we went on with our accustomed work, and had much to encourage in both districts. Of course the Leone district had now the greater share of our time and labours, and the people generally seemed earnestly desirous of turning their advantages to account. Our cir- cumstances were such that they probably felt that they had but a slender hold upon us ; and both they and our- selves seemed to feel that we were loudly called to work while the opportunity lasted. Services, schools, &c., were well attended, and everything seemed to receive a fresh impulse. The people set to work, soon after we took up our residence among them, and completed the dwelhng-house, the building of which had been interrupted by the ap- pointment of Mr Bull en to the westward mission ; and all, in as far as the people were concerned, promised fair ENCOURAGING STATE OF THE MISSION. 261 for a lengthened period of uninterrupted prosperity. We had frequent additions to the church, and comparatively few failures. Many of those now admitted had been aroused during the great awakenings in Mr Slatyer's time, and those which followed soon after his departure, and they had been struggling on during all the inter- vening years, but had not, from some cause or other, been received into the church. At Pangopango, too, the state of tilings was pleasing, though there were not the decided symptoms of life and progress which were manifested at this time at Leone. Such were the circumstances under which the year 1848 closed. It had been an eventful year, but as the events that marked its progress have been referred to in their proper place, they need not further detain us. During the early months of this year, 1849, all went on smoothly and encouragingly at Leone ; but the people of Pangopango were startled by two occurrences which were to them of much importance. Tliey lost two Maungas within a few weeks of each other, under circumstances well fitted to arrest attention and lead to reflection. They had been a highly favoured people for many years. A large measure of spiritual prosperity had been granted tliem, and no heavy trials had come upon them similar to what had fallen upon the other district, and now it seemed as if the time had come for them to be tried and proved as their neighbours had been. In the month of May we went on to Pangopango to remain for a short time. We hoped the change would be l)eneficial to the health of our dear child who was in delicate health. We had our annual missionary meetings at Leone before leaving to come on to Pangopango, and those of that district were held during our stay there. The ser- vices were peculiarly interesting at both places, and the 262 A SORE AFFLICTION. contributions were about one-fourth larger than they had ever before been. At Leone the amount of oil collected was about 1500 gallons ; and at Pangopango about 1200 — quite as much in proportion to the number of people and their resources in cocoa-nuts as that of their neighbours. The interesting and encouraging meetings and services connected with our missionary gatherings were but just over, when an affliction came upon us, different in character, and greatly more painful, than anytliing that liad hitlierto befallen us. A few months after the de- parture for England of our then only cliild, God gave us another dear one, as if to comfort us under the trial of separation from the one who was gone. He had been a delicate child from his birth, but he had, as we thought, got over the most critical period, and we fondly hoped that he would be spared to us. He had a very strong hold upon our affections, and was loved and cherished to a degree which was perhaps excessive and perilous to ourselves. Fathers and mothers will understand how his very delicacy and frailty contributed towards strengthening the hold wliich he had upon the hearts of his parents. As already intimated, it was on his account that we had now come on to Pangopango to reside for a time, and the change appeared to be answering the end. He improved considerably, and our hopes of his recovery were samniine. Alas ! it was otherwise determined. Early on the morning of Wednesday, ]\Iay the 24th, he was seized with an illness which, in a few hours, put a period to his mortal existence. For two years and two months the precious gift had been lent to us, and now He Avho gave, for ends wise and kind, was pleased to recall the gift for reasons no doubt equally wise and kind ; but, oh, what a dreadful blow it was, and how deep was the wound it made ! ALL E VL4 TIONS. 263 On tlie day after tlie sad event we returned to Leone, taking witli us the remains of our loved one. In tlie afternoon of the same day the interment took place. We laid him alongside our dear brother who had so lately left us, and there they and other dear ones sleep — a pre- cious deposit — awaiting the resurrection morn : — " Rest, precious dust, lie there an hour ; Ere long, like blossom from the sod, Thou shalt come forth a glorious flower, Fit for the eye of God." * Our dear Eohert Ebenezer was born on the 22d of March 1847, and died on the 24th of May 1849. And so ended his brief day ; but he has not ceased to be. " Of such is the kingdom of heaven." " For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also who sleep in Jesus will God bring witli Him." These and similar words were precious balm to our bleeding hearts during those sad days when the wound was still fresh ; and so indeed they continued to be, but they were specially precious when the need was greatest. It is a merciful arrangement of our gracious Father that time and occupation have the effect of gradually bringing relief from the poignancy of grief, and inducing a calm, which, though mingled with sadness, is not incompatible with a degree of eujo}Tneut, such as the newly bereaved are apt to feel that they will never again taste on this side heaven. But I must refrain. Durino- our time of trial we had a large amount of sympathy and kindness from tlie natives and our faithful friend Gibbons. All they could do to help and alleviate was most kindly done. Teava and his wife were especially helpful to us. Tlie latter had had a great deal to do with * From Bonar's " Hymns of Faith and Hope," slightly altered. 264 ANOTHER MISSIONARY VOYAGE. the child, and she mourned for him as if he had been her own. In her case it was strikingly manifest that, " Skins may differ, but affection Dwells in white and black the same." It was a kind and most seasonable arrangement of Providence, that towards the close of June a call reached us requesting us to take a voyage among our out-stations in conjunction with our esteemed brother Mr Hardie. Nothing could have been more suited to our circumstances, and with thankful hearts we set ourselves to prej)are for the voyage. The " John AVilliams " arrived on Saturday the 11th of August. She remained with us over the Sabbath, and on the follov^-ing day we sailed for Upolu, and anchored at Apia on Tuesday the 14th, and on the 30th we sailed for Matautu, our last place of call in Samoa, and, on the following day, we again sailed, and stood away for the New Hebrides. We had a fine run, and on Friday the 7th of September we reached the first place to which we were bound — Aneiteum of the New Hebrides. Aneiteum was now the head-quarters of the New Hebrides mission, and the place of greatest interest in that group. We were delighted to meet our dear friends Mr and Mrs Geddie, and Mr and Mrs Powell ; and we were specially thankful to find that a little progress was being made. The missionaries and then' families had suffered much from sickness and other causes, and had had great and formidable difficulties to encounter ; but they had been sustained and brought safely through all, and a favourable impression had been made upon the natives, and their confidence had to a considerable extent been gained. For the reason mentioned in connection with other voyages, viz., that full accounts of all our early missionary voyages have long been before the public, I shall not say S/GA'S OF PROMISE AMONG OUT-STATIONS. 265 much with reference to the present. "We had the great satisfaction to find a more encouraging state of things than had been witnessed on any previous voyage. Viewing the missions as a wliole, the tide had e\'idently turned. This was especially the case on the island of Mare. There a change was in progress of a very marked character, and in other fields also there were signs of promise which greatly cheered our hearts. Mr and Mrs Powell returned with us to Samoa. We reached Apia on the 26th of October, and at a meeting of the mission held during our stay on Upolu it was arranged that they should occupy the station at Pangopango. On the 23d of November we sailed from Apia, and on the following day we anchored in Pangopango harbour. On the 26th Mr and Mrs Powell left the vessel, and took up their abode in their new home. They were no strangers, of course, to the people, nor the people to them. They re- ceived a cordial welcome, and so commenced a connection which extended over a period of more than twenty years. (266) CHAPTEE XXXIV. STATE OF THE MISSION ON TUTUILA ON OCR RETURN FROM OUR V0TAt3E — REMARKS RELATIVE TO THE PANGOPANGO DISTRICT — TOUR ROUND THE DISTRICT — PROGRESS AT LEONE — SPECIAL MEETINGS — A HURRICANE OUT OF SEASON — GREAT DESTRUCTION OF HOUSES AND FRUIT-TREES — LAND- SLIP THREE PERSONS KILLED — MAY MEETINGS AND CONTRIBUTIONS AT LEONE — SCARCITT OF FOOD— RESOURCES OF THE NATIVES IN TIMES OF SCARCITY — STORY OF THE CHINESE BANANA— THE SAMOAN NEW TESTA- MENT — REMOVAL FROM TUTUILA TO MANONO DETERMINED UPON. We had tlie happiness to find all quiet on Tutiiila on our return from our voyage, and tlie state of things encouraging on the whole throughout the island. The Pangopango district was in a less satisfactory state than it had been two or three years before, still there was mucli to encourage. It was now between thirteen and fourteen years since we began our labours, and about ten years had passed since the times of revival commenced. A number of those M^ho had been the fruits of the revival had gone to heathen lands ; a still greater number had, as we trust, been gathered into the fold above, and some, no doubt, had left their first love, and fallen into a luke- warm and apathetic state. The time for steady, continuous progress, such as we had been favoured with for so many years, had come to an end, and conflict and trial had begun to be the characteristics of the stage which the mission had now readied. Of course, the station having been without a resident missionary for some time liad not been favourable to its advancement; and another thing. STATE OF THE PANGOPANCO DISTRICT 267 wliicli for a number of years exerted a very unfavourable influence, was the character of tlie man to whom the name of Maunga was given after the death of the two chiefs mentioned in the last chapter. These remarks will give the reader an idea of the difficulties vdih which Mr Powell had to contend on entering upon his new sphere. It had been largely blessed, and comparatively little tried in the past, and now its time of trial had come. We resumed our labours at Leone, after returning from our voyage, under encouraging circumstances. No failures had taken place in the church during our absence ; there had been a great deal of sickness, and many deaths. Twenty-six persons had died, but at the time of our arrival the health of the district was in a satisfactory state, and in every respect there was much to cheer and encourage. Towards the close of December, Mr Powell and I made a tour of the Pangopango district. We were much pleased with what we found in the different villages. ]\Ir Powell was everywhere warmly welcomed ; much gi^ateful satis- faction was manifested on account of his appointment, and many were the wishes expressed that a large measure of blessing might rest upon the connection. During the early months of this year we were occupied as usual with our accustomed duties. At the church meeting at the close of February we had twenty additions to our membership, and few months passed during the remainder of the time we occupied the station without additions more or less. Early in April we were surprised by an occurrence such as we had not before seen at tliat season of the year. Be- fore daybreak on the 5th of that month, a fresh breeze began to blow, and continued to increase till it ended in a heavy gale, which lasted a whole day, and did a great 268 SERIOUS CALAMITIES. amount of damage throughout the island. Large numbers of cocoa-nut and bread-fruit trees, and many houses, were destroyed. Our house, bemg new and substantial, sustained little damage, but Mr and Mrs Powell had to abandon theirs, and seek shelter elsewhere. The most serious thing for us and the people of Leone was that the chapel, on which they had expended so much labour and property only a few years before, was injured to such an extent that it could not again be occupied till it was rebuilt. A great mistake had been made. The walls were of lath and plaster, instead of stone and lime. But for that, the house would in all probability have stood through any storm, and the ultimate saving would have been great. We were much inconvenienced during all the remaining time we occupied the station. The largest houses in the village were at our service, but it required three of these to hold the congregation, so we were obliged to have three separate services every Sabbath, two for adults, and one for chil- dren. Eough weather continued for some days, and led to an occurrence in the Pangopango district which was attended with more serious consequences than the gale. A land-slip from a mountain, near whose base a family dwelt, buried three persons, a young man, a woman, and a child, entirely obliteratinrr all trace of their little hamlet. I visited the fatal spot sooii after the occurrence. The detached mass must have been immense, and must have been precipitated down the side of the mountain with tremendous force. Its track was as smooth as a pavement. Great trees, the growth of ages, which had stood in its way, had been torn up by the roots, and, with immense blocks of stone, had been hurled to a surprising distance after reaching the level ground. No wonder that the poor Samoan house and its unfortunate inmates were swallowed up in the awful manner they were. PERPLEXING CIRCUMSTANCES. 269 Our missionary meetings at Leone this year were held towards the end of May. They were of a very interesting and promising character. The contributions were fully as liberal, considering the circumstances, as those of the pre- ceding year. Not only had there been great destruction among the cocoa-nuts, but a considerable quantity of oil had been lost ; still no symptoms of discouragement, or of a disposition to murmur, appeared among the people. Thus were we being cheered and encouraged with re- ference to the state of the work. Our hopes were being raised, and our desires quickened, and it looked as if we might ere long be favoured with times of special prosperity, such as we had enjoyed in former years ; but changes were at hand. Mrs Murray's health, which had been somewhat improved during our recent voyage, had again given way^ and we began to feel that we must entertain the question of leaving Tutuila, and seeldng a change of climate. The question with us was, whether we should go to Australia or England. We sought advice from our brethren. From them, as on former occasions, we received the kindest sym- pathy. They were ready to sanction any step that we might think it our duty to take, but they strongly recom- mended that, before deciding to go to Australia or England, we should try the effect of a change to another island of the Samoan group. It became, therefore, a subject of anxious deliberation with us what course we should adopt. We were both exceedingly reluctant to leave the mission field, so that a proposal which held out even a faint hope of our being able to remain was readily entertained, and anxiously considered. The question was not settled till the close of October. Hence we had ample time for con- sideration. But to return to what was taking place in the meanwhile at Leone, and to the state and prospects of the mission during these last months of our labours there. The storm 270 RESOURCES IN TIMES OF SCARCITY. was followed by a great scarcity of food. In Samoa, as elsewhere, calamities seldom come alone. A severe storm makes gi-eat havoc among the cocoa-nuts and bread-fruit and bananas in all places exposed to its ravages. The taro plantations, on which article the Samoans depend at least as much as upon the bread-fruit, are not of a character to be much injured by the hurricanes ; but, almost invariably, after one of these comes a caterpillar, which eats up the leaves of the taro, and this renders the root almost, if not quite, unfit for food ; hence famine follows in the wake of the storm, and famine is apt to affect health, so the cala- mity becomes threefold. There is a remarkable provision in the Samoan, and I suppose other groups of islands also, which is of great value to the people in times of scarcity. A yam is found in the bush which grows without cultivation, and which, I think, is never quite exhausted. It is much inferior to the cultivated yam, and is not to be compared with taro, and it has to be dug from a depth of four, five, or more feet, and generally it has to be carried from a considerable distance ; still, it can be got, and, with what bananas and cocoa-nuts may have escaped the storm, it enables the people to struggle along till times of plenty return. I have mentioned bananas, but the bananas indigenous to the islands have a poor chance when a hurricane sweeps over the'in. There is one kind, however, the Chioiese {Musa Cavendishii), which now grows abundantly throughout the South Seas, which is valuable at all times, and especially so when ordinary resources fail, connected wdth which there is a tale worth preserving. When Mr Williams reached Samoa in the "Camden" in 1838, he brought with him a number of plants, which had been furnished by the Duke of Devonshire, with a view to theii' being introduced to the islands of Polynesia. Among these was a root of the Chinese banana. It appeared to Mr STORY OF THE CHINESE BANANA. 271 Williams to have lost its \'itality, and so satisfied was lie of tliis that lie threw it away. It caught the eye of Mi- Mills, who was the missionary at Apia at the time, and it struck him that it miglit possibly grow. At all events, there would be nothing lost by giving it a trial. A trial was made, and the result was that it did grow, and from that apparently dead root, every group, and every in- habited island of any considerable extent south of the equator, has been furnished with the Chinese banana, and its value to the natives is beyond all computation. It is low, and embeds itself more deeply in the soil than the native bananas, and so it escapes, and lives through the ravages of storms which destroy these. It grows with or without culture, but it amply repays the attention which it receives. I have seen bunches from plants that have been tended and cared for, so large as to requke two men to carry them conveniently. And another of its superior qualities is that it bears in a much shorter time than the island bananas. Our teachers have taken the plant, whose value is now so well known, wherever they have gone, and by their means, and that of other parties, the said banana is now found throughout the wide Pacific from Tahiti — I daresay I might include the Marquesas — to the islands of Torres Straits and the mainland of ISTew Guinea. There was a considerable amount of suffering throuo-hout Tutuila at the time of which I now write. It did not, however, appear to exert an unfavourable influence. I was often surprised at Leone to see how the attendance at services, schools, and classes kept uj), not only in the case of those who lived in the neighbourhood, but also of the people belonging to places at a distance. During the months of June, July, August, and onward, there were growing indications of prosperity. As our personal pro- spects became clouded, and our domestic attlictiou deep- 272 THE SAMOAN NEW TESTAMENT. ened, tlie prospects of the mission brightened, and so it continued very much during the remaining months of our residence on Tutuila. In the month of July an event of great interest and importance occurred. A vessel arrived bringing the first instalment of an edition of the Samoan New Testament, which had been printed for us in England by tlie British and Foreign Bible Society. Most of the members of the mission had had a share in the translation and revision of the different books. These had been revised and printed separately at the mission press in Samoa, and, after a second revision, they had been sent to England, and an edition of the New Testament complete, of 15,000, had been printed under the superintendence of the Eev. J. B. Stair, who had been connected with our mission for several years, and had recently retired on account of Mrs Stair's health. The arrival of the whole New Testament, in one neatly bound volume, was quite an event in our mission's history, and awakened a deep interest throughout the group. The volume was sold at 2s. 6d. per copy. It met with a ready sale, and in a few years the entire sum — £1300 odd (tliir- teen hundred pounds) — at which the edition was invoiced to us was paid, and a balance was left to meet incidental expenses. Towards the close of October, a definite proposal was made to us to remove to the island of Manono, and take charse of that and the station connected with it. This brought matters to a point, and rendered a speedy decision necessary. We decided in favour of remaining in Samoa. We would give Manono a trial, and should we after that be obliged to seek a change elsewhere, we should have the satisfaction of feeling that we had done all of which the circumstances admitted to remain in the mission field. So the thing was now settled. We had made up our DECISION TO REMOVE FROM TUTUILA. 273 iiiinds to bid adieu to Tutuila, which had been our home so long, and which was endeared to us by so many hallowed and tender associations. The trials and sufferings through which we had passed, instead of alienating our affections from the island and the people, seemed rather to endear them the more. And it was our first field — our first love — and notwithstandin;:,^ the numerous drawbacks, we had enjoyed a large measure of happiness. Our feelings were THE CHURCH AT LEOXK IN 1875. similar to those we had on leaving Pangopango ; we felt that though we might become attached to other places, and love those among whom our lot might be cast in the future, we should never feel exactly towards any place and people as we did towards Tutuila. And so it has proved. There we spent the spring and early summer of our missionary life, and these can be enjoyed but once. s 274 FOLLOWING THE MASTER'S CALL. We felt, however, that necessity was laid upon us to strike our tent. The indications that our work on Tutuila was done were plain ; the Master was calling us elsewhere, and we were made willing to " arise and depart," following, as we believed, the guidance of His hand. (275) CHAPTER XXXV. LAST DATS ON TCTDILA — VISITS TO PANGOPANGO — LAST SABBATH AT LEONE — DEPARTUKE FOB UPOLU — RETURN WITH MR AND MBS SUNDERLAND TO TUTUILA — RECEPTION AT MANONO — DESCRIPTION OP MANONO — ITS PAST HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION — STATE OF THE MISSION— THE WAR — FIRST PROCEEDINGS AND LABOURS — NOTICE OF MAMOE — SUSPENSION OF THE WAR — VISIT TO AND DESCRIPTION OF APOLIMA — REVISION WORK — RENEWED PREPARATIONS FOR WAR — GLOOMY CLOSE OF 1851. lT~only remains to give the reader a few parting glimpses of our connection with the little island that has occupied our attention so long. Considering its limited extent, and comparatively small population, it may be thought that we have had a great deal to say about it, and our doings and experiences upon it. That thought, however, will perhaps be sufficiently met by its being borne in mind, that what had been done and suffered by ourselves and others durin"- the years that have passed under review had in this, as in all similar cases, relations and issues which cannot be measured by the extent of territory on which they tran- spire, nor the number of those immediately interested and affected — relations and issues inseparably connected with, and related to the evangelisation of the world, and the boundless future here and beyond, with which all our doings and sufferings are indissolubly linked. To allude to a com- mon illustration — How many pebbles had been cast upon the surface of the lake during these iifteen years, and who can calculate the number and extent of the ever- widening circles ? 2;6 LAST VISITS TO PANGOPANGO. " The useful, not the great, The thing that never dies, The silent toil that is not lost ; — Set these before thine eyes. The seed whose leaf and flower, • Tliough poor in human sight, Bring forth at last the eternal fruit, Sow thou, Loth daj' and night." We made up our minds to remove to the Leeward Islands about the close of October, and about the same time Mr and Mrs Powell left Tutuila on a visit to Manua. They did not return till after we had left, so we were alone on Tutuila during the last two months of our residence on the island. These two months were spent in earnest efforts among the teachers and people, with a view to promote their steadfastness and prepare them for the changes that were at hand. Transferring stations from one labourer to another in the early stages of a mission is generally attended with difiicidty greater or less, and sometimes with danger. The people are apt to form an extravagant estunate of their first missionary — to regard everything he does and teaches as the standard of perfec- tion, and to judge of his successor according as he conforms or otherwise to Avhat they regard as the perfect model. Hence the difficulty of his position; and hence the im- jjortance of endeavouring to get the people to look beneath the surface, and make allowance for differences in minor matters. I made two visits to Pangopango during these last days on Tutuila, one about the middle of November, the other early in December, going on Friday and returning home on Monday each time. I will not enter into particidars respecting these visits. I was cheered, on the whole, by what I saw and heard, and parted from the people hopeful with reference to their future. FINAL DEPARTURE FROM TUTUILA. 277 Nothing calling for particular notice occurred at Leone during the remainder of our stay there. At the com- mencement of the year, an opportunity to get to Upolu offered, which we thought it right to embrace. January the 5th, 1857, was our last Sabbath on Tutuila. I preached in the morning from 1 John v. 11, and in the afternoon from 2 Chron. xx. 20 ; and on the following morning we sailed for Upolu, and the next morning, Tuesday the 7th, we were landed at Saluafata, where our kind friends Mr and Mrs Drummond were at that time stationed. During the following week a general meeting of the members of the mission was held, at which it was defi- nitely arranged that ]\Ir and ]\lrs Sunderland and ourselves should exchange stations. Pursuant to this arrangement a' small vessel was chartered, and on Thursday, January the 30th, we, Mr and Mrs Sunderland and myself, sailed for Tutuila. We did not reach our destination till the afternoon of Sabbath. On Monday and Tuesday every- thing connected with landing and shipping goods was finished, and on Wednesday a farewell service was held with the people, and a farewell conference with the teachers, all of whom assembled from both districts. These engagements over, I was ready to depart. Our official connection with Tutuila was at an end, and new scenes and connections were before us. We sailed from Tutuila in the evening, and the fol- lowing day, Thursday, the 6th of February, we reached Apia. Mrs IMurray had come from Saluafata, and was waiting my arrival ; and on the following morning we sailed for Manono, which we reached on Saturday morning, February the 8th. Manono had been without a resident missionary smce the death of Mr Heath in May 1848. Mr Sunderland, in whose district it was included, had resided on the ad- jacent coast of Upolu. At the time of our removal to the 278 DESCRIPTION OF MANONO. island, the long war, in wliicli it was deeply involved, was in progress. Hence we found things in a very rough state. The few people who stood aloof from the war had put up temporary houses on the mission premises, and formed a little settlement in which they lived together, and they had thrown up a rough stone wall around the mission- house, that it might form a sort of fortress in case of a fight taking place in the neighhourhood. The wall in front was close to the doors and wmdows, darkening and almost blocking up the house, and giving the place about as dismal and repulsive an appearance as can well be imagined. However, before proceeding further, it may be well to give the reader a little information about the island which for the present was to be our home. Manono is a pretty little spot. It is circular in shape, and rises in the centre to an elevation of one hundred and fifty or two hundred feet, and slopes gradually down to the sea. It does not much exceed three miles in circumference. It is covered with bread-fruit and cocoa-nuts, bananas, and trees and plants of smaller dimensions. The bread-fruit so largely predominates as to give it at a distance almost the appearance of a bread-fruit grove. Taro, except to a very limited extent, cannot be raised upon the island, but it is famed for the production of yams, superior to any that are found in other parts of the group. The greatest privation to a family residing on the island is the want of good water. A drink of good water cannot be obtained on Manono. There is an abundant supply of cocoa-nuts, however, and one soon gets reconciled to the substitute which they furnish. The island lies about four miles to the west of Ujiolu, and is enclosed in the same reef with that island. About five or six miles distant lies the small island of Apohma, and beyond that, at the distance of from ten to fifteen miles, is Savaii, the largest island of the group. Thus POLITICAL STANDING. 279 Manoiio is placed in the bosom of the Leeward Islands, and this — its central situation — and especially its proxi- mity to Apolima, and interest in that island, may account in some measure for the influential position to which it had attained in the group, and which it had maintained for many generations. When tlie gospel was introduced to Samoa, there was no place on the Leeward Islands equal to it in political influence and importance. At the time we took up our abode upon it, it had lost much of its ancient 2^restige, though it was still an important place. Had its rulers adapted themselves to the new order of things which Christianity introduced, instead of attempting to carry matters with a high hand, they might have continued to maintain an honou.rable and influential place ; whereas, by adopting a policy similar to what they had pursued in the days of heathenism, they had involved the islands in the war that was now in progress, and, to a great extent, lost their own standing and influence. To them it had happened, as sooner or later it always will happen to those who adopt the course which they adopted, " He that exalteth himself shall be abased." At the time of which we now write, the number of people properly belonging to the island was about one thousand — but there were settlements on the larger islands which were considered as belonging to it, and almost the whole of the large island of Savaii and it were in close political alliance. And at the time to which we now refer, and for many years after, it could still wield a powerful influence, as has been proved of late years both to its own cost and that of others. After the cessation of the war which was now in progress, and an interval of X3eace stretching over many years, it again stirred up strife, which led to a general war throughout the Leeward Islands, and now its influence is almost entirely gone. But to return: We found on our arrival a number of 28o STATE OF THE MISSION. the leading people at home, and by these we were very cordially welcomed. On the day after our arrival, which was the Sabbath, I went round the island, and preached at the three villages at wliich the people were accustomed to have their services ; and on Monday I had an interview with the leading chiefs with reference to the war, and begged them to use their influence to get it brought to a close. This they intimated their willingness to do, but they expressed their conviction that things had gone too far to admit of a settlement without further fiwhtins; ; and stated that on the following day they were going to start for the fort as an attack was considered imminent. The war, of course, had brought everything to a stand as regards missionary work. The cliurch was broken up ; the bulk of the people, old and young, were continually on the move going to and from the seat of the war ; some were in exile, and those that remained were in an excited and unsettled state, as an attack might be made upon the island any day or hour, and those belonging to it be treated as in former times tliey had been accustomed to treat others. A few church members remained on the island who had stood aloof from the war ; and they, with the teachers, three in number, kept close to us, and formed a little select community. The most remarkable man among these was Mamoe, who will be remembered, it may be, by some of our readers as having been in England many years ago, and having excited considerable interest in many parts. He and his wife accompanied Mr and Mrs Mills when they visited England in 1846, and returned with them to their native land in 1848. An excellent portrait of Mamoe may be seen in Dr Turner's " Nineteen Years in Polynesia." He was a shrewd, sensible man, and a faithful, attached friend and helper to us. He belonged to one of the most influential families on Manono, THE NATIVE TEACHER MAMOE. 281 that of which Matctau, mentioned in Mr "Williams' "Missionary Enterprises," was the head. From an early period of our mission's history till his death he acted as a teacher, and laboured zealously and usefully for the good of his countrymen. He was subject to fits, occasioned, it was supposed, by an injury which he had received in his head in the days of darkness, and this led to his life being brought to a mournful close. He went out to sea alone in a small canoe to fish, and was not again heard of It was supposed that he had been seized with a fit, and had fallen into the sea and been drowned. It is sad to think of Mamoe as terminating his life in the manner he did. It really matters little, however, how the Christian dies. The circumstances and manner of his death, of course, aftect not in any degree the glory which awaits him in the blessed beyond : " Who dies in Christ the Lord, dies well, Though on the lonely main ; As soft the pillow of the deep, As tranquil the uncurtained sleep. As on the couch where fond ones weep ; And they shall rise again."* Though so many of the people of the island were gene- rally absent at the war-camp, we had often large numbers with us for longer or shorter terms. The island was the head-quarters of one of the w^ar parties, and it lies right in the way between Savaii and the seat of the war on Upolu. Hence it was often crowded with warriors passing to and fro, and to such I had frequent opportunities of preaching the gospel. Those who happened to be with us on the Sab- bath would generally, with few exceptions, q,ttend at least one service ; and some, who had been dragged into the * Bonar, " Hymns of Faith and Hope," second series, p. 64. 282 WORK ON MANONO. war by circumstances, would embrace every opportunity that offered. I was accustomed to preach at each of the three vil- lages on the Sabbath, and to give an evening to each during the week ; so few could call at the island, and remain for two or three days, without my coming in contact with them. Soon after our settlement on the island schools were resumed, both on week-days and Sabbaths, for the benefit of those who stood aloof from the war, and any comers and goers who chose to attend. On the first Sabbath in March, in the midst of rumours of war, we observed the ordinance of the Lord's Supper with the little remnant of Church members who had kept out of the war — i.e., with those of them who remained on the island, for some had gone elsewhere. The exact num- ber of Church members I could not ascertain, as no church book was forthcoming, and the members were scattered hither and thither, and no one was able to furnish correct information. Three candidates for Church membership remained. At this time skirmishes were of almost daily occurrence between the different war parties, and ones and twos were being killed or wounded, and reports were incessantly reaching us as to the sad things that were taking place, and that were likely to take place, generally much exag- gerated, and sometimes entirely false. We knew little at this time of the dilatory manner in which the Samoans were accustomed to carry on their wars ; hence we were in daily expectation of hearing that a decisive engagement had taken place. Day after day and week after week passed, however, and reports kept pouring in upon us of dreadful things occurring and impending, yet nothing de- cisive was done. Early one morning we were startled by an announcement STARTLING ANNOUNCEMENT. 283 that the enemy had actually arrived, and as it was fully expected that when they did make an attack, Mauouo, as having stirred up the mischief, and having been little accustomed to show mercy to others in bygone days, would not find much mercy now, the intelligence was anything but agreeable. The report abroad was that Manono was to be made a desolation — the disturber of the peace in Samoa was to be rendered powerless for all time to come. I hastened to the spot where the hostile party were said to have landed, and was relieved by finding that the report was incorrect. Intense excitement, however, was occa- sioned throughout the island. Those belonging to the war i)arty who remained at home — old people and women and children — were cleared off with all possible speed, and taken to places where they would be likely to be safe in case of an attack, and the alarm and excitement were about as great as they could well be. The thing reported was so probable, and it was just what had been expected and dreaded ; hence it met at once with full credence from almost every one, and few seemed to pause and inq^^ire into its truth. Just as we were expecting matters to come to a crisis — when a conflict more serious than anything that had yet occurred seemed inevitable — we were surprised and de- lighted by a report which seemed credible that there was a fair prospect of the matters in dispute being adjusted with- out further bloodshed. Both parties appeared tilled of the miserable strife, and disposed to listen to proposals of peace. Such proposals were made, and so far entertained, that there was a lull which lasted for some months, and was a great relief from the constant strain that had been upon us from the time of our settling upon the island. Appearances were so promising at this time, that many of the people seemed to entertain strong hopes that the war was really at an end. To such an extent was this the 284 EFFECTS OF THE WAR. case, that numbers returned to their lands, and to the spots where their homes had once been ; for of these there were, in many cases, only the charred remains. Places where floimshing and smiling villages once stood were now scenes of desolation and ruin, and but for the remains of human dwellings, and in some cases a deserted chapel that was fast going to ruin, and perhaps the rude monuments that marked the resting-places of the dead — but for such objects as these their sites would not have been distinguish- able from the surrounding bush. Such w^as the havoc which the horrid war had made ; and alas ! the effects which it had left upon material things were but too correctly emblematic of the moral and spiritual desolation it had wrought. The reader w^ill readily understand how all the better-disposed among the people, in common with ourselves, hailed the symptoms that now appeared, that an era of peace had at length opened upon us. Connected with the Manono district is Apolima, already mentioned. It is a very remarkable little spot. It is evidently the crater of an extinct volcano.* Perpendicular cliffs rise abruptly out of the sea, and completely surround it, except at a single point on the north-west side. Here there is a small break in the crater, which admits the waters of the ocean, and forms a small bay, where a boat can lie safely when once it is inside, but the entrance is exceed- ingly narrow and diflficidt — often unapproachable. The basin of the crater is covered with luxuriant vegetation from the centre to the circumference, and, with the houses of the natives nestling in its bosom, it looks a beautiful and inviting spot, " presenting an impressive contrast to the dreariness and desolation without." f The island is only about two miles in circumference. It had a population at the time of which we write of about 250 or 300. From the * The name is formed from a'po, hallow, and lima, hand, t See Williams' "Missionary Enterprises," pp. 487, 488. VISIT TO APOLIMA. 285 description we have given, it will be seen with how much ease it can be turned into a fortress, that, with little difficulty, can be defended against any attack that could be made with such implements of war as the Samoans possessed in their heathen state. All that was necessary was to keep the narrow pass well guarded, which was easily done, and to this natural fortress the people of Manono were accustomed to retreat when driven to extremities. In the month of June I made a visit to this interesting little spot. Mrs Murray went with me, and we spent a few hours very pleasantly among the people. They, at that time, professed to be of the Tongan religion, as it was called, i.e., Wesleyanism, and were shy of us because we were, as they said, of the Tahitian religion.'* We had one Church member on the island, and she belonged to a family of some importance. From her we received a warm welcome, and we were very kindly entertained in her family. Mr Heath visited the island once, but he was not allowed to preach because he was of the Tahitian religion. In my case the people were much less exclusive. They not only allowed me to preach, but to have the service in their chapel. I avoided making any allusion to either the supposed Tahitian religion or the Tongan religion, and addressed the little congregation from the words, "We preach Christ." It was the first time, so far as I know, that the gospel had been preached by a white missionary on Apolima. It is a very awkward place to visit, as an arrange- ment cannot be made beforehand. An opportunity has to be waited for when wind and weather will allow ; and when an entrance is, effected, a sudden change of weather * In the sense in which they meant it, they were as much of the Tahitian religion as we were, and gone about was most cheering. The work was com- menced on the last day of January, and towards the close of March it was completed. A very eligible site was obtained near the centre of the bay. The roof, which originally was nearly flat, was raised to within a little of the ordinary pitch of roofs, and lined with timber, which was a vast improvement both as regards comfort and appearance. New seats were procured ; a new pulpit was supplied; and various other improvements made. The length of the house was forty feet, and the breadth twenty, so there was ample accommodation, not only for our ordinary. A MISSIONARY TOUR. 343 but for our extraordinary congregations, A school house was erected close by, and the whole was enclosed in a neat fence. The amount of money expended was £120 ; and some of the members of our community gave, in addition to money, materials and also time and labour. AVhile tlie work of removing and rebuilding the cl.apel was in progress, I visited the large districts of Falealili and Aleipata on Upolu, wliich, at the time, owing to late changes, were without missionary superintendence. These districts, and also a third, Safata, had for several years been under the care of Mr Stallworthv, till he was moved to Malua. I left home on my rather long journey on the 31st of January, and was absent till the 21st of February. A few days, including a Sabbath, were spent in the Saluafata district, on my way home. My tour was interesting. ]\ly work consisted in holding meetings and conferences with the teachers, conversing with candidates, holding Church meetings, examining schools, preaching, and kindred engagements. It was cheering to find everywhere indications of progi'ess. I visited five central points, at each of which the adults and children came together from the neighbouring villages, and from which visits were made to some of the leading vil- lages at convenient distances. Our services and engagements were occasions of great interest, delightfully congenial to me, and apparently much enjoyed by the teachers and people, whose kindness and liberality to me and my boat's crew were manifested in the most hearty manner. I conversed with 234 candidates for admission to the churches, and out of these we selected 145 to be admitted by the teachers, after a further short probation, should all continue satisfactory. My first Sabbath was spent at Sapunaoa, where Mr Stallworthy had resided. I trust the time spent there was profitable both to me and to the people ; but there was 344 AFFECTING CHANGES. inucli in the circumstances fitted to induce feelings of sad- ness. How changed was all since my last visit, and in how short a time had the changes occurred ' Scarcely twelve months had passed since Mr Stallworthy had moved to his new sphere of labour, and now his course was finished ; his M'ife was a widow, and his children fatherless, and being borne away from the home of their childhood to see it no more. The house which the Kttle ones used to fill with glee was silent now ; around, the bush was gaining the mastery, and everything wore an air of melancholy. I slept in the little sanctum which the venerable patriarch, Wilson, occupied, and mused much on the past, and found it soothing and relieving to think of the land of reunion, where broken links shall be re-knit, and all the scattered members of the great family regathered to be scattered no more. The only thing that seemed unchanged was the little graveyard in front of the mission-house, where Mr and Mrs Wilson, and the first Mrs Stallworthy, and another worthy member of our mission — Mrs Schmidt — sleep. The stones which mark their respective resting-places, and the fence which enclosed them, had not yet been much affected by time and climate, though they too would soon show symp- toms of decay. Blessed be God — " For the land of the undying,', On which no blight nor curse is lying, Where all is holiness, And, everlasting peace." * On my return home I found all going on as when I left. The work of the chapel was proceeding apace, and on the 25th of March we were able to have service in it. On that day I preached from Revelations xxii. 17, and fervent were my desires, and those of others of my fellow- worship- * Bonar's " Hymns of Faith and Hoi>e." Second Series, p. 196. PROGRESS AMONG THE NATIVES. 345 pers, that our renewed cliapel might prove to us a Bethel indeed, and that at the great day of revelations it might be said of very many " that this and that man was Lorn in her," and " that the Highest Himself might establish her." Among the natives we continued to have cheering indi- cations of progress. The number of candidates and Church members was steadily increasing, and the state of things altogether wore a healthy aspect. In the middle of April I made a visit to Saluafata, and was cheered by symptoms of a revived state of things in that district. Thirty-two members were admitted to the Church during this visit, and seventeen proposed. Tlie next noticeable occurrence which took place was an event of much interest, especially in the then weakened state of the mission — the return of an old and much- esteemed fellow-labourer, accompanied by a young brother. On the 30th of April Mr Drummond, who had been to England on a visit, returned recruited in health, and accompanied by a lady, who lent him very effective aid during the remaining years of his missionary life ; and along with Mr Drummond were a young couple, Mr and Mrs Gee, whom we were also glad to welcome to our field of labour. Mr and Mrs Drummond were appointed to occupy the vacant station at Ealealili, and Mr and Mrs Gee took charge of the station on Savaii lately occupied by Mr Msbet, who had moved to Malua after the death of Mr Stallworthy. The improved state of things in my own sphere showed itself this year in the increased liberality of the people.. For some time past I had thought that by the adoption of more system and method in the mode of raising our contri- butions, a larger amount might be collected than had hitherto been; but that alone will not account for the great increase we had this year. Our meetmgs at Apia were held on the 2d of May, and 346 GREATLY INCREASED LIBERALITY. the amount raised for the London Missionary Society was £135, and for home over £100. The meetings in the Saluafata district were held towards the close of May. The services were interesting and fruitful. The united contributions of the two districts amounted to a little over £200 for the London ]\iissionary Society, and for the support of native pastors a like sum ; so that over £400 was raised for home and abroad. About the middle of July, I spent a few pleasant days in the Saluafata district. There were encouraging symptoms in the smaller villages. Large congregations assembled, and numbers professed attachment to the Saviour, and were seeking admission to the Church. Out of those with whom I conversed, eighteen were selected, and proposed for admission, and thirty-two, who had been proposed on a former visit, were now received. One part of the district, the most distant, to which I have not yet introduced the reader, was in a very backward state. It consists of a bay about seven or eight miles deep, and from two to three miles in breadth. It is named Fangaloa (long or deep bay), and is one of the most remarkable-looking places on L^polu. It is surrounded by steep and lofty mountains, rising to a height of some 1800 feet or more ; and on one side, at a short distance, is a mountain named Matafao, whicli rises to the height of 2300 feet. It is the highest mountain on Upolu. The mountains are clothed to their summits with large wood, interspersed with cultivated patches, and, like other parts of the group, exhibit unceasingly all the year round the blended beauties of spring, summer, and autumn. On one side of the bay there are no less than three water- falls, which, descending like streams of liquid silver tlirough the bright-green foliage, look very beautiful. And there are small bays within the main one, in which the villages of the natives are embosomed, surrounded by bread-fruit groves, and shaded by lofty cocoa-nuts, bending their DESCRIPTION OF FANGALOA. 347 featliery tops in graceful beauty over the scene. There are five of these small bays within the large one, and two out- side, one of w^hich is double, and has in it two hamlets ; so the villages of Fangaloa are reckoned eight. The bay, on the whole, is one of the grandest and most picturesque spots on Upolu, but it is open to the sea, and there is nothing to break the force of the waves, which roll in often in large volume from the ocean before the prevailing trade winds. Moreover, the holding ground is bad, so vessels cannot anchor with safety. There is a beautiful reef inside, which extends all round close to the shore, and protects the villages from the incursions of the sea, and adds much to the beauty of the scene. At this time the state of the people formed a contrast rather than a counterpart to the beauty of the heritage which God in His providence had assigned them. Fan- galoa had been the headquarters of the sca-forccs of the district to which it belongs from of old ; hence in times of war it generally came in for its full share of the evils and calamities which follow in the train of that hateful scourge. And in this respect the late war had been no exception to the general rule. Hence, w^hen the station came under my care, I found things in a very low state. They soon began to revive a little, however. During the present visit, I found among the candidates only two who appeared eligible for admission to the Church ; but my visits were always well received, and the people were willing, and many of them interested listeners to the Divine message ; and there was soon, by the blessing of God on the means employed, a considerable change for the better. Towards the close of this year an important and very agreeable change took place in my personal circumstances. The intelligence I had been receiving from Sydney from time to time was of such a character as to make it exceed- ingly difficult to decide as to the path of duty. Our 348 CHANGE IN PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. hearts were in Samoa ; my labours seemed to be required there at the time (I do not forget that the Master is in no way dependent upon any of His instruments, but I speak as looking at the thing from a human point of view) ; I was very happy in my work, and God appeared to be smiling upon it ; but there was the old difficulty — health. Thus we were in a painful strait, and, with a view to having the matter brought to a point, I had proposed to Mrs Murray, that if there seemed any likeli- hood of her being able to stand the climate of Samoa, after her long residence in Sydney, she should return and give it one more trial. And now, at the close of October, I had the happiness of welcoming her return. The committee of management of the missions of. the Wesleyan body in Sydney kindly gave her a passage in their mission ship the " John Wesley," and on the 31st of October she reached Samoa. It was two years and nine months since her departure, and two years and a half since I left her in Sydney, so she had had a long change, and the consequence was that, by the blessing of God, her health was much improved ; but past experience forbade our being sanguine with reference to the future. We rejoiced to be per- mitted once more to resume our much-loved work to- gether, but our joy was mingled with forebodings. We rejoiced with trembling. ( 349 ) CHAPTEK XLIII. PROSPECTS AGAIN DARKENED — A 'WEEK-SERVICE IN ENGLISH — SPECIAL SER- VICES THROUGHOUT THE MISSION — MISSIONARY MEETINGS AND CONTRI- BUTIONS FOR HOME AND ABROAD FOR 1861 REMARKABLE CONVERSION OF ONE OF OUR FOREIGN SETTLERS — TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR ARRIVAL IN SAMOA — ENCOURAGEMENT AMONG THE FOREIGN COM- MUNITY RETURN OF THE " JOHN WILLIAMS " FROM ENGLAND — ARRIVAL OF MESSRS LAWES AND BIRD OUR CASE DECIDED — FAREWELL SERVICES AND PARTING SCENES DEPARTURE STATE OF THINGS IN THE APIA AND SALUAFATA DISTRICTS IN MAY 1862. The year 1860 closed upon us, and the new year opened with a blink of sunshine. It was hut a blink, however. Our sky was speedily overcast, and months of trial and conflict succeeded, as sharp perhaps as any through which we had passed in the mission field. It soon became unmistakably evident that we must leave the work we so much loved; and what made the thought of this so deeply painful was, that we could not entertain the hope of being able to return. About the middle of this month, December 1860, a weekly English service was commenced in addition to tliat held on Sabbaths. Many solemn and delightful seasons did we enjoy at our week evening services. They were continued till the time of our departure, and the interest kept up and increased to the last. At the time we left, the attendance was nearly as large as on Sabbaths, and there were very hopeful indications that the services were not in vain. 350 SPECIAL SERVICES— LIBERAL CONTRIBUTIONS. In the last week of December a general meeting of the members of the mission was held, at which the state of religion among our churches, and throughout the group, was talked over, and it was arranged that special services should be held at all our stations in the first week of January, with a view to bring about an improved state of things. Meetings were held accordingly, and it became in Samoa, as elsewhere, an institution that the first week in January of each year should be a time of special prayer for the prosperity of the work of God throughout the world. During the early months of this year everything went on encouragingly throughout my own district. Our annual missionary meetings were held as usual in May, and the contributions, both for home and abroad, reached a higher figure than they had ever done before. For the London Missionary Society we had from the two districts — Apia and Saluafata— £224, 2s. 3d., and for home £203, 13s. Soon after the missionary meetings we were cheered by an occurrence which deserves a particular record. For a length of time, though there had been much to cheer, and much to encourage hope among the foreign residents, there had been no decided case of conversion. Now a case occurred of a very remarkable character. The cir- cumstances were such as effectually to hide pride from man, and to secure the undivided praise to Him to whom belong " wonders of grace," and who is able, not only out of seeming, but out of real evU to educe good, Tlie case, the particulars of which we are about to give, had its origin in a disturbance which all but led to fatal results ; so that God did literally make the wrath of man to praise Him, and restrain the remainder of wrath. The said disturbance took place on the 8th of June of the year which we are now reviewing, 1861. The prin- cipal actor in the affair was one of our foreign settlers — a REMARKABLE CONVERSION. 351 native of tlie United States of America, who had been in Samoa for a number of years. He was a man of energetic character; he had had considerable educational advantages, and was possessed of more than an average share of capa- city and intelligence. Hence he was not a man to be a cipher. Tor good or evil he would make his influence felt. Unhappily, up till the time of which we now waite, he had thrown himself, with all the native energy of his character, into the service of the devil, and he had been a decided and sometimes a violent opponent of all that tended to thwart him in his reckless course. Missionaries were the special objects of his aversion, and often did he employ his tongue in holding up them and their work to reproach and scorn. This was not to continue, however, and the time had now come when an effectual arrest was to be laid upon him. He had for a length of time been the keeper of a rjrog-slwp and 'howling-alley, of which he was part owner, and he did not always drink in modera- tion. On the day named above, he had been indulging freely; and in company with another man, perhaps tlie lowest and most infamous man in our community, he rushed off to a place at a short distance from his home, to avenge an insult which he supposed had been offered to his wife. He carried a loaded gun. Proceeding to the place where he understood the supposed offender to be, he de- manded of the gentleman in whose employ he was that he should be given up. This, of course, was refused ; and in his rage and frenzy, he fired off his gun and wounded a native. Happily the wound was not in a vital part, but, in as far as he was concerned, it might as well have been so. Matters had now reached a point beyond which they could not be suffered to go. By some means he was in- duced to go home, and, when the effects of tlie drink wore off, and he came to his sober senses, he was smitten with remorse, and was horrified at the idea of having come so 352 BROUGHT TO DECISION— PEACE FOUND. near committing murder. His first impulse was to take a determined stand against the demon of intemperance which had been the immediate cause of his having so narrowly escaped incurring the guilt of murder. So he took the total abstinence pledge. The gentleman with whom he advised on that point remarked to him, that merely taking the pledge would not do much for him ; meaning that unless he sought help from God, he would not be able to keep it. He replied to the effect that he had sought help. It ought to be mentioned that he had a "pious mother, whose prayers had no doubt followed him through all his wanderings, and recollections of whom had, we may be sure, sent many a pang of remorse through his hardened soul even at his worst times. Soon after the above occurrences I saw and conversed with him. He was no longer shy of missionaries. His distress continued for some time. I saw him almost, if not quite, daily, while he continued an anxious inquirer, feehng his way after peace. His burden pressed heavily, but ere a great while " God's way of peace " was understood and embraced, and rest was found. He was enabled to come to Christ, and in so doing he found his case met and his burden gone. But what of the after effects ? "Were these such as to evince that the persecutor, the blasphemer, and the all but murderer, had really undergone a saving change, and passed over to the ranks of those who are washed, and sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of God ? Let the reader form his own judgment. The change which came over him found him, as we have seen, the keeper and part owner of a grog-shop and bowling-alley, and one of the first things that pressed upon his conscience after his change was that he ought to give that up, and seek some mode of obtaining a living that would free him from the guilt and responsibility of contributing to the FRUITS MEET FOR REPENTANCE. 353 ruiu, temporal and eternal, of his fellow-creatures. But there was a serious difficulty. In as far as he was indivi- dually concerned the way was clear, but he was not sole owner of the business and premises. It was a partnership concern, and his partner was in Australia at the time. Of course he must act honestly and honourably towards him ; and how was this to be accompKshed if the business were given up ? He was in a sore strait, and some time passed — I think about three weeks — before he saw his way out of the difficulty. During that time the business dragged heavily, his burden becoming more and more intolerable. A well-meaning but mistaken friend suggested a compro- mise : if his conscience would not allow him to go on with his business, employ some one else to act for him. He had light enough and right feeling enough to reject at once that proposal. At length he hit upon a plan which met the case, and afforded striking evidence of his sincerity — and, perhaps I may add, strength and decision of character. He determmed to close the grog-shop, and, in addition to the loss which he would thereby sustain, he would hold him- self bound to indemnify his partner for his share of the loss, by paying him on his return his share of the average profits that would have been realised during the interval from the time of closing the concern till his return, when he woidd arrange to pass all over into his hands. So the grog-shop was closed, and there it stood day after day, bearing a silent but most impressive testimony to the genuineness of the change which H. had undergone. It went far at the time towards stoj^ping the mouths of gainsayers, and con- vincing all that he was in thorough earnest. One of his former associates — one, by the way, who has since come to a miserable end by persisting in a course of intemperance — said to me, " I know H. ; if he had not been in earnest he would not have acted as he has done." H. now turned to pursuits which he could follow with a z 354 PERSECUTION BRA VEL V BORNE. good conscience ; God blessed and prospered him, and he never had occasion to regret having acted out his conscien- tious convictions. He was now in all external respects a new man ; and, instead of being a persecutor and injurious, his lot was cast in with the people of God, and in various ways he sought to advance the cause which formerly he had laboured to destroy. The change was so marked, and the evidence of its gen- uineness so clear, that all was quiet for a time. By and by, however, the enmity which, in the case of some of his old associates, had only been repressed, burst out into active persecution. His premises were attacked, the fence which enclosed his dwelling-house was broken down, and the house itself pressed upon by drunken scoundrels, who fiercely assailed him with insulting and abusive language. By judicious firmness he succeeded in preventing his assailants from entering the house. They were induced to desist, and, perhaps, becoming afraid of the consequences to which their violent conduct might lead, they ceased their attempts to annoy H., and left him to go on his way immolested. He bore the trial bravely, and all redounded to the glory of God, and contributed to his steadfastness and fruitfulness. An interesting circumstance occurred soon after he en- tered upon his new course. A chandelier had been ordered from Sydney to light and adorn the grog-shop, and, of course, to make it more effective in alluring victims to their ruin. It was rather a grand affair for Apia in those days ; but, when it reached its destination, it was no longer needed for the purpose for which it had been intended. We were just in want of such a thing for our chapel, so instead of lighting and ornamenting a gin-palace, it was transferred to the house of God ; and there testified to the reality of the change that had lately startled our commu- nity. DANGER OF TEMPORAL PROSPERITY. 355 Many years liave passed since the time of which we write, but till within a recent period H. was still identified with the cause and people of God. I trust he will be enabled to hold fast the beginning of his confidence stead- fast unto the end ; and that the close of his career will be in keeping with its striking and hopeful beginning. Tem- poral prosperity with the favour and smiles of the ungodly, as all experience proves, is much more dangerous to the Christian than poverty and persecution ; and a pretty large share of the former has fallen to the lot of H. of late years. I trust, however, that he will be kej)t steadfast amid all, and be found at last among the number of those who, having been faithful unto death, have obtained the crown of life. The 11th of June of this year was the twenty-fifth anniversary of our arrival in Samoa. I will not trouble the reader with any detailed account of the feelings and exercises to which this gave rise. The review of a quarter of a century of one's life and labours is of course a very solemn affair, and gives rise to feelings of a very conflicting character — at least so it was in my case. A deep tinge of sadness mingled with aU, arising from the fact that it was now plain that we must tear our- selves away from Samoa, and from the work to which our hearts so fondly clung. This was the dark cloud which shaded our path, and it was to us very dark ; no silver lining was visible. Under other circumstances, we should have entered upon the new period of our labours with joyous hearts and buoyant spirits. As it was, however, we were sore oppressed, and carried about with us continually a burden, which became more and more heavy as the end drew near. While thus exercised and thus circumstanced, the " John Williams " arrived from England, and her arrival brought matters to a crisis. The " John Williams " reached Samoa on the 23d of 356 ARRIVALS FROM ENGLAND. July, Lringing a valuable addition to our staff of labourers. This consisted of the Eev. P. G. Bird and the Eev. W. G. Lawes. The arrival of these brethren was specially opportune, as we were much in need of help in Samoa, and a missionary was urgently needed for Nine. On that island a wonderful work had been in progress for several years, and the time had fully come when a missionary was needed to step in and take the helm. Mr Lawes was ap- pointed to occujDy the important post, and Mr Bird took charge of the Faasaleleaga, a large district on Savaii. At the same meeting at which these appointments were made, held on the 30th and 31st of July, our case was considered, and the decision to which we had felt con- strained to come was approved, as the only thing practicable under the circumstances. It was something of a relief that it was arranged that we should close our mission life, as we then supposed we were doing, by a missionary voyage. The " John Williams " was about to visit our stations in the New Hebrides and Loyalty Islands, and I was commissioned to proceed in her, to visit the stations already formed, and take any steps towards extension in the Northern New Hebrides that might be practicable and appear advisable. It was left an open question whether we should return to Samoa, and thence take our departure for Australia, or whether we should leave the " John Williams" when our work was complete, and remain at the New Hebrides, and wait there an opportunity to go to Sydney. Taking all the circumstances into account, we decided upon the latter course ; so all that now remained for us to do in Samoa, was to wind up oiu' affairs and make arrangements for our departure. This had to be done in a very hurried manner, and perhaps it was as well that it was so. It was no desirable thing that our stay should be prolonged, now that Samoa was no longer our home. The meeting at which the arrangement was made DEPARTURE FROM SAMOA. 357 closed on the 31st of July, and on the 12th of the following month, we embarked on board the " Jolni Williams," and took, what we believed at the time to be, our final leave of Samoa. I will not enter into particulars, or dwell at any length upon tlie parting scenes. Though they were of a character to make an indelible impression upon our hearts, and occupy a place in our recollections while life shall last, they need not be obtruded upon the public. Both natives and foreign settlers testified their grateful and friendly feelings in a manner that spoke strongly as to their depth and sincerity. Not in words only was this done but also in deeds, which, considering the circum- stances, were generous in a higli degree. And so termin- ated our connection with Samoa at the stage of our course at which we have now arrived. An extract from a number of the " Samoan Reporter," which appeared in May, 1862 will give the reader a glimpse of the state of the district at that time, and of course but little change had taken place since our departure. The paper from which the extract is taken was written by the liev. H, Msbet, the information and statistics having, as internal evidence shows, been furnished by the Eev. H. Gee, who took charge of the station when we left. Mr Nisbet writes as follows : — " In our short account of the work on the island of XJpolu, we begin with the district under the care of Mr Gee, on the north side, which embraces from Faleata on the west to Fanfraloa on the east. Properly speaking it contains three distinct divisions, formed into three churches with a membership of 840, and the candidates for cliurch-fellowsliip number 500. At the several villages tln-oughout the district the teacliers continue to be fully occupied in tlieir duties of preacliing and teaching; but we have not 358 GLIMPSE OF THE STATE OF THE DISTRICT. received a definite report of tlie number of scholars in the schools; still it will not be above the mark to put them at 1000. " The school also for tlie children of foreign residents is still conducted by Mr Schmidt, and it proves a great blessing to l:)Oth parents and children. At the yearly examination the examiners were gratified to observe the pleasing progress the scholars had made in their studies, and especially the amount of Scripture knowledge they manifested." Thus the various departments of the mission continued steadily to progress down to the above date, and through- out the mission generally there were cheering indications of a healthy and advancing state of things. ( 359 ) CHAPTER XLIV. THE VOYAGE — TRIALS OF THE MISSIONS IN THE NEW HEBRIDES — HOPEFUL INDICATIONS ON ERAMANGA AND VATE INTRODUCTION OF TEACHERS TU EPI AND ESPIRITU SANTO — ORIGIN OF THE MISSION SHIP " DATSPRING " — CONSULTATION WITH THE MISSIONARIES OF THE LOYALTY ISLANDS MISSION — STAY ON ANEITEUM — DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL IN SYDNEY. We took our departure from Samoa, as already mentioned, on the 12th of August 1861. We had on hoard Mr and Mrs Lawes, and Mr and Mrs Pratt and family. Mr Pratt had been appointed to accompany Mr and Mrs Lawes to their station, and remain with them a few months, to give them the benefit of his long experience in missionary work. We reached Niue on the 20th of August. Mr and Mrs Lawes were introduced to their sphere of labour under circumstances of the deepest interest, and on the evening of the 23d we went on our way, and on the 30th of the same month we reached Aneiteum, our next place of call. We had tlie satisfaction of finding our esteemed friends Mr and Mrs Geddie, and their family, well, but in very trying circumstances with reference to the state of the mission on their own and other islands of the group. A series of calamities had come upon them, by which they had been well-nigh overwhelmed. Wave had succeeded wave in quick succession, and the wonder is that on some of the islands, at least, the missions were not ruined.* * For full particulars, see " Western Polynesia." 36o CONSULTATION RELATIVE TO EXTENSION. I was instructed by the brethren of the Samoan mission to consult with the missionaries on the New Hebrides and Loyalty Islands as to the most desirable plans for future operations among those islands wliich were still without the gospel. This commission was kept in view throughout the voyage, and during our stay on the New Hebrides. One important step towards carrying it out was an arrangement that Mr Geddie should accompany me in the voyage round the stations. This afforded us ample opportunity to confer fully with reference to plans and proceedings ; and at the meeting of the Loyalty Islands mission, which was held during the course of the voyage, the New Hebrides mission was represented by its senior member. On leaving Aneiteum we made our accustomed round. The state of the missions on the different islands of the New Hebrides was perhaps quite as encouraging as, under the circumstances, we had reason to expect. At Eramanga we were agreeably surprised. Instead of finding, as we had feared, that the recent tragedy — the murder of Mr and Mrs Gordon — had been followed by the extinction of all traces of our labours, we were dehghted to learn that a considerable number of persons were keeping up the worship of God, and were seemingly determined at all hazards to walk according to their light. On Vate also there was much to encourage, and on the islands of Epi and Espiritu Santo, teachers were placed under cir- cumstances of interest and promise. In the course of the voyage, the state and prospects of the missions was the subject of frequent and anxious consultation between Mr Geddie and myself; and "svith reference to one important matter our consultations took a definite shape, and led to important practical results. It was strongly impressed upon our minds that in order to carry on tlie work efficiently a vessel must be procured, ORIGIN OF THE MISSION SHIP " DA YSPRINCr 361 and we determined, God helping us, that a vessel should be procured ; and from these consultations and that determination came the mission ship "Dayspring." We thought at first of a vessel of about fifty or sixty tons, but it was ultimately determined to get one of larger dimensions. When we reached the Loyalty Islands the subject was laid before a meeting of the members of that mission, and fully discussed. Our brethren saw as we did in the matter, entered cordially into the proposal to make an immediate effort to procure a vessel, and engaged to appeal to their friends and supporters in Australia to raise a proportion of the funds necessary for its jDurchase and support; the understanding being that the vessel would be at their service part of her time — about one- third it was expected. It was proposed that the Presby- terian bodies to which the missionaries labouring in the New Hebrides belonged, i.e., the Presbyterian Church of Nova Scotia, and the Eeformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland, should take the responsibility of procuring the vessel, and that tliey should be the responsible ov/ners, as the Congregationalists are of the " John Williams ; " these sustaining a relation to the new ship analogous to that of the Presbyterians to the old. So far the matter was arranged during the course of the voyage, and on our return to Aneiteum the necessary steps were taken towards the accomplishment of our object. We were detained at Aneiteum, waiting for a suitable opportunity to get to Sydney, about three months. During this time we enjoyed delightful intercourse with our dear and much-esteemed friends, Mr and Mrs Geddie, and, as it was the last opportunity we had of any prolonged resi- dence together, it is remembered with peculiar interest as a time of hallowed and profitable converse with kindred spirits. 362 LEAVING THE HEART BEHIND. As we were under the full impression that our work in the mission field was done, we were much downcast. We sought to acquiesce in what we believed to be the Divine will ; but our affections still clung to our loved work in the islands ; and, when we finally took our departure, we, in a sense, left our hearts behind us, and went forward because necessity compelled. As it ultimately proved, the heart was on the right track, from which we were only to be called to deviate for a season, that we might afterwards return to it with undiminished, if not keener, zest. The time of our stay on Aneiteum wore away, and, on the 2d of January 1862, we sailed in the "Adolphus Yates," a small vessel engaged in the sandal-wood trade, and on the 13th of the same month we reached Sydney, where we remained till, in the course of Providence, the way was most unexpectedly opened for our return to the mission field. (363) CHAPTEE XLV. KETURN TO THE MISSION FIELD — REAPPOINTMENT TO THE APIA STATION — DEPARTURE OF MR AND MRS GEE RESUMING WORK AT APIA — DEATH OF MR SCHMIDT — ILLNESS AND DEATH OF MRS BIRD — DEATH OF MB J. M. MILLS — DREADFUL HURRICANE AND LOSS OF FOUR VESSELS WITH ALL ON BOARD WRECK OP THE FIRST " JOHN WILLIAMS " DEATH OF MRS WHITMEE AND MR BIRD VISIT TO SAVAII CLOSE OF THE YEAR 1864 ANOTHER DREADFUL HURRICANE — WRECK OF A VESSEL IN APIA HARBOUR, AND LOSS OF THIRTEEN LIVES. It has been intimated in a former chapter that, in leaving the mission field, we did not act from choice, but simply yielded to what we believed to be a plain call of duty. And, such being the case, we were of course prepared to welcome any change in our circumstances which held out the prospect of a return to the work of our choice ; and, about the month of July 1863, such a change did take place as in our own opinion, and that of competent ad- visers, justified our entertaining the subject. And, while we were anxiously pondering it, and looking to God for guidance, events transpired which brought matters to a crisis. Our fellow-labourers, Dr and Mrs Turner, with a party of young brethren, arrived in Australia from England, on their way to resume their work in the islands, and con- sultation with them and other friends helped us much in coming to a decision. In the meanwhile, the " John Williams " amved in Sydney on her annual visit, and in a few weeks all was arranged, and we embarked in her and sailed for Samoa. 364 RETURN TO THE MISSION FIELD. We left Sydney on the 20tli of September, called at Mare, Lifu, and Uvea of the Loyalty Islands, and Aneiteum of the New Hebrides ; and, on the 29th of November, we reached Samoa, and anchored in Apia harbour. On the following day, which was the Sabbath, my work in the mission field was resumed. In the morning I addressed the native congregation, and the English in the evening. The Apia station, including the district of Saluafata, had been under the care of Mr Gee from the time of our leaving. Now a bodily infirmity, from which he had been suffering for a length of time, had so increased that he determined to proceed to England by the first favourable opportunity, to seek medical aid. Thus the station was open, and it was arranged that after the departure of Mr Gee, I should again take charge of it. We retired in the meanwhile to Saluafata. We went there on the 12th of December, expecting to remain for a considerable time. We re-entered upon regular missionary work there in circumstances of much interest and promise. Three Sabbaths had passed, and a new year, 1864, had opened upon us, and we were in the midst of the special services which we were accustomed to hold in the first week of January, when a most unexpected summons reached us to make all haste to Apia. An opportunity to go to England had offered which Mr and Mrs Gee had determined to embrace, and they had to prepare for their departure on very short notice. Late in the evening of the 7th of January, we reached Apia from Saluafata ; on the 9tli our friends were ready for a start, and on the 10th they took their departure. And now we were again in our old home, and among the people from whom we had been taken for a season in presence, not in heart, and our wonted duties were resumed. I have passed over the time we spent in Sydney, as it does not furnish any missionary recollections, properly so DEATH OF MR SCHMIDT. 365 called ; and I must not dwell upon the ordinary events of the years that succeeded our return to Apia, lest this work swell to an inconvenient size. Missionary work, not con- nected with my everyday duties, together with events out of the ordinary course, will furnish ample materials to fill up the limited space that remains. Very soon after our return we sustained a serious loss in the death of our schoolmaster, Mr Schmidt. For a number of years Mr Schmidt had faithfully and zealously discharged his duties as teacher of the school for the children of foreim residents, often under circumstances of no small difficulty and trial, and many of the members of our community owed him much. Now he was suddenly taken from us, and in his death we sustained a loss which has been felt, more or less, to the present day. The services of other teachers have been obtained from time to time, but no one has been found to fill the situation as did Mr Schmidt. We continued to have much to encourage, both in the Apia and Saluafata districts, during the early months of this year. There were many candidates for admission to the churches, and many were being admitted at not distant intervals, while the failures w^ere comparatively few, and our educational work was going on as heretofore. In the month of April an event occurred, the second of a scries, which gave this year a melancholy pre-eminence over all that had gone before it since the commencement of our mission. Three years had not passed since our hearts had been gladdened by the arrival of Mr and Mrs Lawes and Mr and Mrs Bird. Now two of these were laid aside from their work, and in a little while they were away from the toils and sufferings of earth to the rest of heaven. Early in the present year, Mr and Mrs Bird had gone to Nine, in the hope that a short residence in that fine climate would prove beneficial to their health. We had heard nothing of them since their departure. Hence 366 AFFECTING CHANGES. we were not prepared for tlie melanclioly arrival which we had on the 14th of April. On that day a vessel dropped into the harbour, having Mr Bird on board. He had buried his wife on Nine, and was now returning with his infant son, himself a dying man. The case appeared a very sad one. Mr Bird was a man of great zeal and energy, and during liis brief term of service he had been in labours more abun- dant, and was no doubt anticipating many years of useful work. Now all his fond hopes were extinguished, and he had nothing before him on earth but a few days or weeks of waiting and suffering. Under the circumstances, it was only natural that lie should cling to hope, even when it was manifest to others that no ground for hope remained. His disease was that insidious one, pulmonary consumption, which so often buoys up its victims with false hopes to the last. Our friend, however, strove to be resigned and sub- missive ; and his mind seemed generally calm and peaceful. After a short time spent with us, he went to Malua, and found a quiet home in the family of Mr and Mrs Nisbet during his remaining days. And soon after Mr Bird's return from Nine, another trial came upon us of a character equally sad — indeed, in some of its aspects, more sad than his. One of the three young brethren who had recently arrived from England with Dr Turner was Mr J. M. Mills, a son of my predecessor at Apia. Mr Mills, junior, after having been favoured with educational advantages of a high order, had given himself to missionary work, and had returned from the land of his fathers to his native land, hoping to spend his life in carry- ing forward the work which his father and others had begun. He had, of course, but just entered upon his work. Early in the month of May he was seized with an illness which gradually increased, till on the 14th of the same month it terminated fatally. A sad, sad blow it seemed to all concerned, and a most mysterious dispensation of Divine A WARNING TO YOUNG MEN. 367 providence, that put a period to the life and labours of our young friend, just as he was girding his armour on. Per- haps it ought to be mentioned as a warning to others, especially the young and inexperienced, that Mr ]\Iills had laboured beyond his strength before the commencement of his illness, and that after it had commenced, he had gone to a distance to fulfil a preaching engagement, and that on his way he had got wet, and had gone and preached not- withstanding. His zeal, of course, was highly commend- able, but how sad the result ! Let young men therefore beware, and avoid over-exertion, and everything likely to induce chills and colds, if they would insure a prolonged course of usefulness. While disease and death were thus invading the families of our mission, calamities of a different character were falling upon our own and neighbouring groups of islands. On the 20th of May a vessel arrived bringing the intelligence that in the month of March a di-eadful hurricane (a cyclone no doubt) had swept over the groups and islands a few degrees to the south of us. The fuU fury of the gale had fallen upon Fiji, and no less than four vessels had been lost, with every soul on board. And what invested the sad tidings with so deep and mournful an interest to our community, was the fact that one of the .lost vessels, the " Charlotte," belonged to our port, and had sailed thence about three months before with Mr Unshelm on board, the representative of the firm of Messrs Goddefroy & Son of Hamburgh, the owaiers of the vessel. Mr Unshelm had left a wife and family in Samoa, and over them of course fell the darkest cloud ; but so large a space did the business of which Mr Unshelm was the originator and sole manager occupy in our community, that his death, in circumstances so awful and so unexpected, was felt more or less deeply by all. Every one seemed to be affected and impressed for the 368 WRECK OF THE " JOHN WILLIAMS^ time, and our Engiisli service on tlie Sabbath imme- diately succeeding the arrival of the intelligence was deeply solemn. An address from the words " The Lord's voice crieth to the city," was listened to with apparently earnest attention. I am not aware, however, that there were any lasting results. Impressions which appear deep and promising are often, alas ! " like the morning cloud and the early dew which goeth away." In the midst of these commotions within and without, our annual missionary meetings were held. The contributions in the Apia district were for the London Missionary Society £131, lis. 6d., and for the support of native pastors £159, 8s. I am unable to give the sums raised in the Saluafata district this year. It is probable that the amount in the two districts was considerably over £400. I had just got home from Saluafata and Fangaloa, to which places I had gone to hold the missionary meetings, when an event was announced which concerned us as a mission much more deeply than the occurrences to which reference has just been made, though we were far from indifferent to these. On the evening of the 29th of May we were startled by the arrival of Mr Turpie, chief officer of the "John "Williams," in an open boat. What could it mean ? Alas ! the mystery was soon solved. The " John Williams " was wrecked ! The dear old " John Williams," in which we had so often voyaged, and whose arrival had so often filled our hearts with gladness, was gone ! The mournful tale was soon told. The vessel had drifted on shore in a calm at the island of Pukapuka (Danger Island), and, after hanging on the rock on which she struck a sufficiently long time to allow of all on board getting safe to the shore, she slid off and sank in seventy fathoms water! Wliat a mercy that there was an interval between her striking and going down! The passengers on board were Mr Eoyle of REMARKS- MITIGA TIONS. 369 Aitutaki, on his way to Sydney for change and rest, and Mr and Mrs Barff, wlio were also on their way to Australia, retuing from the mission field, after about half a century's faitliful service. A vessel was despatched with all possible speed to the scene of the wreck, and on the 14th of June all the shipwrecked party arrived in safety at Apia, where they remained till an opportunity offered of proceeding to Sydney. They left us for that place on the 6th of July. VIEW IN PUKAPUKA. The loss of our ship was felt by us all to be a grievous calamity, still there was much connected with it of an alleviating character. That all lives were saved, and that there was no serious accident to any one, nor any prolonged suffering, either to those who remained on the island or those who risked their lives to come so far iu an open 2 a 370 STEPS TOWARDS SUPPLYING OUR LOSS. boat, was matter for much thankfulness ; and, though our fine ship was gone, she had done a great work. For twenty years she had voyaged to and fro throughout the vast Pacific, in pursuance of the one great object for which she was purchased and sustained, and that object had been promoted to a very gratifying extent; and now that she was taken from us, it was not for us to murmur or complain, but, on the contrary, to be thank- ful for the past and hopeful for the future ; and so we felt, while we took immediate steps to do what we were able towards procuring a second "John Williams" to take up and carry forward the work which had been begun by the " Camden," and carried on so far by her successor. Our views as to the necessity of procuring another vessel with the least possible delay were forwarded at once to the Directors, and an appeal was made to the children at all our stations throughout the group, to make a special effort to assist the children of England in the purchase of a new mission ship. The appeal met with a warm response, and a goodly sum was raised — I think between £400 and £500. The stir and excitement connected with the wreck of our vessel were but just over, when another calamity of a very painful character came upon us. We had gone to Salua- I'ata to spend a few days towards the close of July. After attending to the work of the station there, I had gone on to Fangaloa, leaving Mrs Murray to await my return. About midnight I was aroused to hear the sad tale that another member of our mission had been taken from us. Mrs Whitmee — one of the same party to which Mr Mills belonged — a woman of high promise, and esteemed and beloved by all to whom she was known, had passed away. She died at Leone, where she and her husband had been FURTHER CHECKS. 371 settled only a few months, leaving behind her a delightful testimony to the power and preciousness of that gospel, to spread the knowledge of which she had left her home and native land, and come to the ends of the earth, to spend her life among semi-barbarians, or whole barbarians, as the case might be. She died on the 16th of July, and passed, no doubt, into the presence of the Saviour she loved ; and on the 22d of the month of August Mr Bird followed. Thus stroke upon stroke fell upon us during the course of this eventful year. Our mission had recently been largely reinforced, and we were probably in some danger of being elated on that ground. If such were the case, we were forcibly and affectingly taught how little dependence can be placed in mere numbers, and liow important it is to cease from man, and look to and depend upon Him who, amid changing scenes and dying friends, remains " the same yesterday, to-day, and forever." We may close our notice of the year we are now review- ing by a brief reference to a visit which we were called to make to the station on Savaii, left vacant by the death of ]\Ir and Mrs Bird. We spent a full month in discharging the duty devolved upon us. There was much of an affect- ing and saddening character connected with the visit. We must not stop, however, to give expression to the feelings and reflections to which the sight of the desolate dwelling, and the many objects which everywhere reminded us of the departed, gave rise. There was much that was encom-aging in different parts of the district. I conversed with over a hundred candidates for church-fellowship, and seventy-two were added to the different churches. Interesting meetings were held with the young with reference to getting a new mission ship, and many meetings were held with the teachers, at which they were counselled, advised, and encouraged. 372 A FEARFUL GALE. After our return from Savaii we went on with our accustomed work, and nothing further calling for particular remark occurred during the remainder of the year; but early in 1865 we had another dreadful hurricane. Our group did not suffer directly from that of the former year, but that which occurred in the beginning of February of this year fell very heavily upon some parts of Samoa, and in our own harbour, at a short distance from the shore, the most dire calamity occurred that has resulted from any similar visitation since the commencement of our mission to the present day. These gales are generally — perhaps invariably — preceded by rough and stormy weather, lasting for a week or more. So it was on the present occasion. A fresh breeze had been blowing for some days, and there had been an extraordinarily high sea, and on the 4th of February there were unmistakable signs of a heavy blow, and towards evening the wind had increased to a hurri- cane, and the sea had risen to a greater height than I had ever seen it before. It was grand but awful to look upon the huge waves as they rolled in in terrible majesty and broke upon the shore, seeming as if they would engulf the village. Happily no houses of any con- sequence were destroyed, and no lives were lost on shore ; but in the bay, as already intimated, an awful calamity occurred. The "Alster," a German vessel, owned by Messrs Goddefroy & Son, between 300 and 400 tons burden, was at anchor. She had her cargo on board, and was nearly ready for sea. She was bound for Europe, and a party from our mission, Mr and Mrs Powell and family, and four children belonging to another mission family, were about to proceed in her. Their passages were taken, and every arrangement made. Towards evening of the day I have named, parties on shore who were watching A DREADFUL CALAMITY. 373 the vessel were apj^reliensive for lier safety, as the sea seemed to be making clean breaches over her, but, strange to say, those on board appeared to feel quite secure. The vessel had new chains, and her anchors and everything on which her safety was supposed to depend were in first- rate order. Hence no doubt tlie confidence that w^as felt. Alas! it was misplaced confidence. The storm raged with unabated violence as the night wore on, and about 9 o'clock a blue light or lights were seen — seen for a brief space — and all again was darkness. Those on board had at length awoke to a consciousness of their dano;er, but it was too late. While the daylight lasted, help might have reached them ; but now it was impossible, and they must be left to their fate, and a fearful fate it was ! Wlien tlie morning light dawned the gale had spent itself, and the full extent of the havoc it had wi'ought on shore could be seen, but the " Alster " was gone ! Only the tops of her masts rising a little way above the water marked the spot where she had been, and where every one belonging to her, except a single indi- vidual, had found a grave. Hoiu the man who was saved managed to get to a place of safety is a marvel. He was found in the morning on board a small vessel that was at anchor inside where the " Alster " lay — nearer the shore. He could give no account of himself, nor of the calamity that had befallen the "Alster," but there he was alive. The probability is that he had got hold of the anchor chain of the small vessel, and so managed to clamber on board. Of all the others — thirteen in number — not one even of the bodies was ever found. It was supposed that the vessel must have broken in two about the middle, and, in that case, all would be engulfed in a moment. The vessel lay at a short distance from a fine sandy beach, on which she might have been run without any difficulty. 374 MIGHT HA VE BEEN A VERTED. and all lives have been saved, and perhaps also the ship and cargo. And now we will turn from this dreary record of deaths and storms and shipwi-ecks to something of a more cheer- ing and inviting character, which will form the subject of our next chapter. (375 ) CHAPTER XLVI. FIRST MISSIONARY VOTAGK TO THE ELLICE's GROUP — REMARKABLE ORIGIN OF THE VOYAGE — ARRIVAL AT NUKULAELAE — INIQUITOUS DOINGS OP THK PERUVIAN SLAVERS — SETTLEMENT OF A TEACHER — FUNAFUTI — DOINGS OF THE SLAVERS THERE — GREAT DESIRE OF THE PEOPLE FOR A TEACHER — NUKUFETAU — STATE OF THE PEOPLE AND INTRODUCTION OP A TEACHER — VAITUPU — THE FIRST HOME OF THE ORIGINAL SETTLERS — INTERESTING FACTS — VISIT TO NUI — CHEERING RECEPTION INTERESTING STATE OF THE PEOPLE — THEIR ORIGIN — AN ODD CHARACTER — CLOSE OF THE VOYAGE — REFLECTIONS. During the course of tlie year 1865, we took a step in the way of extension, which led to results and was brought about in a way so remarkable, as to be deserving of a par- ticular and permanent record. The voyage, the particulars of which I am about to give, took its rise from another voyage, the history of which is as follows : — On Saturday, the 22d of April 1861, a party consist- ing of nine persons — six men, two women, and one child, — left the island of Manihiki, of the Penrhyn group, which is about 1500 miles to the east of the first island of the group to which we were now about to attempt to introduce the gospel. The craft in which tlie party sailed was a frail and cumbersome affair in which to attempt - a voyage in the open ocean, even for a short distance. It consisted of two canoes lashed together by means of transverse spars. Over these boards were laid, which formed a sort of deck, and on that was a shed covered with the braided leaf of the cocoa-nut, which afforded a shelter from the sun and rain. The canoes 376 AN ADVENTUROUS VOYAGE. were about forty-eiglit feet in length, and the platform was six feet in breadth. There was one large sail of native matting, and two small calico sails. The provision for the voyage consisted of a quantity of cocoa-nuts, and four calabashes of water (perhaps about two gallons). Thus equipped the party left Manihiki, their native isle. The reason why they started so poorly furnished was, that the island of Eakaanga, to which they were bound, is only about thirty miles distant from Manihiki. They commenced their voyage with a fair wind, and all went smoothly till they were within a few miles of their destination. They were so near that they could discern the sandy beach and the houses along the coast. An hour more of fair wind, and they would have been safely landed. Alas ! alas ! little did they dream of what awaited them. A sudden change of wind dashed their hopes, and was the first of a series of perils and sufferings which has few recorded parallels in our missionary annals. For a while they strove to reach Eakaanga, but finding tliat impracticable, they changed their course with the intention of returning to Manihiki, but this being low, was not in sight, and Eakaanga was soon lost sight of, and so night overtook them in the open ocean and out of sight of land. They kept on all night, supposing that they were making their way towards Manihiki ; but when morning dawned, neither Manihiki nor any other land was to be seen. And what a pliglit was theirs ! Afloat on their frail craft, with only cocoa-nuts and about two gallons of water, on the great, wide sea, without chart or compass, and altogether uncertain as to their position ! They held a consultation and determined to abandon the search for Manihiki, and stand to the south, in the hope of making Earotonga or Samoa, or some other land in that direction. Three men of the six were required to be always on duty to keep the canoe afloat, one to steer and two to bale ; so VARIO US AL TERN A TIONS, yj-j they divided themselves into two watches, and kept on, day and night, at their weary, monotonous task. They kejjt steering southward till Friday, the seventh day from the commencement of their voyage, when a strong southerly wind set in which prevented their getting farther in that direction. This continued till Sabbath, when it fell calm. Then came a westerly wind, and other changes followed, but brought them no relief. On the following Friday, about noon, they sighted land. What a gladsome sight to their strained, weary eyes ! But, alas! their troubles were not yet to end. They strove with all their might to reach the land, and got very near it ; but the weather was squally, night overtook them, and their efforts w^ere fruitless. One thing, how- ever, they gained by getting near land, which was to them of priceless value. A copious shower of rain fell, and they managed, with the aid of their sails, to obtain a supply of water. They had been suffering intensely from thirst. Again and again they would steer in the direction of a cloud which seemed to promise relief, and as often, like the deceitful mirage of the desert, would the object of their pursuit disappoint their hopes. On the following day they again sighted land, but were unable to reach it on account of the roughness of the weather. They kept on guiding the movements of the canoe till the following Monday, when tliey gave them- selves up pretty much to the winds and currents, or rather, I should say, to the providence of God, to be carried where that might conduct them. Now and again one would take a spell at the steer-oar, but, being uncertain as to whether any advantage would be derived from so doing, there was no motive of sufficient power to prompt to persevering effort. Thus they went on from day to day for six weary weeks, and then a consultation was held, and it was proposed that they should give up exertion, and 378 MAN'S EXTREMITY. resign themselves to what seemed to be their inevitable fate. But hope was not yet extinct in the bosoms of all. One stated that he felt able to go on baling for a little longer if another would join him. It would have been useless for one to go on alone. While he was baling the one canoe the other would fill and sink both. One of the canoes was less leaky than the other, and another of the party volunteered to do his best to keep that afloat. But now only six cocoa-nuts remained, and those who kept at work, and on whose continued exertions the lives of aU depended, must have support. Hence it was agreed that the six cocoa-nuts should be kept for them. The others had to subsist as best they could on scraps that had been thrown aside during the early part of the voyage. They caught two sharks and one sea-bird during the course of the voyage. For nearly two weeks longer they lingered on, the two balers exerting themselves most bravely, while the others quietly awaited the issue. During the whole voyage they had worship regularly, morning and evening, and on the Sabbath, they had services somewhat more protracted. Four of the party were members of the Church, and one, Elekana, was a deacon. On the eighth Sabbath matters reached a crisis. Deliverance must appear within a few hours, or their doom was sealed. Only half a cocoa-nut remained for the balers, and when that was consumed nothing further could be done. They had finished their Sabbath evening worship ; they concluded that the end had come, and agreed that they would just commit themselves mto the hands of God, and wait His will. It seems almost incredible that all were still alive, but so it was. The evening was calm and beautiful, and the sky without a cloud — strikingly out of harmony with their sad circum- stances in as far as a2)2}earances went. Elekana looked round the horizon — one more despairing look — before what LIGHT IN DARKNESS— DELIVERANCE. 379 was expected to be their last night closed in upon them. Eagerly scanning the horizon, something having the appearance of land caught his eye ! Could it really be land, or was it a dream, or were his senses failing him, and death approaching ? So he felt while he was intently gaz- ing upon the object towards which all eyes were speedily turned. Nothing similar was to be seen in any other part of the heavens, and soon all were satisfied that what they saw was in very deed land. But they had seen land before, and been near it too, more than once, and had failed to reach it, and so it might be again ; especially was this to be dreaded as a squall of wind sprung up soon after the land was discovered. The wind, however, brought a shower of rain, which was as life from the dead. They drank, and were refreshed and strengthened for a final effort to save their lives ; but the wind that brought the rain was from the land, and should it continue so, the last door of hope had closed, and the end had surely come. It was not so, however. The wind that brought the rain was only a passing squall. They had one sail remaining ; this they hoisted and ran straight in for the land. To make it, however, was a formidable undertaking, since between them and it was a broad reef over which the sea was breaking heavily. This, of course, they did not know, or if they had, they must still have gone on at all hazards, as there was no other hope for them but that of reaching the land before them. So on they went, and towards midnight their frail craft was close to the reef, and very soon they were among the breakers ; but on tliey must go and on they went, roller after roller bearing them onward, till the welcome shore was reached. It is painful to add that one woman and one man and the child, after surviving all the perils and hardships of the voyage, perished among the breakers ; and when the canoe had grounded, anotlier was found just alive, and died soon after. Tlie remaining five 38o OPENING OF A NEW DOOR. were saved, and one of these was Elekana, who was des- tined to act so important a part in the evangelisation of the islands, on the shores of one of which he and his fellows were now cast. The island which the voyagers made was Nukulaelae of the Ellice's group. They were of course greatly exhausted — so much so, that though cocoa-nuts were hanging over their heads they were unable to reach them. The morning light, however, brought relief. They were soon discovered by a native, of whom we shall have more to say by and by, and from him and others they received needful help and succour. In return for their kindness, Elekana set to work to instruct them in the knowledge of the true God, and told them of the Saviour whom he had learned to love and trust. They manifested a great desire and aptitude to learn, and applied themselves with the utmost diligence while he remained among them, and they consented to his leaving them after four months, only on condition that he should go to Samoa and return to them with a teacher. He promised that, should God spare his life, and furnish him mth the opportunity of returning, he would do so, and now he was returning according to his promise. Our voyage was made in the " Augustita," a trading vessel of about fifty tons burden. We sailed from Apia on the 3d of May 1865, and directed our course towards the island on which the ship\\Tecked party landed four years before — Nukulaelae. Our party consisted of two Samoan teachers and their wives, and Elekana, who was unmarried. The island, or rather group — for ISTukulaelae is one of a group of small islands, seven or eight in number — lies in lat. 9° 18' S. and long. 179° 48' E. It is caUed Mitchell's Group on the charts. It is about 600 miles distant from Savaii, the most westerly island of the Samoan group. A DISTRESSING CHANGE. 381 We reached our destination on the 10th of May, and came to anchor outside the reef. There is no harbour, and the entrances througli the reef for boats are of a very indif- ferent character, but once inside the beautiful lagoon, one is all right. The people were surprised and delighted to see their old friend Elekana, and they gave us all a hearty welcome ; but events had transpired smce 1861 which cast a sad gloom over our meeting. At that time there was a population of 300, a peaceful, harmless community, wanting just one thing to make them contented and happy, and many of them earnestly desirous of being put in pos- session of that one thing. Now they were reduced to a remnant considerably under one hundred, and the bulk of these were women and children. The iniquitous Peruvian slavers came upon them like beasts of prey, and carried off about two hundred to bondage and death. Nowhere, per- haps, did these infamous men act more basely than at this and the neighbouring group, Funafuti. They first endea- voured to induce the people to go with them, by putting before them the temporal advantages which they pretended they would gain by so doing ; and when they found that they could not accomplish their object in that way, they, guided by a wicked fellow who had resided on the island some time, named Tom Eose, took advantage of the desire that existed among the people for religious instruction, telling them that, if they would go with them, they would take them to a place where they would learn about God and religion, and after a time bring them back to their own land. Tom Eose had been acting as a sort of religious teacher, and he was going to ship in one of the vessels. Hence it is not surprising that they fell into the trap so cruelly laid for them. Thus was this base transaction accomplished, and these poor people deceived away from their quiet homes. Alas ! for them. Surely He who heareth the groaning of the 382 AFFECTING INCIDENT. prisoner, and deliveretli tliem wlio are appointed to die, did not forsake them in the hour of their sore affliction. It is an affecting and deeply interesting fact that they carried with them to the land of bondage, as their most prized treasures, portions of the Earotongan New Testament and Hymn Book, which they had obtained from Elekana, These he had managed to save when he and his com- panions were cast upon their shores, and so eager were the people to learn to read, and to become acquainted with the truths which the books contained, that they constrained him to take them to pieces, and divide them out, giving a few leaves to each, as far as they would go. May we not hope that many of those who carried with them these leaves of the tree of life, learned from them to know and love that Saviour who confers on His followers a freedom, " Which whoso tastes shall be enslaved no more." But to return from this long digression. It was deeply affecting to mingle with the small number of people whom we found, and to listen to their mournful tale. As Elekana put the question to one after another among the women we met, " Where is this one ? and where is the other ? " the unvarying reply was : — " Gone, gone ; carried away by the men-stealing sliips." After consulting with the chief, who, being an old man, had been rejected by the slavers, and the few others who remained, and finding them earnestly desirous of having a teacher, I determined to leave with them one of the three at my disposal, notwithstanding the smaUness of their number. I had not the heart to refuse their application. We hope, moreover, that the population will increase, and a deep interest will always attach to Nukulaelae, as the spot from which the movement took its rise, which we believed would extend to all the islands of the group to whicli it belongs, and indeed to others beyond. And, as wiU hereafter appear, this hope has been fuUy realised. THE WAY PREPARED. 38: It is a remarkable fact that, a number of years before Elekana was conducted to the group in so remarkable a manner, the people of it, and several other of the islands (groups) with which it is connected, had burnt their idols and ceased to be idolaters. Hence the prepared state in which he found them, and the cordial welcome which he and his companions received. All I could learn respecting the origin of a movement so strange among a heathen people was, that the master of a trading vessel, named A LAGOON ISLAND. Stuart, from Sydney, had told them of the true God and advised them to turn from idolatry, and worship Him. All honour to the man who, at this and other islands in the neighbourhood, sought to turn the benighted people from the service of idols to that of the living God. It is a vast advantage to us in carrying on evangelistic 384 DESCRIPTION OF NUKULAELAE. work in Nukulaelae and other islands beyond, that the language differs so little from the Samoan, that our trans- lations of the Scriptures and other books are available, and that our teachers are able to speak intelligibly to the people almost at once. Nukulaelae is the largest of nine small isles {atolls in modern phrase) dotted over a wide coral reef of an oblong shape, inside of which is a beautiful lagoon. The whole cover a space of only about four and a haK or five miles in length, by two and a half in breadth. The islands are very low, not more, I should think, than 150 or 200 feet above the level of the ocean at the highest point. Most of them are more or less covered with cocoa- nuts, and at a distance they look like cocoa-nut groves. They are charming little spots. There is very little soU upon them, however, so that the natives depend chiefly for their subsistence upon fish and cocoa-nuts, and a root which they manage to raise, named pulaka, a coarse species of taro. They have also bananas, but not in great abun- dance. We shall have something to say about the people as we proceed. Want of space compels us to pass over other interesting particulars. The next group to which we were bound was FUNAFUTI. This group is distant from Nukulaelae about sixty miles, and is, I suppose, the Ellice's Group of the charts. It is in long. 179° 21' K, and lat. 8° 30' S. It is much more extensive than Nukulaelae. The islets are thirty-one in number, and cover a much larger space — at least four times as large. Each islet has a name of its own, and Funafuti is the general name. The immense reef which forms the basis of the islands is circular in form, and is one of the finest I have seen. It forms a magnificent harbour, with three good openings through which vessels of any tonnage may safely pass. As regards productions and WORKS OF DARKNESS— RA YS OF LIGHT. 385 the like, wliat has been said of Nukulaelae is equally applicable to runafuti. We found the state of things at this group very similar to that we had just left, both as regards Mdiat is pleasing and painful. The slavers, on leaving Nukulaelae, came direct here, and, sad to say, they succeeded in carrying off one hundred and eighty persons. They had Tom Eose for their guide and interpreter, and they adopted the same policy as at the other group. We found about one hundred remaining, some of whom were saved, we were told, through the exertions of a white man living on shore, who found out the character of the vessels and warned the people. Here, as at the other group, the remnant consisted chiefly of women and children. The population in this and the neighbouring groups had been kept down in the days of heathenism by the practice of Foeticide, and occasional infanticide. Tlieir motive for these was one of policy. They were genuine Malthusians. They feared that unless the population was kept down they would not have sufficient food. When they ceased to be idolaters, they were content to leave that matter in the hands of God. They destroyed their idols and began to feel after the true God, at the same time as their neighbours, and by the advice of the same party. We found them observing the Sabbath, and having some sort of religious services conducted by a native of Tokelau. From Elekana also they had learned something, as he was at their group after leaving Nukulaelae, on his way to Samoa. We reached the anchoraQ;e late in the evening of Saturday, and on the following day, May the 14th, we hastened on shore. We went direct to the house of the chief, whose name was Kaitu. His first words to me were striking; and affecting : — " We are all in darkness here," said he, " and are just waiting for some one to teach 2b 3tiou of, 494, &c. New Testament, the Samoan, 272. New Testament, the Aneiteumese, 340. Nisbet, Rev. Dr, 186, 253, 2-39, &c. Nine, 164, 359, &c. Niutao, 404, 418. Nerval, 33. Nova Scotia, 240. Nui, 389, 409, 417, 420. Nukufetau, 386, 403, 413. Nukulaelae, 330, 397, &c. Orkney, Mr, 484. Papua, origin of the name, 495. Pitman, Rev. C, 15. Piatt, 22, 54. Powell. Rev. T., 227, 253, 264, &c. Pratt, Rev G., 121, &c. INDEX. 509 Presbyterian mission, 240, ka. Pukapuka, island of, 3G8, Rakotonga, 15. Redscar Buy, 457, 472, &c. Religious belief, 500. Reporter, the Samoan, 227. Ridley, Rev. William, 500. Rogerson, Rev, John, 8, 9. Santa Christina, 7. Slatyer, Rev. T., 145, 195-198, &c. " St Mary'.s," U.S. ship of war, 311. Stallworthy, Rev. G., 217. Stearns, Mr A. W., 322, 332, &c. Sunderland, Rev. .J. P., 227, 277, 289, &c.. Tatooing in Samoa, 223. Tauan, 453, 4(36, &c. Temple, a heathen, 171. Thomson, Rev. Robei-t, 9. Thorngreu, Mr, 447, 4G4, 479, &c. Tokelau group, 331, 428. Turner, Rev. Dr G., 186, 216, 304, 338, &c. Turner, Rev. Dr G. A., 4.36, 44(>. Turpie, Captain, 368, 425. United States Exploring Expedition, 120. Upolu, description of, 301. \'aitupu, 387, 402, 414, 420. Victoria, her IMajesty Queen, 223, 233, 234. Wallace, Mr, 494, 495. Warrior Island and Reef, 452. " Wild Wave " brig, 428, 440. AVilkes, Commodore, 120. Williams, Rev. John, 93, 97, 100, 144, &c. Williams, Mrs, 184. Williams, Mr J. C, 300. Wilson, Rev. C, 291. Whitmee, Rev. S. J., 412, 443. Wreck of the first " John Williams," 368. Wreck of the second " John Wil- liams," 425. THE END. PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE, HANSON AND CO. KDINBUKGH AND LONDON. B2 tijc same ^udjor. MISSIONS IN WESTERN POLYNESIA, BEING HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF THESE MISSIONS FROM THEIR COMMENCEMENT IN 1839 TO THE PRESENT TIME. COMPARISON OF LANGUAGES Sl'OKEN ON THE ISL-O'DS OF TORRES STRAITS, AND ON THE AIATNLAND OF NEW GUINEA, WITH SO>rE OF THE DIALECTS OF POLYNESIA. AND THE AUSTRALIAN CONTINENT. Comparative views of the Laogunges imA Dialecta of Polynesia Iiave Vicen given in various works that have appeared of late years {lliat by Dr Tiiruer, in his work " Nineteen Yeara in Polyneaia," is the most extensive, so far as my knowledge goes) ; hence to attempt anything of that kind would be a work of stijierero^tion. it may be of u*e, however, and may interest those who are addicted to philoloaicar studies, to give a few specimens of three languayiis. which are now being reduced to writing for the first time. And fur the sake of comparison, specimens of the lansuasjea of Polynesia may be u^ven, and also of the Miilay language, and of one or two o( the dialects spoken by the Aborigines of Australia. With reference to East«m Polyneaia, one lansim;;e is spoken throughout ail the islands nnd groups scattered over that immense re^on, extending from the Marquesas on the East to the Toayan group (the Friendly Islands) on the West, aiid from the Sandwich Islands on the North to New Zealand on the South ; bo thiit any one of the dialects might be selected to represent the whole, I shall give the Sumoan, as that with which I am best acquainted ; ami. moreover, it is allowed, by compet(;iit judges, to be one of the moat complete. With reference to all the dialects, one thing it specially noteworthy — every word and every syllable ends in a vowel. This, so far as my knowledge extends, is a rule witliont an exception, and so it contradicts the common remark that "there is no rule witliout an exception." As regards Western Polynesia, so fur as has yet been ascertained, there is no common root. In the New Hebrides groui) aloue, the missionaries are acquainted, more or less, with ten languages or dialects, each of which, nccorrling to their testimony, differs from the other as widely as Gncfic does from English or French from German. Hence, of course, any specimens that can be given caimot be regarded as representative any further than as exhibiting certain features in which all show a marked difference to the language of Eastern Polynesia. I shall give the dialect spoken on Man?, of the Loyally Islands, as Vwing the one with ivhiih I havi- some acquaintance. Of the New Hebrides dialects, I select that of Aneiteum, and from Micronesia, north of the Equator, we give one dialect— vii., that spoken on Ebon, of the Mai-sliall group, in long, 168" E., and lal. 5" N. We give specimens also of the Malay languaye, and of one or two of the dialects spoken by the Abwrigints ol Australia. PRONOSCIATTOS.— The vowela have uniformly the Italian sounds. Thus a as ia the English word father ; eos a in face ; i as < in me, and k aa double o in look ; o has its usual English sound. The consonanta as in' English. The comma, which separates some of the vowels, as in the Samoan word for canoe, m'o, represents what w»- call a break. The sound cannot be conveyed by words. Where it occurs in the Samoan, the Tahitian, and some other dialects, there is a ft in many of the others, such a« the Rnrotong/m, Niuean, and Tongan. Bun SUr Heaven Barth or Iftnd Wind Day Night Cliief DInn Woman Boy Girl t'^Bd Foot Fish Fowl Pig SugRf-cn Bniinna Club Sponr Bow Arrow GroHt Sninll Biul Old AVo two, eiolud ing tbo jinrty Tliey two Vi'e, eiclusivo of person ml- l\'u. incbiMve Geigar Maleimn Tiloi Drajjam Barn bur Gubo Ari Mftlu Kuin Warageitfa Gubil Eeiknrukn Mabaik Kunkuik Ngnunkuo Kulk Gijt Ng&r Wnpi Kalakala BurQm Liigo GCkl GuiuJ Ngem Kntain Matamnn Utun Bill Maginn Kspuzn WfttiM Gulnish Gnmorenga Furulnn Inunanii Kareitnri nti.i Ngai Tliuy Right Fifty A hundred A tliouxHiid Tt-ii tliouiand Ngaba UimnAV iMJkKDs, VCr Alemcsek Ut«p Wflt BAker Ki Opulo Koiikiel Kebitherima NCTU Koniba Ipit Esmeda Salik Ewatiimu Aide Kembile Dei 16 Anilut Em* nit Maruui Gnlegole Kukukuka REDUARSAr.nnd oiiwnrda tnniirdg tba Biial End of [foiv Oulaea. Sauojii', Ceatml PolynMlA, Lona.iertolTS'W ' t. la* 30' to TJkn«ar uknsar Fkuftr ukasar Bf icpMiltigukn- nod ai1>ltiie uni- bon.iinduion lo Ian, and tbere U (bo Ux'tt NetAt NOanneia Neinnctat Neitaiieia uotnn- Ua Itu Siila Metu Tadi Naui uari Anuapoi Duupntn Dnulimalima Eekeni Kiinrn Ae Warum6 Kokoroku Boroma LnkiitoiftndVn. L&i [aki LOnn Taro TOu Pigu Eareva To Diba Pfltft Unlaki Nftmu Tika TupatuiMi Kurokuro Ania or Aninni Itiabou Tomabnn Ikobuu Tamo nil Taulntfli Mntangi Uft and Tinui Saiui Man and Fatu Ao Po T&ni& Teino Ulu Tolo Fii'i Uatongi Too Aufnna TJ or Ufan Tele iti Ulei Tuai Nan Caledonia. troin "Mamdon' iJlctlouttiy," na giTOD by Dr Taua Oulua Lnua Itlntou Tntou I ) 11 ton In ton Tnsi Olio Fitu Uhekol ITachekol Awe Teiigo Ble Cbele Ete Kano Ridi Doku NgOBlO Htneoewo AichamnD Unkoko Woca Waetbe Chach Hmaini Waium Roi Nia Eoda or Momoeb. Kabeai Drid Gada Enka Kua Holm Meneng Tbaet Inu Nubo Ebiie Ethewe Hniengo Busheogon Bbnije Buio Sa Tini Edie Sediiiig" Sedongo ne i SeiloTigu no Sedongo n« Sedongo iieecbe Bne tubenid Scfidum&letut QuHiiuta tua.nnd ^of iilu male Ina, BO ou to niiiC' fie. ke, ' Qnnluani Lunfulu tma Bui ' Limngafuln . t'binaui S«1nu I Qonauta OhlnBUL Afe Mano Mntnirl Bin tang Langit TAnah Augin I'jan Tiuiok Batu Ari Gnlap D.iniung Perampaan Annk lakilaki Anakperampu: Eapam and Ulu Langnn Ikun Nvnn. Anakbnbi Snmpan Ayer ubi T&bbQ OnilnandTokara Toinbak Pa nab Annkjinniib Keobil and E£ti Ri.ik Biinilc Tfmb Bubru Putik Iilaknu Minuni Peigi and Pni Duduk Akn Eau Iju Euttow Turruintnrrum Afulio Kittfl Gibbar Marila Dundalilyn Ngarriag Miming Ma^lu Turra Murang Wigun Ding GoaDDBr Goudol Dnlo Dirai Sa ro Dgome' Sc4longo re ngnme' Winvar i\ Piripirbin I Gallnng ' Witrang I WJiulo I Vingang Kuruim I Dundeni ' Tiiurnnuna Danan R«gajo AiidowAloh Suatu and Satu Di1a Tujub Sidapan Snmbiliin Sapidub R^tai Bibn Salakan AtU Inta Uiigda N(!intia Nhambn Nbamba Ngaiina Bullae Buripar Mithng kntin AvtllBOM, Nov Hobridca, ILID'E. Lnng, W 8. Lot, froio Dr Tumor, F.niiN, lit tho MnrabnllorlUltck IiiUnd*, from Dr Turner. Nnngesenga lumohoue luinoijeuv NohotADg In,.r« N.mtmm. Incnupda Inpap luhat Nadiat Nejieing Natimi Alnpiv* Niitimi Intakate Nniluolep Natidiaing Nopek o uu Nikman Netluon hijft Inwai Intel Nub Nottoh NoIk.s Nelop Mopul Nefftna Nornr Aliiiiiis Inhaklin Upune Uinwing A pa II Ateuo Aiiiynk Aiek Aien A'juniruu Ai?iania Ijikmau Nikman oled et I etbi Kiknmn ckd Nikman cird ct rt.-ik Niktiian cicd et niauoliwan I Nikmnu lep ik- Alcnc Uchu Nalong Eni Euttow Noot laugith Iroitli Kaberong Ellal. Errek Emm on Eriui Mute Mute Maugnr Bai'k Kthok Elok Ohctebet Kij Koo-kwe-uk Ir-rej-re-ron Cbilu Kmor Lailera Cliilcliinu Cliilobimc Toralitbuk Twalmejucii tllnlect apukou h; tlioOipoTork Trill* Korthn-n Au>tntlla Ingn Ekau Uliubi Utit« Albi* Apum Alpa Ut« Ulma Lidiiiie Klebamiii Indrftmiu UilnuUi PaJartrionie PnHar Atnr ^Vapi Quata" UnBAnin Tuko Epi Kiruin TiMW Gdrua Kntannaia Baru Alka Gilgari Toroka Butiignrft Imbungniu MetA Trondrdmon TrAinau Bure Ail GHngA Wni Meni InllBO InglniBii OnAsD Yuba Luba c PI&mAn Il&nnmniniv Giiarn • 1, tbe iilea being tbnt the tinptri and loti represent twenty, and itiloiirio rt i-i/ome, Mtivr. u .ifrf i UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY " This book is DUE on the last date stamped below J 1953 JAN 9 1954 I RPR 1 9 1988 Ttotd ldurd AUG 8 1991 197S INTERLIBRARY LOANS MAY^ /O WEEKS FRUiri DUE TWO WEEKS lUNi 6li97B Sl41) «ov 04 mi Form L-0 19/6 DATE 01- RtUElPi UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY AA 000 631 305 o lk~ -1^