;■■■■■ ■■■?[■:<: '-''f^v-'^^- WW :.v«.^V;;;';.'.v,:':\';';''' .v^. Sii-:J;!> ^M'i ^^i=^^ ■•■■■■"■■ ■^|^v:;;^:;-:r^=i^iv"; J tihvaxy of trhe trheolo^fcd ^emmarjp PRINCETON • NEW JERSEY •a^t- PRESENTED BY Dr. Donald Roberts BV 3680 7N6 T>37 1889 v . 1 | Paton, John Gibson, 1824- 1907. John G. Paton, missionary t( the New Hebrides s. /r ( ^-^xn^^ ., (J^HyU-/ . JOHN G. PATON gin 9lutDl)ia5rapI)p» FIRST PART. NEW AND CHEAPER EDITION ILLUSTRATED. JOHN G. PATON, MISSIONARY TO THE NEW HEBRIDES. AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. EDITED BY HIS BROTHER. With an Introduction by ARTHUR T. PIERSON, D.D, Two vols, in bo.x, i2mo, cloth, gilt top net J2.00. flDinfstcrial Commcn6at(on. " I have just laid down the most robust and the most fascinating piece of autobiography that I have met with in many a day. . . . John G. Paton was made of the same stuff with Livingstone." — Theodore L. Cuyler, D.D. " I consider it unsurpassed in missionary biography. In the whole course of my extensive reading on these topics, a more stimulating, inspiring, and every way first-class book has not fallen into my hands. Every- body ought to read it.' —^r/A«r T. Piersotiy D.D. flDisstonars Ipraise. " I have never read a romance that was half so thrilling." — Lucius C. Stnitk, Guanajuato, Mexico. " I have ne~er read a more inspiring biography." — Thomas C. IVinn, Yokohatna, Japan. " The Lord's work will not go back while there are such men as he in the church?'— ^/aw^J ^. Heal, Sing Kong, Cheh Kiang, China. " I thii.k I have never had greater pleasure in read- ing any book." — R. Thacksweil, Dehra, North India. ff»rc6S motfccs. " Perhaps the most important addition _ for many years to the library of missionary literature is the auto- biography of John G. Paton." — TheChristian Advocate. " We commend to all who would advance the cause of Foreign Missions this remarkable autobiography. It stands with such books as those Dr. Livingstone gave the world, and shows to men that the heroes of the cross are not merely to be sought in past ages." — The Christian Intelligeficer. Fleming H. Revell Company, New York, 30 Union Scjuare, E. Chicago, 148 & 150 Madison Street. ^%ferr JOHN G. PATON, MISSIONARY TO THE NEW HEBRIDES. 0n 0utobiograpl)^, EDITED BY HIS BROTHER. FIRST PART. jFlcw fHuBtrateti »«Bbttion. Fleming H. Revell Company PUBLISHERS NEW YORK CHICAGO 30 Union Square, East. 148-150 Madison Street. INTRODUCTORY NOTE. BY ARTHUR T. PIERSON, D.D. T OVE is omnipotent. Wherever true passion for -^ — * souls burns, there we may find a new Mount of Transfiguration where the earthly takes on the com- plexion of the heavenly. This book presents an example of the power of such love and holy enthusiasm, alike in one of the great cities of Scotland and in the isles of the sea. Even among the riches of missionary biography few such volumes as this are to be found, and the most apathetic reader will find himself fascinated by this charming romance of real life. It has been well said that he who is not ready to preach the gospel everywhere and anywhere is fit to preach it nowhere. Should every candidate for the office of the ministry be first tried in some such field as the wynds of Glasgow, it would prove a training in its way more profitable than any discipline in the class-room ; and it might so shake the " napkin " at the four corners as to disclose whether or not there were in it even one "talent" for winning souls. We calmly affirm, after careful perusal, that this biography is not surpassed, for stimulating, inspiring, INTRODUCTORY NOTE. and helpful narrative, by any existing story of mis- sionary heroism. Its peculiar value is twofold : it shows how the most neglected and degraded masses of our cities may be reached by Christian effort, and it illustrates the spirit of missions on the wider field of south-sea cannibalism. Our only regret is that this story of missionary labor is not carried on to its successful issue. This volume leaves us eagerly ex- pectant of what is promised as the sequel. He who doubts whether there is a supernatural factor in missions, should carefully read this narra- tive. What but the power of God could turn the demon of drink into a ministering angel, or the blas- phemer into a praying saint, or out of the mouth of hell withdraw the half-devoured wretch who was des- perately bent on suicide } Let those who sit quietly at home in their easy- chairs, or who make rousing addresses or write stirring articles on city evangelization and the es- trangement of the masses from the church, follow this heroic city missionary as he dives into the depths of all this depravity and degradation, and demon- strates what the love of souls and the gospel of life can do to rescue those who are drowning in the abyss of perdition. PREFACE. THE Manuscript of this Volume, put together in a rough draft amid cease- less and exacting toils, was placed in my hands and left absolutely to my disposal by my beloved brother, the Missionary. It has been to me a labour of perfect love to re-write and revise the same, pruning here and expanding there, and preparing the whole for the press. In the incidents of personal experi- ence, constituting the larger part of the book, the reader peruses in an almost unaltered form the graphic and simple narrative as it came from my brother's pen. But, as many sec- tions have been re-cast and largely modified, especially in those Chapters of whose events I was myself an eye-witness, or regarding which I had information at first hand from the parties concerned therein, — and as circum- VI PREFACE, Stances make it impossible to submit these in their present shape to my brother before publication, — I must request the Public to lay upon me, and not on him, all responsibility for the final shape in which the Autobiography appears. I publish it, because Something tells me there is a blessing in it January, 1889. James Paton. NOTE TO SECOND EDITION. The Editor desires very gratefully to acknow- ledge his joy in receiving, not only through Press Notices, but from Correspondents in every rank, most ample confirmation of the assurance expressed by him in the last sentence of the Original Preface — " There is a blessing in it." He has been urging his Brother to complete, as soon as he possibly can, Part Second of the Autobiography ; and he hopes that the call for this Second Edition of Part First at so early a date will successfully enforce his appeal February, 1889. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. EARLIER DAYS. FACE Introductory Note ....«■• 3 Kirkmahoe 4 Torthorwald Village 5 Our Villagers ........ 6 Nithsdale Scenes . 7 Our Cottage Home 9 Our Forebears 12 An Idyll of the Heart t6 A Consecrated Father 19 Accepted Vows 21 Happy Sabbath Days .22 Golden Autumn of Life . . . . . .26 CHAPTER II. AT SCHOOL AND COLLEGE. A Typical Scottish School 3' An Unacknowledged Prize 32 A Wayward Master 33 Learning a Trade •33 My Father's Prayers 34 "Jehovah Jireh" 34 With Sappers and Miners 36 The Harvest Field . 3^ CONTENTS. PAGE On the Road to Glasgow .,.•.. 39 A Memorable Parting •••••• 40 Before the Examiners • • • • • .42 Killing Work 43 Deep Waters ., 44 Maryhill School 45 Rough School Scenes 46 "Aut Caesar Aut Nullus" 48 My Wages 49 CHAPTER III. IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. "He Leadeth Me" 53 A Degraded District . . . , , , .55 The Gospel in a Hay-Loft . . . , , 56 New Mission Premises ...... 58 At Work for Jesus ....... 59 At War with Hell 62 Sowing Gospel Seed 64 Publicans on the War Path ..... 65 Marched to the Police Office ..... 67 Papists and Infidels 69 An Infidel Saved . 70 An Infidel in Despair 71 A Brand from the Burning 72 A Saintly Child 75 Papists in Anns 77 Elder and Student 81 CHAPTER IV. FOREIGN MISSION CLAIMS. The Wail of the Heathen 85 A Missionary Wanted 85 Two Souls on the Altar 87 Lions in the Path 89 CONTENTS. PAGE The Old Folks at Home 92 Successors in Green Street Mission .... 95 Old Green Street Hands 97 A Father in God 97 CHAPTER V. THE NEW HEBRIDES. License and Ordination loi At Sea , 102 From Melbourne to Aneityum , 102 Settlement on Tanna . , IDS Our Mission Stations . io6 Diplomatic Chiefs 107 Painful First Impressions , . 108 Bloody Scenes . . 109 The Widow's Doom . > III CHAPTER VI. Our Island Home . , . • • . 115 Learning the Language , . 116 A Religion of Fear . 1 ♦ . 118 With or Without a God . • . 119 Ideas of the Invisible , • . , 120 Gods and Demons , , , 121 My Companion Missionary . ♦ 122 Pioneers in New Hebrides , 123 Missionaries of Aneityum . 1 • • 125 The Lord's Arrowroot , 126 Unhealthy Sites . , . 127 The Great Bereavement . • • 4 . 129 Memorial Tributes , . . 131 Selwyn and Patteson at a Tanr la Grave . 133 Her Last Letter . . . • • 1 . 134 Last Words . . , • • . . 137 Presentiment and Mystery • • . . 138 CONTENTS. CHAPTER VII. MISSION LEA VES FROM TANNA. fAGE Tannese Natives ••••••, 141 "Tabooed" , , , 142 Jehovah's Rain 143 "Big Hays" 144 War and Cannibalism , 145 The Lot of Woman , 146 Sacred Days 148 Preaching in Villages . . , , , .149 Native Teachers 150 The War Shell . . . . . . . .151 Deadly Superstitions . , , , , , ,152 A League of Blood ...,.,. 154 Chiefs in Council 155 Defence of Women 157 A League of Peace 157 Secret Disciples 159 A Christo-Heathen Funeral 159 Clever Thieves 160 Ships of Fire .... ... 164 H.M.S. Cordelia 166 Captain Vernon and Miaki 167 The Captain and the Chiefs 168 The John Williams 169 Evanescent Impressions ...... 170 A House on the Hill 171 In Fever Grips 171 "Noble Old Abraham" .... . 1*^2 Critics in Easy Chairs 174 CHAPTER VIII. MORE MISSION LEA VES FROM 7 ANNA. The Blood Fiend Unleashed 179 In the Camp of the Enemy , . , . . 180 A Typical South Sea Trader 182 Young Rarip's Death 183 CONTENTS. PAGE The Trader's Retribution ^^5 Worship and War . , ^^^ Saved from Strangling ^^7 Wrath Restrained ^^^ Under the Axe *9i The Clubbing of Namuri 193 A Native Saint and Martyr I95 Bribes Refused . . . . . • • .197 Widows Rescued ^97 The Sinking of a Well 198 Church-Building on Tanna ^99 Ancient Stone God 201 Printing First Tannese Book 201 A Christian Captain 203 Levelled Muskets 204 A French Refugee 205 A Villainous Captain 208 Like Master— Like Men 209 Wrecked on Purpose 212 The Kanaka Traffic 213 A Heathen Festival 215 Sacrifices to Idols 218 Heathen Dance and Sham Fight . . . .219 Six Native Teachers 221 A Homeric Episode 222 Victims for Cannibal Feast 223 The Jaws of Death 224 Nahak or Sorcery 226 Killing me by Nahak 227 Nahak Defied 229 Protected by Jehovah 230 "Almost Persuaded" 231 Escorted to the Battle-Field 232 Praying for Enemies 233 Our Canoe on the Reef ..... 233 A Perilous Pilgrimage 236 Rocks and Waters = • 237 CONTENTS. CHAPTER IX. DEEPENING SHADOWS, PAGB Welcome Guests , . 243 A Fiendish Deed 244 The Plague of Measles ...... 245 A Heroic Soul 246 Horrors of Epidemic 247 A Memorable New Year 248 A Missionary Attacked 249 In the Valley of the Shadow 251 Blow from an Adze ....... 252 A Missionary's Death 253 Mrs. Johnston's Letter 255 A Heavy Loss 256 The Story of Kowia 256 Kowia's Soliloquy 258 The Passing of Kowia 259 Mortality of Measles 261 Fuel to the Fire 262 Hurricanes 262 A Spate of Blood and Terror 263 No war Vacillates 265 The Anger of the Gods 265 Not Afraid to Die 266 Martyrs of Erromanga ...... 267 Visit to the Gordons 268 Their Martyrdom ....... 269 Vindication of the Gordons . . . . . 270 Gordon's Last Letter 272 Plots of Murder 273 Death by Nahak 275 Nowar Halting Again . . . . . . 275 Old Abraham's Prayer 277 Miaki and the Mission House 278 Satanic Influences 280 Perplexity Deepening 280 Bishop Selwyn's Testimony . , . . .281 CONTENTS. PACK Rotten Tracts 283 Captain and Mate of Blue Bell .... 285 My Precious Dog ....... 287 Fishing-Nets and Kawases 288 The Taro Plant 290 The Kava Drink 290 Katasian and the Club Scene . . . . .291 The Yams 292 Sunshine and Shadow ...... 292 Teachers Demoralized 293 The Chief's Alphabet ...... 294 Our Evil Genius ....,,. 295 Ships of Fire Again ....... 295 Commodore Seymour's Visit 296 Nouka and Queen 'Toria 297 The Dog to his Vomit Again . , , , , 298 CHAPTER X. FAREWELL SCENES. The War Fever . Forced to the War Council A Truce Among the Chiefs Chiefs and People The Kiss of Judas . . The Death of Ian The Quivering Knife A War of Revenge . In the Thick of the Battle Tender Mercies of the Wicked Escape for Life . . The Loss of All . . Under the Tomahawk . Jehovah is Hearing . The Host Turned Back . The War Against Manuman 303 305 306 308 309 309 31C 312 315 316 Z^l 318 318 320 320 CONTENTS. Traps Laid . . . House Broken Up . War Against Our Friends A Treacherous Murderer On the Chestnut Tree Bargaining for Life . Five Hours in a Canoe Kneeling on the Sands Faimungo's Farewell . "Follow! Follow!" . A Race for Life Ringed Round with Death Faint yet Pursuing Out of the Lion's Jaws Brothers in Distress . Intervening Events A Cannibal's Taste , Pillars of Cloud and Fire Passing by on the Other Side Kapuku and the Idol Gods A Devil Chief . " In Perils Oft " . Through Fire and Water "Sail O! Sail 01" . "Let Me Die" . In Perils on the Sea . Tannese Visitors The Devil Chief Again Speckled and Spotted Their Desired Haven "I am Left Alone" . My Earthly All . Eternal Hope Australia to the Rescue For My Brethren's Sake A New Holy League . The Uses of Adversity PAGK 321 322 322 323 324 325 328 329 330 331 332 334 336 337 339 341 341 342 344 344 344 345 345 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 355 356 356 357 358 358 359 CONTENTS. PAGE Arm-chair Critics Again •,,,.. 360 Concluding Note . . . • t • • 361 Prospectus of Part Second. . . . . • 36^ APPENDIX. A The Prayer of the Chiefs of Tanna , B. Notes on the New Hebrides LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. -o- PORTRAIT OF JOHN G. Paton Frontispiece. "The Man That Kills Missi Must First Kill Me" To face p. 156 Natives Stealing Property " 160 Natives Returning Stolen Property . . . " 165 " There They Lay Me on Cocoanut Leaves on the » Ground" " j-j "At Daybreak I Found My House Surrounded" " 188 The Dangerous Landing Through the Surf . . " 235 " Suddenly He Drew A Large Butcher Like Knife" " 311 Springing Forward He Caught The Club . . " 343 Map of the New Hebrides Tor EARLIER DAYS, P. CHAPTER I. EARLIER DAYS. Introductory Note. — Kirkmahoe. — Torthorwald Village. — Our Villagers. — Nithsdale Scenes. — Our Cottage Home. — Our Forebears. — An Idyll of the Heart. - A Consecrated Father. — Accepted Vows. — Happy Sabbath Days. — Golden Autumn of Life. WHAT I write here is for the glory of God. For more than twenty years have I been urged to record my story as a missionary of the Cross ; but always till now, in my sixty-fourth year, my heart has shrunk from the task, as savouring too much of self. Latterly the conviction has been borne home to me that if there be much in my ex- perience which the Church of God ought to know, it would be pride on my part, and not humility, to let it die with me. I lift my pen, therefore, with that motive supreme in my heart ; and, so far as memory and entries in my note-books and letters of my own and of other friends serve or help my sincere desire to be truthful and fair, the following chapters will present a faithful picture of the life through which the Lord has led me. If it bows any of my readers EARLIER DAYS. under as deep and certain a confidence as mine, that in " God's hand our breath is, and His are all our ways," my task will not be fruitless in the Great Day. On the 24th May, 1824, I was born in a cottage on the farm of Braehead, in the parish of Kirkmahoe, near Dumfries, in the south of Scotland. My father, James Paton, was a stocking manufacturer in a small way ; and he and his young wife, Janet Jardine Rogerson, lived on terms of warm personal friendship with the " gentleman farmer," so they gave me his name, John Gibson; and the curly -haired child of the cottage was soon able to toddle across to the mansion, and became a great pet of the lady there. More than once, in my many journeyings, have I met with one or another, in some way connected with that family, and heard little incidents not needing to be repeated here, showing how beautiful and tender and altogether human was the relation- ship in those days betwixt the landlord and the cottars on his estate. On my last visit to Scot- land, sixty years after, I drove to Braehead in com- pany with my youngest brother James and my cousin David, — the latter born the same week as I, and the former nearly twenty years my junior ; and we found no cottage, nor trace of a cottage, but amused ourselves by supposing that we could dis- cover by the rising of the grassy mound, the outline where the foundations once had been ! Of ten thousand homes in Scotland, once sweet and beau- EARLIER DAYS. tiful, each a little possible Paradise in its own well- cultivated plot, this is true to-day ; and where are the healthy, happy peasant boys and girls that such homes bred and reared ? They are sweltering and struggling for existence in our towns and cities. I am told that this must be — that it is all the result of economic laws ; but I confess to a deepening con- viction that it need not be, and that the loss to the nation as a whole is vital, if not irreparable. While yet a mere child, five years or so of age, my parents took me to a new home in the ancient village of Torthorwald, about four and a quarter miles north from Dumfries, on the road to Lockerbie. At that time, about 1830, Torthorwald was a busy and thriving village, and comparatively populous, with its cottars and crofters, large farmers and small farmers, weavers and shoemakers, doggers and coop- ers, blacksmiths and tailors. Fifty-five years later, when I last visited the scenes of my youth, the village proper was literally extinct, except for five thatched cottages where the lingering patriarchs were permitted to die slowly away, — when they too would be swept into the large farms, and their garden plots ploughed over, like sixty or seventy others that had been obliterated ! Of course the Village Smithy still survives, but its sparks are ^q^n and fading, — the great cultivators patronizing rather the towns. The Meal Mill. still grinds away, — but nothing like what it did when every villager bought or cultivated his few acres of corn, and every crofter and farmer m EARLIER DAYS. the parish sent all his grist to the mill. The Grocer's Shop still recalls the well-known name of Robert Henderson ; but so few are the mouths now to be fed, that his warm-hearted wife and universal favour- ite, the very heroine of our village life, " Jean Grier," is retiring from it in disgust, and leaving it to her son-in-law, declaring that " these Tory landlords and their big farms hae driven our folks a' awa', and spoiled the Schule and the Shop, the Kirk and the Mill." And verily the School is robbed of its children, and the Parish Church of its worshippers, when five families only are reared where twenty once flourished! Political economy may curse me, if it will ; but I heard with grim satisfaction that this system of large farming, which extinguishes our village homes, and sends our peasantry to rear their children in lanes and alleys, in attics and cellars of populous towns, was proving ruinous at length to the landlords and factors, who had in many cases cruelly forced it on an unwilling people for mere selfish gain. The Villagers of my early days— the agricultural servants, or occasional labourers, the tradesmen, the small farmers — were, generally speaking, a very in- dustrious and thoroughly independent race of people. Hard workers they had to be, else they would starve ; yet they were keen debaters on all affairs both in Church and State, and sometimes in the "smiddy" or the "kiln," sometimes in a happy knot on the " village green," or on the road to the " kirk " or the " market," the questions that were tearing the mighty EARLIER DAYS. world beyond were fought over again by secluded peasants with amazing passion and bright intelligence. From the Bank Hill, close above our village, and accessible in a walk of fifteen minutes, a view opens to the eye which, despite several easily understood prejudices of mine that may discount any opinion that I offer, still appears to me well worth seeing amongst all the beauties of Scotland. At your feet lay a thriving village, every cottage sitting in its own plot of garden, and sending up its blue cloud of "peat reek," which never somehow seemed to pollute the blessed air ; and after all has been said or sung, a beautifully situated village of healthy and happy homes for God's children is surely the finest feature in every landscape! There nestled the Manse amongst its ancient trees, sometimes wisely, some- times foolishly tenanted, but still the " man's-house," the man of God's house, when such can be found for it. There, close by, the Parish School, where rich and poor met together on equal terms, as God's children ; and we learned that brains and character make the only aristocracy worth mentioning. Yonder, amid its graves, that date back on crumbling stone five hundred years, stands the Village Church ; and there, on its little natural hill, at the end of the village, rises the old tower of Torthorwald, frowning over all the far-sweeping valley of the Nith, and telling of days of blood and Border foray. It was one of the many castles of the Kirkpatricks, and its enormous and imperishable walls seem worthy of EARLIER DAYS. him who wrote the legend of his family in the blood of the Red Comyn, stabbed in the Greyfriars Church of Dumfries, when he smote an extra blow to that of Bruce, and cried, " I mak' siccar," Beyond, betwixt you and the Nith, crawls the slow-creeping Lochar towards the Sol way, through miles and miles of moss and heather, — the nearest realization that I ever be- held of a "stagnant stream." Looking from the Bank Hill on a summer day, Dumfries with its spires shone so conspicuous that you could have believed it not more than two miles away ; the splendid sweeping vale through which Nith rolls to Solway, lay all before the naked eye, beautiful with village spires, mansion houses, and white shining farms ; the Galloway hills, gloomy and far-tumbling, bounded the forward view, while to the left rose Criffel, cloud-capped and majestic ; then the white sands of Solway, with tides swifter than horsemen ; and finally the eye rested joyfully upon the hills of Cumberland, and noticed with glee the blue curling smoke from its villages on the southern Solway shores. Four miles behind you lie the ruins of the Castle of the Bruce, within the domains of his own Royal Burgh of Lochmaben ; a few miles in front, the still beautiful and amazing remains of Caerlave- rock Castle, famous in many a Border story ; all around you, scattered throughout the dale of Nith, memories or ruins of other baronial " keeps," rich in suggestion to the peasant fancy ! Traditions lost nothing in bulk, or in graphic force, as they were EARLIER DAYS. retold for the thousandth time by village patriarchs around the kindly peat fire, with the younger rustics gaping round. A high spirit of patriotism, and a certain glorious delight in daring enterprises, was part of our common heritage. There, amid this wholesome and breezy village life, our dear parents found their home for the long period of forty years. There were born to them eight additional children, making in all a family of five sons and six daughters. Theirs was the first of the thatched cottages on the left, past the " miller's house," going up the "village gate," with a small garden in front of it, and a large garden across the road ; and it is one of the few still lingering to show to a new generation what the homes of their fathers were. The architect who planned it had no ideas of art, but a fine eye for durability ! It consists at present of three, but originally of four, pairs of "oak couples " (Scottic^ kipples), planted like solid trees in the ground at equal intervals, and gently sloped inwards till they meet or are " coupled " at the ridge, this coupling being managed not by rusty iron, but by great solid pins of oak. A roof of oaken wattles was laid across these, till within eleven or twelve feet of the ground, and from the ground upwards a stone wall was raised, as perpendicular as was found practi- cable, towards these overhanging wattles, this wall being roughly " pointed " with sand and clay and lime. Now into and upon the roof was woven and intertwisted a covering of thatch, that defied all EARLIER DAYS, winds and weathers, and that made the cottage marvellously cosey, — being renewed year by year, and never allowed to remain in disrepair at any season. But the beauty of the construction was and is its durability, or rather the permanence of its oaken ribs ! There they stand, after probably not less than four centuries, japanned with " peat reek " till they are literally shining, so hard that no ordinary nail can be driven into them, and perfectly capable for service for four centuries more on the same conditions. The walls are quite modern, having all been rebuilt in my father's time, except only the few great foundation boulders, piled around the oaken couples ; and parts of the roofing also may plead guilty to having found its way thither only in recent days ; but the architect's one idea survives, baffling time and change — the ribs and rafters of oak. Our home consisted of a " but " and a " ben " and a " mid room," or chamber, called the " closet." The one end was my mother's domain, and served all the purposes of dining-room and kitchen and parlour, besides containing two large wooden erec- tions, called by our Scotch peasantry " box-beds " ; not holes in the wall, as in cities, but grand, big, airy beds, adorned with many-coloured counterpanes, and hung with natty curtains, showing the skill of the mistress of the house. The other end was my father's workshop, filled with five or six "stocking frames," whirring with the constant action of five or six pairs of busy hands and feet, and producing right EARLIER DAYS. II genuine hosiery for the merchants at Hawick and Dumfries. The " closet " was a very small apartment betwixt the other two, having room only for a bed, a little table, and a chair, with a diminutive window shedding diminutive light on the scene. This was the Sanctuary of that cottage home. Thither daily, and oftentimes a day, generally after each meal, we saw our father retire, and "shut to the door"; and we children got to understand by a sort of spiritual instinct (for the thing was too sacred to be talked about) that prayers were being poured out there for us, as of old by the High Priest within the veil in the Most Holy Place. We occasionally heard the pathetic echoes of a trembling voice pleading as if for life, and we learned to slip out and in past that door on tiptoe, not to disturb the holy colloquy. The outside world might not know, but we knew, whence came that happy light as of a new-born smile that always was dawning on my father's face : it was a reflection from the Divine Presence, in the consciousness of which he lived. Never, in temple or cathedral, on mountain or in glen, can I hope to feel that the Lord God is more near, more visibly walking and talking with men, than under that humble cottage roof of thatch and oaken wattles. Though everything else in religion were by some unthinkable catastrophe to be swept out of memory, or blotted from my under- standing, my soul would wander back to those early scenes, and shut itself up once again in that Sanctuary Closet, and, hearing still the echoes of those cries to 12 EARLIER DAYS. God, would hurl back all doubt with the victorious appeal, " He walked with God, why may not I ? " A few notes had better here be given as to our " Forebears," the kind of stock from which my father and mother sprang. My father's mother, Janet Murray, claimed to be descended from a Galloway family that fought and suffered for Christ's Crown and Covenant in Scotland's " killing time," and was herself a woman of a pronouncedly religious deve- lopment. Her husband, our grandfather, William Paton, had passed through a roving and romantic career, before he settled down to a douce deacon of the weavers of Dumfries, like his father before him. Forced by a press-gang to serve on board a British man-of-war, he was taken prisoner by the French, and thereafter placed under Paul Jones, the pirate of the seas, and bore to his dying day the mark of a slash from the captain's sword across his shoulder for some slight disrespect or offence. Determining with two others to escape, the three were hotly pursued by Paul Jones's men. One, who could swim but little, was shot, and had to be cut adrift by the other two, who in the darkness swam into a cave and managed to evade for two nights and a day the rage of their pursuers. My grandfather, being young and gentle and yellow-haired, persuaded some kind heart to rig him out in female attire, and in this costume escaped the attentions of the press-gang more than once ; till, after many hardships, he bargained with the captain of a coal sloop to stow him away amongst his black EARLIER DAYS. 13 diamonds, and thus, in due time, he found his way home to Dumfries, where he tackled bravely and wisely the duties of husband, father, and citizen for the remainder of his days. The smack of the sea about the stories of his youth gave zest to the talks round their quiet fireside, and that, again, was seasoned by the warm evangelical spirit of his Covenanting wife, her lips " dropping grace." Of their children, two reproduced the disposition of their father, and two that of their mother. William took to the soldier's career, and died in Spain ; May, the only daughter, gave her heart and hand to John Wood, a jolly and gallant Englishman, who fought at Waterloo, and lived to see his hundredth birthday. John and James, the latter being my father, both learned the stocking manufacturing business of their fathers, and both followed their mother's piety and became from their early teens very pronounced and consistent disciples of the Lord. On the other side, my mother, Janet Rogerson, had for parents a father and mother of the Annandale stock. William Rogerson, her father, was one of many brothers, all men of uncommon strength and great force of character, quite worthy of the Border rievers of an earlier day. Indeed, it was in some such way that he secured his wife, though the dear old lady in after-days was chary about telling the story. She was a girl of good position, the ward of two un- scrupulous uncles who had charge of her small estate, near Langholm ; and while attending some boarding 14 EARLIER DAYS. school she fell devotedly in love with the tall, fair- haired, gallant young blacksmith, William Rogerson. Her guardians, doubtless very properly, objected to the "connection " ; but our young Lochinvar, with his six or seven stalwart brothers and other trusty "lads," all mounted, and with some ready tool in case of need, went boldly and claimed his bride, and she, willingly mounting at his side, was borne off in the light of open day, joyously married, and took possession of her " but and ben," as the mistress of the blacksmith's abode. The uncles had it out with him, however, in an- other way. While he was enjoying his honeymoon, and careless of mere mundane affairs, they managed to dispose of all the property of their ward, and make good their escape with the proceeds to the New World. Having heard a rumour of some such sale, our young blacksmith on horseback just reached the scene in time to see the last article — a Family Bible — put up for auction. This he claimed, or purchased, or seized, in name of the heiress — but that was all that she ever inherited. It was used devoutly by her till her dying day, and was adorned with the record of her own marriage and of the birth of a large and happy family, whom by-and-by God gave to her. Janet Jardine bowed her neck to the self-chosen yoke, with the light of a supreme affection in her heart, and showed in her gentler ways, her love of books, her fine accomplishments with the needle EARLIER DAYS. \% and her general air of ladyhood, that her lot had once been cast in easier, but not necessarily happier, ways. Her blacksmith lover proved not unworthy of his lady bride, and in her old days found a quiet and modest home, the fruit of years of toil and hope- ful thrift, their own little property, in which they rested and waited a happy end. Amongst those who at last wept by her grave stood, amidst many sons and daughters, her son the Rev. James J. Rogerson, clergyman of the Church of England, who, for many years thereafter, and till quite recently, was spared to occupy a distinguished position at ancient Shrewsbury, and has left behind him there an honoured and beloved name. One thing else, beautiful in its pathos, I must re- cord of that dear old lady. Her son, Walter, had gone forth from her, in prosecution of his calling, had cor- responded with her from various counties in England, and then had suddenly disappeared ; and no sign came to her, whether he was dead or alive. The mother-heart in her clung to the hope of his return ; every night she prayed for that happy event, and be- fore closing the door, threw it wide open, and peered into the darkness with a cry, " Come hame, my boy Walter, your mither wearies sair ; " and every morning, at early break of day, for a period of more than twenty years, she toddled up from her cot- tage door, at Johnsfield, Lockerbie, to a little round hill, called the " Corbie Dykes," and, gazing with tear-filled eyes towards the south for the form l6 EARLIER DAYS. of her returning boy, prayed the Lord God to keep him safe and restore him to her yet again. Always, as I think upon that scene, my heart finds conso- lation in reflecting that if not here, then for certain there^ such deathless longing love will be rewarded, and, rushing into long-delayed embrace, will exclaim, " Was lost and is found." From such a home came our mother, Janet Jardine - Rogerson, a bright-hearted, high-spirited, patient- toiling, and altogether heroic little woman ; who, for about forty-three years, made and kept such a whole- some, independent, God-fearing, and self-reliant life for her family of five sons and six daughters, as con- strains me, when I look back on it now, in the light of all I have since seen and known of others far differ- ently situated, almost to worship her memory. She had gone with her high spirits and breezy disposition to gladden, as their companion, the quiet abode of some grand or great-grand-uncle and aunt, familiarly named in all that Dalswinton neighbourhood, " Old Adam and Eve." Their house was on the outskirts of the moor, and life for the young girl there had not probably too much excitement But one thing had arrested her attention. She had noticed that a young stocking maker from the " Brig End," James Baton, the son of William and Janet there, was in the habit of stealing alone into the quiet wood, book in hand, day after day, at certain hours, as if for private study and meditation. It was a very excusable curiosity that led the young bright heart of the girl to watch EARLIER DAYS. I? him devoutly reading and hear him reverently reciting (though she knew not then, it was Ralph Erskine's " Gospel Sonnets," which he could say by heart sixty years afterwards, as he lay on his bed of death) ; and finally that curiosity awed itself into a holy respect, when she saw him lay aside his broad Scotch bonnet, kneel down under the sheltering wings of some tree, and pour out all his soul in daily prayers to God. As yet they had never spoken. What spirit moved her, let lovers tell — was it all devotion, or was it a touch of unconscious love kindling in her towards the yellow-haired and thoughtful youth ? Or was there a stroke of mischief, of that teasing, which so often opens up the door to the most serious step in all our lives } Anyhow, one day she slipped in quietly, stole away his bonnet, and hung it on a branch near by, while his trance of devotion made him oblivious of all around ; then, from a safe retreat she watched and enjoyed his perplexity in seeking for and finding it ! A second day this was repeated ; but his manifest disturbance of mind, and his long pondering with the bonnet in hand, as if almost alarmed, seemed to touch another chord in her heart — that chord of pity which is so often the prelude of love, that finer pity that grieves to wound anything nobler or tenderer than ourselves. Next day, when he came to his accustomed place of prayer, a little card was pinned against the tree just where he knelt, and on it these words : — " She who stole away your bonnet is ashamed of p. 2 i8 Earlier days. what she did ; she has a great respect for you, and asks you to pray for her, that she may become as good a Christian as you." Staring long at that writing, he forgot Ralph Erskine for one day ; taking down the card, and won- dering who the writer could be, he was abusing him- self for his stupidity in not suspecting that some one had discovered his retreat, and removed his bonnet, instead of wondering whether angels had been there during his prayer, — when, suddealy raising his eyes, he saw in front of old Adam's cottage, through a lane amongst the trees, the passing of another kind of angel, swinging a milk-pail in her hand and merrily singing some snatch of old Scottish song. He knew, in that moment, by a Divine instinct, as infallible as any voice that ever came to seer of old, that she was the angel visitor that had stolen in upon his retreat — that bright-faced, clcver-witted niece of old Adam and Eve, to whom he had never yet spoken, but whose praises he had often heard said and sung — "Wee Jen." I am afraid he did pray "for her," in more senses than one, that afternoon ; at any rate, more than a Scotch bonnet was very effectually stolen ; a good heart and true was there bestowed, and the trust was never regretted on either side, and never betrayed. Often and often, in the genial and beautiful hours of the autumntide of their long life, have I heard my dear father tease " Jen " about her maidenly intentions in the stealing of that bonnet; and often EARLIER DAYS. 19 with quick mother wit have heard her happy retort, that had his motives for coming to that retreat been altogether and exclusively pious, he would probably have found his way to the other side of the wood, but that men who prowled about the Garden of Eden ran the risk of meeting some day with a daughter of Eve ! Somewhere in or about his seventeenth year, my^ father passed through a crisis of religious experience, and from that day he openly and very decidedly followed the Lord Jesus. His parents had belonged to one of the older branches of what now we call the United Presbyterian Church ; but my father, having made an independent study of the Scotch Worthies, the Cloud of Witnesses, the Testimonies^ and the Confession of Faith, resolved to cast in his lot with the oldest of all the Scotch Churches, the Reformed Presbyterian, as most nearly representing the Covenanters and the attainments of both the first and second Reformations in Scotland. This choice he deliberately made, and sincerely and in- telligently adhered to ; and was able at all times to give strong and clear reasons from Bible and from history for the principles he upheld. Still his sym- pathies and votes always went with the more pro- gressive party in that ancient Church. He held it to be right that Cameronians, like other citizens, should exercise the municipal and political franchise, and he adhered to the " Majority Synod," which has since been incorporated with the Free Church of Scotland. EARLIER DAYS. While glorying in the Psalms, he rejoiced to sing other hymns and spiritual songs (thanks to Ralph Erskine's "Sonnets," perhaps, for that !) from his earli- est days, at least everywhere except in the ordinary Public Worship ; and long before he died, though he still held the Psalms to be supreme, he had learned to hear with glowing delight vast congregations sing- ing the hymns of modern days, had learned joyfully to join in these songs of Zion, and was heard often to confess his belief that God had greatly owned and blessed the ministry of song in the service of the Gospel, Besides his independent choice of a Church for himself, there was one other mark and fruit of his early religious decision, which looks even fairer through all these years. Family Worship had here- tofore been held only on Sabbath day in his father's house ; but the young Christian, entering into con- ference with his sympathising mother, managed to get the household persuaded that there ought to be daily morning and evening prayer and reading of the Bible and holy singing. This the more readily, as he himself agreed to take part regularly in the same and so relieve the old warrior of what might have proved for him too arduous spiritual toils. And so began in his seventeenth year that blessed custom of Family Prayer, morning and evening, which my father practised probably without one single omission till he lay on his deathbed, seventy-seven years of age ; when, even to the last day of his life, a portion EARLIER DAYS. of Scripture was read, and his voice was heard softly joining in the Psalm, and his hps breathed the morn- ing and evening Prayer, — falling in sweet benediction on the heads of all his children, far away many of them over all the earth, but all meeting him there at the Throne of Grace. None of us can remember that any day ever passed unhallowed thus ; no hurry for market, no rush to business, no arrival of friends or guests, no trouble or sorrow, no joy or excitement, ever prevented at least our kneeling around the family altar, while the High Priest led our prayers to God, and offered himself and his children there. And blessed to others, as well as to ourselves, was the light of such example ! I have heard that, in long after years, the worst woman in the village of Torthorwald, then leading an immoral life, but since changed by the grace of God, was known to declare, that the only thing that kept her from despair and from the hell of the suicide, was when in the dark winter nights she crept close up underneath my father's window, and heard him pleading in family worship that God would convert " the sinner from the error of wicked ways and polish him as a jewel for the Redeemer's crown." " I felt," said she, " that I was a burden on that good man's heart, and I knew that God would not disappoint Jiiin. That thought kept me out of Hell, and at last led me to the only Saviour." My father had a strong desire to be a minister of the Gospel ; but when he finally saw that God's 24 EARLIER DAYS. will had marked out for him another lot, he reconciled himself by entering with his own soul into this solemn vow, — that if God gave him sons, he would consecrate them unreservedly to the ministry of Christ, if the Lord saw fit to accept the offering, and open up their way. It may be enough here to say that he lived to see three of us entering upon and not unblessed in the Holy Office ; — myself, the eldest born ; my brother Walter, several years my junior ; and my brother James, the youngest of eleven, the Benjamin of the flock. Our place of worship was the Reformed Presby- terian Church at Dumfries, under the ministry, during most of these days, of Rev. John McDiarmid — a genuine, solemn, lovable Covenanter, who cherished towards my father a warm respect, that deepened into apostolic affection when the yellow hair turned snow-white and both of them grew patriarchal i.. their years. The minister, indeed, was translated to a Glasgow charge ; but that rather exalted than suspended their mutual love. Dumfries was four miles fully from our Torthorwald home ; but the tradition is that during all these forty years my father was only thrice prevented from attending the worship of God — once by snow so deep that he was baffled and had to return ; once by ice on the road, so dan- gerous that he was forced to crawl back up the Roucan. Brae on his hands and knees, after having descended it so far with many falls ; and once by the terrible outbreak of cholera at Dumfries All inter- EARLIER DAYS. i3 course betwixt the town and the surrounding villages was publicly prohibited ; and the farmers and vil- lagers, suspecting that no cholera would make my father stay at home on Sabbath, sent a deputation to my mother on the Saturday evening, and urged her to restrain his devotions for once ! That, how- ever, was needless ; as, where the life of others was at stake, his very devotion came to their aid. Each of us, from very early days, considered it no penalty, but a great joy, to go with our father to the church ; the four miles were a treat to our young spirits, the company by the way was a fresh incitement, and occasionally some of the wonders of city-life rewarded our eager eyes. A few other pious men and women of the best evangelical type, went from the same parish to one or other favourite minister at Dumfries, — the parish church during all those years being rather miserably served ; and when these God-fearing peas- ants " forgathered " in the way to or from the House of God, we youngsters had sometimes rare glimpses of what Christian talk may be and ought to be. They went to the church, full of beautiful expectancy of spirit — their souls were on the outlook for God ; they returned from the church, ready and even anxi- ous to exchange ideas as to what they had heard and received of the things of life. I have to bear my testimony that religion was presented to us with a great deal of intellectual freshness, and that it did not repel us but kindled our spiritual interest. The talks which we heard were, hovv^ever, genuine ; not 24 EARLIER DAYS. the make-believe of religious conversation, but the sincere outcome of their own personalities. That, perhaps, makes all the difference betwixt talk that attracts and talk that drives away. We had, too, special Bible Readings on the Lord's Day evening, — mother and children and visitors reading in turns, with fresh and interesting question, answer, and exposition, all tending to impress us with the infinite grace of a God of love and mercy in the' great gift of His dear Son Jesus, our Saviour. The Shorter Catechism was gone through regularly, each answering the question asked, till the whole had been explained, and its foundation in Scripture shown by the proof-texts adduced. It has been an amazing thing to me, occasionally to meet with men who blamed this " catechizing " for giving them a dis- taste to religion ; every one in all our circle thinks and feels exactly the opposite. It laid the solid rock- foundations of our religious life. After-years have given to these questions and their answers a deeper or a modified meaning, but none of us have ever once even dreamed of wishing that we had been otherwise trained. Of course, if the parents are not devout, sincere, and affectionate, — if the whole affair on both sides is taskwork, or worse, hypocritical and false, — results must be very different indeed I Oh, I can remember those happy Sabbath evenings ; no blinds drawn, and shutters up, to keep out the sun from us, as some scandalously affirm ; but a holy, happy, entirely human day, for a Christian father, EARLIER DAYS, aS mother, and children to spend. How my father would parade across and across our flag-floor, telling over the substance of the day's sermons to our dear mother, who, because of the great distance and be- cause of her many living " encumbrances," got very seldom indeed to the church, but gladly embraced every chance, when there was prospect or promise of a " lift " either way from some friendly gig ! How he would entice us to help him to recall some idea or other, rewarding us when we got the length of " taking notes " and reading them over on our return ; how he would turn the talk ever so naturally to some Bible story, or some martyr reminiscence, or some happy allusion to the "Pilgrim's Progress"! And then it was quite a contest, which of us would get reading aloud, while all the rest listened, and father added here and there a happy thought, or illustration, or anecdote. Others must write and say what they will, and as they feel ; but so must I. There were eleven of us brought up in a home like that ; and never one of the eleven, boy or girl, man or woman, has been heard, or ever will be heard, saying that Sabbath was dull or wearisome for us, or suggesting that we have heard of or seen any way more likely than that for making the Day of the Lord bright and blessed alike for parents and for children. But God help the homes where these things are done by force and not by love ! The very discipline through which our father passed us was a kind of religion in itself. If anything really serious required to be punished, he 26 EARLIER DAYS. retired first to his closet for prayer, and we boys got to understand that he was laying the whole matter before God ; and that was the severest part of the punishment for me to bear ! I could have defied any amount of mere penalty, but this spoke to my conscience as a message from God. We loved him all the more, when we saw how much it cost him to punish us ; and, in truth, he had never very much' of that kind of work to do upon any one of all the eleven — we were ruled by love far more than by fear. As I must, however, leave the story of my father's life — much more worthy, in many ways, of being written than my own — I may here mention that his long and upright life made him a great favourite in all religious circles far and near within the neigh- bourhood, that at sick-beds and at funerals he was constantly sent for and much appreciated, and that this appreciation greatly increased, instead of diminishing, when years whitened his long, flowing locks and gave him an apostolic beauty ; till finally, for the last twelve years or so of his life, he became by appointment a sort of Rural Missionary for the four contiguous parishes, and spent his autumn in literally sowing the good seed of the Kingdom as a Colporteur of the Tract and Book Society. His success in this work, for a rural locality, was beyond all belief. Within a radius of five miles, he was known in every home, welcomed by the children, respected by the servants, longed for eagerly by the sick and aged. He gloried in showing off the beauti- EARLIER DAYS. 27 ful Bibles and other precious books, which he sold in amazing numbers. He sang sweet Psalms beside the sick, and prayed like the voice of God at their dying beds. He went cheerily from farm to farm, from cot to cot ; and when he wearied on the moor- land roads, he refreshed his soul by reciting aloud one of Ralph Erskine's " Sonnets," or crooning to the birds one of David's Psalms. His happy partner, "Wee Jen," died in 1865, and he himself in 1868, having reached his seventy-seventh year, — an alto- gether beautiful and noble episode of human existence having been enacted, amid the humblest surround- ings of a Scottish peasant's home, through the influ- ence of their united love by the grace of God ; and in this world, or in any world, all their children will rise up at mention of their names and call them blessed I IL AT SCHOOL AND COLLEGE, CHAPTER II. AT SCHOOL AND COLLEGE. A Typical Scottish School. — A School Prize. — A Wayward Master. — Learning a Trade. — My Father's Prayers. — Jeho- vah Jireh. — With Sappers and Miners. — Harvest Field. — On the Road to Glasgow. — A Memorable Parting. — Before the Examiners. — Killing Work. — Deep Waters. — Maryhill School. — Rough School Scenes. — Aut Ceesar, Aut Nullus. — My Wages. IN my boyhood Torthorwald had one of the grand old typical Parish Schools of Scotland, where the rich and the poor met together in perfect equality, where Bible and Catechism were taught as zealously as grammar and geography, and where capable lads from the humblest of cottages were prepared in Latin and Mathematics and Greek to go straight from their village class to the University bench. Besides, at that time, an accomplished pedagogue of the name of Smith, a learned man of more than local fame, had added a Boarding House to the ordinary School, and had attracted some of the better class gentlemen and farmers' sons from the surrounding county, so that Torthorv/ald, under his regime, reached the zenith 32 AT SCHOOL AND COLLEGE. of its educational fame. In this School I was initi- ated into the mystery of letters, and all my brothers and sisters after me, though some of them under other masters than mine ; — my youngest brother James, trained there under a master named Lithgow, going direct from the Village School to the Uni- versity of Glasgow in his fourteenth year ! My teacher punished severely — rather, I should, say, savagely — especially for lessons badly prepared. Yet, that he was in some respects kindly and tender- hearted, I had the best of reasons to know. Seeing me not so " braw " as the well-to-do fellows of my year, and taking a warm interest in me as a pupil, he, concluding probably that new suits were not so easily got in my home as in some of the rest, planned a happy and kind-hearted surprise — a sort of un- acknovv'ledged school prize. One evening, when my father was "taking the books," and pouring out his heart in family worship, the door of our house gently opened on the latch, and gently closed again. After prayer, on rushing to the door, I found a parcel con- taining a new suit of warm and excellent clothes, — seeing which my mother said that " God had sent them to me, and I should thankfully receive them as from His hand, whoever might have brought them." Appearing in them at school next morning, the teacher cheerily saluted and complimented me on my " braws." I innocently told him how they came and what my mother said ; and he laughingly replied, — "John, whenever you need anything after this, just AT SCHOOL AND COLLEGE. 33 tell your father to * tak' the Book/ and God will send it in answer to prayer ! " Years passed by before I came to know, what the reader has already guessed, that the good-hearted schoolmaster's hand lifted the latch that evening during my father's prayer. All his influence, however, was marred by occa- sional bursts of fierce and ungovernable temper, amounting to savagery. His favouritism, too, was sometirnes disheartening, — as when I won a Latin prize for an exercise by the verdict of the second master, yet it was withheld from me, and prizes were bestowed without merit on other and especially wealthier boys ; so at least I imagined, and it cooled my ambition to excel. Favouritism might be borne, but not mere brutality when passion mastered him. Once, after having flogged me unjustly, on my return only at my mother's entreaty, he ran at me again, kicked me, and I fled in pain and terror from his presence, rushing home. When his passion subsided, he came to my parents, apologized, and pled with me to return ; but all in vain, — nothing would induce me to resume my studies there. Undoubtedly at that time I had a great thirst for education, and a retentive memory, which made all lessons compara- tively easy ; and, as no other school was within my reach, it was a great loss that my heart shrank from this teacher. Though under twelve years of age, I started to learn my father's trade in which I made surprising P- 3 34 AT SCHOOL AND COLLEGE. progress. We wrought from six in the morning till ten at night, with an hour at dinner-time and half an hour at breakfast and again at supper. These spare moments every day I devoutly spent on my books, chiefly in the rudiments of Latin and Greek ; for I had given my soul to God, and was resolved to aim at being a missionary of the Cross, or a minister of the Gospel. Yet I gladly testify that what I learned of the stocking frame was not thrown away ; the facility of using tools, and of watching and keeping the machinery in order, came to be of great value to me in the Foreign Mission field. How much my father's prayers at this time im- pressed me I can never explain, nor could any stranger understand. When, on his knees and all of us kneeling around him in Family Worship, he poured out his whole soul with tears for the conver- sion of the heathen world to the service of Jesus, and for every personal and domestic need, we all felt as if in the presence of the living Saviour, and learned to know and love Him as our Divine Friend. As we rose from our knees, I used to look at the light on my father's face, and wish I were like him in spirit, — hoping that, in answer to his prayerSj I might be privileged and prepared to carry the blessed Gos- pel to some portion of the heathen world. One incident of this time I must record here, because of the lasting impression made upon my religious life. Our family, like all others of peasant rank in the land, were plunged into deep distress, AT SCHOOL AND COLLEGE. 35 and felt the pinch severely, through the failure of the potato, the badness of other crops, and the ransom- price of food. Our father had gone off with work to Hawick, and would return next evening with money and supplies ; but meantime the meal barrel ran empty, and our dear mother, too proud and too sensitive to let any one know, or to ask aid from any quarter, coaxed us all to rest, assuring us that she had told God everything, and that He would send us plenty in the morning. Next day, with the carrier from. Lockerbie came a present from her father, who, knowing nothing of her circumstances or of this special trial, had been moved of God to send at that particular nick of time a love-offering to his daughter, such as they still send to each other in those kindly Scottish shires — a bag of new potatoes, a stone of the first ground meal or flour, or the earliest home- made cheese of the season — which largely supplied all our need. My mother, seeing our surprise at such an answer to her prayers, took us around her knees, thanked God for His goodness, and said to us, — " O my children, love your heavenly Father, tell Him in faith and prayer all your needs, and He will supply your wants so far as it shall be for your good and His glory." Perhaps, amidst all their struggles in rearing a family of eleven, this was the hardest time they ever had, and the only time they ever felt the actual pinch of hunger ; for the little that they had was mar- 36 AT SCHOOL AND COLLEGE vellously blessed of God, and was not less marvel- lously utilized by that noble mother of ours, whose high spirit, side by side with her humble and gracious piety, made us, under God, what we are to-day. I saved as much at my trade as enabled me to go six weeks to Dumfries Academy ; this awoke in me again the hunger for learning, and I resolved to give up that trade and turn to something that might be made helpful to the prosecution of my education. An engagement was secured with the sappers and miners, who were mapping and measuring the county of Dumfries in connection with the Ordnance Survey of Scotland. The office hours were from 9 a.m. till 4 p.m. ; and though my walk from home was above four miles every morning, and the same by return in the evening, I found much spare time for private study, both on the way to and from my work and also after hours. Instead of spending the mid-day hour with the rest, at football and other games, I stole away to a quiet spot on the banks of the Nith, and there pored over my book, all alone. Our lieu- tenant, unknown to me, had observed this from his house on the other side of the stream, and after a time called me into his office and inquired what I was studying. I told him the whole truth as to my position and my desires. After conferring with some of the other officials there, he summoned me again, and in their presence promised me promotion in the service, and special training in Woolwich at the Government's expense, on condition that I would sign AT SCHOOL AND COLLEGE. 37 an engagement for seven years. Thanking him most gratefully for his kind offer, I agreed to bind myself for three years or four, but not for seven. Excitedly he said, " Why } Will you refuse an offer that many gentlemen's sons would be proud of?" I said, " My life is given to another Master, so I cannot engage for seven years." He asked sharply, " To whom ? " I replied, " To the Lord Jesus, and I want to pre- pare as soon as possible for His service in the pro- claiming of the Gospel." In great anger he sprang across the room, called the paymaster, and exclaimed, "Accept my offer, or you are dismissed on the spot 1 " I answered, " I am extremely sorry if you do so, but to bind myself for seven years would probably frustrate the purpose of my life ; and though I am greatly obliged to you, I cannot make such an en- gagement." His anger made him unwilling or unable to com- prehend my difficulty ; the drawing instruments were delivered up, I received my pay, and departed without further parley. The men, both over me and beside me, were mostly Roman Catholics, and their talk was the most profane I had ever heard. Few of them spoke at any time without larding their language with oaths, and I was thankful to get away from hearing their shocking speech. But to me personally both officers and men had been extremely kind, for 38 AT SCHOOi. iND COLLEGE,. which, on leaving, I thanked them all very cordially, and they looked not a little surprised, — as if unused to such recognitions ! Hearing how I had been treated, and why, Mr Maxwell, the Rector of Dumfries Academy, offered to let me attend all classes there, free of charge, so long as I cared to remain ; but that, in lack of means of support, was for the time impossible, as I would not and could not be a burden on my dear father, but was determined rather to help him in educating the rest. I went therefore to what was known as the Lamb Fair at Lockerbie, and for the first time in my life took a " fee " for the harvest. On arriving at the field when shearing and mowing began, the far- mer asked me to bind a sheaf; when I had done so, he lifted it by the band, and it fell to pieces ! In- stead of disheartening me, however, he gave me a careful lesson how to bind, and the second that I bound did not collapse when shaken, and the third he pitched across the field, and on finding that it still remained firm, he cried to me cheerily, — " Right now, my lad ; go ahead ! " It was hard work for me at first, and my hands got very sore ; but, being willing and determined, I soon got into the way of it, and kept up with the best of them. The harvesters, seeing I was not one of their own workers, had an eager dispute as to what I was, some holding that I .was a painter, and some a tailor ; but the more 'cute observers denied me the rank of tailor from the lack of "jaggings" on my AT SCHOOL AND COLLEGE. 39 thumb and finger, so I suppose they credited me with the brush. The male harvesters were told off to sleep in a large hay-loft, the beds being arranged all along the side, like barracks. Many of the fellows were rough and boisterous, and I suppose my look showed that I hesitated in mingling with them, for the quick eye and kind heart of the farmer's wife prompted her to suggest that I, being so much younger than the rest, might sleep with her son George in the house, — an offer, oh, how gratefully ac- cepted ! A beautiful new steading had recently been built for them; and during certain days, or portions of .days, while waiting for the grain to ripen or to dry. I planned and laid out an ornamental garden in front of it, which gave great satisfaction — a taste inherited from my mother, with her joy in flowers and garden plots. They gave me, on leaving, a handsome pre- sent, as well as my fee, for I had got on very plea- santly with them all. This experience, too, came to be valuable to me, when, in long-after days, and far other lands, Mission buildings had to be erected, and garden and field cropped and cultivated without the aid of a single European hand. Before going to my first harvesting, I had applied for a situation in Glasgow, apparently exactly suited for my case ; but I had little or no hope of ever hear- ing of it further. An offer of ;^50 per annum was made by the West Campbell Street Reformed Pres- byterian Congregation, then under the good and noble Dr. Bates, for a young man to act as district 40 A7 SCHOOL AND COLLEGE. visitor and tract distributor, especially amongst the absentees from the Sabbath school ; with the privilege of receiving one year's training at the Free Church Normal Seminary, that he might qualify himself for teaching, and thereby push forward to the Holy Ministry. The candidates, along with their applica- tion and certificates, were to send an essay on some subject, of their own composition, and in their own handwriting. I sent in two long poems on the Covenanters, which must have exceedingly amused them, as I had not learned to write decent prose ! But, much to my surprise, immediately on the close of the harvesting experience, a letter arrived, inti- mating that I, along with another young man, had been put upon the short leet, and that both were requested to appear in Glasgow on a given day and compete for the appointment. Two days thereafter I started out from my quiet country home on the road to Glasgow. Literally on the road, for from Torthorwald to Kilmarnock — about forty miles — had to be done on foot, and thence to Glasgow by rail Railways in those days were as yet (qw, and coach travelling was far beyond my purse. A small bundle, tied up in my pocket handkerchief, contained my Bible and all my personal belongings. Thus was 1 launched upon the ocean of life. " I know thy poverty, but thou art rich." My dear father walked with me the first six miles of the way. His counsels and tears and heavenly conversation on that parting journey are fresh in my AT SCHOOL AND COLLEGE. 41 heart as if it had been yesterday ; and tears are on my cheeks as freely now as then, whenever memory steals me away to the scene. For the last half-mile or so we walked on together in almost unbroken silence, — my father, as was often his custom, carrying hat in hand, while his long, flowing yellow hair (then yellow, but in later years white as snow) streamed like a girl's down his shoulders. His lips kept moving in silent prayers for me, and his tears fell fast when our eyes met each other in looks for which all speech was vain. We halted on reaching the appointed parting place ; he grasped my hand firmly for a minute in silence, and then solemnly and affection- ately said, — " God bless you, my son 1 Your father's God prosper you, and keep you from all evil ! " Unable to say more, his lips kept moving in silent piayer ; in tears we embraced, and parted. I ran off as fast as I could, and, when about to turn a corner in the road where he would lose sight of me, I looked back and saw him still standing with head uncovered where I had left him. Waving my hat in adieu, I was round the corner and out of sight in an instant. But my heart was too full and sore to carry me further, so I darted into the side of the road and wept for a time. Then, rising up cautiously, I climbed the dyke to see if he yet stood where I had left him, and just at that moment I caught a glimpse of him climbing the dyke and looking out for me I He did not see me, and after he had gazed eagerly in 42 AT SCHOOL AND COLLEGE. my direction for a while, he got down, turned his face towards home, and began to return — his head still uncovered, and his heart, I felt sure, still rising in prayers for me. I watched through blinding tears, till his form faded from my gaze ; and then, hasten- ing on my way, vowed deeply and oft, by the help of God, to live and act so as never to grieve or dishonour such a father and mother as He had given me. The appearance of my father, when we parted, — his advice, prayers and tears, — the road, the dyke, the climbing up on it and then walking away, head uncovered, have often, often, all through life, risen vividly before my mind, — and do so now while I am writing, as if it had been but an hour ago. In my earlier years particularly, when exposed to many temptations, his parting form rose before me as that of a guardian Angel. It is no Pharisaism, but deep gratitude, which makes me here testify that the memory of that scene not only helped, by God's grace, to keep me pure from the prevailing sins, but also stimulated me in all my studies, that I might not fall short of his hopes, and in all my Christian duties, that I might faithfully follow his shining example. I reached Glasgow on the third day, having slept one night at Thornhill, and another at New Cum- nock ; and having needed, owing to the kindness of acquaintances upon whom I called by the way, to spend only three half-pence of my modest funds. Safely arrived, but weary, I secured a humble room for my lodging, for which I had to pay one shilling AT SCHOOL AND COLLEGE 43 and sixpence per week. Buoyant and fuU of hope and looking up to God for guidance, I appeared at the appointed hour oeiore tne examiners, as did also the other candidate ; and they, having carefully gone through their work, asked us to retire. When re- called, they informed us that they had great difficulty in choosing, and suggested that the one of us might withdraw in favour of the other, or that both might submit to a more testing examination. Neither seemed inclined to give it up, both were willing for a second examination, but the patrons made another suggestion. They had only ^50 per annum to give ; but if we would agree to divide it betwixt us, and go into one lodging, we might both be able to struggle t'irough ; they would pay our entrance fees at the Fiee Normal Seminary, and provide us with the books required ; and perhaps they might be able to add a little to the sum promised to each of us. By dividing the mission work appointed, and each taking only the half, more time also might be secured for our studies. Though the two candidates had never seen each other before, we at once accepted this proposal, and got on famously together, never having had a dispute on anything of common interest throughout our whole career. As our fellow-students at the Normal were all far advanced beyond us in their education, we found it killing work, ?.nd had to grind away incessantly, late and early. B ^th of us, before the year closed, broke down in healt'i, partly by hard study, but principally, ♦4 AT SCHOOL AND COLLEGE. perhaps, for lack of nourishing diet. A severe cough seized upon me ; I began spitting blood, and a doctor ordered me at once home to the country and forbad all attempts at study. My heart sank ; it was a dreadful disappointment, and to me a bitter trial. Soon after, my companion, though apparently much stronger than I, was similarly seized. He, however, never entirely recovered, though for some years he taught in a humble school ; and long ago he fell asleep in Jesus, a devoted and honoured Christian man. I, on the other hand, after a short rest, nourished by the hill air of Torthorwald and by the new milk of our family cow, was ere long at work again, and got an appointment to teach a small school at Girvan. There I received the greatest kindness from Rev. Matthew G. Easton of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, now Dr. Easton of the Free Church, Darvel, and gradually but completely recovered my health. Having saved ;^io by my teaching, I returned to Glasgow, and was enrolled as a student at the College ; but before the session was finished my money was exhausted — I had lent some to a poor student who failed to repay me — and only nine shillings remained in my purse. There was no one from whom to borrow, had I been willing ; I had been disappointed in securing private tuition ; and no course seemed open for me, except to pay what little I owed, give up my College career, and seek for teaching or other work in the country. I wrote a letter to my father and mother, informing them of AT SCHOOL AND COLLEGE. 45 my circumstances ; that I was leaving Glasgow in quest of work, and that they would not hear from me again till I had found a suitable situation. I told them that if otherwise unsuccessful, I should fall back on my own trade, though I shrank from that as not tending to advance my education ; but that they might rest assured I would do nothing to dis- honour them or my Christian profession. Having read that letter over again through many tears, I said, — L cannot send that, for it will grieve my darling parents ; and therefore, leaving it on the table, I locked my room door and ran out to find a place where I might sell my few precious books, and hold on a few weeks longer. But, as I stood on the opposite side and wondered whether these folks in a shop with the three golden balls would care to have a poor student's books, and as I hesitated, knowing how much I needed them for my studies, conscience smote me for doing a guilty thing ; I imagined that the people were watching me as if I were about to commit a theft, and I made off from the scene at full speed, with a feeling of intense shame at having dreamed of such a thing ! Passing through one short street into another, I marched on mechanically ; but the Lord God of my father was guiding my steps, all unknown to me. A certain notice in a window, into which I had probably never in my life looked before, here caught my eye, to this effect — " Teacher wanted, Maryhill Free Church School ; apply at the Manse." A coach 46 AT SCHOOL AND COLLEGE or 'bus was just passing, when I turned round ; I leapt into it, saw the minister, arranged to undertake the school, returned to Glasgow, paid my landlady's lodging score, tore up the letter to my parents and wrote another full of cheer and hope, and early next morning entered the school and began a tough and trying job. The minister warned me that the school was a wreck, and had been broken up chiefly by coarse and bad characters from mills and coal-pits, who attended the evening classes. They had abused several masters in succession ; and, laying a thick and heavy cane on the desk, he said, — " Use that freely, or you will never keep order here ! " I put it aside into the drawer of my desk, saying, — " That will be my last resource." There were very few scholars for the first week — about eighteen in the day school and twenty in the night school. The clerk of the mill, a good young fellow, came to the evening classes, avowedly to learn book-keeping, but privately he said he had come to save me from personal injury. The following week, a young man and a young woman began to attend the night school, who showed from the first moment that they were bent on mis- chief. By talking aloud, joking, telling stories, and laughing, they stopped the work of the school. On my repeated appeals for quiet and order, they be- came the more boisterous, and gave great merriment to a few of the scholars present. I finally urged the AT SCHOOL AND COLLEGE. 47 young man, a tall, powerful fellow, to be quiet or at once to leave, declaring that at all hazards I must and would have perfect order ; but he only mocked at me, and assumed a fighting attitude. Quietly locking the door and putting the key in my pocket, I turned to my desk, armed myself with the cane, and dared any one at his peril to interfere betwixt us. It was a rough struggle, he smashing at me clumsily with his fists, I with quick movements evading and dealing him blow after blow with the heavy cane for several rounds, till at length he crouched down at his desk, exhausted and beaten, and I ordered him to turn to his book, which he did in sulky silence. Going to my desk, I addressed them and asked them to inform all who wished to come to the school, " that if they came for education, everything would be heartily done that it was in my power to do ; but that any who wished for mischief had better stay away, as I was determined to conquer, not to be conquered, and to secure order and silence, whatever it might cost. Further, I as- sured them that that cane would not again be lifted by me, if kindness and forbearance on my part could possibly gain the day, as I wished to rule by love and not by terror. But this young man knew he was in the wrong, and it was that which had made him weak against me, though every way stronger far than I. Yet I would be his friend and helper, if he was willing to be friendly with me, the same as if this night had never been." AT SCHOOL AND COLLEGE. A dead silence fell on the school ; every one buried face diligently in book ; and the evening closed in uncommon quiet and order. Next morning, two of the bigger boys at the day school, instead of taking their seats like the rest, got in under the gallery where coals and lumber were kept, and made a great noise as if dog and cat were worrying each other. Pleading with them only in- creased the uproar ; so I locked the doors, laid past the keys, and proceeded with the morning's work. Half an hour before the mid-day rest, I began sing- ing a hymn, and marched the children round as if to leave ; then the two young rascals came out, and, walking in front, sang boisterously. Seizing the first by the collar, I made him stagger into the middle of the floor, and dragging the other beside him, I raised my heavy cane and dared them to move. Ordering the children to resume their seats, I appointed them a jury to hear the case and to pass sentence. The two were found guilty, and awarded a severe lashing. I proposed, as this was their first offence, and as I only used the cane for a last resource, to forego all punishment, if they apologized and promised to be attentive and obedient in the future. They both heartily did so, and became my favourite scholars. Next evening I had little difficulty, as the worst characters did not at once return, guessing that they had got a bit of lion in the new dominie, that was more likely to subdue than to be subdued. On the following day, the parents of some children, AT SCHOOL AND COLLEGE. 49 getting alarmed by the rumours of these exploits, waited on me with the minister, and said their children were terrified to come. I said that no child had been beaten by me, but that I insisted upon order and obedience ; I reminded the minister that of my im- mediate predecessors three had suffered from these rowdies in the evening class — one actually going wrong in the mind over the worry, another losing his health and dying, and the third leaving in disgust ; and finally I declared that I must either be master, at whatever cost, or leave the school. From that time perfect order was established, and the school flour- ished apace. During next week, many of the worst characters returned to their class work in the evening; but thenceforward the behaviour of all towards me was admirable. The attendance grew, till the school became crowded, both during the day and at night. During the mid-day hour even, I had a large class of young women who came to improve themselves in writing and arithmetic. By-and-by the cane be- came a forgotten implement ; the sorrow and pain which I showed as to badly done lessons, or anything blameworthy, proved the far more effectual penalty. The School Committee had promised me at least ten shillings per week, and guaranteed to make up any deficit if the fees fell short of that sum ; but if the income from fees exceeded that sum, all was to be mine. Affairs went on prosperously for a season ; indeed, too much so for my selfish interest. The committee, regarding the arrangement with me as P. 4 ^6 AT SCHOOL AND COLLEGE. only temporary, took advantage of the larger attend- ance and better repute of the school, to secure the services of a master of the highest grade. The parents of many of the children, resenting this, offered to take and seat a hall if I would remain and carry on an opposition school ; but, besides regarding this as scarcely fair to the committee, however unhandsomely they had treated me, I knew too well that I had neither education nor experience to compete with an accomplished teacher, and so declined the proposal, though grateful for their kind appreciation. Their children, however, got up a testimonial and subscrip- tion, in token of their gratitude and esteem, which was presented to me on the day before I left ; and this I valued chiefly because the presentation was made by the young fellows who at first behaved so badly, but were now my warm friends. Once more I committed my future to the Lord God of my father, assured that in my very heart I was willing and anxious to serve Him and to follow the blessed Saviour, yet feeling keenly that intense darkness had once again enclosed my path. III. IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. CHAPTER III. IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. " He leadeth me." — A Degraded District. — The Gospel in a Hay-Loft. — New Mission Premises. — At Work for Jesus. — At War with Hell. — Sowing Gospel Seeds. — Publicans on the War Path. — Marched to the Police Office. — Papists and Infidels. — An Infidel Saved. — An Infidel in Despair. — A Brand from the Burning. — A Saintly Child. — Papists in Arms. — Elder and Student. BEFORE undertaking the Maryhill school, I had applied to be taken on as an agent in the Glasgow City Mission ; and the night before I had to leave Maryhill, I received a letter from Rev. Thomas Caie, the superintendent of the said Mission, saying that the directors had kept their eyes on me ever since my application, and requesting, as they understood I was leaving the school, that I would appear before them the next morning, and have my qualifications for becoming a Missionary examined into. Praising God, I went off at once, passed the examination successfully, and was appointed to spend two hours that afternoon and the following Monday in visitation with two of the directors, calling at every house in a low district of the town, and conversing 54 IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. with all the characters encountered there on their eter- nal welfare. I had also to preach a " trial " discourse in a Mission meeting, where a deputation of directors would be present, the following evening being Sun- day ; and on Wednesday evening, they met again to hear their reports and to accept or reject me. All this had come upon me so unexpectedly, that I al- most anticipated failure ; but looking up for help I went through with it, and on the fifth day after leav- ing the school they called me before a meeting of directors, and informed me that 1 had passed my trials most successfully, and that the reports were so favourable that they had unanimously resolved to receive me at once as one of their City Missionaries. It was further explained that one of their number, Matthew Fairley, Esq., an elder in Dr. Symington's congregation, had guaranteed the half of my salary for two years, the other half to be met by the resources of the Mission voluntarily contributed, — the whole salary at that time amounting to £^0 per annum. The district allocated to me was one especially needful and trying, that had never been occupied, in and around the Green Street of Calton, and I was enjoined to enter upon my duties at once. After receiving many good and kind counsels from these good and kind men, one of them in prayer very solemnly dedi- cated me and my v/ork to the Lord ; and several of them were appointed to introduce me to my district, taking a day each by turns, and to assist me in making arrangements for the on-carrying of the work. m GLASGOW CITY MISSION. 55 Deeply solemnized with the responsibilities of my new office, I left that meeting praising God for all His undeserved mercies, and seeing most clearly His gracious hand in all the way by which He had led me, and the trials by which He had prepared me for the sphere of service. Man proposes — God disposes. Most of these directors were men of God, adapted and qualified for this special work, and very helpful in counsel as they went with me from day to day, in- troducing me to my district, and seeing the character and position of the people dwelling there. Looking back upon these Mission experiences, I have ever felt that they were, to me and many others, a good and profitable training of students for the office of the Ministry, preparing us to deal with men of every shade of thought and of character, and try to lead them to the knowledge and service of the Lord Jesus. I found the district a very degraded one. Many families said they had never been visited by any minister; and many were lapsed professors of religion who had attended no church for ten, sixteen, or twenty years, and said they had never been called upon by any minister, nor by any Christian visitor. In it were congregated many avowed infidels, Romanists, and drunkards, — living together, and associated for evil, but apparently without any effec- tive counteracting influence. In many of its closes and courts sin and vice walked about openly — naked and not ashamed. We were expected to spend four hours daily in 56 IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. visiting from house to house, holding small prayer meetings amongst those visited, calling them together also in evening meetings, and trying by all means to do whatever good was possible amongst them. The only place in the whole district available for a Sab- bath evening Evangelistic Service was a hay-loft, under which a cow-feeder kept a large number of cows, and which was reached by an outside rickety wooden stair. After nearly a year's hard work, I had only six or seven non-church-goers, who had been led to attend regularly there, besides about the same number who met on a week evening in the ground- floor of a house kindly granted for the purpose by a poor and industrious but ill-used Irishwoman. She supported her family by keeping a little shop, and selling coals. Her husband was a powerful man — a good worker, but a hard drinker, and, like too many others addicted to intemperance, he abused and beat her, and pawned and drank everything he could get hold of. She, amid many prayers and tears, bore everything patiently, and strove to bring up her only daughter in the fear of God. We exerted, by God's blessing, a good influence upon him through our meetings. He became a total abstainer, gave up his evil ways, and attended church regularly with his wife. As his interest increased, he tried to bring others also to the meeting, and urged them to be- come abstainers. His wife became a centre of help and of good influence in all the district, as she kindly invited all and welcomed them to the meeting IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. 57 in her house, and my work grew every day more hopeful. Seeing, however, that one year's hard work showed s-ach small results, the directors proposed to remove me to another district, as in their estimation the non- church-goers in Green Street were unassailable by ordinary means. I pleaded for six months' longer trial, as I had gained the confidence of many of the poor people there, and had an invincible faith that the good seed sown would soon bear blessed fruit. To this the directors kindly agreed. At our next meeting I informed those present that, if we could not draw out more of the non-church-goers to attend the services, I should be removed to another part of the city. Each one there and then agreed to bring another to our next meeting. Both our meetings at once doubled their attendance. My interest in them and their interest in me now grew apace, and, for fear I might be taken away from them, they made another effort, and again doubled our attendance. Henceforth meeting and class were both too large for any house that was available for us in the whole of our district. We instituted a Bible Class, a Singing Class, a Communicants' Class, and a Total Abstinence Society ; and, in addition to the usual meetings, we opened two prayer meetings specially for the Calton division of the Glasgow Police — one at a suitable hour for the men on day duty, and another for those on night duty. The men got up a Mutual Improve- ment Society and Singing Class also amongst them- 58 IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. selves, weekly, on another evening. My work now occupied every evening in the week ; and I had two meetings every Sabbath. By God's blessing they all prospered, and gave evidence of such fruits as showed that the Lord was working there for good by our humble instrumentality. The kind cow-feeder had to inform us — and he did it with much genuine sorrow — that at a given date he would require the hay- loft, which was our place of meeting ; and as no other suitable house or hall could be got, the poor people and I feared the extinction of our work. On hearing this the ostlers and other ser- vants of Menzies, the coach-hirer, who had extensive premises near our place of meeting, of their own accord asked and obtained liberty to clear out a hay-loft of theirs that was seldom in use, and resolved, at their own expense, to erect an outside wooden stair for the convenience of the people. This becoming known, and being much talked of, caused great joy in the district, arrested general attention, and increased the interest of our work. But I saw that, however gene- rous, it could be at the best only another temporary arrangement, and that the premises might again at any moment be required. After prayer I therefore laid the whole case before my good and great-hearted friend, Thomas Binnie, Esq., Monteith Row, and he, after inquiring into all the circumstances, secured a good site for a Mission Hall in a piece of unoccupied ground near our old hay-loft, on which he proposed to build suitable premises at his own expense. At IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. 59 that verj'' time, however, a commodious block of buildings, that had been Church, Schools, Manse, etc., came into the market. Mr. Binnie persuaded Dr. Symington's congregation, Great Hamilton Street, in connection with which my Mission was carried on, to purchase the whole property for Mission purposes. Its situation at the foot of Green Street gave it a control of the whole district where my work lay ; and so the Church was given to me in which to conduct all my meetings, while the other halls were adapted as Schools for poor girls and boys, where they were educated by a proper master, and were largely supplied with books, clothing, and even food, by the ladies of the congregation. The purchasing and using of these buildings for an evangelistic and educational Mission became a blessing — a very con- spicuous blessing — to that district in the Calton of Glasgow ; and the blessing still perpetuates itself, not only in the old premises, now used for an Indus- trial School, but still more in the beautiful and spacious Mission Halls, erected immediately in front of the old, and consecrated to the work of the Lord in that poor and crowded and clamant portion of the city. Availing myself of the increased facilities, my work was all re-organized. On Sabbath morning, at seven o'clock, I had one of the most deeply interesting and fruitful of all my Classes for the study of the Bible. It was attended by from seventy to a hundred of the very poorest young women and grown-up lads of the 6o IN GLASGOW CITY MJSSION. whole district. They had nothing to put on except their ordinary work-day clothes, — all without bonnets some without shoes. Beautiful was it to mark how the poorest began to improve in personal appearance immediately after they came to our class ; how they gradually got shoes and one bit of clothing after another, to enable them to attend our other meet- ings, and then to go to church ; and, above all, how eagerly they sought to bring others with them, taking a deep personal interest in all the work of the Mis- sion. Long after they themselves could appear in ex- cellent dress, many of them still continued to attend in their working clothes, and to bring other and poorer girls with them to that morning class, and thereby helped to improve and elevate their com- panions. My delight in that Bible Class was among the purest joys in all my life, and the results were amongst the most certain and precious of all my ministry. Yet it was not made successful without unceasing pains and prayers. What would my younger brethren in the Ministry, or in the Mission, think of starting out at six o'clock every Sunday morning, running from street to street for an hour, knocking at the doors and rousing the careless, and thus getting together, and keeping together, their Bible Class ? This was what I did at first ; but, in course of time, a band of voluntary visitors belonging to the class took charge of all the irregulars, the in- differents, and the new-comers, and thereby not only IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. 6l relieved and assisted me, but vastly increased their own personal interest, and became warmly attached to each other. I had also a very large Bible Class — a sort of Bible-reading — on Monday night, attended by all, of both sexes and of any age, who cared to come or had any interest in the work. Wednesday even- ing, again, was devoted to a Prayer Meeting for all, and the attendance often more than half-filled the Church. There I usually took up some book of Holy Scripture, and read and lectured right through, prac- tically expounding and applying it. On Thursday I held a Communicants' Class, intended for the more careful instruction of all who wished to become full members of the Church. Our constant text-book was "Patterson on the Shorter Catechism," than which I have never seen a better compendium of the doc- trines of Holy Scripture. Each being thus trained for a season, received from me, if found worthy, a letter to the minister of any Protestant Church which he or she inclined to join. In this way great num- bers became active and useful communicants in the surrounding congregations, and eight young lads of humble circumstances educated themselves for the ministry of the Church, — most of them getting their first lessons in Latin and Greek from my very poor stock of the same ! Friday evening was occupied with a Singing Class, teaching Church music, and practis- ing for our Sabbath meetings. On Saturday evening we held our Total Abstinence meeting, at which the 62 IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. members themselves took a principal part, in read- ings, addresses, recitations, singing hymns, etc. Great good resulted from this Total Abstinence work. Many adults took and kept the pledge, there- by greatly increasing the comfort and happiness of their homes. Many were led to attend the church on the Lord's Day, who had formerly spent it in rioting and drinking. But, above all, it trained the young to fear the very name of intoxicating drink, and to hate and keep far away from everything that led to intemperance. From observation, at an early age I became convinced that mere Temperance Societies were a failure, and that Total Abstinence, by the grace of God, was the only sure preventive as well as remedy. What was temperance in one man was drunkenness in another ; and all the drunkards came not from those who practised total abstinence, but from those who practised or tried to practise temper- ance. I had seen temperance men drinking wine in the presence of others who drank to excess, and never could see how they felt clear of blame ; and I had known ministers and others, once strong temperance advocates, fall through their "modera- tion " and become drunkards. Therefore it has all my life appeared to me beyond dispute, in reference to intoxicants of every kind, that the only rational temperance is total abstinence from them as bever- ages, and the use of them only as drugs, and then only with extreme caution, as they are deceptive and deleterious poisons of the most debasing and demo- IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. 63 falizing kind. I found also, that when I tried to reclaim a drunkard, or caution any one as to intem- perate habits, one of the first questions was, — "Are you a pledged Abstainer yourself?" By being enabled to reply decidedly, " Yes, I am," the mouth of the objector was closed ; and that gave me a hundred-fold more influence with him than if I had had to confess that I was only " temperate." For the good of others, and for the increase of their personal influence as the servants of Christ, I would plead with every Minister and Missionary, every ofiice- bearer and Sabbath school teacher, every one who wishes to work for the Lord Jesus in the family, the Church, and the world, to be a Total Abstainer from all intoxicating drinks. I would add my testimony also against the use of tobacco, which injures and leads many astray, especi- ally the very young, and which never can be required by any person in ordinary health. But I would not be understood to regard the evils that flow from it as deserving to be mentioned in comparison with the unutterable woes and miseries of intemperance. To be protected, however, from suspicion and from evil, all the followers of Jesus should, in self-denial (how small !) and consecration to His service, be pledged Abstainers from both of these selfish indulgences, which are certainly injurious to many, which are n« ornament to any character, and which can be no help In well-doing. Praise God for the many who are now so pledged ! Happy day for poor Humanity, when 64 IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. all the Lord's people adopt this self-denying ordi- nance for the good of the race ! Not boastfully, but gratefully, let me record that my Classes and Meetings were now attended by such numbers that they were amongst the largest and most successful that the City Mission had ever known ; and by God's blessing I was enabled to develop them into a regular, warmly attached, and intelligent Congregation. My work, however exact- ing, was full of joy to me. From five to six hundred people were in usual weekly attendance ; consisting exclusively of poor working persons, and largely of the humbler class of mill-workers. So soon as their circumstances improved, they were constantly re- moving to more respectable and healthy localities, and got to be scattered over all the city. But wher- ever they went, I visited them regularly to prevent their falling away, and held by them till I got them interested in some Church near where they had gone to live. On my return, many years after, from the Foreign Mission field, there was scarcely a con- gregation in any part of the city where some one did not warmly salute me with the cry, " Don't you remember me ? " And then, after greetings, came the well-remembered name of one or other member of my old Bible Class. Such toils left me but small time for private studies. The City Missionary was required to spend four hours daily in his work ; but often had I to spend double that time, day after day, in order to overtake what was IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. 65 laid upon me. About eight or ten of my most devoted young men, and double that number of young women, whom I had trained to become visitors and tract dis- tributors, greatly strengthened my hands. Each of the young men by himself, and the young women two by two, had charge of a portion of a street, which was visited by them regularly twice every month. At a monthly meeting of all our Workers, reports were given in, changes were noted, and all matters brought under notice were attended to. Be- sides, if any note or message were left at my lodging, or any case of sickness or want reported, it was looked after by me without delay. Several Christian gentlemen, mill-owners and other employers in the Calton, Mile-end, and Bridgeton of Glasgow, were so interested in my work that they kindly offered to give employment to every deserving person recom- mended by me, and that relieved much distress and greatly increased my influence for good. Almost the only enemies I had were the keepers of Public- Houses, whose trade had been injured by my Total Abstinence Society. Besides the Satur- day night meetings all the year round, we held, in summer evenings and on Saturday afternoons. Evan- gelistic and Total Abstinence services in the open air. We met in Thomson's Lane, a short, broad street, not open for the traffic of conveyances, and admirably situated for our purposes. Our pulpit was formed by the top of an outside stair, leading to the second flat pf a house in the middle of the lane. Prominent P. 5 66 IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. Christian workers took part with us in delivering addresses ; an intimation through my classes usually secured good audiences ; and the hearty singing of hymns by my Mission Choir gave zest and joy to the whole proceedings. Of other so-called " attractions " we had none, and needed none, save the sincere pro- clamation of the Good Tidings from God to men ! On one occasion, it becoming known that we had arranged for a special Saturday afternoon de- monstration, a deputation of Publicans complained beforehand to the Captain of the Police that our meetings were interfering with their legitimate trade. He heard their complaints and promised to send officers to watch the meeting, prevent any disturb- ance, and take in charge all offenders, but declined to prohibit the meetings till he received their reports. The Captain, a pious Wesleyan, who was in full sym- pathy with us and our work, informed me of the complaints made and intimated that his men would be present, but I was just to conduct the meeting as usual, and he would guarantee that strict justice would be done. The Publicans, having announced amongst their sympathisers that the Police were to break up and prevent our meeting and take the con- ductors in charge, a very large crowd assembled, both friendly and unfriendly, for the Publicans and their hangers-on were there "to see the fun," and to help in baiting the Missionary. Punctually, I ascended the stone stair, accompanied by another Missionary who was tlso to deliver an address, and announced IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. 67 our opening hymn. As we sang, a company of Police appeared, and were quietly located here and there among the crowd, the Serjeant himself taking his post close by the platform, whence the whole assembly could be scanned. Our enemies were jubilant, and signals were passed betwixt them and their friends, as if the time had come to provoke a row. Before the hymn was finished, Captain Baker himself, to the infinite surprise of friend and foe alike, joined us on the platform, devoutly listened to all that was said, and waited till the close. The Publi- cans could not for very shame leave, while he was there at their suggestion and request, though they had wit enough to perceive that his presence had frustrated all their sinister plans. They had to heai our addresses and prayers and hynms ; they had to listen to the intimation of our future meetings. When all had quietly dispersed, the Captain warmly congratulated us on our large and well-conducted congregation, and hoped that great good would result from our efforts. This opposition, also, the Lord over- ruled to increase our influence, and to give point and publicity to our assaults upon the kingdom of Satan. Though disappointed thus, some of the Publicans resolved to have revenge. On the following Saturday evening, when a large meeting was being addressed in our Green Street Church, which had to be entered by a great iron gateway, a spirit merchant ran his van in front of the gate, so that the people could not leave the Church without its removal. Hearing this. 68 IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. I sent two of my young men to draw it aside and clear the way. The Publican, watching near by in league with two policemen, pounced upon the young men whenever they seized the shafts, and gave them in charge for removing his property. On hearing that the young men were being marched to the Police Office, I ran after them and asked what was their offence ? They replied that they were prisoners for injuring the spirit merchant's property ; and the officers tartly informed me that if I further interfered I would be taken too. I replied, that as the young men only did what was necessary, and at my request, I would go with them to the Office. The cry now went through the street, that the Publicans were sending the Missionary and his young men to the Police Office, and a huge mob rushed together to rescue us ; but I earnestly entreated them not to raise disturbance, but allow us quietly to pass on. At the Office, it appeared as if the lieutenant on duty and the men under him were all in sympathy with the Publicans. He took down in writing all their allegations, but would not listen to us. At this stage a handsomely dressed and dignified gentleman came forward and said, — *• What bail is required ? " A few sharp words passed ; another, and appa- rently higher, officer entered, and took part in the colloquy. I could only hear the gentleman protest, in authoritative tones, the policemen having been quietly asked some questions, — IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. 69 "I know this whole case, I will expose it to the bottom ; expect me here to stand by the Missionary and these young men on Monday morning." Before I could collect my wits to thank him, and before I quite understood what was going on, he had disappeared ; and the superior officer turned to us and intimated in a very respectful manner that the charge had been withdrawn, and that I and my friends were at liberty. I never found out exactly who the gentle- man was that befriended us ; but from the manner in which he asserted himself and was listened to, I saw that he was well known in official quarters. From that day our work progressed without further open opposition, and many who had been slaves of intemperance were not only reformed, but became fervent workers in the Total Abstinence cause. Though intemperance was the main cause of poverty, suffering, misery, and vice in that district of Glasgow, I had also considerable opposition from Romanists and Infidels, many of whom met in clubs, where they drank together and gloried in their wickedness and in leading other young men astray. Against these I prepared and delivered lectures, at the close of which discussion was allowed ; but I fear they did little good. These men embraced the opportunity of airing their absurdities, or sowing the seeds of corruption in those whom otherwise they could never have reached, while their own hearts and minds were fast shut against all conviction or light. One infidel Lecturer in the district became very ill 70 IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. His wife called me in to visit him. I found him possessed of a circulating library of infidel books, by which he sought to pervert unwary minds. Though he had talked and lectured much against the Gospel, he did not at all really understand its message. He had read the Bible, but only to find food there for ridicule. Now supposed to be dying, he confessed that his mind was full of terror as to the Future. After several visits and frequent conversations and prayers, he became genuinely and deeply interested, drank in God's message of salvation, and cried aloud with many tears for pardon and peace. He bitterly lamented the evil he had done, and called in all the infidel literature that he had in circulation, with the purpose of destroying it. He began to speak solemnly to any of his old companions that came to see him, telling them what he had found in the Lord Jesus. At his request I bought and brought to him a Bible, which he received with great joy, saying, " This is the book for me now ; " and add- ing, " Since you were here last, I gathered together all my infidel books ; my wife locked the door, till she and my daughter tore them to pieces, and I struck the light that reduced the pile to ashes." As long as he lived, this man was unwearied and unflinching in testifying, to all -that crossed his path, how much Jesus Christ had been to his heart and soul ; and he died in the possession of a full and blessed hope Another Infidel, wnose wife was a Roman Catholic, IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. 7\ also became unwell, and gradually sank under great suffering and agony. His blasphemies against God weie known and shuddered at by all the neighbours. His wife pled with me to visit him. She refused, at my suggestion, to call her own priest, so I accom- panied her at last The man refused to hear one word about spiritual things, and foamed with rage. He even spat at me, when I mentioned the name of Jesus. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him !" There is a wisdom which is at best earthly, and at worst "sensual and devilish." His wife asked me to take care of the little money they had, as she would not entrust it to her own priest. I visited the poor man daily, but his enmity to God and his sufferings, together seemed to drive him mad. His yells gathered crowds on the streets. He tore to pieces his very bed-clothes, till they had to bind him on the iron bed where he lay, foaming and blaspheming. Towards the end I pled with him even then to look to the Lord Jesus, and asked if I might pray with him ? With all his remaining strength, he shouted at me, — " Pray for me to the devil ! " Reminding him how he had always denied that there was any devil, I suggested that he must surely believe in one now, else he would scarcely make such a request, even in mockery. In great rage he cried, — "Yes, I believe there is a devil, and a God, and a just God, too; but I have hated Him in life, and I hate Him in death I " 72 IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. With these awful words, he wriggled into Eternity ; but his shocking death produced a very serious im- pression for good, especially amongst young men, in the district where his character was known. How different was the case of that Doctor who also had been an unbeliever as well as a drunkard ! Highly educated, skilful, and gifted above most in his pro- fession, he was taken into consultation for specially dangerous cases, whenever they could find him toler- ably sober. After one of his excessive " bouts," he had a dreadful attack of delirium tremens. At one time, wife and watchers had a fierce struggle to dash from his lips a draught of prussic acid ; at another, they detected the silver-hafted lancet concealed in the band of his shirt, as he lay down, to bleed himself to death. His aunt came and pled with me to visit him. My heart bled for his poor young wife and two beauti- ful little children. Visiting him twice daily, and some- times even more frequently, I found the way somehow into his heart, and he would do almost anything for me and longed for my visits. When again the fit of self-destruction seized him, they sent for me ; he held out his hand eagerly, and grasping mine, said, — " Put all these people out of the room, remain you with me; I will be quiet, I will do everything you ask!" I got them all to leave, but whispered to one in passing to " keep near the door." Alone I sat beside him, my hand in his, and kept up a quiet conversation for several hours. After we IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. J2 had talked of everything that I could think of, and it was now far into the morning, I said, — " If you had a Bible here, we might read a chapter, verse about." He said dreamily, "There was once a Bible above yon press ; if you can get up to it, you might find it there yet." Getting it, dusting it, and laying it on a small iable which I drew near to the sofa on which we sat, we read there and then a chapter together. After this, I said, " Now, shall we pray ? " He replied heartily, " Yes." I having removed the little table, we kneeled down together at the sofa ; and after a solemn pause, I whispered, " You pray first." He replied, " I curse, I cannot pray ; would you have me curse God to His face ? " I answered, " You promised to do all that I asked ; you must pray, or try to pray, and let me hear that you cannot." He said, " I cannot curse God on my knees ; let me stand, and I will curse Him ; I cannot pray." I gently held him on his knees, saying, " Just try to pray, and let me hear you cannot." Instantly he cried out, " O Lord, Thou knowest I cannot pray," and was going to say something dreadful as he strove to rise up. But I just took the words he had uttered as if they had been my own, and continued the prayer, pleading for him and his dear ones as we knelt there together, till he showed 74 IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. that he was completely subdued and lying low at the feet of God. On rising from our knees he was mani- festly greatly impressed, and I said, — " Now, as I must be at College by daybreak and must return to my lodging for my books and an hour's rest, will you do one thing more for me before I go?" " Yes," was his reply. " Then," said I, " it is long since you had a re- freshing sleep ; now, will you He down, and I will sit by you till you fall asleep ? " He lay down, and was soon fast asleep. After com- mending him to the care and blessing of the Lord, I quietly slipped out, and his wife returned to watch by his side. When I came back later in the day, after my classes were over, he, on hearing my foot and voice, came running to meet me, and clasping me in his arms, cried, — " Thank God, I can pray now ! I rose this morning refreshed from sleep, and prayed with my wife and children for the first time in my life ; and now I shall do so every day, and serve God while I live, who hath dealt in so great mercy with me ! " After delightful conversation, he promised to go with me to Dr. Symington's church on Sabbath Day ; there he took sittings beside me ; at next half-yearly communion he and his wife were received into mem- bership, and their children were baptized ; and from that day till his death he led a devoted and most useful Christian life. Henceforth, as a medical man IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. 75 he delighted to attend all poor and destitute cases which we brought under his care ; he ministered to them for Jesus' sake, and spoke to them of their blessed Saviour. When he came across cases that were hopeless, he sent for me to visit them too, being as anxious for their souls as for their bodies. He died, years after this, of consumption, partly at least the fruit of early excesses ; but he was serenely pre- pared for death, and happy in the assured hope of eternal blessedness with Christ. He sleeps in Jesus ; and I do believe that I shall meet him in Glory as a trophy of redeeming grace and love ! In my Mission district, I was the witness of many joyful departures to be with Jesus, — I do not like to name them " deaths " at all. Even now, at the dis- tance of nearly forty years, many instances, especially amongst the young men and women who attended my classes, rise up before my mind. They left us, rejoicing in the bright assurance that nothing present or to come "could ever separate them or us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Several of them, by their conversation even on their death-bed, were known to have done much good. Many examples might be given ; but I can find room for only one. John Sim, a dear little boy, was carried away by consumption. His childish heart seemed to be filled with joy about seeing Jesus. His simple prattle, mingled with deep questionings, arrested not only his young companions, but pierced the hearts of some careless sinners who heard him, and greatly ^6 IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. refreshed the faith of God's dear people. It was the very pathos of song incarnated to hear the weak quaver of his dying voice sing out, — •* I lay my sins on Jesus, The spotless Lamb of God." Shortly before his decease he said to his parents, "I am going soon to be with Jesus; but I some- times fear that I may not see you there." " Why so, my child ? " said his weeping mother. " Because," he answered, " if you were set upon going to heaven and seeing Jesus there, you would pray about it, and sing about it ; you would talk about Jesus to others, and tell them of that happy meeting with Him in Glory. All this my dear Sabbath school teacher taught me, and she Vvill meet me there. Now why did not you, my father and mother, tell me all these things about Jesus, if you are going to meet Him too ? " Their tears fell fast over their dying child ; and he little knew, in his unthinking eighth year, what a message from God had pierced their souls through his innocent words. One day an aunt from the country visited his mother, and their talk had run in channels for which the child no longer felt any interest. On my sitting down beside him, he said, — " Sit you down and talk with me about Jesus ; 1 am tired hearing so much talk about everything else but Jesus ; I am going soon to be with Him. Oh, do tell me everything you know or have ever heard about Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God ! " IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. 77 At last the child literally longed to be away, not for rest, or freedom from pain — for of that he had very little — but, as he himself always put it, " to see Jesus." And, after all, that was the wisdom of the heart, however he learned it. Eternal life, here or hereafter, is just the vision of Jesus. Amongst many of the Roman Catholics in my Mission district, also, I was very kindly received, and allowed even to read the Scriptures and to pray. At length, however, a young woman who professed to be converted by my classes and meetings brought things to a crisis betwixt them and me. She had renounced her former faith, was living in a Protestant family, and looked to me as her pastor and teacher. One night, a closed carriage, with two men and women, was sent from a Nunnery in Clyde Street, to take her and her little sister with them. She refused, and declined all authority on their part, de- claring that she was now a Protestant by her own free choice. During this altercation, a message had been sent for me. On arriving, I found the house filled with a noisy crowd. Before them all, she appealed to me for protection from these her enemies. The Romanists, becoming enraged, jostled me into a corner of the room, and there enclosed me. The two women pulled her out of bed by force, for the girl had been sick, and began to dress her, but she fainted among their hands. I called out, — Do not murder the poor girl ! Get her water, ;8 IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION, quick, quick ! " and leaving my hat on the table, I rushed through amongst them, as if in search of water, and they let me pass. Knowing that the house had only one door, I quickly slipped the key from within, shut and locked the door outside, and with the key in my hand ran to the Police Office. Having secured two constables to protect the girl and take the would-be captors into custody, I re- turned, opened the door, and found, alas ! that these constables were themselves Roman Catholics, and at once set about frustrating me and assisting their own friends. The poor sick girl was supported by the arms into the carriage ; the policemen cleared the way through the crowd ; and before I could force my way through the obstructives in the house, the conveyance was already starting. I appealed and shouted to the crowds to protect the girl, and seize and take the whole party to the Police Office. A gentleman in the crowd took my part, and said to a big Highland policeman in the street, — " Mac, I commit that conveyance and party to you on a criminal charge, before witnesses ; you will suffer, if they escape." The driver lashing at his horse to get away, Mac drew his baton and struck, when the driver leapt down to the street on the opposite side, and threw the reins in the policeman's face. Thereupon our stalwart friend at once mounted the box, and drove straight for the Police Office. On arriving there, we discovered that only the women were inside with the IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. 79 sick girl — the men having escaped in the scuffle and the crush. What proved more disappointing was that the lieutenant on duty happened to be a Papist, who, after hearing our statement and conferring with the parties in the conveyance, returned, and said, — "Her friends are taking her to a comfortable home ; you have no right to interfere, and I have let them go." He further refused to hear the grounds of our complaint, and ordered the police to clear the Office. Next morning, a false and foolish account of the whole affair appeared in the Newspapers, con- demnatory of the Mission and of myself; a meeting of the directors was summoned, and the Superin- tendent came to my lodging to take me before them. Having heard all, and questioned and cross-questioned me, they resolved to prosecute the abductors of the girl. The Nunnery authorities confessed that the little sister was with them, but denied that she had been taken in there, or that they knew anything of her case. Though the girl was sought for carefully by the Police, and by all the members of my class, for nearly a fortnight, no trace of her or of the coach- man or of any of the parties could be discovered ; till one day from a cellar, through a grated window, she called to one of my class girls passing by, and begged her to run and let me know that she was confined there. At once, the directors of the City Mission were informed by me, and Police were sent to rescue her ; but on examining that house they found that she had been again removed. The occupiers denied 8o IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. all knowledge of where she had gone, or who had taken her away from their lodging. All other efforts failed to find her, till she was left at the Poor House door, far gone in dropsy, and soon after died in that last refuge of the destitute and forsaken. Anonymous letters were now sent, threatening my life ; and I was publicly cursed from the altar by the priests in Abercromby Street Chapel. The directors of the Mission, fearing violence, advised me to leave Glasgow for a short holiday, and even offered to ar- range for my being taken for work in Edinburgh for a year, that the fanatical passions of the Irish Papists might have time to subside. But I refused to leave my work. I went on conducting it all as in the past. The worst thing that happened was, that on rushing one day past a row of houses occupied exclusively by Papists, a stone thrown from one of them cut me severely above the eye, and I fell stunned and bleed- ing. When I recovered and scrambled to my feet, no person of course that could be suspected was to be seen ! The doctor having dressed the wound, it rapidly healed, and after a short confinement I re- sumed my work and my studies without any further serious annoyance. Attempts were made more than once, in these Papist closes, and I believe by the Papists themselves, to pour pails of boiling water on my head, over windows and down dark stairs, but in every case I marvellously escaped ; and as I would not turn coward, their malice tired itself out, and they ultimately left me entirely at peace. Is not this m GLASGOW CITY MISSION. 8i a feature of the lower Irish, and especially Popish population ? Let them see that bullying makes you afraid, and they will brutally and cruelly misuse you ; but defy them fearlessly, or take them by the nose, and they will crouch like whelps beneath your feet. Is there anything in their Religion that accounts for this ? Is it not a system of alternating tyranny on the one part, and terror, abject terror, on the other ? About this same time there was an election of elders for Dr. Symington's congregation, and I was by an almost unanimous vote chosen for that office. For years now I had been attached to them as City Missionary for their district, and many friends urged me to accept the eldership, as likely to increase my usefulness, and give me varied experience for my future work. My dear father, also, himself an elder in the congregation at Dumfries, advised me simi- larly ; and though very young, comparatively, for such a post, I did accept the office, and continued to act as an elder and member of Dr. Symington's kirk session, till by-and-by I was ordained as a Missionary to the New Hebrides, where the great lot of my life had been cast by the Lord, as yet unknown to me. All through my City Mission period, I was pain- fully carrying on my studies, first at the University of Glasgow, and thereafter at the Reformed Pres- byterian Divinity Hall ; and also medical classes at the Andersonian College. With the exception of one session, when failure of health broke me down, I struggled patiently on through ten years. The P. 6 82 IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION. work was hard and most exacting ; and if I never attained the scholarship for which I thirsted — being but poorly grounded in my younger days — I yet had much of the blessed Master's presence in all my efforts, which many better scholars sorely lacked ; and I was sustained by the lofty aim which burned all these years bright within my soul, namely, — to be qualified as a preacher of the Gospel of Christ, to be owned and used by Him for the salvation of perishing men. IV. FOREIGN MISSION CLAIMS, CHAPTER IV. FOREIGN MISSION CLAIMS. The Wail of the Heathen. — A Missionary Wanted. — Two Souls on the Altar.— Lions in the Path.— The Old Folks at Home. — Successors in Green Street Mission. — Old Green Street Hands. — A Father in God. HAPPY in my work as I felt, and successful by the blessing of God, yet I continually heard, and chiefly during my last years in the Divinity Hall, the wail of the perishing Heathen in the South Seas ; and I saw that few were caring for them, while I well knew that many would be ready to take up my work in Calton, and carry it forward perhaps with more efficiency than myself Without revealing the state of my mind to any person, this was the supreme subject of my daily meditation and prayer ; and this also led me to enter upon those medical studies, in which I purposed taking the full course ; but at the close of my third year, an incident occurred, which led me at once to offer myself for the Foreign Mis- sion field. The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland, in which I had been brought up, had been advertising 85 86 FOREIGN MISSION CLAIMS. for another Missionary to join the Rev. John Inglis in his grand work in the New Hebrides. Dr. Bates, the excellent convener of the Heathen Missions Com- mittee, was deeply grieved, because for two years their appeal had failed. At length, the Synod, after much prayer and consultation, felt the claims of the Heathen so urgently pressed upon them by the Lord's repeated calls, that they resolved to cast lots, to dis- cover whether God would thus select any Minister to be relieved from his home-charge, and designated as a Missionary to the South Seas. Each member of Synod, .as I was informed, agreed to hand in, after solemn appeal to God, the names of the three best qualified in his esteem for such a work, and he who had the clear majority was to be loosed from his congregation, and to proceed to the Mission field — or the first and second highest, if two could be se- cured. Hearing this debate, and feeling an intense interest in these most unusual proceedings, I remem- ber yet the hushed solemnity of the prayer before the names were handed in. I remember the strained silence that held the Assembly while the scrutinizers retired to examine the papers ; and I remember how tears blinded my eyes when they returned to an- nounce that the result was so indecisive, that it was clear that the Lord had not in that way provided a Missionary. The cause was once again solemnly laid before God in prayer, and a cloud of sadness ap- peared to fall over all the Synod. The Lord kept saying within me, "Since none better FOREIGN MISSION CLAIMS. 87 qualified can be got, rise and offer yourself!" Almost overpowering was the impulse to answer aloud, *' Here am I, send me." But I was dreadfully afraid of mis- taking my own emotions for the will of God. So I resolved to make it a subject of close deliberation and prayer for a few days longer, and to look at the proposal from every possible aspect. Besides, I was keenly solicitous about the effect upon the hundreds of young people and others, now attached to all my classes and meetings ; and yet I felt a growing assur- ance that this was the call of God to His servant, and that He who was willing to employ me in the work abroad, was both able and willing to provide for the on-carrying of my work at home. The wail and the claims of the Heathen were constantly sound- ing in my ears. I saw them perishing for lack of the knowledge of the true God and His Son Jesus, while my Green Street people had the open Bible, and all the means of grace within easy reach, which, if they rejected, they did so wilfully, and at their own peril. None seemed prepared for the Heathen field ; many were capable and ready for the Calton service. My medical studies^ as well as my literary and divinity training, had specially qualified me in some ways for the Foreign field, and from every aspect at which I could look the whole facts in the face, the voice with- in me sounded like a voice from God. It was under good Dr. Bates of West Campbell Street that I had begun my career in Glasgow — receiv- ing £2^ per annum for district visitation in connection 88 FOREIGN MISSION CLAIMS. with his congregation, along with instruction under Mr. Hislop and his staflf in the Free Church Normal Seminary — and oh, how Dr. Bates did rejoice, and even weep for joy, when I called on him, and offered myself for the New Hebrides Mission 1 I returned to my lodging with a lighter heart than I had for some time enjoyed, feeling that nothing so clears the vision, and lifts up the life, as a decision to move forward in what you know to be entirely the will of the Lord. I said to my fellow-student, who had chummed with me all through our course at college, — "I have been away signing my banishment" (a rather trifling way of talk for such an occasion). " I have offered myself as a Missionary for the New Hebrides." After a long and silent meditation, in which he seemed lost in far-wandering thoughts, his answer was, — "If they will accept of me, I also am resolved to go!" I said, ** Will you write the convener to that effect, or let me do so ? " He replied, " You may." A few minutes later his letter of offer was in the post office. Next morning, Dr. Bates called upon us early, and after a long conversation, commended us and our future work to the Lord God in fervent prayer. My fellow-student, Mr. Joseph CopelaTid, had also for some time been a very successful City Missionary FOREIGN MISSION CLAIMS. 89 in the Camlachie district, while attending along with me at the Divinity Hall. This leading of God, where- by we both resolved at the same time to give ourselves to the Foreign Mission field, was wholly unexpected by us, as we had never once spoken to each other about going abroad. At a meeting of the Heathen Missions Committee, held immediately thereafter, both were, after due deliberation, formally accepted, on condition that we passed successfully the usual examinations required of candidates for the Ministry. And for the next twelve months we were placed under the special committee for advice as to medical experience, acquaintance with the rudiments of trades, and anything else which might be thought useful to us in the Foreign field. When it became known that I was preparing to go abroad as Missionary, nearly all were dead against the proposal, except Dr. Bates and my fellow-student. My dear father and mother, however, when I con- sulted them, characteristically replied, " that they had long since given me away to the Lord, and in this matter also would leave me to God's disposal." From other quarters we were besieged with the strongest opposition on all sides. Even Dr. Syming- ton, one of my professors in divinity, and the beloved Minister in connection with whose congregation I had wrought so long as a City Missionary, and in whose kirk session I had for years sat as an elder, repeat- edly urged me to remain at home. He argued, " that Green Street Church was doubtless the sphere for 90 FOREIGN MISSION CLAIMS. which God had given me peculiar quahfications, and in which He had so largely blessed my labours ; that if I left those now attending my classes and meet- ings, they might be scattered, and many of them would probably fall away ; that I was leaving cer- tainty for uncertainty — work in which God had made me greatly useful, for work in which I might fail to be useful, and only throw away my life amongst Cannibals." I replied, " that my mind was finally resolved ; that, though I loved my work and my people, yet I felt that I could leave them to the care of Jesus, who would soon provide them a better pastor than I ; and that, with regard to my life amongst the Cannibals, as I had only once to die, I was content to leave the time and place and means in the hand of God, who had already marvellously preserved me when visiting cholera patients and the fever-stricken poor ; on that score I had positively no further concern, having left it all absolutely to the Lord, whom I sought to serve and honour, whether in life or by death." The house connected with my Green Street Church, was now offered to me for a Manse, and any reason- able salary that I cared to ask (as against the pro- mised ;^I20 per annum for the far-off and dangerous New Hebrides), on condition that I would remain at home. I cannot honestly say that such offers or opposing influences proved a heavy trial to me ; they rather tended to confirm my determination that the path of duty was to go abroad. Amongst many who FOREIGN MISSION CLAIMS. 91 sought to deter me, was one dear old Christian gen- tleman, whose crowning argument always was, — " The Cannibals ! you will be eaten by Cannibals ! ' At last I replied, " Mr. Dickson, you are advanced In years now, and your own prospect is soon to be laid in the grave, there to be eaten by worms ; I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving and honouring the Lord Jesus, it will make no differ- ence to me whether I am eaten by Cannibals or by worms ; and in the Great Day my resurrection body will arise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer." The old gentleman, raising his hands in a depre- cating attitude, left the room exclaiming,— " After that I have nothing more to say ! " My dear Green Street people grieved excessively at the thought of my leaving them, and daily pled with me to remain. Indeed, the opposition was so strong from nearly all, and many of them warm Christian friends, that I was sorely tempted to question whether I was carrying out the Divine will, or only some headstrong wish of my own. This also caused me much anxiety, and drove me close to God in prayer. But again every doubt would vanish, when I clearly saw that all at home had free access to the Bible and the means of grace, with Gospel light shining all around them, while the poor Heathen were perishing, without even the chance of knowing all God's love and mercy to men. Conscience said louder and clearer every day, " Leave all these results with Jesus your 92 FOREIGN MISSION CLAIMS. Lord, who said, ' Go ye into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature, and lo ! I am with you alway.' " These words kept ringing in my ears ; these were our marching orders. Some retorted upon me, "There are Heathen at home ; let us seek and save, first of all, the lost ones perishing at our doors." This I felt to be most true, and an appalling fact ; but I unfailingly observed that those who made this retort neglected these home Heathen themselves ; and so the objection, as from them, lost all its power. They would ungrudgingly spend more on a fashionable party at dinner or tea, on concert or ball or theatre, or on some ostentatious display, or worldly and selfish indulgence, ten times more, perhaps in a single day, than they would give in a year, or in half a lifetime, for the conversion of the whole Heathen World, either at home or abroad. Objections from all such people must, of course, al- ways count for nothing among men to whom spiritual things are realities. For these people themselves, — I do, and always did, only pity them, as God's stewards, making such a miserable use of time and money entrusted to their care. On meeting with so many obstructing influences, I again laid the whole matter before my dear patents, and their reply was to this effect : — " Here- tofore we feared to bias you, but now we must tell you why we praise God for the decision to which you have been led. Your father's heart was set upon being a Minister, but other claims forced him to give FOREIGN MISSION CLAIMS. 93 it up. When you were given to them, your father and mother laid you upon the altar, their first-born, to be consecrated, if God saw fit, as a Missionary of the Cross ; and it has been their constant prayer that you might be prepared, qualified, and led to this very decision ; and we pray with all our heart that the Lord may accept your offering, long spare you, and give you many souls from the Heathen World for your hire." From that moment, every doubt as to my path of duty for ever vanished. I saw the hand of God very visibly, not only preparing me for, but now leading me to, the Foreign Mission field. Well did I know that the sympathy and prayers of my dear parents were warmly with me in all my studies and in all my Mission work ; but for my education they could, of course, give me no money help. All through, on the contrary, it was my pride and joy to help them, being the eldest in a family of eleven. First, I assisted them to purchase the family cow, without whose invaluable aid my ever- memorable mother never could have reared and fed her numerous flock ; then, I paid for them the house- rent and the cow's grass on the Bank Hill, till some of the others grew up and relieved me by paying these in my stead j and finally, I helped to pay the school-fees, to provide clothing — in short I gave, and gladly, what could possibly be saved out of my City Mission salary of ;^40, ultimately advanced to £Af^ per annum. Self-educated thus, and without the help of one shilling from any other 94 FOREIGN MISSION CLAIMS. source, readers will easily imagine that I had many a staggering difficulty to overcome in my long cur- riculum in Arts, Divinity, and Medicine ; but God so guided me, and blessed all my little arrangements, that I never incurred one farthing of personal debt. There was, however, a heavy burden always pressing upon me, and crushing my spirit from the day I left my home, which had been thus incurred. The late owner of the Dalswinton estate allowed, as a prize, the cottager who had the tidiest house and most beautiful flower-garden to sit rent free. For several years in succession, my old sea-faring grand- father won this prize, partly by his own handy skill, partly by his wife's joy in flowers. Unfortunately no clearance-receipt had been asked or given for these rents— the proprietor and his cottars treating each other as friends rather than as men of business. The new heir, unexpectedly succeeding, found him- self in need of money, and threatened prosecution for such rents as arrears. The money had to be borrowed. A money-lending lawyer gave it at usu- rious interest, on condition of my father also becom- ing responsible for interest and principal. This burden hung like a millstone around my grand- father's neck till the day of his death; and it then became suspended round my father's neck alone. The lawyer, on hearing of my giving up trade and entering upon study, threatened to prosecute my father for the capital, unless my name were given along with his for security. Every shilling that I or FOREIGN MISSION CLAIMS. 95 any of us could save, all through these ten years of my preparatory classes, went to pay off that interest and gradually to reduce the capital ; and this burden we managed, amongst us, to extinguish just on the eve of my departure for the South Seas. Indeed, one of the purest joys connected with that time was that I received my first Foreign Mission salary and outfit money in advance, and could send home a sum sufficient to wipe out the last penny of a claim by that money-lender or by any one else against my beloved parents, in connection with the noble struggle they had made in rearing so large a family in thorough Scottish independence. And that joy was hallowed by the knowledge that my other brothers and sisters were now all willing and able to do what I had been doing — for we stuck to each other and to the old folks like burs, and had all things *' in common," as a family in Christ — and I knew that never again, howsoever long they might be spared through a peaceful autumn of life, would the dear old father and mother lack any joy or comfort that the willing hands and loving hearts of all their children could singly or unitedly pro- vide. For all this I did praise the Lord. It con- soled me, beyond description, in parting from them, probably for ever in this world at least. The Directors of Glasgow City Mission along with the Great Hamilton Street congregation, had made every effort to find a suitable successor to me in my Green Street work, but in vain. Des- 96 FOREIGN MISSION CLAIMS. pairing of success, as no inexperienced worker could with any hope undertake it, Rev. Mr. Caie, the su- perintendent, felt moved to appeal to my brother Walter, — then in a good business situation in the city, who had been of late closely associated with me in all my undertakings, — if he would not come to the rescue, devote himself to the Mission, and pre- pare for the Holy Ministry. My brother resigned a good position and excellent prospects in the busi- ness world, set himself to carry forward the Green Street Mission and did so with abundant energy and manifest blessing, persevered in his studies, despite a long-continued illness through injury to his foot, and became an honoured Minister of the Gospel, in the Reformed Presbyterian Church first of all, and now in the Free Church of Scotland, at Chapelton, near Hamilton. On my brother withdrawing from Green Street, God provided for the district a devoted young Minister, ad- mirably adapted for the work. Rev. John Edgar, M.A., who succeeded in drawing together such a body of people that they hived off and built a new church in Landressy Street, which is now, by amalgamation, known as the Barrowfield Free Church of Glasgow. For that fruit too, while giving all praise to other de- voted workers, we bless God as we trace the history of our Green Street Mission. Let him that soweth and him that reapeth rejoice unfeignedly together! The spirit of the old Green Street workers lives on too, as I have already said, in the new premises erected FOREIGN MISSION CLAIMS. 97 close thereby ; and in none more conspicuously than in the son of my staunch patron and friend, another Thomas Binnie, Esq., who in Foundry Boy meetings and otherwise devotes the consecrated leisure of a busy and prosperous life to the direct personal ser- vice of his Lord and Master. The blessing of Jehovah God be ever upon that place, and upon all who there seek to win their fellows to the love and service of Jesus Christ ! When I left Glasgow, many of the young men and women of my classes would, if it had been possible, have gone with me, to live and die among .the Heathen. Though chiefly working girls and lads in trades and mills, their deep interest led them to unite their pence and sixpences and to buy web after web of calico, print, and woollen stuffs, which they themselves shaped and sewed into dresses for the women, and kilts and pants for men, on the New Hebrides. This continued to be repeated year by year, long after I had left them ; and to this day no box from Glasgow goes to the New Hebrides Mis- sion which does not contain article after article from one or other of the old Green Street hands. I do certainly anticipate that, when they and I meet in Glory, those days in which we learned the joy of Christian service in the Green Street Mission Halls will form no unwelcome theme of holy and happy converse ! That able and devoted Minister of the Gospel, Dr. Bates, the Convener of the Heathen Missions, P. 7 98 FOREIGN MISSION CLAIMS. had taken the deepest and most fatherly interest in all our preparations. But on the morning of our final examinations he was confined to bed with sick- ness ; yet could not be content without sending his daughter to wait in an adjoining room near the Pres- bytery House, to learn the result, and instantly to carry him word. When she, hurrying home, in- formed him that we both had passed successfully, and that the day of our ordination as Missionaries to the New Hebrides had been appointed, the apostolic old man praised God for the glad tidings, and said his work was now done, and that he could depart in peace, — having seen two devoted men set apart to preach the Gospel to these dark and bloody Islands in answer to his prayers and tears for many a day. Thereafter he rapidly sank, and soon fell asleep in Jesus. He was from the first a very precious friend to me, one of the ablest Ministers our Church ever had, by far the warmest advocate of her Foreign Missions, and altogether a most attractive, white- souled, and noble specimen of an ambassador for Christ, beseeching men to be reconciled to God. V. THE NEW HEBRIDES. _ _ T\Bt>uocan.viU^ 1. ' ' iU'Ltain Vk ' ' o ■^v>J-. x^hotseull. Treasure if ^ 1?'^ '-^tsJSfli Eddystaie If\ ^U^ *%^ Gxia3aJcajnaT ^NEWGL'INFA Ardup*rUujo Sudest I. ^' •«.■ VtBoxrelf tiK/^uiedy .So?? tftj-litovaZ 6o, but in writing out the cheque, threw down the pen and shouted, " I'll see you first I " Offering ;^So, to which we agreed, he again resiled, and declared he would not give a penny above ;^30. We appealed to him to regard this as a debt of honour, and to cease haggling over the price, as he well knew how we had been wronged in the matter. Finally we left him declaring, " I am building similar boats just now at £,2^ apiece ; I will send you one of them, and you may either take that or want ! " We left, glad to get away on any terms from such a character; and, though next year he did send one of his promised boats for me to Aneityum, yet the conduct of his degraded servants engaged in the sandal-wood trade had a great share in the guilt of breaking up and ruining our Mission. Thousands upon thousands were made by it yearly, so long as it lasted ; but it was a trade steeped in human blood and indescribable vice, nor could God's blessing rest ai2 MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA. on them and their ill-gotten gains. Oh, how often did we pray at that time to be delivered from the hands of unreasonable and wicked men ! Sandal- wood traders murdered many of the Islanders when robbing them of their wood, and the Islanders mur- dered many of them and their servants in revenge. White men, engaged in the trade, also shot dead and murdered each other in vicious and drunken quarrels, and not a few put end to their own lives. I have scarcely known one of them who did not come to ruin and poverty ; the money that came even to the ship- owners was a conspicuous curse. Fools there made a mock at sin, thinking that no one cared for these poor savages, but their sin did find them out, and God made good in their experience His own irrepeal- able law, " The wages of sin is death." Ships, highly insured, were said to be sent into our Island trade to be deliberately wrecked. One Sab- bath evening, towards dark, the notorious Captain H , in command of a large ship, allowed her to drift ashore and be wrecked without any apparent effort to save her. Next morning, the whole company were wading about in the water and pretending to have lost everything ! The Captain, put in prison when he returned to Sydney for running away with another man's wife and property, imposed on Mr. Copeland and myself, getting all the biscuits, flour, and blankets we could spare for his destitute and shipwrecked company. We discovered afterwards that she was lying on a beautiful bank of sand, only MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM 'I ANNA. 213 a few yards from the shore, and that everything con- tained in her could be easily rescued without danger to life or limb ! What we parted with was almost necessary for our life and health ; of course he gave us an order on Captain T for everything, but not one farthing was ever repaid. At first he made a pretence of paying the Natives for food received ; but afterwards, an armed band went inland night by night and robbed and plundered whatever came to hand. The Natives, seeing the food of their children ruth- lessly stolen, were shot down without mercy when they dared to interfere ; and the life of every white man was marked for speedy revenge. Glad were we when a vessel called, and carried away these white heathen Savages. The same Captain T also began the shocking Kanaka labour-traffic to the Colonies, after the sandal- wood trade was exhausted, which has since destroyed so many thousands of the Natives in what was nothing less than Colonial slavery, and has largely depopulated the Islands either directly or indirectly. And yet he wrote, and published in Sydney, a pam- phlet declaring that he and his sandal-wooders and Kanaka-labour collectors had done more to civilize the Islanders than all our Mission efforts combined. Civilize them, indeed ! By spreading disease and vice, misery and death amongst them, even at the best ; at the worst, slaving many of them till they perished at their toils, shooting down others under one or other guilty pretence, and positively sweeping 214 MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA. thousands into an untimely grave. A common cry on their lips was,— r *' Let them perish and let the white men occupy these Isles." It was such conduct as this, that made the Islanders suspect all foreigners and hate the white man and seek revenge in robbery and murder. One Trader, for instance, a sandal-wooder and collector of Kanakas, living at Port Resolution, abominably ill-used a party of Natives. They determined in revenge to plunder his store. The cellar was un- derneath his house, and he himself slept above the trap- door by which alone it could be entered. Night and day he was guarded by armed men, Natives of adjoining islands, and all approaches to his premises were watched by savage dogs that gave timely warning. He felt himself secure. But the Tannese actually constructed a tunnel underground from the bush, through which they rolled away to- bacco, ammunition, etc., and nearly emptied his cellar I My heart bled to see men so capable and clever thus brutally abused and demoralized and swept away. By the Gospel, and the civilization which it brings, they were capable of learning anything and being trained to a useful and even noble manhood. But all influence that ever I witnessed from these Traders was degrading, and dead against the work of our Missions. The Chief, Nowar Noukamara, usually known as Nowar, was my best and most-to-be-trusted friend MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA- 215 He was one of the nine or ten who were most favour- able to the Mission work, attending the Worship pretty regularly, conducting it also in their own houses and villages, and making generally a some- what unstable profession of Christianity, One or more of them often accompanied me on Sabbath, when going to conduct the Worship at inland villages, and sometimes they protected me from personal injury. This Nowar influenced the Harbour Chiefs and their people for eight or ten miles around to get up a great feast in favour of the Worship of Jehovah. All were personally and specially invited, and it was the largest Assembly of any kind that I ever wit- nessed on the Islands. When all was ready, Nowar sent a party of Chiefs to escort me and my Aneityumese Teachers to the feast. Fourteen Chiefs, in turn, made speeches to the assembled multitude ; the drift of all being, that war and fighting be given up on Tanna, — that no more people be killed by nahak, for witchcraft and sorcery were lies, — that Sacred Men no longer profess to make wind and rain, famine and plenty, disease and death, — that the dark heathen talk of Tanna should cease, that all here present should adopt the Worship of Jehovah as taught to them by the Missionary and the Aneityumese, — and that all the banished Tribes should be invited to their own lands to live in peace ! These strange speeches did not draw forth a single opposing voice. Doubtless these men were in earnest, and had there been one master mind to rule and 2i6 MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA. mould them, their regeneration had dawned. Though for the moment a feeling of friendliness prevailed, the Tannese were unstable as water and easily swayed one way or the other. They are born talkers, and can and will speechify on all occasions, but most of it means nothing, bears no fruit. After these speeches, a scene followed which gradu- ally assumed shape as an idolatrous ceremonial and greatly horrified me. It was in connection with the immense quantity of food that had been prepared for the feast, especially pigs and fowls. A great heap had been piled up for each Tribe represented, and a hand- some portion also set apart for the Missionary and his Teachers. The ceremony was this, as nearly as I could follow it. One hundred or so of the leading men marched into the large cleared space in the centre of the assembled multitudes, and stood there facing each other in equal lines, with a man at either end closing up the passage between. At the middle they stood eight or ten feet apart, gradually nearing till they almost met at either end. Amid tremendous silence for a few moments all stood hushed ; then every man kneeled on his right knee, extended his right hand, and bent forward till his face nearly touched the ground. Thereon the man at the one end began muttering something, his voice rising ever louder as he rose to his feet, when it ended in a fear- ful yell as he stood erect. Next the two long lines of men, all in a body, went through the same ceremonial, rising gradually to their feet, with mutterings deepen- MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA. 217 ing into a howl, and heightening into a yell as they stood erect. Finally, the man at the other end went through the same hideous forms. All this was thrice deliberately repeated, each time with growing frenzy. And then, all standing on their feet, they united as with one voice in what sounded like music running mad up and down the scale, closing with a long, deep-toned, hollow howl as of souls in pain. With smiles of joy, the men then all shook hands with each other. Nowar and another Chief briefly spoke, and the food was then divided and exchanged, a principal man of each Tribe standing by to receive and watch his portion. At this stage, Nowar and Nerwangi, as leaders, addressed the Teachers and the Missionary to this effect : — "This feast is held to move all the Chiefs and People here to give up fighting, to become friends, and to worship your Jehovah God. We wish you to remain, and to teach us all good conduct As an evidence of our sincerity, and of our love, we have prepared this pile of food for you." In reply, I addressed the whole multitude, saying how pleased I was with their speeches and with the resolutions and promises which they all had made. I further urged them to stick fast by these, and that grand fruits would arise to their island, to themselves and to their children. Having finished a brief address, I then walked for- v/ard to the very middle of the circle, and laid down 2i8 MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA. before them a bundle of stripes of red calico and pieces of white calico, a number of fish-hooks, knives, etc. etc., requesting the two Chiefs to divide my offering of goodwill among the Tribes assembled, and also the pile of food presented to us, as a token of my love and friendship to them all. Their insisting upon me taking their present of food, laid upon me an unpleasant and dangerous necessity of explaining my refusal. I again thanked them very warmly, and explained that, as they had in my presence given away all their food to an Idol God and asked his blessing on it as a sacrifice, even to Karapa- namun, the great Evil Spirit, my people and I durst not and could not eat of it, for that would be to have fellowship with their Idols and to dishonour Jehovah God. Christians could acknowledge only the one true and living God, and ask His blessing on their food, and offer it and themselves in thanksgiving unto Him, but unto no cruel or evil Spirit. Yet I explained to them how much I thanked them, and how I loved them just as much as if we had eaten all their gifts, and how it would please us to see them all, along with my own gifts, divided amongst their Tribes. Not without some doubt, and under considerable trial, did I take this apparently unfriendly attitude. But I feared to seem even to approve of any act of devil-worship, or to confirm them in it, being there to discourage all such scenes, and to lead them to acknowledge only the true God. I felt as if guilty and as if the hat were rising from my head, when I heard MORE MISSION LEA VES FROM TANNA. 219 them imprecating and appeasing their God, without being able to show them the God of Love and the better way into His presence through Jesus Christ. My opportunity to do so arose over the refusal of the food ofifered unto Idols, and I told them of the claims of Jehovah, the jealous God, who would not share His worship with any other. But all the time I felt this qualm, — that it were better to eat food with men who acknowledged some God and asked his blessing than with those white Heathens at home, who asked the blessing of no God, nor thanked Him, in this worse than the dog which licks the hand that feeds it ! Nowar and Nerwangi explained in great orations what I meant, and how I wished all to be divided amongst the assembled Tribes to show my love. With this, all seemed highly satisfied. Heathen dances were now entered upon, their paint and feathers and ornaments adding to the wild- ness of the scene. The men seemed to dance in an inside ring, and the women in an outside ring, at a considerable distance from each other. Music was supplied by singing and clapping of hands. The order was perfect, and the figures highly intricate. But I have never been able to associate dancing with things lovely and of good report ! After the dancing, all retired to the bush, and a kind of sham fight followed on the public cleared ground. A host of painted savages rushed in and took possession with songs and shoutings. From the bush, on the opposite side, the chanting of women was heard in the distance, louder 220 MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA. and louder as they approached. Snatching from a burning fire flaming sticks, they rushed on the men with these, beating them and throwing burning pieces of wood among them, till with deafening yells amongst themselves and amidst shouts of laughter from the crowd, they drove them from the space, and danced thereon and sang a song of victory. The dancing and fighting, the naked painted figures, and the constant yells and shoutings gave one a weird sensa- tion, and suggested strange ideas of Hell broken loose. The final scene approached, when the men as- sisted their women to fill all the allotted food into baskets, to be carried home and eaten there ; for the different Tribes do not sit down together and eat to- gether as we would do ; their coming together is for the purpose of exchanging and dividing the food presented. And now they broke into friendly con- fusion, and freely walked about mingling with each other ; and a kind of savage rehearsal of Jonathan and David took place. They stripped themselves of their fantastic dresses, their handsomely woven and twisted grass skirts, leaf skirts, grass and leaf aprons ; they gave away or exchanged all these, and their ornaments and bows and arrows, besides their less romantic calico and print dresses more recently ac- quired. The effusion and ceremonial of the gifts and exchanges seemed to betoken a loving people ; and so they were for the feast — but that laid not aside a single deadly feud, and streams of blood and cries of hate would soon efface all traces of this day. MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA. 221 I had now six Stations, opened up and ministered to by Aneityumese Teachers, at the leading villages along the coast, and forming links in a chain towards the other Mission Establishment on Tanna. And there were villages prepared to receive as many more. These Teachers had all been cannibals once, yet, with one exception, they proved themselves to the best of my judgment to be a band of faithful and devoted followers of Christ. Their names were Abraham, Kowari, Nomuri, Nerwa, Lazarus, and Eoufati, I visited them periodically and frequently, encouraging and guiding them, as well as trying to interest the villagers in their teaching and work. But, whenever war broke out they had all to return to the Mission House, and sleep there for safety by night, visiting their Stations, if practicable, by the light of day. My poor dear Teachers, too, had to bear persecutions for Jesu's sake, as the following incident will sorrowfully prove. A native woman, with some murderous purpose in her heart, pretended great friendship to the excellent wife of one of my fellow-labourers. She was specially effusive in bringing to her dishes of food from time to time. Having thus gained confidence, she caught a little black fish of those parts, known to be deadly poisonous, and baked it up in a mess for the unsus- pecting Teacher's wife. On returning, she boasted of what she had done, and thereon a friendly neighbour rushed off to warn the other, but arrived just to learn that the fatal meal had been taken. Beyond all reach 222 MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA. of human skill, this unknown martyr for Christ died soon after in great agony, and doubtless received her Master's reward. In helping to open up new Stations, those dear native Teachers often bore the greatest hardships and indignities with a noble self-denial and positively wonderful patience. Nothing known to men under Heaven could have produced their new character and disposition, except only the grace of God in Christ Jesus. Though still marred by many of the faults of Heathenism, they were at the roots of their being literally new creatures, trying, according to their best light, to live for and to please their new Master, Jesus Christ. This shone out very conspicuously in these two apostolic souls, Abraham and Kowari, as leaders among all the devoted band. Let me recall another occasion, on which I pre- vented a war. Early one morning, the savage yells of warring Tribes woke me from sleep. They had broken into a quarrel about a woman, and were fiercely engaged with their clubs. According to my custom, I rushed in amongst them, and, not without much difficulty, was blessed in separating them be- fore deadly wounds had been given or received. On this occasion, the Chiefs of both Tribes, being very friendly to me, drove their people back from each other at my earnest appeals. Sitting down at length within earshot, they had it out in a wild scolding match, a contest of lung and tongue. Meanwhile I rested on a canoe midway betwixt them, in the hope MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA. 225 of averting a renewal of hostilities. By-and-by an old Sacred Man, a Chief called Sapa, with some touch of savage comedy in his breast, volunteered an episode which restored good humour to the scene. Leaping up, he came dancing and singing towards me, and there, to the amusement of all, re-enacted the quarrel, and mimicked rather cleverly my attempt at separating the combatants. Smashing at the canoe with hfs club, he yelled and knocked down imaginary enemies ; then, rushing first at one party and then at the other, he represented me as appealing and ges- ticulating and pushing them afar from each other, till he became quite exhausted. Thereon he came and planted himself in great glee beside me, and looked around as if to say, — " You must laugh, for I have played." At this very juncture, a loud cry of " Sail O ! " broke upon our ears, and all parties leapt to their feet, and prepared for a new sensation ; for in those climes, everything — war itself — is a smaller interest than a vessel from the Great Unknown World sailing into your Harbour. Not many days thereafter, a very horrible trans- action occurred. Before daybreak, I heard shot after shot quickly discharged in the Harbour. One of my Teachers came running, and cried, — " Missi, six or seven men have been shot dead this morning for a great feast It is to reconcile Tribes that have been at war, and to allow a banished Tribe to return in peace." I learned that the leading men had in council 224 ^fORE .V/SS/OJV LEAVES FROM TANXA. agreed upon this sacrifice, but tlie name of each victim was kept a secret till the last moment. The torture of suspense and uncertainty seemed to be borne by all as part of tlieir appointed lot, nor did they prepare as if suspecting any dread assault. Before daylight, the Sacred Men allocated a murderer to the door of each house where a victim slept, A signal shot was fired ; all rushed to their doors, and the doomed ones were shot and clubbed to death as they attempted to escape. Their bodies were then borne to a sacred tree, and hung up there by the hands for a time, as an oflfering to the Gods. Being taken down, they were carried ceremoniously and laid out on the shore near my house, placed under a special guard. Information had reached me that my Teachers and I were also destined victims for this same feast, and sure enough we espied a band of armed men, the killers, despatched towards our premises. Instanta- neously I had the Teachers and their wives and my- self securely locked into the Mission House ; and, cut off from all human hope, we set ourselves to pray to our dear Lord Jesus, either Himself to protect us or to take us to His glory. All through that morning and forenoon we heard them tramp-tramping round our house, whispering to each other, and hovering near window and door. They knew that there were a double-barrelled fowling-piece and a revolver on the premises, though they never had seen me use them, and that may, under God, have held them back in MORE MISSlOiV LEAVES FROM TANNA. 225 dread. But such a thought did not enter our souls even in that awful time. I had gone to save, and not to destroy. It would be easier for me at any time to die than to kill one of them. Our safety lay in our appeal to that blessed Lord who had placed us therCi and to whom all power had been given in Heaven and on Earth. He that was with us was more than all that could be against us. This is strength ; this is peace : — to feel, in entering on every day, that all its duties and trials have been committed to the Lord Jesus, — that, come what may, He will use us for His own glory and our real good ! All through that dreadful morning, and far into the afternoon, we thus abode together, feeling con- scious that we were united to this dear Lord Jesus, and we had sweet communion with Him, meditat- ing on the wonders of His person and the hopes and glories of His kingdom. Oh, that all my readers may learn something of this in their own experience of the Lord ! I can wish them nothing more precious. Towards sundown, constrained by the Invisible One, they withdrew from our Mission House, and left us once more in peace. They bore away the slain to be cooked, and distributed amongst the Tribes, and eaten in their feast of reconciliation ; a covenant sealed in blood, and soon, alas, to be buried in blood again ! For many days thereafter, we had to take unus :al care, and not unduly expose ourselves to danger ; for dark characters were seen prowling about in the bush near at hand, and wa P. IS ^ 226 MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA, knew that our life was the prize. We took what care we could, and God the Lord did the rest, or rather He did all — for His wisdom guided us, and His power baffled them. Shortly thereafter, war was again declared by the Inland people attacking our Harbour people. It was an old quarrel ; and the war was renewed and con- tinued, long after the cause thereof had passed away. Going amongst them every day, I did my utmost to stop hostilities, setting the evils of war before them, and pleading with the leading men to renounce it. Thereon arose a characteristic incident of Island and Heathen life. One day I held a Service in the village where morning after morning their Tribes assembled, and declared that if they would believe in and fol- low the Jehovah God, He would deliver them from all their enemies and lead them into a happy life. There were present three Sacred Men, Chiefs, of whom the whole population lived in terror, — brothers or cousins, heroes of traditional feats, professors of sorcery, and claiming the power of life and death, health and sickness, rain and drought according to their will. On hearing me, these three stood up and declared they did not believe in Jehovah, nor did they need His help, for they had the power to kill my life by Nahak {i.e., sorcery or witchcraft), if only they could get possession of any piece of the fruit or food that I had eaten. This was an essential condition of their black art ; hence the peel of a banana or an orange, and every broken scrap of food, is gathered MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA. 22? up by the Natives, lest it should fall into the hands of the Sacred Men, and be used for Nahak. This superstition was the cause of most of the bloodshed and terror upon Tanna ; and being thus challenged, I asked God's help, and determined to strike a blow against it. A woman was standing near with a bunch of native fruit in her hand, like our plums, called quonquore. I asked her to be pleased to give me some ; and she, holding out a bunch, said, — " Take freely what you will ! " Calling the attention of all the Assembly to what I was doing, I took three fruits from the bunch, and taking a bite out of each, I gave them one after another to the three Sacred Men, and deliberately said in the hearing of all, — "You have seen me eat of this fruit, you have seen me give the remainder to your Sacred Men ; they have said they can kill me by Nahak, but I challenge them to do it if they can, without arrow or spear, club or musket, for I deny that they have any power against me or against any one by their Sorcery." The challenge was accepted ; the Natives looked terror-struck at the position in which I was placed ! The ceremony of Nahak was usually performed in secret, — the Tannese fleeing in dread, as Europeans would from the touch of the plague ; but I lingered and eagerly watched their ritual. As the three Chiefs arose, and drew near to one of the Sacred Trees, to begin their ceremonial, the Natives fled in terror, crying,— 228 MORE MISSION LEA VES FROM TANNA. ** Missi, away ! Alas, Missi ! " But I held on at my post of observation. Amidst wavings and incantations, they rolled up the pieces of the fruit from which I had eaten, in certain leaves of this Sacred Tree into a shape like a waxen candle ; then they kindled a sacred fire near the root, and continued their mutterings, gradually burning a little more and a little more of the candle-shaped things, wheeling them round their heads, blowing upon them with their breaths, waving them in the air, and glancing wildly at me as if expecting my sudden destruction. Wondering whether after all they did not believe their own lie, for they seemed to be in dead earnest, I, more eager than ever to break the chains of such vile superstition, urged them again and again, crying,— " Be quick ! Stir up your Gods to help you I I am not killed yet ; I am perfectly well 1 " At last they stood up and said, — " We must delay till we have called all our Sacred Men. We will kill Missi before his next Sabbath comes round. Let all watch, for he will soon die and that without fail." I replied, " Very good ! I challenge all your Priests to unite and kill me by Sorcery or Nahak. If on Sabbath next I come again to your village in health, you will all admit that your Gods have no power over me, and that I am protected by the true and li"ing Jehovah God ! " For every day throughout the remainder of that MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA. . 229 week, the Conchs were sounded, and over that side of the island all their Sacred Men were at work trying to kill me by their arts. Now and again messengers arrived from every quarter of the island, inquiring anxiously after my health, and wondering if 1 was not feeling sick, and great excitement pre- vailed amongst the poor deluded idolaters. Sabbath dawned upon me peacefully, and I went to that village in more than my usual health and strength. Large numbers assembled, and when I appeared they looked at each other in terror, as if it could not really be I, myself, still spared and well. Entering into the public ground, I saluted them to this effect, — " My love to you all, my friends ! I have come again to talk to you about the Jehovah God and His Worship." The three Sacred Men, on being asked, admitted that they had tried to kill me by Nahak, but had failed ; and on being questioned, why they had failed, they gave the acute and subtle reply, that I also was myself a Sacred Man, and that my God being the stronger had protected me from their Gods. Addressing the multitude, I answered thus, — " Yea, truly ; my Jehovah God is stronger than your Gods. He protected me, and helped me ; for He is the only living and true God, the only God that can hear or answer any prayer from the chil- dren of men. Your Gods cannot hear prayers, but my God can and will hear and answer you, if you 230 MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA. will give heart and life to Him, and love and serve Him only. This is my God, and He is also your friend if you will hear and follow His voice." Having said this, I sat down on the trunk of a fallen tree, and addressed them, — "Come and sit down all around me, and I will talk to you about the love and mercy of my God, and teach you how to worship and please Him." Two of the Sacred Men then sat down, and all the people gathered round and seated themselves very quietly. I tried to present to them ideas of sin, and of salvation through Jesus Christ, as revealed to us in the Holy Scriptures. The third Sacred Man, the highest in rank, a man of great stature and uncommon strength, had mean- time gone off for his warrior's spear, and returned brandishing it in the air and poising it at me. I said to the people, — " Of course he can kill me with his spear, but he undertook to kill me by Nahak or Sorcery, and promised not to use against me any weapons of war ; and if you let him kill me now, you will kill your friend, one who lives among you and only tries to do you good, as you all know so well. I know that if you kill me thus, my God will be angry and will punish you." Thereon I seated myself calmly in the midst ol the crowd, while he leaped about in rage, scolding his brothers and all who were present for listening to me. The other Sacred Men, however, took my side, MORE MISSION LEA VES FROM TANNA. 231 and, as many of the people also were friendly to me and stood closely packed around me, he did not throw his spear. To allay the tumult and obviate further bloodshed, I offered to leave with my Teachers at once, and, in doing so, I ardently pled with them to live at peace. Though we got safely home, that old Sacred Man seemed still to hunger after my blood. For weeks thereafter, go where I would, he would suddenly appear on the path behind me, poising in his right hand that same Goliath spear. God only kept it from being thrown, and I, using every lawful precaution, had all the same to attend to my work, as if no enemy were there, leaving all other results in the hands of Jesus. This whole incident did, doubtless, shake the prejudices of many as to Sorcery; but few even of converted Natives ever get entirely clear of the dread of Nahak. If not truly converted, the two Priests were fast friends of mine from that day, as also another leading man in the same district. They also received an Aneityumese Teacher to their village, protecting and showing kindness to him ; one of the Sacred Men who could speak his language lived almost constantly with him, and some young people were allowed daily to attend our School. These two and a number of others began to wear a kilt, and some a shirt also. Three of them especially, if not Christians, appeared to be not far from the Kingdom of God, and did all that was in their power to protect and to assist me. A few began to pray to Jehovah in their houses, «32 MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA. offering a kind of rude family worship, and breathing out such prayers and desires as I had taught them for the knowledge of the true God and only Saviour. And these, as my companions, accompanied me from place to place when I visited their district. But let us return to the war. Many Chiefs and villages were now involved in it ; and a large part of the bush over the country between had been consumed by fire, to prevent surprises. Yet, our Harbour people being assembled one night for con- sultation, a number of the Inland warriors crept near unobserved and discharged a volley of muskets amongst them. Several were shot dead, and in the darkness and confusion the enemy got clear away. Revenge and self-preservation now united our people as one man, and every man assembled for action on the borders of the hostile Tribes. I again visited them on the fighting ground. As I was seen ap- proaching, the two old Priests, my friends, came to receive and escort me, protected by their clubs and muskets, — the one blind of an eye lost in war march- ing before me, and the other behind me with poised spear and mighty club. Seating me in a central position, they assembled all the warriors, except the watchmen, and these savage men listened attentively to my message, and bowed quietly during prayer. God only knows what may be the fruit in some dark benighted soul ! The whole host of them ceased firing, till the two friendly Priests had again conveyed me safely beyond the reach of danger. MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA. 233 Going among them frequently thus, they treated me with exceptional kindness, till one Sabbath I determined to go over and talk with the enemy also, in the hope of getting this sad war put an end to. Our people were sternly opposed to this, not for fear of my safety, but lest I prayed for the enemy a' .d my God might help them in the war. But my cwo friends, the old Priests, persuaded them to let me go, and to cease their shooting till my return. They had an idea to buy, in this way, my intercession with Jehovah exclusively on their behalf; but I explained to them as on former occasions, that I was there for the good of all alike, that I loved them all and sought to lead them to give up war and bad conduct, for my God would hear and bless only those who feared and loved and obeyed Him. I had a long interview with the enemies also, arguing against the evils o£ war, and urging them to give it up. They were so far friendly ; they allowed me to have worship amongst them, and I returned in safety before another musket was discharged on either side. The war still went on, though more languidly ; but after a time the leaders entered into a kind of truce, and peace reigned for a season. The other Mission Station, on the south-west side of Tanna, had to be visited by me from time to time. Mr. and Mrs. Mathieson, there, were both in a weak state of health, having a tendency to consumption. On this account they visited Aneityum several times. They were earnestly devoted to their work, and were 234 MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA. successful so far as health and the time allowed to them permitted. At this juncture, a message reached me that they were without European food, and a re- quest to send them a little flour if possible. The war made the journey overland impossible. A strong wind and a high sea round the coast rendered it impractic- able for my boat to go. The danger to life from the enemy was so great, that I could not hire a crew. I pled therefore with Nowar and Manuman, and a few leading men to take one of their best canoes, and themselves to accompany me. I had a large flat-bottomed pot with a close-fitting lid, and that I pressed full of flour ; and, tying the lid firmly down, I fastened it right in the centre of the canoe, and as far above water-mark as possible. All e\se that was required we tied around our own persons. Sea and land being as they were, it was a perilous under- taking, which only dire necessity could have justified. They were all good swimmers, but as I could not swim the strongest man was placed behind me, to seize me and swim ashore, if a crash came. Creeping round near the shore all the way, we had to keep just outside the great breakers on the coral reef, and were all drenched through and through with the foam of an angry surf. We arrived, however, in safety within two miles of our destination, where lived the friends of my canoe's company, but where a very dangerous sea was breaking on the reef. Here they all gave in, and protested that no further could they go ; and truly their toil all the way with MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA. 235 the paddles had been severe. I appealed to them, that the canoe would for certain be smashed if they tried to get on shore, that the provisions would be lost, and some of us probably drowned. But they turned to the shore, and remained for some time thus, watching the sea. At last their Captain cried, — " Missi, hold on 1 There's a smaller wave coming ; we'll ride in now." My heart rose to the Lord in trembling prayer I The wave came rolling on ; every paddle with all their united strength struck into the sea ; and next moment our canoe was flying like a sea-gull on the crest of the wave towards the shore. Another in- stant, and the wave had broken on the reef with a mighty roar, and rushed passed us hissing in clouds of foam. My company were next seen swimming wildly about in the sea, Manuman, the one-eyed Sacred Man, alone holding on by the canoe, nearly full of water, with me still clinging to the seat of it, and the very next wave likely to devour us. In des- peration, I sprang for the reef, and ran for a man half-wading, half-swimming to reach us ; and God so ordered it, that just as the next wave broke against the silvery rock of coral, the man caught me and partly swam with me through its surf, partly carried me till I was set safely ashore. Praising God, I looked up and saw all the others nearly as safe as myself, except Manuman, my friend, who was still holding on by the canoe in the face of wind and sea, and bringing it with him. Others ran and swam to 236 MORE MISSION LEA VES FROM TANNA. his help. The paddles were picked up amid the surf. A powerful fellow came towards me with the pot of flour on his head, uninjured by water. The Chief who held on by the canoe got severely cut about the feet, and had been badly bruised and knocked about ; but all the rest escaped without further harm, and everything that we had was saved. Amongst friends, at last, they resolved to await a favourable wind and tide to return to their own homes. Singing in my heart unto God, I hired a man to carry the pot of flour, and soon arrived at the Mission Station. Supplying the wants of our dear friends, Mr. and Mrs. Mathieson, whom we found as well as could be expected, we had to prepare, after a few hours of rest, to return to our own Station by walking overland through the night. I durst not remain longer away, lest my own house should be plundered and broken into. Though weak in health, my fellow- Missionaries were both full of hope, and zealous in their work, and this somewhat strange visit was a pleasant blink amidst our darkness. Before I had gone far on my return journey, the sun went down, and no Native could be hired to accompany me. They all told me that I would for certain be killed by the way. But I knew that it would be quite dark before I reached the hostile districts, and that the Heathen are great cowards in the dark and never leave their villages at night in the darkness, except in companies for fishing and such-like tasks. I skirted MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA. 237 along the sea-shore as fast as I could, walknig and running alternately ; and, when I got within hearing of voices, I slunk back into the bush till they had safely passed, and then groped my way back near the shore, that being my only guide to find a path. Having made half the journey, I came to a dan- gerous path, almost perpendicular, up a great rock round the base of which the sea roared deep. With my heart lifted up to Jesus, I succeeded in climbing it, cautiously grasping roots, and resting by bushes, till I reached safely to the top. There, to avoid .a village, I had to keep crawling slowly along the bush near the sea, on the top of that great ledge of rock ; a feat I could never have accomplished even in daylight without the excitement, but I felt that I was supported and guided in all that life or death journey by my dear Lord Jesus. I had to leave the shore, and follow up the bank of a very deep ravine to a place shallow enough for one to cross, and then through the bush away for the shore again. By holding too much to the right, I missed the point where I intended to reach it. Small fires were now visible through the bush ; I heard the voices of the people talking in one of our most heathen villages. Quietly drawing back, I now knew where I was, and easily found my way towards the shore ; but on reaching the Great Rock, I could not in the darkness find the path down again. I groped about till I was tired. I feared that I mi"[ht stumble over «38 MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA. and be killed ; or, if I delayed till daylight, that the savages would kill me. I knew that one part of the rock was steep-sloping, with little growth or none thereon, and I searched about to find it, re- solved to commend myself to Jesus and slide down thereby that I might again reach the shore and escape for my life. Thinking I had found this spot, I hurled down several stones and listened for their splash that I might judge whether it would be safe. But the distance was too far for me to hear or judge. At high tide the sea there was deep ; but at low tide I could wade out of it and be safe. The darkness made it impossible for me to see anything. I let go my umbrella, shoving it down with considerable force, but neither did it send me back any news. Feeling sure, however, that this was the place I sought, and knowing that to await the daylight would be certain death, I prayed to my Lord Jesus for help and protection, and resolved to let my- self go. First, I fastened all my clothes as tightly as I could, so as not to catch on anything; then I lay down at the top on my back, feet foremost, holding my head downwards on my breast to keep it from striking on the rock ; then, after one cry to my Saviour, having let myself down as far as possible by a branch, I at last let go, throwing my arms forward and trying to keep my feet well up. A giddy swirl, as if flying through the air, took possession of me ; a few moments seemed an age ; ' rushed quickly down, and felt no obstruction till MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA. 239 my feet struck into the sea below. Adoring and praising my dear Lord Jesus, who had ordered it 50, I regained my feet ; it was low tide, I had re- ceived no injury, I found my umbrella, and, wading through, I found the shore path easier and lighter than the bush had been. The very darkness was my safety, preventing the Natives from rambling about. I saw no person to speak to, till I reached a village quite near to my own house, fifteen or twenty miles from where I had started ; here I left the sea path and promised young men some fish- hooks to guide me the nearest way through the bush to my Mission Station, which they gladly and heartily did. I ran a narrow risk in approaching them ; they thought me an enemy, and I arrested their muskets only by a loud cry, — " I am Missi ! Don't shoot ; my love to you, my friends!" Praising God for His preserving care, I reached home, and had a long refreshing sleep. The Natives, on hearing next day how I had come all the way in the dark, exclaimed, — " Surely any of us would have been killed ! Your Jehovah God alone thus protects you and brings you safely home." With all my heart, I said, " Yes ! and He will be your protector and helper too, if only you will obey and trust in Him." Certainly that night put my faith to the test. Had it not been the assurance that I was engaged in His 240 MORE MISSION LEA VES FROM TANNA. service, and that in every path of duty He would carry me through or dispose of me therein for His glory, I could never have undertaken either journey. St. Paul's words are true to-day and for ever, — " I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. IX. DEEPENING SHADOWS. CHAPTER IX. DEEPENING SHADOWS. Welcome Guests.— A Fiendish Deed. — The Plague of Measles. — ^A Heroic Soul. — Horrors of Epidemic. — A Memorable New Year. — A Missionary Attacked. — In the Valley of the Shadow. — Blow from an Adze. — A Missionary's Death. — Mrs. Johnston's Letter. — A Heavy Loss.— The Story of Kowia. — Kowia's Soliloquy.— The Passing of Kowia. — Mortality of Measles. — Fuel to the Fire. — Hurricanes. — A Spate of Blood and Terror. — Nowar Vacillates. — The Anger of the Gods. — Not Afraid to Die. — Martyrs of Erromanga. —Visit to the Gordons. — Their Martyrdom. — Vindication of tie Gordons.— Gordon's Last Letter.— Plots of Murder. — Death by Nahak. — Nowar Halting Again. — Old Abraham's Prayer.— Miaki at the Mission House. — Satanic Influences. — Perplexity Deepening. — Selwyn's Testimony. — Rotten Tracts.— Captain and Mate of Blue Bell. — My Precious Dog. — Fishing Nets and Kawases. — The Taro Plant. — The Kava Drink. — Katasian and the Club Scene. — The Yams — Sunshine and Shadow. — The Teachers Demoralized. — The Chiefs Alphabet. — Our Evil Genius.— Ships of Fire Again. — Commodore Seymour's Visit. — Nouka and Queen 'Toria. — The Dog to his Vomit Again. IN September, i860, I had the very great pleasure of welcoming, as fellow-labourers to Tanna, the Rev. S. F. Johnston and his wife, two able and pious young Missionaries from Nova Scotia. Having «43 244 DEEPENING SHADOWS. visited the whole group of the New Hebrides, they preferred to cast their lot on Tanna. During the Rainy Season, and till they had acquired a little of the language, and some preparation had been made of a Station for themselves, I gladly received them as my guests. The company was very sweet to me ! I gave them about fourteen Tannese words to be committed to memory every day, and con- versed with them, using the words already acquired ; so that they made very rapid progress, and almost immediately were of some service in the Mission work. No man could have desired better companions in the ministry of the Gospel. About this time I had a never-to-be-forgotten illustration of the infernal spirit that possessed some of the Traders towards these poor Natives. One morning, three or four vessels entered our Harbour and cast anchor off Port Resolution. The Captains called on me ; and one of them, with manifest delight, exclaimed, — " We know how to bring down your proud Tannese now ! We'll humble them before you !" I answered, " Surely you don't mean to attack and destroy these poor people ?" He answered, not abashed but rejoicing, **We have sent the measles to humble them ! That kills them by the score ! Four young men have been landed at different ports, ill with measles, and these will soon thin their ranks." Shocked above measure, I protested solemnly and DEEPENING SHADOWS. 245 denounced their conduct and spirit , but my re- monstrances only called forth the shameless de- claration,— " Our watchword is, — Sweep these creatures away and let white men occupy the soil ! " Their malice was further illustrated thus : they induced Kepuku, a young Chief, to go off to one of their vessels, promising him a present. He was the friend and chief supporter of Mr. Mathieson and of his work. Having got him on board, they con- fined him in the hold amongst Natives lying ill with measles. They gave him no food for about four- and-twenty hours ; and then, without the promised present, they put him ashore far from his own home. Though weak and excited, he scrambled back to his Tribe in great exhaustion and terror. He informed the Missionary that they had put him down amongst sick people, red and hot with fever, and that he feared their sickness was upon him. I am ashamed to say that these Sandal-wood and other Traders were our own degraded countrymen ; and that they deliberately gloried in thus destroying the poor Heathen. A more fiendish spirit could scarcely be imagined, but most of them were horrible drunk- ards, and their traffic of every kind amongst these Islands was, generally speaking, steeped in human blood. The measles, thus introduced, became amongst our islanders the most deadly plague. It spread fearfully, and was accompanied by sore throat and diarrhoea 246 DEEPENING SHADOWS. In some villages, man, woman, and child were stricken, and none could give food or water to the rest. The misery, suffering, and terror were unex- ampled, the living being afraid sometimes even to bury the dead. Thirteen of my own Mission party died of this disease ; and, so terror-stricken were the few who survived, that when the little Mission schooner John Knox returned to Tanna, they all packed up and returned to their own Aneityum, except my own dear old Abraham. At first, thinking that all were on the wing, he also had packed his things, and was standing beside the others ready to leave with them. I drew near to him, and said, — " Abraham, they are all going ; are you also going to leave me here alone on Tanna, to fight the battles of the Lord ?" He asked, " Missi, will you remain V* I replied, " Yes ; but, Abraham, the danger to life is now so great that I dare not plead with you to remain, for we may both be slain. Still, I cannot leave the Lord's work now." The noble old Chief looked at the box and his bundles, and, musing, said, — " Missi, our danger is very great now." I answered, " Yes ; I once thought you would not leave me alone to it ; but, as the vessel is going to your own land, I cannot ask you to remain and face it with me !" He again said, " Missi, would you like me to remain DEEPENING SHADOWS. 247 alone with you, seeing my wife is dead and in her grave here?" I replied, " Yes, I would like you to remain ; but, considering the circumstances in which we will be left alone, I cannot plead with you to do so." He answered, "Then, Missi, I remain with you of my own free choice, and with all my heart. We will live and die together in the work of the Lord. I will never leave you while you are spared on Tanna." So saying, and with a light that gave the fore- gleam of a martyr's glory to his dark face, he shoul- , dered his box and bundles back to his own house ; and thereafter, Abraham was my dear companion and constant friend, and my fellow-sufferer in all that remains still to be related of our Mission life on Tanna. Before this plague of measles was brought amongst us, Mr. Johnston and I had sailed round in the John Knox to Black Beach on the opposite side of Tanna and prepared the way for settling Teachers there. And they were placed soon after by Mr. Copeland and myself with encouraging hopes of success, and with the prospect of erecting there a Station for Mr. and Mrs. Johnston. But this dread- ful imported epidemic blasted all our dreams. Mr. Johnston and his wife devoted themselves, from the very first, and assisted me in every way to alleviate the dread sufferings of the Natives. We carried medicine, food, and even water, to the sur- 248 DEEPENING SHADOWS. rounding villages every day, few of themselves being able to render us much assistance. Nearly all who took our medicine and followed instructions as to food, etc., recovered ; but vast numbers of them would listen to no counsels, and rushed into experi ments which made the attack fatal all around. When the trouble was at its height, for instance, they would plunge into the sea, and seek relief; they found it in almost instant death. Others would dig a hole into the earth, the length of the body and about two feet deep ; therein they laid themselves down, the cold earth feeling agreeable to their fevered skins; and when the earth around them grew heated, they got friends to dig a few inches deeper, again and again, seeking a cooler and cooler couch. In this ghastly effort many of them died, literally in their own graves, and were buried where they lay! It need not be surprising, though we did everything in our power to relieve and save them, that the Natives associated us with the white men who had so dread- fully afflicted them, and that their blind thirst for revenge did not draw fine distinctions between the Traders and the Missionaries. Both were whites — that was enough. The 1st January, 1861, was a New Year's Day ever to be remembered. Mr. and Mrs. Johnston, Abraham and I, had spent nearly the whole time in a kind of solemn yet happy festival. Anew in a holy covenant before God, we unitedly consecrated our lives and our all to the Lord Jesus, giving ourselves DEEPENING SHADOWS. 249 away to His blessed service for the conversion of the Heathen on the New Hebrides. After evening family worship, Mr. and Mrs. Johnston left my room to go to their own house, only some ten feet distant ; but y he returned to inform me that there were two men at the window, armed with huge clubs, and having black painted faces. Going out to them and asking them what they wanted, they replied, — " Medicine for a sick boy." With difficulty, I persuaded them to come in and get it At once, it flashed upon me, from their agita- tion and their disguise of paint, that they had come to murder us. Mr. Johnston had also accompanied us into the house. Keeping my eye constantly fixed on them, I prepared the medicine and offered it. They refused to receive it, and each man grasped his killing stone. I faced them firmly and said, — " You see that Mr. Johnston is now leaving, and you too must leave this room for to-night. To- morrow, you can bring the boy or come for the medicine." Seizing their clubs, as if for action, they showed unwillingness to withdraw, but I walked deliberately forward and made as if to push them out, when both turned and began to leave. Mr. Johnston had gone in front of them and was safely out But he bent down to lift a little kitten that had escaped at the open door ; and at that moment one of the savages, jerking in behind, aimed a blow with his huge club, in avoiding which Mr. «S0 DEEPENING SHADOWS. Johnston fell with a scream to the ground. Both men sprang towards him, but our two faithful dogs ferociously leapt in their faces and saved his life. Rushing out, but not fully aware of what had occurred, I saw Mr. Johnston trying to raise himself, and heard him cry, — " Take care ! these men have tried to kill me, and they will kill you ! " Facing them sternly I demanded, — " What is it that you want ? He does not under- stand your language. What do you want ? Speak with me." Both men, thereon, raised their great clubs and made to strike me ; but quick as lightning these two dogs sprang at their faces and baffled their blows. One dog was badly bruised, and the ground received the other blow that would have launched me into Eternity. The best dog was a little crossbred re- triever, with terrier's blood in him, splendid for warning of the approaching dangers, and which had already been the means of saving my life several times. Seeing how matters stood, I now hounded both dogs furiously upon them and the two savages fled. I shouted after them, — " Remember, Jehovah God sees you and will punish you for trying to murder His servants ! " In their flight, a large body of men, who had come eight or ten miles to assist in the murder and plunder, came slipping here and there from the bush and joined them fleeing too Verily, " the DEEPENING SHADOWS, 251 wicked flee, when no man pursueth." David's ex- perience and assurance came home to us, that evening, as very real : — " God is our refuge and our strength . . . therefore we will not fear." But, after the danger was all past, I had always a strange feeling of fear, more perhaps from the thought that I had been on the verge of Eternity and so near the great White Throne than from any slavish fear. During the crisis, I felt generally calm, and firm of soul, standing erect and with my whole weight on the promise, " Lo ! I am with you alway." Precious promise ! How often I adore Jesus for it, and rejoice in it ! Blessed be His name. I, now accustomed to such scenes on Tanna, retired to rest and slept soundly ; but my dear fellow- labourer, as I afterwards learned, could not sleep for one moment His pallor and excitement continued next day, indeed for several days ; and after that, though he was naturally lively and cheerful, I never saw him smile again. He told me next morn- ing,— " I can only keep saying to myself. Already on the verge of Eternity ! How have I spent my time ? What good have I done ? What zeal for souls have I shown } Scarcely entered on the work of my life, and so near death 1 O my friend, I never realized what death means, till last night!" So saying, he covered his face with both hands, and left me to hide himself in his own room. For that morning, 1st January, 1 861, the following entry was found in 252 DEEPENING SHADOWS, his Journal: — "To-day, with a heavy heart and a feeling of dread, I know not why, I set out on my accustomed wanderings amongst the sick. I hastened back to get the Teacher and carry Mr. Paton to the scene of distress. I carried a bucket of water in one hand and medicine in the other ; and so we spent a portion of this day endeavouring to alleviate their sufferings, and our work had a happy effect also on the minds of others." In another entry, on 22nd December he wrote : — " Measles are making fearful havoc amongst the poor Tannese. As we pass through the villages, mournful scenes meet the eye ; young and old prostrated on the ground, showing all these painful symptoms which accompany loath- some and malignant diseases. In some villages few are left able to prepare food, or to carry drink to the suffering and dying. How pitiful to see the sufferers destitute of every comfort, attention, and remedy that would ameliorate their suffering or remove their disease ! As I think of the tender manner in which we are nursed in sickness, the many remedies em- ployed to give relief, with the comforts and attention bestowed upon us, my heart sickens, and I say. Oh my ingratitude and the ingratitude of Christian people ! How little we value our Christian birth, education, and privileges, etc." Having, as above recorded, consecrated our lives anew to God on the first day of January, I was, up till the sixteenth of the month, accompanied by Mr. Johnston and sometimes also by Mrs. Johnston on DEEPENING SHADOWS. 253 my rounds in the villages amongst the sick, and they greatly helped me. But by an unhappy accident, I was laid aside when most sorely needed. When adzing a tree for house-building, I observed that Mahanan the war Chiefs brother had been keeping too near me and that he carried a tomahawk in his hand ; and, in trying both to do my work and to keep an eye on him, I struck my ankle severely with the adze. He moved ofif quickly, saying, — " I did not do that," but doubtless rejoicing at what had happened. The bone was badly hurt, and several of the blood-vessels cut. Dressing it as well as I could, and keeping it constantly soaked in cold water, I had to exercise the greatest care. In this condition amidst great sufferings, I was sometimes carried to the villages to administer medicine to the sick, and to plead and pray with the dying. On such occasions, in this mode of transit even, the conversations that I had with dear Mr. Johnston were most solemn and greatly refreshing. He had, howe'^er, scarcely ever slept since the first of January, and during the night of the sixteenth he sent for my bottle of laudanum. Being severely attacked with ague and fever, I could not go to him, but sent the bottle, specifying the proper quantity for a dose, but that he quite understood already. He took a dose for himself, and gave one also to his wife, as she too suffered from sleeplessness. This he repeated three nights in succession, and both of them obtained a long, sound, and refreshing sleep. 254 DEEPENING SHADOWS. He came to my bedside, where I lay in the ague- fever, and said with great animation, amongst other things, — " I have had such a blessed sleep, and feel so re- freshed ! What kindness in God to provide such remedies for suffering man ! " At midday his dear wife came to me crying, — " Mr. Johnston has fallen asleep, so deep that I cannot awake him." My fever had reached the worst stage, but I struggled to my feet, got to his bedside, and found him in a state of coma, with his teeth fixed in tetanus. With great difficulty we succeeded in slightly rousing him ; with a knife, spoon, and pieces of wood, we forced his teeth open, so as to administer an emetic with good effects, and also other needful medicines. For twelve hours, we had to keep him awake by repeated cold dash in his face, by ammonia, and by vigorously moving him about. He then began to speak freely ; and next day he rose and walked about a little. For the two following days, he was sometimes better and sometimes worse ; but we managed to keep him up till the morning of the 2 1st, when he again fell into a state of coma from which we failed to rouse him. At two o'clock in the afternoon, he fell asleep, another martyr for the testi- mony of Jesus in those dark and trying Isles, leaving his young wife in indescribable sorrow, which she strove to bear with Christian resignation. Having made his coffin and dug his grave, we two alone at DEEPENING SHADOWS. 255 sunset laid him to rest beside my own dear wife and child, close by the Mission House. In Mrs. Johnston's account, in a letter to friends regarding his death, she says : — " Next morning, the 17th, he rose quite well. He slept well the night before from having taken a dose of laudanum. He also gave some to me, as I had been ill all the day, having slept little for two or three nights. . . . Two men helped Mr. Paton to his bedside, as I found him lying very low in fever, yet he waited on Mr. Johnston affectionately. For some time, while he was in Mr. Paton's hands, I could scarcely keep myself up at all. We thought it was from the laudanum I had taken. I had to throw myself down every few minutes. . . . For some weeks after, I was almost constantly bedfast. I ate little ; still I felt no pain, but very stupid. . . . At times, we have services with the Natives. For a week past, we have scarcely gone to bed without fears. One night, our house was surrounded with crowds of armed men, ready at any moment to break in upon us for our lives. We have had to sit in the house for days past, with the doors locked, to prevent any of the savages from entering ; for every party seems to be united against us now. The great sickness that prevails amongst them is the cause of this rage. They say, we made the disease, and we must be killed for it ; that they never died off in this way before the religion came amongst them, etc., etc." Mrs. Johnston recovered gradually, returned by the 2S6 DEEPENING SHADOWS. first opportunity to Aneityum, and for nearly three years taught the girls' School at Dr. Geddie's Station. Thereafter she was married to my dear friend the Rev. Joseph Copeland, and spent with him the remainder of her life on Fotuna, working devotedly in the service of the Mission, seeking the salvation of the Heathen. The death of Mr. Johnston was a heavy loss. From his landing on Tanna, he appeared to enjoy excellent health, and was always very active, bright, and happy, till after that attack by the savages with their clubs on New Year's Day. From that night, he never again was the same. He never admitted that he had got a blow, but I fear his nervous system must have been unhinged by the shock and horror of the scene. He was genuinely lamented by all who knew him. Our intercourse on Tanna was very sweet, and I missed him exceedingly. Not lost to me, however ; only gone before ! Another tragedy followed, with, however, much of the light of Heaven amid its blackness, in the story of Kowia, a Tannese Chief of the highest rank. Going to Aneityum in youth, he had there become a true Christian. He married an Aneityumese Christian woman, with whom he lived very happily and had two beautiful children. Some time before the measles reached our island, he returned to live with me as a Teacher and to help forward our work on Tanna. He proved himself to be a decided Chris- tian ; he was a real Chief amongst them, dignified in his whole conduct, and every way a valuable helper DEEPENING SHADOWS. 257 to me. Everything was tried by his own people to induce him to leave me and to renounce the Worship, offering him every honour and bribe in their power. Failing these, they threatened to take away all his lands, and to deprive him of Chieftainship, but he answered, — " Take all ! I shall still stand by Missi and the Worship of Jehovah." From threats, they passed to galling insults, all which he bore patiently for Jesu's sake. But one day, a party of his people came and sold some fowls, and an impudent fellow lifted them after they had been bought and offered to sell them again to me. Kowia shouted, — " Don't purchase these, Missi ; I have just bought them for you, and paid for them ! " Thereon the fellow began to mock at him. Kowia, gazing round on all present and then on me, rose like a lion awaking out of sleep, and with flashing eyes exclaimed, — " Missi, they think that because I am now a Chris- tian I have become a coward ! a woman ! to bear every abuse and insult they can heap upon me. But I will show them for once that I am no coward, that I am still their Chief, and that Christianity does not take away but gives us courage and nerve." Springing at one man, he wrenched in a moment the mighty club from his hands, and swinging it in air above his head like a toy, he cried, — " Come any of you, come all against your Chief I P. 17 258 DEEPENING SHADOWS. My Jehovah God makes my heart and arms strong. He will help me in this battle as He helps me in other things, for He inspires me to show you that Christians are no cowards, though they are men of peace. Come on, and you will yet know that I am Kowia your Chief." All fled as he approached them ; and he cried, — " Where are the cowards now t " and handed back to the warrior his club. After this they left him at peace. He lived at the Mission House, with his wife and children, and was a great help and comfort to Abraham and myself. He was allowed to go more freely and fearlessly amongst the people, than any of the rest of our Mission staff. The ague and fever on me at Mr. Johnston's death, so increased and re- duced me to such weakness that I had become in- sensible, while Abraham and Kowia alone attended to me. On returning to consciousness, I heard as in a dream Kowia lamenting over me, and pleading that I might recover, so as to hear and speak with him before he died. Opening my eyes and looking at him, I heard him say, — " Missi, all our Aneityumese are sick Missi Johnston is dead. You are very sick, and I am weak and dying. Alas, when I too am dead, who will climb the trees and get you a cocoa-nut to drink? And who will bathe your lips and brow } " Here he broke down into deep and long weeping, and then resumed, — " Missi, the Tanna men hate us all on DEEPENING SHADOWS. 259 account of the Worship of Jehovah ; and I now fear He is going to take away all His servants from this land, and leave my people to the Evil One and his service ! " I was too weak to speak, so he went on, bursting into a soliloquy of prayer : " O Lord Jesus, Missi Johnston is dead ; Thou hast taken him away from this land. Missi Johnston the woman and Missi Paton are very ill ; I am sick, and Thy servants the Aneityumese are all sick and dying. O Lord, our Father in Heaven, art Thou going to take away all Thy servants, and Thy Worship from this dark land ? What meanest Thou to do, O Lord } The Tannese hate Thee and Thy Worship and Thy servants, but surely, O Lord, Thou canst not forsake Tanna and leave our people to die in the darkness ! Oh, make the hearts of this people soft to Thy Word and sweet to Thy Worship ; teach them to fear and love Jesus ; and oh, restore and spare Missi, dear Missi Paton, that Tanna may be saved ! " Touched to the very fountains of my life by such prayers, from a man once a Cannibal, I began under the breath of God's blessing to revive. A few days thereafter, Kowia came again to me, and rousing me out of sleep, cried, — " Missi, I am very weak ; I am dying. I come to bid you farewell, and go away to die. I am nearing death now, and I will soon see Jesus." I spoke what words of consolation and cheer I could muster, but he answered. — " Missi, since you became ill my dear wife and chil- 26o DEEPENING SHADOWS. dren are dead and buried. Most of our Aneityumese are dead, and I am dying. If I remain on the hill, and die here at the Mission House, there are none left to help Abraham to carry me down to the grave where my wife and children are laid. I wish to lie beside them, that we may rise together in the Great Day when Jesus comes. I am happy, looking unto Jesus ! One thing only deeply grieves me now ; I fear God is taking us all away from Tanna, and will leave my poor people dark and benighted as before, for they hate Jesus and the Worship of Jehovah. O Missi, pray for them, and pray for me rmce more before I go ! " He knelt down at my side, and we praye 1 for each other and for Tanna. I then urged him to remain at the Mission House, but he replied, — " O Missi, you do not know how near to death I am ! I am just going, and will soon be with Jesus, and see my wife and children now. While a little strength is left, I will lean on Abraham's arm, and go down to the graves of my dear ones and fall asleep there, and Abraham will dig a quiet bed and lay me beside them. Farewell, Missi, I am very near death now ; we will meet again in Jesus and with Jesus ! " With many tears he dragged himself away ; and my heart-strings seemed all tied round that noble simple soul, and felt like breaking one by one as he left me there on my bed of fever all alone. Abraham sustained him, tottering to the place of DEEPENING SHADOWS. a6l graves ; there he lay down, and immediately gave up the ghost and slept in Jesus ; and there the faith- ful Abraham buried him beside his wife and children. Thus died a man who had been a cannibal Chief, but by the grace of God and the love of Jesus changed, transfigured into a character of light and beauty. What think ye of this, ye scoffers at Missions? What think ye of this, ye sceptics as to the reality of con- version ? He died, as he had lived since Jesus came to his heart ; without a fear as to death, with an ever-brightening assurance as to salvation and glory through the blood of the Lamb of God, that blood which had cleansed him from all his sins, and had delivered him from their power. I lost, in losing him, one of my best friends and most courageous helpers ; but I knew, that day, and I know now, that there is one soul at least from Tanna to sing the glories of Jesus in Heaven — and, oh, the rapture when I meet him there ! Before leaving this terrible plague of measles, I may record my belief that it swept away, with the accompanying sore throat and diarrhoea, a third of the entire population of Tanna ; nay, in certain localities more than a third perished. The living declared themselves unable to bury the dead, and great want and suffering ensued. The Teacher and his wife and child, placed by us at Black Beach, were also taken away ; and his companion, the other Teacher there, embraced the first opportunity to leave along with his wife for his own island, else his life would have 262 DEEPENING SHADOWS. been taken in revenge. Yet, from all accounts after- wards received, I do not think the measles were more fatal on Tanna than on the other Islands of the group They appear to have carried off even a larger propor- tion on Aniwa, the future scene of my many sorrows but of greater triumphs. A new incentive was added to the already cruel superstitions of the Natives. The Sandal- wooders, our degraded fellow-countrymen, in order to divert atten- tion from themselves, stirred the Natives with the wild faith that the Missionaries and the Worship had brought all this sickness, and that our lives should be taken in revenge. Some Captains, on calling with their ships, made a pretence of refusing to trade with the Natives as long as I was permitted to live on the island. One Trader offered to come on shore and live amongst the Tannese, and supply them with tobacco and powder, and caps and balls, on condition that the Missionary and Abraham were got out of the way 1 He knew that these were their greatest wants, and that they eagerly desired these things, but he refused to make any sales to them, till we were murdered or driven away. This was fuel to their savage hate, and drove them mad with revenge, and added countless troubles to our lot. Hurricane and tempest also fought against us at that time. On the 3rd, and again on the loth March, 1861, we had severe and destructive storms. They tore up and smashed breadfruit, chestnut, cocoa-nut, and all kinds of fruit trees. The ground DEEPENING SHADOWS. 263 was strewn thick with half-ripe and wasted fruits. Yam plantations and bananas were riven to pieces, and fences and houses lay piled in a common ruin. My Mission House was also greatly injured ; and the Church, on which I had spent many weeks of labour, was nearly levelled with the ground. Trees of forty years* growth were broken like straws, or lifted by the roots and blown away. At the other Station, all Mr. Mathieson's premises except one bedroom were swept off in the breath of the hurricane. The sea rose alarmingly and its waves rolled far inland, causing .terrible destruction. Had not the merciful Lord left one bedroom at my Station and one at Mr. Mathieson's partly habitable, I know not what in the circum- stances we could have done. Men of fifty years declared that never such a tempest had shaken their Islands. Canoes were shivered on the coral rocks, and Villages were left with nothing but ruins to mark where they had been. Though rain poured in torrents, I had to keep near my fallen house for hours and hours to prevent the Natives from carrying away everything I had in this world ; and after the second storm, all my earthly belongings had to be secured in the one still-standing room. Following upon this came another spate of thirst for our blood, which was increased in the following manner. Miaki the war Chief had an infant son, who had just died. They told us that four men were slain at the same time, that their spirits might serve and accompany him in the other world ; apd that our 264 DEEPENING SHADOWS. death also was again resolved upon. For four days they surrounded our diminished premises. We locked ourselves all up in that single bedroom, and armed savages kept prowling about to take our lives. What but the restraining pity of the Lord kept them from breaking in upon us } They killed our fowls. They cut down and destroyed all our remaining bananas. They broke down the fence around the plantation, and tried to burn it, but failed. They speared and killed some of the few goats — my sole supply of milk. We were helpless, and kept breath- ing out our souls in prayer ; and God did preserve us, but, oh, what a trying time ! The horror grew, when shortly thereafter we learned that our people near the Harbour had killed four men and presented their bodies to certain Chiefs who feasted on them ; and that they in return had given large fat nogs to our people, one for each of ten bodies which our people had formerly presented to them. Within a few months, thirteen or fourteen persons, nearly all refugees or prisoners of war, were reported to us as killed and feasted upon. We gene- rally heard nothing of these murders till all was over, but in any case, I would have been helpless against their bloodthirst, even had I exposed myself to their savage enmity. They sent two dead bodies to our nearest village, where still we conducted Worship every Sabbath when we durst appear amongst them ; but our people refused to receive them, saying, " Now we know that it is wrong to kill and eat our fellow- DEEPENING SHADOWS. 265 creatures." A Chief from another village, being pre- sent, eagerly received them and carried them off to a great feast for which he was preparing. At this juncture, our friendly Chief No war seemed to become afraid. His life also had been threatened ; and our life had been often attempted of late. Society around was all in turmoil, and Nowar urged us all to leave and take refuge in Aneityum till these dangers blew past, and he himself would accompany us. I refused, however, to leave. Indeed, there was no immediate means of escape, except my boat, — which would have been almost madness in an open sea voyage of fifty miles, with only Nowar and the Teachers, all inexperienced hands. Nowar, being angry and afraid, took his revenge by laying aside his shirt and kilt, returning to his heathen nakedness and paint, attending the meetings of the savages, and absenting himself from the Sabbath Worship. But after about three weeks he resumed the Christian garments, and, feeling that the danger had for the time passed over, he returned to us as friendly as ever. Poor Nowar ! if he only knew what thousands of Christians at home do every day just to save their skins ; and then if he only knew how hardly these Christians can speak against Heathen converts I My first baptism on Tanna was that of a Teacher's child. About fifty persons were present, and Miaki the war Chief was there also. Alas, that child died in the plague of measles, and of course the Worship was blamed. Deaths, hurricanes all seemed to be «66 DEEPENING SHADOWS. turned against us. A thunderstorm came in the wake of the last hurricane. A man and a woman were killed. Not far from my house, the hill was struck, a large mass was dislodged from its shoulder and hurled into the valley below. This was the mani- fest token to them that the Gods were angry and that we were the cause ! God's grace alone kept us from sinking, and the hope of yet seeing them delivered from their Heathenism, and brought to love and serve Jesus Christ. For that everything could be borne ; and I knew that this was the post of duty, for it was the Lord undoubtedly that placed me there. One day, about this time, I heard an unusual bleating amongst my few remaining goats, as if they were being killed or tortured. I rushed to the goat- house, and found myself instantly surrounded by a band of armed men. The snare had caught me, their weapons were raised, and I expected next instant to die. But God moved me to talk to them firmly and kindly ; I warned them of their sin and its punishment ; I showed them that only my love and pity led me to remain there seeking their good, and that if they killed me they killed their best friend. I further assured them that I was not afraid to die, for at death my Saviour would take me to be with Himself in Heaven, and to be far happier than I had ever been on Earth ; and that my only desire to live was to make them all as happy, by teaching them to love and serve my Lord Jesus. I then lifted up my hands and eyes to the Heavens, and prayed aloud for DEEPENING SHADOWS, 267 Jesus to bless all my dear Tannese, and either to protect me or to take me home to Glory as He saw to be for the best. One after another they slipped away from me, and Jesus restrained them once again. Did ever mother run more quickly to protect her crying child in danger's hour, than the Lord Jesus hastens to answer believing prayer, and send help to His servants in His own good time and way, so far as it shall be for His glory and their good ? A woman may forget her child, yet will not I forget thee, saith the Lord. Oh, that all my readers knew and felt this, as in those days and ever since I have felt that His promise is a reality, and that He is with His servants to support and bless them even unto the end of the world ! May, 1 861, brought with it a sorrowful and tragic event, which fell as the very shadow of doom across our path ; I mean the martyrdom of the Gordons on Erromanga. Rev. G. N. Gordon was a native of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and was born in 1822. He was educated at the Free Church College, Halifax, and placed as Missionary on Erro- manga, in June, 1857. Much troubled and opposed by the Sandal-wooders, he had yet acquired the language and was making progress by inroads on Heathenism. A considerable number of young men and women embraced the Christian Faith, lived at the Mission House, and devotedly helped him and his excellent wife in all their work. But the hurricanes and the measles, already referred to, caused great 268 DEEPENING SHADOWS. mortality in Erromanga also ; and the degraded Traders, who had introduced the plague, in order to save themselves from revenge, stimulated the super- stitions of the Heathen, and charged the Missionaries with causing sickness and all other calamities. The Sandal-wooders hated him for fearlessly denouncing and exposing their hideous atrocities. When Mr. Copeland and I placed the Native Teachers at Black Beach, Tanna, we ran across to Erromanga in the John Knox, taking a harmonium to Mrs. Gordon, just come to their order from Sydney. When it was opened out at the Mission House, and Mrs. Gordon began playing on it and singing sweet hymns, the native women were in ecstasies. They at once proposed to go off to the bush and cut each a burden of long grass, to thatch the printing-office which Mr. Gordon was building in order to print the Scriptures in their own tongue, if only Mrs. Gordon would play to them at night and teach them to sing God's praises. They joyfully did so, and then spent a happy evening singing those hymns. Next day being Sabbath, we had a delight- ful season there, about thirty attending Church and listening eagerly. The young men and women, living at the Mission House, were being trained to become Teachers. They were reading a small book in their own language, telling them the story of Joseph ; and the work every way seemed most hopeful. The Mission House had been removed a mile or so up a hill, partly for Mrs. Gordon's health, and partly to DEEPENING SHADOWS. 269 escape the annoying and contaminating influence of the Sandal-wooders on his Christian Natives. On 20th May, 1861, he was still working at the roofing of the printing-office, and had sent his lads to bring each a load of the long grass to finish the thatching. Meantime, a party of Erromangans from a district called Bunk-Hill, under a Chief named Lovu, had been watching him. They had been to the Mission House inquiring, and they had seen him send away his Christian lads. They then hid in the bush, and sent two of their men to the Missionary to ask for calico. On a piece of wood he wrote a note to Mrs. Gordon to give them two yards each. They asked him to go with them to the Mission House, as they needed medicine for a sick boy, and Lovu their Chief wanted to see him. He tied up in a napkin a meal of food, which had been brought to him but not eaten, and started to go with them. He requested the native Narubulet to go on before, with his com- panion ; but they insisted upon his going in front. In crossing a streamlet, which I visited shortly after- wards, his foot slipped. A blow was aimed at him with a tomahawk which he caught ; the other man struck, but his weapon was also caught. One of the tomahawks was then wrenched out of his gra^p. Next moment, a blow on the spine laid the dear Missionary low, and a second on the neck almost severed the head from the body. The other Natives then rushed from their ambush, and slashed him to pieces, and began dancing round him with frantic «7o DEEPENING SHADOWS. shoutings. Mrs. Gordon, hearing the noise, came out and stood in front of the Mission House, looking in the direction of her husband's working place and wondering what had happened. Ouben, one of the party, who had run towards the Station the moment that Mr. Gordon fell, now approached her. A merci- ful clump of trees had hid from her eyes all that had occurred, and she said to Ouben, — " What's the cause of that noise ? " He replied, " Oh, nothing ! only the boys amusing themselves ! " Saying, " Where are the boys ? " she turned round. Ouben slipped stealthily behind her, sank his toma- hawk into her back, and with another blow almost severed her head ! Such was the fate of those two devoted servants of the Lord ; loving in their lives, and in their deaths scarcely divided — their spirits, in the crown of mar- tyrdom, entered Glory together, to be welcomed by Williams and Harris, whose blood was shed on the same dark isle for the name and cause of Jesus. They had laboured four years on Erromanga, amidst trials and dangers manifold, and had not been with- out tokens of blessing in the Lord's work. Never more earnest and devoted Missionaries lived or died in the Heathen field. Other accounts, indeed, have been published, and another was reported to me by Mr. Gordon's Christian lads ; but the above combines faithfully the principal facts in the story. One young Christian lad from a distance saw Mr. Gordon DEEPENING SHADOWS. 271 murdered ; and a woman saw Mrs. Gordon fall. The above facts are vouched for by a Mr. Milne, one of the few respectable Sandal-wooders, who was there at the time, and helped the Christian Natives to bury the remains, which he says were painfully mutilated. Some severe criticisms, of course, were written and published by those angelic creatures who judge all things from their own safe and easy distance. Mr. Gordon's lack of prudence was sorely blamed, for- sooth ! One would so like to see these people just for one week in such trying circumstances. As my near ■ fellow-labourer and dearest friend, I know what was the whole spirit of the man's life, his watchful care, his ceaseless anxiety to do everything that in his judg- ment was for God's glory and the prosperity of the Mission, and my estimate of him and of his action to the last fills me with supreme regard to his memory. The Rev. Dr. Inglis of Aneityum, best qualified of all men living to form an opinion, wrote : — " Mr. Gordon was a strong, bold, fearless, energetic, self-denying, and laborious Missionary ; eager, ear- nest, and unwearied in seeking the salvation of the Heathen. . . . Even if Mr. Gordon was to blame for any imprudence, no blame of this kind could be attached to Mrs. Gordon. Hers was a weak, gentle, loving spirit ; quiet and uncomplaining, prudent, earnest, and devoted to Christ. She was esteemed and beloved by all who knew her." My Amen follows, soft and deep, on all that he has 27* DEEPENING SHADOWS. written ; and I add, Mr. Gordon was doing what any faithful and devoted Missionary would in all proba- bility for the Master's sake in similar circumstances have done. Those who charge him with imprudence would, doubtless, grievously blame Stephen for bring- ing that stoning upon himself, which he could so easily have escaped ! Mr. Gordon, in his last letter to me, of date 15 th February, 1861, says: — "My dear Brother, — " I have news of the best and of the worst character to communicate. A young man died in December, in the Lord, as we believe. We are still preserved in health at our work by the God of all grace, whose power alone could have preserved us in all our troubles, which have come upon us by the measles per the Blue Bell. Ah, this is a season which we will not soon forget. Some settlements are nearly depopulated, and the principal Chiefs are nearly all dead ! And oh, the indescribable fiendish hatred that exists against us ! There is quite a famine here. The distress is awful, and the cry of mourning per- petual. A few on both sides of the Island who did not flee from the Worship of God are living, which is now greatly impressing some and exciting the enmity of others. I cannot now write of perils. We feel very anxious to hear from you. If you have to flee, Aneit- yum of course is the nearest and best place to which you can go. Confidence in us is being restored. Mana, DEEPENING SHADOWS. 273 a native Teacher, remains with us for safety from the fury of his enemies. I cannot visit as usual. The persecution cannot be much worse on Tanna. I hope the worst is past Mrs. G. unites in love to you, and to Mr. and Mrs, Johnston. In great haste, "I remain, dear Brother, Yours truly, " G. N. Gordon." Let every reader, in view of this epistle, like a voice from the World Unseen, judge of the spirit of the man of God who penned it, and of the causes that were even then at work and were bringing about his sorrowful death. Cruel superstition, measles, and the malignant influences of the godless Traders, — these on Erromanga, as elsewhere, were the forces at work that brought hatred and murder in their train. Immediately thereafter, a Sandal-wood Trader brought in his boat a party of Erromangans by night to Tanna. They assembled our Harbour Chiefs and people, and urged them to kill us and Mr. and Mrs. Mathieson and the Teachers, or allow them to do so, as they had killed Mr. and Mrs. Gordon. Then they proposed to go to Aneityum and kill the Missionaries there, as the Aneityumese Natives had burned their Church, and thus they would sweep away the Worship and the servants of Jehovah from all the New Heb- rides. Our Chiefs, however, refused, restrained by the Merciful One, and the Erromangans returned to their own island in a sulky mood. Notwithstanding this refusal, as if they wished to reserve the murder and p 18 274 DEEPENING SHADOWS. plunder for themselves, our Mission House was next day thronged with armed men, some from Inland, others from Mr. Mathieson's Station. They loudly praised the Erromangans ! The leaders said again and again in my hearing, — " The men of Erromanga killed Missi Williams long ago. We killed the Rarotongan and Samoan Teachers. We fought Missi Turner and Missi Nisbet, and drove them from our island. We killed the Aneityumese Teachers on Aniwa, and one of Missi Paton's Teachers too. We killed several white men, and no Man-of-war punished us. Let us talk over this, about killing Missi Paton and the Aneityumese, till we see if any Man-of-war comes to punish the Erromangans. If not, let us unite, let us kill these Missionaries, let us drive the worship of Jehovah from our land ! " An Inland Chief said or rather shouted in my hearing, — " My love to the Erromangans ! They are strong and brave men, the Erromangans. They have killed their Missi and his wife, while we only talk about it. They have destroyed the Worship and driven away Jehovah ! " I stood amongst them and protested, — " God will yet punish the Erromangans for such wicked deeds. God has heard all your bad talk, and will punish it in His own time and way." But they shouted me down, amidst great excite- ment, with the cry, — DEEPENING SHADOWS. 275 " Our love to the Erromangans ! Our love to the Erromangans ! " After I left them, Abraham heard them say,— " Miaki is lazy. Let us meet in every village, and talk with each other. Let us all agree to kill Missi and the Aneityumese for the first of our Chiefs that dies." On Tanna, as on Erromanga, the Natives have no idea of death coming to any one naturally, or sickness or any disease ; everything comes by Nahak, or sorcery. When one person grows sick or dies, they meet to talk over it and find out who has bewitched or killed him, and this ends in fixing upon some individual upon whom they take revenge, or whom they murder outright. Thus many wars arise on Tanna, for the friends or the tribe of the murdered man generally seek a counter-revenge ; and so the blood-fiend is let loose over all the island, and from island to island throughout the whole of the New Hebrides. The night after the visit of the Erromangan boat, and the sad news of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon's death the Tannese met on their village dancing-grounds and held high festival in praise of the Erromangans. Our best friend, old Nowar, the Chief, who had worn shirt and kilt for some time and had come regularly to, the Worship, relapsed once more ; he painted his face, threw off his clothing, resumed his bow and arrows, and his tomahawk, of which he boasted that it had killed very many men and at least one woman I On ^^6 DEEPENING SHADOWS. my shaming him for professing to worship Jehovah and yet uniting with the Heathen in rejoicing over the murder of His servants on Erromanga, he replied to this effect, — "Truly, Missi, they have done well. If the people of Erromanga are severely punished for this by the Man-of-war, we will all hear of it ; and our people will then fear to kill you and the other Missionaries, so as to destroy the Worship of Jehovah. Now, they say, the Erromangans killed Missi Williams and the Samoan, Rarotongan, and Aneityumese Teachers, besides other white men, and no Man-of-war has punished either them or us. If they are not pun- ished for what has been done on Erromanga, nothing else can keep them here from killing you and me and all who worship at the Mission House ! " I answered, — " Nowar, let us all be strong to love and serve Jehovah Jesus. If it be for our good and His glory. He will protect us ; if not. He will take us to be with Himself. We will not be killed by their bad talk. Besides, what avails it to us, when dead and gone, if even a Man-of-war should come and punish our murderers } " He shrugged his shoulders, answering, — '* Missi, by-and-by you will see. Mind, I tell you the truth. I know our Tannese people. How is it that Jehovah did not protect the Gordons and the Erromangan worshippers ? If the Erromangans are not punished, neither will our Tannese be punished, though they murder all Jehovah's people ! " DEEPENING SHADOWS. 277 I felt for Nowar's struggling faith, just trembling on the verge of cannibalism yet, and knowing so little of the true Jehovah. Groups of Natives assembled suspiciously near us and sat whispering together. They urged old Ab- raham to return to Aneityum by the very first opportunity, as our lives were certain to be taken, but he replied, — *' I will not leave Missi." Abraham and I were thrown much into each other's company, and he stood by me in every danger. We conducted family prayers alternately ; and that even- ing he said during the prayer in Tannese, in which language alone we understood each other, — "O Lord, our Heavenly Father, they have murdered Thy servants on Erromanga. They have banished the Aneityumese from dark Tanna. And now they want to kill Missi Paton and me ! Our great King, protect us, and make their hearts soft and sweet to Thy Worship. Or, if they are permitted to kill us, do not Thou hate us, but wash us in the blood of Thy dear Son Jesus Christ. He came down to Earth and shed His blood for sinners; through Him for- give us our sins and take us to Heaven — that good place where Missi Gordon the man and Missi Gor- don the woman and all Thy dear servants now are singing Thy praise and seeing Thy face. Our Lord, our hearts are pained just now, and we weep over the death of Thy dear servants ; but make our hearts good and strong for Thy cause, and take 278 DEEPENING SHADOWS, Thou away all our fears. Make us two and all Thy servants strong for Thee and for Thy Worship ; and if they kill us two, let us die together in Thy good work, like Thy servants Missi Gordon the man and Missi Gordon the woman/' In this manner his great simple soul poured itself out to God, and my heart melted within me as it had never done under any prayer poured from the lips of cultured Christian men ! Under the strain of these events, Miaki came to our house, and attacked me in hearing of his men to this effect : — "You and the Worship are the cause of all the sickness and death now taking place on Tanna! The Erromanga men killed Missi Gordon the man and also the woman, and they are all well long ago. The Worship is killing us all ; and the Inland people will kill us for keeping you and the Worship here ; for we love the conduct of Tanna, but we hate the Worship. We must kill you and it, and we shall all be well again." I tried to reason firmly and kindly with them, showing them that their own conduct was destroying them, and that our presence and the Worship could only be a blessing to them in every way, if only they would accept of it and give up their evil ways. I referred to a poor girl, whom Miaki and his men had stolen and abused, that they knew such conduct to be bad, and that God would certainly punish them for it D££PENING SHADOWS. 279 He replied, " Such is the conduct of Tanna. Our fathers loved and followed it, we love and follow it, and if the Worship condemns it, we will kill you and destroy the Worship." I said, " The Word of the Holy God condemns all bad conduct, and I must obey my God in trying to lead you to give it up, and to love and serve His Son Jesus our Saviour. If I refuse to obey my God, He will punish me." He replied, " Missi, we like many wives to attend us and to do our work. Three of my wives are dead and three are yet alive. The Worship killed them and my children. We hate it. It will kill us all." I answered, " Miaki, is it good for you to have so many wives, and many of your men to have none ? Who waits on them } Who works for them } They cannot get a wife, and so, having to work for them- selves, they are led to hate you and all the Chiefs who have more wives than one. You do not love your wives, else you would not slave them and beat them as you do." But he declared that his heart was good, that his conduct was good, and that he hated the teaching of the Worship. He had a party of men staying with him from the other side of the island, and he sent back a present of four large fat hogs to their Chiefs, with a message as to the killing of the Ma- thiesons. If that were done, his hands would be strengthened in dealing with us. a8o DEEPENING SHADOWS. Satan seemed to fill that man's heart. He incited his people to steal everything from us, and to annoy us in every conceivable way. They killed one of my precious watch-dogs, and feasted upon it. So sad was the condition of Tanna, that if a man were desperate enough in wickedness, if he killed a num- ber of men and tyrannized over others, he was dignified with the name and rank of a Chief This was the secret of Miaki's influence, and of his being surrounded by the outlaws and refugees, not only of his own but even other islands. It was all founded upon terror and upheld by cruelty. The Sacred Man, for instance, who murdered my Teacher, and a young man who threw three spears at me, which by God's help I avoided, were both praised and honoured for their deeds. But the moment they were laid aside by measles and unable to retaliate, their flatterers turned upon them and declared that they were punished for their bad conduct against Jehovah and His servants and His Worship ! To know what was best to be done, in such trying circumstances, was an abiding perplexity. To have left altogether, when so surrounded by perils and enemies, at first seemed the wisest course, and was the repeated advice of many friends. But again, I had acquired the language, and had gained a con- siderable influence amongst the Natives, and there were a number warmly attached both to myself and to the Worship. To have left would have been to lose all, which to me was heart-rending ; therefore, DEEPENING SHADOWS. 281 risking all with Jesus, I held on while the hope of being spared longer had not absolutely and entirely vanished. God only knows how deep and genuine were my pity and affection for the poor Tannese, labouring and longing to bring them from their dark idolatry and heathenism to love and serve and please Jesus Christ as their God and Saviour. True, some of the awfully wise people wrote, as in the case of Mr. Gordon, much nonsense about us and the Tanna Mission. They knew, of course, that I was to blame, and they from safe distances could see that I was not in the path of duty ! Perhaps, to people less omnisciently sure, the fol- lowing quotation from a letter of the late A. Clark, Esq., J. P., Auckland, New Zealand, will show what Bishop Selwyn thought of my standing fast on Tanna at the post of duty, and he knew what he was writing about. He says, — " In addition. Bishop Selwyn told us that he had seen the Commodore (Seymour), who told him that at Tanna the Natives were in a very insulting and hostile state of mind ; so much so that he felt it his duty to offer Mr. Paton a passage in his ship to Auckland or some other place of safety. He said, 'Talk of bravery! talk of heroism! The man who leads a forlorn hope is a coward in comparison with him, who, on Tanna, thus alone, without a sustaining look or cheering word from one of his own race, regards it as his duty to hold on in the face of such dangers. We read of the soldier, found after the 282 DEEPENING SHADOWS. lapse of ages among the ruins of Herculaneum, who stood firm at his post amid the fiery rain destroying all around him, thus manifesting the rigidity of the discipline amongst those armies of ancient Rome which conquered the World. Mr. Paton was subjected to no such iron law. He might, with honour, when offered to him, have sought a temporary asylum in Auckland, where he would have been heartily re- ceived. But he was moved by higher considerations. He chose to remain, and God knows whether at this moment he is in the land of the living ! ' When the bishop told us that he declined leaving Tanna by H.M.S. Pelorus, he added, * And I like him all the better for so doing ! ' " For my part I feel quite confident that, in like circumstances, that noble Bishop of God would have done the same. I, born in the bosom of the Scottish Covenant, descended from those who suffered perse- cution for Christ's honour, would have been unworthy of them and of my Lord had I deserted my post for danger only. Yet not to me, but to the Lord who sustained me, be all the praise and the glory ! On his next visit to these Islands, the good Bishop brought a box of Mission goods to me in his ship, besides £<^0 for our work from Mr. Clark and friends in Auckland. His interest in us and our work was deep and genuine, and was unmarred on either side by any consciousness of ecclesiastical dis- tinctions. We were one in Christ, and, when next we meet again in the glory of our Lord, Bishop and DEEPENING SHADOWS. 283 Presbyter will be eternally one in that blessed fellow- ship. The following incident illustrates the depth of native superstition. One morning two Inland Chiefs came running to the Mission House, breathless, and covered with perspiration. One of them held up a handful of half-rotten tracts, crying, — " Missi, is this a part of God's Word, the sacred Book of Jehovah "i or is it the work, the words, the book of man .^" I examined them and replied, " These are the work, the words, and the book of man, not of Je- hovah." He questioned me again : " Missi, are you certain that it is not the Word of Jehovah } " I replied, "It is only man's work and man's book." He continued then, " Missi, some years ago, Kai- pai, a sacred Chief, and certain Tannese, went on a visit to Aneityum, and Missi Geddie gave him these books. On his return, when he showed them to the Tannese, the people were all so afraid of them, for they thought they were the sacred Books of Jehovah, that they met for consultation and agreed solemnly to bury them. Yesterday, some person in digging had disinterred them, and at once our Inland people said that our dead Chief had buried a part of Jeho- vah's Word, which made Him angry, and that He had therefore caused the Chiefs death and the plague of measles, etc. Therefore they were now assembled to kill the dead Chiefs son and daughter in revenge ! 284 DEEPENING SHADOWS. But, before that should be done, I persuaded them to send these books, to inquire of you if this be part of Jehovah's Book, and if the burying of it caused all these diseases and deaths." I assured him that these books never caused either sickness or death to any human being ; and that none of us can cause sickness or death by sorcery ; that burying these Tracts did not make Jehovah angry, nor cause evil to any creature. " You your- selves know," I said, "the very ships that brought the measles and caused the deaths ; and you killed some of the young men who were landed sick with the disease." The Inland Chief declared, " Missi, I am quite satisfied ; no person shall be put to death over these books now." They went off, but immediately returned, saying, " Missi, have you any books like these to show to us? And will you show us the sacred Book of Jehovah beside them } " I showed them a Bible, and then a handful of Tracts with pictures like those they had brought ; and I offered them the Bible and specimens of these Tracts, that they might show both to the people as- sembled. The Tracts they received, but the Bible they refused to touch. They satisfied the Inland people and prevented bloodshed ; but oh, what a depth of superstition to be raised out of! and how easily life might be sacrificed at every turn ! On another occasion I had the joy of saving the DEEPENING SHADOWS. 285 lives of Sandal-wood Traders, to whom neither I nor the Mission owed anything, except for Christ's sake. TheB/ue Bell cast anchor in the Harbour on a beauti- ful morning, and the Captain and Mate immediately came on shore. They had letters for me ; but, on landing, they were instantly surrounded by the Chiefs and people, who formed a ring about them on the beach and called for me to come. The two white men stood in the midst, with many weapons pointed at them, and death if they dared to move. They shouted to me, — " This is one of the Vessels which brought the measles. You and they made the sickness, and de- stroyed our people. Now, if you do not leave with this vessel, we will kill you all." Of course, their intention was to frighten me on board just as I was, and leave my premises for plunder! I protested, — " I will not leave you ; I cannot leave you in this way ; and if you murder these men or me, Jehovah will punish you. I am here for your good ; and you know how kind I have been to you all, in giving you medicine, knives, axes, blankets, and clothing. You also know well that I have never done ill to one human being, but have constantly sought your good. I will not and cannot leave you thus." In great wrath they cried, '* Then will we kill }-ou and this Captain and Mate." I kept reasoning with them against such conduct, standing firmly before them and saying, " If you do 286 DEEPENING SHADOWS kill me, Jehovah will punish you ; the other men in that vessel will punish you before they sail ; and a Man-of-war will come and burn your villages and canoes and fruit trees." I urged the two men to try and get into their boat as quickly as possible, in silence, while I kept arguing with the Natives. The letters which they had for me, the savages forbade me to take into my hands, lest thereby some other foreign disease should come to their island. Miaki exclaimed in great wrath that my medicine had killed them all ; but I replied, — *' My medicine with God's blessing saved many lives. You know well that all who followed my rules recovered from the measles, except only one man, and are living still. Now, you seek to kill me for saving your lives and the lives of your people ! " I appealed to Yorian, another Chief, if the medi- cine had not saved his life when he appeared to be dying, which he admitted to be the truth. The men had now slipped into their boat and were preparing to leave. Miaki shouted, — " Let them go ! Don't kill them to-day." Then he called to the Captain, " Come on shore and trade with us to-morrow." Next day they foolishly came on shore and began to trade. Natives surrounded the boat with clubs and tomahawks. But Miaki's heart failed him when about to strike ; and he called out, — " Missi said that, if we kill them, a Man-of-war will come and take revenge on us." DEEPENING SHADOWS, 287 In the altercation that followed, the men thrust the boat into deep water and forced it out of the grasp of the savages ; but they caught the Captain's large Newfoundland dog and kept it prisoner. As a com- pensation for this disappointment, Miaki urged that my life and Abraham's be at once taken, but again Nowar's firm opposition and God's goodness rescued us from the jaws of the lion. The Blue Bell left next morning, and the dog remained behind, as no one from the vessel would venture ashore. Revenge for the murder of the four men killed to accompany Miaki's child, threatened to originate another war ; but the Chiefs for eight miles around met, and, after much speechifying, agreed that as they were all weak for war, owing to the measles and the want of food through the hurricanes, they should delay it till they all grew stronger. Nowar was, however, greatly excited, and informed me that Miaki had urged the people of an inland district to shoot Nowar and Abraham and me, and he pled with us again to take him and flee to Aneityum, — impossible except by canoe, and perhaps impossible even so. That night and the following night they tried to break into my house. On one occasion my valuable dog was let out, and cleared them away Next night I shouted at them from inside, when they thought me asleep, and they decamped again. In- deed, our continuous danger caused me now often- times to sleep with my clothes on, that I might start at a moment's warning. My faithful dog would give 288 DEEPENING SHADOWS. a sharp bark and awake me. At other times, she would leap up and pull at the clothes till I awoke, and then she turned her head quietly and indicated by a wondrous instinct where the danger lay. God made them fear this precious creature, and often used her in saving our lives. Soon after this six Inland Chiefs came to see me. We had a long talk on the evils of war, and the blessings of the Worship of Jehovah. I gave each a knife and a fork and a tin plate, and they promised to oppose the war which Miaki was forcing on. A man came also with a severe gash in his hand, which a fish had given him ; I dressed it, and he went away very grateful and spread everywhere the news of healing, a kind of Gospel which he and they could most readily appre- ciate. Another incident made them well-disposed for a season ; namely, the use of a fishing-net. Seeing that the Natives had so little food — there being, in fact, a famine after the hurricane — I engaged an inland Tribe to make a net forty feet long and very broad. Strange to say, the Inland people who live far from the sea make the best fishing materials, which again they sell to the Harbour people for the axes, knives, blankets, and other articles obtained from calling vessels. They also make the killing-stones, and trade with them amongst the shore people all round the island. This kawas or killing-stone is made of blue whinstone, eighteen to twenty-four inches long, an inch and a half across, perfectly straight, and DEEPENING SHADOWS. 289 hewn as round and neat as any English tradesman could have done it, exactly like a large scythe-stone, such as they use on the harvest fields in Scotland. The kawas seems to be peculiar to Tanna, at least I have not seen it on any other island. The Natives, with pieces of very hard heavy wood of the same size and shape, are taught to throw it from infancy at a given mark ; in warfare, it is thrown first ; where it strikes it stuns or kills, and then they spring forward with their large double-handed heavy club. Every man and boy carries his killing-stone and other weapons, even when moving about peaceably in his own village, war being, in fact, the only regular occu- pation for men ! Well, these same Inland people., the sort of arti- sans of the island, being mostly the women and the girls, manufactured for me this huge fishing-net. The cord was twisted from the fibre made out of the bark of their own trees, and prepared with immense toil and care ; and not without touches of skill and taste, when woven and knotted and intertwined. This net I secured, and lent about three days each to every village all round the Har- bour and near it One night I saw them carrying home a large hog, which they had got from an Inland Chief for a portion of the fish which they had taken. I thought it right to cause them to return the net to the Mission House every Saturday evening, that they might not be tempted to use it on Sabbath. It was a great help to them, and the Harbour yielded P. 19 epo DEEPENING SHADOWS. them much wholesome food in lieu of what the hurricane had destroyed. When, about this time, the John Knox came to anchor in the bay, a Native was caught in the act of stealing from her. Angry at being discovered, he and his friends came to shoot me, pretending that it was because the John Knox knew they were in want of food and had not brought them a load of Taro from Aneityum. Taro is a plant of the genus Arum, the ^sculentum, or Colocasia ^sculenia, well known all through Polynesia. The Natives spread it in a very simple way. Cutting off the leaves, with a very little of the old bulb still attached, they fix these in the ground, and have the new Taro about a year after that. It is of several kinds and of a great variety of colours — white, yellow, blue, etc. It grows best in ground irrigated by streams of pure water, or in shallow, swampy ground, over which the water runs. The dry-ground Taro is small and inferior* compared to the water-grown roots. Nutritious and pleasant, not unlike the texture of cheese when laid in slices on the table, in size and appearance like a Swedish turnip, it can be either boiled or baked. Hurricanes may destroy all other native food, but the Taro lies uninjured below the water ; hence on islands, where it will grow, it forms one of the most permanent and valuable of all their crops. Our people also demanded that the John Knox should bring them kava and tobacco. Kava is the plant, Piper Methysticum, from which they make a DEEPENING SHADOWS. 291 highly intoxicating drink. The girls and boys first chew it, and spit the juice into a basin ; there it is mixed with water, and then strained through a fibrous cloth-like texture, which they get from the top of the cocoa-nut trees, where it surrounds the young nuts, and drops off with them when they are ripe. This they freely drink ; it does not make them violent, but stupefies them and induces sleep like opium. A portion is always poured out to their Gods ; and the dregs in every mouth after drinking are always spit out with the exclamation, "That's for you, Kumesam ! " It is sometimes offered and ■ partaken of with very great ceremony ; but its general use is as a soporific by the men, regularly after the evening meal. Women and children are not allowed to drink it. Many men have been at- tacked and murdered at night, when lying enfeebled and enfolded by kava. That, indeed, is their com- mon mode of taking revenge and of declaring war. These angry men, who came to me about the John Knox, tried to smash in my window and kill my faithful dog ; but I reasoned firmly and kindly with them, and they at last withdrew. At that time, though my life was daily attempted, a dear lad, named Katasian, was coming six miles regularly to the Worship and to receive frequent in- struction. One day, when engaged in teaching him, I caught a man stealing the blind from my window. On trying to prevent him, he aimed his great club at me, but I seized the heavy end of it with both my 292 DEEPENING SHADOWS. hands as it swung past my head, and held on with all my might. What a prayer went up from me to God at that dread moment ! The man, astonished and abashed at my kind words and appeal, slunk away and left me in peace. I had planted a few Yams, of the genus Dioscoria; a most valuable article of food, nearly as precious as potatoes were to the poor in Ireland, and used very much in the same way. Years after, when I went to Melbourne, I took one from Aniwa, by no means the largest, weighing seventy-two pounds, and another, forty-two. The things, however, that I planted on Tanna the Natives stole and. carried away, making themselves extremely troublesome. But God never took away from me the consciousness that it was still right for me to be kind and forgiving, and to hope that I might lead them to love and imitate Jesus. For a season thereafter, the friendly feeling grew on every side. The Natives prepared, for payment, an excellent foundation for a new Church, by level- ling down the hill near to my Mission House. Any number of men offered to work for calico, knives, axes, etc. All the fences were renewed, and the Mission premises began to look nice once more, at least, in my eyes. My work became encouraging, and I had many opportunities of talking with them about the Worship and Jehovah. This state of mat- ters displeased Miaki and his men ; and one day, having been engaged thus, I rushed back only in DEEPENING SHADOWS. 293 time to extinguish a fire which they had kindled under the verandah and close to the door of my house. Our watch had to be unrelaxing. A cousin of Miaki's, for instance, sold me a fish as good for food which he knew to be poisonous, but Nowar saw in time and warned me of its deadly character. Miaki then threatened to shoot any of the Inland people who came to work or to receive instruction, yet larger numbers came than before, but they came fully arxned ! Nouka, the high Chief of the Harbour, Miaki's uncle, came and sat beside us often, and said, — " Miaki breaks my heart ! He deceives Missi. He hates the Worship of Jehovah." For some time, Nouka and his wife and daughter^ — a handsome girl, his only child — and Miaki's prin- cipal wife and her two sons, and nine Chiefs attended Worship regularly at the Mission House, on Sabbaths and on the afternoon of every Wednesday. In all, about sixty persons somewhat regularly waited on our ministrations at this time ; and amidst all perils I was encouraged, and my heart was full of hope. Yet one evening, when feeling more consoled and hopeful than ever before, a musket was discharged at my very door, and I was constrained to realize that we were in the midst of death. Father, our times are in Thy hand. As my work became more encouraging, I urgently applied to the Missionaries on Aneityum for more Teachers, but none could be found willing to return to 294 DEEPENING SHADOWS. Tanna. The plague of measles had almost de- moralized them. Even on Aneityum, where they had medicine and would follow the Missionaries' ad- vice, no fewer than eleven hundred had been cut off ; and the mortality was very much greater on such islands as Tanna, Aniwa, etc., where they were still Heathen, and either had not or would not follow medical counsels. Of my Teachers and their wives ten were swept away in the epidemic, and the few that were left were so disheartened that they escaped to their own land at the first opportunity, as before recorded, excepting only dear old faithful Abraham. But I need not wonder ; smaller perils deter God's people at home from many a call of duty. In my Mission School, I offered as a prize a red shirt for the first Chief who knew the whole Alphabet without a mistake. It was won by an Inakaki Chief, who was once a terror to the whole community. Afterwards, when trying to teach the A B C to others, he proceeded in something like this graphic style : — " A is a man's legs with the body cut off; B is like two eyes ; C is a three-quarters moon ; D is like one eye ; E is a man with one club under his feet and another over his head ; F is a man with a large club and a smaller one," etc., etc.; L was like a man's foot ; Q was the talk of the dove, etc. Then he would say, " Remember these things ; you will soon get hold of the letters and be able to read. I have taught my little child, who can scarcely walk, the DEEPENING SHADOWS. 295 names of them all. They are not hard to hold, but soft and easy. You will soon learn to read the book, if you try it with all your heart 1 " But Miaki was still our evil genius, and every in- cident seemed to be used by him for one settled pur- pose of hate. A Kaserumini Chief, for instance, and seven men took away a young girl in a canoe to Aniwa, to be sold to friends there for tobacco leaf, which the Aniwans cultivated extensively. They also prepared to take revenge there for a child's death, killed in their belief by the sorcery of an Aniwan. When within sight of the shore, the canoes were upset and all were said to have been devoured by sharks, excepting only one canoe out of six. This one returned to Tanna and reported that there were two white Traders living on Aniwa, that they had plenty of ammunition and tobacco, but that they would not come to Tanna as long as a Missionary lived there. Under this fresh incitement, a party of Miaki's men came to my house, praising the Erro- mangans for the murder of their Missionaries and threatening me. Even the friendly Nowar said, " Miaki will make a great wind and sink any Man-of-war that comes here. We will take the Man-of-war and kill all that are on board. If you and Abraham do not leave us we will kill you both, for we must have the Traders and the powder." Just as they were assuming a threatening attitude, Older Natives came runnmg with tne cry, " Missi, the 296 DEEPENING SHADOWS. John Knox is coming into the Harbour, and two great ships of fire, Men-of-war behind her, coming very fast ! " I retorted upon Nowar and the hostile company. " Now is your time ! Make all possible haste ! Lei Miaki raise his great wind now ; get all your men ready ; I will tell them that you mean to fight, and you will find them always ready ! " Miaki's men fled away in unconcealed terror ; but Nowar came to me and said, " Missi, I know that my talk is all lies, but if I speak the truth, they will kill me!" I answered, " Trust in Jehovah, the same God who sent these vessels now, to protect us from being mur- dered." But Nowar always wavered. And now from all parts of the island those who were most friendly flocked to us. They were clam- orous to have Miaki and some others of our enemies punished by the Man-of-war in presence of the Natives ; and then they would be strong to speak in our defence and to lead the Tannese to worship Jehovah. Commodore Seymour, Captain Hume, and Dr. Geddie came on shore. After inquiring into every- thing, the Commodore urged me to leave at once, and very kindly offered to remove me to Aneityum, or Auckland, or any place of safety that I preferred. Again, however, I hesitated to leave my dear be- nighted Tannese, knowing that both Stations would DEEPENING SHADOWS. 29; be instantly broken up, that all the influence gained would be thrown away, that the Church would lose all that had been expended, and above all, that those friendly to us would be left to persecution and de- struction. For a long time I had seldom taken ofT my clothes at night, needing to be constantly on the alert to start at a moment's notice ; yet, while hope burned within my soul I could not withdraw, so I resolved to risk all with my dear Lord Jesus, and remained at my post. At my request, however, they met and talked with all the leaders who could be assembled at the Mission House. The Natives de- clared frankly that they liked me but did not like the Worship. The Commodore reminded them that they had invited me to land among them, and had pledged their word more than once to protect me ; he argued with them that as they had no fault to find with me, but only with the Worship, which could do them only good, they must bind themselves to pro- tect my life. Miaki and others promised and gave him their hands to do so. Lathella, an Aneityumese Chief, who was with Dr. Geddie, interpreted for him and them, Dr. Geddie explaining fully to Lathella in Aneityumese what the Commodore said in English, and Lathella explaining all to the Tannese in their own tongue. At last old Nouka spoke out for all and said, " Captain Paddan and all the Traders tell us that the Worship causes all our sickness and death. They will not trade with us, nor sell us tobacco, pipes, 298 DEEPENING SHADOWS. powder, balls, caps, and muskets, till we kill our Missi like the Erromangans, but after that they will send a Trader to live among us and give us plenty of all these things. We love Missi. But when the Traders tell us that the Worship makes us sick, and when they bribe us with tobacco and powder to kill him or drive him away, some believe them and our hearts do bad conduct to Missi. Let Missi remain here, and we will try to do good conduct to Missi ; but you must tell Queen 'Toria of her people's bad treatment of us, and that she must prevent her Traders from killing us with their measles, and from telling us lies to make us do bad conduct to Missi ! If they come to us and talk as before, our hearts are very dark and may again lead us to bad conduct to Missi." After this little parley, the Commodore invited us all on board, along with the Chiefs. They saw about three hundred brave marines ranked up on deck, and heard a great cannon discharged. For all such efforts to impress them and open their eyes, I felt pro- foundly grateful; but too clearly I knew and saw that only the grace of God could lastingly change them 1 They were soon back to their old arguments, and were heard saying to one another, " If no punishment is inflicted on the Erromangans for murdering the Missi there, we fear the bad conduct of the Tannese will continue." No punishment was inflicted at Erromanga, and the Tannese were soon as bold and wicked as DEEPENING SHADOWS. 299 ever. For instance, while the Man-of-war lay in the Harbour, Nowar kept himself closely concealed ; but no sooner had she sailed than the cowardly fellow came out, laughing at the others, and pro- testing that he was under no promise and was free to act as he pleased I Yet in the hour of danger he generally proved to be our friend ; such was his vacillating character. Nor was Miaki very seri- ously impressed. Mr. Mathieson shortly thereafter sent his boat round to me, being again short of European food. On his crew leaving her to deliver their message to me, some of Miaki's men at once jumped into the boat and started off round the island in search of kava. I went to Miaki, to ask that the boat might be brought back soon, but on seeing me he ran for his club and aimed to strike me. I managed to seize it, and to hold on, pleading with God and talking with Miaki, till by the interference of some friendly Natives his wrath was assuaged a little. Re- turning home, I sent food overland to keep them going till the boat returned, which she did in about eight days. Thus light and shadow pursued each other, the light brightening for a moment, but upon the whole the shadows deepening. FAREWELL SCENES, CHAPTER X. FAREWELL SCENES. The Wai Fever.— Forced to the War Council. — A Truce among the Chiefs. — Chiefs and People. — The Kiss of Judas.— The Death of Ian. — The Quivering Knife. — A War of Revenge. — In the Thick of the Battle. — Tender Mercies of the Wicked. — Escape for Life. — The Loss of All. — Under the Tomahawk. — Jehovah is Hearing. — The Host Turned Back. — The War against Manuman. — Traps Laid. — House Broken Up. — War against our Friends. — A Treacherous Murderer.— On the Chestnut Tree.— Bargaining for Life. — Five Hours in a Canoe. — Kneeling on the Sands. — Faimungo's Farewell. — " Follow ! Follow ! " — A Race for Life. — Ringed Round with Death.— Faint yet Pursuing. — Out of the Lion's Jaws. — Brothers in Distress. — Intervening Events. — A Cannibal's Taste. — Pillars of Cloud and of Fire.— Passing by on the other Side. — Kapuku and the Idol Gods.— A Devil Chief.— In Perils Oft.— Through Fire and Water.-" Sail O ! Sail O !"— Let Me Die.— In Perils on the Sea.— Tannese Visitors. — The Devil Chief of Tanna. — Speckled and Spotted. — Their Desired Haven. — "I am Left Alone." — My Earthly AH.— Eternal Hope.— AustraHa to the Rescue. — For my Brethren's Sake. — A New Holy League. — The Uses of Adversity. —The Arm-Chair Critics Again. — Concluding Note. — Prospectus of Part Second. A TIME of great excitement amongst the Natives now prevailed. War, war, nothing but war was spoken of 1 Preparations for war were being made in 304 FAREWELL SCENES. all the villages far and near. Fear sat on every face, and armed bands kept watching each other, as if un- certain where the war was to begin or by whom. All work was suspended, and that war spirit was let loose which rouses the worst passions of human nature. Again we found ourselves the centre of conflict, one party set for killing us or driving us away ; the other wishing to retain us, while all old bitter grievances were also dragged into their speeches. Miaki and Nouka said, " If you will keep Missi and his Worship, take him with you to your own land, for we will not have him to live at the Harbour." Ian, the great Inland Chief, rose in wrath and said, " On whose land does the Missi live, yours or ours ? Who fight against the Worship and all good, who are the thieves and murderers, who tell the lies, you or we } We wish peace, but you will have war. We like Missi and the Worship, but you hate them and say, ' Take him to your own land ! ' It is our land on which he now lives ; it is his own land which he bought from you, but which our fathers sold Missi Turner long ago. The land was not yours to sell ; it was really ours. Your fathers stole it from us long ago by war ; but we would not have asked it back, had you not asked us to take Missi away. Now we will defend him on it, and he will teach us and cur people in our own land ! " So meeting after meeting broke into fiery speech, and separated with many threats. To the next great meeting I v/as invited, but did FAREWELL SCENES. 305 not go, contenting myself with a message pleading that they should live at peace and on no account go to war with each other. But Ian himself came for me. I said, " Ian, I have told you my whole heart. Go not to that meeting. I will rather leave the island or die, than see you going to war about me ! " He answered, " Missi, come with me, come now ! " I replied, **Ian, you are surely not taking me away to kill me "i If you are, my God will punish it." His only reply was, "Follow me, follow me quickly." I felt constrained to go. He strode on before me till we reached the great village of his ancestors. His followers, armed largely with muskets as well as native weapons, filled one half the Village Square or dancing ground. Miaki, Nouka, and their whole party sat in manifest terror upon the other half. Marching into the centre, he stood with me by his side, and proudly looking round, exclaimed, — " Missi, these are my men and your friends 1 We are met to defend you and the Worship." Then pointing across to the other side, he cried aloud, " These are your enemies and ours ! The enemies of the Worship, the disturbers of the peace on Tanna ! Missi, say the word, and the muskets of my men will sweep all opposition away, and the Worship will spread and we will all be strong for it on Tanna We will not shoot without your leave ; but if you P. 20 3o6 FAREWELL SCENES. refuse they will kill you and persecute us and our children, and banish Jehovah's Worship from our land." I said, *' I love all of you alike. I am here to teach you how to turn away from all wickedness, to worship and serve Jehovah, and to live in peace. How can I approve of any person being killed for me or for the Worship ? My God would be angry at me and punish me, if I did ! " He replied, " Then, Missi, you will be murdered and the Worship destroyed." I then stood forth in the middle before them all and cried, " You may shoot or murder me, but I am your best friend. I am not afraid to die. You will only send me the sooner to my Jehovah God, whom I love and serve, and to my dear Saviour Jesus Christ, who died for me and for you, and who sent me here to tell you all His love. If you will only love and serve Him and give up your bad conduct, you will be happy. But if you kill me, His mes- senger, rest assured that He will in His own time and way punish you. This is my word to you all ; my love to you all ! " So saying, I turned to leave ; and Ian strode sul- lenly away and stood at the head of his men, crying,— " Missi, they will kill you ! they will kill us, and you will be to blame ! * Miaki and Nouka, full of deceit, now cried out, — FAREWELL SCENES. 30? " Missi's word is good ! Let us all obey it. Let us all worship." An old man, Sirawia, one of lan's under-chiefs, then said, — "Miaki and Nouka say that the land on which Missi lives was theirs ; though they sold it to him, and he has paid them for it, they all know that it was ours, and is yet ours by right ; but if they let Missi live on it in peace, we will all live at peace, and worship Jehovah. And if not, we will surely claim it again." . Miaki and his party hereon went off to their plan- tations, and brought a large present of food to Ian and his men as a peace-offering. This they accepted ; and the next day Ian and his men brought Miaki a return present and said, — "You know that Missi lives on our land? Take our present, be friends, and let him live quietly and teach us all. Yesterday you said his word was good, obey it now, else we will punish you and defend the Mis5i." Miaki accepted the token, and gave good promises for the future. Ian then came to the hill-top near our house, by which passed the public path, and cried aloud in the hearing of all, — " Abraham, tell Missi that you and he now live on our land. This path is the march betwixt Miaki and us. We have this day bought back the land of our fathers by a great price to prevent war. Take of our bread-fruits and also of our cocoa-nuts what you FAREWELL SCENES. require, for you are our friends and living on our land, and we will protect you and the Worship ! " For some time things moved on quietly after this. An inland war, however, had continued for montha As many as ten men, they said, were sometimes killed in one day and feasted on by the warriors. Thousands had been thereby forced down from the mountains, and sought protection under Ian and his people. All the people claiming connection with his Tribe were called Naraimini ; the people in the Volcano district were called the Kaserumini ; and the Harbour Tribes were the Watarenmini ; and so on all over the island. In such divisions, there might be from two to twenty Chiefs and Villages under one leader, and these stood by each other for purposes defensive and offensive. Now Nouka and Miaki had been frustrated in all their plans to get the Inland and the Harbour people involved in the war, as their own followers were opposed to it. In violation of his promises, however, Nouka invited all the men who wished to go to the war to meet him one morn- ing, and only one appeared ! Nouka, in great wrath, marched off to the war himself, but, as no one followed, he grew faint-hearted, and returned to his own village. On another morning, Miaki summoned all his fighting men ; but only his own brother and six lads could be induced to accompany him, and with these he started off. But the enemy, hearing of his coming, had killed two of his principal allies the night before, and Miaki, learning this, turned and FAREWELL SCENES. 309 fled to his own house, and was secretly laughed at by his tribe. Next day, Nouka came to me professing great friendship and pleading with me to accompany him and Miaki to talk with the Kaserumini, and persuade them to give up the war. He was annoyed and dis- appointed when I refused to go. Nowar and others informed me, two days thereafter, that three persons had died in that district, that others were sick, and that the Heathen there had resolved to kill me in re- venge as the cause of all. As Nouka's wife was one .of the victims, this scheme was concocted to entrap me. I was warned on no account to leave my house at night for a considerable time, but to keep it locked up and to let no one in after dark. The same two men from that district who had tried to kill Mr. Johnston and me, were again appointed and were watching for Abraham and me, lurking about in the evenings for that purpose. Again I saw how the Lord had preserved me from Miaki and Nouka ! Truly all are safe who are in God's keeping ; and nothing can befall them, except for their real good and the glory of their Lord. Chafed at the upsetting of all their plans and full of revenge, Nouka and Miaki and their allies declared publicly that they were now going to kill Ian by sorcery, i.e., by Nahak, more feared by the poor Tannese than the field of battle. Nothing but the grace of God and the enlightenment of His Spirit through the Scriptures, has ever raised these Natives FAREWELL SCENES. above that paralyzing superstition. But, thank God, there are now, while I write this (1887), about twelve thousand in the New Hebrides who have been thus enlightened and lifted out of their terrors, for the Gospel is still, as of old, the power of God unto sal- vation ! Strange to say, Ian became sick shortly after the Sacred Men had made the declaration about their Nahak-sorcery. I attended him, and for a time he recovered, and appeared very grateful. But he soon fell sick again. I sent him and the Chief next under him a blanket each ; I also gave shirts and calico to a number of his leading men. They wore them and seemed grateful and pleased. Ian, however, gradually sank and got worse. He had every symp- tom of being poisoned, a thing easily accomplished, as they know and use many deadly poisons. His suffer- ings were very great, which prevented me from ascrib- ing his collapse to mere superstitious terror, I did all that could be done ; but all thought him dying, and of course by sorcery. His people were angry at me for not consenting before to their shooting of Miaki ; and Miaki's people were now rejoicing that Ian was being killed by Nahak. One night, his brother and a party came for me to ^Q and see Ian, but I declined to go till the morning for fear of the fever and ague. On reaching his village, I saw many people about, and feared that I had been led into a snare ; but I at once entered into his house to talk and pray with him, as he appeared to be dying. After prayer, I discovered that I was p^iplPI FAREWELL SCENES. 31! left alone with him, and that all the people had retired from the village ; and I knew that, accord- ing to their custom, this meant mischief. Ian said, — " Come near me, and sit by my bedside to talk with me, Missi." I did so, and while speaking to him he lay as if lost in a swoon of silent meditation. Suddenly he drew from the sugar-cane leaf thatch close to his bed, a large butcher-like knife, and instantly feeling the edge of it with his other hand, he pointed it to within a few inches of my heart and held it quivering there, all a-tremble with excitement. I durst neither move nor speak, except that my heart kept praying to the Lord to spare me, or if my time was come to take me home to Glory with Himself. There passed a few moments of awful suspense. My sight went and came. Not a word had been spoken, except to Jesus ; and then Ian wheeled the knife around, thrust it into the sugar-cane leaf and cried to me, — " Go, go quickly ! " Next moment I was on the road. Not a living soul was to be seen about the village. I understood then that it had been agreed that Ian was to kill me, and that they had all withdrawn so as not to witness it, so that when the Man-of-war came to inquire about me Ian would be dead, and no punishment could overtake the murderer. I walked quietly till quite free of the village, lest some hid in their houses might observe me. Thereafter, fearing that they, finding I 3U FAREWELL SCENES. had escaped, might overtake and murder me, I ran for my life a weary four miles till I reached the Mission House, faint, yet praising God for such a deliverance. Poor Ian died soon after, and his people strangled one of his wives and hanged another, and took out the three bodies together in a canoe and sank them in the sea. Miaki was jubilant over having killed his enemy by Nahak ; but the Inland people now assembled in thousands to help Sirawia and his brother to avenge that death on Miaki, Nouka and Karewick. These, on the other hand, boasted that they would kill all their enemies by Nahak-sorcery, and would call up a hurricane to destroy their houses, fruit trees, and plantations. Miaki and a number of his men also came to the Mission House ; but, observing his sullen countenance, I asked kindly after his wife who was about to be confined, and gave a blanket, a piece of calico, and a bit of soap as a present for the baby. He seemed greatly pleased, whispered something to his men, and peaceably withdrew. Immediately after Miaki's threat about bringing a storm, one of their great hurricanes actually smote that side of the island and laid everything waste. His enemies were greatly enraged, and many of the injured people united with them in demanding revenge on Miaki. Hitherto I had done everything in my power to prevent war, but now it seemed inevitable, and both parties sent word that if Abraham and I kept to the Mission House no one would harm us. We had little FAREWELL SCENES. - 313 faith in any of their promises, but there was no alter- native for us. On the following Saturday, i8th January, 1862, the war began. Musket after musket was discharged quite near us, and the bush all round rang with the yell of their war-cry, which if once heard will never be forgotten. It came nearer and nearer, for Miaki fled, and his people took shelter behind and around our house. We were placed in the heart of danger, and the balls flew thick all around us. In the after- noon lan's brother and his party retired, and Miaki quickly sent messengers and presents to the Inika- himini and Kaserumini districts, to assemble all their people and help him " to fight Missi and the Tannese who were friends of the Worship." He said, — " Let us cook his body and Abraham's, and dis- tribute them to every village on this side of the island ! " Yet all the while Miaki assured me that he had sent a friendly message. The war went on, and poor Nowar the Chief protected us, till he had a spear broken into his right knee. The enemy would have carried him off" to feast on his body ; but his young men, shouting wildly his name and battle-cry, rushed in with great impetuosity and carried their wounded Chief home in triumph. The Inland people now dis- charged muskets at my house and beat against the walls with their clubs. They smashed in the door and window of our store-room, broke open boxes and casks, tore my books to pieces and scattered them 314 FAREWELL SCENES, about, and carried ofif everything for which they cared, including my boat, mast, oars, and sails. They broke into Abraham's house and plundered it ; after which they made a rush at the bedroom, into which we were locked, firing muskets, yelling, and trying to break it in. A Chief, professing to be sorry for us called me to the window, but on seeing me he sent a tomahawk through it, crying, — *' Come on, let us kill him now ! " I replied, " My Jehovah God will punish you ; a Man-of-war will come and punish you, if you kill Abraham, his wife, or me." He retorted, " It's all lies about a Man-of-war ! They did not punish the Erromangans. They are afraid of us. Come on, let us kill them ! " He raised his tomahawk and aimed to' strike my forehead, many muskets were uplifted as if to shoot, so I raised a revolver in my right hand and pointed it at them. The Rev. Joseph Copeland had left it with me on a former visit. I did not wish it, but he insisted upon leaving it, saying that the very know- ledge that I had such a weapon might save my life. Truly, on this occasion it did so. Though it was harmless, they fell back quickly. My immediate assailant dropped to the ground, crying, — " Missi has got a short musket ! He will shoot you all 1 " After lying flat on the ground for a little, they all got up and ran to the nearest bush, where they con- tinued yelling about and showing their muskets. \ FAREWELL SCENES. 315 Towards nightfall they left, loaded with the plunder of the store and of Abraham's house. So God once more graciously protected us from falling into their cruel hands. In the evening, after they left, I went to Miaki and Nouka. They professed great sorrow at what had taken place, and pretended to have given them a present of food not to do us further injury. But Nowar informed us that, on the contrary, they had hired them to return and kill us next morning and plunder everything on the Mission premises. Miaki, with a sneer, said, — ■ " Missi, where was Jehovah to-day ? There was no Jehovah to-day to protect you. It's all lies about Jehovah. They will come and kill you, and Abraham, and his wife, and cut your bodies into pieces to be cooked and eaten in every village upon Tanna." I said, " Surely, when you had planned all this, and brought them to kill us and steal all our property, Jehovah did protect us, or we would not have been here ! " He replied, " There was no Jehovah to-day ! We have no fear of any Man-of-war. They dare not punish us. They durst not punish the Erromangans for murdering the Gordons. They will talk to us and say we must not do so again, and give us a present. That is all. We fear nothing. The talk of all Tanna is that we will kill you and seize all your property to-morrow." I warned him that the punishment of a Man-of- 3l6 FAREWELL SCENES. war can only reach the body and the land, but that Jehovah's punishment reached both body and soul in Time and in Eternity. He replied : " Who fears Jehovah ? He was not here to protect you to-day ! " " Yes," I said, " my Jehovah God is here now. He hears all we say, sees all we do, and will punish the wicked and protect His own people." After this, a number of the people sat down around me, and I prayed with them. But I left with a very heavy heart, feeling that Miaki was evidently bent on our destruction. I sent Abraham to consult Nowar, who had de- fended us till disabled by a spear in the right knee. He sent a canoe by Abraham, advising me to take some of my goods in it to his house by night, and he would try to protect them and us. The risk was so great, we could only take a very little. Enemies were on every hand to cut off our flight, and Miaki, the worst of all, whose village had to be passed in going to Nowar's. In the darkness of the Mission House, we durst not light a candle for fear of some one seeing and shooting us. Not one of Nowar's men durst come to help us. But in the end it made no difference, for Nowar and his men kept what was taken there as their portion of the plunder. Abraham, his wife, and I waited anxiously for the morning light. Miaki, the false and cruel, came to assure us that the Heathen would not return that day. Yet, as daylight came in, Miaki himself stood and blew a FAREWELL SCENES. 317 great conch not far from our house. I ran out to see why this trumpet-shell had been blown, and found it was the signal for a great company of howling armed savages to rush down the hill on the other side of the bay and make straight for the Mission House. We had not a moment to lose. To have remained would have been certain death to us all, and also to iVIatthew, a Teacher just arrived from Mr. Mathieson's Station. Though I am by conviction a strong Calvinist, I am no Fatalist. I held on while one gleam of hope re- mained. Escape for life was now the only path of duty. I called the Teachers, locked the door, and made quickly for Nowar's village. There was not a moment left to carry anything with us. In the issue, Abraham, his wife, and I lost all our earthly goods, and all our clothing except what we had on. My Bible, the few translations which I had made into Tannese, and a light pair of blankets I carried with me. To me the loss was bitter, but as God had so ordered it, I tried to bow with resignation. All my deceased wife's costly outfit, her piano, silver, cutlery, books, etc., with which her dear parents had provided her, besides all that I had in the world ; also a box worth £$6, lately arrived, full of men's clothing and medicine, the gift of my dear friends, Samuel Wilson, Esq., and Mrs. Wilson, of Geelong. The Sandal-wood Traders bought all the stolen property for tobacco, powder, balls, caps, and shot. One Trader gathered together a number of my books in a sadly torn and 3i8 FAREWELL SCENES. wasted condition and took them to Aneityum, de- manding ;^io from Dr. Geddie for his trouble. He had to pay him ^'j ioj., which I repaid to him on my second return to the Islands. This, by way of digression, only to show how white and black Heathenism meet together. Let us return to the morning of our flight. We could not take the usual path along the beach, for there our enemies would have quickly overtaken us. We entered the bush in the hope of getting away unobserved But a cousin of Miaki, evidently secreted to watch us, sprang from behind a bread-fruit tree, and swinging his tomahawk, aimed it at my brow with a fiendish look. Avoiding it, I turned upon him and said in a firm bold voice, — " If you dare to strike me, my Jehovah God will punish you. He is here to defend me now ! " The man, trembling, looked all round as if to see the God who was my defender, and the tomahawk gradually lowered at his side. With my eye fixed upon him, I gradually moved backwards in the track of the Teachers, and God mercifully restrained him from following me. On reaching No war's village unobserved, we found the people terror-stricken, crying, rushing about in despair at such a host of armed savages approaching. I urged them to ply their axes, cut down trees, and blockade the path. For a little they wrought vigor- ously at this ; but when, so far as eye could reach, they saw the shore covered with armed men rushing FAREWELL SCENES. 319 on towards their village, they were overwhelmed with fear, they threw away their axes and weapons of war, they cast themselves headlong on the ground, and they knocked themselves against the trees as if to court death before it came. They cried, — " Missi, it's of no use ! We will all be killed and eaten to-day I See what a host are coming against us." Mothers snatched up little children and ran to hide in the bush. Others waded as far as they could into the sea with them, holding their heads above the water. The whole village collapsed in a condition of indescribable terror. Nowar, lame with his wounded knee, got a canoe turned upside-down and sat upon it where he could see the whole approaching multitude. He said, — "Missi, sit down beside me, and pray to our Jehovah God, for if He does not send deliverance now, we are all dead men. They will kill us all on your account, and that quickly. Pray, and I will watch ! " They had gone to the Mission House and broken in the door, and finding that we had escaped, they rushed on to Nowar's village. For, as they began to plunder the bed-room, Nouka said, — " Leave everything. Missi will come back for his valuable things at night, and then we will get them and him also ! " So he nailed up the door, and they all marched for Nowar's. We prayed as one can only pray when in 320 FAREWELL SCENES. the jaws of death and on the brink of Eternity. We felt that God was near, and omnipotent to do what seemed best in His sight. When the savages were about three hundred yards off, at the foot of a hill leading up to the village, Nowar touched my knee, saying,— " Missi, Jehovah is hearing I They are all standing still." Had they come on they would have met with no opposition, for the people were scattered in terror. On gazing shorewards, and round the Harbour, as far as we could see, was a dense host of warriors, but all were standing still, and apparently absolute silence prevailed. We saw a messenger or herald running along the approaching multitude, delivering some tidings as he passed, and then disappearing in the bush. To our amazement, the host began to turn, and slowly marched back in great silence, and entered the remote bush at the head of the Harbour. Nowar and his people were in ecstasies, crying out, — " Jehovah has heard Missi's prayer ! Jehovah has protected us and turned them away back." We were on that day His trusting and defenceless children ; would you not, had you been one of our circle, have joined with us in praising the Lord God for deliverance from the jaws of death ? I know not why they turned back ; but I have no doubt it was the doing of God to save our lives. We learned that they all assembled in a cleared part of the bush and there held a great wrangling FAREWELL SCENES. 321 palaver. Nouka and Miaki advised them first to fight Manuman and his people. They said, — " His brother, the Sacred Man Kanini, killed Ian by Nahak. He is a friend of Missi and of the Worship, He also sent the hurricane to destroy us. They have plenty of yams and pigs. Let us fight and plunder them, and when they are out of the way, we will be strong to destroy Missi and the Worship." On this the whole mass went and attacked Manuman's first village, where they murdered two of his men, two women, and two children. The in- habitants fled, and all the sick, the feeble, and the children who fell into their hands were reported to us to be murdered, cooked, and eaten. Led on by Miaki, they plundered and burned seven villages. About mid-day, Nouka and Miaki sent their cousin Jonas, who had always been friendly to me, to say that I might return to my house in safety, as they were now carrying the war inland. Jonas had spent some years on Samoa, and been much with Traders in Sydney, and spoke English well ; but we felt they were deceiving us. That night, Abraham ventured to creep near the Mission House, to test whether we might return, and save some valuable things, and get a change of clothing. The house appeared to stand as when they nailed up the door. But a large party of Miaki's allies at once enclosed Abraham, and, after asking many questions about me, they let him go since I was not there. Had I gone there, they would certainly that night have killed me. Again, at mid- P. 21 322 FAREWELL SCENES. night, Abraham and his wife and Matthew went to the Mission House, and found Nouka, Miaki, and Karewick near by, concealed in the bush among the reeds. Once more they enclosed them, thinking I was there too, but Nouka, finding that I was not, cried out, — *' Don't kill them just now ! Wait till Missi comes." Hearing this, Matthew slipped into the bush and escaped. Abraham's wife waded into the sea, and they allowed her to get away. Abraham was allowed to go to the Mission House, but he too crept into the bush, and after an anxious waiting they all came back to me in safety. We now gave up all hope of recovering anything from the house. Towards morning, when Miaki and his men saw that I was not coming back to deliver myself into their hands, they broke up my house and stole all they could carry away. They tore my books, and scattered them about. They took away the type of my printing-press, to be made into bullets for their muskets. For similar uses they melted down the zinc lining of my boxes, and everything else that could be melted. What they could not take away, they destroyed. I lay on the ground all night, concealed in an outhouse of Nowar's, but it was a sleepless and anxious night, not only to me and my Aneityumese, but also to Nowar and his people. Next day, the attack was renewed by the three Chiefs on the district of my dear friend Manuman. His people fled ; the villages were burned ; all who FAREWELL SCENES. 323 came in their way were killed, and all food and property carried away. At night they returned to keep watch over Nowar and me. When darkness was setting in, Miaki sent for me to go and speak with him, but Nowar and the Aneityumese were all so opposed to it that I did not go. Messages were sent to Nowar, threatening to kill him and his people for protecting ine, and great excitement prevailed. Another incident added horror to the memories of this day. A savage from Erromanga, living with Nowar, had gone to the war that day. He got near a village unobserved, climbed into a tree, and re- mained there watching. After midday, Kamkali, a true friend of mine, the Chief of his village, came home wearied from the war, got his blanket, stealthily, crept into a quiet place in the bush, rolled himself up, and lay down to sleep ; for, according to their custom, the leading warriors in times of conflict seldom sleep in their own houses, and seldom twice in the same place even in the bush, for fear of per- sonal danger. The Erromangan, having watched till he was sound asleep, crept to where he lay, raised his club and smashed in his skull. He told, when he came home, how the blood ran from nose, mouth, and ears, with a gurgling sound in his throat, and after a few convulsive struggles all was over ! And the people around Nowar praised him for his deed. Cocoa-nuts were brought for him to drink, and food was presented before him in large quantities, as to one who had done something noble. For safety, he 324 FAREWELL SCENES. was put into the same house where I had to sit, and even Nowar honoured him. I watched for the work- ings of a natural man's conscience under the guilt of murder. When left alone, he shook every now and then with agitation, and started round with a terrified gaze. He looked the picture of a man who felt that he had done to his neighbour what he would not have liked another to do to him. I wonder if that consciousness ever dies out, in the lowest and worst, that last voice of God in the soul } That very night, Nowar declared that I must leave his village before morning, else he and his people would be killed for protecting me. He advised me, as the sea was good, to try for Mr. Mathieson's Station ; but he objected to my taking away any of my property — he would soon follow with it himself ! But how to sail .? Miaki had stolen my boat, mast, sails, and oars, as also an excellent canoe made for me and paid for by me on Aneityum ; and he had threatened to shoot any person that assisted me to launch either the one or the other. The danger, however, was so great that Nowar said, — "You cannot remain longer in my house! My son will guide you to the large chestnut tree in my plantation in the bush. Climb up into it, and re- main there till the moon rises," Being entirely at the mercy of such doubtful and vacillating friends, I, though perplexed, felt it best to obey. I climbed into the tree, and was left there alone in the bush. The hours I spent there live all FAREWELL SCENES. 325 before me as if it were but of yesterday. I heard the frequent discharging of muskets, and the yells of the savages. Yet I sat there among the branches, as safe in the arms of Jesus ! Never, in all my sorrows, did my Lord draw nearer to me, and speak more soothingly in my soul, than when the moonlight flickered among these chestnut leaves, and the night air played on my throbbing brow, as I told all my heart to Jesus. Alone, yet not alone! If it be to glorify my God, I will not grudge to spend many nights alone in such a tree, to feel again my Saviour's spiritual presence, to enjoy His consoling fellowship. If' thus thrown back upon your own soul, alone, all, all alone, in the midnight, in the bush, in the very embrace of death itself, have you a Friend that will not fail you then ? Gladly would I have lingered there for one night of comparative peace ! But, about midnight, Nowar sent his son to call me dov.'n from the tree, and to guide me to the shore where he himself was, as it was now time to take to sea in the canoe. Pleading for my Lord's continuing presence, I had to obey. My life and the lives of my Aneityumese now hung upon a very slender thread, and was almost equally at risk from our friends so-called, and from our enemies. Had I been a stranger to Jesys and to prayer, my reason would verily have given way, but my comfort and joy sprang up out of these : " I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee ; lo, I am with you alway I ' Pleading, these promises, I followed my guide. We 326 FAREWELL SCENES. reached the beach, just inside the Harbour, at a beautiful white sandy bay on Novvar's ground, from which our canoe was to start. A good number of the Natives had assembled there to see us off. Arkurat, having got a large roll of calico from me for the loan of his canoe, hid it away, and then refused the canoe, saying that if he had to escape with his family he would require it. He demanded, for the loan of his canoe, an axe, a sail for his canoe, and a pair of blankets. As Karis had the axe and another had the quilt, I gave the quilt to him for a sail, and the axe and blankets for the canoe. In fact, these few relics of our earthly all at Nowar's were coveted by the savages and endangered our lives, and it was as well to get rid of them altogether. He cruelly proposed a small canoe for two ; but I had hired the canoe for five, and insisted upon get- ting it, as he had been well paid for it. As he only laughed and mocked us, I prepared to start and travel overland to Mr. Mathieson's Station. He then said, — " My wrath is over I You may take it and go." We lauiiched it, but now he refused to let us go till daylight. He had always been one of my best friends, but now appeared bent on a quarrel, so I had to exercise much patience with him and them. Having launched it, he said I had hired the canoe but not the paddles. I protested, — "Surely you know we hired the paddles toa What could we do without paddles ? " FAREWELL SCENES, 327 But Arkurat lay down and pretended to have fallen asleep, snoring on the sand, and could not be awaked. I appealed to Nowar, who only said — "That is his conduct, Missi, our conduct ! ' I replied, "As he has got the blankets which I saved to keep me from ague and fever, and I have nothing left now but the clothes I have on, surely you will give me paddles." Nowar gave me one. Returning to the village, friends gave me one each till I got other three. Now Arkurat started up, and refused to let us go. A Chief and one of his men, who lived on the other side of the island near to where we were going, and who was hired by me to go with us and help in paddling the canoe, drew back also and refused to go. Again I offered to leave the canoe, and walk overland if possible, when Faimungo, the Chief who had refused to go with us, came forward and said, — " Missi, they are all deceiving you ! The sea is so rough, you cannot go by it ; and if you should get round the weather point, Miaki has men appointed to shoot you as you pass the Black Rocks, while by land all the paths are guarded by armed men. I tell you the truth, having heard all their talk. Miaki and Karewick say they hate the Worship, and will kill you. They killed your goats, and stole all your property yesterday. Farewell ! " The Teachers, the boy, and I now resolved to enter the canoe and attempt it, as the only gleam of hope left to us. After Faimungo came, the man to whom 328 FAREWELL SCENES. the canoe belonged had withdrawn from us, it having transpired that Miaki would not attack us that night, as other game had attracted his savage eyes. My party of five now embarked in our frail .canoe ; Abraham first, I next, Matthew after me, the boy at the steering paddle, and Abraham's wife sitting in the bottom, where she might hold on while it con- tinued to float. For a mile or more we got away nicely under the lee of the island, but when we turned to go south for Mr. Mathieson's Station, we met the full force of wind and sea, every wave breaking over and almost swamping our canoe. The Native lad at the helm paddle stood up crying, — " Missi, this is the conduct of the sea ! It swallows up all who seek its help." I answered, "We do not seek help from it but from Jehovah Jesus." Our danger became very great, as the sea broke over and lashed around us. My faithful Aneityu- mese, overcome with terror, threw down their paddles, and Abraham said, — "Missi, we are all drowned now! We are food for the sharks. We might as well be eaten by the Tannese as by fishes ; but God will give us life with Jesus in heaven ! " I seized the paddle nearest me ; I ordered Abraham to seize another within his reach ; I enjoined Matthew to bail the canoe for life, and the lad to keep firm in his seat, and I cried, — " Stand to your post, and let us return ! Abraham, FAREWELL SCENES. 329 where is now your faith in Jesus ? Remember, He is Ruler on sea as on land. Abraham, pray and ply your paddle ! Keep up stroke for stroke with me, as our lives depend on it. Our God can protect us. Matthew, bail with all your might. Don't look round on the sea and fear. Let us pray to God and ply our paddles, and He will save us yet 1 " Dear old Abraham said, — "Thank you for that, Missi. I will be strong. I pray to God and ply my paddle. God will save us ! '* With much labour, and amid deadly perils, we got the canoe turned ; and after four hours of a terrible struggle, we succeeded, towards daylight as the tide turned, in again reaching smooth water. With God's blessing we at last reached the shore, exactly wherd we had left it five hours ago ! Now drenched and weary, with the skin of our hands sticking to the paddles, we left the canoe on the reef and waded ashore. Many Natives were there, and looked sullen and disappointed at our return. Katasian, the lad who had been with us, instantly fled for his own land ; and the Natives reported that he was murdered soon after. Utterly exhausted, I lay down on the sand and instantly fell into a deep sleep. By-and-by I felt some one pulling from under my head the native bag in which I carried my Bible and the Tannese translations — the all that had been saved by me from the wreck ! Grasping the bag, I sprang to my feet, and the man ran away. My Teachers had also a hedging knife, 33© FAREWELL SCENES. a useless revolver, and a fowling-piece, the sight of which, though they had been under the salt water for hours, God used to restrain the savages. Calling my Aneityumese near, we now in united prayer and kneeling on the sands committed each other untn the Lord God, being prepared for the last and worst. As I sat meditating on the issues, Faimungo, the friendly Inland Chief, again appeared to warn us of our danger, now very greatly increased by our being driven back from the sea. All Nowar's men had fled, and were hid in the bush and in rocks along the shore ; while Miaki was holding a meeting not half a mile away, and preparing to fall upon us. Fai- mungo said, — *' Farewell, Missi, I am going home. I don't wish to see the work and the murders of this morn- ing." He was Nowar's son-in-law. He had always been truthful and kindly with me. His home was about half-way across the island, on the road that we wanted to go, and under sudden impulse I said, — " Faimungo, will you let us follow you } Will you show us the path ? When the Mission Ship arrives, I will give you three good axes, blankets, knives^ fish hooks, and many things you prize," The late hurricanes had so destroyed and altered the paths, that only Natives who knew them well could follow them. He trembled much and said, — " Missi, you will be killed. Miaki and Karewick will shoot you. I dare not let you follow. I have FAREWELL SCENES. 33i only about twenty men, and your following might endanger us all." I urged him to leave at once, and we would follow of our own accord. I would not ask him to protect us ; but if he betrayed us and helped the enemy to kill us, I assured him that our God would punish him. If he spared us, he would be rewarded well ; and if killed against his wishes, God would not be angry at him. He said, — " Seven men are with me now, and thirteen are to follow. I will not now send for them. They are with Miaki and Nouka. I will go; but if you follow, you will be killed on the way. You may follow me as far as you can ! " Off he started to Nowar's, and got a large load of * my stolen property, blankets, sheets, etc., which had fallen to his lot. He called his seven men, who had also shared in the plunder, and, to avoid Miaki's men, they ran away under a large cocoa-nut grove skirting the shore, calling, — " Be quick ! Follow and keep as near to us as you can." Though Nowar had got a box of my rice and appropriated many things from the plunder of the Mission House besides the goods entrusted to his care, and got two of my goats killed and cooked for himself and his people, yet now he would not give a particle of food to my starving Aneityumese or .ny- self, but hurried us off, saying,— •* I will eat all your rice and keep all that has been 332 FAREWELL SCENES. left with me in payment for my lame knee and for my people fighting for you ! " My three Aneityumese and I started after Fai- mungo and his men. We could place no confidence in any of them ; but, feeling that we were in the Lord's hands, it appeared to be our only hope of escaping instant death. We got away unobserved by the enemies. We met several small parties of friends in the Harbour, apparently glad to see us try- ing to get away. But about four miles on our way, we met a large party of Miaki's men, all armed, and watching as outposts. Some were for shooting us, but others hesitated. Every musket was, however, raised and levelled at me. Faimungo poised his great spear and said, "No, you shall not kill Missi to-day. He is with me." Having made this flourish, he strode off after his own men, and my Aneityu- mese followed, leaving me face to face with a ring of levelled muskets. Sirawia, who was in command of this party, and who once like Nowar had been my friend, said to me, Judas like, "My love to you, Missi." But he also shouted after Faimungo, " Your conduct is bad in taking the Missi away ; leave him to us to be killed ! " I then turned upon him, saying, " Sirawia, I love you all. You must know that I sought only your good. I gave you medicine and food when you and your people were sick and dying under measles ; I gave you the very clothing you wear. Am I not your friend ? Have we not often drunk tea and eaten FAREWELL SCENES. 333 together in my house ? Can you stand there and see your friend shot ? If you do, my God will punish you severely." He then whispered something to his company which I did not hear ; and, though their muskets were still raised, I saw in their eyes that he had re- strained them. I therefore began gradually to move backwards, still keeping my eyes fixed on them, till the bush hid them from my view, whereon I turned and ran after my party, and God kept the enemy from following. I would like to think that Sirawia only uttered the cruel words which I heard as a blind to save his own life; for at this time he was joined to Miaki's party, his own people having risen against him, and had to dissemble his friendly feelings to- wards me. Poor Sirawia ! Well I knew that Miaki would only use him as a tool for selfish interests, and sacrifice him at last. All this showed how dangers grew around our path. Still we trusted in Jehovah Jesus, and pressed on in flight. A second hostile party encountered us, and with great difficulty we also got away from them. Soon thereafter a friendly company crossed our path. We learned from them that the enemies had slaughtered other two of Manu- man's men, and burned several villages with fire. Another party of the enemy encountered us, and were eager for our lives. But this time Faimungo withstood them firmly, his men encircled us, and he said, "I am not afraid now, Missi; I am feeling stronger near my own land ! " 334 FAREWELL SCENES. Hurrying still onwards, we came to that village on their high ground called Aneai, i.e., Heaven. The sun was oppressively hot, the path almost unshaded, and our whole party very exhausted, especially Fai- mungo, carrying his load of stolen goods. So here he sat down on the village dancing ground for a smoke, saying,— "Missi, I am near my own land now. We can rest with safety." In a few minutes, however, he started up, he and his men, in wild excitement. Over a mountain, be- hind the village and above it, there came the shout- ings, and anon the tramp, tramp of a multitude mak- ing rapidly towards us. Faimungo got up and planted his back against a tree. I stood beside him, and the Aneityumese woman and the two men stood near mei while his men seemed prepared to flee. At full speed a large body of the tallest and most powerful men that I had seen on Tanna came rushing on and filled the dancing ground. They were all armed, and flushed with their success in war. A messenger had informed them of our escape, probably from Miaki, and they had crossed the country to intercept us. Faimungo was much afraid, and said, — " Missi, go on in that path, you and your Aneityu- mese ; and I will follow when I have had a smoke and a talk with these men." I replied, " No, I will stand by your side till you go ; and if I am killed, it will be by your side. I will not leave you." FAREWELL SCENES. 335 He implored us to go on, but that I knew would be certain death. They began urging one another to kill us, but I looked round them as calmly as possible, saying, " My Jehovah God will punish you here and hereafter, if you kill me or any of His ser- vants." A killing-stone, thrown by one of the savages, grazed poor old Abraham's cheek, and the dear soul gave such a look at me, and then upwards, as if to say, "Missi, I was nearly away to Jesus." A club was also raised to follow the blow of the killing- stone, but God baffled the aim. They encircled us in a deadly ring, and one kept urging another to strike the first blow or fire the first shot My heart rose up to the Lord Jesus ; I saw Him watching all \ the scene. My peace came back to me like a wave from God. I realized that I was immortal till my Master's work with me was done. The assurance came to me, as if a voice out of Heaven had spoken, that not a musket would be fired to wound us, not a club prevail to strike us, not a spear leave the hand in which it was held vibrating to be thrown, not an arrow leave the bow, or a killing-stone the fingers, without the permission of Jesus Christ, whose is all power in Heaven and on Earth. He rules all Nature, animate and inanimate, and restrains even the savage of the South Seas. In that awful hour I saw His own words, as if carved in letters of fire upon the clouds of Heaven : " Seek, and ye shall find. What- soever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that 336 FAREWELL SCENES. the Father may be glorified in the Son." I could understand how Stephen and John saw the glorified Saviour as they gazed up through suffering and per- secution to the Heavenly Throne ! Yet I never could say that on such occasions I was entirely without fear. Nay, I have felt my reason reeling, my sight coming and going, and my knees smiting together when thus brought close to a violent death, but mostly under the solemn thought of being ushered into Eternity and appearing before God. Still, I was never left without hearing that promise in all its consoling and supporting power coming up through the darkness and the anguish, " Lo, I am with you alway." And with Paul I could say, even in this dread moment and crisis of being, " I am persuaded that neither death nor life . . . nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Faimungo and others now urged us to go on in the path. I said, " Faimungo, why are we to leave you ? My God heard your promise not to betray me. He knows now what is in your heart and in mine. I will not leave you ; and if I am to die, I will die by your side." He replied, "Now, I go on before; Missi, keep close to me." His men had gone, and I persuaded my Aneityu- mese to follow them. At last, with a bound, Fai- mungo started after them. I followed, keeping as near him as I could, pleading with Jesus to protect FAREWELL SCENES. 337 me or to take me home to Glory. The host of armed men also ran along on each side with their weapons ready ; but leaving everything to Jesus, I ran on as if they were my escort, or as if I saw them not. If any reader wonders how they were restrained, much more would I, unless I believed that the same Hand that restrained the lions from touching Daniel held back these savages from hurting me! We came to a stream crossing our path. With a bound all my party cleared it, ran up the bank opposite, and disappeared in the bush. "Faint yet pursuing," I also tried the leap, but I struck the bank and slid back on my hands and knees towards the stream. At this moment I heard a crash above my head amongst the branches of an overhanging tree, and I knew that a killing-stone had been thrown, and that that branch had saved me. Praising my God, I scram- bled up on the other side, and followed the track of my party into the bush. The savages gazed after me for a little in silence, but no one crossed the stream ; and I saw them separate into two, one por- tion returning to the village and another pressing inland. With what gratitude did I recognise the Invisible One who brought their counsels to con- fusion ! I found my party resting in the bush, and amazed to see me escaped alive from men who were thirsting for my blood. Faimungo and his men received me with demonstrations of joy, perhaps feeling a little ashamed of their own cowardice. He now ascended P. 22 338 FAREWELL SCENES. the mountain and kept away from the common path to avoid other Native bands. At every village enemies to the Worship were ready to shoot us. But I kept close to our guide, knowing that the fear of shooting him would prevent their shooting at me, as he was the most influential Chief in all that section of the island. One party said, " Miaki and Karewick said that Missi made the sickness and the hurricanes, and we ought to kill him." Faimungo replied, " They lie about Missi 1 It is our own bad conduct that makes us sick." They answered, " We don't know who makes the sickness ; but our fathers have taught us to kill all foreign men." Faimungo, clutching club and spear, exclaimed, standing betwixt them and us, "You won't kill Missi to-day ! " In the flight we passed springs and streamlets, but though parched with sickening thirst, not one of us durst stoop down to drink, as we should have been almost certainly killed in the act. Faimungo now sent his own men home by a near path, and guided us himself till we were close upon the shore. There, sitting down he said, — " Missi, I have now fulfilled my promise. I am so tired, I am so afraid, I dare not go farther. My love to you all. Now go on quickly ! Three of my men will go with you to the next rocks. Go quickly ! Farewell." These men went on a little, and then said, " Missi, we dare not eo ! Faimung-o is at war with the FAREWELL SCENES. 339 people of the next land. You must keep straight along this path." So they turned and ran back to their own village. To us this district was especially perilous. Many years ago the Aneityumese had joined in a war against the Tannese of this tribe, and the thirst for revenge yet existed in their hearts, handed down from sire to son. Besides, Miaki had incited the people here to murder the Teachers and me if we attempted to escape this way. Most providentially the men were absent on a war expedition, and we saw only three lads and a great number of women and children, who ran off to the bush in terror. In the evening the enraged savages of another district assaulted the people of the shore villages for allowing^ us to pass, and, though sparing their lives, broke in pieces their weapons of war — a very grievous penalty. In the next district, as we hasted along the shore, two young men came running after us, poising their quivering spears. I took the useless revolver out of my little native basket, and raising it cried, — " Beware ! Lay down your spears at once on the sand, and carry my basket to the next landing at the black rocks." They threw their spears on the sand, lifted the bag, and ran on before us to the rocks which formed the march betwixt them and their enemies. Laying it down, they said appealingly, " Missi, let ua return to our home 1 " And how they did run, fearing the pur- suit of their foes. 340 FAREWELL SCENES. In the next land we saw none. After that we saw crowds all along, some friendly, others unfriendly, but they let us pass on, and with the blessing of Almighty God we drew near to Mr. Mathieson's Station in safety. Here a man gave me a cocoa- nut for each of our party, which we greatly re- quired, having tasted nothing all that day, and very little for several days before. We were so weak that only the struggle for life enabled us to keep our feet ; yet my poor Aneityumese never complained and never halted, not even the woman. The danger and excitement kept us up in the race for life, and by the blessing of God we were now approaching the Mission House, praising God for His wonderful deliverances. Hearing of our coming, Mr. Mathieson came run- ning to meet me. They had heard of my leaving my own Station, and they thought I was dead ! They were themselves both very weak ; their only child had just been laid in the grave, and they were in great grief and in greater peril. We praised the Lord for permitting us to meet ; we prayed for sup- port, guidance, and protection ; and resolved now, in all events, to stand by each other till the last. Before I left the Harbour I wrote and left with Nowar letters to be given to the Captains of any vessels which called, for the first, and the next, and the next, telling them of our great danger, that Mr. Mathieson was almost without food, and that I would reward them handsomely if they would call at the Station and remove any' of us who might be spared FAREWELL SCENES. 341 thence to Aneityum. Two or three vessels called, and, as I afterwards learned, got my letters ; but, while buying my stolen property from the Natives for tobacco, powder, and balls, they took no further notice of my appeals, and sailed past Mr. Mathieson's straight on to Aneityum. " The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel ! " Let me now cull the leading events from my Journal, that intervened betwixt this date and the final break-up of the Mission on Tanna — at least for a season — though, blessed be God ! I have lived to see the light rekindled by my dear friends Mr. and Mrs. Watt, and shining more brightly and hopefully than ever. The candle was quenched, but the candle- stick was not removed ! On Wednesday, 22nd January, 1862, we heard that other three of Manuman's people had been killed and a district burned with fire. Though this poor man was one of Nowar's chief friends, yet I heard him say before my flight, " When so many children are being killed, why do they not send one for food to me and my family ? They are as tender and good as the young fowls ! " A remark like this lets you see deep into the heart of a Cannibal, and he a sort of half-converted one, if I may use such an expression ; certainly not one of the worst type by any means. On the 23rd January, Mr. Mathieson sent for Taura, Kati, and Kapuku, his three principal Chiefs, to induce them to promise protection till a vessel called to take us away. They appeared friendly, and 342 FAREWELL SCENES. promised to do their best. Alas ! the promises of the Tannese Chiefs had too often proved to be vain. On Friday, 24th January, report reached our Station that Miaki and his party, hearing that a friendly Chief had concealed two of Manuman's young men, compelled him to produce them and club them to death before their eyes. Also, that they surrounded Manuman's party on a mountain, and hemmed them in there, dying of starvation and trying to survive on the carcases of the dead and on bark and roots. Also, that Miaki had united all the Chiefs, friends and foes alike, in a bond of blood, to kill every one pertaining to the whole Mission on Tanna. Jesus rules. On Sunday, the 26th January, thirty persons came to worship at the Mission House. Thereafter, at great risk, we had Worship at three of the nearest and most friendly villages. Amidst all our perils and trials, we preached the Gospel to about one hundred and sixteen persons. It was verily a sowing time of tears ; but, despite all that followed, who shall say that it was vain 1 Twenty years have passed, and now when I am writing this, there is a Church of God singing the praises of Jesus in that very district of Tanna. On leaving the second vil- lage, a young lad affectionately took my hand to lead me to the next village; but a sulky, down-browed savage, carrying a ponderous club, also msisted upon accompanying us. I led the way, guided by the lad. Mr. Mathieson got the man to go before him, while he himself followed, constantly watching. Coming SPRINGING FORWARD HE CAUGHT THE CLUB. FAREWELL SCENES. 343 to a place where another path branched off from ours, I asked which path we took, and, on turning to the left as instructed by the lad, the savage getting close behind me, swung his huge club over his shoulder to strike me on the head. Mr. Mathieson, springing forward, caught the club from behind with a great cry to me ; and I, wheeling instantly, had hold of the club also, and betwixt us we wrested It out of his hands. The poor creature, craven at heart however blood-thirsty, implored us not to kill him. I raised the club threateningly, and caused him to march in front of us till we reached the next village fence. In terror lest these Villagers should kill him, he gladly received back his club, as well as the boy his bow and arrows, and they were lost in the bush in a moment. At the village from which this man and boy had come, one savage brought his musket while we were conducting worship, and sat sullen and scowling at us all the time. Mocking questions were also shouted at us, such as — " Who made the rains, winds, and hurricanes } Who caused all the disease ? Who killed Mr. Mathieson's child > " They sneered and scoffed at our answers, and in this Taura the Chief joined the rest. They retorted that trading vessels had called at the Harbour, and that all my clothes and property had been sold for muskets, powder, caps, and balls, so that Miaki and his men had plenty of ammunition for fighting purposes now! After this, feeling that no one could be trusted, we ceased visiting these villages, and refrained from ex- 344 FAREWELL SCENES. posing ourselves at any distance from the Mission House. On the 27th, at daylight, a vessel was seen in the offing, as if to tantalize us. The Captain had been at the Harbour, and had received my letter from Nowar. I hoisted a flag to induce him to send or come on shore, but he sailed off for Aneityum, bearing the plunder of my poor Mission House, purchased for ammunition and tobacco from the Natives. He left the news at Aneityum that I had been driven from my Station some time ago, and was believed to have been murdered. On the 29th January, the young Chief Kapuku came and handed to Mr. Mathieson his own and his father's war-gods and household idols. They con- sisted chiefly of a basket of small and peculiar stones, much worn and shining with use. He said, — " While many are trying to kill you and drive the worship of Jehovah from this island, I give up my gods, and will send away all Heathen idols from my land." On the 31st, we learned that a party of Miaki's men were going about Mr. Mathieson's district inciting the people to kill us. Faimungo also came to inform us that Miaki was exerting all his artifice to get us and the Worship destroyed. Manuman even sent, from inland, Raki, his adopted son, to tell me of the fearful sufferings that he and his people were now passing through, and that some were killed almost every day. Raki's wife was a Chief's daughter, who. FAREWELL SCENES. 345 when the war began, returned to her father's care. The savages of Miaki went to her own father's house and compelled him to give her up as an enemy. She was clubbed and feasted on. On Sabbath, 2nd February, thirty-two people attended the morning service. I addressed them on the Deluge, its causes and lessons. I showed them a doll, explaining that such carved and painted images could not hear our prayers or help us in our need, that the living Jehovah God only could hear and help. They were much interested, and after Worship carefully examined the doll. Mr. Mathieson and I, committing ourselves to Jesus, went inland and con- ducted worship at seven villages, listened to by in all about one hundred people. Nearly all appeared friendly. The people of one village had been incited ' to kill us on our return ; but God guided us to return by another way, and so we escaped. During the day, on 3rd February, a company of Miaki's men came to the Mission House, and forced Mrs. Mathieson to show them through the premises. Providentially, I had bolted myself that morning into a closet room, and was engrossed with writing. They went through every room in the house and did not see me, concluding I had gone inland. They discharged a musket into our Teacher's house, but afterwards left quietly, greatly disappointed at not finding me. My heart still rose in praise to God for another such deliverance, neither by man nor of man's planning ! Worn out with long watching and many fatigues, 1 346 FAREWELL SCENES. lay down that night early, and fell into a deep sleep. About ten o'clock the savages again surrounded the Mission House. My faithful dog Clutha, clinging still to me amid the wreck of all else on Earth, sprang quietly upon me, pulled at my clothes, and awoke me, showing danger in her eye glancing on me through the shadows. I silently awoke Mr. and Mrs. Mathie- son, who had also fallen asleep. We committed our- selves in hushed prayer to God and watched them, knowing that they could not see us. Immediately a glare of light fell into the room ! Men passed with flaming torches ; and first they set fire to the Church all round, and then to a reed fence connecting the Church and the dwelling-house. In a few minutes the house, too, would be in flames, and armed savages waiting to kill us on attempting an escape ! Taking my harmless revolver in the left hand and a little American tomahawk in the right, I pled with Mr. Mathieson to let me out and instantly again to lock the door on himself and wife. He very reluctantly did so, holding me back and saying, — " Stop here and let us die together 1 You will never return ! " I said, " Be quick ! Leave that to God. In a few minutes our house will be in flames, and then nothing can save us." He did let me out, and locked the door again quickly from the inside ; and, while his wife and he prayed and watched for me from within, I ran to the burning reed fence, cut it from top to bottom, and FAREWELL SCENES. 347 tore it up and threw it back into the flames, so that the fire could not by it be carried to our dwelling- house. I saw on the ground shadows, as if something were falling around me, and started back. Seven or eight savages had surrounded me, and raised their great clubs in air. I heard a shout—" Kill him ! kill him ! " One savage tried to seize hold of me, but, leaping from his clutch, I drew the revolver from my pocket and levelled it as for use, my heart going up in prayer to my God. I said, — "Dare to strike me, and my Jehovah God will punish you ! He protects us, and will punish you for burning His Church, for hatred to His Worship and people, and for all your bad conduct. We love you all ; and for doing you good only you want to kill us. But our God is here now to protect us and to punish you." They yelled in rage, and urged each other to strike the first blow, but the Invisible One restrained them. I stood invulnerable beneath His invisible shield, and succeeded in rolling back the tide of flame from our dwelling-house. At this dread moment occurred an incident, which my readers may explain as they like, but which I trace directly to the interposition of my God. A rushing and roaring sound came from the South, like the noise of a mighty engine or of mutter- ing thunder. Every head was instinctively turned in that direction, and they knew, from previous hard experience, that it was one of their awful tornadoes 348 FAREWELL SCENES. of wind and rain. Now, mark, the wind bore the flames away from our dwelling-house, and had it come in the opposite direction, no power on Earth could have saved us from being all consumed ! It made the work of destroying the Church only that of a few minutes ; but it brought with it a heavy and murky cloud, which poured out a perfect torrent of tropical rain. Now, mark again, the flames of the burning Church were thereby cut off from extending to and seizing upon the reeds and the bush ; and, besides, it had become almost impossible now to set fire to our dwelling-house. The stars in their courses were fighting against Sisera ! The mighty roaring of the wind, the black cloud pouring down unceasing torrents, and the whole surroundings, awed those savages into silence. Some began to withdraw from the scene, all lowered their weapons of war, and several, terror-struck, exclaimed, — "That is Jehovah's rain 1 Truly their Jehovah God is fighting for them and helping them. Let us away A panic seized upon them ; they threw away their remaining torches ; in a few moments they had all disappeared in the bush ; and I was left alone, prais- ing God for His marvellous works. "O taste and see that God is good 1 Blessed is the man that trusteth in Him ! " Returning to the door of the Mission House, I cried, — " Open and let me in. I am now all alone." FAREWELL SCENES. 349 Mr. Mathieson let me in, and exclaimed, — " If ever, in time of need, God sent help and pro- tection to His servants in answer to prayer, He has done so to-night ! Blessed be His holy name ! " In fear and in joy we united our praises. Truly our Jesus has all power, not less in the elements of Nature than in the savage hearts of the Tannese. Precious Jesus ! Does He not chide us, saying,— " Hitherto ye have asked nothing in My Name. Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full ! " ? How much help, blessing, and joy we lose every day, because we do not take all to Jesus as we ought ! Often since have I wept over His love and mercy in that deliverance, and prayed that every moment of my remaining life may be consecrated to the service of my precious Friend and Saviour ! All through the remainder of that night I lay wide awake keeping watch, my noble little dog lying near me with ears alert Early in the morning friends came weeping around us. Our enemies were loudly rejoicing. It had been finally resolved to kill us at once, to plunder our house and then to burn it. The noise of the shouting was distinctly heard as they neared the Mission premises, and our weeping, friendly Natives looked terror-struck, and seemed anxious to flee for the bush. But just when the excitement rose to the highest pitch, we heard, or dreamed that we heard, a cry higher still, " Sail O ' " We were by this time beginning to distrust almost our veiy senses ; but again and again that cry came 3SO FAREWELL SCENES. rolling up from the shore, and was repeated from crowd to crowd all along the beach, " Sail O ! Sail O ! " The shouts of those approaching us gradually- ceased, and the whole multitude seemed to have melted away from our view. I feared some cruel deception, and at first peered out very cautiously to spy the land. But yonder in very truth a vessel had sailed into the bay. It was the Blue Belly Captain Hastings. I set fire to the reeds on the side of the hill to attract his attention. I put a black shawl as a flag on one end of the Mission House and a white sheet on the other. This was one of the vessels that had been to Port Resolution, and had sailed past to Aneityum some time ago. I afterwards saw the mate and some of the men wearing my shirts, which they had bought from the Tannese on their former visit. At the earnest request of Doctors Geddie and Inglis, Mr. Underwood, the owner, had sent Captain Hastings to Tanna to rescue us if yet alive. For this purpose he had brought twenty armed men from Aneityum, who came on shore in two boats in charge of the mate, the notorious Ross Lewin. He returned to the ship with a boat-load of Mr. Mathieson's things, leaving ten of the Natives to help us to pack more and carry them down to the beach, especially what the Missionary thought most valuable. The two boats were now loaded and ready to start It was about two o'clock in the afternoon, when a strange and painful trial befell us. Poor dear Mr. FAREWELL SCENES. 35 1 Mathieson, apparently unhinged, locked himself all alone into what had been his study, telling Mrs. Mathieson and me to go, for he had resolved to remain and die on Tanna. We tried to show him the inconsistency of praying to God to protect us or grant us means of escape, and then refuse to accept a rescue sent to us in our last extremity. We argued that it was surely better to live and work for Jesus than to die as a self-made martyr, who, in God's sight, was guilty of self-murder. His wife wept aloud and pled with him, but all in vain ! He refused to leave or to unlock his door. I then said, — ** It is now getting dark. Your wife must go with the vessel, but I will not leave you alone. I shall send a note explaining why I am forced to remain ; and as it is certain that we shall be murdered when- ever the vessel leaves, I tell you God will charge you with the guilt of our murder." At this he relented, unlocked the door, and ac- companied us to the boats, in which we all immedi- ately left. Meantime, having lost several hours, the vessel had drifted leeward ; darkness suddenly settled upon us, and when we were out at sea we lost sight of her and she of us. After drifting about for some hours in a heavy sea and unable to find her, those in charge of the boats came near for consultation, and, if pos- sible, to save the lives of all. We advised that they should steer for Port Resolution by the flame of the Volcano — a never-failing light-house, seen fifty miles 35* FAREWELL SCENES. away — and there await the vessel. The boats were to keep within hearing of each other by constant calling ; but this was soon lost to the ear, though on arriving in the bay we found they had got to anchor before us. There we sat in the boats and waited for the coming day. As the light appeared, we anchored as far out as possible, beyond the reach of musket shots ; and there without water or food we sat under a tropical sun till mid-day came, and still there was no sign of the vessel. The mate at last put all the passengers and the poorest seamen into one boat and left her to swing at anchor ; while, with a strong crew in the other, he started off in search of the vessel. In the afternoon, Nowar and Miaki came off in a canoe to visit us. Nowar had on a shirt, but Miaki was naked and frowning. He urged me to go and see the Mission House, but as we had seen a body of men near it I refused to go. Miaki declared that everything remained as I had left it, but we knew that he lied. Old Abraham and a party had slipped on shore in a canoe, and had found the windows smashed and everything gone except my books, which were scattered about and torn in pieces. The armed men there wanted to kill the Aneityumese, but others said, " Not till we get Missi killed too ! " They learned that Miaki had sold everything that he could sell to the Traders. The mate and men of the Blue Bell had on my very clothes. They boasted that they had bought them for a few figs of tobacco FAREWELL SCENES. 353 and for powder, caps, and balls. But they would not return a single shirt to me, though I was without a change ! We had all been without food in the boat since the morning before, so Nowar brought us off a cocoa-nut each, and two very small roasted yams for the ladies. Those, however, only seemed to make our thirst the more severe, and we spent a trying day in that boat under a burning sun Miaki said, — "As our fathers did not destroy Missi Turner's house, we will not destroy yours." But after a time, failing to persuade me to accom- pany him and fall into a trap, he muttered, — "We have taken everything your house contained, and would take you too if we could ; for we hate ^ the Worship, it causes all our diseases and deaths ; it goes against our customs, and it condemns the things we delight in." Nowar informed me that only a few nights before this, Miaki and his followers went inland to a village where last year they had killed ten men. Having secretly placed a savage at the door of every house, at a given signal they yelled, and when the terrified inmates tried to escape they killed almost every man, woman, and child. Some fled into the bush, others rushed to the shore. A number of men got into a canoe to escape, but hearing women and children crying after them they returned, and taking those they could with them they killed the rest lest they should fall alive into Miaki's hands. These are P. 23 354 FAREWELL SCENES. surely " they who through fear of death are all their lifetime subject to bondage." The Chief and nearly his whole village were cut off in one night ! Not an uncommon thing in those Islands, where war becomes chronic, and the thirst for blood becomes insatiable. The dark places of the Earth are " full of the habita- tions of horrid cruelty." To have actually lived amongst the Heathen and seen their life gives a man a new appreciation of the power and blessings of the Gospel, even where its influence is only very imperfectly allowed to guide and restrain the passions of men. Oh, what will it be when all men in all nations love and serve the glorious Redeemer ! This Miaki and his followers were a scourge and terror to the whole island of Tanna. They intensely hated Nowar, because he would not join in their cruelties. Yet he and Manuman and Sirawia and Faimungo continued to survive long after war and death had swept all the others away. The first three lived to be very old men, and to the last they made a profession of being Christians, though their know- ledge was very limited and their inconsistencies very grave and very numerous. Happy is it for us that we are not the judges, for souls either of the white or the dark skin, as to how many and grievous things may be forgiven, and whether there be or be not that spark of love, that grain of faith which the Lord the Pitiful will graciously accept and increase ! ^ ■ ^ ' See Appendix A. " The Prayer of the Tannese," etc FAREWELL SCENES. 355 About five o'clock in the evening the vessel hove in sight Before dark we were all safely on board, and were sailing for Aneityum. Though both Mr. and Mrs. Mathieson had become very weak, they stood the voyage wonderfully. Next day we were all safely landed. We had offered Captain Hastings ;C20 to take us to Aneityum, but he declined any fare. However, we divided it amongst the mate and crew, for they had every one shown great kindness to us on the voyage. After arriving on Aneityum, Mrs. Mathieson gradually sank under consumption, and fell asleep in Jesus on nth March, 1862, in the full assurance of a glorious resurrection, and was interred there. Mr. Mathieson, becoming more and more depressed after her death, went over to Mr. ^ Creagh's Station, on Mard, and there died on 14th June, 1862, still trusting in Jesus, and assured that he would soon be with Him in Glory. Never more earnest or more faithful souls entered the Mission field, but they both suffered from weakness and ill- health during all their time on Tanna, and had fre- quently to seek change by removal for a short period from the island. Their memory is very fragrant to me as fellow-labourers in the Gospel of Jesus. After their death, I was the only one left alive in all the New Hebrides Mission north of Aneityum to tell the story of those pioneer years, during which were sown the seeds of what is now fast becoming a glorious harvest Twenty-five years ago, all these dear brethren and sisters who were associated with 356 FAREWELL SCENES. me in the work of the Mission were called home to Glory, to cast their crowns at the feet of Jesus and enjoy the bliss of the redeemed, while I am privileged still to toil and pray for the salvation of the poor Islanders, and plead the cause of the Mission both in the Colonies and at home, in which work the Lord has graciously given me undreamt-of success. My constant desire and prayer are that I may be spared to see at least one Missionary on every island of the group, to unfold the riches of redeeming love and to lead the poor Islanders to Jesus for salvation. What could be taken in three boats was saved out of the wreck of Mr. Mathieson's property ; but my earthly all perished, except the Bible and the trans- lations into Tannese. Along with the goods pertain- ing to the Mission, the property which I had to leave behind would be undervalued at ;^6oo, besides the value of the Mission House, etc. Often since have I thought that the Lord stripped me thus bare of all these interests, that I might with undistracted mind devote my entire energy to the special work soon to be carved out for me, and of which at this moment neither I nor any one had ever dreamed. At any rate, the loss of my little earthly all, though doubtless costing me several pangs, was not an abiding sorrow like that which sprang from the thought that the Lord's work was broken up at both Stations, and that the Gospel was for the time driven from Tanna. In the darkest moment, I never doubted that ultimately the victory there, as elsewhere, would be FAREWELL SCENES. 357 on the side of Jesus, believing that the whole Earth would yet be filled with the glory of the Lord. But I sometimes sorely feared that I might never live to see or hear of that happy day ! By the goodness of the Ever-merciful One I have lived to see and hear of a Gospel Church on Tanna, and to read about my dear fellow-Missionaries, Mr. and Mrs. Watt, celebrating the Holy Supper to a Native Congrega- tion of Tannese, amid the very scenes and people where the seeds of faith and hope were planted not only in tears, but tears of blood, — " in deaths oft." My own intention was to remain on Aneityum, go on with my work of translating the Gospels, and watch the earliest opportunity, as God opened up my way, to return to Tanna. I had, however, got very weak and thin ; my health was undoubtedly much shaken by the continued trials and dangers through which we had passed ; and therefore, as Dr. and Mrs. Inglis were at home carrying the New Testa- ment through the press in the language of Aneityum, and as Tanna was closed for a season. Dr. Geddie, the Rev. Joseph Copeland, and Mr. Mathieson all urged me to go to Australia by a vessel then in the Harbour and leaving in a few days. My commission was to awaken an interest among the Presbyterian Churches of our Colonies in this New Hebrides Mission which lay at their doors, up till this time sustained by Scotland and Nova Scotia alone. And further, and very specially, to raise money there, if possible, to purchase a new Mission Ship for the work 358 FAREWELL SCENES. of God in the New Hebrides, — a clamant necessity, which would save all future Missionaries some of the more terrible of the privations and risks of which a few examples have in these pages already been recorded. After much prayerful deliberation with my bre- thren and with my own heart before God, I some- what reluctantly felt constrained to undertake the task. If my story was to be the means of providing more Missionaries for the Islands, and of providing a commodious Ship for the service of the Mission alone, to keep open their communications with the outer world and with Christian influences, not to speak of carrying their provisions at fixed periods, or rescuing them when in troubles and perils from the jaws of death, I was not unwilling to tell it again and again, if the Lord would open up my path. God knows my heart, and any one who really knows me will easily admit, that no selfish or egotistical motive has in- fluenced me in reciting through all the Australasian Colonies, New Zealand, Scotland, and latterly in many parts of England and Ireland, the incidents of my career and experience, first of all on Tanna, and thereafter for nearly twenty years — as the Second Part of my biography will relate — on the neighbouring island oi Aniwa ; an island entirely given to me by the Lord, the whole population of which became Christian ; and they and their race will be my crown of joy and rejoicing in the day of the Lord Jesus. With regrets, and yet with unquenchable hope for these Islands. I embarked for Australia, having re- FAREWELL SCENES. 359 ceived the solemn promise of my brethren, that in entering upon this great effort I was to be left abso- lutely free of all control, and empowered to carry out the work as God might seem to guide me, and open up my way. I had only spoken to one man in Sydney ; all the doors to influence had therefore to be unlocked, and I had no helper, no leader, but the Spirit of my Lord. The Second Part of this Auto- biography, should God spare me to write it, will record His marvellous goodness in using my humble voice and pen and the story of my life for interesting thousands and tens of thousands in the work of Missions, and especially for binding together the children of the Sabbath Schools of Australasia in a Holy League of help to the New Hebrides, which has already borne precious fruit to His glory, and will continue to do so for ages to come. Oftentimes, while passing through the perils and defeats of my first years in the Mission field on Tanna, I wondered, and perhaps the reader hereof has wondered, why God permitted such things. But on looking back now, I already clearly perceive, and the reader of my future pages will, I think, perceive, that the Lord was thereby preparing me for doing, and providing me materials wherewith to accomplish the best work of all my life-the kindling of the heart of Australian Presbyterianism with a living affection for these Islanders of their own Southern Seas— the binding of all their children into a happy league of shareholders, first in one Mission Ship, and 360 FAREWELL SCENES. finally in a larger and more commodious Steam-Aux- iliary, and, last of all, in being the instrument undef God of sending out Missionary after Missionary to the New Hebrides, to claim another island and still another for Jesus. That work, and all that may spring from it in time and Eternity, never could have been accomplished by me, but for first the sufferings and then the story of my Tanna enterprise ! Some unsophisticated souls who read these pages will be astonished to learn, but others who know more of the heartless selfishness of human creatures, will be quite prepared to hear, that my leaving Tanna was not a little criticized, and a great deal of nonsense was written, even in Church Magazines, about the breaking up of the Mission, All such criticism came, of course, from men who were them- selves destitute of sympathy, and who, probably, never endured one pang for Jesus in all their com- fortable lives. Conscious that I had, to the last inch of life, tried to do my duty, I left all results in the hands of my only Lord, and all criticisms to His unerring judgment. Hard things also were occasion- ally spoken to my face. One dear friend, for in- stance, said, — "You should not have left. You should have stood at the post of duty till you fell. It would have been to your honour, and better for the cause of the Mission, had you been killed at the post of duty like the Gordons and others." I replied, — " I regard it as a greater honour to live FAREWELL SCENES. 361 and to work for Jesus, than to be a self-made martyr. God knows that I did not refuse to die ; for I stood at the post of duty, amid difficulty and danger, till all hope had fled, till everything I had was lost, and till God, in answer to prayer, sent a means of escape. I left with a clear conscience, knowing that in doing so I was following God's leading, and serving the Mission too. To have remained longer would have been to incur the guilt of self-murder in the sight of God." Never for one moment have I had occasion to regret the step then taken. The Lord has so used me, during the five-and-twenty years that have passed over me since my farewell to Tanna, as to stamp the event with His own most gracious ap- proval. Oh, to see a Missionary, and Christian Teachers, planted on every island of the New Hebrides ! For this I labour, and wait, and pray. To help on the fulfilment thereof is the sacred work of my life, under God. When I see it accomplished, or in a fair way of being so, through the organization that will provide the money and call forth the men, I can lay down my head as peacefully and gratefully as ever warrior did, with the shout of victory in his ears,—" Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace ! " « « For the present, my pen is here laid aside. I shall wait to see what use the Lord makes of Part First of my autobiography, before I prosecute the theme. If 362 FAREWELL SCENES. the Christian public seems not to find in it the help and quickening that some friends think it likely to bestow on those who read, the remainder need not be written. Part Second, if called for, will contain a record, in many respects, an utter contrast to all that has gone before, and yet directly springing there- from, as will be seen by all who look beneath the surface. I am penning these words in 1887, and five-and-twenty years lie betwixt this date and my farewell to Tanna. These years, if ever published, will tell the story of my visiting all the Colonial Churches, and collecting the purchase money of our white-winged Mission Ship, the Daysprmg ; my return to Scotland, visiting all the home congregations in 1864, and securing several new Missionaries to follow me to the New Hebrides ; my second marriage, and settlement on Aniwa, with her whom the good Lord still spares to me, the mother of our happy family, and my God-given helpmeet in all the work of the Gospel ; the conversion of that whole island of Aniwa from idolatry, and the planting there of a Church and Congregation of Christ, from which have since gone forth many Native Evangelists and Teachers. Then there will fall to be recorded my call from the Islands in recent years to revisit all the Colonial Presbyterian Congregations once again, telling them the story of the Conversion of Aniwa — the sinking of the well, and other incidents, which turned an entire people from idols and from cannibalism to the service of the living and true God — whereby the FAREWELL SCENES. 363 Churches, and especially the children, were led more and more to make the New Hebrides their own very harvest field in the Heathen world. And finally, I will have to tell how I was again sent home to Scotland in 1884 to raise money for the purchase or building of a steam-auxiliary Mission Ship, now urgently required in the interests of the Mission, both because of the great increase in the number of the Missionaries and the necessities of so many families ; and also and chiefly to avert the dreadful disappoint- ments and loss of time, and thereby sometimes of life itself, caused by the frequent becalming of our little Dayspring in these thickly-islanded seas. That part of the story will show the fruits of the education and perils and experiences of a lifetime, in the marvellous impression produced by the simple and unadorned recital of the story of Tanna and Aniwa, amongst the Christian people of Scotland, Ireland, and England. Multitudes were blessed in almost every town where a meeting was granted me. Three Missionaries devoted themselves to the New Hebrides, and are already labouring there ; while others consecrated themselves to several of the great seats of Foreign Mission enterprise in Africa and Asia. I returned to my own Church of Victoria with a sum of nearly ,^9,000, of which ;^6,ooo was for the new Missionary Steam- Auxiliary, and the remainder for the outfit and support of more Missionaries for the Islands ; and that money I handed over to the Australian Church, where it awaits, at interest in the bank, the arrange- 364 FAREWELL SCENES. ments being made by all the Colonies to take each their due share in the future up-keep of the Ship. For this — for everything — for all, praise be to the Lord ! I never asked one subscription, except in prayer and in my public appeals. The Lord sent in all freely to me through the hands of His people ; to Him be all the glory. I went back to Aniwa, and found the work of the Lord going forward there as if in a regularly settled Congregation at home, fostered and guided 'jy an occasional visit of my ever dear and genuine friends, Mr. and Mrs. Watt, from old stern-heartei but at last relenting Tanna. The Church of Yictoria has again summoned me to visit the Colonial Congregations, to tell the story of my Mission life, and to promote the interests of its now grand arvl growing Foreign Scheme. It is in the midst of Juch labours, while addressing at least one meeting f very day, and three or four every Sabbath day, that I have penned the preceding pages ; and I leave them to speak for themselves, without any attempt at ornament or style. The Lord whom I serve in the Gospel knows my motive and my hope, and I very calmly leave this book to His disposal, and tbr succeeding volume to His guidance, if such there rhall ever be — as the reader well knows I have had t:) leave heavier and darker issues in the same blessrjd Hands. I offer every one, who has done me the favour to read or to listen, my kindly greeting. M'-y you and I meet in the glory of Jesus, and con- ti ae our fellowship there ! Good-bye. APPENDIX, APPENDIX A. {Seep. 354.) THE PRAYER OF THE TANNESE, WHO LOVE THE WORD OF JEHOVAH, TO THE GREAT CHIEF OF SYDNEY. \_Written at the urgent request and dictation of the Missionary s friends on Tanna to be presented to the Governor of New South Wales. Literally translated by me, John G. Patofi^ TO the Chief of Sydney, the servant of Queen Victoria of Britannia, saying— We great men of Tanna dwell in a dark land. Our people are very dark hearted. They know nothing good. Missi Paton the man, Missi Mathieson the man, and Missi Mathieson the woman, have dwelt here four yams ( = years) to teach us the worship of Jehovah. Their conduct has been straight and very good; therefore we love these three Missionaries, and the worship of Jehovah which they three have taught us, the Tannese. Alas ! a part, as it were, only three of our Chiefs, ^68 APPENDIX whose names are Nauka, Miaki, and Karewick, be- sides Ringian, Enukarupi, Attica, and Namaka, they and their people hate the worship and all good conduct like that which the Word of Jehovah teaches us and the people of all lands. These men all belong to four Villages only. They have stolen all Missi's property ; they have broken into his house. They have cut down his bananas. They have scolded and persecuted him ; and they desire to kill Missi and to eat him, so that they may destroy the Worship of God from the land of Tanna. We hate exceedingly their bad conduct, and pray you, the Great Chief of Sydney, to punish these dark Tannese, who have persecuted Missi, who have deceived Missi, who have altogether deceived the Great Chief ( = Commodore Seymour) and the Chief ( = Captain Hume) of the men-of-war, and who de- ceived the Chief and the Missionaries in the John Williams, who murdered one of Missi Paton's Aneit- yum Teachers, who fought Missi Turner and Missi Nisbet, who killed Vasa and his Samoan people, who killed the foreigners, who have now fought and driven away our three Missionaries. Their conduct has been exceedingly bad. They destroy the King- dom of Tanna, kill the people and eat them, and are guilty of bad conduct every day. Our hearts hate their bad conduct ; we are pained by it. Therefore we earnestly pray you, the Chief of Sydney, to send quickly a man-of-war to punish them, and to revenge all their bad conduct towards APPENDIX. 369 Missi. Then truly we will rejoice; then it will be good and safe for the three Missionaries to dwell here, and to teach us, men of the devil. Our hearts are very dark ; we know nothing ; we are just like pigs. Therefore it is good for Missi to teach us the Word and the Worship of Jehovah the Great King. Long ago He was unknown here. Missi brought His knowledge to us. Our love to you, the Great Chief of Sydney, the servant of Queen Victoria, and we earnestly pray you to protect us, and to protect our Missionaries and the Worship of God in our land, the land of Tanna. We weep for our Missionaries. They three gave us medicine in our sickness, and clothing for our bodies ; taught us what is good conduct, and taught us the way to Heaven. Of all these things long ago we had no knowledge whatever ; therefore we weep, and our hearts cling to these three, our Missionaries. If they three are not here, who will teach us the way to Heaven } Who will prevent our bad conduct ? Who will protect us from the bad conduct of foreigners "i And who will love us, and teach us all good things ? Oh, compassionate us, Chief of Sydney! Hold fast these three, our Missionaries, and give them back to us, and we will love you and your people. You and your people know the Word of Jehovah ; you are going on the path to Heaven ; you all love the Word of Jehovah. Oh, look in mercy on us. dark-hearted men, going to the bad land, to P. 24 37© APPENDIX. the great eternal fire, just like our fathers who are dead ! May Jehovah make your heart and the hearts of your people sweet towards us, to compassionate us, and to look in mercy on our dark land ; and we will pray Jehovah to make you good, and give you a rich reward. The names of us, the Chiefs of Tanna, who worship towards Jehovah : — Yarisi, x his mark. Manuman, x his mark. Ruawa, x his mark. Nuara, x his mark. Kapuka, x his mark. Nebusak, x his mark. Taura, x his mark. Kaua, x his mark. Faimungo, x his mark. Nowar, x his mark. APPENDIX B. NOTES ON THE NEW HEBRIDES By the Editor. THE South Seas— so named by Vasco Nugnez de Balboa, who in 15 13 first saw the Ocean on the other side of Darien, and marched into it as far as he durst, waving his sword, and taking possession of it in name of his master, the King of Spain. The Pacific Ocean— so named by Ferdinand Magellan, who in 1521 sailed westwards in his Victory seven thousand miles, and found the sea exceptionally peaceful— iot that trip at least. The New Hebrides— so named by Captain Cook, who in 1773 first fully explored and described the whole of the group. As far back, however, as 1606, Captain Pedro Fernandez de Quiros had landed on the largest and most northerly island of the group. He at once fancied it to be the great Southern Conti- nent, deemed to be essential to balance the great Continents of the North, and eagerly looked for both by sailors and men of science. He named the bay, Vera Cruz,— the river that flowed into it, Jordan,— and the city which he founded there. New Jerusalem. The land itself he called by the preposterous desig- 37* APPENDIX. nation of Tierra Australis del Espiritu Santo. In 1768 a French explorer, Bougainville, sailed round Sajito, discovering that it was but an island, and through the Straits that still bear his name ; whereon, finding many islands all around, he re-baptized them LArcJiipel des Grandes Cy eludes. But Cook, being the first who sailed in and out amongst all the group, and put on record the most faithful descriptions and details, which to this hour remain generally authori- tative, considered himself entitled to name them the New Hebrides ; and history since has been well pleased to adopt his views, seeing, doubtless, the geographical analogy betwixt the multitudinous scat- tered isles and islets of the old Hebrides and those of the new. From Santo in the north to Aneityum in the south, a distance of about 400 miles, there are scat- tered over the Ocean thirty islands, twenty being well inhabited, and eleven of them being of considerable size, from Aneityum, which is forty miles in circum- ference, to Santo, which measures seventy miles by forty. The Islands lie 1,000 miles to the North of New Zealand, 1,400 miles North-East from Sydney, 400 miles West of Fiji, and 200 East of New Cale- donia. The population is now estimated at 70,000 ; but, in the early days of Missions, before Traders and Kanaka-collectors, and the new Epidemics of Civili- zation (!) had decimated them, their numbers were certainly three times greater. The general appearance of the Islands is that of APPENDIX, 373 a range of mountains bursting up out of the sea, clothed with forests, and severed from each other by deep valleys, through which the tides now flow. They are all volcanic in origin, but the lava has poured itself out over a bed of coral, and the moun- tains have reared themselves up on a coral base. The fires are still active on Tanna, Ambrym, and Polevi— the volcano on Tanna being now, as in the days of Cook, a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night, a far-shining light-house for the sailor, kindled by the finger of God Himself. The climate is moist and humid, with a thermometer seldom below 60° and seldom above 90° in the shade ; their winter is called the Rainy Season, and their vegetation is tropical in its luxuriance. On one Island may be found a hundred varieties of ferns alone. The damara or kauri-pine, so prized in New Zealand, grows there, as also the bread-fruit tree, the banana, the papua-apple, the chestnut, and above all the cocoa-nut, which for refreshing drink competes with the vine of other lands, and for varied uses and services to man almost rivals the very palm- tree of Palestine. The sandal-wood, for its sacred odours and idol incense, has been almost swept entirely away,— as much as ^^70,000 worth being carried off from Erromanga alone ! Among native foods, the yam and the taro hold the foremost place, not inferior to our finest potatoes ; besides the banana, the sugar-cane, the bread-fruit, and the cocoa-nut, which flourish to perfection. Their 374 APPENDIX. arrowroot is in some respects the finest in the world, and is kept only for special uses as yet, but may develop into a great and valuable industry, as Com- merce opens up her markets and stretches out her hands. The English cabbage has been introduced and grows well ; also the planting of cotton and of coffee. The scarcity of animals is marvellous. The pig, the dog, and the rat are their only four-footed crea- tures ; and some affirm that the rat is the alone indigenous quadruped in all the New Hebrides 1 Lizards and snakes abound, but are declared not to be poisonous. There are many small and beautiful pigeons, also wild ducks and turkeys, besides multi- tudes of ordinary fowls. Goats have now been largely introduced, as well as sheep, and various European animals. Fish, of course, swarm in millions around the shores, and a whaling station on Aneityum sent into the market .^2,000 worth of oil in a year. The Natives are practically quite naked, till induced by the Missionary to " wear a shirt " — the first sign of renouncing Heathenism and inclining towards Christianity. They are Cannibals of a very pro- nounced type, and Savages without any traces of civilization, except those connected with war (!), — without a literature, and almost without a religion, except only the dread of evil spirits, the worship of ancestors, and the lowest forms of fetishism, trees, stones, etc. They are partly Malay and partly Papuan, — a mixture of Ham and of Shem, — some APPENDIX. 375 with hair crisp and woolly, stuck full of feathers and shells, others with hair long and wavy, twisted into as many as 700 separate whipcords on a single head, and taking five years to finish the job 1 Their bows and arrows, tomahawks, clubs and spears, are some- times elaborately carved and adorned ; and they can twist and weave grasses and fibres into wondrously beautiful mats, bags, and girdles. They make brace- lets out of shells, sliced and carved in marvellous ways, as also ear-rings and nose-rings ; and in many similar methods they show some savage sense of beauty. Polygamy, with all its accompanying cruelties and degradations, universally prevails. Infanticide is - systematically practised ; and even the despatch of parents, when they grow old and helpless. Widows are put to death on almost every island to bear their husbands company into the spirit world. There is not an unmentionable vice hinted at in Romans i. which is not unblushingly practised on those Islands, wheresoever the Gospel has not dawned. For the best published information on all these subjects, consult the work by Dr. John Inglis : " IN THE New Hebrides" (Nelson & Sons, 1887),— Reminiscences of noble Missionary Service for three* and-thirty years. a selection from Fleming H. Revell Company's CATALOGUE Important Missionary Publications. AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JOHN G. PATON. Missionary to the New Hebrides. Introductory note by Arthur T. Pierson, D.D. 2 vols., 12mo., portrait and map, in neat box, net |2.00. One of the most remarkable biographies of modern times. "I have just laid down the most robust and the most fascinating;' piece of auto- biography that I have met with in many a day It is the story of the wonderful work wrought by John G. Paton, the famous missionary to the New Hebrides; he was made of the same stuff with Livingstone." — T. L. Cdyler. "It stands with such books as those Dr. Livingstone gave the world, and shows to men that the heroes of the cross are not merely to be sought in past ages." — Christian Intelligencer. THE LIFE OF JOHN KENNETH MACKENZIE. Medical Missionary to China ; with the story of the First Chinese Hospital by Mrs. Bryson, author of "Child Life in Chinese Homes," etc. 12mo., cloth, 400 pages, price |1.50 with portrait in photogravure. "The story of a .singularly beautiful life, sympathetically and ably writtsn. . . . . A really helpful, elevating book."— £ondo?i JIfissioirary C/ironide. "The volume records much that is fresh and interesting bearing on Chinese customs and manners as seen and vividly described by a missionary who had ample opportunities of studying them under most varied circumstances and conditions." — Scotsman. THE GREATEST WORK IN THE WORLD. The Evangeliza- tion of all Peoples in the Present Century. By Eev. Arthur T. Pierson, D.D. 12mo., leatherette, gilt top, 35c. The subject itself is an inspiration, but this latest production of Dr. Pierson thrills with the life which the Master Himself has imparted to it. It will be *i welcome addition to Missionary literature. THE CRISIS OF MISSIONS. By Eev. Arthur T. Pierson, D.D. Cloth, $1.25 ; paper, 35c. " We do not hesitate to say tkat this book is the most purposeful, earnest and intelligent reviev/ of the mission work and field which has ever been given to the Church. " — Christian Statcsmayi. MEDICAL MISSIONS. Their Place and Power. By John Lowe, F. E. C. S. E., Secretary of the Edinburgh Medical Mission Society. 12mo., 308 pages, cloth, |1.50. "This book contains an exhaustive account of the benefits that may, and in point of fact do, accrue from the use of the medical art as a Christian agency. Mr. Lowe is eminently qualified to instruct us in this matter, having himself been so long engaged in the same field." — From Introduction by Sir William Muir. ONCE HINDU : NOW CHRISTIAN. The early life of Baba Padmanji. Translated from the Marathi. Edited by J. Murray Mit- chell, M. A., LLD. 12mo. , 155 pages, with appendix. Cloth, 75c. " A more instructive or more interesting narrative of a human soul, once held firmly in the grip of oriental superstition, idolatry and ca.ste, gradually emerging into the light. lil)erty and peace of a regenerate child of God, "does not often come to hand." — Missionary Herald. AN INTENSE LIFE. By George F. Herrick. A sketch of the life and work of Eev. Andrew T. Prattt, M.D., Missionary of the A. B. C. F. M., in Turkey, 1852-1872. 16mo., cloth, 50c. NBWYORK. : : Fleming II. RcDell Company : = Chicago. Important Missionary Publications {Continued. ) EVERY-DAY LIFE IN SOUTH INDIA, or, the Story of Coopoo- swamey. An Autobiography. With fine engravings by E. Whym- per. 12mo., cloth, fl.OO. THE CHILDREN OF INDIA, Written for children by one of their friends. Illustrations and map. Small 4to,, cloth, $1,25. "These are good books for -the Sunday-School Library, and will help young people in Jnissionary societies who desire to have an intelligent idea of the people in India whom they are sending their money and their missionaries to converD." — Missionary Herald. HINDUISM, PAST AND PRESENT. With an account of recent Hindu reformers, and a brief comparison between Hinduism and Christianity. By J. Murray Mitchell, M.A., LLD. 12mo., cloth, $1.G0. " A praiseworthy attempt to present a popular view of a vast and important subject. " — Saturday Review. GOSPEL ETHNOLOGY. With illustrations. By S. E. Paterson, F. G. S. 12mo, cloth., $1.00. " The first attempt to treat this subject from a thorough-going scientific stand- point. A very powerful argument for the truth of Christianity. " — English Church- man. "A book to refer to for information not easily to be obtained otherwise.-r Church Missionary Intelligencer. NATIVE LIFE IN SOUTH INDIA. Being sketches of the social and religious characteristics of the Hindus. By the Rev. Henry Rice. With many illustrations from native sketches. 12mo., cloth boards, $1.00. " Those who have heard Mr. Rice's missionary addresses will be prepared to hear that this is afascinating book." — Life and Work. CHRISTIAN PROGRESS IN CHINA. Gleanings from the writ- ings and speaches of many workers. By Arnold Foster, B.A., London Missionary, Hankow. With inap of China. 12iiio., cloth, $1.00. AMONG THE MONGOLS. By Rev. Jame.s Gilmour, M.A., London Mission, Peking. Numerous engravings from photographs and native sketches. 12mo., gilt edges, cloth, $1.25. "Tlie newness anm to nil who interest themselves in its affairs is the only excuse for otfering another book on tlie subject. NEW YORK. : : Fleming H. Reoell Company = : Chicago. ONIRY PUBLICATIONS REPORT OF THE CENTENARY CONFERENCE on the Protestant Missions of the World. Held in London, June, 1888, Edited by the Rev. James Johnston, F. S. S., Secretary of the Con- ference. Two large 8vo. vols., 1200 pages, f 2.00 net per set. An important feature in this report, lack of which has prejudiced many against reports in general, is the special care taken by the Editor, who has succeeded in making the work an interesting and accurate reproduction of the most important accumulation of facts from the Mission Fields of the World, as given by the representatives of all the EvangeUcal Societies of Christendom. And another : The exceptionally complete and helpful indexing of the entire work ia such a thorough manner as to make it of the greatest value as a Reference Encyclopedia oa mission topics for years to come. THE MISSIONARY YEAR BOOK FOR 1889-90. Containing Historical and Statistical accounts of the Principle Protestant Missionary Societies in America, Great Britain and the Continent of Europe. The American edition, edited by Rev. J. T. Gracey, D.D., of Buffalo, embraces about 450 pages, one-fourth being devoted to the work of American Societies, and will contain Maps of India, China Japan, Burraah, and Siam; also a language Map of India and comparative diagrams illustrating areas, population and progress of Mission work. This compilation will be the best presentation of the work of the American Societies ia Pagan Lands that has yet been given to the public. The book is strongly recommended by Rev. Jas. Johnston, F.S.S,, as a companion volume to the Report of the Century Con- ference on Missions. Cloth, 12mo. Sl.~5. GARENGANZE: or, Seven Years' Pioneer Missionary Work in Central Africa. By Fred. S. Arnot, with introduction by Rev. A. T. Pierson, D.D. Twenty Illustrations and an original Map. The author's two trips across Africa, entirely unarmed and unattended except by the local and constantly changing carriers, and in such marked contrast with many modern ad- venturers, strongly impress one to ask if another Livingstone has not appeared among us. Traversing where no white man had ever been seen before, and meeting kings and chiefs accustomed only to absolute power, he demanded and received attention ia the came of his God. Cloth 8vo, 290 pages, $1.S5. IN THE FAR EAST : China Illustrated. Letters from Gerald- ine Guinness. Edited by her sister, with Introduction by Rev. J, Hudson Taylor. A characteristic Chinese cover. Cloth 4to, 224 pages, $1.50. CONTENTS. " Good-Bye ! " Second Class. On the Way to China, Hong-Kong and Shanghai. First days in the Flowery Land Opium Suicides amongst Women. Ten Days on a Chinese Canal. At Home in our Chinese " Haddon HalL" By Wheelbarrow to Antong. Life on a Chinese Farm. A Visit to the " Shun " City. Blessing — and Need of Blessing — In the Far Ease. Rev. C. H. Spurgeon, writes: " I have greatly enjoyed ' In the Far East.' God blessing it, the book should send armies of believers to invade the Flowry Land." The author is to be congratulated fo. the taste and beauty with which these letters are now put into permanent forna. A full page colored map of China enhances this ad- mirable gift book. NEw\oRK. :: Fleming H. Revell Company == Chicago Date Due D 5. r: » ■ -'L ..•- :ig ^iL L ^ ' lilV ^- -^ > : iV 1 7 .: 1 . ! — Lt- 9 9-'5l V- v_vj^ ^, / ** ■/ ^ « S^fi' MU J. :»» f) jywzBwsrai •m-iiximf^Kmmml Theological Sem.nary-Speei 1 1012 01044 0750 ■:-mm