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BY THE
LONDON MISSIONARY SoCs
FOR PAYING OFF THE DEBT
ON THE STEAMER ‘JOHN WILLIAMS,â€
AND FOR THE
New YEAR OFFERING FOR SHIPS,
JANUARY, 1895,
IN CONNECTION WITH
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CAPTAIN JAMES WILSON, COMMANDER OF THE ‘! DUFF.â€
THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
Written for Doung People
BY
GEORGE COUSINS
_ Editorial Secretary and Assistant Foreign Secretary of the London Missionary Society
Author of “ From Island to Island in the South Seasâ€
WITH MAPS AND MANY ILLUSTRATIONS
Special Centenary Gilt and New Year Olering Boition
LONDON
LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY
14, BLOMFIELD STREET, E.C.
JOHN SNOW & CO., 2, Ivy Lanz, PATERNOSTER Row, E.C.
1894 .
. Butter & Tanner, '
Tue Setwoop Printinc Works,
Frome, ann Lonpon.
Dedicated to
THE MEMORY OF MY ELDEST SISTER
(THE WIFE OF AN OLD FELLOW-STUDENT)
WHO DIED
AT LEONE, SAMOA, JULY 16TH, 1864
AFTER A SHORT BUT HAPPY
MISSIONARY CAREER
: PREFACE
Tuts book is the outcome of the revived interest in the South Seas
which the effort to build the steamer, John Williams, has created. In
reading old books descriptive of the early days of the mission I came
across so many striking facts unknown to the young peop!e of to-day
that a desire to put these facts together in a short connected story
grew strong within me. It seemed also only right that those who had
worked so nobly in raising money for the steamer should possess a
volume that would clearly show them the greatness of the enterprise
which they were helping forward.
The first few pages repeat what appears in the opening chapter of
“From Island to Island,†but inan altered form. The remainder is
newly written. The books to which I am specially indebted are:
Ellis’s ‘‘ Polynesian Researches,†Williams's “ Missionary Enterprises,â€â€™
Buzacott’s “ Mission Life in the Pacific,†Turner’s “‘ Nineteen Years in
Polynesia,†Murray’s “ Western Polynesia,†and “ Forty Years’ Mission
Work,†Gill’s “Gems from the Coral Islands,’ Dr. Steele’s “New
Hebrides and Christian Missions,†“The Night of Toil,†by the author
of the “Peep of Day,†and an article entitled ‘Christian Work in
Polynesia,†which appeared in “‘ The Missionary Review of the World.â€
I have to thank my friends the Revs. S. J. Whitmee, F.R.G.S.,
formerly of Samoa, and A. T. Saville, formerly of Huahine, for their
valued help in reading through the proofs.
That the reader may have as much happiness in perusing this
wonderful record of God’s power and grace as I have had in writing
it is my most earnest wish.
GEORGE COUSINS.
July 14th, 1894.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I.—THE Goop SHIP “DUFF†AND HER STRANGE CARGO
I].—“THE NIGHT OF TOIL†. . . 7
III.—THE OVERTHROW OF IDOLATRY...
IV.—SPREADING OUT . 7 : . . oo : :
V.—CARRYING THE LIGHT TO OTHER GROUPS
VI—THE “MESSENGER OF PEACE†AND HER USEFUL WORK .
VII.—THE MARTYRED MISSIONARY AND WESTERN POLYNESIA .
VIII.—FURTHER EXTENSION. . . . :
IX.—TEACHING AND TRAINING HEATHEN CONVERTS.
X.—JOINING. HANDS TO SAVE NEW GUINEA
XI.—OTHER LABOURERS IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN. :
vii
PAGE
47
69
96
125
148
165
183
. - 202
SI AVERY p
Io.
II.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
2I.
22.
23.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
3.
2 .
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
CAPTAIN JAMES WILSON, CoM-
_ PAGE
MANDER OF THE “DUFF†(Frontispiece)
THE REV. Dr. HAWEIS .
Capt. COOK... . 3 ‘ :
Capt. COOK’S VESSELS AT ANCHOR
THE “DUFF†IN THE PACIFIC
CEDING MATAVAI TO THE MISSION
OFFERING A HUMAN SACRIFICE
A BRIDE ADORNED FOR HER HUS-
BAND. 7 . . . 7
NATIVES FISHING . oe 8h ct 3
POLYNESIAN: DEITIES 7 . ‘
A TATOOED WARRIOR . 7 ‘
POLYNESIAN WEAPONS . ‘ 2
POLYNESIAN CANOES ‘ . :
POMARE’S IDOLS. 7 : 7
PoMARE II. .. ‘ 5 7 :
A CORAL ISLAND. ‘ . .
POMARE’S ROYAL CHAPEL . |
FARE HARBOUR, HUAHINE 2
INTERIOR OF NATIVE HuT . <
Rev. JOHN WILLIAMS . . ll,
AITUTAKI - . 4
THE BRAVE TEACHER, PAPEIHA
HEATHEN CEREMONIES ON THE
RETURN OF THE PLEIADES
THE “MESSENGER OF PEACEâ€,
HEATHEN REVELRY : . .
THE FRENZIED OLD CHIEF . -
A SAMOAN CHIEF . : .
THE REV. HENRY NoTT
NATIVES OF SAMOA IN Past AND
PRESENT STYLES OF DRESS
SOCIETY ISLANDS 7 7 . .
HERVEY ISLANDS * 7 °
SAMOAN ISLANDS. :
30.
3i.
2 2,
6 | 33.
8 | 34.
9 | 35.
13, | 36.
22
37.
28 | 38.
31 | 39.
35 | 40.
38
39 | 4.
43 | 42.
45
48
55 | 43.
58
63 | 44.
65
7° | 45.
81
87 | 46.
92 | 47.
98 | 48.
102 | 49.
109
114
II7 | 50.
5.
12r | 52.
MAPS
PAGE
52
77 | 5.
112
A SAMOAN HOUSE . é 2 .
A NATIVE OF WESTERN POLYNESIA
NATIVE. FISH-HOOKS
A BEE-HIVE HuT . .
“Rey. A. W. MurRAY . fae
CANOES GOING OFF TO A VESSEL.
HOUSE OF THE REV. JOHN JONES
AT Mark
A SAMOAN GIRL :
A WESTERN POLYNESIAN DANDY.
A VILLAGE CHAPEL IN SAMOA
SOLOMON ISLANDERS DRESSED IN
MASKS
LEVUKA, THE CHEF Port OF Fut
LEULUMOEGA © (UPOLU) HIGH
SCHOOL BOYS “ENGAGED AT
MANUAL WoRK
CHAPEL AT MARE BUILT BY THE
REy. JOHN JONES : :
DUGONGS, A SMALL KIND OF
WHALE 7 :
NEW GUINEA VILLAGE BUILT m0,
THE SEA
SouTH SEA ISLAND TEACHERS AND
NATIVES OF NEW GUINEA. 7
TAURAKI . ‘ : 3
RUATOKA AND HIS WIFE
THE BARQUE “JOHN WILLIAMS†2
LEAVING SYDNEY ON HER LAST
VOYAGE. ; ‘ .
MAORI WOMAN AND on :
BISHOP PATTESON . Secs ve :
KING THAKOMBAU , 7 s e
4. WESTERN POLYNESIA j
viii
NEW GUINEA AND SOUTH- East New
GUINEA . $ : ge .
PAGE
123
133
139
143
145
151
155
157
159
167
172
176
178
181
187
I9I
195
198
200
203
206
209
PAGE
129
185
THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS.
CHAPTER I.
THE GOOD SHIP “ DUFF†AND HER STRANGE CARGO,
“ And He spake to His disciples that a small ship should watt on Him.
N August, 1796, a ship was sailing down
the river Thames. As she passed along
crowds of people were to be seen lining the
shores at certain points, who waved their
hats and shouted out ‘God - speed,†while
those on board sang hymns, especially one
which was then a great favourite.:—
PaaS : “Jesus, at Thy command,
= Se ee We launch into the deep.â€
are The sailors in other ships that they passed
could not make them out. Had they been singing coarse songs, they
would have joined in, but who these hymn-singers were puzzled them
much.
Leaving the river, the ship got out into the channel, anda man-
of-war that was stationed there hailed them with the usual ques-
tions: “What ship is that?†“The Duff.’ “ Whither bound?â€
“ Otaheite.’ “What cargo?†“Missionaries and provisions.†Mis-
sionaries and provisions! what could they be? Such a cargo had
never been heard of before; so thinking perhaps that this answer was
meant to deceive him, the captain of the man-of-war ordered an
officer to take a boat, and board the Duff at once. Pulling alongside, :
the officer clambered up on deck, was met by the Dz/f’s captain, who
showed him his papers, and finding nothing more than a party of
peaceable men and women on board, who were on their way to a far-
B
2 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
away island of the Pacific, the king’s officer could say no more. The
ship was allowed to pass as “all right,’ and went on her voyage to
that distant ocean.
In those days a missionary ship was quite a new thing, and we
must explain how it was that such a vessel was sailing to Otaheite.
Twelve months before, a number of earnest ministers and other good
Christians had joined together to send the gospel to heathen nations.
They founded what at first they called the “ The Missionary Society,â€
but is now known as the London Missionary Society, and on the very
day that they did so (September 25th, 1795), made up their minds to
begin by sending missionaries to Otaheite or some other islands of the
South Seas. Those were the words they used. A hundred years ago
maps were scarce, and what few there were could not tell their owners
what our maps tell us. Much less was known about the world than
is known now. -A school-boy to-day can easily learn more geography
than grown-up people who were fond of books could then. That
accounts for the want of clearness in speaking about the islands.
One thing only was certain, and that was that the first place to which
the newly-formed Society was to
send missionaries was an island of
the South Seas. But why choose
a small.island when large conti-
nents were without the light ?
Partly because those larger lands
were closed against them; partly
{ because the voyages of Captain
j Wallis, Captain Cook, and others,
had aroused much interest in
“Otaheiteâ€â€™ and “other islandsâ€
of the Southern Ocean; partly
because a noble Christian lady,
Selina, Countess of Huntingdon,
was one whose heart was drawn
to those islands, and through her chaplain, Dr. Haweis,. who was a
THE REV. DR. HAWEIS.
-
THE GOOD SHIP “DUFF†AND HER STRANGE CARGO 3
director of the new Society, was led to use her influence on their
behalf. So it was settled: India, China, Japan, Africa, were not yet
open to the servants of Christ, but the islands were OPE and to them
therefore would they send.
The next step was to fix upon a plan for doing this. An offer
from a gentleman named Captain James Wilson made it easy.
Captain Wilson had passed through strange adventures. His father
was captain of a Newcastle collier, and he himself grew up a rough
and reckless sailor-boy. For a time he served as a soldier in the
American war. Then, leaving America, he went to India, became
captain of a vessel, and served the East India Company. After a
time he was taken prisoner by the French, but managed to make his
escape by jumping down from the prison walls, a height not less than
forty feet. It is a wonder that he did not break his legs. In his
flight he came toa river full of alligators, but not knowing anything
about this he plunged in and swam across to the other side. No
alligator had seized him, but when he climbed up from thé river's
bank to some -high ground near, he was seen and again taken
prisoner! not, however, by the French, but by Hyder Ali’s soldiers.
Hyder Ali was at that time fighting against the English; so Wilson
was stripped naked, and with his hands tied behind him, and the
rope held by one of the soldiers, he was driven into camp. When
asked where he had come from he simply told the story of his-escape,
_ but at first was not believed. ‘No mortal man had ever swum
across the Coleroon,†said the chief, “and if he had but dipped his
fingers in its waters, he would have been seized by the alligators.â€
Upon learning, however, that Wilson spoke the truth, they looked
upon him in wonder, and Hyder said: ‘This is God’s man.â€
Still he was a prisoner of war, and was therefore chained to a
common soldier, and driven, naked, barefoot, and wounded, a distance
of 500 miles. He was at length loaded with irons of thirty-two
pounds weight, and thrust into a horrible prison called the Black
Hole ; and, while there, so great at times was the raging of hunger,
that his jaws snapped together of their own’ accord when his scanty
4 ‘ THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
meal was brought to him. Often the dead body of the man who had
been chained to him was unchained from his arm in the morning that
another living sufferer might take its place to die in the same way.
That he should have lived through such misery for twenty-two months
was next toa miracle. But at length the monster Hyder Ali was sub-
dued, and the doors of the Black Hole were thrown open, when—worn
to a skeleton, naked, half-starved, and covered with ulcers — with
thirty-one companions, who alone remained to tell the dismal tale of
their sufferings, Captain Wilson was set free.
Having made enough money to live upon, he resolved to return to Eng
land. With this in view he embarked in the same ship in which the
excellent Mr. Thomas, one of the Baptist missionaries, was returning to
England. Mr. Wilson, who boasted that he did not believe in God, had
frequent disputes with Mr. Thomas, who one day remarked to the chief
officer of the vessel that he should have much more hope of converting
the Lascars to Christianity than Captain Wilson. But what man can-
not do God can, and at length, by a series of most interesting incidents,
he was induced to abandon his unbelief and became an eminent and
devoted Christian. After some years of quiet life at home a copy
of the Evangelical Magazine, announcing the purpose of sending mis-
sionaries to the South Seas, fell into his hands and at once set him
thinking that here was work God was giving him todo. He resolved
that if his services were either needful or acceptable, he would give
up ease and embark once more upon the stormy ocean.
Captain Wilson offered to take charge of any ship that the Society
might buy, and init convey the missionaries to their far distant home..
In these days of rapid travel there is neither difficulty nor hardship in
reaching the Pacific. A voyage by steamer to Australia, a second by
another steamer to the special group of islands to which he is bound,
or a short passage to America, a railway journey across the prairies,
followed by a second voyage from San Francisco, and in a few short
weeks a missionary is at his work. But a hundred years ago it was
very different. The cnly way in which missionaries could be taken to
Otaheite was by buying a special vessel, and sending them out in that..
THE GOOD SHIP “DUFF†AND HER .STRANGE CARGO 5
Accepting Captain Wilson's noble offer, the directors bought the good
ship Duff, the first missionary ship that ever sailed the seas, for a sum
of £4,800, while a further sum of £5,000 was expended in fitting her
out with all needful supplies. That was before the days of Sunday
schools. It was to the general public, not to the children, that the
directors looked for help in collecting the money ; but so heartily did
people take up the scheme, that the money came pouring in from all
quarters. The name of Captain Wilson did much to win support; but
besides this, deep interest was felt by many in the novel undertaking.
To us, sending missionaries to the heathen has become almost a matter
of course, but to our grandfathers and great-grandfathers it was quite
.a new thing. Most people laughed at the idea. It seemed to them the
veriest “‘ wild-goose chase.†‘Why trouble oneself about South Sea
Island savages?’ said they. ‘‘The chances are that the missionaries
will be killed and eaten at a cannibal feast, while as for converting
such people, the thing is impossible.†Others thought it wrong even to
attempt this. ‘If God wishes to convert them,†they said, “He will do
‘it without our aid.†On the other hand,many were full of hope about
the plan; above all, they felt that the command of Jesus Christ was
clear and must be obeyed. ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the
gospel to every creature,†Christ had said, and yet the greater part of
the world had never heard the gospel. ‘“ Wehave neglected them too
long,†said the earnest ones; “ let us now be up and doing.â€
So, on August roth, 1796, a party of thirty missionaries embarked
at Gravesend. While Captain Wilson and his friends had been busy
preparing the ship, others had been at work all over the country re-
ceiving offers of service from those willing to go. There had been a
stirring farewell meeting the evening before in the Haberdasher’s
Hall, in the city of London, at which they were commended to the
loving care of the Lord of the Harvest, in whose name they were
setting forth. In that party of missionaries there were men of “all
sorts.†Four of the thirty were ministers; the rest belonged to various
trades. There were six carpenters, two shoemakers, two bricklayers,
two tailors, two smiths, two weavers, a surgeon, a hatter, a shop-
6 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
keeper, a cotton manufacturer, a cabinet maker, a draper, a harness
maker, a gentleman’s servant who had become a tin-worker, a cooper,
and a butcher.. Only.six of them were married. There were also
three children.
This was the missionary party that sailed down the Thames as
described on the first page.
Otaheite, to which they were bound, is the principal island of what
the Third, in. whose reign Captain
Wallis of H.M.S. Dolphin landed. and
hoisted the British flag, the Georgian,
but more commonly, the Society group.
It was discovered by a Spaniard in |
1606, and was visited, not only by
Captain Wallis but also by Captain
Bligh in the Bowszty, and also several
times by Captain Cook between the
years 1769 and 1778. The island lies
in 17°45’ S. lat., and 149° 30’ W. long.,
is thirty-five miles long, and consists
of two peninsulas. Captain Cook
called it by its native name Otaheite,
or O Tahiti. The O, however, is no
real part of the name, and was soon dropped.t| A smaller island,
Moorea, or Eimeo,? is situated about ten miles from the mainland.
Tahiti is well known now, and is much admired by all who visit it
as one of the loveliest spots ever seen. Travellers of all nations join
in its praise. Its beauty is most striking. The island is of volcanic
origin, and its lofty sharply-cut mountain peaks, its deep thickly
1 The OQ is an article used before proper nouns. For’ instance, the natives speak
of O Beritani = (Great) Britain, and O Viriamu = (John) Williams.. When Captain
Cook and others asked the name of the island, the reply was “ O Tahiti,†and this mis-
led them.
? So called in all the earlier records, but on what authority is unknown, Its only
native name is Moorea.
is sometimes called, after King George
THE GOOD SHIP “DUFF†AND HER STRANGE CARGO - 7
wooded valleys, and its rich fruits and beautiful flowers make it quite
a gem of the ocean. Many additions have been made to what were
found in the island when Europeans first settled there, and to-day
bananas, oranges, cocoa-nuts, bread-fruit trees, yams, sweet potatoes,
sugar-cane, pine-apples, and many other fruits abound. A coral reef
serves as a breakwater, and shuts out the swell of the Pacific. Inside
the reef the water is as quiet and smooth as a lake.
The natives belong to the light-skinned branch of the Malayo-
Polynesian race, a people who have spread over many parts of the world,
and are to be found in the Malayan Archipelago, in many parts.
of the Pacific, in New Zealand, and, strangest of all, in the far distant
island of Madagascar. Visitors to Tahiti are always struck with
the merry, light-hearted, laughing, rollicking character of the inhabi~_
tants. They are an easy-going, good-tempered folk. This: has its.
pleasant side, but, on the other hand, has made them morally weak and.
vicious... In the daysof their barbarism they were about as corrupt
and impure in thought, speech, and conduct as any nation ever heard.
of ; and even to-day, in the ports, there is gross vice and wickedness-
But we are going too fast, and must return to the Duff and her
strange cargo. It was not until the 23rd of September that she actually
started on her voyage. She had been detained for three weeks at
Spithead, waiting for a British man-of-war to see her safely out of the
reach of French frigates, for England and France. being then at war
with each other, it was not safe for a ship to sail alone. A week later
she had got far enough away to do this, so she parted from the man-
of-war and steered for Rio Janeiro, the capital of Brazil, in South
America, which she reached in seven weeks. After a stay of a week
she again set sail. Captain Wilson intended to take her to the Pacific
by the nearer route round Cape Horn. Once round that terrible
Cape, he would have steered to the west, and reached Tahiti in three ,
or four weeks; but so fierce were the gales he met with that his plan
had to be given up, and, turning the ship’s head, the longer voyage to
the east taken instead. This added seven thousand miles to the dis-
tance. For ninety-seven days the Duff sailed on over the dreary
8 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
waste of waters, seeing neither land nor ship. How weary all on
board became! How eagerly did they long for the sight of land!
‘One evening the captain bade them be of good cheer, for if the wind
changed a little during the night, he thought they would be near an
island the next morning. The captain was right, and as soon as
CAPTAIN COOK’S VESSELS AT ANCHOR.
it began to grow light the following day there came the welcome cry
from the man at the masthead: “ Land, O!†The land proved to be
Tubuai, one of the Austral Islands; so passing it the Duff still
- Sailed northwards until, on Saturday, March 4th, the lofty peaks of
Tahiti came in sight, and the hearts of all were made glad. The next
morning, which was Sunday, the ship entered Matavai Bay, on the
THE GOOD SHIP “DUFF†AND HER STRANGE CARGO 9
north side of the island, and dropping her anchor, ended her long and
‘wearying voyage. That was a red-letter day in the history of missions,
a day to be held in grateful memory to the end of time.
As soon as she came to anchor the ship was surrounded by natives.
THE ‘* DUFF†IN THE PACIFIC.
Some in canoes, some simply swimming, they swarmed about her, and
were speedily climbing up on to her deck. They were not in the least
afraid; indeed, being now used to the visits of foreign vessels, they
had come bringing pigs, fowls, fish, and fruit, which they offered for
Io - THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
sale in exchange for knives, axes, and other things they liked. But
as it was Sunday no one would buy. Chattering, laughing, and danc-
ing, they roamed all over the vessel, seemed to feel quite at home, and
took great interest in all they saw. The missionaries held Sunday
service on deck. This seemed greatly to surprise and amuse their
heathen visitors, who, of course, were quite unable to understand what
they were doing. The singing was the only part of the service that
seemed to impress them: that they evidently enjoyed. The hymn the
Englishmen sang was the one that begins with the verse:
“Over the gloomy. hills of darkness,
Look, my soul, be still and gaze ;
‘All the promises do travail
With a glorious day of grace!
Blessed jubilee,
Let thy glorious morning dawn.â€
The hearts of those Christian men and women were full to overflowing.
For many months: they had been looking forward to that day and
daily praying for its arrival, whilst slowly sailing more than half-
way round the earth At last they were off Tahiti, face to face
with the people they were to teach the way of salvation. With
gratitude to their loving Father, who had had them in His safe keep-
ing, with a yearning desire to lead these degraded, ignorant islanders
to His feet, with inward fears, perhaps, as the difficulties of their task
became clearer to their minds, they poured forth both praise and
prayer, thanking God for His many mercies, and beseeching Him to
bless and “ establish the work of their hands.†,
Two Swedish sailors, Peter and Andrew by name, who were able
to speak both English and Tahitian, coming off in a canoe, it became
possible to let the natives know for what purpose the Dzjff had come.
One of these Swedes had been shipwrecked on Tahiti, the other had
been left there by a passing vessel. Though white men, they were
living just as the natives lived. Several chiefs had come on board. .
One of them, an old man to whom the others paid much respect, named
Haamanemane, was of high rank and great power. He was an aged
THE GOOD SHIP “DUFF†AND HER STRANGE CARGO 11
chief of the neighbouring island of Raiatea, and high priest to the
idol gods of Tahiti. In writing home the missionaries often had some-
thing to say. about this old man. He was very anxious to make
Captain Wilson his “ taio,â€â€™ or special friend. This was a custom in
Tahiti. People chose one another as friends, made presents to them,
and looked for presents in return. Haamanemane thought that the
captain of a ship would be a friend of the right sort, from whom he
would easily obtain many useful gifts. To humour him, Captain
Wilson agreed, and became his “ taio.’ With the help of Peter the
Swede and Haamanemane, messages were sent to the king and queen,
and arrangements made for a formal landing. This took place on
Tuesday, March 7th, though Captain Wilson and one or two of the
missionaries had been on shore the day before. A large crowd awaited
the party, the king and queen being among them. As the boat neared
the shore some of the natives rushed into the water, seized the boat,
and hauled her aground; then, taking the captain and missionaries
on their backs, carried them dry to the beach. The king and queen
were riding on men’s shoulders, as they always did when out of their
own abode. Whenever they left their house they were carried, and in
changing from the shoulders of one man to another were not allowed
to touch the ground. The reason for that was very simple. All land
that they touched became their own, and as their people did not wish
to lose their lands or houses, they were willing to carry them about.
The king welcomed the new comers. He and his people were greatly
pleased to learn -that these white visitors had come to stay. We
may be sure that they hoped themselves to be the gainers, that
they would often be able to beg and steal, and their island grow
richer at the white men’s expense. Then, knowing already how
much wiser and more skilful than themselves the white men they
had seen were, perhaps some of the more thoughtful natives expected
to profit by this wisdom, and make it their own. But there was one
thing they, at that time, knew nothing about. They did not know
that it was from a desire to lead them to God, to bring them “out of
darkness into light,’ and to make them “new creatures in Christ
12 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
Jesus,†that these strangers had left their homes and come so far. For
the present that was hidden from their eyes.
To show his goodwill and pleasure, the king, through Haamane-
mane, the high priest, granted to the missionaries the use of a large
and roomy -house, and also handed over to them the whole district of
Matavai in which they had landed. The house was 108 feet long by -
48 feet broad. It had been built by the king for Captain Bligh, of the
Bounty, on his visit a few years before, and was called Fare Beritani,
z.e. British House. A few days later this grant of land was formally
ratified, and the event was afterwards made the subject of a painting,
an engraving of which appears on the opposite page. Thus the mission
in Tahiti, the first of many which the London Missionary Society has
had the honour and joy of founding, was fairly begun.
The first week was a busy one, for the house had to be got ready,
‘boxes to be landed, and many things to be done, but by Saturday,
March 11th, exactly a week from the day they first sighted the island,
the missionaries’ wives and children were taken on shore to spend
‘their first night in Tahiti. They were rowed to land in the largest
boat the ship had, anda very large crowd had gathered on the beach
to see them land. For the first time in their lives the natives saw
white women and white boys and girls. They were greatly delighted.
At first the king and queen were afraid to come near or to speak to
the women, but after a time went with them into their house. The
crowd remained outside, and every now and then shouted out a request
that the ladies and children might be brought to the door for them to
have another peep at them.
The king Otu, his wife Idia, and his father, Pomare, went in their
canoe to visit the ship nearly every day. Pomare was very fond of
eating and drinking. Once when he dined with the captain he ate the
whole of a fowl and two pounds of boiled pork, besides drinking a great
deal of wine. The wine was poured down his throat by his servants.
He was also a very greedy man, and untruthful. When he made
presents it was always with the hope of getting larger ones in return.
‘The first day he went to the ship he took with him four large pieces
CEDING MATAVAI TO THE MISSION,
(From an old engraving.)
13
14 THE STORY OF THE..SOUTH SEAS
of cloth, made of bark, and wrapped them round ‘the captain, also four
more as a present from his wife. .A few days afterwards he came
again with another piece of cloth, but bringing also-a large chest.
The captain knew that Pomare meant him to fill this chest with pre-
sents, but pretending not to know, asked him what it was for. Pomare
felt ashamed to tell the truth, so made an excuse, and ‘said that the
lock wanted mending. “ Take it back to the shore then,†said Captain
Wilson, ‘‘‘and one of the missionaries, who is a blacksmith, will mend
it for you.†Poor Pomare was in a fix, but at length, with a smile,
confessed: “It is for the presents that you will give to me and my
wife. “Will you take it to your cabin, that my people may not see
what I receive.†In the cabin he asked for ten:axes, five shirts, eight
looking-glasses, six pairs of scissors, six knives, fifty nails, and five
combs for himself, and the same number for his wife, besides an iron
pot, a:razor, and a blanket ‘for his own especial-use. The captain gave
him all these things, and locked them safely in the box (for there was
nothing wrong with the lock), but as he walked about the ship Pomare
saw many other things that he wanted, nor was he too modest to beg
for them.
Captain Wilson was much cheered by his success, and leaving
eighteen missionaries in Tahiti, went on in the Duff to other islands.
He was absent three months, during which he visited the Friendly
Islands, and landed ten missionaries on Tongatabu, an island of that
group. There the islanders laid.a plot to seize his ship’and murder ~
all on board. One night, when the weather was thick, four natives
paddled -off in a:canoe, intending to cut the ship’s cable, ‘so that
she might be wrecked upon the reef, which was only half a mile
astern.. But they kept quiet, at.a distance from ithe Duff; until
midnight, no doubt’ fancying that they. had not ‘been ‘observed.
Happily, however, in ‘this they were mistaken. Through the gloom
the man on ‘watch had caught sight of the canoe. . The crew there-
upon prepared ‘to receive the visitors ina way they didnot expect.
For this purpose ‘a number of cocoa-nut husks were piled up at the
ship’s bow, -and ‘sentinels with quick ‘eyes and brawny arms were
THE GOOD SHIP “DUFF†AND HER STRANGE CARGO 15
stationed there, eagerly awaiting the expected visit. Bending down,
- and watching in silence, at length they saw the canoe begin to
“move towards the Duff stealthily and softly, like a crouching tiger.
On came the savages, nearer and nearer to the ship, thinking all
the time that they were unseen, until the canoe was under the bow,.
and they were within reach of the cable. Instantly the signal was
given to the sailors; up they sprang, and poured down a terrible
volley of hard husks upon the unshielded heads and naked bodies of
the natives. Though more frightened than hurt, the next moment
these all jumped overboard, swimming for their lives, and leaving the
canoe a prize to the conquerors.. The issue was amusing; but had
these men cut the cable, it was Captain Wilson's opinion that nothing
could have saved the ship.
From Tongatabu the Duff went to the Marquesas Isles, which lie
to the north-east of Tahiti, and having surveyed several of these,
‘and placed one missionary on shore, returned to Tahiti. Captain
Wilson’s intention was to leave two missionaries in the Marquesas,
but one of them,.it is sad to record, lost heart, and refused to
stay. Nothing daunted, his companion, a noble young fellow of
thorough missionary spirit, resolved to remain alone. He trusted in
God, and God was with him. First at Santa Christina in the Mar-
quesas group, subsequently in Tahiti, this young man—Mr. Crook—
did good service for his Master, and as the earliest example of a man
willing for Christ’s sake to live alone among barbarous idolaters in a
small island, his name deserves to be held in esteem.
A nine days’ voyage brought the ship back in safety to Matavai
Bay, and it was a joy alike to those on board and those on shore to
meet once more and report all well. The natives had been friendly,
the supply of food ample for all needs, and the health of the entire
party all that could be wished. Captain Wilson therefore decided to
land the iron, tools, and general supplies for the mission he had
brought out with him, and then set sail on his homeward journey.
While this work was in progress, his nephew, Mr: W. Wilson, who
had come out from England with him, made a tour of the island. A
16 me THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
month thus passed, and then bidding one another an affectionate fare-
well, the missionaries parted from their kind and honoured friend, the
captain, whose face they never saw again. Dr. Graham, the doctor of
the mission, made up his mind to return to England. The rest settled
down to their new life, and prepared themselves for the serious tasks
that awaited them. As the Duff sailed away and slowly faded from
their sight, they felt cut off from the outside world, and cast upon the-
guidance, protection, and support of their Heavenly Father. Captain
Wilson first coasted along the picturesque island of Huahine, then:
made for Tongatabu, where he spent nearly three weeks with the
missionaries he had stationed there, and finally sailed for Canton in’
search of a cargo. Successful in this, he returned in safety to the
Thames, in which he came to anchor on July 11th, 1798, a little less
than two years from the date of his departure for “‘ Otaheite.†‘‘We
have not,†writes Mr. W. Wilson, the captain’s nephew, who compiled
an account of the voyage, ‘‘lost a single individual; we have hardly
ever had a sick-list; we landed every missionary in perfect health;
and every seaman returned to England as well as on the day he em-
barked.†So ended the first voyage of the first missionary ship.’
1 “The return of the Duf was hailed by thousands with gratitude and delight. In,
London and elsewhere special services were held to render public thanks to Him
whom wind and waves obey; and it was immediately resolved again to equip and
send forth the good ship upon another errand of mercy to the same promising sphere
of labour. Many earnest men offered their service as missionaries; and an appeal
from the Directors met with such a response, that money and stores came pouring in
upon them from all parts of the country. As good Captain Wilson’s health would not
permit him to undertake this second voyage, he was succeeded by one of the officers
of the ship, Captain Robson. So prompt and energetic were the preparations, that on
_ the 19th of December, 1798, the Dug, with about thirty missionaries for Tongatabu,
the Marquesas, the Society, the Samoan, and the Fiji Islands, under the convoy of
the Amphion frigate, set sail from Spithead.â€â€”JA@zsstonary Ships.
The second voyage proved as disastrous as the first had been prosperous, for on
February 19th, 1799, when off the coast of South America, the Du fell an easy prey
to the French privateer, the Buonaparte, and was taken into Monte Video as a prize.
After enduring many privations, the missionaries eventually got back to England.
CHAPTER II.
“THE NIGHT OF TOIL.â€
“ Dark places of the earth . . . full of the habitations of cruelty.â€
OR a time all went smoothly with the
missionary party at Matavai. Pomare,
the king’s father, Otu, the king, Haa-
manemane, the high-priest, Paitia, the chief
of the district, and other men of island
renown, vied with each other in showing
friendliness and in liberally supplying
them with such food as the island pro-
duced. . As soon, therefore, as the mis-
eel et ,
rte eee ent Sm
AN pe Minti es | sionaries had made their house comfort-
IN een SPCR EC Lede ie ‘ .
iN wor RR Ar Re able, they began in different ways to fulfil
i Beko ofa in their mission, some at the bench and the
Mey < e pape m| forge, others by attempts to learn the
language. The former could begin at
once. When the Tahitians saw them use
their carpenters’ tools, cut with a saw eight or ten boards from one
tree—two being the largest number they had ever been able to obtain
themselves—they were loud in their praises of the skill of the work-
men. When from these boards they made tables, chests and other
articles of furniture, their delight increased, and they hung around
watching, and chattering to each other, their faces beaming with
surprise and pleasure. Their pleasure and surprise were greatly
increased when to other tasks that of building a boat twenty feer
long and of six tons burden was added. Day by day they watched its
progress with keen interest. But what amazed them most was the
17 Cc
18 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
blacksmith’s shop, and their first insight into the mysteries of anvil
and forge. They had long been acquainted with the uses of iron,
having procured some from a neighbouring island, where it had been
obtained from a Dutch vessel that had been wrecked; but they had no
idea how it was worked. When, therefore, the heated iron was ham-
mered on the anvil, and the sparks flew among them, they fancied it
was spitting at them, and were frightened, as they also were by the
hissing caused by plunging it into the water trough; yet great was
their delight to see the bar of iron turned into hatchets, adzes, fishing
spears, and hooks. Pomare, entering one day when the blacksmith
was. busy at the forge, after staring in silent amazement for a time,
was so impressed by what he saw, that he caught up the smith in his
arms,.all dirty and hot as he was, hugged him fondly, and rubbed
noses with him.
While some of the missionaries were thus occupied with useful arts
which at once won the hearts of the natives, others explored the sur-
rounding district, planted the seeds they had brought with them from
England, and sought to gain a mastery of the language. This was a
difficult thing to do, for they had no books to aid them—even the al-
phabet had not yet been formed; nor had they any competent teacher.
Peter, the Swede, knew a little, and could interpret their wishes,
but he was a man of low education and bad character, and therefore,
in some ways, more of a hindrance thana help. The natives them-
selves were the most useful teachers, for, being fond of talking, they
would patiently repeat words, tell the names of things the missionaries
touched, correct their mistakes, and try to make themselves under-
stood. But, though gradually adding to their knowledge of words
and construction, it was not for several years that the missionaries
saw their way to settle how to write the language, fix its alphabet,
and so, for the first time, reduce to writing one of the many different
tongues which South Sea Islanders speak.
In the meantime important changes had occurred. Friendliness
on the part of chiefs, and even on the part of the people, did not check
their evil habits. They looked with wonder upon their foreign
“THE NIGHT OF TOIL†, 19
neighbours, but mingled with wonder were thoughts and feelings of
another sort. They were terrible thieves, from the king downwards.
His servants were obliged to steal as a part of their daily duty. And
others were like them. One day the clothes of a missionary were
stolen while he was bathing. The thief was caught, brought to the
house, and chained to a pillar with a padlock; but he managed to
get away, and, clever rogue that he was, stole the padlock by which
he had been made fast. Seeing that the missionaries had so many
more things than they had themselves, the people began to carry off
all that they could lay hands on, and even went the length of digging
holes underneath the walls of their shops, and right through to the
inside, in this way making a passage by which they could “ break
through and steal.†Clothing, tools, anything and everything made of
iron, were the greatest attraction ; but the culprits were not over-nice
in their choice, and it was only by keeping a very strict look-out that
the missionaries were able to retain any.of their property. There
was also.a threat to attack them. Even Peter, the Swede, was found
plotting against them, and their troubles grew thicker as the days
went on. So sad at heart did this make them that in March, 1798, a
year from the date of their landing, more than half of them left the
island in a passing vessel that called, and on reaching Sydney gave |
up the work.
The rest, however, held bravely on, though their faith and patience
were sorely tested. It was two years after they left home before they
received their first letters. That was but one of many trials they
had to-undergo. By no means the least of these was found in the
. terrible nature of Tahitian heathenism. As this became more clear
to the missionaries, their hearts were filled with grief and horror.
There was one god who was supposed to protect thieves; and when
they were going to steal, they often promised to give him part of
what they should get. A man who had been stealing a pig in the .
night would bring a piece of its tail to Hiro next morning and say:
‘Here is a piece of the pig I stole last night; but don’t tell anybody.†©
There was a large stone in the island, behind which they said Hiro
20 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
hid himself when he was caught stealing, and was ashamed. With
such a god, no wonder that the people were thieves. Then the mis-
sionaries found out that many cruel customs prevailed, especially the -
killing of infants, and the offering of human sacrifices to Oro, the
chief god of war.. War was supposed to be the favourite pursuit of
this deity. Nothing gave him such pleasure as the sight and smell
of blood. Victims laid at his feet were always besmeared with their
own blood, for only when thus presented would Oro accept them.
When war was about to be undertaken, the first act was to offer a
human sacrifice to Oro. The image of the god was brought out, the
victim slain and presented, anda red feather taken from the idol
given to the offerers, who carried it in triumph to their companions,
as the symbol of Oro’s favour and sanction to the fight. During the
war similar sacrifices were made, the number being fixed by the
importance of the undertaking in hand, or by the strength of the
enemy’s forces... Another special ceremony was the building of a
house. for the gods and spirits, who were supposed to be fighting on
their side, to live in. The work was begun and the house completed in
a single day, which was sacred to the one task of building it. Nobody
was allowed to touch food, no fire was lighted, no canoe launched
until the work was finished ; and at the foot of the central pillar the
body of a man offered in sacrifice was laid. Into this house the
images of the spirits and gods were sometimes taken, but more com-
monly they were left undisturbed in their ‘‘maraes†or temples, and
only feathers taken from their images placed in the house.
And what were these images? As a rule, the idols of Tahiti, and
of the Pacific generally, were shapeless pieces of wood, from one to
four or more feet long, covered with cinet of cocoa-nut fibre, and
adorned with yellow or scarlet feathers. Oro was a straight log of
hard casuarina wood, six feet in length, uncarved, but decorated with
- feathers. The supreme deity of the island was Taaroa, the creator
of the world, the former and father of gods and men. His image, to-
gether with many another Polynesian god, has long been a trophy in
the museum of the London Missionary Society, and is now exhibited
“THE. NIGHT OF TOIL†— ve 7 21
aS a permanent loan from that Society in one of the galleries of the
British Museum. It is nearly four feet high, and twelve or. fifteen
inches broad, carved out of a solid piece of close, white, hard wood.
His face and body are studded with small figures intended to symbol-
ise the multitudes of divine and human beings he has made. His
body is hollow, the back being in facta door; and when the image -
was taken away from the temple at Rurutu, in which for many
generations Taaroa had been worshipped, a number of small idols
were found lying in the hollow. Most likely they had ‘been placed
there in order to receive supernatural powers before removal to some
new shrine.
The object of man’s worship affects the thoughts, feeling, and
character of the worshipper, and such gods as those described could
not but darken and degrade the Tahitian mind. “Verily the dark
places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty ;†and though
charming to the eye and marked by beautiful scenery, these jewels of
the Southern Seas were the home of gross ignorance and barbarity.
Adult murder was sometimes heard of; many were slain in war,
others were, as already stated, offered in sacrifice; but the sum total
of deaths from these causes combined was altogether over-balanced
by those who were killed while young. The practice of slaying in-
fants was general through the South Seas. A few weeks after the
_ tnissionaries landed Pomare’s own wife killed her baby, and was very
angry when they let her know that this grieved them. Whether
they liked it or not, she said, she should follow the custom of her
country. As a matter of course, without shame or any attempt to
hide the deed, children were destroyed at the birth. Writing many
years later, Mr. Ellis+ states that the early missionaries reckoned, and
later research had confirmed the correctness of their figures, that not
less ‘than two-thirds of the children born were killed by their own
parents. In many homes the first three infants were killed. Of
twins one was always slain. In the largest families only two or three
children were to be found, while the numbers that were made away
1“ Polynesian Researches,†vole i., p. 251 ff.
OFFERING A IITUMAN SACRIFICE, (/vom an old engraving.)
“THE NIGHT OF TOIL†23
with were twice or three times as many as those that were spared.
At the end of thirty years’ service as a missionary Mr. Nott gave as
his experience that he had not known a single mother brought up in
the old heathen customs who had not been guilty of baby killing.
But we will not further enlarge upon such horrible and unnatural
conduct. It sprang from the evil that belongs to heathenism. The
matriage tie was a very loose one, and husbands and wives often left
one another; many men had several wives; and men and women
alike had no rule of life-but their own selfish desires.
Struggling with the difficulties of a language that had never been
put into writing, face to face with corrupt and enslaving idolatry,
compelled to witness scenes and hear sounds that filled them with
sorrow and many misgivings, the band of missionaries faithfully
toiled on. In 1800 the building of a chapel was commenced with the
king’s consent, and Messrs. Nott and Jefferson soon began to give
public addresses. This was the first building ever erected on a South
Sea Island for the worship of the living God. When it was nearly
finished Pomare sent.a fish as an offering. to Jesus Christ, requesting
that it might be hung up in the building, so little did he understand
its true character. Two or three small schools were also started. A
year or two later some of the missionaries took a tour round the island,
and visited all the different villages. They were received with hospi-
tality, and Mr. Nott preached to about three thousand people. But
fighting between rival chiefs was frequent, and many of the islanders
were in great distress, yet the efforts of missionaries to bring the
strife to a peaceful end seemed in vain.
-In the meantime they had been anxiously awaiting the return of
the Duff with letters, supplies, and more missionaries. At the end of
1799 a ship called, from which they heard of her capture, and it was
not until July, 1801, that they were cheered by the arrival of the Royal
Admiral, the vessel which the directors had chartered in her place.
The same ship that brought them the disappointing tidings about the
Duff carried also a letter telling them that three of their brethren
on Tongatabu had been murdered, that the rest had been obliged to
24 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
flee, and that the mission. there was broken up. In after years the
work was begun once more, and under the Wesleyans, carried on with
success ; but for a time Tonga seemed closed against. the gospel.
By the year 1805 the brethren in Tahiti knew enough about the
language to enable them to settle how to write it, and to prepare
a reading primer; they had also made a small vocabulary. - Still
they were in the greatest difficulty. None of the natives seemed to
care for the message of salvation, while, owing to war between
Great Britain and France, no letters or boxes of clothes and pro-
visions reached them. or five years they had neither! Indeed, it
looked as if the first mission of the London Missionary Society were
about to end in complete failure. Some catechisms and spelling books
-had been prepared, and were sent to England to be printed. But in
1808 war again broke out between King Pomare and other chiefs,
‘whereupon about half of the remaining missionaries left Tahiti,
thinking it useless any longer to stay. To make matters wor Se,
-Pomare was defeated, and the rest of the missionaries, who had taken
refuge in the camp, fled to the neighbouring island of Moorea for safety.
The mission buildings at Matavai were then burnt by the rebels, their
gardens and plantations were destroyed, their cattle seized, and all the
property which they had been unable to carry away with them was
stolen. Some of the brethren left Moorea for Huahine, where others
had previously gone, and there carried on work for a time; but most
of them sailed for Sydney on the first opportunity. Several then gave
up the work. Mr. Nott, however, remained with Pomare. Mr. Hay-.-
ward also joined him from Huahine.
The night was at its darkest in 1810. Seeming\y all the efforts put
forth had been in vain. But it was not so. “Be not weary in well-
doing; for in due season ye shall reap, if ye faint not.’ So wrote the
Apostle Paul, and his words are true for all ages. In 1811 the first
streaks of dawn began to appear. Mr. Bricknell, who had been to
England, returned to Australia, bringing a wife with him. He also
brought four ladies, three of whom soon married missionaries: These
then went back to Moorea, and by the beginning of 1812 there were in
“THE NIGHT OF TOIL†25
the island Mr. Nott, Mr. and Mrs. Bricknell, Mr. and Mrs. Hayward,
Mr. and Mrs. Davies, Mr. and Mrs. Scott, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, and
Mr. Henry. Not-only was there a good staff of workers, but the work
‘itself was about to grow greatly. The night of toil was ending; the
dawn of a new day was about to set in.
CHAPTER III.
THE OVERTHROW OF IDOLATRY.
“ And the tdols He shall utterly abolish.â€
ING Pomarg, that is Otu, son of Pomare I.,
more generally known as Pomare II., was
in trouble. As we have seen, many of his
subjects were in open revolt against him,
and as an exile from his own island he was
living in Moorea. His troubles softened his heart.
To begin with, the idols in which he had put his
trust had failed him. His enemies had proved
stronger than he. Then, as the result of frequent
talks with Mr. Nott and other missionaries, he had
begun to grasp the real meaning of Christian truth.
Their friendship for him had also impressed him.
Gradually his mind was receiving light, and he
PL showed in different ways that he was no longer
bound = his former regard for the gods of his fathers.
The Tahitians looked upon turtles as sacred animals, and before a
turtle was cooked and eaten, it was taken first to the king and then
sent by him to the idol temple to be roasted with sacred fire. In the
spring of 1812 a turtle was caught, and the king’s servants were for
carrying it to the temple as usual; but Pomare called them back, and
told them to cook it in his own oven, just as they cooked other food,
and said that he would have it for his dinner. The servants thought
that he was either out of his mind, or was joking; yet, finding him to
be in earnest, they were obliged to obey. As the king eat the turtle,
the servants and others stood round in great terror, expecting him to
be seized with a fit, or to drop down dead. Pomare asked them to join
£6
THE OVERTHROW OF IDOLATRY 27
him at the feast, boldly telling them that the gods could do them no
harm ; but they were all much too frightened to do so, and still ex-
pected to see him punished for his conduct. He was, however, none
the worse for what he had done, and his faith in the power of the idols
was still further weakened.
On the 18th of July, 1812, Pomare had a serious talk with the
missionaries, which filled their hearts with praise to God. He came
to them of his own accord and began in this way: “You do not
know the thought of my heart, nor I yours, but God does.†He then
went on to say that he wished to be baptized, as he had made up his
mind to serve Jehovah and to follow the guidance of Jehovah's
servants, and he finished with the words: “I want you to pray for me.â€
That was welcome news for the missionaries to hear, but they
“rejoiced with trembling.†One of them at once made answer:
“We have never ceased to pray for you, and it would indeed make us
happy to see you give your heart to God. As soon as we feel sure of
this we will gladly baptize you.’ Pomare again fell back upon the
thought that God knew what was in his heart: “You do not know
my heart, nor I yours; but he who made men, knows their hearts and
whether they speak truth ‘or falsehood to each other.†When, how-
ever, the missionaries pointed out to him that it was not the custom to
baptize heathen people until they had first been carefully taught, the
king agreed to wait and to leave it with them to say when they
thought he might be baptized.
But as a token of his earnestness he begged that if he could not be
baptized, he might be allowed to build a large chapel to take the place
of the one they were then using, which was certainly too small. He
said too that he had been speaking to Tamatoa, the king of Raiatea,
and to Tapoa, the leading chief of Raiatea, urging them also to give
up their idols and turn to the living God, but that they had refused,
saying: “You may do as you like; as for us, we mean to keep to
Oro.†Pomare seemed to be thoroughly sincere, and the missionaries
“ thanked God and took courage.†Still they thought it wise to wait
for a time and watch for the signs of a true change of heart. The
28 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
new chapel was hardly begun before Pomare was called back to Tahiti.
Two chiefs came over and told the king that, if he returned, they
would try to get the dispute between him and his people settled, and a
lasting peace secured. When the missionaries heard of this, and saw
Pomare depart, they feared lest he should yield to evil habits once
», Cyaan 2 more and forget his
promise to obey God.
Happily, their fears
were groundless, for the
letters that the king
wrote to them showed
that the Spirit of God
“was working in his
mind and making him
feel that he was a sin-
ner needing pardon at
the hands of his Maker.
He grew anxious also
about the things he had
to do asking. At one
time he had been ready
to kill any one who
made him angry; now
he began to wonder
whether it was right to —
kill even thieves who
had been caught steal-
ing cloth and _ books.
A BRIDE ADORNED FOR HER HUSBAND. Nor did he in any way
try to hide the fact that he had given up faith in idols, and had be-
come a worshipper of Jehovah. Many of his followers laughed at
him for becoming a Christian; others told him in scorn that this was
the cause of all the trouble they were having in the island. The gods
were angry, they said, because he had ceased to treat them with proper
THE OVERTHROW OF IDOLATRY 29
respect. As the missionaries heard of these things they could no
longer doubt that Pomare was a “a new creature in Christ Jesus,â€
that “old things had passed away and all things become new.†The
king had lived a very wicked life in the past: he had been a bad man;
but Christ had come to save sinners, and Pomare was feeling the
power of His grace and love. Not only so; others were coming to
the light. God's faithful servants had thought that their past labours
had all been in vain, but were now learning that they were mistaken,
Their words, and more powerfully still their godly lives, had set many
a Tahitian thinking. They had “sown in tears,†now they were to
“ reap in joy.â€
The people in Moorea, where they were for the time living, were
quite ready to listen to their teaching. Tidings also came over from
Tahiti that there too men were beginning to seek after God. This joy-
ful news made them decide to send two of their number across to see
whether the report was true. Mr. Scott and Mr. Hayward were
chosen for this mission. Landing in Tahiti, they spent the first night
in a native hut. Early in the morning they rose and each walked into
the bush near to find a quiet spot in which to pray. Native houses
had but one room, and privacy was unknown. As Mr. Scott was thus
engaged, to his great surprise he heard the voice of a native speaking
as it seemed to him in prayer. Quietly drawing near to listen, he
heard a Tahitian lifting up heart and voice in praise to the only living
and true God. It was the first time that on Tahiti itself he had heard
a native pray, and tears of joy filled his eyesas helistened. At first he
wanted to rush out and throw his arms around the Tahitian’s neck and
claim him as a Christian brother ; but checking himself, he allowed him
to go away, and then, kneeling down himself, he poured out his soul in
adoration and thanksgiving to the great Father above, whose Spirit had
at last brought a Tahitian to Himself. Afterwards they found out that
this man’s name was Oito (subsequently it was changed to Petero), and
_ that he and another called Tuahine,! who had acted as his teacher,
1 Tuahine became one of the most devoted and useful. of native Christians. He
helped Mr. Nott in his work of translating the Bible into the Tahitian, and afterwards
30 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
both of whom at one time had lived with the missionaries as servants,
were known to have given up idols and many evil habits. Several
more had joined them, until there was quite a band of them, chiefly
lads and young men, who without any missionary to guide them, were
wont to find their way into lonely valleys and woods, and there spend
their Sundays in prayer and quiet talk together about God.
Mr. Scott and Mr. Hayward went round the island of Tahiti preach-
ing the gospel to the people. But before they started they wrote to
their brethren in Moorea, to tell them the joyful tidings about these
young men. ‘Behold he prayeth†were the words with which the
Lord sought to show Ananias that Saul, the persecutor, was a changed
man; and this letter telling of young Tahitians who were praying to
God sent a thrill of gladness through the hearts of good Mr. Nott and
his companions when they received it. For sixteen weary years some
of them had been longing for such a token of God’s presence and
power. ‘Tears of happiness rolled down their cheeks as they read the
cheering words. God had heard their cry, and at last was sending
them the very answer for which they had prayed. After their tour of
the island the two missionaries went back to Moorea; and as Tahiti
was a very wicked place and greatly disturbed with rumours of war,
and as they wished to give their newly-found converts fuller teaching
and guidance, they asked them to return with them to Moorea and
there attend school. Tuahine, Oito and the rest were only too glad to
follow this good advice, and so the entire party set sail.
Very soon after this a great move forward was made. For some
time the missionaries had known that there were a good many of the
natives who were desirous of turning from ‘‘dumb idols†to serve the
living God, and they thought of a plan by which they might find out
who they were. The chapel which Pomare had ordered to be built
was ready for opening, and although the king himself was in Tahiti
and could not join in the opening services, it was set apart for the
worship of God on Sunday, July 25, 1813. The missionaries had
did the same for Mr. Williams. He was for many years Mr. Williams’s right hand at
Raiatea. § -_
THE OVERTHROW OF IDOLATRY 31
built a small chapel for their own use soon after their arrival at Mata-
vai, and of course had always kept up Sunday services, to which some
of the natives came, but the chapel at Moorea was the first ever raised
in the South Seas for native use. There are hundreds of such chapels
all over the Pacific to-day connected with the different missionary
societies which are at work there; but that at Moorea, built by the ex-
press desire of Pomare II., was the first ; and although many later ones
NATIVES FISHING.
would put it to shame for size, style, and appearance, its honour is all
its own.
. On the day of opening, at the close of the evening service, Mr. Davies
gave notice that a meeting would be held the next morning for all who
were willing to cast away their idols. These were specially invited to
come and have their names written down ina book.: Forty natives
came on the Monday morning. After singing and prayer, Mr. Nott
gave them an address explaining yet more fully what the object of the
32 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
meeting was, and why they wanted them to give up idolatry and
boldly show that they had done so. ' Each native was spoken to per-
sonally, and thirty-one of them agreed to have their names recorded.
Among the first of these were Tuahine and Oito. Others said that
they no longer trusted in idols, indeed that they had given them up,
but that they did not wish to have their names written down. The
thirty-one were asked to come together often for further teaching, and
thus the foundation was laid for a South Sea Island Christian Church.
Eleven others soon joined the thirty-one, among them being the young
chief of Huahine, and another man, who, as chief priest of Huahine,
had been one of the chief pillars of idolatry.
A few months later,on January 16th, 1814, one of the greatest:
enemies of the gospel died. This was Idia,the king’s mother. She
had always: been friendly to the missionaries themselves, but was
bitterly opposed to their teaching. Heathen thought, heathen worship,
heathen customs were her delight, and her power over the people was
very great. Her death made a great difference to many. While she
lived they had been afraid to confess themselves Christians, but as soon
as she was dead they came out boldly. That same year (1814) Mr.
Nott and Mr. Hayward paid a second visit to Raiatea, Huahine, and
Borabora. They had been there once already, but that was several
years before. A change was now manifest. Then they had sown the
seed of truth, but the ground was hard, and none of the seed seemed to
spring up. They had great difficulty too in getting hearers. - On their |
second visit they were received -with marked interest and favour.. The
Raiateans and their neighbours gladly came together to hear them, and
listened to them with the greatest willingness and attention.. Indeed
it was becoming clearer every day that the islanders at length were
beginning to understand and care for that message of mercy and love,
of goodness and truth, which the missionaries had come so far to de-
liver. Later on in the same year, after Mr. Nott and Mr. Hayward
had gone away, a brig, which had on board as one of its passengers
another of the missionaries named Wilson, drifted to Raiatea, Tahaa,
and Huahine,.and was kept among these islands for three months by
THE OVERTHROW OF IDOLATRY 33
contrary winds. Mr. Wilson thus had a grand opportunity for preach-
ing to the people. Large crowds of people gathered to hear him.
Pomare was on board the same vessel and added his influence to that
of the missionary in an endeavour to persuade the islanders to become
Christians.
But we must hurry forward. To relate all the incidents of those
early days would be a pleasure, if we had space in this little book for
such a long story. There are, however, two events that must be
narrated, namely, the burning of idols in Moorea, and the victory of
Pomare over all his foes, followed as this was by his public baptism.
The people of Moorea were more and more anxious to be taught the
Word of God. More than three hundred had now given in their
names, and there was a school with three hundred scholars, most of
whom were grown-up people. These met every day. None had as
yet been baptized ; indeed Pomare was unwilling to have any of them
baptized before himself. That was selfish on his part. After an
absence of two years he had returned to Moorea; but while in some
ways a convert to Christianity, he did not fully satisfy the mission-
aries, so they still waited.
Just.then a wonderful thing took place. This was in the year
1815. Coming home one evening along the sea-shore after a visit to
a chief, to whom with his people he had been-preaching, Mr. Nott was
followed by a priest named Patii, who had charge of the idol temple
in the district of Moorea in which the missionaries were then living.
This priest had been listening to Mr. Nott’s sermon, and now seemed
anxious to speak to himabout something. To the missionary’s great
surprise Patii said: “To-morrow evening I shall burn the idols under
my care.†Mr. Nott made answer: “I am afraid you are jesting
with me. You know that we wish to have the idols burned, and you
speak thus because you think it will please me. I can scarcely
believe what you'say.†“Don’t be unbelieving,’ said Patii, ‘“ wait
till to-morrow, and you shallsee.†After this they talked all the
way home about Jesus Christ and His salvation. When Mr. Nott
met his brethren, he told them of what the priest had said. They
D
34 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
were filled with gladness; at the same time they doubted whether
Patii would dare carry out his purpose, and feared that if he did the
heathen might attack him and the Christians.
Patii, however, meant what he had said, and the next morning, with
the help of some of his friends, was busily occupied collecting wood
near the sea-shore. In the afternoon they split the wood up and then
piled it in a great heap near the temple in which the idols were kept.
By evening a large crowd had gathered together, for everybody
had heard of what the priest was going to do. Missionaries, native
Christians, some of them filled with fear lest the heathen should kill
them, idolaters from the whole district round, and Patii himself
—all were assembled near the heaped-up fuel. Just before sunset
Patii ordered some of his helpers to light the fire. Then, going into the
temple, he brought out the idols. This he had often done before, but
_ fora very different purpose. He had no words of praise for the idols
now, nothing to.ask in their honour. Spreading them in a row, he
stripped off the fine fibre and mats with which they were. bound, and
tore off the red feathers by which they were adorned. Then taking
the idols one by one in his hand and calling out its name, giving a
short history of its supposed power, and saying how sorry he was that
he had ever worshipped such blocks of wood, he threw them one after
another into. the flames. Just as the sun went down the last of
Moorea’s heathen gods was burnt to ashes by the very man who had
een their keeper, but had found out what helpless logs they were.
The heathen were awed. Some of them still thought that the gods
would quickly punish Patit for his wickedness, but most of them felt
convinced that those gods had no power at all. Others followed the
priest's example and burned their own family idols. On the other
hand, many of the heathen grew very bitter. They saw that the
religion of Jesus was becoming strong, and wanted if possible to check
its progress. They began therefore to ill-treat the native Christians,
some of whom lost their lives. One young man died most bravely,
saying to the crowd of angry idolaters who had resolved to offer him
in sacrifice and were thirsting for his blood: ‘‘ You may be allowed
Oramatea
or demoy
fj
i
or demon
Ae ay
iene
eh sh
D He nt
f
Cou S
ie
Sup Ip
Lcd
se
a
ys
POLYNESIAN DEITIES,
35
36 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
to kill my body, but Iam not afraid to die. My. soul you cannot hurt;
Jesus Christ will keep it safely.â€
Sunday, November 12, 1815, for ever broke the power of the old
heathen party and ushered in a new and better day. Four months be-
fore the Christians in Tahiti who had not already fled to other islands
were obliged to do so, for a plot to destroy them had been discovered.
At midnight, on July 17, they were all to be killed, their property to
be seized, and every Christian in the island got rid of. Neighbouring
chiefs were asked to come and helpin this foul murder. Until the even-
ing of the very day fixed upon for their massacre none of the Christians
had the least idea of the danger they were all in; but a few hours
efore the slaughter was to begin a friendly word of warning was
secretly given them, and they knew what to expect. Through delay
on the part of some of the chiefs in not arriving at the right time,
and above all through the gracious protection of God, the Christians
were able to escape. At eventide they had assembled on the sea-shore.
This meeting had been arranged. before they knew anything about the
plot. Probably it was for prayer, but of this we cannot be quite sure.
No time was to be lost. What should they do? Stay in Tahiti and
be murdered, or flee? They quickly decided to try and escape, and
as their canoes were lying on the beach close at hand, they were
instantly launched; and simply carrying what few things they could
lay hands on, the Christians paddled away soon after sunset, and
made for Moorea, which they reached in safety the next morning.
When the heathen chiefs and their followers arrived at the spot agreed
upon, and found that the Christians had all fled, they. were greatly
enraged. Not only so, but they began to quarrel among themselves.
For a long time past these chiefs had been jealous of each other, and
it was only because they alike hated Christians that they had for a
brief space joined forces. Now they blamed one another for what had
happened, and from words soon came to blows. Those who had pro-
posed the slaughter of the Christians were the chief sufferers. Their
leader and several others were killed and the rest put to flight. For
some weeks after this there was continual fighting between the
THE OVERTHROW OF IDOLATRY ue 37
different districts, and Tahiti appeared to be farther from peace than
ever. :
Those weeks were like the darkest hour before the dawn. The
missionaries in Moorea welcomed the Tahitian Christians who had
joined them. Their work had grown. Four hundred people had given
in their names as Christians, and there were between six and seven
hundred pupils in the school. But for the want of books there would
have been many more. Tahiti alas! was still insdarkness, but God
had heard their prayers before, and would hear them again. So they
set apart a day for fasting and prayer, and besought the Lord to
turn the hearts of their enemies. They had often appointed days
for the like purpose when there were no natives to join them; now
hundreds of natives gladly spent the day with them. Together they
pleaded on behalf of Tahiti, and entreated God to save it from its
ignorance and wickedness,
The answer came sooner than any of them expected. It came first
of all from Tahiti itself, for some of the heathen, growing tired of the
tumult and disorder, sent across to Moorea to beg the chiefs to come
back. They went; Pomare went with them; and a number of Christ-
ians from Huahine, Raiatea, and Borabora joined them. There were
about eight hundred of them in all. When they reached Tahiti they
saw a crowd of people drawn up on shore, armed with spears and guns,
who forbade their landing and fired several shots. Pomare would not
allow any guns to be fired in return, but instead of this sent a flag on
shore with an offer of peace. Messages passed to and fro,.and at
last the king and those with him were permitted to land. It wasat
best but a patched-up peace that had been arranged. Pomare knew
this quite well, so kept careful watch.
On Sunday morning, November 12, as Pomareé and his friends
and followers were gathered together for worship, his old enemies
once more came forward and attacked him. He was not unprepared for
this, for although he did not know that that particular day was fixed
upon, he knew that there would be another battle, and that most likely
it would be upon a Sunday. He had therefore placed watchmen at
38 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
different points to keep a sharp look-out. Just as they were about to
begin the service, shots were heard, and looking out of the building,
they saw an army of heathen people approaching, carrying a flag in
honour of the idols. “It is war, it is war!†the Christians exclaimed.
Some of them had
brought their arms
with them to the
service ; others began
to rush off to fetch
theirs. But Pomare
stopped them. He
begged them all to
remain quietly in
their places until the
service was finished,
at the same time
assuring them that
God, in whose name
_ they were gathered
together, would cer-
tainly protect them.
A teacher named
Auna gave out a
hymn, which all
joined in singing.
He then read a pas-
sage of Scripture
from one of the small
books the mission-
aries had got printed—that was long before the Tahitian Bible that has
since done so much for the islanders was in their hands—and after
that a prayer was offered to the King of kings in whom they put their
trust. The service over, the people who were unarmed went to their
tents for their weapons.
A TATOOED WARRIOR.
THE OVERTHROW OF IDOLATRY 39°
The fight took place on the sand of the sea-shore and among the
trees that grew on its edge. Many of Pomare’s followers had not yet
ecome Christians, and not knowing how these might act, he placed
them in the centre or at the rear. His trusty men formed the front
line and were posted at other points of danger and importance. Con-
Sarre
POLYNESIAN WEAPONS.
spicuous among the warriors was Pomare Vahine, the queen’s sister,
a tall strong woman, who wore a curious helmet covered with plates
of a beautiful spotted cowrie shell, and a kind of armour made of twisted
cords of native flax. On one side of her was her faithful Christian
servant Farefau; on the other a tall manly chief who was related to her,
40 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
a chief whose wife in her heathen days had killed no less than twelve
or thirteen of her own children. Pomare took his station in a canoe
with a number of men armed with muskets, who fired into the enemy
on the flank. Near the king was another canoe in which was a swivel
gun worked by an Englishman called Joe, who had come up from
Raiatea specially to help Pomare in this fight.
The heathen rushed into battle ina perfect fury, and for a time
by the force of their onset shook the Christian line, but this, quickly
rallying, stood its ground firmly, and finally completely overcame
the foe. The trees and bushes were so thick that much of the fighting
was of a broken irregular kind, and often two or three Christians
finding themselves together in the woods, none of the enemy for the
moment being in sight, took the opportunity for a few moments of
earnest prayer to God. At length Upufara, the chief captain of the
heathen was slain, and from that moment the idolaters lost heart and
began to flee to the rocks and mountains. The king’s army was about
to pursue them and kill as many as they could. But Pomare was
wiser than his people. He shouted out: “It is enough. Pursue none
that have fled from the battle, neither burn their houses, nor murder
their children.†That was.a wonderful. command, quite unlike any
heard in Tahiti before, and was a clear proof that new thoughts and
a new spirit had come into Pomare. Even the bodies of the slain
were properly buried instead of being left upon the shore as in former
days, and the corpse of Upufara was carried to the tomb of his fathers
and there laid to rest.
Instead of ending the day in the slaughter of his foes, Pomare
gathered his little army together to offer thanksgiving unto God for
His protection, and for the great victory He had granted. Then he
sent a chosen band of followers, among them being Farefau, to destroy
the idols. They were ordered to go straight to the temple of Oro, and
destroy it and all that belonged to it. They did as they were com-
manded, and on reaching Oro’s temple at Tautira told the keeper for
what purpose they had come, and also of the result of the war. No
one dared stop them; so first of all firing at the small house in which
THE OVERTHROW OF IDOLATRY 41
the idols were kept, and shouting out: “ Now, ye gods, if ye be gods,
and: have any power, come forth and avenge the insults which we
offer you,†they next pulled the house down, and cast the idols into
the fire. Oro himself was not destroyed, but only his trappings. This
god, to whom so many victims had been offered, was but a pole of
hard wood, about as thick as a man’s leg, and rather longer than a
man’s height. The pole was carried in triumph to Pomare and laid
at his feet. And what did he do with it? Why, he had it fixed up
in his kitchen asa post into which he fixed pegs for hanging his baskets
of food upon! Finally, it was chopped up for firewood. In this way
did idolatry come to an end in Tahiti and Moorea.
Pomare’s clemency did as much to subdue his enemies as his
bravery and skillin battle: The people who had fled to the moun-
tains sent secretly at night to see what had been done to their wives
and children. They expected, as a matter of course, that they would
all be slain, and at first could not believe the news brought back to
them that they were alive and unhurt, and that none of their houses
had been destroyed. Getting bolder, they found their way back to
their homes, and were allowed to settle quietly in them. They went
to the king and begged for mercy and forgiveness, and they had not
to beg in vain. They now saw how good the God that Pomare served
must be. ‘We had done everything to offend the king,†they said,
“and yet when he had it in his power to destroy us, he freely forgave
us.†By common consent, and with a heartiness never before shown,
the entire island now made Pomare king, and found true pleasure in
obeying him.
As soon as possible after the battle, Pomare sent a messenger in
a canoe to tell the missionaries in Moorea-of his great victory. The
man he chose for this duty was formerly a priest and a great warrior.
When his canoe drew near to the shore of Moorea the missionaries
and their pupils hurried towards him, hope and fear struggling together
in their minds. The chief was seen standing on the prow of his light
skiff-like craft, which came dashing through-the spray and gliding
along upon the crests of the waves until it touched the shore. Leap-
42 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
ing to the sand, spear in hand, before a question could be asked, he
exclaimed: “Ua pau! ua pau! i te bure anaeâ€; ‘“‘ Vanquished! van-
quished! by prayer alone!†At first his hearers could scarcely
believe the news, but as he related at length the story of what had
happened they burst into grateful praise to God for this wonderful
conquest of His enemies.
The chief idols had perished ; the smaller ones met with a like fate,
A time of great excitement followed. Family gods, gods belonging
to special districts, gods of all sorts, were destroyed. ‘‘ Maraes,â€â€™ or altars,
temples, sacred stones, were pulled down, and in a few months not
an idol was to be seen. The very men who had been loudest in their
praise set to work to demolish them, and, not content with this, sent
messengers to the king and his Christian friends asking for instructors
who would teach them to read and how to worship the true God.
Schools and chapels were built; the Lord’s Day was kept as a day
of rest and worship; three services were held each Sunday all over
the island; and some of the worst heathen customs, such as child-
murder, were given up. The preachers were all too few for the work
to be done, so at many of the services the people usually only prayed,
or listened to passages read from one of the Scripture readers the mis- -
sionaries had prepared. Some were unable to pray themselves. For
their guidance prayers were written out. Here is one which Pomare
himself wrote and often read in the different chapels he visited :—
“ Jehovah, Thou God of our salvation, hear our prayers, pardon
Thou our sins, and save our souls. Our sins are great, and more in
number than the fishes in the sea, and our obstinacy has been very
great, and not to be equalled. Turn Thou us to Thyself, and enable
us to cast off every evil way. Lead us to Jesus Christ, and let our sins
be cleansed in His blood. Grant us Thy good Spirit to be our sanctifier.
' “Save us from hypocrisy: suffer us not to come to Thine house
with carelessness, and return to our own houses and commit sin.
Unless Thou dost have mercy upon us, we perish; unless Thou dost
save us, unless we are prepared and made meet for Thy house in heaven,
we are banished to the fire, we die. But let us not be banished to that
unknown world of fire. Save Thou us through Jesus Christ, Thy
Son, the Prince of life; yea, let us obtain salvation through Him.
THE OVERTHROW OF IDOLATRY 43
“Bless all the people of these islands, all the families thereof. Let
every one stretch out his hands unto God and say: Lord, save me;
Lord, save me. Let all these islands, Tahiti with all the people of
Moorea, and of Huahine, and of Raiatea, and of the little islands
around, partake of Thy salvation.
[ervey
yeh Ss.
POLYNESIAN CANOES,
“Bless Britain, and every country in the world. Let Thy word
grow with speed in the world, so as to grow faster than evil. Be
merciful to us, and bless us, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.â€
That was Pomare’s prayer. He had learned both how to pray and
what to pray for. Of course he still knew but little about the new re-
44 THE STORY OF THE SOUTA SEAS
ligion he had accepted, but he did understand that he was a sinner, and
that God alone could save him. The missionaries came over from Moorea
and went round the island of Tahiti to see with their own eyes what
changes had taken place. Mr. Nott was the first to go. Five years
before he had been obliged to flee from the place for his life. Now
wherever. he went he found the people eager to hear. Of their own
accord they came together, and some would stay with him far into
the night asking him questions and listening to what he had to tell
them about Jesus Christ. Aged chiefs, priests, and warriors were to
be seen seated, spelling-book in hand, on the school benches, by the
side of some happy-faced boy or girl who was busy teaching them to
read. Others were engaged in chapel building. On Sundays there
were larger gatherings, not of men alone, as at the old heathen cere-
monies, but of women also. Mothers, wives, sisters, daughters flocked
to the house of prayer. In fact, for a time nearly everybody was to
be seen there. The difficulty was to find lesson-books and Scripture
portions enough for the needs of the crowds who wished to obtain
them. There were two thousand seven hundred spelling-books in use,
eight hundred copies of Scripture passages, and many written copies
of the Gospel of Luke; but what were “these among so many�
Not in Tahiti alone was this glorious change taking place, but in
the Society Islands also. Huahine, Raiatea, Tahaa and Borabora all
followed the good example that had been set. The chiefs from those
islands who had fought on Pomare’s side either sent messages to their
people, or, on their return home, themselves took the work in hand,
and thus through the entire group the idols were “utterly abolished.â€
The destruction of idols is but the beginning of the difficult task of
bringing heathen nations out of darkness into light; still, it is a
beginning, and should therefore beget gratitude to God.
Pomare sent most of his family idols to the missionaries, giving
them liberty either to burn them, or to send them home to England.
They decided to ship them to England. With the idols the king sent
a letter, of which the following is a translation :—
THE OVERTHROW OF IDOLATRY 45
“ FRIENDS,—
““May you be saved by Jehovah and Jesus Christ our
Saviour.
‘“This is my speech to you, my friends.
by
!
si}
‘ ;
Ay who wished To'
POMARE’S IDOLS.
“T wish you to send these idols to Britain for the Missionary
Society, that they may know the likeness of the gods that Tahiti wor-
shipped. ‘These were my own idols, belonging to our family from of
old, and when my father died he left them to me. And now, having
46 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
een brought to know Jehovah, the true God, He is my God, and when
this body of mine shall fall to pieces in death, may the Three-One save
me. This is my shelter, my close hiding-place, even from the anger
of Jehovah. When He looks upon me, I will hide meat the feet of
Jesus Christ, the Saviour, that I may escape.
“I feel pleasure and satisfaction in my mind; I rejoice, I praise
Jehovah, that He hath made known His word unto me. I should have
gone to destruction if Jehovah had not interposed. Many have died,
and are gone to destruction, kings and common people; they died
without knowing anything of the true God, and now, when it came
to the small remainder of the people, Jehovah hath been pleased to
make known His word, and we are acquainted with His good word,
made acquainted with the deception of the false gods, with all that
is evil and false. The true God Jehovah, it was He that made us
acquainted with these things. It was you that taught us; but the
words, the knowledge, was from Jehovah. It is because of this that
I rejoice, and I pray to Jehovah that He may increase my abhorrence
of every evil way. The Three-One, He it is that can make the love
of sin to cease; we cannot effect it; it is the work of God to cause
evil things to be cast off, and the love of them to cease.
‘Tam going a journey around Tahiti to acquaint the people with
the word of God, and to cause them to be vigilant about good things.
The word of God does grow in Tahiti, and the people are diligent about
setting up houses for worship; they are also diligent in seeking in-
struction, and now it is well with Tahiti.
“That principal idol, that has the red feathers of the Otuu, is
Temeharo ; that is hisname. Look you, you may know it by the red
feathers. That was my.father’s own god, and those feathers were
from the ship of Lieutenant Watts ;! it was my father that set them
about the idol himself. If you think proper, you may burn them all
in the fire; or, if you like, send them to your country for the people
of Europe to see them, that they may satisfy their curiosity and know
Tahiti’s foolish gods!
* * * * *
‘““May you be saved, my friends, by Jehovah and Jesus Christ, the
’ only Saviour by whom we sinners can be saved.
“POMARE, Kine or Tauitt, etc., etc.
“Tanitr Motu Ta,
February 19th, 1816.â€
' 1 The Lady Penrhyn, which visited Tahiti in 1788.
CHAPTER IV.
SPREADING OUT.
“ The tsles shall watt for His law.â€
URING the year 1817, and at the
very time that throughout the
entire group there was a willing-
ness to listen to the Christian
teacher, eight new workers
reached Tahiti. It thus became
possible to scatter among the is-
lands and so spread the light of
the Gospel. The first to arrive
was William Ellis, then a young
man of twenty-two. With him
was his wife, their baby, and the
child’s nurse. Later in the year
came the seven others. Among
them were three missionaries
who in one case for forty-three,
and in the two others for forty-eight years, were spared to labour
through a long career in attempting to raise the islanders to a better
and higher. life. These were David Darling, Charles Barff, and
George Platt. Last, but by no means least, was the large-hearted,
1 Mr. Ellis did not long remain in the South Seas. The serious illness of his wife
compelled him to return home at the end of seven years. But though his stay in the
Pacific was a short one, he has, through his writings, done more than all his brethren
to provide us with a record of the early history of the mission. Were it not for his
carefulness in observing, inquiring about, and narrating facts, the story would have
been almost lost. In later life he rendered like service to the Madagascar mission.
47
48 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
enterprising man, John Williams, about whom these pages will have
much to relate.
The ship which brought Mr. and Mrs. Ellis, brought also a horse
as a present to Pomare, the landing of which caused great alarm.
Many of the people fled in terror, hid behind rocks, or climbed up
trees, to get away from the terrible animal. But seeing a sailor go
quietly up to the horse
and take hold of the
halter that was round
his neck, they gained
courage, and drew near
to look at and touch
the strange creature.
When, after being pro-
perly bridled and sad-
dled, the horse ran
along the beach with
the captain on his back
the Tahitians were de-
lighted, and. at once
called him “a _ land-
running pig,†and “a
man-carrying pig,†the
pig being the only
four-footed animal with
which they could com-
pare him. Pomare came
on board, and Mr. Ellis
gives us the following
description of him :—‘I was struck with his tall and almost gigantic
appearance ; he was upwards of six feet high, and seemed about forty
POMARE II.*
* From a portrait taken by an artist attached to two Russian ships of discovery
that visited Tahiti shortly before Pomare’s death, and excepting a little undue promi-
nency in the forehead, stated by the Rev. W. Ellis to be a good likeness.
SPREADING OUT 49
years of age. His forehead was rather prominent and high, his eye-
brows narrow, well defined and nearly straight; his hair, which was
combed back from his forehead and the sides of his face, was of a
glossy black colour, slightly curled behind ; his eyes were small, some-
times appearing remarkably keen, at others rather heavy; his nose
was straight, and the nostrils by no means large; his lips were thick,
and his chin projecting. He was arrayed in a handsome tiputa of
native manufacture. His body was stout, but not disproportioned to
his height; and his linabs, though well formed, were not firm and
muscular.†,
The ship, having touched at Tahiti, went on to Moorea, where a
hearty welcome awaited the new comers. Not the missionaries only,
but the chiefs and people also, received them with great gladness,
bringing presents of food, which they piled in three heaps, one for
Mr. Ellis, one for Mrs. Ellis, and one for the baby! The school-house
was early visited. The first Sunday on shore was much enjoyed. A
prayer meeting at sunrise, at which not fewer than four or five hun-
dred people were present, began the day; morning service followed,
then English service; and, later on in the day, a second native ser-
vice. All of these were well attended, and the quiet behaviour of the
people was everything that one could wish.
One great need of the mission was a printing press. A few copies
of the spelling book, printed in England, had been taken to the island
six years before, and others, as already mentioned, together with brief
summaries of the Old and New Testament, had been obtained from
Sydney since; but some hundreds of the natives who had learned to
read were still without a book of any kind. Many had learned the
little books by heart, and could repeat them correctly from beginning
to end. These naturally longed for some new specimen of the prin-
ter’s wonderful art. In dozens of families, where all were scholars,
there was but one book in the house. People living in the other
islands were even worse off. Some of them wrote out the whole of
the spelling book on sheets of writing paper; and others, unable to get
paper, prepared pieces of native cloth with great care, and then, with
E
50 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
a reed dipped in red or purple dye, wrote out the alphabet, spelling
and reading lessons on these pieces of cloth which had been made
from the bark of a tree. In the same way they wrote out texts of
Scripture, and carried them about with them.
In view of this need the directors had sent out a printing press,
and one of the first things Mr. Ellis did was to arrange for setting up
this press and getting it to work. A site for a printing office was
chosen, a building erected without delay, and to secure the firm floor-
ing necessary for working the heavy press, one or two “ maraes,†or
heathen altars, were pulled down, and the great slabs of smooth
basaltic rock found in them dragged to the new building, and there
laid side by side as a part of the printing-office floor. Pomare was
greatly interested in the progress of this building, and specially
begged that, when they were ready for making astart with the wonder-
ful new machine, he might be sent for. He came from the other side
of Moorea, where at the time he was staying, and with him came a
crowd of chiefs and their followers. .
Taking the composing-stick in his hand, Mr. Ellis, seeing how
earnestly Pomare was looking at the shining type, asked the king if
he would like to set the letters. Yes, it was the very thing he wanted
todo. The first book to be printed was the spelling-book, which the
Tahitians called the Ba-ba. Pomare, composing-stick in hand, began
with the capitals A B, and got through the alphabet ; then set up the
same in small letters, taking each letter out of its own compartment
in the type case, and finished the first page with a few lines of single
syllables. He was delighted with his work, and was eager at once
to print the page; but when it was explained to him that not until the
other pages to complete the sheet had been set up could this be done,
he arranged that he should again be summoned when the sheet was
finished. For nearly three weeks he had to wait, but almost every
day came to see how things were going on. At last, on: June 30,
1817, the first sheet was pulled off. Pomare was attended by only
two of his favourite chiefs, but crowds of natives, who had heard of
what was to happen, had gathered about the doors. These made way
SPREADING OUT 51
for him. The-door was then closed, and one of the windows darkened,
so that he might not be overlooked by the people outside. He care-
fully examined the form as it lay on the press, and was told by Mr.
Ellis exactly how to goto work. The printer’s ink-ball was placed
in his hands and he struck it two or three times upon the face of the
letters; he then placed a sheet of clean paper upon the parchment ;
this was covered down, turned under the press, and Pomare pulled
the handle. It was alla mystery to him and his companions. What
would that pull do? All rushed to see, and lo! there were the letters
black, large, and clear. The king was a successful printer. He was
delighted, and repeated the process. In the meantime the first sheet
was-shown to the crowd outside, who, on seeing it, raised a great
shout of surprise and joy.
. This old story is worthy of being re-told, for that was a great day
for Tahiti, and indeed for the entire Pacific. The spelling-book printed,
a catechisnr and a book of Scripture extracts followed, and, lastly,
a translation of the Gospel of Luke, which Mr. Nott had prepared.
Of this, the first complete book of the Scriptures translated into any
Polynesian tongue, an edition of 3,000 copies was struck off, the
paper for it having been generously presented by that Society which
enables missionaries all over the world to furnish their people with the
Word of God—the British and Foreign Bible Society. That gift of paper
to Tahiti was the first of many a similar gift to the islands in later days.
The fame of the printing press spread rapidly, and from all parts
of Moorea, and even from other islands, strangers flocked as to a fair.
’ The beach was lined with their canoes, the native houses were crowded
to excess with visitors from a distance; temporary huts had to be
built as the houses were too few for their accommodation, while as for
the printing office it was daily crowded. Thronging the doors, climb-
ing upon one another's backs, blocking up the windows, there the
strangers were, all eager to see with their own eyes the marvellous
machine of which they had heard. Book binding was a yet more
difficult task than book printing, for the missionaries had brought .
with them only a small quantity of boards or skins. But an old pro-
52 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
yy
verb says that “necessity is the mother of invention,’ which means
that when people are in difficulty they think of ways for conquering
their difficulty ; and soit was in this case. The bark of a tree, the
skins of any and every animal (dogs, goats, cats) to be found in the
island, and everything else that could be used, were sought out, and
very soon the natives were clever enough to bind their own books.
The eagerness of the islanders to obtain. copies of the Gospel of
Luke was most striking. Often from thirty to forty canoes were to be
Q PORA
\ : SOCIETY ISLANDS:
Syria
: , Scale
0 10 20 30 40 50
be ted
HUAHINE |
7 Px
Tetiaroa >"
MOOREA’
MAIAOITI
seen lying on the beach, each of which had brought five or six per-"
sons intent on buying a Gospel. It was impossible for a time to keep
pace with the demand, and some would-be buyers had to wait
patiently for five or six weeks before they could get their copies.
One evening, about sunset, Mr. Ellis saw a canoe arrive from
Tahiti with five men in her. They landed on the beach, lowered their
sail, hauled their canoe up on the sand, and then came straight to-
wards him. Meeting them at the door of his house, Mr. Ellis asked
them what they wanted. Lzka, or “ Luke,†Te Parau na Luka, or
SPREADING OUT 53
“The Word of Luke,†was their prompt reply, and pointing to some
bamboo canes filled with cocoa-nut oil, they said they had brought
these as payment for the books. Mr. Ellis told them that he had none
ready for them that night, but that if they would come to him in the
morning, he would give them as many as they needed. “Go,†said
he, “to one of the houses near, and seek shelter for the night, and
come back to me to-morrow.†Bidding them good-night, he retired,
thinking, of course, that they would do as he had suggested; but on
looking out at sunrise the next morning, what was his astonishment
to see these five men quietly lying on the ground in front of his
house, their only bed being a few cocoa-nut leaves, their only cover-
ing their large native cloth. He hastened out and asked them if they
had been there all night. Yes, they had, for said they in explanation z
“We were afraid that, had we gone away, some one might have come. °
before us this morning, and have taken what books you had to spare,,
and then we should have been obliged to return without any.†Mr..
Ellis at once took them into the printing office, and as soon as he-
could put the sheets together gave each one a copy. They then asked
for two copies more, one for a mother, the other for a sister, for-
which also they had brought payment. He gave these also. Each.
wrapped his book up in a piece of white native cloth, put it in his.
bosom, wished Mr. Ellis good-morning, and without, he says, either:
eating or drinking, or calling upon any one in the settlement, hastened.
to the shore, launched their canoe, hoisted their mat sail, and steered.
for home. That, he adds, was but one of many such examples of eager
desire to become the possessor of the Scriptures.
For a long time the missionaries in Moorea had been at work
building, with Pomare’s aid, a seventy-ton fore-and-aft schooner, but
until the advent of the party of fresh helpers, especially John Wil-
liams, they had not been able to finish it. The iron work had baffled
them. The new arrivals set to work with a will, the more so as it
was decided that they should not separate to the different islands until
the schooner was finished. In a few weeks the vessel was ready for
launching. She was named the Hawezs, in honour of Dr. Haweis,
54 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
the steady friend of the mission, and one most of all responsible for its
establishment. A slight accident made the first attempt to launch her
a failure. Pomare, in naming her, so startled the natives on one side
of the vessel that they let go of the ropes, and she fell over on her
side. She was, however, got into position once more, and was then
safely and successfully launched. The Haweis was rigged and used
for carrying the missionaries and their families to their stations, but
after one or two voyages to Australia she was sold, being altogether
too costly for mission purposes, and eventually became a trading ves--
sel between Sydney and Tasmania.
The missionaries were about to scatter. Other islands needed
their guidance and presence: they were ready to go and settle in
these. But before separating they had one important duty to fulfil.
They clearly saw that if the gospel was to spread throughout the
Pacific Ocean, the natives who had already heard its joyful sound
must themselves be taught to spread it. Unless the islanders could be
made to feel that it was as much their duty to share the blessings of
salvation with those not yet enjoying them, as it had been the duty of
_ British Christians to share those blessings with themselves, the work
would advance but slowly. They therefore wished in some special
way to bring this thought home to the hearts and consciences of their
converts. In this they were wise. More than that: looking back
upon the history of the South Sea Mission, as we are able to do, we can
easily see that that band of faithful missionaries were verily “taught
of God,†and acted under the direct guidance of God’s Spirit. The
tree they planted in 1818 has borne the richest fruit, and in no part
of the world have Christian people shown a truer missionary spirit, a
greater readiness to give to missionary collections, or a more constant
desire to hand on to others the good news of salvation than in the
mission stations of the Pacific. The Christian natives have freely
given themselves, their sons and their daughters, the produce of their
plantations, and their money, so that the heathen not yet reached might
receive the Word of God.
After: talking the matter over among themselves, the missionaries
SPREADING OUT 55
took Pomare into their confidence, and asked him what he thought of
starting a native missionary society. The king at once approved,
and lost no time in speaking of it to others. This was how he set to
work. Among his chiefs was a godly man named Auna. Addressing
him one day, Pomare said:
“ Auna, do you think you could collect five bamboo canes of oil in
a year?â€
A CORAL ISLAND.
“Yes,†was the prompt reply.
“Do you think you could afford to give so much for sending the
W ord of God to the heathen ?â€
“Yes,†was again the answer that Auna gave.
“Do you think that those of us who value the gospel would think
it a great labour to collect so much oil every year?â€
’ “No,†answered Auna, “Ido not think we should.â€
“Very well, then,†said Pomare, “ think the thing over, and perhaps
we can form a society for this purpose.â€
56 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
Shortly after this a private meeting of the king and missionaries
was held for drawing up rules for the new society, and on May 13,
1818, on the very day that the London Missionary Society was holding
its annual meeting in England, a large public assembly gathered at
Papetoai in Moorea to found a. Tahitian Missionary Society. Two
prayer meetings, one in the English language, and one in the native,
had been held in the early morning; these had been followed by an
English morning service, at which Mr. Henry preached; but the chief
meeting was held in the afternoon, and was. conducted entirely in the
Tahitian language. The chapel proving too small, and more than half
of the people being unable to get in, it was decided to hold the meeting
out of doors ina neighbouring grove. At three o'clock the mission-
aries walked down to this grove, and there saw a sight that filled them
with delight. The clear bright sky, the calm surface of the sea just
ruffled with a gentle breeze, the dense foliage and over-hanging canopy
of cocoa-nut and other trees, creepers, and tropical plants, many
of them in full bloom, the carpet of ferns, all lent a charm to the
scene. Seated on trunks of trees, on blocks of wood, or on the
ground, were thousands of natives decked out in native or European
clothing. Near one of the large cocoa-nut trees, whose fine trunk
looked like a pillar supporting the roof of interlacing branches above,
- was. a wooden stand upon which Mr. Nott took his place. Before
him, in a large arm-chair, sat Pomare, dressed in a fine yellow
tiputa, stamped over the left breast with a rich and elegant scarlet
flower instead of a star. A chief sat on the king’s right, his sec-
retary on his left. A number of the chiefs, with the queen and
leading ladies of the court, sat near.. Most of them wore native gar-
ments, the ladies, however, having added a sort of bonnet made from
- the leaves of the cocoa-nut, and being ornamented with wreaths of
sweet-scented flowers round their necks or garlands of the same in
their hair.
A solemn and earnest service followed, Mr. Nott, the preacher of
the day, taking as his text the words of Philip to the eunuch, and the
eunuch’s reply: “ Understandest thou what thou readest?†“ How.
SPREADING OUT 57
can I,.except some man should guide me?†(Acts viii. 30,.31.). Po-
mare followed with a vigorous speech, urging the people to form a
society for. spreading the gospel, but warning them against agreeing
to do so unless they were in their hearts convinced that this was right,
and were further prepared to give of their own free will. As he drew
towards the close of his address he asked those who from their hearts
agreed to his proposal to raise their right hand, whereupon between two
and three thousand naked brown arms were at once lifted up. The
sight of those uplifted arms, raised now on behalf of peace and goodwill
as formerly they had been on behalf of war and evil, greatly affected the
missionaries, and filled their hearts with thankfulness to God. Indeed
as the sun sank to rest that evening and the assembly broke up,
missionaries and natives alike were deeply impressed with the day’s
proceedings, and seemed to realize that a great step forward had been
taken. And they were right. The example then set was followed
elsewhere, not perhaps in the formal founding of societies on an
English model, but in spirit and general aim, and has made South-Sea
missions to a large extent self-supporting and self-propagating.
Before leaving Tahiti for a time to follow the workers in their re-
moval to other islands, we had better here refer to one or two incidents
of special interest connected with Tahiti itself. For many months
Pomare had been busy building an immense new chapel at Papao,
which was only four miles from Matavai, where the missionaries first
settled. . This building,.called the Royal Mission Chapel, was so large
that the missionaries were sure that it would be of little use, and they did
their best to dissuade the king from his purpose to build it. But all in
vain. Pomare was ambitious. He had read of King Solomon's temple,
and wished to have a house of prayer something like that. Besides,
as he argued, their heathen altars and idol temples had cost them much
in hard work, time, and self-denial, and why should not a Christian
chapel cost the same? He therefore kept to his plan, made his chiefs
and people cut and carry timber, gather and prepare leaves for
thatching, coral, p¢ébbles, and other material for the walls, make the
doors and windows, and build, thatch, and ornament the building.
58 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
Mr. Ellis, in describing it, says that when he remembered how little
training in such work the Tahitians had had, how rude their tools
were, and how great the quantity of material required was, he could
not but be astonished at the result. The chapel was 712 feet long, by
54 feet wide, proportions which of course spoiled the effect that the size
might otherwise have given. Added to this the roof was low; so that
as regards appearance the chapel was a dismal failure. There were 36
large bread-fruit tree trunks supporting the centre of the roof, and 280
smaller pillars supporting the wall plates. The walls outside were
made from planks of the bread-fruit tree fixed in square frames, and
either planed or rubbed smooth with coral and sand. For windows
there were 133 openings provided with sliding shutters, and the num-
ber of doors was 29. The roof was thatched with pandanus leaves,
eI EE fe Na se
ees alsa
POMARE’S ROYAL CIIAPEL. (From a model in the Soctely’s ALuseum.)
the rafters being bound together with braided cord, coloured with
native dyes. . The ceiling was covered with fine matting, and the floor
with dried grass. From end to end the building was furnished with
simple rough forms. Two very strange things were to be seen in this
royal chapel: the first, a stream of water five or six feet wide, flowing
across it in a slanting direction; the other, three pulpits, placed
nearly 260 feet apart. The stream, which flowed down from the
mountains to the sea had not been noticed when the chapel was begun.
To have turned it aside in another direction would have given the
people so much extra labour and trouble that they left it as it was,
contenting themselves with placing a grating at each side under the
walls, through which it might flow. The three pulpits were required
because of the chapel's great length, and on the opening day—Tuesday,
.May 11, 1819—were all used at the same time. Great crowds of
visitors from all the neighbouring islands had flocked to the ceremony.
Their tents lined the beach for a distance of four miles. Seven thou-
SPREADING OUT 59
sand people gathered in the chapel, and these grouped themselves as
three distinct congregations around the three pulpits, leaving a space
between. A minister stood in each of the pulpits. Mr. Darling, who
was in the middle pulpit, gave out a hymn ina voice that all could
hear, and the three congregations joined in singing it. Then each
minister read Luke xiv. to the people around him, and afterwards
prayed ; and though three voices were speaking at the same time, the
size of the chapel was so great that they did not interfere with one
another. The three sermons began at the same time. Mr. Darling’s
text was, “I will make them joyful in my house of prayer ’â€â€™ (Isa. lvi.
7); Mr. Platt chose “ And yet there is room†(Luke xiv. 22); while
Mr. Crook preached from, “In all places where I record My name ]
will come unto thee and bless theeâ€â€™ (Exod. xx. 24). The three ser-
mons ended, the entire congregation joined in another hymn, then
a short prayer from each minister brought the service to a close.
The next day the people met together again to hear three sermons
on behalf of their Missionary Society. In the afternoon they heard
three more. Gifts of different kinds poured in—pigs, arrow-root,
cocoa-nut oil, matting, and fibre. Pomare put his name down as a
yearly subscriber of eight hogs! One other meeting in the Royal
Chapel was held that week. It was for the purpose of proclaiming the
laws by which in future Tahiti was to be governed. The chapel
seemed to be the most suitable place for gathering the people together,
and as their new laws were intended to be in accordance with the
teaching of Scripture, they thought it right to have them proclaimed
in the house of prayer. The missionaries were present, but beyond
opening the meeting with reading and prayer, took no part in it.
Pomare standing in the central pulpit and looking around upon his
assembled people, began by putting a question to a chief named Tati,
brother and successor of the man who had been the leader of his
enemies four years before.
“ Tati,†said the king, ‘what is your desire? what canI do for you >â€
Tati, who sat nearly opposite the pulpit, rose and said: “‘ Those are
what we want, the papers you hold in your hand, the laws: give them
v0 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
to us, that we may have them in our nAneeT that we may regard them
and do what is right.â€â€™
Pomare put a like question to a good chief named Utami, and in an
affectionate manner said: ‘“‘ Utami, and what is your desire?â€
“ One thing only is desired by us all,†was the reply, “ that which
Tati has said—the laws which you hold in your hand.â€
After questioning the other chiefs and receiving from each a
similar answer, Pomare read eighteen laws against murder, theft,
rebellion, and other kinds of wickedness; and after each law had been
distinctly read and explained, he said to the chiefs: ‘‘ Do you agree to
this law?†and the chiefs made answer: ‘ We heartily agree to it.â€
The king then asked the people also if they agreed to it, and told them
if they did to lift up their right hands They instantly obeyed, and so
great was the number, and so prompt the action, that a rushing sound
was made by the arms thus suddenly raised. When the king came to the
law about people who rebel against the sovereign, he stopped as if he
would pass it over, for he remembered all the trouble he had had with
his rebellious subjects in days gone by. Yet when he had read the
law, Tati, who had been one of the greatest rebels, quite a ringleader
among them in fact, jumped up from his seat, and not satisfied with
holding up one hand, raised both and asked the people to follow his
example which they promptly did. What a change had come over
the islanders! ,
On the following Sunday Pomare was baptized. He had long
desired this, but in spite of his zeal and evident earnestness he had so
many serious faults that the missionaries had hesitated. Now, how-
ever, they felt more satisfied about him, and agreed to baptize him.
Three sermons were preached that morning from thesame text: ‘Go
ye, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,†etc. (Matt. xxviii..18-
20), and after the sermons the eight missionaries present gathered
around Pomare who was seated near the middle pulpit. A hymn was
sung, special prayer offered, and then Pomare standing up, Mr. Bick
nell, one of the first missionaries brought by the Duff, mounting the
pulpit stairs in the sight of all the people, poured water on his head
SPREADING OUT 61
and baptized him. The venerable missionary then addressed the
king, and in feeling tones and words urged him to walk worthy of
his high calling, and to remember that the eyes of men as well as the
eyes of angels and of God were upon him.
Pomare’s example was quickly followed. Throughout Tahiti,
Moorea and the rest of the group some hundreds soon sought baptism.
These were carefully taught the meaning of the rite, and on giving
satisfactory proof of their sincerity were baptized together with their
children—parents with their boys and girls, some of whom were old
enough to run about, being received together. ‘So mightily grew the
Word of God and prevailed.â€
Two years and a half afterwards Pomare died from dropsy and
elephantiasis, at the age of forty-seven, and his death plunged all
Tahiti into grief. Missionaries, chiefs, and people alike mourned his
loss. He was very far from perfect, indulged inlow vices at times,
was jealous, exacting, and treacherous, and yet in many ways
showed his sincere regard for Christian teaching and his true friend-
ship for the missionaries who taught him. He had stood by them in
times of great darkness, and to him the mission owed much of its
success. God used Pomare, weak and sinful though he was, for
bringing great blessing to those picturesque yet degraded islands, and
his name will be honoured for many a long day yet to come.
To return to our story and to retrace our steps to the year 1818, we
have now to tell of the progress made in the Leeward or Society
Islands—Huahine, Raiatea, Tahaa, and Borabora. On June 18, the
Haweis, having taken on board the printing press and all belonging
to it, the goods of the missionaries who were leaving, and some cattle,
finally received as passengers Mr. Davies, Mr. and Mrs. Williams, Mr.
and. Mrs. Orsmond, Mr. and Mrs. Ellis, and a number of the leading
chiefs, and then set sail. On the evening of the next day she safely
reached Huahine. Some of the party landed, but the rest remained on
board. Nine years before, when the times were troublous, some of
the missionaries had lived in that island for nearly a year, and since
that time idolatry had come to an end, and a native chapel had been
62 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
built by the islanders, who wished to imitate the people of Tahiti,
although ignorant of the true nature of Christianity. On the morning
of the next day, June 20, the Haweis dropped anchor in Fare
Harbour, a beautiful spot which charms all visitors. Lofty mountain
peaks in the background, richly wooded valleys and the low-lying
ground fringing the shore, rich with groves of stately bread-fruit,
graceful cocoa-nut and various flowering trees, the gleaming white
coral rock, fine sand and delicate shells upon the beach, the bright
blue sky reflected upon the peaceful waters of the bay—-who can
wonder at the praise freely poured out in Fare’s honour by those
who have witnessed its loveliness! To-day it contains many good
houses, and its inhabitants are civilized men and women, but when
the missionaries first landed it was very different. A few native huts
were visible; there were not more than a dozen in the district, and
guiding their light canoes, or leisurely strolling beneath the shade of
the branching trees, their owners might every now and again be seen.
They were still rude and untaught, their only clothing a girdle of
cloth loosely bound around the waist and a wreath of leaves to protect
their heads from the sun.
‘The first night on shore was spent in a primitive fashion. Two
houses belonging to chiefs were freely placed at the disposal of the
missionaries; but as these were simply oval sheds, without either
outside walls or inside partitions, consisting indeed of nothing more
than a roof resting upon three large pillars in the centre and smaller
pillars round the sides, they were open alike to the winds of heaven
and to the easy entrance of visitors, both two and four-footed. Boxes
had been landed, also some cattle,a young calf, and two or three
milch goats. These arrivals were soon quite happy cropping the grass
that grew among the rocks; so too were the children, one of whom
Mr. Ellis describes as smiling in the lap of its native nurse, while
the other played on the dry grass by the side of the boxes just landed
from the ship. Dinner was prepared in a homely way. The chiefs
sent a present of bread-fruit and fish. A native youth, fourteen or
fifteen years.of age, leaving the crowd of spectators who had gathered
FARE HARBOUR,
HUANINE,
(The John Williams entering.)
63
64 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
to see this novel company of white men, white women, and, more
strange still, white children, stepped forward and asked if he should
cook them some bread-fruit. His kind offer was gladly accepted.
Fixing two large stones in the ground for a fireplace,and bringing a
bundle of dry sticks from the bushes near at hand, he made a fire
between the two stones, and soon had the tea-kettle boiling, and dishes
of fried fish, bread-fruit and ‘plantains ready for the strangers’ meal
They were so pleased with his first success as cook that Mr. Ellis
asked him to become their servant, to which he agreed, and he faith-
fully served them until they left the island. Dinner over, the next
thing was to prepare for the night, as the sun was already sinking in
the west, and darkness would soon be upon them. Some natives
readily cut four stout sticks from neighbouring trees. These were
fixed in the earthen floor, and with sheets and native cloth fastened
from one to the other formed a bedroom. A couple of sheets were
carried inside this enclosure, and the bed spread upon them, a
‘smaller bed for the children being made by the side. With only a
twist of cotton fibre fixed in the half’ of a cocoa-nut, into which some
cocoa-nut oil had been poured, for a lamp—and this soon blown out by
the breeze from the mountains—it was necessary to retire to rest early.
All was strange; it was like sleeping out of doors; the surf was
moaning on the beach; dogs and pigs came prowling about to see
what new kind of household arrangements these foreigners had set up
in their midst; and yet the night was passed in peace and comfort, and.
the morning light broke upon a grateful party, refreshed and fitted for
another day’s work. Nota single article had been stolen under cover
of the darkness, although so many things were temptingly exposed
and might have been easily carried off.
That first night in Huahine was a good beginning, and helped to
cheer the missionaries. But they soon found that although the idols
had gone, by far the greater part of the natives were still heathen
at heart. Following the example of Pomare in Tahiti and Moorea,
Mahine, the king of Huahine, who had fought on Pomare’s side, had
sent down Vahaivi, one of his leading men, to Huahine with directions
id rl
Mt aman eF
INTERIOR OF NATIVE HUT.
65
66 : THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
to the chiefs to burn the idols, destroy the temples, and put an end to
all heathen rites. : His commands were obeyed, and not only were the
uncouth images in which they had put their trust thrown into the fire,
their altars pulled down, the houses in which the idols had. been kept
burnt .to the ground, and idol-worship.no longer practised, but the
rude ‘stills, in which native rum had ‘been made., from® sugar-cane
and ‘various berries and fruits, were either. broken to pieces or care-
fully buried. Drunkenness, child-murder, and similar vices were also
forbidden. The higher chiefs had taken these steps.out of respect to
Mahine, .but many of lower rank objected, and at first threatened
to fight in defence of the old customs and the gods of ; their forefathers.
Gathering .themselves together, they made ready to attack the men
who had destroyed their idols; but either from fear. of them, or from
some faint ‘impression of the power of;,the new religion which ‘was
effecting such changes in Tahiti, they did not come ’to blows. After
much talking they ,broke up, having ‘agreed together to await the
arrival of the missionaries, and from them hear what had to be said in
favour of the worship of Jehovah.
The missionaries found the people of Huahine in a very ignorant
and uncertain state of mind. With the exception of one or two, they
had all given up idolatry, but they knew little or nothing of Chris-
tianity, and their hearts were still untouched by its power. Some,
including a few who had been in Moorea, had learned to read, or ‘had
committed to memory the lessons given in the spelling book, and they
had set apart a building for the worship of the true God. ' But when
Sunday came round the missionaries did not find a large congregation
gathered together to hear them ; indeed for many weeks they had, but
a very small number of hearers, and the schools too were very thinly
attended. . All sorts of excuses were made for not coming. They
said: “Learning to read makes us feel tiredâ€; “it is of no use to
come to chapel, as we cannot readâ€; “we are not scholarsâ€; and
““we are not.praying people.†The real reason was that they still
loved sinful ways and were uriwilling fo give these up. Gradually,
however, a change for the better began to take place, and this was
SPREADING OUT 67
much incréased by the return to Huahine of a number of chiefs and
people, who for several years had been living in Tahiti and had shared
in the glorious awakening that had there taken place. These return-
ing emigrants came across in three large boats and quite a fléet of
smaller canoes. The missionaries knew many of them, and welcomed
them as friends,and as.these new comers began to tell their neighbours
of what their.eyes had seen and their ears had heard, and‘as the power
of the Word'of God was shown in their own lives and character, the
chapel was soon filled with worshippers, while scholars flocked'to the
schools. ..A demand for: lesson-books sprang up, and the dawn of a
brighter day appeared.
The plan which the missionaries had in view when fey reached
Huahine was to remain together on that island, making that the one
station for the Society or Leeward group. For a while the study of
the; language would occupy much of their time, and when they had
mastered the language. they hoped to feel strong enough to manage
the mission. without further aid from their seniors in Tahiti. But
-this plan was laid aside. They had ‘not been many weeks at Fare
before Tamatoa, the king of Raiatea, with his brother and a number of
‘chiefs. from Raiatea, Tahaa, and Borabora, arrived with an earnest
request that the missionaries should divide their forces and some of
them-accompany them back to Raiatea. Mai, the king of Borabora, who
.was also at Huahine, had before this written a touching letter to the
missionaries, in which he reminded them that Jesus Christ and His
apostles did not remain in one place, but visited many different cities
and; countries, so-as to give: larger numbers an opportunity for: re-
ceiving the light. .. The arguments of these chiefs were so forcible that
Mr. Williams and Mr. Threlkeld felt it. to be their duty to go back to
Raiatea with Tamatoa. True, they knew as yet but little of the lan-
guage; but said the chiefs: when this was urged: ‘ Never mind that ;
you -possess enough:now to teach us more than we us and we will
make it our business to teach you our language.â€
So it was settled, and Raiatea was added to the mission stations
of the Pacific. That island is a. lovely spot. It is thirty miles dis-
tant from. Huahine and a_ hundred miles to the N. W. of Tahiti, is
68 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
the largest of the Leeward Islands, and the cradle and centre of
Tahitian mythology. It was sacred as the birthplace and home of
Oro, as the spot to which the spirits of the dead took flight when they
left the body, as the place at which Oro had to be consulted as an-
oracle, and as the abode of the priests who had himin charge. ‘Raiatea
is famous for its lofty mountain peaks, which, rising abruptly from the
‘sea, tower aloft to a height of-4,500 feet. Between the mountains
are beautiful valleys, clothed with luxuriant tropical vegetation.
Enclosed with it by the same coral reef, and- distant only - four
miles, is the little island of Tahaa. Fruit is very plentiful.. Before
Europeans settled on the island there was a rich supply, while in
these days oranges, limes, mangoes, bananas, papaw-apples, pine-
apples, barbadines, guavas, and cocoa-nuts abound, as do also sweet
‘potatoes, bread-fruit, plantains, taro, and yams. Some of the valleys
are nothing but orange groves: the oranges fall in thousands, and are
‘left to rot, or to be eaten by the ‘pigs. In race, language, character,
and géneral habits the people of Raiatea are like the Tahitians.
‘Tamatoa’s request for teachers was the outcome of a sincere desire
to-lead his people forward. He and other chiefs of Raiatea had gone
over to Tahiti in 1811 in order to aid Pomare in. his struggle against
his rebellious subjects, and while there had learned much concerning
Christianity. On returning to Raiatea in the autumn of 1815 they
were welcomed by the heathen priests and idol-keepers. But Tamatoa
and his companions declared that they were Christians, and no longer
elieved in idols. Moreover, they urged others to follow their example.
The priests were very angry at this, and stirred up their followers to
attack Tamatoa. War' broke out, but the victory was with the
Christian party. Tamatoa was conqueror. Still, like a wise ruler,
he tempered judgment with mercy, and his clemency so impressed his
former foes that they readily listened to his counsels. The people .
generally destroyed their idols and idol temples, and became nominally
Christians. They knew but little as yet, it is true, and in heart and .
life were scarcely any better than the heathen; the only thing they
seemed clear about was that their gods were nogods. Hence the need
of further teaching and the urgent pleading for missionaries.
CHAPTER V.
CARRYING THE LIGHT TO OTHER GROUPS.
“To whom He was not spoken of, they shall see.â€
| ULL of promise though the work was, it was
still. very limited in extent. Twenty years
had gone by since the Duff landed her unique
cargo in Matavai Bay, and thus far only the
eastern edge of Polynesia had’ been touched.
In two groups of little islands the people had
seen “a great light,†and were trying to
walk in its beams; they felt the throbbings
of a new life, and under its impulse were
bent on attempting “great things for God.â€
They little knew for what they were being
prepared. From them was the. Word of God
to “sound forth†to other groups, and with
their aid island after island was to receive
the message of salvation and be won from
savage darkness, bineristied, and wickedness to a life of peace, friendli-
ness, and in many instances.of genuine goodness and virtue. The
romance of missions was on the point of being seen on a large scale.
Moreover, whilst the distant islanders were being prepared to receive
instruction in the ways of God, their Father in heaven, of whose
goodness and love they had been so sadly ignorant, had drawn to
Himself, had called to His service, and was about to send forth as their
guide and teacher one eminently fitted for this high duty. This was
- the large-hearted; enterprising, capable man whose name stands en-
rolled in the annals of missionary fame as John Williams, the Martyr
of Eromanga, and whose arrival in the South Seas and decision to go
to Raiatea were mentioned in the last chapter.
69
70 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
Mr. Williams was still quite young. Born at Tottenham High
Cross, near London, on June 29, 1796, he was only a little over twenty
when, in company with his young bride and his fellow-missionaries, he
sailed down the Thames on his way tothe Antipodes. But he came of
a good stock, had received excellent training froma godly mother, and
though for a_ time
thoughtless and ..even
hostile to religion, had,
while in: his eighteenth
year, been brought to
Christ by. a sermon
preached in. the Moor-
fields Tabernacle by the
Rev. Timothy: ‘East, of
Birmingham... John
‘Williams was at that
time an apprentice toan
ironmonger and founder,
inthe City Road. By:
the terms of his inden-
tures he was to be taught
the commercial rather
than the mechanical
side of. his - master’s
business. His work was
SN) to be, not at the -forge
REV. JOHN WILLIAMS. ‘ or the bench, but at the
counter and the desk.
But natural tastes and desires proved stronger than written agree-
ments, and rapidly mastering the details of his own special department,
‘“‘Johnâ€â€™ was constantly leaving. the counter to loiter near the smiths’
shop, where he watched with keen and intelligent interest every
movement of their hands, every stroke of their hammers. During
the intervals for meals too, and after shop hours, he was often busily
CARRYING THE LIGHT TO OTHER ‘GROUPS 7
engaged at:the bellows and anvil. In this way he-soon became a
skilful workman, and Mr. Tonkin, his master,. found it to his own
advantage to employ him on any tasks that demanded more than
ordinary exactness and delicacy of.touch. . How little did the young
mechanic then realize for what strange exploits in far-off lands’ he
was in this way being trained and qualified.. -
-A few months after he had given his heart ‘to Christ he joined the
Moorfields Tabernacle church, of which the. venerable Rev. Matthew
Wilks was at that time the minister. This step.at once gave him
opportunities both for self-culture as a member of the Youths’ ‘Class,
and for entering upon Christian work in connection with the Sunday
School, alms-house and poor-house visitation, and tract distribution—
all of which forms of service were at-that time carried on with great
earnestness and vigour. It also brought him.into intimate relations
with a minister whose whole soul was aflame with missionary ardour
and enthusiasm. - Mr. Wilks was a prominent member.of the Board of
Directors of the London Missionary Society, one of that Society’s most
eminent “ fathers and founders.â€â€. He it was who, when the discourag-
ing news of the capture of their ship had filled the hearts of not a few
with fearfulness, and had made some waver as to the further prosecu-
tion of the mission, exclaimed: “Give it up! I would rather sell my
coat from my back than give the mission up.â€. Nor.did Mr.-Wilks
content himself with personal interest in the work, but as the minister
of an influential church spared no pains to interest:his people also. In
this he was most successful. The thoughts of young Williams were
thus early directed towards the heathen, and it was not long before he
conceived the desire to devote his life to work amongst them. ; En-
couraged by his revered pastor, he offered himself to the Society ; and
an arrangement with his employer having been effected, he: was
released from his apprenticeship, and after a brief and scanty training,
sadly too short as it would seem to many, but all that in the’pressing
claims of the work could be allowed him, he was set apart asa mis-
sionary, and appointed to the South Seas.
Thus it was that when the work was growing and Seine in
72 | THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
different directions made possible, God:had raised up a man of the
right stamp for extending it. Mr. Threlkeld remained: in Raiatea
for six years only, but:for fifteen years this charming island was the
home of John Williams. Not that he remained there the whole time,
‘No; as he himself said, “he could not content himself within the
narrow limits of a single reef.†But Raiatea was for many years the
centre from which ‘he worked and enlarged his sphere of influence.
The reception given to him and his colleague was most gratifying, and ©
at:once they set to work. They soon found that the Christianity of
the Raiateans was only skin-deep. Their moral condition was simply
abominable, and their laziness most distressing. It was difficult to
get at them; for, instead of living together in towns or villages, the
people were scattered all over the island, each family residing by itself.
A change for the better, however, was quickly seen. Good substantial
houses for the use of the missionaries and for the chiefs were built,
also a large chapel; and young men began to acquire skill as carpen-
ters, smiths, and boat-builders. Two years after their arrival the
missionaries had the joy of baptizing the first converts. A code of
laws was prepared. Schools were established, and in these schools all
classes were gathered, from the king to the little child. Portions
of the Scriptures were also translated, and an auxiliary missionary
society was started after the example of Tahiti.
To this they had been moved by the wonderful story of what had
happened in Rurutu,a small island lying 350 miles to the south: of
Raiatea. This island had been visited by a terrible epidemic, which
had carried off so many of the people that the rest became alarmed.
One of the gods, they thought, must be angry with them, and was
punishing them for some wrong thing they had done. Anxious to
- escape before this angry god had “devoured†them all, two: o!d chiefs
made up their minds to flee. Each of them determined to build a large
canoe, and in this, with as many of their people as the canoe would
hold, to sail for some happier land. If they failed to reach such a land,
they could but perish at sea, while to remain where they were was to
await certain death. Auura was the name of one of these chiefs. His
CARRYING THE LIGHT TO OTHER GROUPS 73
canoe ready, away he sailed with a large party of his friends. They
safely, reached the island of Tubuai, where, for a time, they stayed.
Recruited in strength and spirits, they at length made up their minds to
return to Rurutu, thinking that by that time the plague must have
stopped ; but scarcely had they lost sight of the mountains of Tubuai,
when a violent storm overtook them, swamped one of the canoes, and
drove the other out of its course.. For three weeks Auura and _his
followers were tossed about upon the ocean, they knew not whither,
while their sufferings for want of food and water were dreadful. But.
God in His mercy preserved them, and guided their storm-beaten craft:
to Maurua, the most westerly of the Society Islands. Here they were:
received with much kindness by the natives, who, however, told them
that they formerly worshipped the same deities as themselves, and had
a like fear of evil spirits ; but that now they prayed to the One living
and true God. They also pointed to the overthrown “‘maraesâ€â€™ as proof
of what they had said.
Hearing that white men had come in ships to» bring these good
tidings, and that they were living quite near, Auura thought it would
be wise to go and see them before returning to Rurutu. A westerly
- wind setting in, he and his friends ‘again set sail in his canoe, intend-
ing to stop at Borabora on the way; but missing the entrance in the
reef at that island, they were carried on to Raiatea. Landing: there,
everything-they saw filled them with surprise. The missionaries and
their wives, the natives dressed in European fashion and wearing hats
and bonnets, the neat white cottages that had been built, the work-
shops and other novelties, astonished them beyond measure; and: when
on Sunday they were taken to the house of God, saw the immense
congregation, heard them sing songs of praise, and listened. to the
preaching of the gospel, they at once felt convinced that the Christian
religion was the true one, and were even thankful for the perils and
hardships that had brought them to Raiatea.. Their one desire was to
learn how to read, and the deacons of the church undertook to teach
them. Auura especially showed great zealand made rapid progress.
In a short time he had mastered. the: spelling-book; could repeat most
74 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
of the catechism, and was able to read in the Gospel. of Matthew.'
These Rurutuans were onlv in Raiatea for three months, but before
they left several of them could read, spell, and write correctly ; and
yet until the day they landed there they had never seen a letter.
Auura’s great wish now was to return as quickly as possible to his
native isle that he might tell his relatives and neighbours of the love
of God, his only fear being that most of them would be dead before he
’ reached home.
A ship, having a cargo of cocoa-nut oil, which native Christians
were sending as the first of many generous gifts to the London Mission- _
ary Society, coming into harbour, Mr. Williams. had no difficulty in
persuading the captain to take them back. Auura, however, was un-
willing to go unless he had with him some one who could teach him
and his people ; for, said he, “it will never do to goto the land of dark-
ness without a light in my hand.†Calling the members of the church-
together, the missionaries asked for volunteers for this work, and two of
the-deacons, who. were among the very best men in the church, readily
came forward and said: “Here are we; sendus.’â€â€™ They were then set
apart: to. their special mission ina solemn and impressive service. This
was the earliest ordination service of South Sea Island missionaries to
distant heathen islands of which we have record, and the greater part
_ of the night before they sailed was spent by the people in providing
some article for their missionaries to take with them. Every member
of the church, says Mr. Williams, from whose “ Missionary Enter-
prises†we take the story, brought something: one a razor, another a
knife, a third.a roll of native cloth, a fourth a pair of scissors, and
others various useful tools. The English missionaries supplied them
with lesson-books and a few copies of Scripture portions in the
' Tahitian language, which closely resembles their own.
As Mr. Williams and his native helpers were anxious to hear
quickly how these men were received, they sent a boat of their own
with a native crew to bring back word; and after an absence of little
more than a month, they had the great joy of seeing this boat return
laden with the trophies of victory—the gods of Rurutu, which the
CARRYING THE LIGHT TO OTHER GROUPS © 75.
islanders had readily given up. With.the idols there:came letters, and
as these were read.the hearts of God’s.servants:were moved with grati-
tude and confidence in His. power to overthrow the kingdom of dark-
ness. .A meeting was called, and the. people crowded into the large
chapel to hear the letters read and to join in praise to Him who had so
signally manifested:His power. This meeting was held inthe evening,
the chapel being lighted up with ten chandeliers made of wood neatly
turned, cocoa-nut shells taking the place of lamps, and. must :have been
wonderfully affecting. The rejected idols had been.carried into. the
chapel, and during the meeting were. publicly exhibited from the
pulpit. One in particular—Aa,* the national god of Rurutu—excited
much interest, for besides being covered with little gods outside, it was
found that he hada door in his back; and on opening this door,
twenty-four small gods were taken from -the inside, and one after
another held up to view. He was supposed.to be the ancestor from
whom the. island of Rurutu was peopled, and who.after death was
regarded asa god.
Several stirring speeches were made. that evening. Tuahine, ‘the
deacon, of whom we have heard before, spoke. of the idols in-these
terms: “Thus the gods made with hands shall perish. There they
are, tied with cords! Yes, their- very names are also changed!
Formerly they were called ‘ Te. mau Afua,’ or the gods; now they
are called “Te mau Varua ino,’ or evil spirits. Their glory, look! it is
birds’ feathers,~soon rotten ; but our God is the same for ever.â€
Tamatoa, the king, also made a striking speech. ‘‘Let us,†said he,
“continue - to give our oil and arrowroot to God, that the blind may
see, and the deaf hear. Let us not be weary in this good work.
We behold’ the’‘great deep: it is full of sea; it- is rough and rugged
underneath ; but the . water. makes a plain, smooth surface, so. that
nothing of its ruggedness is seen. Our. lands were rugged and
rough with wickedness and godless customs... The Word of God alone
can make these rough places smooth. Let us all be diligent in this
good work, till the rugged world is made smooth by the Word of God,
* Aa of Rurutu was the same:as. Taaroa of ‘Tahiti and Tangaroa of Rarotonga.
76 THE STORY OF THE: SOUTH SEAS -
as the waters cover the ruggedness .of the great deep. Let us, above’
all, be concerned to have our own hearts washed in Jesus’ blood;
then God will become our: Friend and’ Jesus our Brother.â€
Well might the Raiatean church be stirred with deep emotion as
they listened to such words, as they reflected on. the great change
that had taken place in their own island,.and as they pondered this new
token of ‘the mighty power of God... Nor must we think that Rurutu
had-simply given up its idols: No: from that day forth its people
began to live a quiet and sober life. Some time afterwards the master
of an American whaler, Captain Benjamin Chase, who often called at
Raiatea for provisions, made up his mind-to touch at Rurutu on his
way back tothe States, but in attempting this was unfortunately
wrecked. The natives, however, treated him with great friendliness, .
and before Captain Chase left he Handed a paper to the native teacher,
signed by himself, in.which he had written these words :.—
“The natives gave us all the assistance in their power from the
time the ship struck to the present moment: The first day, while land-
ing the things from the ship, they were put into the hands of. the
natives, and carried up to the native mission-house, a distance of half
a mile; and not a single article of clothing was taken from any man
belonging to the ship, though they had it in their power to have plun-
dered us of everything that was landed, which fully proves .the
honesty of the natives of this island. Since I have lived on -shore,
myself, officers, and people have received the kindest treatment from
the natives that can be imagined, for which I shall ever be thankful.
Myself and officers have lived in the house with Puna, who, together
. with his wife, have paid every attention to make us comfortable, for
which I return my unfeigned thanks, being the only compensation I
can make them at present.
(Signed) “ B. CHASE.â€
ie Williams had already begun to long for greater usefulness, and
this story of Rurutu stirred anew his desire to get outside the “ single
reef,†and visit other islands. His people also were feeling the throb-
bings of the missionary spirit. In 1821, Mrs. Williams being in feeble
health, and he himself suffering from a disease common in the Pacific,
a voyage to Sydney was thought desirable ; but combining with family
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78 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
duties his ardent wish to take the Gospel to groups yet unvisited, he
arranged to commence forthwith the special work upon which his
‘yheart was set, and utilise his voyage in search, of health for visiting,
and, if possible, stationing teachers in a fresh centre.
Six or seven hundred miles to the south-west of Tahiti lies a group
of islands, which, discovered by Captain Cook (Rarotonga, the largest
of them, excepted), were by him named the Hervey Islands, in honour
-of the Honourable Captain Hervey, one of the Lords of the Admiralty,
cand to that group of islands did the Gospel next spread. Aitutaki, the
third in size, was the first of the Hervey Islands to be enlightened.
Two native Christianis, members of the church of Raiatea, had been
selected by that church for the new effort. Convened for the solemn
‘purpose of choosing from among themselves those niost suitable for
taking the news of God’s power and love to the regions beyond, the
Raiateans, like the mother-church of Antioch in the days of the
apostles, were directed by the same all-sufficient Guide to separate
Papeiha and Vahapata for the work unto which He had called them:
Both were well fitted for the duty,—more especially the former, whose
graphic narratives, carefully preserved in the pages of ‘‘ Missionary
Enterprises,’ are both deeply interesting in themselves, and at the
same time a remarkable evidence of their heroism and consecration.
On the arrival of the vessel at Aitutaki, she was immediately sur-
rounded by native canoes, the occupiers of which were a noisy, wild
‘set of savages. :
“ Some,’ says ile: Williams, ‘‘were tattooed from head to foot ;
some were painted most fantastically with pipe-clay and yellow and
red ochre; others were smeared all over with charcoal; and in this ~
. State were dancing, shouting, and exhibiting the most frantic gestures.
We invited the chief Tamatoa on board the vessel. A number of his
people followed him. Finding that I could converse readily i in their.
language, I informed the chief of, what had taken place in the Tahitian
and Society Islands with respect to the overthrow of idolatry. He
asked me very significantly where great Tangaroa was. I told him
that he, with all the other gods, were burned. ‘He then inquired where
Koro of Raiatea was. I-replied that he, too, was consumed with fire;
CARRYING THE LIGHT TO.OTHER GROUPS 79
and that I had brought two teachers to instruct him and his people in
the word and knowledge of the true Gad, that he.and they also might
be-induced. to abandon and destroy their idols, as others had done. ‘On
my introducing the teachers to him, he asked me if they would accom-
pany him to the shore. I replied in the affirmative, and proposed that
they should remain: with him. He seized them’ with delight, and
saluted them most heartily by rubbing noses, which salutation he con-
tinued for some time. On the chief promising me that he would treat
the teachers with kindness, and afford them protection, taking with
them their little store, they got into his large canoe, and the natives
paddled off to the land, apparently BrCatY delighted with their
treasure.â€
‘ In sucha simple and primitive manner was the kingdom of God
extended. A third evangelist, who took with him a supply of lesson-
books and other aids to progress, was soon sent†to help Papeiha-and
‘Vahapata, so that when in the second year of thé new mission’s.his-
tory Mr. Williams (whose stay of eight months in Sydney had greatly
refreshed him), accompanied by. his fellow missionary, Mr. Bourne,
and. sailing in the schooner Endeavour (which, while in Sydney, he
had bought for such service), again visited them, he found wonderful
changes already effected. A large chapel, nearly 200 feet in length,
.and about go feet in width, had been built of wattle and plaster, also a
neat house for the teacher, containing five rooms; heathen temples had
been destroyed, and their idols'gone; they who only eighteen - months
before had been sunken in supérstition and gross idolatry were now
‘busily occupied chanting the praises of God, singing Christian hymns,
or repeating passages from a catechism, while Sunday was observed
by the entire people as a day:of rest and worship. Of course the
change was, to a large extent, external only; but making all deduc-
tions, it was enough to fill the hearts of native and English mission-
aries alike with thankfulness and hope. The next day the ceremony
of opening the chapel took place, when a congregation of between
1,500 and 2,000 people were present. Mr. Williams preached from the
words, ‘‘God so.loved the world,†etc.,and as he did so, was much
moved by reflecting how different were the Aitutakians on this his
So “. THE STORY OF .THE SOUTH SEAS
second visit from’ what they were :on his first—then. cannibals, now
with one accord bending their knees in prayer to God.
And how had this been brought about? By a slow process during
the first twelve months, and then very rapidly. On landing Papeiha
and Vahapata were taken to the heathen “ maraes,†or altars, and
there given up to the gods. » Little did the Aitutakians then think that
in a few short months the two strangers they were thus placing unde1
the care of their gods would have turned their little ‘“ world upside
down,†and brought them all to understand that these gods were lifeless
blocks of wood and stone. Yet so it was. But not all at once. . Fora
time the teachers had much difficulty, and were badly treated. Fight-
ing broke out among the islanders three distinct times, and this led to
rioting and robbery of their goods. Still they never lost heart, but
were confident that God would soon overthrow the idolatry of the land.
’ A tour of the island, which the two teachers made together, was
the first thing to make a definite tmpression upon the heathen. They
stayed a few days in each district, and while there took every oppor-
tunity that: offered for getting into conversation ‘with the natives,
They also taught them to repeat the’ Lord’s Prayer and the alphabet.
In one district, in the presence of a large crowd of natives, they had a
discussion with an old priest, who, by shouting and bluster, did. his.
best to refute their teaching. ‘ Te-erui,’â€â€™ said the old man, “made all
lands: he made Aitutaki; and after he had made it, he gave it:its
present form by moulding it with his hands:†‘No,’ answered the
teachers, ‘‘God alone has power to create, and He made Aitutaki and
all other lands.†But the old priest would not be silenced, but con-
tinued to shout out that Te-erui was great, and that he had been the.
first man. “Indeed! then who was his father?†asked the teachers,’
“Oh, Te-tareva.†‘Where did Te-tareva come from?†was their
next question. ‘From Avaiki.†‘“ Where is that?†“It is down
below the earth: Te-tareva climbed up from it ; and because he reached
the top, was called by that name.†Quickly seeing that they had the
old priest in‘a corner, the teachers asked: ‘‘ This land, then, was made
before Te-tareva arrived?" “Most certainly,†was the prompt reply.
CARRYING THE LIGHT TO OTHER GROUPS 8r
“ Then,†continued the Raiateans, “how can Te-erui be the maker of
a land which, you say, was made before his parent, Te-tareva, came
up from beneath?†This was a poser for the old man, and he was
silent ; but the teachers went on to tell the crowd about the true God,
who made heaven and earth and all that is therein, and so interested
them, that if any one made the least noise, there was at once a cry of:
- “Be still, be still; let us hear what they say.†From that time many
began to listen thoughtfully to the new teaching.
AITUTAKI.
Two other events helped to deepen the impression. The first was
the arrival of a ship which had called at Aitutaki for the express pur-
pose of finding out how Papeiha and Vahapata were, and to bring
them presents and greetings from their ‘friends. The heathen had
spoken of them as “two logs of driftwood, washed on shore by the
waves of the ocean,†and would not believe that any one would come
to visit them, when lo! here was a vessel come for that very purpose!
Besides which the captain made gifts of axes and other things the
G-
82 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
Aitutakians were very glad to get, and the teachers presented to the
king’s grandfather some pigs and goats which had been sent to them.
A few days after the ship had sailed away there was a general wish
on the part of the people to give up their idols, and seek instruction
at the hands of the two teachers. One man stood in the way; this
was the king’s grandfather, who declared that he would never give up
the gods he had always served. But a great sorrow led him to alter
his mind. While he was busily engaged in certain heathen customs,
a daughter of whom he was very fond was taken ill. The priests at
once began to invoke the help of the gods. Offerings were freely laid
before them, and from morn to eve, day after day, they were entreated
to restore the sick child to health. Instead of getting better she grew
worse, and at last died. So enraged was the chief that in wild grief
and anger he wreaked his vengeance upon the gods who had been
deaf to his cries by sending his son to set fire to the ‘marae.’ Two
other “maraesâ€â€™ near also caught fire and were destroyed. Going to
another larger one, before which people were at the very moment
making offerings, he tried to burn that too, but was held back by the
party of worshippers.
The death of this young princess and the act of her father and
mother roused the entire island, and when Sunday came round the
people from several districts brought their idols and laid them at the
teachers’ feet. Many did the same during the following week, and by
the next Sunday, just fifteen months after the teachers had landed,
not a single person was left in Aitutaki who professed to have any
faith in idols. On the Monday a large meeting was held, when it was
agreed first that every “marae†in the island should be destroyed,
and next that they should at once set to work and build a house of
prayer. That very evening several temples were overthrown, and by
the Tuesday morning not a single one remained. With equal ardour
did the people begin the more difficult task of building the chapel.
They were quick to learn, but some things astonished them beyond
measure, especially their first experience of lime-burning. The
foreigners were “roasting stones,†they said. Then when they found
CARRYING THE LIGHT TO OTHER GROUPS 83
the “roast stone†turned to a beautiful soft, white powder, they were
so pleased with the powder that they whitewashed their clothes and
hats, and strutted about the village as proud as peacocks. Their sur-
prise reached its highest point: when, mixed with sand and carefully
plastered over a piece of the wall and protected for the night by mat-
ting, by next morning the soft powder had turned to hard cement.
That beat everything. They. gently touched it, smelt it, scratched
it, and finished: up by saying: ‘“ Wonderful, wonderful! The very
stones in the sea and the sand on the shore become.useful in the
hands of those who worship the true God and obey His good word.â€
In these ways had Aitutaki been brought out of the heathen darkness
that had hitherto enslaved her.
Mr. Williams had brought six additional teachers, and their wives,
to whom, with the three already at work, the task of rescuing the
Hervey Islands from idolatry was to be entrusted. Some were in-
tended for Rarotonga, of .which island reports had often reached the
missionaries, and natives from which were then at Aitutaki. These
Rarotongans had become Christians during their stay in Aitutaki,
and were eager to return home and tell their countrymen of what the
Lord had done for them, and to the missionaries this seemed a clear.
sign of the guiding hand of God. But the exact whereabouts of ‘the
island was still unknown, and the first thing to do was to discover it.
Taking the Rarotongans on board, and having Papeiha to help them
in their efforts to get on friendly terms with the people, who. were
reputed to be of most fierce character, treacherous, bloodthirsty, and
thorough cannibals, the missionaries sailed in search of the island.
After more than a week’s unsuccessful cruise backwards and for-
wards, however, they had to give up the attempt and steer for Man-
gaia instead. Their reception there was not encouraging. At first
they could not induce the natives to approach them, and when, after
repeated failures, one man, by a liberal offer of knives and pearl orna-
ments, was persuaded to come on board, the poor fellow, though a
very Hercules in build, trembled with terror at finding himself on a
white man’s ship, and eagerly seizing the first chance to descend to
84 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
his canoe, paddled off to the shore as if for his life. Unwilling to
sail away without first landing and trying to make friends with the
people, and yet feeling the difficulty of doing so, the missionaries and
teachers consulted together as to what should be done. Brave Pa-
peiha was equal to the emergency, and at once offered to venture on
shore alone. No opening in the reef, available for the entry of a boat
into the lagoon, was to be seen, but that was no trouble to Papeiha;
he was ready to leap.into the sea and swim through the surf to land.
He was taken in a boat to the reef, and getting out upon the coral
rock, prepared to dive; but noticing that the natives were all armed,
some with slings in which stones were already placed, others with
spears which were poised for hurling at him, he began to address
them. He told them that he wanted to come on shore, that he came
unarmed, that he was a man of peace and not of war, and begged
them to tie their spears in bundles with the slings, for unless they
would do this he could not venture. The Mangaians readily agreed
to do as he asked, when, diving into the surf, he was borne on the
crest of a wave to the beach. He was so well received that he at
once explained to the chiefs what the missionaries wished to do, and
arranged with them for the landing of the teachers. Swimming back
to the boat, he reported his success, and gave as his opinion that the
people would prove quiet and were to be trusted. In this, unfortu-
nately, he was mistaken, for on their landing they met with gross
ill-treatment. Both they and their property were forthwith seized. A
saw which one of them carried was pounced upon, broken into three
pieces, and then hung’ from the savages’ ears as ornaments. A box of
bonnets was dragged through the water. Bamboos of oil were tapped,
- and the oil poured over their naked bodies till the skin shone as they
stood in the sunbeams. Strangest of all, two pigs, an animal which had
never before been seen in Mangaia, were seized by a chief, dressed by
him in his own royal feathers and decorations, and sent in procession
to the temple of the island gods. The teachers’ wives were carried
off bodily into the woods, and there treated with great brutality
and cruelty, their clothes being torn into shreds, and they themselves
CARRYING THE LIGHT TO OTHER GROUPS 85
dragged through mire and water, while their poor husbands, being
bound hand and foot, were powerless to help them. Papeiha himself
was marked for slaughter, and but for his presence of mind would
have suffered death from strangling. A tiputa was thrown over his
head for this purpose, but managing to get his hand into the opening,
he saved his neck from the tightening pressure. Happily these pro-
ceedings could be seen from the vessel, soa small cannon was fired
to frighten the natives, and at the sound of its report they fled to the
bush in great haste. Their flight made it possible to send a boat on
shore and effect a speedy rescue. The teachers returned in a most
bedraggled and woe-begone condition. In such disastrous fashion
did the first attempt to win over Mangaia end.
But less than two years later (1825), when Messrs. Tyerman and
Bennet, who, as a deputation from the Directors, were going the round
of the missions, were returning from Tahiti to Australia, the attempt
was renewed, and with thorough success. Two young men, Davida
and Tiera, both of them members of the church at Tahaa, were on
board, ready to land on any island that might be found prepared to
receive them. Reaching Mangaia, friendly intercourse was easily
opened with the people, who had come to a better frame of mind, and
were now quite willing to receive teachers. This was chiefly due to
the terrible sufferings the islanders had been called to endure. Very
soon after the visit of Mr. Williams and their harsh treatment of the
teachers disease had broken out among them, and, spreading rapidly,
had killed many. Men of rank and the poor, grown-up people and
children, were alike its victims, and the hearts of the people “ became
as water,†while the one thought that fixed itself in their minds was
that the plague was a punishment to them for their own misdeeds.
Having nothing with them but the light calico shirts which they
wore, and a portion of the Tahitian New Testament tied tightly across
their foreheads, these two devoted missionary pioneers, leaping into
the sea from the canoe, swam to the shore, and became the honoured
instruments of overthrowing the idolatry of the island, and of laying
the foundations of the kingdom of Christ.
86 THE STORY OF THE. SOUTH SEAS
Atiu, Mauke, Mitiaro, and other islands were also welcoming the
light, and at last Rarotonga was added to the number. Once again
John Williams set out to look for it, and when provisions were failing,
the captain’s patience almost worn out, and’a promise made that if
not found within an hour the search should be given up, lo, there
came a shout from the masthead: “‘ Here, here is the land we have
been seeking.†The morning clouds had lifted with the rising sun,
and Rarotonga lay within sight. Though previously observed and
even visited by one or two passing vessels, in a sense it was dis-
covered by Mr. Williams. Papeiha and one of the Rarotongans, who
had -been*brought away from Aitutaki, landed in a canoe, and easily
. persuaded Makea, the king, a light-skinned, handsome man, six feet
high, whose stout body was beautifully tattooed and slightly tinged
with orange by the use of a mixture of turmeric and ginger, to return
with them to the vessel. There he met with a most hearty welcome.
He was much rejoiced to see his people back again, and especially to
find his own cousin among them. Teachers with their wives, Pa-
peiha, and all the Rarotongans were taken ashore, and it was hoped
that all would go well. But, as at Mangaia, appearances were de-
ceitful. The licentious habits of a powerful chief led to sad trouble.
This man was already the husband of nineteen wives, but wishing to
add a twentieth, came with a number of his followers to seize a
teacher’s wife and carry her away by force. This he would certainly
have done but for the courage of one of the Christian Rarotongans
who had come in the Eudeavour from Aitutaki. . This Christian
woman—tTapairu by name—who was a cousin of Makea’s, and had
been welcomed home by him an hour or two before with much nose-
‘rubbing and like tokens of delight, a woman of influence and of great
bravery, defended her friend from the wicked chief. She argued,
wept, and fought to save her from disgrace, and to her alone, under
God, the woman’s rescue was due. Early the next morning the entire
party came off to the ship, their garments tattered and torn, and with
a truly piteous tale of woe to tell.
What was to be done? Again did the courage of Papeiha solve
CARRYING THE LIGHT TO OTHER GROUPS 87
a difficult problem. ‘Let me remain alone,’’ said he, “at any rate
until you can send me a colleague from Raiatea,â€â€™ naming one of like
spirit with himself. ‘Let the savages spare me or kill me, I will
THE BRAVE TEACHER, PAPEIHA.
land among them ; Jehovah is my shield, 1am in His hand.†So it
was settled. Leaving his little property on board, and bidding fare-
well to his friends, this devoted Polynesian apostle got into a canoe
88 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
and made for the shore, carrying nothing with him but the clothes
he wore, his. native Testament, and a bundle of elementary lesson-
books. With the six Rarotongans who, while still in Aitutaki, had
become Christians, as his sympathisers and helpers, Papeiha was
about to commence a work of real magnitude. Earnest prayer was
offered on his behalf—prayer that was heard and answered—and four
months later, when Tiberio, the chosen colleague, arrived, many ad-
ditions to the little flock had been made. A year later Messrs. Tyer-
man and Bennet found the whole population nominally Christian.
They had renounced their idols, feathers, hideous images, poles
swathed in endless coils of native cloth, and similar emblems of igno-
rance and superstition, and were busily engaged erecting a place of
worship six hundred feet long. Some fifteen hundred wild, almost
naked people, gathered together to listen to the preacher. They were
not Christians in any true sense of the word. Their hearts were un-.
changed. But they were quite sure of one thing, and that was that
the God of the Christians was mightier than their own gods. It was
indeed a marvellous thing. Two native teachers, themselves born
heathen in an island seven hundred miles away, landed on Rarotonga,
and in less than two years and a half the worship of idols was at
an end!
A heathen woman had prepared the way. Her story is so strange
that it must be told once more. She had been brought either by a
canoe or in some passing vessel from Tahiti to Rarotonga, and proud
of her travels and knowledge of other lands, lost no time in telling
the natives of all she had seen. ‘Don’t think that you are the only
people in the world,†she said, “for there are many others, and some
of them are white all over. They are called Cookies.â€+ She then
told of Captain Cook’s visit to. Tahiti, and that after he left some
“servants of Jehovah and Jesus Christ, the white man’s God,’
came and were now living in the island. These white men, she
said, had brought many new things. The people no longer used
1 A name, derived from that of Captain Cook, at that time given by the natives
of the South Seas to all English people.
CARRYING THE LIGHT TO OTHER GROUPS 89
stone axes for hewing trees, but sharp things with which they could
cut down timber with the greatest ease; they no longer used
tools made of men’s bones for scraping out their canoes, or when
making posts for their houses, for the same foreign~ teachers had
brought sharp hard things, made of iron, with which one could do
the work much more quickly and better; the children did not now
cry and scream. when they had their hair cut, as they formerly did
when it was sawn off with sharks’ teeth, for the Cookies had brought
them bright things which were so sharp that they cut the hair with-
out hurting; and they had no need now to go down to the water’s
edge if they wanted to see what their faces looked like, for these
wonderful visitors had brought with them some small shining things,
which they could carry about with them, and in which they could see
themselves as plainly as they could see each other. So impressed were
the Rarotongans with all that this heathen Tahitian. woman told
them that the king, Makea, called one of his children ‘‘Tehovahâ€
(Jehovah) and another “‘ Jetu Terai†(Jesus Christ). An uncle of the
king built an altar to Jehovah and Jesus Christ, to which sick people
were taken to be healed, and so famous had this. ‘“ marae†or. altar
become that the power of Jehovah and Jesus Christ was. already
famous.
But Papeiha for a time had an uphill struggle and very little to
cheer his heart. On reaching the shore to which he had so bravely
swum, he was at-once taken to the house of the old chief Makea,
father of the one then in power. He was followed by a great crowd
of natives who threatened to steal his clothes. ‘I'll have his hat,’
said one; “Tl have his jacket,†said another; “Tl have his shirt,â€
said a third. But they did not carry out their threats, for the chief
called out: “Speak to us, O man, that we may know the business on
which you have come.†Papeiha told them that he had come ‘to tell
them about the true God and the way of salvation through Jesus
Christ, so that they, like the people of Tahiti and other islands, might
burn the idols of wood, of cloth, and of birds’ feathers which they had
made with their own -hands, and ignorantly called gods. These bold
96 ; THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS...
words startled the crowd, who burst out in horror and surprise:
“What! burn the gods! what. gods shall we then have, and what
shall we do without the gods?â€â€™ The wonder is that Papeiha’s blunt
outspokenness did not cost him his life. . But God graciously protected
him.
Morning and evening worship, and Sunday services, which about
a score of persons, more or iess friendly, attended, were- regularly
carried.on. Among those who came was a young man, the eldest
son of the chief, who was afterwards baptized with the name Davida,
and became a true friend anda sincere Christian:. Up in the moun-
tains of Rarotonga there lived a chief, called Tinomana, where with
his clan he was forced to live by the more powerful chiefs, who dwelt
near the shore. Weaker than his neighbours, Tinomana had to
endure unfair and cruel treatment. He was not allowed to come
down to the sea to fish: all the fishing his people could do had to be
done by stealth at night. His plantations were often robbed; and,
worse still, when the gods were supposed to want a victim, or a large
offering of food, it was one of his followers who had to be slain; or it
was from him the. present for the gods had to be obtained. Now
Tinomana was the first chief to burn his idols. He sent for Papeiha,
"and the zealous Raiatean teacher at once obeyed the call, and went to
see him. He had a long talk with the chief, and fully convinced him
that the idols were powerless. He also pointed out to him the great
blessings which the Gospel would bring. Fighting would cease.
Instead of being driven up into the mountains, he would be allowed
peacefully to settle near the shore, and both he and others would gain
greatly. At nightfall, when Papeiha was about to lie down. to rest,
Tinomana brought his native mat, the only bed he used, and_spreading
it by Papeiha’s side, begged him to teach him how to pray to Jehovah.
Papeiha commenced a short prayer, which the chief repeated after him.
Wearied with his journey and the long. talk, the teacher dropped off
to sleep; but scarcely had he closed his eyes before Tinomana in great
distress awoke him, saying: “Ive forgotten it; go over it again.â€
After making him repeat it many times, he again fell asleep ; but once
CARRYING THE LIGHT TO OTHER GROUPS 9!
more was he aroused with the same touching plea: “I’ve forgotten
it; go over it againâ€; and this occurred several times during the
night. Ashe was leaving the next morning, the chief accompanied
Papeiha part of the way, repeating his prayer as he went, and
thanking him again and again for what he had told him. A few
months afterwards, as we shall find, Tinomana went a step further
and burnt his gods.
In private and in public alike Papeiha spoke out boldly. Numbers
did not in the least terrify him. Soon after his visit to the mountains
he attended a large gathering held at a heathen “marae.†Hundreds
had come together to make a specially great offering to the idols.
Many priests were moving about among the crowd shouting like
madmen. This was to show that they were inspired. Some of these
priests had one side of their face and body blackened with charcoal ;
others were painted with stripes of all the colours they could find ;
while others were arrayed as warriors with large head-dresses, white
cowrie: shells and feathers. Without a trace of fear, the teacher
walked into the midst of these frenzied men and began to point out
the folly of bringing presents of food to mere pieces of wood which
their own hands had carved and ornamented, and were only gods
because they who made them gave them that name. A priest stood
up to defend their customs, and a long discussion followed. Papeiha
told the crowd that the day would soon come when their gods would
be ‘fuel for the fire,’ and though his hearers seemed to be struck
with horror..as he said this, they allowed him to go on and preach to
them at great length. He did not, however, make any new converts
that day. His New Testament was a puzzle to the Rarotongans. He
always carried it with him, and as he walked about the people would
say: “There! there’s the god of that man! What a funny god it
is; he carries it about with him, but we leave ours at the marae.â€â€™
When they saw him reading, they would say that he and his god
were talking together.
After working for five months alone, Papeiha was cheered by the
arrival of Tiberio, for whom, as a co-worker, he had specially asked.
HEATHEN CEREMONIES ON THE RETURN OF THE PLEIADES.
CARRYING THE LIGHT TO OTHER GROUPS 93
The two men soon decided to go all over the island, and whether
treated ill or well, to speak. out fearlessly. Shortly after this a priest
came to say that he meant to burn his idol, and also to place his son,
a boy about ten years old, under their care, lest the gods in their
anger should kill him. Leaving his boy, he returned home, and the next
morning came bending under the weight of the heavy rudely shaped
image he was bringing to be burned. A crowd followed him, saying
that he was mad. He threw the idol down before the teachers, and
one of them, fetching a saw, sawed off its head. The people fled in
terror, but coming back saw the god rapidly turning to ashes, while
some bananas were being cooked over the fire its burning body made.
Papeiha and Tiberio ate of the bananas, but none of the Rarotongans
could be induced to touch one. Thus perished the first of Rarotonga’s ©
idols. Others quickly followed. Within three days fourteen of them
met with alike fate. Then came Tinomana’s decisive act. Sending for
the two brethren, he told them that after careful: thought he had made
up his mind to become a Christian, begged them to be his teachers,
and inquired what was the first step for him to take. To this they
answered that he must destroy his maraes, and burn his idols. ‘Come
with me,†said the chief, “‘and see them destroyed.†A man was
bidden to set fire to the temple, and two great wooden figures were
then stripped of their wrappings and cast to the flames. This deed
of Tinomana’s made some of his clan very angry. They said he was
out of his mind. The women especially seemed mad with rage and
grief. They cut their heads with sharp shells and sharks’ teeth, then
ran about smeared with the blood which flowed from their wounds,
dolefully crying out: ‘Alas! alas! the gods of the madman Tino-
mana, the gods of the insane chief, are given to the flames.†Others
blackened themselves with charcoal and joined in the same wild cries.
But all to no purpose. Very soon all through Rarotonga the work of
destruction was going on, and every idol had either perished in the
fire or had been handed over to the teachers to be sent to Raiatea.
A few of the heathen for a time tried to stem the torrent. One
man, a priest, who pretended to be inspired by the god Tangaroa,
- O94 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
came to the house of a chief named Pa, where the two teachers were
seated talking to him about the true God. He spoke ina gruff un-
natural voice, twisted himself about, and made hideous grimaces just
to frighten: those who saw him and to show that Tangaroa had. indeed
entered into him. Coming close to the house, he shouted out: “ Pa,
Pa, give me those two men! Why do you keep two rotten. sticks
driven on shore by the waves? Why do you listen to the froth of
the sea? Iam the great Tangaroa! give them to me, and I'll eat
them.†This greatly amused Papeiha and Tiberio, who, taking out
their knives, jokingly said that when he entered the house they would
make a hole in his body and look for the great Tangaroa, who he
‘said was inside him. Overhearing this, Pa went out and told the priest
what they were going todo. That was enough. Away the silly man
ran, as fast as his legs could carry him, and no more was heard of
him or his nonsense.
Papeiha tells another amusing story about a cat, an animal never
seen in Rarotonga before. A favourite cat had been taken on shore
by one of the teachers’ wives, but not feeling at home, had fled to the
mountains. There it lived a wild life of its own for a time. One
night, the wife of a priest, who had that day destroyed his idol, was
sitting on her mat by her husband's side, he being fast asleep. She
was thinking of the strange things that had happened, when, looking
up, shé saw near the doorway two bright, sparkling lights, and heard
a mysterious voice. In great alarm, and thinking that the burnt god
- had: come back to torment them, she aroused her husband, crying :
“Get up and pray, get up and pray.†Opening his eyes, the man
looked up, and saw the same glaring jets of fire and heard the same
unearthly sound. (It was only pussy’s eyes and friendly mew, but
this he-then knew nothing about.) Not knowing what to do, the poor
fellow began repeating the alphabet as loud as he possibly could,
using this as a sort of prayer to God; and such a noise did he make,
that the cat became frightened and ran away. On another occasion
Tom took up his abode in a “marae†which was.in a quiet spot sur-
rounded by trees. Approaching this ‘marae’ with a number of
CARRYING THE LIGHT TO OTHER GROUPS 95
people to bring an offering, what was the astonishment of the priest
on opening the door to see a living creature come walking towards
him, mewing as it came! ‘“Here’s a monster from the deep,†he
‘shouted, and rushed away in terror, the whole party close at his heels,
Reaching his house, the priest summoned his neighbours to come and
help him slay the monster. Several hundred men came together,
war-caps on head, sling, or club, or spear in hand, face and body
blackened with charcoal, and marching in a body, made ready for the
attack. Hearing the noise, and himself thoroughly frightened, poor
Tom awaited the opening of the door, then darting forward, nimbly
slipped through the warriors’ legs and fled to the bush. They, in
turn, terrified out of their wits, turned in dismay and hurried pell-mell
in all directions. Laterthe same day, the cat gave them a second
fright and again escaped; but at night, trusting foolishly to man’s
good nature, he stole into a house, and nestling himself under a man’s
coverlet, began to pur. That pur cost him his life; for it awoke the
mah, who, closing the door, roused all in the house, and then, aided
by their clubs and spears, set upon the wretched cat and killed him.
And'these warriors felt quite proud of themselves for putting an end
to “the monster from the deep! â€â€™
CHAPTER VI.
THE “‘MESSENGER OF PEACE’’ AND HER USEFUL WORK.
“ He hath filled him with the spirit of God . . . in all manner of workmanship.â€
N May, 1827, John Williams himself landed
in Rarotonga for the first time. His wife
= and children were with him, also two new
7 helpers—the Rev. Charles Pitman and Mrs.
Pitman, who had come out from England
two or three years before, and after gain-
ing a little experience in Tahiti, Raiatea,
and Tahaa, were now appointed to settle in
Rarotonga... For thirty-one years that
island became their home. Once they were
absent for a few months, and at another
time for two years; but with these ex-
ceptions, though often far from strong, they
faithfully kept at their post and did noble
work in training the rough Rarotongan
people, in building them up in Christian
knowledge, and in leading them forward in newness of life. It was no
easy duty. The chiefs and their subjects had got rid of their idols, it is
true, but that was about all they had done, and the much more difficult
task of inducing them to give their hearts to God had yet to be under-
taken.
Mr. Williams intended to remain three or four months only, but
was detained there, through lack of a vessel, for a whole year, during
which time he rendered invaluable service to the mission. Among
other things was the work of chapel-building. The ambition of the
96
THE “MESSENGER OF PEACE†AND HER USEFUL WORK 97
native teachers had over-shot the mark, and their absurdly large
chapel proved. both inconvenient and frail. Mr. Williams came to
their aid, and helped them to build a really handsome edifice, 150 feet
long by 56 feet wide, with a thatched roof, supported on either side
by seven iron-wood pillars twenty-five feet high, and containing well-
made doors and windows, the latter fitted with Venetian blinds! He
further assisted the chiefs to frame and put into writing laws for the
future government of the island, and in that way sought to get rid
of cruel and corrupt practices,and secure a wise and merciful ad-
ministration of justice.
But the one great event of that year’s detention in Rarotonga was
the building of the Messenger of Peace, a vessel-of from seventy to
eighty tons, unlike in appearance any other afloat. Nothing showed
the real greatness of John Williams more clearly than the building of
this vessel. Pluck, cleverness in overcoming difficulties, mechanical
skill were alike seen. With sleeves turned up and wearing a
‘curious apron made of native cloth he worked with his own hands,
and managed to make other people work too. The project of making
a ship of his own had been maturing in his mind for some time.
Whilst still in Raiatea he had thought of it, hoping thus to extend the
mission to the Navigators (Samoan) and New Hebrides Islands, but.
had laid the plan aside because of the strong opposition of his- wife.
She not unnaturally objected to a proposal which would take her
husband a voyage of 1,800 or 2,000 miles, keep him absent from her
for six months, and expose him to frequent danger among rude and
savage islanders. But a serious illness she had in Rarotonga led Mrs.
Williams to think that she had ‘been selfish in her thoughts. She
even urged her husband to undertake the work. Nothing loth, though
surprised at the change in her views, he decided to begin without
delay. His first purpose was to build the keel only in Rarotonga, and
then complete the vessel on his return to Raiatea ; but finding Makea
and the other chiefs—indeed, the whole people—eager to aid him, and
* It was during the erection of this chapel that the oft-quoted incident of the
talking chip occurred.
H
ee
98 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
prepared to give time and strength to the task, he modified his plan
and determined to finish the work in Rarotonga. In less than four
months from the date of her commencement, the Messenger of Peace
was afloat. Timber was cut in the mountains, dragged to the shore
by hundreds of strong arms, and there, large saws being wanting,
‘split in halves by wedges, adzed down to the requisite thinness with
small hatchets, and then pinned together by means of great wooden
TILE ‘‘ MESSENGER OF PEACE,â€
pegs driven through auger-holes. Bent planks were obtained. from
crooked trees, and by like devices every difficulty was conquered.
For iron Mr. Williams was chiefly dependent upon a rusty chain
cable. This had been left on the island by a ship whose crew had
hastily fled in terror from the wild natives they found there. For
oakum he used cocoa-nut fibre; for ropes the bark of the hibiscus;
for sails the mats on which the islanders slept, simply quilting them
to make them strong enough to resist the force of the wind. His
THE “MESSENGER OF PEACE†AND HER USEFUL WORK 49
bellows being destroyed by rats, who held high carnival one night
and devoured the goat-skin of which its leather sides had been made,
he was for a time in dire straits; but, nothing daunted, set to work
and devised a wonderful wind-making box as a substitute, and this,
whatever its defects, accomplished its special purpose. The natives
were deeply impressed with all this mechanical ingenuity and skill,
especially with the pumps. Indeed, the king was so much interested
in‘them that he frequently had his favourite stool carried on board,
and amused himself for hours in pumping out the bilge-water. The
hanging of the rudder gave some difficulty, for, having no iron suffi-
ciently large for pintles, Mr. Williams had to make these from a piece
of a pick-axe, a cooper’s adze, and a large hoe.
Before this wonderful schooner was quite finished, her builder was
greatly cheered by the arrival in Rarotonga of another fellow-worker,
the Rev. Aaron Buzacott, a missionary whose name will ever stand
high in the annals of the South Seas.. Mr. Buzacott was a native of
South Molton, Devonshire, in which town his father was in business as
an ironmonger and whitesmith. After three years spent in learning
farming, to which out-of-door life he had been sent on account of his
poor health, the son learned his father's trade, and on reaching Raro-
tonga was at once glad to turn his knowledge of the smith’s craft to
good account. While on the farm he had given his heart to Christ,
and when sixteen years of age a visit to South Devon from the Rev.
Richard Knill set him longing to be a missionary. Relating his own
story first of all, Mr. Knill turned to the gallery and exclaimed : “‘ There
is a young man in that gallery who is now saying: ‘ Here am IJ, send
me.’â€â€™ The words were but “a bow drawn at a venture,†but they
went straight to the mark; for young Buzacott was at that very
moment using these words in the silence of his own heart. Indeed, so
startled was he, that he could hardly refrain from calling out from that
gallery seat: “Yes, I am that young man.†Not for three or four
years, however, was the way opened for him to obey the prompting of
God's Spirit; but at length God made it plain to parents, ministers,
and other friends that He had calied this young man to serve Him in
100 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
the mission field. A full course of study followed, and then, in his
twenty-seventh year, well prepared for his life’s work, he set sail for
Rarotonga. Before sailing he had married a Miss Hitchcock, a lady
belonging to a remarkable family. She was one of three sisters who
married missionaries, one becoming the wife of the Rev. Charles Hardie,
of Samoa, the other the wife of the Rev. James Sewell, Bangalore,
South India, while her brother was none other than the late widely
known and highly respected Mr. George Hitchcock, of St. Paul’s
Churchyard, London. Mr. and Mrs. Buzacott’s voyage to the Pacific
was'a most trying one, thanks to the coarse, harsh behaviour of the
ship’s captain and crew. Among their fellow-passengers was Mr. Nott,
of Tahiti, who after twenty-eight years in the islands had been home
for a short change. ‘On reaching Matavai Bay, canoes in great
number put off from shore, and seeing their old. friend on board, their
owners raised loud shouts of joy: ‘“ Noti has come!†“ Noti has come!â€
The excitement became intense. - Yet, as the people looked at him, they
were much puzzled. When he left them to go home, he was quite
bald; now he had.a fine crop of hair on his head. How had that
come to pass? was the question everybody was asking. So to satisfy
their curiosity Mr. Nott inquired in the Tahitian language: ‘ When the
thatch of your houses is worn out what do you do?†‘We thatch
them again,†they replied. ‘ Just so,†said he; ‘I have had my head
re-thatched in England.†With that answer they had to be content.
Mr. and Mrs. Buzacott spent five months in Tahiti before they were
able to go on to Rarotonga. Most of the time they spent at Taiarapu,
_ Mr. Crook’s station, where their first child was born, and so pleased
' were the Tahitian people with their new visitors that they actually
tried to steal them! There was a district on the east side of the island
that had no missionary, the chief of which, who was Pomare’s uncle,
had long wished to have a teacher all to himself. Trying bribery
first, he made large promises. ‘If you will only consent, the whole of
the people shall be your servants; we will build you a chapel, a school-
house, and a dwelling. We will fence ina garden without payment,
and do everything else you require. All the bread-fruit and cocoa-
THE “MESSENGER OF PEACE†AND HER USEFUL WORK ci
nut trees shall be yours. All the pigs and poultry you may want
shall be given. Indeed, you shall be our king and our priest.†Very
tempting ; but Mr. Buzacott was firm: “I came for Rarotonga, and to
Rarotonga I must go.’ Then they tried to prey upon his fears ty
telling him that the Rarotongans were cannibals and might eat him.
Finding those attempts also useless, they next laid a clever plot to
carry the missionary off by force. He was to return in a boat from
one station to another. Knowing this, these strangers contrived to
secure places as boatmen; others were hidden away in the bush armed
with stones to prevent a rescue ; and when Mr. Buzacott took his seat
the boatmen tried to row him off in the direction of their own village.
But their plot was quickly seen through, and although stones began to
fly about and the rowers did their best to get away, they did not suc-
ceed. After a while the chief, seeing that his plan was a failure,
himself came off in a canoe and told his men to row the boat back to
shore. It might be wrong to steal other things, but that it would be
wrong to steal a missionary, the chief and his companions were quite
unable to see. The next plan was to steal the baby; “ for,’ said
these Tahitians, “if we can carry off the baby, Mr. and Mrs.
Buzacott will soon come after it.’ It was only by constant watchful-
ness that they were able to defeat such wild schemes and get safely
back to Matavai Bay.
While there they gathered together.as many useful things as they
could. Among other articles Mr. Buzacott bought at an auction sale
a quantity of old iron which proved of more value than gold, for with
it, on reaching Rarotonga, they were able to complete the Messenger of
Peace and build a new mission house. - After long delay a vessel called
on her way to the Hervey Islands, and on January 22, 1828, they
sailed in her. Eight months had passed since Mr. and Mrs. Williams
and Mr. and Mrs. Pitman had landed there, and nothing had been
heard of them since. The new comers naturally felt anxious, but on
arriving found all well. The ship’s boat was lowered, and the captain
took Mrs. Buzacott and her infant on shore while her husband stayed
behind to see their goods sent off. On nearing the beach, and seeing
601
WW, “yeaa? Mts Uw
tian Eh Maya d
ae ey AL
tie Ee eee ee pane
FENCALEL DEL. ee e tii
Sithiee
HEATHEN REVELRY,
THE “MESSENGER OF PEACE†AND HER USEFUL WORK 103
crowds of men wearing long hair and having their faces, arms, legs.
and even the entire body in some cases tattooed, men and women alike
only half-clothed and the children perfectly naked, the missionary’s
wife may be forgiven for being a little alarmed, the more so as
the natives pressed around the boat asit grounded. But Mr. Williams
came hurrying down, and soon set her mind at rest by assuring her
that there was no danger. For thirty years Rarotonga was to be the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Buzacott, and his work there, especially in
translating and printing the Rarotongan Bible, in which he took a
leading part, bears fruit still.
From the first day of meeting Mr.-Williams and Mr. Buzacott
were drawn to one another, and their friendship only ended with
death. As soon as boxes had been opened and the house put a little
straight, the young missionary came to the older one’said. Appearing,
the very first morning after landing, with his sleeves already rolled
up, and wearing a proper English workman’s apron, he surprised the
latter by asking what he should do. Handing him some tools, Mr.
Williams said: ‘“‘ Make me a few nails.’ With ease his young colleague
forged nails and bolts in a neat and practised style. The eyes of the
older man filled with joy, for he could not do the work better himself,
and, turning to the chief, who was looking on in mute astonishment, he
said, putting his hand on Buzacott’s shoulder as he said so: ‘“ This is
the man for us; this is the man for usâ€; to which Makea said Amen.
Successfully built, launched, and fitted up, the Messenger of Peace
made her trial trip to Aitutaki, which was only 170 miles away. Her
arrival there caused immense excitement. She returned in safety to
Rarotonga, and then, in April, 1828, sailed to Tahiti, a distance of
from 600 to 700 miles. ‘There can be little doubt,’ says Mr. Buza-
cott, when telling the story years afterwards, “that they owed their
safe voyage quite as much to the special care of the Lord of winds and
waves as to the sea-worthiness of the schooner. God gave them a fair
and moderate wind until they cast anchor. Had the weather been
rough, she must have foundered; for when they reached safe anchor-
age, the caulking was hanging from the sides of the ship in long
104 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
strips. The straining caused by rough weather would have released
the caulking completely,.and the vessel must have filled rapidly and
sunk to the bottom.†Her strange uncanny build and rig greatly
puzzled the crews of the ships that happened to be in Papeete harbour
at the time. “Some,†says Mr. Williams, “took us for South
American patriots; others for pirates; and others could not tell what
to make of us.†From Tahiti the vessel went. on to Raiatea, where,
after a year’s absence, a most cordial welcome awaited Mr. and
Mrs. Williams. Postponing for a time his projected voyage to Samoa,
he remained among his own people, doing his utmost to counteract
the evil effects of their old heathen habits, and to strengthen their
Christian principle and practice. In the meantime the temporary rig
of his ‘ yacht,†as her builder called her, had been replaced by proper
masts and sails, and when she was thus properly equipped, Mr. Platt
accompanied Messrs. Pritchard and Simpson to the Marquesas in
her, afterwards visiting the Hervey Islands. The ship thus gave
- ample evidence of her. usefulness.
At length she set out on that mission of extension for which she
had been specially built. On the 24th of May, 1830, Messrs. Williams
and Barff! sailed for the distant Navigators, or, as we generally call
them now, the Samoan Islands. On their way they called at several
of the islands in which the gospel was already gaining ground: First
Mangaia, then Atiu, whose beautiful green hills always delight the
eye, Mauke, a‘ low-lying little islet some fifteen miles round, Mitiaro,
which is even smaller, and lastly Rarotonga and Aitutaki, were visited
one after the other, and at every station but Rarotonga there was much
to fill the heart with gladness. The new converts, though still very
backward, were making good progress. In dress, in behaviour, in
_ knowledge, in their treatment of women, and in missionary zeal they
+ From Captain Turpie we learn that Mr. Barff had many an amusing story to tell
about this and other trips. The Messenger of Peace, he said, sailed faster on one tack
than she did on the other, and it was very difficult to get the anchor to hold, and no
- wonder, for it was nothing but a sort of barrel filled with stones, while the two sides of
the ship were not alike.
THE “MESSENGER OF PEACE†AND HER USEFUL WORK 105
were showing pleasing signs of realadvance. Aitutaki especially was
doing nobly. The natives of this island, only recently rescued from
idolatry, had already begun to exercise a spirit of liberality towards
others, and a longing to extend the kingdom of .Christ. To Mr.
Williams's great surprise and joy, the native church brought him
the sum of £103 as an offering to the London Missionary Society.
They had “bought†this money from the captains, of passing ships,
they said, with pigs and other island produce. ‘ This was the /jirst
money they ever possessed,†says Mr. Williams, “and every farthing
of it was dedicated to the cause of Christ!’? Nor did they give their
money alone; they gave themselves also. Four embarked as mission-
aries to distant islands.
The visit to Rarotonga was a sad one, for the people of that island
were in sore trouble. Mr. and Mrs. Pitman, at Ngatangia, on one side of
it, Mr. and Mrs. Buzacott, at Avarua, on the other, and faithful Papeiha,
at the third station of Arorangi, were one and all plunged in sorrow.
For several months an outbreak of ague and dysentery had raged all
over Rarotonga, and had carried off about nine hundred of the natives.
The island was turned into a house of mourning. The few natives
who had strength to come and see Mr. Williams had piteous stories to
tell him. An enquiry after any one whom he did not see was almost
always followed by the answer: “ He is dead.’’’ Some who were too
weak to walk were carried on mats to their doors just to take a last
look at their good friend before they died. It was a truly painful
- experience. Nor were disease and death the only trials of God's
servants in Rarotonga. Inone sense these proved a means of blessing,
for they had brought to an end the wicked plots and purposes of a
number of reckless men who had almost ruined the mission by their
bitterness and violence. As related in the last chapter, the Rarotongan
idols had all been swept away. Perhaps Papeiha had been too eager
to get this done and would have been wiser if he had not. urged it so
strongly, but had waited for the truth to sink more deeply into the
minds of the natives. At any rate, it soon became clear that many
were longing for the old days and the old customs. Not the chiefs
106 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
They were tired of constant fighting and of the famines which fighting
always caused, and they longed for quieter times. Zzey therefore did
their best to persuade the people to obey the new teaching. But a
band of thoroughly bad men, angry at finding themselves checked in
their evil practices by the laws which that new teaching gave rise to,
set to work to crush both laws and teaching, and, sad to say, Papeiha’s
fellow teacher yielded to temptation and was guilty of a great sin
which made the heathen more bitter than ever. That was a terrible
grief to the missionaries. ‘“ Seventy of them vowed a vow over their
sacred fires,†we read, ‘‘and in the names of their dethroned gods, to
die rather than submitâ€â€™ to the religion of Jesus. First they tried to
stir up the tribes to another war. As this failed, they next took to
setting fire to buildings. They burnt down the chapel, the school-house,
and no less than twenty-eight houses of people favourable to the new-
religion. One stormy night Mr. Buzacott was roused at dead of night
by a messenger bringing the following note from Mr. Pitman:
‘“Dear BroTHer,—-Our chief judge’s house is burnt to ashes; the
chapel is now in a blaze, and if the wind shift a point, our own house
must go too.
“JT remain, etc.,
“ CHARLES PITMAN.â€
So cleverly was this work of house-burning done that it was most
difficult to find out who didit. ‘A piece of native cloth, twisted into
the shape of a small rope, with a live coal inserted in the bend of it,’
was thrown upon the thatch, on the windward side of the house. This
cloth is like tinder, and once alight and fanned by the wind, the spark
would soon burst into a flame, and before the inmates could be well aware
of their danger the whole roof would be in a blaze. Glad to escape with
their lives, they often abandoned their little property to the fury of the
flames. The one thing people seemed most anxious to save was any book
they possessed. One man rushed into a blazing chapel, at the risk of his
life, to save the pulpit Bible from destruction and got out again in
safety, bearing the valued prize, amidst the shouts of those who were
THE “MESSENGER OF PEACE†AND HER USEFUL WORK 107
standing by.†! There was even a plot to kill all the Christian chiefs
_ and missionaries, but as no one chosen by lot to make an attack upon
Makea could be persuaded to undertake this serious business, the plot
fell through. A flood, followed by the outbreak of disease, however,
put a stop to all this wickedness, and everybody was struck with the
fact that most of the rebels were victims of its ravages, and saw in
this fresh evidence of the power of the Christians’ God.
Midway between the Hervey Islands and Samoa lies the low, rock-
bound, unromantic-looking island called by the natives Niué, but
named by Captain Cook Savage Island, so fierce did its inhabitants
appear to him to be. To this spot the Messenger of Peace next sailed.
Two young Aitutakians and their wives, who had been specially
set apart for missionary work, were-on board, and these it was hoped
would settle on Niué. Seeing a break in the cliffs, with a stretch of
sandy beach, and some natives moving about, they waved a white
flag asa sign of friendliness. In the usual way that would have led
the islanders to launch their canoes and paddle off to the vessel, but
instead of doing this, they waved a flag in return. A boat was therefore
lowered and rowed ashore. No white man was in the boat, as it was
thought wiser for none but Polynesians like themselves to go in the
first instance. ‘The natives were all armed, and when the boat drew
near to the beach they were seen ranged in line as if to repel invaders,
each man holding three or four spears and carrying a sling and a belt-
ful of stones. » Resting on their oars for a few.moments, the boatmen
lifted up their hearts to God in prayer, and then, advancing slowly, made
_ signs to the natives to put down their weapons. This at length they
did, and coming to the edge of the reef, made an offering of bread-fruit, a
piece of cloth, and the sacred cocoa-nut leaf, at that time the common
token in the South Seas of goodwill and peaceful purpose. A small
present was made in return, after which a few launched their canoes
and paddled towards the ship, yet cautiously keeping at a distance.
After much coaxing an aged chief was persuaded to go on board
He was a terrible-looking old man., About sixty years of age, tall in
4“ Mission Life in the Pacific Islands.â€
108 vs THE STORY .OF THE SOUTH SEAS
person, with high cheek bones and a forbidding face, he was enough
to startle any one, the more so as his-whole body was smeared with
charcoal. His head and beard were long and grey, and the beard was
plaited and twisted together and made to hang from his mouth like so .
many rats’ tails. He wore no clothing except a small band of cloth
round his waist, which he used as a sling for his spear or anything he
wanted to carry. The moment this strange-looking creature got on
deck he began to dance about and shout ateverything hesaw. It was
useless trying to get him to talk, for he would not stay still for a single
moment, but moved from place to place. Some of the native Christians
tried to wrap a little clothing round him, but in a towering passion the
old savage tore it off, threw it upon the deck, and stamped upon it with
his foot, saying as he did so: “Am I a woman, that I should be
covered up with that stuff?’ He then set to work to show them what
a brave fellow he was, by dancing a wild war dance, poising and
shaking his spears, running to and fro, leaping up, and yelling like a
madman. Next he made the most horrible grimaces, stretching open
his mouth, gnashing his teeth, staring until his eyes seemed as if they
would come out of their sockets, and finishing up by thrusting the
‘whole of his long grey beard into his mouth and gnawing it with all
the ferocity of a wild beast. Through the whole of this performance,
he kept up a loud and hideous howl.
This wretched heathen was kept on board for a time while some of
the Messenger of Peace’s people went on shore. They were allowed to
land and had food given them, but the islanders were far from friendly,
and kept their weapons within easy reach. After a time a man who
seemed to be a leader came and told the teacher that he must take the
ship round to another part of the island. They therefore got into the
boat and rowed back to the vessel. Before the wild old chief left the
ship he was presented with a hatchet, a knife, a looking-glass, and a
pair of scissors, for none of which, however, did he care, as he knew
nothing of their use; but a mother-of-pearl ornament he saw took his
fancy, so seizing this, he became almost frantic with delight. Much to
his own relief, he soon found himself back on land.
THE “MESSENGER OF PEACE†AND HER USEFUL WORK 109
Disappointed, the vessel drew off for the night. The next day a
HN fit
ME
LMT
LE H
4 Pa
THE FRENZIED OLD CHIEF.
second landing was made at another part of the island. There the
teachers and the natives from the ship who had gone with them were
110 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
handled, smelt, and all but tasted by the people. Presently a large
crowd, armed for fighting, coming in sight, the ship’s party returned
to the vessel. Another chief came on board. He, and in fact all the
men, were quite naked, and did not seem to have the slightest sense of
shame. The women kept out of sight in the woods. To station
teachers among such unfriendly savages hardly seemed right ; indeed,
the Aitutakian teachers were afraid to stay and begged to be taken on
to Samoa. This request was granted. Before sailing away, the
missionaries tried another plan, and that was to induce a couple of
young Niuéans to go with them to Raiatea. After great difficulty they
managed to do this. But as soon as the two youths saw that they
were passing out of sight of their home, they tore their hair and
howled with grief. This performance they kept up for three or four
days, during which time nothing would induce them to eat, drink, or
sleep. When meat was offered them, they turned away from it in dis-
gust, thinking that it was human flesh, and that they themselves would
soon be killed and served up in the same way. So things continued
until one day a pig was slaughtered. Seeing piggy cut up into joints,
they began to understand that the meat brought to them was the flesh
of hogs and not of men,.and from that time grew quiet and reconciled
to their lot.
From Niué the Messenger of Peace made for Tongatabu, in which
island the Wesleyan Missionary Society had been labouring since 1822.
Two missionaries of that Society—Messrs. Turner and Cross—who,
with their wives, were living there, received Mr. Williams and Mr.
Barff with great heartiness as their guests. These four brethren, repre-
senting two great Societies, spent a very pleasant fortnight together at
Tongatabu, talking over plans of work and arranging which islands
each Society should take charge of. In this way they hoped to prevent
clashing. The visitors were much pleased with all they saw and
heard. One thing greatly cheeredthem. They learned that the station .
at which they had happened to call was commenced by some of their
own. Society’s native missionaries, who, sent from Tahiti to open a
mission in Fiji, had in some way been detained in Tongatabu. There
THE “MESSENGER OF PEACE†AND HER USEFUL WORK 111
one of them had succeeded in winning over a chief with about four
hundred of his people, and had built a chapel. Hearing that there
were white missionaries on the opposite side of the island, and know-
ing nothing of differences between one society and another, this
teacher had invited Mr. Turner to come over to his station, which he
readily did. It was gratifying to find that the Wesleyan missionary
had nothing but praise for the devotedness and consistent character of
the Tahitian teacher. The friendly division of labour agreed upon
was that the London Missionary Society should take charge of the
Samoan Islands, whilst Fiji should be left to the Wesleyans as soon as
they were able to settle there. For the present, however, until
missionaries should arrive from England, the two native teachers who
had been brought from the Society Islands for the express purpose of
being settled in Fiji were to be sent on there to commence the work.
Wesleyan missionaries might follow them and take it up as soon as
they were ready to do so. This was carried out. In due time the
Wesleyan missionaries came out, and the story of Gospel triumph over
cannibalism and heathenism among the Fijians, as told by the Rev.
James Calvert and many others, is one of the most wonderful in the
history of. the Christian Church. Samoa too, as we shall now learn,
yielded a rich harvest to the London Missionary Society.
During their stay at Tongatabu Mr. Williams and Mr. Barff found
a Samoan chief, named Fauea, who gladly joined them, and proved
a valuable ally when they reached Savaii, a lofty mountainous island,
the largest of the Samoan group. On the voyage Fauea had been
greatly exercised in mind about a native named Tamafainga, a man
in whom the spirit of the gods was supposed to dwell, and whose in-
fluence among the people was very strong. Were that man to oppose,
urged Fauea, no Samoan would dare to become a Christian. To Fauea’s
intense delight, one of the first things he learned from the Samoans
who came out in their canoes to meet the ship was that Tamafainga
had been killed some ten or twelve days: before. Greatly relieved by
this news, he came bounding along the deck towards the missionaries,
shouting as he came: “ The devil is dead, the devil is dead! Our work
112 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS*
is done.†As the naked Samoans crowded around their visitors, star-
ing at them in wonder and curiosity, Fauea began to harangue them
in true native style. ‘Can the religion of these wonderful foreigners
be anything but wise or good?†he asked. “Let us look at them, and
then look at ourselves. Their heads are covered, while ours are ex-
posed to the heat of the sun and the wet of the rain; their bodies are
clothed all over with beautiful cloth, while we have nothing but a
bandage of leaves around our waists; they have clothes upon their
_ very feet, while ours are like the dogs’; and then look: at their axes,
170°
. L
GILBERT GROUP
=. TOKELAU SAMOAN ISLANDS.
ELLICE * GROUP 2, GROUP
SAMOAN ISLANDS
Dal eo
170°
oO
oe
Tuasiai
A yo;
eno†yoâ€
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ay.
a TUTUILA
their scissors, and their other property, how rich they are!,†Fauea
did not use the very highest arguments, but he used those which the
Samoans easily understood and felt the power of. Noticing the mis-
sionaries’ shoes, one man knelt down and pulled a shoe off.to see what
a white man’s foot was like; but when he saw the stockinged foot he
whispered to Fauea: “ What wonderful people these foreigners: are ;
they have no toes as we have!†‘Oh!†said Fauea, “did I not tell
you that they had clothes upon their feet? Feel them, and -you will
find that they have toes as well as ourselves.†The man felt, and, .
THE “MESSENGER OF PEACE†AND HER USEFUL WORK 113
‘on finding that the toes were indeed there, was quite proud of his clever
discovery. Others then came round, and very soon both Mr. Williams
and Mr. Barff were sitting with bare feet, while the natives’ handled
and examined them with the greatest interest.
None of the Samoans seemed in the least shy or afraid. They climbed
up on deck, peeped here and there, and made themselves quite at home.
A good impression was produced, and all seemed glad to hear that
some Jotz (or religion) teachers were to land and settle on their islands,
The work of God in Samoa was in this way begun. Eight Tahitians,
with their wives, were taken on shore. As the canoes in which they
and their goods were being placed lay alongside the ship the moun-
tains of Upolu, the island next in size to Savaii, were seen to be
wreathed in smoke and flames. Wondering what this could mean, the
missionaries asked the Samoans what the fire was. To their sorrow
they learned that a battle had been fought that very morning, and
that the conquerors were busy burning the houses, plantations, and—
will it be believed ?—the women, children, and old people who had
been taken prisoners! That was the usual practice in Samoa after
a fight, and nobody seemed in the least surprised or troubled. They
took it as a matter of course. Thus, as Mr. Williams forcibly puts it,
at the very moment that the messengers of peace were being landed
on one island of the group, a cruel heathen custom was being followed
on another a few miles distant. Later the same day Malietoa, one of
two leading chiefs or kings of Samoa, came on board the Messenger
of Peace, and was received with due respect and kindness. Though
a king, anda really handsome man of about sixty-five years of age,
he wore no clothes beyond a girdle of leaves, and his body was cold
and wet with rain that was falling; still Fauea bent and kissed his
feet with deep reverence, and also bade his little son stoop down and
kiss the soles of the great chief’s foot. Malietoa was glad to receive a
present of a roll of Tahitian cloth, which he at once wrapped around
his naked body. When questioned about the war and its cruel ways,
he proudly told of his success that day, and said that he was obliged
to fight, and that unless he did so, and burned his enemies, his followers
I
114 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
would not respect him; but he added that he would take care that
there should be no more fighting in Samoa, once the war then on hand
(which the death of Tamafainga had occasioned) was over. Alas!
A SAMOAN CHIEF.
how often since that August afternoon in 1830 has turbulent Samoa
been troubled with war and bloodshed, and how hard has it been to
teach her sons to live at peace with one another !
After a few days’ stay, during which they saw a great deal of the
THE “MESSENGER OF PEACE†AND HER USEFUL WORK 15
king, paying him a visit, and being everywhere treated with marked
favour, even dances and feasts in their honour being got up, the mis-
sionaries prepared for the return voyage to Tahiti. The teachers were
comfortably settled, four of them being at Malietoa’s own village, and
four under the care of his brother. Their property, though sent on
shore in different canoes, had all come safely to hand, not a single
article having been stolen. The only missing things were some of
the Tahitian children, who did not reach their parents for several hours
after landing. Though anxious at the time, the parents afterwards
found out that it was the kindness of the Samoans that explained the
children’s absence. Each Samoan who had had the good fortune of
bringing a child to land had felt so proud of this honour that he first
carried the little one to his own house, and there killed a pig, ‘“‘made
an oven,’ and gave the youngster a good “ feed†before handing him
over to the anxious father and mother. The prospects of the new
mission were bright, and it was with thankful hearts that the two
missionaries sailed away. The Tahitians were sorry to part with
them, for they had known them for eight or ten years. Indeed, some
of the women and children shed tears when the moment for parting
came. But commending them to God in special prayer, and with
strong assurance that the new, venture would be greatly blessed,
Mr. Williams and Mr. Barff bade them and their Samoan friends
farewell.
Only for a time, however. To teachers and people alike they
promised soon to return. A stalwart chief, whose name was Matetau,
one of the largest and most powerful men Mr. Williams had ever seen,
was very eager to obtain a teacher for Manono, the island on which
he lived. For the present that could not be, but both on the ground
of his rank, which was equal to that of Malietoa, as well as on that
of his great longing for a teacher, a promise was given that when the
ship came back one should be sent to him. With that promise, and
a present of axes, knives, looking-glass, scissors and beads, Matetau
went off in his canoe quite happy. Leaving the Samoan group, the
Messenger of Peace steered for Savage Island, with the intention of
116 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
landing the two youths who had been brought away. But the wind
failing, this plan had to be given up, and it was not for some months
after the vessel’s return to Raiatea, when she was on her way to
Sydney with Mr. and Mrs. Crook, of Tahiti, on board, that they could
be taken back. Poor young fellows! they had learned much during
their absence, and hoped to be the means of doing good to their savage
countrymen ; but shortly after their landing they were attacked, their
property was all stolen, and they themselves were both brutally mur-
dered. Not for some years yet was Niué to be conquered by the grace
of God.
With a fair wind to speed her on the way, the ship made a quick
passage back to Tahiti, covering 1,700 or 1,800 miles in fifteen days.
She called. at Rarotonga and Rurutu on the way. The former island
was once more free from special disease. ‘ You carried it away with
you,†said the people, when asked what had become of it, “for we
began to recover as-soon as you had gone, and now Rarotonga is again
Rarotonga.†The-old chief Tinomana, who, it will be remembered,
was the first chief to burn his idols, sent a pressing message begging
Mr. Williams to visit him, which, though anxious to reach home, he
did. Papeiha and Tinomana together had made a beautiful settlement
a mile long, with a good wide road down the centre, regularly built
cottages and well-arranged plantations at the side, anda large chapel
and school-house in the middle of the settlement. A sight more
pleasing to a missionary’s eye it would have been hard to find. Mr.
Williams was simply delighted. Rurutu, too, was growing. Tuna,
the teacher, had left for Tahiti six months before in a large boat, but
Auura,! the chief, carried on the services. During the year these
simple islanders had given seven hundred and fifty bamboos of cocoa-’
nut oil to the London Missionary Society. Reaching Moorea, the two
pioneer missionaries, like Paul and Barnabas at Antioch, “ gathered
the Church together and rehearsed all that God had gone with them,
and how He had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles†(Samoans).
During the past few years Tahiti had been making steady progress
1 See page 72.
THE “MESSENGER OF PEACE†AND HER USEFUL WORK 117
On the death of Pomare II. his infant son, then only four years old,
was made king with the title Pomare III.; but at the age of seven he
died, and his sister Aimata, who was fourteen, became queen. She
had a long, and at first a very troubled reign, yet throughout her
long life showed herself to be a true Christian and a sturdy
Protestant. In stating that, however, we are anticipating what
in 1827, when she came to the throne, was still the distant future,
The missionaries in Tahiti were busy preparing a dictionary, trans-
lating the Bible (at which Mr. Nott '
was the chief worker), teaching,
preaching, training native teachers,
building, printing, and doing other
mission work. They were full of
-hope and joy. Not that all went
smoothly, or that heathenism. died
easily. There were several attempts
to revive idolatrous customs. The
evil influence of foreign sailors was
often a serious hindrance, and vice
and drunkenness a constant source
of trouble. Many professing Chris-
tians yielded to the temptations that
assailed them. Still there was de-
cided advance in the right direc-
tion.
After an absence of nearly four months, Messrs. Williams and
Barff reached Raiatea, and found their wives and families in health
and safety. The greater part of the next year—1831—spent at Raia-
tea, was an anxious and trying time. Tamatoa, the aged chief, of
whom there has been frequent mention, a remarkably fine man, six
feet eleven inches high, formerly addicted to drink, but for many
years an abstainer, and a diligent scholar at the adult school, passed
away, and in consequence of his death war broke out. The outbreak
of this war, together with the delicate state of Mrs. Williams’s health,
TIIE REV. MENRY NOTT,
118 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
made her husband decide to go for a time to Rarotonga. Two other
reasons moved him to this step: the one. being that the Messenger of
Peace needed thorough repair; the other, that the Rarotongan mission-
aries and he had been at work on a translation of the New Testament,
and found it desirable to meet in order to revise it together. Mr. Pitman
had translated Mark, Luke, The Acts,and from Ephesians to Philemon ;
Mr. Williams, John, Romans, Galatians, and from Hebrews to Revela-
tion; while Mr. Buzacott, who was newer to the work than the others,
had translated Matthew and 1st and 2nd Corinthians. (In translating
the Old Testament he took a much larger share of the burden, dividing
it with Mr. Pitman.) A warm welcome awaited them, and a start
was made without delay. The vessel was hauled up on the beach to be
lengthened six feet and repaired. Half the day was given to ship-
building, half to Bible translation. In the month of December a fear-
ful hurricane swept across Rarotonga, the sea rose to a great height,
and flooded the low land on the coast, whilst rain fell in torrents.
Chapels, school-buildings, mission dwellings, the houses of the chiefs,
and the ordinary huts of the people were swept away, trees were blown
down, and plantations laid waste. Only after great peril and effort in
wading through swamps and climbing hills did the missionaries and
their families escape. The Messenger of Peace was lifted up and down
by advancing and receding waves, and at last was carried bodily many
yards inland, yet, marvellous to say, did not suffer any serious injury.
A famine quickly followed the hurricane, as the food supply was de-
stroyed, and.for months the Rarotongans did not know what it was to
have a good meal.
The repairs completed, and one or two shorter trips over, on Thurs-
day evening, October 11, 1832, the second voyage to Samoa was be-
gun. Two years had not yet passed since his first visit, but Mr.
Williams was to find that in the interval great changes had taken
place. He had on board with him a godly Rarotongan, named Teava,
specially intended as teacher for the giant chief of Manono, and Makea,
the chief of Rarotonga, was also with him. Approaching from the
eastward, Mr. Williams determined to call at each island of the group
THE “MESSENGER OF PEACE†AND’ HER USEFUL WORK 119
one after the other, and, if possible, make friends in them all. Five
days from that of leaving, and without kaving once shifted sails, he
reached Manua, the most easterly islands, on October 17. . Manua,
which consists of three small islands—Tat, Olosenga, and Ofu—is
two hundred and fifty miles from where the teachers had been placed,
yet, as the ship drew near, what was the missionary’s joy and surprise
to hear the natives, who quickly paddled out in their canoes to meet
him, shout out as they got within: hail: ‘“We are Christians, we are
Christians ’—at least, that is what they meant, though what they
actually said was: ‘‘ We are sons of the Word, we are sons of the
Word ’—“ we are waiting for a religion ship to bring us some people
they call missionaries to tell us about Jesus Christ. Is yours the ship
we are waiting for?†A fine, strapping fellow then clambered up'on
deck. He begged hard for a teacher, and on being told. that the ship
had brought only one, and that he was already promised to Matetau,,
of Manono, seemed much disappointed. A few lesson books and a
promise to send a teacher as early as possible were all that could be
given, and with this the man had to be satisfied. Just as the ship was
leaving, a young man stepped on board and begged for a passage to |
Tutuila. He said that he was a Christian, and that he wished to take
the good news he had heard to his own island.
_ More wonderful still were the surprises in store at Tutuila. Olo-
senga and Ofu had been called at before reaching Tutuila, but an old
chief who came off from there in his canoe’ knew nothing about the
new religion. Stilt he listened with great astonishment to all that
was told him, and, like him of Manua, begged for a teacher. Off
Tutuila the ship was beset with canoes, in one of which was an
Englishman, who gave.his name as William Gray, and said that he
had been in the island about three years. The request of these visitors
was not. for missionaries, but for muskets and gunpowder: a
struggle between two rival chiefs was about to break out, and they ~
wished to be ready for the fight. In reply to questions, Gray said
that many people on Savaii had given up idolatry, but that on Tutuila
only a few had followed their example. Coasting along, and admiring
120 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
the beauties of the scenery as he passed, Mr. Williams reached Leone,
where the young man he had taken on board at Manua lived. A
beautiful bay here opened out to view, into -which the vessel was
steered. Ina very short time, a man came out in his canoe. He an-
nounced himself as “a son of the Word,†and said that there were
about fifty others in the district, and that they had built themselves a
chapel. This touched the heart of the missionary, and made him de-
cide to land. A: boat was lowered, and pulled towards the shore.
When still about twenty yards from land, Mr. Williams, thinking that
the natives who lined the beach looked formidable, ordered the oars-
mento stop rowing for a moment, that they might join in prayer to
‘God, this being his usual practice when landing among unknown
heathen. Seeing the boat stop, and concluding that the visitors were
afraid to land, the chief bade his people sit down under the fruit trees,
while he himself waded into the sea nearly up to his neck, and clutch-
ing Mr. Williams’s hand, said: “Son, will you not come on shore ?
‘will you not land amongst us?â€â€™ To this the missionary replied: “I
have heard a very sad account of you in this bay, that you have seized
two boats, and are very savage; and perhaps when you get me into
your power you will either do me hurt or demand a ransom before
setting me free again.†“Oh!†he shouted, “‘ we are not savage now;
we are sons of the Word.â€â€™ ‘“ You sons of the Word!†Mr. Williams
said; ‘“‘ where did you hear of the Word?†“Oh!†he exclaimed,
“a great chief from the white man's country, named Williams, came
to Savaii, about twenty moons ago, and placed some ‘ workers of re-
ligion,’ there, and several of our people who were there began on their
return to teach their friends. There they are,’ he said, pointing toa
group of about fifty seated by themselves (not those he had ordered to sit
down), each of whom had a piece of white cloth tied round the arm,
asa-badge to show that they were Christians. ‘Iam the Mr. Williams
of whom you speak,†said the missionary. That was enough. Ata
signal, the natives rushed into the sea, and carried boat and all to land.
The Christians received Mr. Williams with great delight, and showed
him their chapel, a neat little building that would hold about eighty or
NATIVES OF SAMOA IN PAST AND PRESENT STYLES OF DRESS.
122 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
a hundred worshippers. All this was very strange. Yet more strange
was the story the chief had to tell about his way of instructing these
“sons of the Word.†Pointing to his small canoe, he explained that
every now and again he started away in that frail bark, and rowing
himself down to Savaii, there “ got some religion†from the Tahitian
teachers, and, returning, retailed it to others. ‘But now that you
have come,†said Amoamo (that was the Samoan’s name), “give me a
man full of religion, so that I may not expose my life to danger by
having to go so far to obtain it.†Imagine the real grief of the mission-
ary when he had to tell that eager petitioner that he had no man “ full
of religion†to spare! Yes,and how many thousands, myriads—even
millions,—are there in the world who are waiting, like Amoamo, for
some one to tell them the message of God's love! ‘How shall they
hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach except they be
sent?â€
While Mr. Williams was absent on shore, Makea and those on
board had been busy with some natives from another part of Tutuila,
who also said they were Christians. On the missionary’s return, the
chief saluted him with great respect, and told him that he had lately
come from the teachers and had built a large chapel, in which he
taught his people. Finding the missionary a little doubtful as to the
correctness of what he said, the man soon showed that he was speak-
ing the truth; for, placing his hands before him, as if they were an
open book, he repeated from memory a chapter out of the Tahitian
primer, partly in the Tahitian dialect, and partly in the Samoan; then,
to crown all, he said, ‘“‘Let us pray,†and kneeling down upon the
quarter-deck of the missionary schooner, repeated the Lord's Prayer
in broken Tahitian. There was a simplicity about the poor fellow
which won all hearts.
Many pages might be filled with such incidents. Manua and
Tutuila were the outposts, Savaii and Upolu the citadel, and in these,
the chief islands of the group, the most striking progress had been
made. When missionary and teachers met, their feelings were deeply
moved: the one had so much to hear, the others so much to tell.
THE “MESSENGER OF PEACE†AND HER USEFUL WORK 123
A chapel capable of holding a congregation of six or seven hun-
dred people had been built, and was always full when services were
held; the Gospel had already been introduced into more than thirty
villages; better still, the natives were only awaiting the return of the
missionary ship openly to renounce idolatry. The power of their
=
2 ARR
3 OES
ae ree
thes
A SAMOAN HOUSE.
superstitions had been put to the test by the Tahitian evangelists, and
the principal idol pronounced impotent and sentenced to destruction
by drowning; but, at the urgent request of the teacher, it had been
allowed to remain until Mr. Williams should arrive. To him it was
124 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
handed over, and by him was carried to England and placed in the
Missionary Museum.!' Not that the teachers had been without diffi-
culty. The Samoan women were not only themselves unwilling to
cover the upper parts of their bodies, but had also done their utmost to
persuade the teachers’ wives to go half naked too. Many of the natives
laughed at the Tahitians for thinking that the ship would ever come
back to visit them. Worst of all, two ignorant and thoroughly bad
Englishmen, who had settled in Samoa, taught the people wicked ways,
and yet, just because Christianity was in favour, had had the impu-
dence to pretend to baptise them, by rubbing a little water on their
foreheads in the form of a cross, reading at the same time an English
prayer, not a word of which could the natives understand. These were
the trials and difficulties. The encouragements were many and great.
The second visit of Mr. Williams added to them. Makea’s presence
and speeches made a very favourable impression. Tall and stalwart,
dressed, too, in European clothing, he was a striking figure, and his
.words were both wise and earnest. Malietoa was most friendly, and
publicly declared that he meant to give his “ whole soul to the Word
of Jehovah.†Matetau was delighted beyond measure with Teava and
his wife, who lost no time in getting to work. Indeed, there was a
movement throughout the entire group, and the way was now open
for the settlement of European missionaries in Samoa, and for evan-
gelizing and instructing its many thousands of inhabitants. With a
very full heart, therefore, did Mr. Williams close his second visit to
the Samoan Islands.
1 See the author’s articles on “The Past and Present of Samoa†in the Sunday at
Home for June, 1889.
CHAPTER VII.
THE MARTYRED MISSIONARY AND WESTERN POLYNESIA.
“ Neither count I my life dear unto myselfâ€
EV a ROM the islands of the great
WE Sk ane Southern Ocean we must now
Vv aheas turn our eyes for a short time
— to our own side of the globe.
In 1834, after an absence of
nearly eighteen years, Mr. and
Mrs. Williams revisited Eng-
land. The missionary’s wife
needed a complete change of
air and scenery, to restore her
worn and weary frame to. health and strength; the missionary had
nobly earned a little rest. This he obtained on the voyage home,
which in those days took much longer than now; but once back in
the old country, Mr. Williams, like many another missionary return-
ing to Great Britain after a long term of service abroad, quickly
learned that in change of work alone would he be able to find any
rest. One duty he came ready to undertake. He brought with
him in manuscript the New Testament in the Rarotongan tongue, and
this, with the liberal help of the Bible Society, he helped to carry
through the press. But other duties soon began to crowd in upon him,
and he became a very busy man. He was little known when he
arrived. The directors of the Society of course had watched his
career with deep interest, and highly valued his practical energy and
his far-seeing and large-hearted plans; to the outside public, however,
he was still a stranger. Not so when, after a stay of almost four
125
126 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
years, he went back to his station. During that time he travelled far
and wide, in all parts of the United Kingdom, as a missionary deputa-
tion, and by the subtle charm which a man who believes “ through
and through†in what he is saying exerts over others and by the fresh-
ness of his stories, was everywhere welcomed. The wonderful things
he had to relate, the power of his speeches, the influence of the letters
he wrote to men of all ranks and classes, and still further the publi-
cation of his book “Missionary Enterprises,’ which was at once
well received and eagerly read, as a book of thrilling interest like a
new chapter of the Acts of the Apostles (to quote the Archbishop of
Canterbury), made John Williams one of the most popular Englishmen
of his day. The recital of his adventures and the issue of his book,
followed so soon by the news of his murder, produced a deep and lasting
impression upon the British public.
Ever intent on advancing the work, on entering new fields, and on
bringing the entire Pacific and even distant New Guinea under the
influence of the Gospel, he determined, if possible, to obtain a. new
missionary ship. First he tried to raise the funds by securing thirty
subscribers of £100 each. Failing in this, he next applied to the Bri-
tish Government for the loan of a vessel; but though his application
received the support of the Duke of Devonshire, of Lord Minto, Lord
Glenelg, and other leading statesmen and gentlemen, it was wisely
declined. Finally, an appeal was made to the general public, and
£4,000 was soon forthcoming. With this he purchased a two. hun-
dred ton brig, called the Camden, and procured needful stores. Among
other contributors to the fund was the Corporation of London, which
voted a sum of £500. The donations of the rich were generous, those
of the poor not less so. Some of these greatly pleased Mr, Williams.
“He often spoke of a cabman who drove him home from Clapham
after a public meeting at which he had pleaded for the ship, but
would not receive his fare, and when it was pressed upon him,
sprang upon his box and rattled away. And few things pleased him
more than the offer of the pilot to take him out of port free of charge,
and the refusal of a pious man, who supplied her with filtered water
THE MAKTYRED MISSIONARY AND WESTERN POLYNESIA 127
for the voyage, to receive a penny, though entitled to more than
£20.†+
On April 11, 1838, the Camden set sail. Captain Morgan was in
charge of her. Mr. and Mrs. Williams and a large party of new
missionaries were on board, among them Mr. and Mrs. Royle, who for
a long course of years were to do a most unselfish and noble work upon
Aitutaki. Mr.and Mrs. William Gill were also passengers.. They were
the first bearing the honoured family name of Gill, whose service to the
Hervey Islanders can never be forgotten. Many friends were present
on the day of sailing to say good-bye. After a touching farewell
service, the parting took place at Gravesend, and the Camden unfurled
her sails and made for the Channel. She soon showed her good sailing
qualities by passing every vessel she saw, even though twice her size.
At the end of ten weeks she was at anchor at Cape Town, and seven
weeks later had reached Sydney. Good news from the Hervey and
Samoan Islands there awaited Mr. Williams, and it was with a joyous
heart that at the end of a month he again set sail. By the 24th of
November they were off the island of Tutuila, one of the Samoan group.
Samoa was entering upon the second stage of progress. Native
teachers had led the way and been the means cf overthrowing ido-
latry and some of the grossest customs of heathenism. Missionaries
were now following this up by earnest Christian teaching and so lay-
ing the foundation for the spiritual building they hoped to raise in
their place. These brethren and sisters had been sent out the very
year after Mr. Williams's return home. Two of them deserve special
mention. One of the party was Charles Hardie (already referred to
as marrying one of the sisters of Mrs. Buzacott). His twenty years’
work in Samoa. especially in connection with the Training Institution
for native pustors at Malua, of which large and useful “school of the
prophets� he and Dr. George Turner were the founders and first
tutors,;was work of a wide-reaching and most fruitful kind. His
widow, the sole survivor of that earliest group of Samoan missionaries,
is still living in Sydney. The last man of the party died two years
1 From Island to Island.â€
128 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
ago. This was the Rev. A. W. Murray,—‘ old Mr. Murray†as he
was often in his later days called. For forty years he had rendered
active and varied service, chiefly in Samoa, but finally in New Guinea,
and by many and long missionary voyages, and by the free use of the
pen, had done much to advance the cause he loved so well. When
no longer equal to the strain of duty in the mission field he devoted
the seventeen years of his retirement to efforts. of different kinds for
deepening and extending interest in missions. In July, 1892, the vene-
rable and godly man was laid to rest by a large gathering of sorrow-
ing friends.
But to return to the past. On the arrival of the Camden, bringing
more helpers, the hearts of the missionaries were greatly cheered.
They sorely needed reinforcements, for the entire people of Samoa, about
fifty thousand in number they thought, but afterwards found to be
much less, ‘were willing to be taught. Island chiefs, districts, and
single villages were vieing with one another in eager desire to possess
a missionary of their own, and all were ready to advance. The new
comers landed and were soon settled at chosen stations on the larger
islands. Mr. Williams also intended to make Samoa his head-quarters.
‘Both for size and for central position this group seemed marked out as
more suitable for that pioneering work which he hoped to carry on
‘than his old station Raiatea in the Society Islands, or Rarotonga in
the Hervey group. His first duty therefore was to build a house in
which his wife might reside, while he was away in distant parts of the
Pacific.. That done, he lost no time in sailing to Rarotonga. He took
with him a consignment of 5,000 New Testaments in the language of
the people. Had he been a prince, he could not have received a more
enthusiastic welcome. Whilst in Rarotonga he founded the institution
in which ever since a succession of young men have been trained for
pastoral and missionary service. He also visited the other stations
of the Hervey and Society groups before returning to his new home
in Samoa. a
The time had now come for fulfilling his long-cherished purpose of
visiting the New Hebrides. Little dreaming of the tragic end that
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130 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
awaited him, he bade wife and child, fellow-labourers and native friends
good-bye, and hoping shortly to see them again and to have glorious
news of fresh conquests for Christ to announce, departed on his last
and fatal voyage. The Camden started on November 5, 1839. Touch-
ing first at Rotuma, where vessels were constantly calling, they next
made for Futuna, which they reached on November 17. The day -
before, in a letter to a friend, Mr. Williams had written the following
significant words: ‘I have just heard dear Captain Morgan say that
we are sixty miles off the Hebrides, so that we shall be there early
to-morrow morning. This evening we are to have a special prayer
meeting. Oh! how much depends upon the efforts of to-morrow.
Will the savages receive us or not? Perhaps at this moment you or
some other kind friend may be wrestling with God for us. I am all
anxiety; but desire prudence and faithfulness in the management
of the attempt to impart the Gospel to these benighted people, and
leave the event with God. I brought twelve missionaries with me;
two have settled at a beautiful island called Rotuma; the ten I
have are for the New Hebrides and New Caledonia. The approaching
week is to me the most important of my life.’ The savages of Futuna
at any rate would not receive him. They manifested such a fierce
and forbidding character that it was found quite impossible to enter
into friendly relations with them. The ship therefore proceeded to
Tanna, where she arrived next day, and the reception being favour-
able, three teachers were landed. The same evening Eromanga was
sighted, but the Camden hove to for the night on the south side of the
island. Next morning she drew in towards shore, and lowering a
boat, Captain Morgan, Mr. Williams, a young missionary named
Harris, and a Mr. Cunningham, with four sailors to row, pulled to-
wards the land. The natives seemed shy and very reserved, but at
length were persuaded to receive beads, and also to bring cocoa-nuts
and water from the shore to the boat. Mr. Harris asking permission
to land, Mr. Williams made no objection. The natives at once ran
away when he did land, but upon his sitting down returned and brought
him cocoa-nuts. After a time the others landed (the boat’s crew
THE MARTYR MISSIONARY AND WESTERN POLYNESIA 13t
. excepted) and walked along the beach. A few minutes later there was
a yell, and Mr. Harris, who was farthest off, was seen running, pursued -
by natives. Thesecatching him, felled him to the ground with their
clubs. Mr. Williams and Mr. Cunningham also ran, the latter escap-
ing with Captain Morgan to the boat; but the former stumbling when
he reached the water, was immediately clubbed to death and pierced
with arrows. It was all the work of a few moments. The bodies of the
dead missionaries lay upon Eromanga’s beach; the missionary ship
was turned into a place of sorrow and mourning. Unable to secure
the bodies, which the natives dragged off into the bush, Captain Mor-
gan reluctantly withdrew from the island and made sail for Sydney.
_ The intelligence he conveyed caused the deepest distress. We will
however draw a veil over the next few sad months, over the sorrow
of the bereaved widow, of the mission circle, of the native Christians,
of the directors and thousands of British friends. The work of God
in the South Seas had received a terrible blow, under which for a long
time it staggered; and yet perhaps nothing in the history of that
mission bore richer fruit'or had more glorious results than that mar-
tyrdom upon savage Eromanga ofthe noble pioneer missionary whose
name became inseparably connected with it.
‘The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.†In all ages
that proverb holds good. The death of “the martyr of Eromangaâ€
in bravely attempting to enlighten Western Polynesia only served to
arouse others to follow in his footsteps. From that sad day in
November downwards, for more than half a century, devoted men and
women, Europeans and natives alike, have freely, joyously conse-
crated their lives, yea, have many of them laid down their lives in
such attempts. Nor have they laboured in vain. But their work
has been full of peril, difficulty, and trial. To a large ‘extent this
has arisen from the character of the people, who are much more
savage than those of the East, from whom in many ways they differ.
In the shape of the head and nose, in. height and build, in their hair,
and in many of their customs they are quite unlike them. There is
a difference also in language, but this is much less marked; indeed the.
132 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
differences lie on the surface chiefly, and some scholars think that ,
in reality the language is one. This, however, is doubtful. Eastern
Polynesians ~ belong to the light-skinned Malayan family. Whilst
given to stealing, terribly impure, fond of quarrelling, and at times
very cruel, they were, even in their heathen days, a mild, easy-
tempered race as compared with those in the West. But these latter
—Melanesians! as they are now generally called—are a dark,
treacherous, murderous people, great cannibals and skull hunters,
scarcely owning any chief, and ready at any moment to fight against
their neighbours. Mixed up with them here and there are a few smalk
colonies of Eastern Polynesians, the descendants of people who have
lost their way at sea, or been driven by adverse winds away from
their own part of the ocean; but from Fiji westwards the islanders
are Melanesians. This must be borne in mind if we would under-
stand the story of work among them.
Six months after the death of John Williams,’? the brig Camden
returned to the scene of his murder. The Rev. Thomas Heath, one of
the earliest band of Samoan missionaries, who had been living on the
island of Manono for five years, was on board. Tanna was his first
place of call. The Tannese were a very fierce people... Fighting was
their constant occupation, and a land without war was quite beyond
the grasp of their mind; they could not understand how sucha land
could exist. Captain Cook says of them: ‘“ The women of Tanna are
not very beautiful, yet they are certainly handsome enough for the
2 Melanesian means the black island, or black oceanic, race. They are also
called Papuans, or woolly-haired.
2 The Governor of New South Wales had in the meantime sent a ship of war to
Eromanga, Mr. Cunningham being on board, and recovered some of the bones and
the skulls of the murdered missionaries. Their bodies had been eaten by the
wretched natives. Later on the very club by which Mr. Williams had been felled
was handed over to a missionary by the chief who had wielded it-and dealt the fatal
blow. This chief’s own son, it was found, had been killed by foreign sailors a short
time before, and he was resolved to have his revenge on the first white man that he
came across. .Mr. Harris’s pocket-handkerchief, marked with his initials, was at the
same time given up by the chief’s wife.
THE MARTYR MISSIONARY AND WESTERN POLYNESIA 133
men, who put them to all manner of drudgery... Though both men
and women are dark-coloured, they are not black,-nor do they bear
A NATIVE OF WESTERN POLYNESIA. QD
any resemblance to negroes. They make themselves blacker than
they really are by painting their faces the colour of blacklead. They
use a sort of pigment, which is red, and a third sort which is
134 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
brown; all these, especially the first, they lay on with a liberal
hand, not only on the face, but on the neck, shoulders, and breast.
The women wear a petticoat made of leaves, the men nothing but a
elt and wrapper.†They pay great attention to'their hair. They
part it into small locks, which they wind round with the rind of a
small plant to within about an inch of the ends. Each of these is
about the thickness of whip cord; they are bound together, and hang
down behind like a parcel of small string. Mr. Heath found the
‘three Samoan teachers—Lalolangi, Salamea, and Mose—all well.
They were trying to learn the language, and to win the goodwill and
confidence of the natives, but could not tell. of any success. Two
more Samoans—Pomare and Vaiofainga—were taken on shore to
join them, and then the ship sailed for a little island called Niua, or
Niwa, now so well known, through the “Life of John G. Paton,†as
the scene of that missionary’s labours. It was to this island—Aniwa,
as Dr. Paton calls it—he went after his withdrawal from Tanna,
Sorrow and suffering only were his portion on Tanna, but on Aniwa, —
after first “sowing in tears,†he soon began_to “reap in joy.†Two
teachers were landed there by Mr. Heath, and for several years
remained at their post, others also joining them. But they could
make no impression upon the wild, godless natives, and after a time
were withdrawn. Others from Ancityum followed them, and at last,
Dr. Paton had the joy of seeing the island with its four or five hun-
dred savage people brought to Christ.
From Niwa the Camden made for the Isle of Pines, which lies to
the east of the important island called New Caledonia. There also
Mr. Heath was able to station teachers. Lastly a visit was paid to
Eromanga, and the same was done there, not, however, at Dillon’s
Bay, where the murder took place, but on the opposite side of the
island. Rejoicing in the good beginnings thus made, the missionary
returned to his station in Samoa.
To make the after history of the work in the New Hebrides clear,
it may be well to point out here that by a friendly arrangement others.
interested in missions were coming to the help of the London Mis-
THE MARTYR MISSIONARY AND WESTERN POLYNESIA 135
sionary Society. When Mr. Williams was at home, he entered into
an agreement with the United Secession Church in Scotland (now
merged in the United Presbyterian Church). It was settled that’ the
London Missionary Society, by means of native Christian teachers
from Eastern Polynesia, should try and open the door and gain an
entrance to the New Hebrides group, and that done hand over the work
to Presbyterian missionaries who were to follow Mr. Williams to the
Pacific. Money for helping Mr. Williams. to carry out this plan was
placed in the Society's hands by these Scotch friends. For forty-six
years now the New Hebrides mission has been under the care of
Presbyterian missionaries, the first of whom, though born in Scotland,
came from Nova Scotia, and all their native teachers are now trained
by themselves But long after the missionaries had settled in the
group they were thankful to receive the help of native teachers from
the islands under the care of the earlier Society, which help it was
glad to supply.
The year following Mr. Heath’s visit to the west Mr. Murray set
out in the Camden on the same round, and after calling at the stations
already occupied was able to start work on fresh islands. But he
found some of the teachers in great distress. On Tanna there had
been sorrow upon sorrow. At first the arrival of the new workers,
making five in all, set the islanders thinking, and there seemed to be
a willingness to listen to them. For atime all went well. Then a
change. took place. All the Samoans became ill, so ill that no one
was able to help his brother. Some natives, who had shown much
friendliness before their illness commenced, still acted with wonderful
_ kindness, and did all in their power to befriend them. When we re-
member what these natives were their conduct is all the more striking.
At the end of six weeks, Pomare and Salamea died.’ Poor fellows!
their death was a sad one. To the last the friendly Tannese were
good to them; and as their companions were still too weak to do any-
thing, buried their dead bodies. But they would no longer pay any
attention to what the Samoans had to tell them, even though they
had recovered their health. They concluded that the anger of their
136 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
chiet god, whom they named Alema, must have caused the illness to
come; and as the God, about whom the Samoans talked, was not able
to cure them, clearly Alema was stronger than He. They also kept
away from them, lest Alema should kill them too, so that for several
months the teachers were left in great straits for want of food. They
just managed to struggle along, had planted yams and taro them-
selves so as to be able to supply their own wants, and by the time
that Mr. Murray arrived had got over the worst of their troubles.
Besides which a few of the Tannese had again begun to come and
listen to what they had to say.
At Eromanga things were much worse. Reaching that island on
the morning of the 5th April, the brig stood in close to the bay where
the teachers had been left by Mr. Heath the year before, yet no sign
of them was to be seen. A few canoes put off from the shore, but
would not come near, and their shy manner made those on board
growingly anxious. Finding that no one would approach the vessel,
the captain lowered a boat, and pulled towards the beach. In a few
moments a canoe was seen coming off, in which sat Lasalo, one of
the teachers. With him was the chief under whose care and pro-
tection he had been placed. Both chief and teacher came into the
ship’s boat. This seemed to promise well, but when a request that
Taniela, the second teacher, should also be allowed to come out from
the land, the natives would not agree. ‘ No,†said they, “ you must
come on shore.†To have done this would have been madness, for
the entrance to the landing-place was a narrow inlet between two
high cliffs which were covered with crowds of armed savages. The
boat’s crew would have been completely at their mercy, and it looked |
as if they meant mischief. All efforts to persuade them either to
bring Taniela or to let him come alone were in vain. The chief had
become uncomfortable at this deadlock, so watching his opportunity,
he sprang into the sea, and began to swim to shore. But that
would not do so long as Taniela was in their power. Immediate
chase was given, and soon the chief was overtaken and again came on
board.. He trembled for his life, poor fellow! Kind treatment and
THE MARTYR MISSIONARY AND WESTERN POLYNESIA 137
gentle words having put hima little more at ease, and finding himself
a prisoner, he joined his voice to that of the visitors in asking for
Taniela. After a long time of weary waiting, a canoe was seen
with the Samoan seated in it. Still unwilling to give him up, how-
ever, the natives would not bring the canoe near. They kept it at a
distance, and when the boat rowed towards them paddled away them-
selves. By a bold stroke Taniela brought this tantalizing game to an
end. Suddenly springing into the sea, he swam towards the boat, on
seeing which the crew pulled swiftly to him, and got him on board
before he could be captured by the Eromangans. He fainted as soon
as he reached the boat. The chief was then allowed to go. Before
he left presents were given to him, but for the time the door of hope
for blood-stained Eromanga was closed, and the light which had
teebly flickered on that dreadful island was put out.
The teachers had a doleful tale to tell. The chief who had pro-
mised to supply their needs had sadly neglected them, and his people
only too closely imitated his own example. Had it not been for a party
of Niwans, who, having relations on Eromanga, were there on a long
visit, the Samoans must have died of starvation. These strangers
took pity on them, and gave them food. But after they left, the
teachers were in great destitution. They were ill, were without food,
yet no one was allowed to go near them. The chief’s aim clearly was
to starve them to death, and it looked as if he would succeed in his
cruel plot. But God was better to them than their fears, and in a
most unlikely quarter raised up a friend for them. Who would have
thought that among such ‘a savage set of. beings there would be a
kindly soul that, moved by pity, would come to the help of these
suffering strangers from afar? Yet so it was. A man named
Vorevore, a native of the island, took compassion on them. Day
after day, week after week, for five months, did this Eromangan bring
them a daily supply of food. He was obliged to do it secretly, for,
had the chief got to know it, his kindness might have cost him his
life ; so, creeping quietly down to the hut in which the teachers lived,
he used to lift up the thatch, and hand in their “daily bread.†In
138 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
some way which we cannot explain, God touched Vorevore's heart
and prompted him to that merciful conduct. That is all we can say,
but the story is one of the most marvellous we have ever read.
At other islands during the voyage Mr. Murray had more success.
Futuna, the first to be called at, is the most easterly of the New
Hebrides group. It is peopled by a race speaking indeed the language
of Eastern Polynesia, yet resembling in all other respects their Mela-
nesian neighbours. They are a fierce, savage-looking people, and,
like the islanders round about them, treacherous and cruel. The visit
of Mr. Williams to this island in 1839 had paved the way for the
landing of teachers. He had given presents to the natives, and to a
certain degree had won their favour. They were therefore willing to
receive two Samoans—Apolo from Tutuila and Samuela from Upolu.
At first these men were well treated; indeed, for two years the pro-
spects of the Futuna mission were bright. They then suddenly
changed, and a foul crime brought it to a mournful ending, as we
shall have to narrate further on.
Leaving Futuna, the Camden called the next day at Aneityum,a .
beautiful island with lofty hills and mountains of all shapes and sizes.
It possesses also a fine harbour. The Aneityumese are a mixed race,
small in stature, and not at all good-looking. Some of them are
woolly-haired, some straight-haired. According to their own tradi-
tions, in the remote past a canoe from Savaii in Samoa brought
people to their island, and these strangers had stayed with them and
married natives. The men wore no clothing, but had long hair; the
women, on the other hand, were decently dressed, but wore their hair
cropped, short. Many of their heathen customs were awfully cruel.
War and murder were very common, and the slain were eaten at |
cannibal feasts. When a man died his widow was strangled, and
children left orphans were brutally killed. One chief god and a host
of lesser ones were worshipped by these peopte, and to them offerings
of cooked food, of the fat of pigs, and sometimes of human beings,
were often made. Kotiama, a Futuna chief, had offered to go to
Aneityum in the mission brig to help them in settling teachers. As
NATIVE FISH-HOOKS,
139
140 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
the vessel drew near canoes came off towards her, but no natives would
come on board. This arose from fear, as the last time a vessel had
called there had been a fight between themselves and the crew. Find-
ing all attempts to get them on board useless, Captain Morgan lowered
a boat, and he and Mr. Murray rowed towards the shore, Beads were
held up to entice the natives near, and at last one, bolder than the
rest, snatched this prize, and then at once began to back away from
the boat. Coming a second time, he grew more confident, and, learn-
ing from Kotiama the purpose for which the ship had come, agreed to
receive and protect the teachers. A more bloodthirsty looking savage
the missionaries had never seen, and yet this man became guardian of
the messengers of peace. The teachers were taken on shore, and large
numbers of people gathered together to welcome them. ‘This they did
by waving green boughs. Another beginning was thus made among
-the degraded Melanesians.
To the south-west of the New Hebrides lies a group of three larger
and several smaller islands, called the Loyalty Islands. They forma
natural line of outposts to New Caledonia, from which they are dis-
tant some. sixty or seventy miles.. To one of these islands—Maré or
Nengone, to give it its native name—did the mission brig now make
its way. Maré is anisland of. coral formation, somewhat uninviting
in appearance as seen from the sea. The vessel lay off the’ coast
the whole morning, on the watch for canoes or some other sign of
natives, but in vain. No one was to be seen. Lowering a boat, Capt.
Morgan and Mr. Murray were pulled towards the shore, which was
rugged and bare, and seemed to be without villages or people. At
length, however, a canoe was noticed, and as it rapidly drew near the
missionaries began to feel hopeful: Coming within hail, the man who
was in it astonished the party in the boat by shouting out: “I know
the true God.†Who could this stranger be, and how could one
knowing the true God have found his way to a heathen region like
that? His name was Taufa, and he was a native of one of the Tonga
or Friendly Islands, who with seven companions had lost his way at
sea and been carried to Maré. There they had been living for seven
THE MARTYR MISSIONARY AND WESTERN POLYNESIA 141
years. In this wonderful way did God provide His servants with a
ready helper, who took them on shore, acted as their interpreter with
one of the chiefs, and easily persuaded him and his people to receive
two Samoan teachers, Tataio and Taniela by name. The chief, Jeiue,
went on board, and showed a thoroughly friendly spirit. But he and
his people were the slaves of gross darkness, and it was a long time
before they yielded to the light of truth. They had a dim notion of a
superior Being. No carved images were to be found in the island, but
sacred stones, and sacred wooden posts and pillars, were common;
the relics of dead relatives or famous natives were also greatly prized.
When a priest, or a warrior, or a clever canoe paddler died, the hair
of his head and his eyelashes were carefully cut off, and stored up as
a precious treasure. The body was then buried, and for ten days
allowed to rest in the ground. At the end of that time, the priest of
the district, accompanied by the family of the dead man, went to the
grave, and, with much ceremony, removed the finger-nails, toe-nails,
and certain bones of the arms and legs. These were religiously
guarded, and passed down to the next generation as a sacred heirloom,
by means of which the blessing of the unseen God was secured. In
the same way skulls were preserved, and the woman who had her
mother's skull to place in the centre of her yam or taro plantation
regarded herself as a very fortunate being. Before beginning to
plant she would make an offering to this skull, then casting herself on
the ground before it say: ‘‘O mother, let thy power be seen, and pity
us thy children; see thou that the rains descend, and that the sun
shine on this our work. Let our food be abundant, and thy fame, and
the fame of thy family, shall be great in the land.†In times of
drought the entire skeleton of some one recently buried would be
carefully put together, “bone to his bone,†until the skeleton was
complete, and this skeleton was relied upon for bringing down the
much needed rain. With such illustrations to guide us, we can easily
understand how terribly degraded the people of Maré must have been.
They were born thieves too. As the teachers were being landed, one
after another of the natives tried to steal This man walked off with
142 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
a sailor's jacket, that with a boat-hook; but when told to bring them
back, the rogues brought them with their own hand, as if neither
ashamed of the theft nor afraid of punishment.
New Caledonia was the last island visited. It was discovered by
Captain Cook, in 1774, when returning to New Zealand after his sur-
vey of the New Hebrides; and being the last link in the long chain
of islands that stretches across nearly five thousand miles of ocean,
occupies a position of great strength and importance. Indeed, in
many respects New Caledonia is without a rival among the isles of
the Pacific. Two hundred miles long by twenty-five miles broad, it
excels them all for size. The centre of the island is formed by a lofty
rocky ridge; the low-lying flat land near the coast contains many
woods and plantation grounds watered by streams from the hills;
while girdling the shore, but distant from it some ten or twelve miles,
is a barrier coral reef, through which there are numerous entrances to
the inner channel, and to a splendid anchorage for the largest vessels.
Since 1853 New Caledonia has been under French control, and become
a place of greater importance than ever. But when the Camden paid
her first visit in 1841 it was but little known. The natives, who are
a mixed race, had been described by Captain Cook as strong, active,
well-made people, very similar in colour to the Tannese, but better
looking, taller,and stouter. They lived in a sort of bee-hive hut (such
as our missionaries have since found used on Darnley Island, New
Guinea) very much like a hay-rick to look at, with a low door which
could only be entered by stooping, but without window or outlet for
the smoke. They did not tattoo their bodies, nor colour themselves
with ochre, as some islanders did; but instead of these ways of
making themselves look grand, daubed their bodies over with white
sand, and so became a kind of dark drab or grey. By means of
washes and dyes they also contrived to change the colour of their
black woolly hair to different shades of brown, and even to white.
Some of them painted their faces jet-black, so that what with grey
body, white hair, and black face they were very strange-looking
gentlemen. Their ornaments were made from shells, especially pearl
THE MARTYR MISSIONARY AND WESTERN POLYNESIA 143
shell. Asin many heathen lands, the women were the slaves of the
men, and were made to do all the hard work. Their lot was to drudge
and toil from morn to night, while their lords and masters loafed about,
did a little fishing perhaps, or went to a big dance or feast.. The
canoes of the New Caledonians were much larger than those usually
found in the South Seas, more like some that are seen to-day on the
southern shores of New Guinea. They were in fact two canoes, thirty
or forty feet long, lashed
and fixed together by
-means of cross spars,
with planks laid upon
these to form a plat-
form or deck. On this
platform a house was
built, with fireplace for
cooking purposes, and
space for weapons or
for articles for barter.
A. mast, with a large
mat sail, being rigged
up upon the platform,
the canoes, when fa-
voured with a _ good
breeze and a calm sea,
managed to sail well,
but in rough weather
they were awkward and dangerous.
As already mentioned, Mr. Heath, when he called the year before,
had landed teachers at the Isle of Pines, near to the south-east coast
of New Caledonia. Mr. Murray arranged to call at this small island
before proceeding to New Caledonia, in order that the heathen might
be visited. One of them was taken on board, together with a young
man, a native of the larger island, whom the missionaries found
staying at the Isle of Pines. Both of them were of great use in
A BEE-HIVE HUT.
144 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
gaining the goodwill of the New Caledonians. But Matuku, the
chief of the Isle of Pines, was jealous and angry at the thought of
sending teachers to his neighbours, and did his utmost to prevent
this being done. Of course Mr. Murray could not yield to such
unworthy suggestions, but with guide and teacher on board, made
for the great island, and in a few hours was off its shore.
Crowds of natives were seen gathering together on the beach,
excited and wondering at the sight of the white man’s ship. Seeing
no opening in the reef, the boat was lowered and pulled towards
this barrier; alongside which the boat lay to.. At first no one would
venture near, but after a time, and by dint of friendly signs and coax-
ing, one after another was induced to wade and swim towards the
reef; and very soon the boat was surrounded with a crowd of noisy
visitors, who, seeing one of their own kith and kin on board, quickly
became eager to join him—so bent, indeed, on doing so, that it was
hard work to keep them from swamping or capsizing the boat.
Happily among those who had swum out was the very man _ they
wished to get hold of—the son of the chief on that part of the island,
who had: lately been in the Isle of Pines and had there seen and talked
with the teachers. He was got into the boat, and with his help, and
a rather free distribution of presents, all but three or four were per-
suaded to return to the land, the boat with these three or four being
then rowed back to the brig for the night. The next morning the
boat went in agairi and brought off the chief himself. This man,
Nathotha by name, on hearing of what the missionaries wished to do,
readily agreed to their plans, and promised that he would treat the
teachers kindly, provide them with food, and protect them from harm
to the best of his power. All being arranged, the landing of the
teachers followed. A crowd of islanders lined the beach all of whom
seemed to be immensely pleased at the thought of having teachers
settling in their midst. This was on 15th April, 1841.
A good beginning was thus made, and for a time all went well;
but a year or two later the sky became overcast, and first on the Isle
of Pines and then on New Caledonia, bloodshed and cruelty took the
THE MARTYR MISSIONARY AND WESTERN POLYNESIA 145
place of kindly treatment. Matuku, the jealous yet powerful chief,
foully murdered his own teachers; then, handing the very hatchet
REV. A. W. MURRAY,
with which he had slain them to Nathotha, told his partner chief
with shameless brutality of what he had done, and charged him
to kill all the Samoans and Rarotongans he had living on his island.
L
146 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
Nathotha did not obey the charge, whereupon the enraged old
savage sent word that if he did not kill the teachers he would come
across and killand eat kim. Neither this threat nor the command
given was executed, but the poor teachers had a terrible time of it.
Like the Apostle Paul, they were “in deaths oft.†Six or seven
times attempts were made to get them killed; but deterred by fear,
by the calm courage of these Christian men, and, must we not add,
by the unseen yet ever-active power and protection of God, their
lives were spared. Two striking examples of the spirit which ani-
mated these teachers may be quoted from Mr. Murray’s “ Western
Polynesia.†A party came upon them one day evidently bent upon
mischief. Instead of attempting to flee or resist, Taunga said to his
crafty visitors: ‘‘Come, kill us; you may stop our mouths in death,
but you cannot hinder the Word of God: that will continue to live
and grow.†The heathen were amazed, and said one to another : “See,
that man is not afraid ; it is because their God is powerful ; let them
alone.†On another occasion some of Matuku’s sons and followers,
nine or.ten in all, crossed over to New Caledonia for the express
purpose of killing the two teachers. Beginning with an argument
about the felly of thinking that dead men could ever live again, they
at last gave the sign to commit the murder for which they had come.
Four men instantly rushed into the house, where by the polite invita-
tion of the teachers the others were seated. One of them took up his’
position in front of Noa, the other behind Taunga. Noa’s right arm
was seized, and the hatchet raised to strike the fatal blow. Over
Taunga's head the other hatchet was poised. The signal from one of
Matuku’s sons alone was awaited. Meekly the teachers bowed their
heads in prayer, and, like Stephen, the first Christian martyr, com-
mitted their spirits to the keeping of their Lord. But in their case
the weapons did not strike. . The sign. given was the very opposite of
what was looked for. “Don’t strike,’ was its meaning, and shortly
afterwards the savages dispersed, leaving the two teachers almost
speechless with wonder at their escape. God’s ways are “ past finding
out.†In many an instance He has permitted the murderous blow to
THE MARTYR MISSIONARY AND WESTERN POLYNESIA -47
fall; in many has stayed the murderer’s hand. Mission work in the
Pacific abounds with illustrations of both the one experience and the
other. White and dark-faced missionaries alike have been “ taken,â€
alike have been “left.†Yes, difficult though it is to understand why
one devoted servant of the Lord escapes while another is laid low,
we may rest assured that in each case the will of God has been done,
and that that will has been guided by wisdom and love.
CHAPTER VIII.
FURTHER EXTENSION.
“ Them also I must bring.â€
OLLOWING the course of the sun, the light of
truth in the Pacific has spread from east
to west, butslowly. In 1841 its first rays
were beginning to touch the peaks of the
‘islands that fringe the Australasian side
of the great Southern Ocean. Those rays
have grown stronger year by year, and
in places have shone with marvellous
brightness; but ‘even to-day, after more
than fifty years, in not a few of those
western lands gross darkness still reigns.
The missionary's task has proved a hard
one: the demands upon his faith, courage,
endurance, and that love which “ suffereth
long and is kind,†have been terribly
severe. Still the footing once gained has never been yielded to the foe.
Tried, baffled, and for a time perhaps forced to retire, the servants of
Christ have refused to be beaten, and, returning to the attack, have, in
the end, conquered again and again.
Annual voyages were made by the mission vessels, but to describe
these in detail would occupy more space than this volume affords. A
selection of incidents only can be given. The story of Lifu and its native
apostle is one which we must find room for. Lifu is the largest and
most populous of the Loyalty Islands. In 1842 the Rev. A. Buzacott—
“that model. missionary,†as he has often been described—who that
year was on board when the ship Camden went her round, left two
148
FURTHER EXTENSION 149
Rarotongans on Maré, another island of the same group, with the
distinct understanding that after spending a little time with the
teachers there, they should be taken on to Lifu. One of the two was
a young unmarried man, who, having made several voyages on board
a whaling ship, had seen a little of the world and knew something of
white men’s ways. After his last voyage, Pao, for that was the
Rarotongan youth's name, began seriously to think about the deeper
things of life; and, giving his heart to God, became a member of the
native church, and offered to go forth as a pioneer teacher to the
heathen. A few months’ study in the institution at Rarotonga was
the only special training he, received. He was then appointed to
labour in Lifu, but was first of all landed at Maré.
Lifu, not Maré, was written upon Pao’s heart, and to Lifu he
was eager to sail with as little delay as possible. He was a young
man of brave spirit, of earnest character, and blessed with a fund of
common sense. With these to help him, and with strong confidence
in God, Pao decided at once to proceed to Lifu.. What a picture he
presents! Seated in his little canoe, with one or two Maré teachers
and friends as companions, his Bible and a few clothes carefully
wrapped in a bundle, his tiny mat sail spread to the breeze, the bold
young fellow steered for the island he had fixed upon as his. future
home. A mere speck upon the ocean at first, the land gradually rose
higher and higher, loomed more largely upon the horizon, and at last
grew distinct and clear to his view. As his frail bark drew nearer
he could make out villages, houses, natives—yes, and natives who
were rushing about in search of weapons, and who soon drew them-
selves up in armed array upon the beach. Did Pao’s heart fail him?
Did he haul down his sail and hang about the reef waiting for some
friendly signal before venturing to land? Not atall. Taking his life
in his hand, he skilfully guided his canoe over the surging breakers of
the reef, and on the crest*0f_ a wave dashed right on to the shore, and
placed himself at the mercy of the islanders. |
His bravery so impressed the natives that no one attempted to kill
him. Another thing worked in his favour. On Lifu, as on many
150 - THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
other islands of the South Seas, the people were in the habit of choos-
ing special friends whom they called enemus. An ‘“enemu†feels
that it is his duty to provide his friend with food and lodging when
he comes to see him; he must also protect him, and in every way
possible try to assist him. The chosen friend has to do the same in
return. Now it so happened that Bula, the old chief of Lifu, was so
much taken with Pao that there and then he made him his ‘ enemu.â€
His life was thus made secure, and he at once became a popular man.
Not that the people were willing to listen to his teaching; that they
had no desire to do; but they were glad to have him in their midst.
Pao’s conduct is worthy of all praise, but what shall we ‘say of a
young Englishman, boasting of the name “ Cannibal Charley,†whom
Pao found living on Lifu and who also was an “enemuâ€â€™ of the chief
Bula? About the very time that the heathen-born Rarotongan youth
had been “ coming to himself’ and was finding his way to the Saviour,
this Christian-born lad was deliberately stripping himself of. all
decency, and of his own free will becoming a heathen. There he
was on Lifu, living as a native, delighting in ‘bestiality, going to
greater lengths in wickedness than the heathen themselves, and even
boasting to his fellow-countrymen, as he afterwards did, of his liking for
human flesh. This young Englishman, the son of respectable parents,
was for a time the greatest hindrance to Pao’s missionary work. As
long as the Lifuans continued heathen, ‘Cannibal Charley’ not only
remained on this island, but by word and by deed, by evil speaking
and by open persecution, sought to check the good man’s influence.
It was only when the Gospel was winning its way, and heathenism
on the decline, that this godless Englishman, whose ‘“‘ glory was in his
shame,†got tired of his former friends, and left them for Fiji, where
he died. Many sad tales of wicked conduct on the part of Europeans
in the Pacific are on record, but we know of none so painful or so
disgraceful to our country as that of this young man.
Bula had a rival chief on the other side of the island, and between
the two there was constant fighting. Pao had to accompany Bula
wherever he went—even to battle. He had no home of his own, but
FURTHER EXTENSION 51
lived with the chief. They ate, slept, worked, and played together,
and while fishing, planting, or engaged in native games, Pao found
many a chance for speaking ‘a word in season,†which he eagerly
seized. By making himself a thorough friend of the people, he soon
acquired great power over them; for he was quick-witted and
thoroughly intent upon leading them to the knowledge of God. His
presence with Bula’s party at a fight in which they came off victors
CANOES GOING OFF TO A VESSEL.
seemed to convince them that Pao’s God must be powerful. They
therefore chose Him to be their own God, and in doing so thought that
they would be able to keep Him to themselves, and turn His power
against their enemies. This was the fruit of sheer ignorance, selfishness,
and hypocrisy. To yield to the moral restraints of Pao’s religion was
far enough from their thoughts. Such things they left to him alone.
Their liking for human flesh was terribly keen. Indeed, it was no
uncommon thing for them to stay away from evening worship which
the teacher had started, and wLilst Pao was praying, go to a hut and
152 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
quietly indulge in a cannibal feast. In heart the Lifuans were still
what they always had been, and at last they let this be clearly seen.
Old Bula became blind! Now to a heathen mind every such calamity
means either that some ill-natured person has brought it about by the
use of witchcraft or charms, or that the gods are angry and have sent
it as a punishment. The wretched cannibals on Lifu quickly made
up their minds that Pao’s God was angry with them because He knew
of their misdeeds, yet instead of turning to Him in penitence and
asking forgiveness, they decided to kill Pao. Five men were chosen
to carry out this murderous scheme. The teacher was busily engaged
mending his canoe upon the beach. The men arranged to join him,
get into conversation with him, and then at a given signal brain him
with their tomahawks. They went towards him, closed around him,
began their talk, and gave the signal; but not a single hand was
raised! As described by one of the men himself in after years, their
arms were paralysed. Fear, or some better feeling, seized them, and
they could not strike the blow.
Other teachers came to Pao’s help, but none of them gained much
power ; but hedid, and his name willever be held in grateful memory.*
Not that he had an easy task in Lifu. On the contrary, for years
the issue remained doubtful. His first genuine converts were some
Tongan settlers, children of people who had been carried away in
their canoe by adverse winds. Of kindred origin with the teacher,
and hearing that Tonga had “ received the word,†these colonists from
afar gladly listened to the gospel message, and two of them eventually
became teachers. A few natives joined them, but Bula and the people
generally were as yet untouched. After five years the old chief died,
a heathen and a cannibal to the last. War at once broke out between
rival claimants for his place. Disease also appeared and rapidly
spread through the island. This gave the heathen the opportunity for
which they had been longing. Blaming the teachers as the cause of
both epidemic and war, they drove them from their island. Again
Pao was to be seen in his canoe, this time sailing from, not to, Lifu.
* An obelisk has been raised in his honour.
FURTHER EXTENSION | 153
He was returning to Maré, sad at heart, as he thought of his scattered
flock and of the troubles that had overtaken them, but hopeful still
and already looking forward to the day when he could go back.
That day quickly came. Once before he had returned on a short
visit, but finding party feeling still strong, had not thought it wise
to stay. The seed he had sown, however, had taken root and was
springing up; in one and another it was beginning to bring forth
fruit. These spoke boldly to their neighbours and sought to convince
them that bloodshed, cannibalism, idolatry, and heathen practices
were wrong, while what Pao had taught was indeed the truth. The
example of Maré was also quoted. Maré had given up its idols and
was rapidly becoming a land of light and peace; when would Lifu
do the same? Such earnest words were not without effect; besides
which, it was now seen that Pao’s consistent life and character had
produced a much deeper impression than either he or the Lifuans had
been aware of. All at once, just as with the walls of Jericho centuries
before, to employ an illustration used by those on the spot, the opposi-
tion to Christian teaching gave way, a desire for guidance and know-
ledge took its place, and messengers were despatched to Maré to beg
Pao and his companions to return. With what alacrity and joy
did the Rarotongan once more embark! Launching his canoe, and
spreading his mat sail, he again made for the shore of Lifu, where he
was welcomed with every sign of rejoicing. Food in abundance was
presented to him and his fellow-teachers, and from that day down-
wards their work rapidly grew. Chapels sprang up, schools were
started, and before long there were natives who astonished themselves
and their neighbours alike by learning to pick out from Pao’s Bible
the letters of the alphabet. This fact seemed to the Lifuans to be the
most signal of all; and many, coming from distant villages to see
and hear this wonderful thing for themselves, were ‘so struck with
the proof thus given of the power of the new religion that they there
and then made up their minds to accept it. Happy in the possession
of the alphabet carefully written out on a piece of paper and pasted
on a board, these visitors returned to their homes eager to learn more.
154 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
Pao was equal to the fresh demands upon his strength, and passing
from village to village, preached with great point and fervour. The
Gospel spread to the western side of the island, and there, ata place
called Amelewet, the first Christian station was formed.
Two or three years later, when the Revs. A. W. Murray and J. P,
Sunderland visited Lifu, they were greatly cheered by the progress
made. Pao and his flock were busy building a coral stone church
100 feet long by 40 feet wide, the walls of which were already about
nine or ten feet high. The church contained a good pulpit and read-
ing-desk, was supplied with windows and Venetian blinds, and was
being furnished with seats. The boards used in its erection had been
sawn and prepared by the natives of Maré, which is distant thirty
miles, and brought over in canoes. Near to the church, and in keep-
ing with it, was a neatly plastered house for the teachers to dwell
in. Idolatry was given up; so too were cannibalism and by many
polygamy also. There was a class of three hundred people who were
being taught the real meaning of the religion of Jesus, and on Sun-
days more than double that number came together for Christian wor-
ship. Many were already able to read. Very many more were
learning—those who had themselves mastered the difficulties of this
new art readily becoming the instructors of their neighbours and
friends. All was ripe for the settlement of a white missionary, and
the uppermost desire of the people was to secure one. Most earnestly
did they plead for such a helper, but it was not until seven years
afterwards that their request could be granted. Then the Rev., now
Dr., S. McFarlane, went to take up the work. Truly this is a wonder-
ful story. It reads more like poetry than history, and is a South Sea
Island illustration of the saying that “ truth is stranger than fiction.â€
. Added to which, when we remember that the change effected in Lifu
was the fruit of the devoted life and practical wisdom of a native
teacher, himself only lately brought out of heathenism, we cannot but
See in that fact a fresh proof of the power of Christ’s Gospel.
We must now retrace our steps a little to narrate other events
that marked the passing years. On the same voyage as that on which
FURTHER EXTENSION 155
'
she conveyed Pao to Maré, as a stepping-stone to Lifu, the Camden
carried the Rev. George Turner and the Rev. Henry Nisbet, with their
wives, to Tanna. These missionaries had recently come out from
England for the express purpose of settling upon that island, where,
the reader will remember, teachers had been living for several years,
but without as yet any sign of real success. The new arrivals were
entering upon a dangerous work. They were aware of this, though
HOUSE OF THE REV. JOHN JONES AT MARE,
the worst was mercifully hidden from their eyes. The Tannese were
a savage race, whose hearts were hardened against the new teaching,
and who were ready to turn against their visitors at very short notice.
In no island of the Pacific have the servants of Christ had to wait
longer or with greater patience for fruit than upon Tanna. At first
all went well. The ship sailed away, leaving the missionaries upon
the island, and with much zeal they gave themselves to their work.
156 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
For three or four months the prospect looked bright, but after that
clouds began to gather. Faith in the power of their “ gods many and
lords many†has ever been a strong point in the character of the
people of Tanna, and their priests were very skilful in tracing the
origin of all disease, death, and other woes to the ill-will of some one
or other of these deities. Quickly seeing that, should the Christian
teachers gain ground, their own greedy trade would be at an end,
they set to work to combat their influence, and an epidemic breaking
out, seized that as a favourable opportunity for getting them killed, or
driven out of the island. But the missionaries were not without friends
who for a time were able to avert the danger that threatened them.
They were, however, too few, and, themselves attacked, could no
longer protect their visitors.
So bitter did the priests and the ignorant natives under their con-
trol become, that, after much anxious thought and prayer for guid-
ance, the missionaries decided to attempt an escape in an open boat.
To do this was most dangerous; still there seemed to be no other
way; so on a dark and stormy night they committed themselves to
the gracious care of their Heavenly Father and started on their
voyage. For the moment God’s hand seemed to be against them, for He
did not suffer them to get away. By a strong head wind the boat was
driven back, and wet, cold, weary, the sad fugitives had to land once
more. Whata night of misery and disappointment that must have
been! But though “weeping may endure for a night, joy cometh in
the morning.†With the dawn a ship appeared in the bay, and in this
vessel the entire party escaped to Samoa.
In after years two fresh beginnings were made upon Tanna, but
with the same result. The first of these attempts was in 1842. Dis-
ease among children breaking out, the teachers were accused of being
the cause. Their dwelling-house was burnt to the ground, and one of
them was foully murdered when returning from the bush whither he
had gone for evening prayer. The others were removed. Similar
treatment befel those who for the third time sought to conquer these
stony-hearted people. Then followed the Rev. John G. Paton and his
FURTHER EXTENSION 157
coileagues, who fell one after another, till at last Mr. Paton, worn out
.with sorrow, illness, and the
treachery of the natives, had
also to flee for his life. Not
until 1868 was it found possible
to secure a permanent footing
upon Tanna, and even then it
was years before any converts
were made.
Another painful story is that
of the massacre of all the
teachers upon the island of
Futuna (see page 138). When
after an unusually long inter-
val the mission vessel revisited
Futuna in the year 1845, sad
tidings awaited those on board.
They were: anxious to know
how their native brethren and
sisters had fared, and were pre-
pared to hear of trial and loss,
but did not in the least expect ,
to find that the little light that
had been burning was quenched
in blood. Yet so it was. An
outbreak of disease which ra-
pidly spread among the island-
ers was in this as in many
other cases the cause. Some
one must have brought this
disease into their midst, argued
the people, and who so likely
to have done this as the Samoans? On the morning of the massacre,
the two teachers, with the little daughter of one of them, had gone
iy)
SES
SSS
LS
SSS
A SAMOAN GIRL.
158 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
to work in the plantation grounds. Samuela’s wife remained at home
alone. A party of savages waylaid them on their way back, and
killed Apolo and Samuela’s little girl. Finding that Samuela was
still at work in the plantation, they hurried to the spot and murdered
him also. They then made their way to the mission house and sur-
rounded the sole survivor, Samuela’s wife, now a widow, though igno-
rant of the fact. The leader of the band entered the house and asked
the Samoan woman to become his wife. The poor creature was horri-
fied at the proposal, and to buy him off offered him some of her
property; but instead of taking it he raised a shout, the murderers
rushed into the house, and soon Samuela’s wife had followed her hus-
band and child to the unseen world. The wretches then divided
among themselves whatever they could lay their hands on. They
also burnt the house to the ground, handed over two bodies to be
cooked and eaten, and cut the two others into pieces, the child’s
eing one of these, and threw them into the sea as an offering to the
angry gods. So ended the first attempt to win Futuna for Christ.
Another attempt was made ten years after, and now, through the
Presbyterian Mission, steady work is carried on in the island.
The same year that saw Tanna re-occupied added Vaté, or Faté,
to the list of islands upon which teachers were stationed. This lovely
and fertile spot, which lies about sixty miles to the north-west of
Eromanga, was discovered by Captain Cook, and called by him Sand-
wich in honour of the Earl of Sandwich, then First Lord of the
Admiralty. Possessing spacious land-locked harbours, an indented
coast with many bays, a rich soil, and abundance of native fruits,
Europeans. now think highly of it. But half a century ago no white
settler would have been allowed to live there. Indeed, the island was
most carefully shunned, the natives being notorious cannibals. . Ship-
wrecked sailors landing on Faté were ruthlessly killed and eaten. A
whole boat-load on one occasion met with this awful fate. Ten were
cooked on the spot, and the bodies of the rest distributed among the
villages near. Another horrible custom prevailed on Faté, namely,
the constant slaughter of new-born children. The women were
FURTHER EXTENSION 159
treated as slaves, and as the cate of infants interfered with their
work in the plantations, they were not allowed to nurse them. Some
, women were only permitted to keep one child alive; very few could
save more than two. As soon as a baby was born it was cruelly -
buried alive. In the same way old men and women, feeble folk, and -
all whose minds were affected, were got rid of. Such were the ways
of the “innocent children of nature †that some writers talk of!
As described by Captain
Erskine, who visited them in
1849, the Fatése were black like
the natives of Tanna, but larger
and finer in stature, with more
regular features, good fore-
heads, and heads of a moderate
size. In dress, too, they were
more decent. The men wore a
broad. belt of matting, seven or
eight inches wide, very neatly
worked in a diamond pattern
of red, white, and black colours.
Many had their skins covered
with raised figures, especially
the arms and chest. This was
done by a special kind of tattoo-
ing. Then the cartilage of the
nose was pierced and filled
with a round piece of stone,
while from the lobes of the ears large shell ornaments hung. Armlets,
bracelets, anklets, made of small rings like chain-armour, neatly
strung together in black and white rows, together with garters of
green leaves, served further to adorn these New Hebrides dandies.
The women, says Captain Erskine, were zenerally tall and thin, their
hair cropped close to the head, and the skin occasionally marked with
figures, as on the men’s bodies. Their dress did not differ much from
A WESTERN POLYNESIAN DANDY.
160 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
that of the males. The waist-belt they wore was broader than that
worn by the men, but they added a square mat in front, and a curious
loose fringe of grass or matting behind, about a foot anda half long,
which looked exactly like a tail. They wore no girdle of leaves, and
the upper part of the body was left bare. The Fatése women were
clever in paddling canoes, and clambered up the side of a ship without
difficulty or fear.
For many years now Presbyterian missionaries have been living
upon Faté and other islands of the same group, and the number and
power of the native Christians been growing. But for a long and
wearisome time it was a trying field, and the brave Samoan, Raro-
tongan, and other evangelists who laboured there, together with
Fatése youths taken to Samoa for teaching, and then carried back to
their own island, had to endure all kinds of hardships, and in many
cases had to seal their life's work with their blood. At first there
was success. Sickness and death followed. One of the earliest party
of four teachers died, and a chief wishing to make the widow his own
wife, the poor woman became so excited that she rushed into the sea
and was drowned. Two other teachers were taken ill, one of whom
died. The other, becoming delirious with fever, was killed, that being
the custom of the country. Then followed the massacre of ship-
wrecked sailors mentioned a page or two back. In justice to the
natives it must be said that the cruelties of sandal-wood traders were
the chief cause of this massacre. The Fatése were simply taking
revenge upon white men for the evil deeds of other white men. A
British man-of-war visited Faté after this savage and wholesale
murder, and for a while the work of teachers made good progress.
-Chapels were built, and at one place about two hurdred people
attended worship, while at another’ village even more were found
gathered together by the visiting missionaries, and from these people
came an earnest request for a resident European missionary. Yet
shortly after this, when a fresh party of native workers and the
Fatése youths-who had been in Samoa were landed, the unchanged
wickedness of the islanders quickly showed itself, for within nineteen
FURTHER EXTENSION 161
days of their arrival the whole band of new teachers and their wives
had been brutally murdered. . Two others died, and for about three
years the mission was given up.
As elsewhere, however, ‘the seed sown had taken root, anda good
many of the people kept up the forms of Christian worship and were
anxious to have teachers settled: among them once more. Their
request was granted, and another start made, but it was sixteen years
after the first landing before Messrs. Murray and Geddie, who called
at Faté in the John Williams, had the joy of baptizing ten natives,
eight men and two women, and of forming a Christian church upon
that island of bloodthirsty and awful notoriety. All honour to the
brave and faithful pioneers, the Christian native teachers, who at such
terrible cost of trial and suffering, won that and many another spot
in the Pacific for humanity and Christian light and liberty. We at
home only faintly realize the debt the world owes to these noble men
and women.
The stories here recorded are but samples of many that might be
given: the history of one island was the history of many others. In
the face of fearful ignorance, savagery, and treachery the messengers
of the Gospel held on their way, and island after island was brought
under the power of the truth. To one other only, however, can we
refer. Savage Island, or Niué—an island now so dear to the friends of
the London Missionary Society—was still without the light. John
Williams’ visit in 1830 we have already described: the sullen groups
of armed men on the beach, the violent conduct of that naked, giant-
like, aged heathen chief, the terror of the two youths whom Mr.
Williams persuaded to go with him on board the Messenger of Peace, -
and the terrible fate that overtook those youths when they returned
home, are not likely to be forgotten by those who have read of them.
But Savage Island could not be left to perish in its barbarism and
darkness. It must be rescued. That was the settled conviction of the
servants of Christ living in eastern Polynesia.
Why were the Savage Islanders so unwilling to receive teachers ?
For a long time it was thought that their only reason was dislike to
M
162 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
them and their teaching; but the real cause was fear. They had a
perfect horror of disease, and with some past facts in their history to
guide them, had come to believe that if they allowed strangers to settle
in their midst, whether white strangers or natives of other islands
made no difference, they would bring some new disease which would
kill them all off. The missionaries longed to gain an entrance among
them, that they might confer great blessings upon them;: but the
people thought they would introduce nothing but evil. Besides which
they were of a very proud and haughty spirit. Rather than ‘submit
to an insult or to anything that wounded their pride they would put
an end to their lives. A deformed person would. do this rather than
bear the disgrace of being imperfectly formed. Lovers who. could
not gain their heart’s chosen one, people who had the worst of it in
a quarrel, and others who thought that a laugh might be raised at
their expense, killed themselves to escape shame. The people of |
other islands have done such things, but not to the same extent.
In the same way they sought to rid themselves of all who were ill.
These were treated in a very barbarous fashion. They were hurried
off toa hastily built hut, and there left to get better or to die. Food
was taken to them, but relatives would not stay with them lest they
too should become ill. Children born to people not properly married
were killed. Their way of disposing of the dead was also strange.
Instead of burying them, or throwing them into the sea, as was the
custom in other islands, they placed them in caves which are found in
‘the centre of the island. A like custom prevailed in Lifu.
Ten years after the visit of Mr. Williams a missionary sailed to —
Niué in a small schooner of about twenty tons burden. He went from
Samoa, and had a number of Samoans with himon board. On nearing
the shore, armed natives came off in their canoes in large numbers,
and could easily have seized the vessel and murdered passengers and
crew. But its smallness seemed to make them regard. it. without
‘alarm. The missionary was not allowed to land teachers, but the
people showed themselves to be a little more friendly than before, and
readily sold their weapons of war. Better still, three natives were
FURTHER EXTENSION ; 163
willing to go back to Samoa, one of whom afterwards helped to make
it possible for Christian teachers to settle on Niué.
It was not until 1846, six years later, however, that areal hold was
gained. In the October of that year the Revs. William Gill, of Raro-
tonga, and Henry Nisbet, of Samoa, visited the island and placed on it
a native named Peniamina (Benjamin), who several years before, at
his own urgent request, had been taken to Samoa by the captain of an
American whaler, and there placed under the care of the missionaries.
While in Samoa Peniamina had joined a Christian church and had
been for a time in the training institution at Malua, and it was hoped
that he would prove a sincere and faithful teacher. But he disap-
pointed these hopes. For a time he was in great peril. When he
landed the cry was at once raised: ‘‘Letus kill him.†Some objected,
and he escaped, but was left to wander about in the rain all the first
night without shelter or food. The next day his goods were stolen.
Still his life was spared, and two years later, when the missionary ship:
called, he was well, but did not seem to be doing any Christian work.
The following year, a man of a different spirit—Paulo, a Samoan
Paul—whose wife was a devoted Christian like himself, joined him,
and from that day solid progress was made. Not without difficulty
of course. The heathen at times became restless, and wondered to
what this new doctrine would grow; but the tact, patience, and
Christian conduct of the teachers gradually overcame their feelings of
-hostility ; and when in 1852 another visit was paid, there were between
two and three hundred natives who had given up their heathen prac-
tices, and were trying to walk in the light of the Gospel. They had
family prayer, began to clothe themselves, ceased to steal, shook them-
selves free from the fear of invading sacred places, and, last but not
least, had built a chapel and a house for their teacher.
The work of building that chapel was heavy, the more so as the
heathen party tried to prevent its being erected on the ground that it
would offend their island gods. As no trouble came upon Paulo and
his friends after the building was finished, a change of feeling in their
favour took place, and the power of Christianity was recognised.
164 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
More natives who had been living in Samoa for several years, and
had become used to Christian teaching, were now brought back to
help on the good work. At the end of ten yearsa great change had
taken place; the native pioneers had carried the people as far forward
as they could, and the time had come when a white missionary with
fuller knowledge and wider outlook was needed to take them yet
farther still. The Revs. George Stallworthy and George Gill then
came to visit the five Samoan teachers, who at five different villages
were carrying on work, and were greatly pleased with all they saw.
With the exception of some thirty or forty people, the entire popu-
lation. of Niué had renounced heathenism and regularly attended.
Christian worship. A new chapel with room for six hundred hearers
had been built, and in this the teachers conducted service. A number
of natives who had been previously taught were carefully examined
by the two visiting missionaries and baptized. The first Christian
church on Niué was thus formed. Including the Samoans and their
wives, there were sixty-five members, their names all being duly
enrolled in a book which was left in the teachers’ hands.
Savage Island was thus conquered by the power of Christ's
grace and truth. Much prayer had been offered on her behalf, and
that prayer was being answered. The later history and glorious
advance of the island under the guidance of the two. brothers W.
G. and F. E. Lawes are well known. That Niué should have pro-
gressed so much, furnishes another wonderful example of the value
of the help rendered by native missionaries. They deserve to be
held in high esteem both for their own and for their work’s sake, and
it is a pleasure to record one’s grateful thanks for their faithfulness —
- and zeal.
CHAPTER IX.
TEACHING AND TRAINING HEATHEN CONVERTS.
“ And He gave some to be . . . pastors and teachers.â€
de kingdom of heaven,†said Jesus Christ,
‘is like unto a grain of mustard seedâ€:
from small beginnings it grows into some-
thing large, something that every one can
see, that is useful to the world. Such
growth in the Southern Ocean we have
been tracing in the previous chapters. But
our Lord has also taught us that “ the king-
dom of heaven is like unto leavenâ€â€™: it isa
power that works within, and by virtue of
a wonderful inner change alters character,
life, and habit. It takes much longer, how-
ever, and is far more difficult to effect the
change within than to produce that which is
merely outward. This we need to remember
when we think of the South Sea Islands. -To
destroy false gods is much easier than to gain right thoughts about the
only true God; to build Christian chapels instead of heathen “ maraesâ€â€™
is a much simpler task than to allow one’s heart to become “a temple
of the Holy Ghostâ€; to give up planting, weaving, or fishing on
Sundays and spend the day in the worship of God than to yield one-
self, body, soul, and spirit, to serve the Lord; to refrain from terrible
customs, such as eating human flesh, killing little children as soon as
they are born, leaving old and sick persons to die uncared for and
165
166 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
alone, and similar cruelties described in this book, than to cease from
the evil thoughts, emotions and desires that prompted them.
_And yet all true and lasting work for God must touch the sources
of life within. Men’s minds, men’s hearts, men’s wills must be moved,
or the progress they seem to be making will prove worthless. The
English missionaries in the Pacific have fully understood this. For
many years now they have prayed and toiled and striven to make the
islanders clear and sound in knowledge, robust in faith, earnest in
purpose, and consistent in life. In some groups two, in others three
generations of “pastors and teachers’’ sent out from the old country
for this very purpose have been engaged in building up the native
churches and leading them forward-in “ the way of life.â€â€™ They have
shown marvellous patience in this work, have spared no pains to make
it successful, and, speaking generally, have had a rich reward. Being in
many ways so far above the natives and so different in race, character,
knowledge, experience and custom, they have sometimes seemed almost
too strong and in danger of over-topping and overpowering the
natives. Indeed there was a time when the wonders which a white man
had at command—his ships, his clothes, his tools, his. furniture, his
books, his medicines, his watches and clocks—-made hima sort of demi-
god to the people. .That day is now past and gone as regards most of
the Pacific, but the European missionaries are still needed, and are
regarded with esteem and affection.
Their efforts on behalf of the islanders have been most varied.
Anything and everything that would uplift or benefit them has been
cheerfully undertaken, and all-round usefulness been aimed at.
Perhaps an illustration of this will serve to make the point clearer,
. In the second volume of his ‘‘Gems from the Coral Islands†the Rev.
William Gill gives the following extracts from his diary :
“ August 3, Lord's Day, Morning, preached in Oneroa chapel.
2,000 persons present. Text Deut. xxxiii. 25, ‘Shoes of iron and of
brass, or Divine grace appropriate and sufficient to daily labour and
trial.†Afternoon, public administration of the ordinance of the Lord’s
Supper to more than 300 church members in the midst of the great
-
iS he
jira
!
St
168 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
congregation. Evening, united prayer meeting with native preachers,
and their families, in the class-room of our house.
“August 4. Morning, at adult early school. Forenoon, at the .
children’s school. Held a meeting with some of the principal people.
of the station, who are desirous to build a stone chapel. Woon, assisting
in making some alteration in mission house, the new missionaries having
brought from England some glass windows. This was the' first glass
the natives had ever seen, and it caused no little wonder to them.
Afternoon, visited one or two sick persons.
“August 5. Morning, held missionary prayer meeting in the
chapel; read to the people letters just received from two of their own
countrymen, who are native teachers on the distant island of Tanna.
Afternoon, met the teachers of the adult classes. Evening, Bible class
with young men.
“ August 6. Forenoon, at the children’s school. Afternoon, a public
service—preached John iii. 8, “The influence of the Holy Spirit in
conversion.†vening, a meeting with the visitors of the Christian
Instruction Society. Increased their number for that village from
twelve to twenty. |
“August 7. This morning a monthly prayer meeting of the
teachers of the Oneroa schools: 48 male teachers. and 51 female
teachers present. JVoon, assisting natives in mission-house work and
preparing books for inland stations. Evening, church members’ Bible
class.
“ August 8. Attended the teachers’ class this forenoon. At noon
- a schooner arrived off the island from Tahiti—brought information of
the surrender of the Queen [to the French], which occasioned much
remark and sadness among the people. Afternoon, went to the village
of Tamarua; 5 p.m. held public service in the chapel there.
“August 9. Morning, attending to the sick; met candidates for
baptism, and had private conversation with the deacons of, the village.
Native teachers’ labours had been blessed to the people—schools were
well attended—and upwards of fjfty candidates for church communion.â€
: * * * * K
“ August 17. Lord's Day. Public services were well attended.
Sermons from Job xlii. 5, 6, ‘Knowledge of God ‘necessary to true
repentance’; and from Isa. v. 20, “Delusions and punishment of
sinners.’ The young missionary made his first attempt to speak in
native language publicly by reading the Scriptures and offering
prayer.
TEACHING AND TRAINING HEATHEN CONVERTS 169
“ August 18. Attended children’s school, and took our return
journey to the settlement of Oneroa.
“August 19. Forenoon, had private conversation with Maretu
[native minister] about texts he had selected for sermons. oon, a
little girl having fallen from a precipice, was brought with fractured
limbs to be dressed. - Afternoon, church prayer-meeting. Evening,
young men’s Bible class. At ight, a little boy was brought, whose
stomach, while he was.asleep, had been dreadfully mutilated by a
savage pig. It was dressed, but the poor fellow died.
“August 20. Drawing plans for proposed new stone chapel.
noon, married Tangiia, the native teacher, to Miriama. Evening,
preached from Genesis xxviii., ‘ Jacob’s journey, trust and vow.’
“ August 21. . After attending to children’s school was with natives
marking out the foundation of new chapel, 90 feet long by 62 feet
wide, which was partly dug. out in the afternoon. Evening, church-
members’ Bible class.
“ August 22. Teachers’ classes in arithmetic and geography. Nooz,
conversation with candidates. Afternoon, with carpenters who have
commenced window and door frames for new chapel. Evening, public
service. Night, conversation with one of the native teachers.
“ August 23. Preparation for Sabbath services.â€
A constant round of duty thus kept the missionary fully occupied
from Sunday morning to Saturday night. Preaching from the pulpit
took the first place, and, as shown by the above quotations, closely
resembled the like work here at home. Far too closely, some say,
especially as the example set by the missionaries has been slavishly
copied: by native pastors and pioneer teachers. Asa consequence,
sermons with divisions into firstly, secondly, and thirdly have become
the rule throughout the islands. Sometimes indeed we hear. of men
sent to out-stations, or to New Guinea, who seem. unable to preach even
to the heathen in any other way than by long sermons: carefully
arranged on the regular model. At the same time we must bear in
mind that this faithful setting forth of Scripture teaching Sunday by
Sunday, and at week-day afternoon or evening services, has done much
to make Polynesian Christians thoroughly familiar with Bible truth
and well able to give an account of the hope that isinthem. They are
170 _ THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
firmly grounded in knowledge of the Word of God, and their fondness
for sermons has borne rich fruit both in strengthening and clearing
their minds, and in educating and guiding their consciences. .
Pulpit instruction was followed up by-adult Bible class teaching,
a most helpful agency wherever used. In these classes different
methods were adopted. Some were held immediately after the sermon
and took the form of an earnest talk over its different points. Con-
ducted by natives, one class being for men, another for women, an
attempt was made by means of question and answer to find out how
much of what had been heard in the chapel was really understood.
Difficulties were cleared up and good impressions deepened by these
after-sermon talks. Other classes were held during the week and
were relied upon for giving connected Scripture teaching, chapter by
chapter. Others again were for the instruction of church members,
and others for those who wished to be baptized and to enter into
Christian fellowship. Sometimes the members of the class would
relate to one another their own personal history, and tell of what God had
done for them. Many interesting things were as a matter of course
referred to in such gatherings. Native ideas about the sky and the
earth, about eclipses and storms, about disease and death, and a
hundred similar matters, furnished topics for discussion.
Eclipses, for example, filled the people with terror. In many islands
they thought that their gods were angry for not being properly fed and
had therefore come forth to make a meal of the sun, or-the moon, as
the case might be. The first time there was-a total eclipse of the sun
after the settlement of missionaries upon Rarotonga, the natives .came
running to them in wild excitement. Tangaroa had been destroyed, and
they had taken for granted that he would not trouble them any more ;
but there he was at his old tricks again, they said.. Mr. Buzacott was
called out to see him in the act of devouring the sun. The eclipse had
“just begun. A small part of the sun’s disc was gone. “Look,†said
the Rarotongans, “ that is the first bite; and he will not be content till
he has swallowed the whole.†“But,†replied Mr. Buzacott, ‘if the sun
had been eaten before by Tangaroa, how did they manage to get it
TEACHING AND TRAINING HEATHEN CONVERTS 171
back again?†The answer was: “By giving him so much: food that
he was made sick and had to vomit the sun up again.†Seeing the
missionary smile at this, they asked him if he could explain the
mystery, and were greatly surprised to hear that the eclipse was caused
by themoon. A simple illustration as to how this was brought about
was given them by placing the heads of three of them of equal height
in a row, to represent the earth, the moon, and the sun.. On moving
the middle one (the moon) to and fro they were made to:see how it -
covered the outer one (the sun) when viewed from the third (the earth),
and their. fears ended in a hearty laugh at their own.-ignorance. .. One
of the old priests was so struck with .the superior knowledge of:Mr:
Buzacott that he asked him in all seriousness and simplicity if he had
ever been up to the moon and seen with his own eyes how she per-
formed the operation. |
The work of preaching and teaching was.in many cases carried on
for years before the missionaries could feel satisfied that:the islanders,
who had given up their idols and become nominally Christian, were
men and women whose hearts had been truly changed; but as soon as
signs of such a change appeared, even if inj only a few of them, they
gladly banded them together in Christian fellowship... In a former
chapter we told about the baptism of Pomare and others in Moorea and
Tahiti: _The same sort of thing took place elsewhere.:-;In. Rarotonga,
twelve years after the first teachers landed; there were four natives who
seemed. to be truly on the Lord’s side and became the ‘nucleus of the
church... So in other islands. But once founded, native churches as a
rule quickly grew. The entire congregation would stay to watch the
baptismal and communion services; and a general interest being ex-
cited, many began to express:a desire to join the first few. Indeed the
missionaries had to exercise great caution lest, with little understand-
ing of what they were doing, people should come forward and seek
admission to the church. When chiefs set such an example, their -
followers were apt to imitate them as much perhaps from an unworthy
desire to curry favour with them as from a nobler wish to be like
them in well-doing; while chiefs, on the other hand, seeing their
172 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
people eagerly accepting the new teaching, were tempted to fear the
SOLOMON ISLANDERS DRESSED IN MASKS,
loss of their own power, if they did not do the same. Mixed motives
TEACHING AND TRAINING HEATHEN CONVERTS 173
influenced the natives and made constant pastoral oversight necessary.
Added to this, the old heathen spirit and vices frequently burst out
anew. Like the Hydra—the fabulous monster of the ancient world,
which was said to dwell in the marshes near a certain part of the
Grecian coast—heathenism had many heads, which grew up again
as quickly as they were cut off. An outbreak of disease or any similar
trouble served to frighten some, and gave others the opportunity they
were only too glad to have for saying that the old ways were better
than the new, and the gods of their forefathers more to be trusted than
the God of the white man. Many too longed for the heathen dances,
drinking festivals, and midnight revelries, and now and again broke
through all restraints, and gave themselves up to all manner of
license and impurity.
One great trouble the missionaries had was in reference to amuse-
ments. . Allof us, and especially young people, need amusements. But
there was hardly a single native game or sport that was not so bound up
with wickedness as to make it quite unfit for modest or pure-minded
men and women to countenance or take part in. The native Christ-
ians themselves felt this. They knew too their own weakness, and
feared to expose themselves to the temptation which indulgence in
the frolic of former days would surely offer. They therefore joined with
the missionaries in trying to put an entire stop to native games, and after
atime succeeded. Heathen amusements died out. But, unfortunately,
others did not take their place; and as “all work and no play ’—and
much more, as was the case in the South Seas, where life is taken easily,
little work and no play—‘ makes Jack a dull boy,†the missionaries
now in the Pacific often regret the loss of those old amusements. By
introducing cricket and other games of our own they try to supply the
lack, but they cannot help wishing that some more native to the soil
could, after wise pruning, have been retained. In some groups this has
been done to the advantage of all concerned.
Another difficulty the missionaries had to deal with was caused by
their own fellow-countrymen. In the early days runaway sailors and
escaped convicts from Sydney gave much trouble. Several of these
174 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
men set up business. on their own account as religious teachers. This
they did in islands on which native teachers only had been ‘landed.
Being Englishmen, they could of course astonish the ignorant islanders
by a show of knowledge and power which left the teacher at a disad-
vantage. Some of these sailors settled in Samoa, one of whom erected
a rough pulpit in a native hut, and upon this placed and kept some old
books he had with him. Hecalled them “sacred books,’ and would
not allow them to be uncovered except on Sundays, on which day he
gathered the people of the district together. The service consisted of
bowing to the sacred books on the part of the people, and listening to
a paragraph read by the sailor out of one of them. He read in
English, without attempting to explain what he had read, so that no
one but himself, and perhaps not even himself, was.a bit the wiser. Vet
by his impudence and knavery he established a reputation as the high
priest of his otw, or religion, and received from his followers a liberal
supply of food. To this man’s credit, however, it must be mentioned
that on the arrival of English missionaries he yielded to their arguments
and counsel, and not only frankly confessed his errors, but even went
round among the villagers with them, informing them that his Jotze
was. nothing buta sham and that these were the true teachers. Then
as the islands have been gradually brought into touch with the outside
world, traders and merchants have spread all over the Pacific. China-
men are found in most of the islands. White men also abound. In
some instances traders have proved good friends, who have helped the
people to advance. A: respectable, honest, industrious European, in
sympathy with efforts to raise the natives, can greatly aid the teacher
and the missionary in their work, and happily men of this type are no.
longer rare, a fact for which all lovers of the Polynesians should be
most thankful. For the opposite has too often been the case, the trade
carried on being of questionable character, and the trader, the same,
“only more so.’ Instead of proving a help, he has been a hindrance,
and by his personal life, and sometimes by his open antagonism, he
has done his best to make Christianity a thing of contempt. ‘In perils ~
from my own countrymen,†wrote the great Apostle of the Gentiles,
TEACHING AND TRAINING HEATHEN CONVERTS 175
and his successors in the great Southern Ocean have had to encounter
the same.
In some respects a sadder and more serious trial has overtaken the
islands and their infant Christian communities. This has arisen from
the deliberate intrusion of Roman Catholic missionaries into islands
that were well cared for, and attempts to turn the natives aside from
their simple faith in the Bible. No friendly arrangement with Roman
Catholics.seems possible. They on their part are trained to think
of their own church as the only church, to discredit all teaching but
their own, to regard other Christians as people in the dark and objects
of pity. We, again, on our part are apt to look upon Romanists as
Christians who have no loyalty to Jesus Christ, as haters of the Bible,
and.as preachers of another gospel than that which Christ and His
Apostles have givenus. Consequently there isno common ground upon
which to meet and make a division of territory. Seemingly there is
no remedy for this state of things. But the influence of the feud has
been a serious-hindrance in the South Seas. Wherever the Protestant
missionary has found his way, and particularly where he has suc-
ceeded in bringing an island or a group of islands out of heathen dark-
ness into Christian light, there the Roman Catholic priest is nearly
sure to follow. In Tahiti, and later in the Loyalty Islands, not to men-
tion Samoa and others, the work has been hampered and thrown back
for years in consequence of such tactics. The attempt has been, not
to win fresh converts from heathenism-—for of heathen there were
next to none—but to induce the islanders to desert their first teachers:
and accept: the new comers instead; to forsake the Scriptures for the
missal. Mean and contemptible methods have been employed. Long and
severe was the struggle in Tahiti, but God stood by His servants, and
thanks to His grace and to the heroic, simple-minded character of Queen
Pomare and her subjects of like spirit, to their love of the open Bible
and an unfettered church life, these attempts to turn Protestant South
Sea Islanders to Romanism have thus far signally failed. There
is a Roman Catholic Chapel in every village in Tahiti, and a fine
stone cathedral in Papeete, the chief port. A few only have
Qo a~
92T
LEVUKA, THE CHIEF
PORT OF FIJI,
TEACHING AND TRAINING HEATHEN CONVERTS 177°
yielded to the various inducements held out; the great majority of |
the people have stood firm. The attachment of the Tahitians to the |
Scriptures is so great that the priests have been obliged to adopt and -
use the Protestant Bible in the schools belonging to the Romish -
Church. Still the waste of strength, the trouble, the anxiety, and —
“the crop of discord, suspicion, and other ills that such experiences |
produce might all have been spared, if only the spirit which moved ,
the Apostle Paul had prevailed, and men had refrained from building :
on “another man’s foundation.â€
Difficulties have to be reckoned with. They cannot be ignored, :
but they can be overcome; ‘and though obliged to record them, we |
must not allow our readers to imagine that the workers lost heart. By :
no means. With unfailing courage, tact, patience, and perseverance,
they pursued their great task, and, no matter from what source their ©
difficulties arose, bravely grappled with them. As in larger things so
tooin smaller. For example, the want of slates in Rarotonga was a great
drawback. Quite unexpectedly a source of supply was found. Oneday |
‘a bright intelligent boy came. to school carrying in his hand a large flat
stone which he had found in the mountains and had ground smooth on
-one side. For a-pencil he had brought a spike froma sea-urchin’s shell -
which he had picked up on the beach. The other boys laughed at him,.
but the monitor took him to'Mr. Buzacott, who quickly saw that both
“pencil†and “ slate’? would serve the purpose. Holding them up to the
whole school, the missionar 'y urged the children to provide themselves
with the same kind of stones and spikes, and ina very short time the
school was amply provided with as many as it required, and hundreds
of scholars learned both to read and to write on these primitive slates.
From the earliest days of the mission downwards, schools have
formed an important branch of the work. Until recently the teaching
was entirely carried on in the native language, but a knowledge of:
English is in these days found to beso valuable that ina few instances
it is now also taught. For subjects, reading, writing, and simple
arithmetic for a time sufficed, but. geography, grammar, and other
things were added. Scripture knowledge always took a prominent
N
LEULUMOEGA (UPOLU) HIGH SCHOOL BOYS ENGAGED AT MANUAL WORK,
TEACHING AND TRAINING HEATHEN. CONVERTS 179
place in the school programme, and many a little Polynesian would
compare favourably in that branch of study with those of like age
here at home. Primers, catechisms, and lesson books of different
kinds were provided -from time to time, partly by means of mission
presses on the islands, partly through editions printed in England and
sent out by ship. A change is taking place in the Pacific to-day, and
in the future much more attention will probably be paid to sound ele-
mentary education, and to the use of the English language. Books
too in much greater variety will have to be prepared and circulated.
It is by such methods alone that the rising generation of islanders can
be fitted to hold their own against the new forces that are coming into
contact with them. .
Again and again in these pages we have had the joy of describing
the labours of the devoted native teachers to whom the Pacific owes so
much. We must now briefly refer to the plans adopted for securing
and training a constant supply of these teachers, and of others of like
spirit and capacity, able to undertake the charge of native churches.
A succession of faithful pastors for ministerial duties in the Christian-
ized islands, and of pioneer teachers for heathen islands, was needed,
and the missionaries set themselves to work to try and secure such a
supply. This they did by establishing training institutions or colleges
in which young men and their wives could be gathered together and
taught. The plan usually adopted was to build a central class-room
or class-rooms for teaching purposes, and surround this with rows or
squares of cottages in which the students lived, each married couple
having a cottage to themselves. By a judicious admixture of manual
and mental labour the students have been able to build the cottages
and keep them in repair, make desks and other furniture, and grow
enough yams, taro, bread-fruit, and cocoa-nuts to keep themselves
well supplied with food. In this way the cost of maintaining an insti-.
tution is kept at a low figure, and the young men have an opportunity
of acquiring other knowledge than that to be gathered from books.
Many of them become skilful in the use of tools, in raising fruit and
vegetables, and in managing a boat.
180 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
House and chapel building necessarily occupies much of a mission-
ary’s thought and time, but in all such work he is willingly assisted by
native helpers. Under his guidance many large and handsome places
of worship have been erected all over the Pacific. At first, rush or
wood and plaster sheds served as chapels, but these soon gave way to
others made from coral stone, with proper windows and doors. Pulpits
in some instances were added. One striking feature of a South Sea
church is the tasteful fibre-plaiting by which pillars and roof timbers
are lashed fast together. By means of coloured fibres worked in curious
geometrical patterns, very pleasing effects are produced. A chapel
opening or dedication is a grand gala time with the natives, and
usually associated with a big feed. On one such occasion no less than
four hundred pigs were killed and cooked, an immense quantity of
fruit and vegetables was provided, and some five thousand guests sat
down to the feast. The pigs were served whole. Amazed at the
number of pigs, a man who was present greatly amused the missionary
by vainly trying to count them. Determined not to be beaten, the man
at length hit upon the device of cutting off the tip of each pig’s tail’;
then arranging these, he made out that there were four hundred.
Immense puddings also graced the feast: in some islands.
The islanders enjoy such gatherings and have them at least once a
year, not exactly for setting apart anew chapel, but for what they
call their “ Me’’ (May meeting). Following the lead of the Society at |
headquarters, an annual meeting. for receiving contributions for
missionary purposes, and for stirring one another up to greater
- interest in missionary service, is held... No matter in what month the
meeting takes place it goes by the name of “ Me,†and a most useful
_institution it is. Polynesian Christians are wonderfully generous.
Each one gives—husbands, wives, children, even down to the baby in
arms, who is often carried up to the-table holding a coin or some
article in its chubby little hand as its contribution to the collection.
If English Christians gave as generally and as liberally as the swarthy
sons and daughters of the Pacific Islands, there would be no lack of
funds in the missionary treasury,and by giving money they would
TEACHING AND TRAINING HEATHEN CONVERTS... 181
learn how also to give themselves to the work. In this respect also
they are quite out-distanced by many a little island, more than one per
thousand of whose population goes out into the Oceanic world as a
missionary to islanders still lying in darkness.
There was a time when it was necessary for missionaries to help
the natives to frame codes of laws and advise them in political as well
C.U, MONTAGUE
CHAPEL AT MARE BUILT BY THE REV. JOHN JONES,
as religious questions, but that day is now past. Official representatives
of European Governments were then rarely seen. In 1897 the visit of
the Conway the first British man-of-war that had been seen in Samoa,
created quite a sensation. But visits of the kind are a common occur-
rence now. Consuls also and residents abound, and to them naturally
and rightly political matters are left’; but it was not always so, and by
the force of circumstances those who would gladly have kept themselves
82 © THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
to strictly religious teaching, of necessity became the guides of the
chiefs as they sought to bring their rule into harmony with Christian
principle and practice. Medical work also engaged and still engages
the attention of not a.few. This is unavoidable in lonely islands.
Either the missionary or his wife, whichever has the greater fitness for
it, is bound to listen to the appeal for help from suffering islanders,
and to the best of his or her skill to minister to their needs. They
must also doctor one another and attend to the ailments of their child-
ren. One room in a South Sea mission house, therefore, is sure to
look something like a small druggist’s shop, with a row of bottles
and jars, “ pills and potions,’ remedies for the various ‘ills that flesh
“is heir to.â€
By these and similar methods, one generation of labourers after
another has been seeking to establish South Sea Island Christianity
upon a safe and solid foundation.
CHAPTER X.
JOINING HANDS TO SAVE NEW GUINEA.
“ To turn them from darkness to light.â€
O the north of Australia, and brooding over it like
some huge bird, lies the island of New Guinea. It is
the largest island in the world, unless we include
Australia itself among the islands. But to do that
would be to rob that great country of her dig-
nity. Though an island in reality, Australia
now ranks among the continents, and to her
northern neighbour graciously . yields the
leading place as an island of the sea. New
Guinea was discovered and named by Portu-
guese and Spanish sailors nearly four
hundred years ago. The natives of other
islands called it Tanna Papua, or the land
of the woolly-haired people, but its European
\ visitors, thinking they saw some resemblance
to the Guinea coast of West Africa, sought: to indicate this by calling
it Neuva (New) Guinea. For many years the Dutch have had trading
stations on its north-west. coast. Dutch missionaries have also done
a little for. the natives on that side of the island, but to all intents and
purposes Papua and its people were unknown to Europe until the year
1871, when the London Missionary Society decided to commence work
upon its south-eastern shores. . Since then our knowledge of it has in-
creased, and we have learned that it contains lofty snow peaks 17,000
feet high, noble rivers, immense forests, and dense tropical vegetation,
and that its inhabitants belong to different races, speaking .a- great
183
| } by Covirea,
184 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
variety of dialects and distinct languages. The savage character of the
natives was found out by their earliest visitors, and toa large extent
remains unchanged to day. Indeed, although we are adding to our
knowledge of New Guinea and the New Guineans day by day, we
must even now confess that most of it is still unknown. The Western
half of the island belongs to the Dutch, and ten years ago an
arrangement was made by Germany and Great Britain, by which the
south-eastern portion came under the control of the latter power, the
north-eastern under that of the former. For:the purposes of this
volume we shall have to content.ourselves with the.British side of New
Guinea. ;
As far back as 1837, when John Williams was planning the evange-
lisation of the entire Pacific Ocean, he thought of this great island as
the goal to which his efforts should be directed. That fact helps us to
understand the wide sweep of his mind, for thirty-five years went past
before it was possible to carry out his scheme. But at length the day
came when the attempt must be made. As already stated, that was in
the year 1871, five or six years before the British Government turned its
‘attention to New Guinea. A new method of working was determined
on. Readers of this “ Story†will easily remember that one method
adopted was first of all to send European missionaries, and then
for native converts gradually to become.their helpers in the work.
Another method, and one the most often tried, was to station pioneer
native missionaries who led the way, but were followed in a few years
by European missionaries. _New Guinea seemed to require special
treatment. Its size gave the promise.of a long line of stations, at
each of which a teacher might be placed, while the number of posts to
be occupied, their distance from one another, the wild and barbarous
character of the people, the difficulty of finding food supply, and
similar considerations, all showed that the work must be a joint work,
White and coloured missionaries must undertake it together: a few
carefully chosen English missionaries to guide, to care for, and to
encourage their native brethren and sisters, and with them as many
of these native workers under their superintendence as they ‘could
JOINING HANDS TO.SAVE NEW GUINEA 185
possibly find suitable stations for. Not only so, but all the Christianized
islands, from Tahiti on the east to the Loyalty group on the west, were
to share in the arduous yet glorious task of trying to win this strong-
hold of heathenism for the Lord. That was the special method and
plan agreed upon for attacking and conquering New Guinea.
TORRES STRAIT MORESBY
Murray Is,
145,
Huon Gulf
A Redscar Gh,
Boigu? SSaibails.P A P U Bay
is, Darnley Is.
OMurray Is,
Dawan |
10 auan Is.
“TORRES STRAIT 99
OThursday SOUTH EAST.
ora" NEW GUINEA
South
Thus it was that. twenty-three years ago a schooner named ‘the
Surprise was found coasting along its southern shores. On board were
the Revs. A. W. Murray and-S. McFarlane, and eight native teachers
from Lifu and the other Loyalty Islands. Ass the vessel passed along
they were examining with anxious eyes the islands, bays, and creeks,
186 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
and wondering where a beginning should be made. The proposal to start
the new mission had been received with great enthusiasm all through
the islands. -Lifu, which led.the way, was full of eager zeal. The
band of missionaries was sent forth with many benedictions. Earnest
prayers were offered on their behalf and stirring parting words
were spoken in their hearing. One popular and powerful speaker,
using an illustration from whale-fishing, which many of the Lifuans
take part in year by year, exhorted them in the following graphic
manner : “ New Guinea is the whale. It is sighted. We are going to
chase it. You are the first boat, remember. Take care and make
fast†(that is drive the harpoon well into the whale so that it will
remain fixed and firm) ; ‘‘and we will follow and help to tow in. The
consequences of any mismanagement on your part may be very
serious. You may only wound and irritate the whale, and drive it
away.†Only by living as true Christians, he urged, would this “ first
’ boatâ€â€™ be able to ‘‘make fast.†Looking back upon those days, one sees
that they did indeed ‘ make fast,’ and reflecting upon the noble spirit
manifested not only by them, the forerunners, but by their successors
after them, one’s heart rejoices greatly. The first station occupied was
Darnley Island, in the Papuan Gulf, and Mr. Murray tells us that,
speaking of another island, the Darnley natives tried to alarm the
teachers and prevent them from going there. ‘ There are alligators
there, and snakes, and centipedes â€â€ “ Told,†said one of the Lifuans,
whose name was Tepesd; “are there men there?†“Oh, yes,†was
the reply, ‘‘there are men; but they are such dreadful savages that
it is no use your thinking of living among them.†“That will do,â€
responded Tepes; ‘‘ wherever there are men, missionaries are bound to
go.†A truly Christian answer, worthy of a disciple of’ Him who
commands His followers to “ go into all the world and preach the Gospel
to every creature.†.Tepesé was a strong, healthy, young fellow when
he thus spoke, but his work soon ended, and he was the first of the
party—yes, and the first of a long roll—to succumb to the fever which
has proved so-fatal to the Polynesians.
On that first voyage, besides Darnley Island. two other islands—
DUGONGS, A SMALL KIND OF WHALE,
188 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
Tauan or Dauan and Saibai—were occupied, but by the Lifuans only,
no English missionary being then able to remain. Next year Mr.
Murray returned in the missionary ship John Williams, having with
him thirteen more native teachers. He himself settled at Cape York,
at the extreme north of Queensland, and from that point for the next
two years superintended their efforts. Early in 1874 he was joined by
the Revs. S. McFarlane and W. G. Lawes, who had been appointed to
take permanent charge of the new mission, Mr. Mc Farlane on the
western side, Mr. Lawes on the eastern. At the same time, through
the generosity of Miss Baxter, of Dundee, a small steamer, the Ellen-
gowan, was placed at their service. Three years later the Rev. James
Chalmers, a host in himself, was added to the staff; and with such a
trio of tried men as McFarlane, Lawes, and Chalmers, each of whom
had shown marked ability and influence in dealing with natives, the
first on Lifu, the second on Niué, the third on Rarotonga, the new
mission had a group of leaders. second to none anywhere. Moving
from Cape York to Murray Island, Mr. McFarlane made that island
his head-quarters for superintending the western branch of the work.
He relied chiefly upon an institution and an industrial school, hoping to
touch the mainland through the young people trained in these. Mr. and
Mrs. Lawes were the first white missionaries to settle on New Guinea
itself.. Port Moresby was their station, and in a frame house put to-
gether by the united crews of the John Williams and Ellengowan,
and on that ground christened ‘‘the house that Jack built,†they under-
went some remarkable experiences. The New Guineans greatly
admired the house and its many strange contents. To admire was
to covet ; to covet to steal. Theft became the order of the day. The:
clever rogues hooked things out of the windows, and by other ingenious
devices sought to possess themselves of everything that pleased their
fancy. How different is the Port Moresby of to-day from the Port
Moresby of 1874, when Mr. and Mrs. Lawes landed! The curious
native huts raised on piles on the shore and at high tide surrounded
by the sea, the picturesque little island of Elevara, with houses of
the same build, the native canoes passing to and fro between the shore
JOINING HANDS TO SAVE NEW GUINEA 189
and this island—these are still there. But added to them the visitor
now sees substantial houses belonging to the mission, imposing
government buildings, the stores of different traders, first-class whale
boats and gigs; while lying at anchor a British gun-boat, the
governor’s steam yacht, or perhaps the mission barque John Williams,
furnishes a further proof of change and progress.
Mr. and Mrs. Chalmers went eastward to South Cape, where they
underwent terrible hardships. So severe were these that Mrs. Chal-
a
| See
bec at es ss ~
NEW GUINEA VILLAGE BUILT INTO THE SEA.
mers sank’ beneath them, and in 1879 was laid to rest. Joining Mr.
Lawes at Port Moresby, for many years Mr. Chalmers shared the
work with him, the one remaining at his station busily engaged in
translating the New Testament, preparing books, training teachers,
and looking after Port Moresby itself, while the other gave himself
chiefly to exploration and visitation of the tribes along the coast.
Under his native name of Tamate (the nearest approach they can
make to the pronunciation of Chalmers) he is better known along the
south-east coast of New Guinea than any living man, native or
190 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
foreigner. By his. happy, fearless spirit, his quick prompt ways, his
real love for men, however degraded, and by a subtle personal influence
which all who know him quickly feel, he has done wonders.
Until the year 1886 the welfare of New Guinea mainly depended upon
these men. Others joined them, but unable to bear the strain of the
climate or the work, had to retire. In 1886 Mr. McFarlane withdrew,
but Messrs. Lawes and Chalmers are still in harness, and reinforced
by the Rev. Albert Pearse, formerly of Borabora and Raiatea, and a
band of recruits from the old country, the mission is now well manned
with strong and earnest workers.
The natives of the great island belong to many races, some of them
resembling the aborigines of Australia, others the people of Western
Polynesia, and others again the Malayo-Polynesians of the eastern
side of the Pacific. Driven out of their course by the wind, or forced
by war or by hunger to flee, parties of islanders from all quarters of
the great Southern Ocean appear to have found a dwelling-place in
New Guinea. This increases the difficulty of teaching them, for
every district seems to have its own peculiar language, and to be un-
able to understand the speech of its near neighbours. Cut off from
others, always ready to attack the next district, or to defend itself
against attack, each little clan lived its own -wild, rough life. Fight- .
ing was, and in many parts still is, constant, and skull hunting a
favourite pastime. Every man had to be prepared at any moment to
rush to arms, to seize his club, his bow and arrows, his darts and
spears ; and at night, instead of peacefully resting in their own huts,
the able-bodied warriors used to huddle together.in large houses, dubus
(as some of the houses which had a semi-sacred. character were called),
and other convenient spots, so as to be able at the first alarm to hurry
out and repel the foe. The fear of treachery, or of being repaid by
enemies for his own misdeeds, robs the savage of his rest, and makes
him long for the morning light. At the same time, so great is his
temptation to attack those weaker than himself, or any who can be
caught napping, so keen, too, the appetite for human flesh among all
man-eating races, that nothing in heathenism itself can check the
SOUTH SEA ISLAND TEACHERS AND NATIVES OF NEW GUINEA
192 . THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
tendency to perpetual strife. Only missionaries, or others who come
into close contact with savages, who learn their language, gain their
confidence, and so obtain some insight into their thoughts and feelings,
can have any idea how wretched their lot is. Always on the watch,
always afraid, suspicious, and expecting evil; or constantly indulging
in cunning, devising mischief, planning murder and bloodshed—for the
savage there is no security, no rest of mind, no peace or quietness.
No wonder that when they find all this changed by the power of the
Gospel, they should burst forth into praise and thanksgiving at its
wonder-working power.
We have no room in this short chapter to describe the villages,
houses, Canoes, pottery, weapons, and native life of the New Guineans,
nor to trace the history of the different stations formed along its coast,
For these details the reader can turn to the books written by Mr.
Chalmers and Dr. McFarlane. There is, however, one thing we must
find space for, and that is to raise a memorial in honour of the noble
army of South Sea island missionaries and martyrs, who’have given
their lives for the salvation of its people. During the past twenty-
three years nearly three hundred. Christian teachers’ and. their wives
from the Society, the Hervey, the Samoan, and the Loyalty Islands,
or from noble little Niué, have: willingly, even eagerly, gone forth to
labour there. Some have been spared to work on for many years—con-
spicuous among them. Ruatoka, the greatly respected teacher of Port
Moresby, who has been at that station since its commencement; but
others have been obliged to leave broken in health, aged before their
time ; and, sadder still, no less thana hundred and twenty of them have
died of fever, or have been poisoned, or brutally killed. Well may a
missionary express his conviction that though perhaps lacking the
polish and. culture of Europeans, these faithful native teachers will
bear comparison with Christians anywhere for strong, sincere, and
whole-hearted devotion to Christ.
At times the hearts of some of them failed them for a moment.
Dr. McFarlane relates an incident that occurred in the earliest. days
of the mission. Standing near the door of a grass hut one morning
JOINING HANDS TO SAVE NEW GUINEA 193
where the teachers’ bundles and boxes had been landed, and all was
ready for him to leave them and start for the next spot at which
teachers were to be stationed, he heard one of the women crying ~
most piteously. She was the wife of a man named Gucheng, and
was to stay behind with her husband while the ship went on. “Oh,
my country!††she sobbed, “why did we leave our. happy home ?
Would that I were back in Lifu again! I told you I did not want
to come to New Guinea! These people will kill us when the mission
vessel leaves, or they will steal all we possess.’ To this her husband
‘ gently replied: “ We must remember for what we have come here.
Not to get pearl shell, or trepang, or any earthly riches; but to tell
these people about the true God and the loving Saviour Jesus Christ.
We must think of what He suffered for us. If they kill us, or steal
our goods, whatever we have to suffer, it will. be very little compared
with what He suffered for us.†Unknown to the speakers, the mis-
sionary overheard this conversation, which so touched his heart that
he had to move away to hide his emotion. After a few minutes he
entered their hut, and talked, and prayed, and wept with them, seek-
ing in this way to strengthen their hearts. Shortly after the moment
for parting came, and as Dr. McFarlane pulled off to the ship, and
saw the weeping little group upon the beach, surrounded by naked,
noisy savages, he could not help thinking how little the world knows
of its truest heroes. That happened when the work in New Guinea was
just beginning. But the same spirit is shown still. Only last year a
Samoan teacher named Toma, who reached Kwato, the station at the
eastern extremity of the island, two years ago, lost his wife. She had
been ill for a long time, but had borne her sickness bravely. Had she
been spared, she would have done good work for Christ; but He has
seen fit to call her home early in her day of service. Sad to say, too,
one of the new men, named Telini, who had only recently gone from
Samoa, died of sunstroke on December 27th, another lost his little
girl, and another a new-born infant. This made four deaths in as
many weeks. Mr. Walker, the missionary in charge, was absent at
the time, but on his return immediately sought out the teachers, and
°
194 THE STORY OF THE SOUTA SEAS
endeavoured to revive their drooping hearts. He was greatly struck
with the noble spirit they evinced. In conversation with Maanaima,
when he was trying to find from him how they all.felt in the face of
these terrible losses, Maanaima said to him in a quiet, unassuming
way: “We are not afraid to die for Christ. If it is His will that we
should live, it is good; if it is His will that we should die, that also is
good. We have come to New Guinea to do His work, and we give
ourselves to Him.â€
Change of food and climate have caused the death of some, but
most of the losses have been due to fever. The coast is low and
swampy, the vegetation dense, the heat tropical, and these things
always breed -fever. Still, not a few have fallen’ victims to the
cruelty, treachery, and greed.of the natives. In 1881 there was a
terrible massacre at a place called Kalo, a village at the head of Hood
Bay, near the mouth of the Kemp Welch river.. The peopte killed
their own teacher, his wife, and two children, also two other teachers,
the wife and three children of one of them, and two boys who were
with them—a party of twelve in all. It isa sad story, and for a time
filled the minds of the workers.with misgiving. As related in the
Chronicle of the Society, it seems that Taria, the Hula teacher, and
Matatuhi, a fine young Society Islander, who was teacher at an inland
station, left Port Moresby together to visit the Kalo teacher; Anedrea
by name, from whom they hoped to obtain some native medicine.
Reaching Hula the same evening, they heard a rumour that the Kalo
peop!e intended to murder their teacher and his family. This made
them hasten to Kalo the next day, but Anedrea would not credit the
rumour, and the chief, when questioned, declared that there was not
the slightest truth init. Two days afterwards, however, Taria, having
with him five Hula boys, went by boat to Kerepunu, intending to bring
the teachers and their families to Hula, on account of their ill-health.
He called.at Kalo on the way, and promised to look in again on his re-
turn journey. At Kerepunu he took on board Materua, the teacher, his
wife, twochildren, and a native youth. The party then rowed back to
Kalo. While waiting there the chief and pretended friend of the teacher
JOINING HANDS 10 SAVE NEW GUINEA 195
got into the boat fora chat. When Matatuhi and Anedrea, with his wife
and two children, came down the bank and stepped into the boat, the
TAURAKI,
chief stepped out. That act was the signal arranged with his followers,
who at once attacked the party. Four of the boys who were with
them jumped overboard, and swam across the river; but the mission
196 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
party were so cooped up in the boat, and the spears flew so thick and
fast, that escape was impossible. Taria resisted for a time, but a
fourth spear killed him. The others were easily despatched. A single
spear pierced both mother and babe in the case of the two women.
The only bodies recovered were those of the Kerepunu teacher’s wife
and her babe. The rest became a prey to the alligators that infest the
coast. Pasa
This massacre seems to have arisen from jealousy, the chief think-
ing that he and his people got fewer presents than some of the other
tribes. Asa second instancé, we cannot do better than tell the story
of Tauraki, who, with his wife and child, was killed in 1887.
Tauraki was a young Rarotongan. Mr. Chalmers knew him as a
little boy. Mrs. Chalmers trained him, and with her husband had the
joy of seeing the boy grow into an earnest Christian man and faithful
missionary. The son of a savage, this young Rarotongan was a
striking example of the power of the Gospel to uplift and ennoble. A
glance at his portrait, given on the previous page, will show what his
face was like. He was not content to remain in his small native island,
but longed to be of as much use in the world as possible ; and when his
old friends and teachers—Mr. and Mrs. Chalmers—went to New Guinea,
Tauraki set his heart upon going too. He joined the Eastern branch
of the mission. He was bright and intelligent, could read and speak
English well, and was full of energy and tact. Mr. Lawes says that
he was in’ many respects their best teacher, and that he had great
influence over the wild, rowdy natives; while Mr. Chalmers loved him
as if he had been his own child.
He was teacher at a place on the south-east coast, called Motu-
motu. Some of the Motumotuans had killed some Moviavians—that
is, people from a large inland village called Moviavi; and one day as
Tauraki, his wife, his child, and five Motumotuans were making
arrowroot on an island about half-way to Movlavi, a number of
Moviavians suddenly attacked them. They did not wish to kill
Tauraki. Indeed, they liked him, and would have spared him. They
only wanted to kill the Motumotuans; and they pressed the teacher
JOINING HANDS TO SAVE NEW GUINEA 197
to take his wife and child out of the canoe, and leavé the Motumotuans
to be slain in revenge. But he refused to do this. He felt that it
would be a mean and cowardly act, and’would not hear of it. The
enemy then began shooting arrows.
The wife, says Mr. Chalmers, wished to fire off a shot, but the
husband said: ‘No; you must not; you have not yet been wounded.â€
She was, however, soon wounded in the side, and so was the child.
She fired, frightened the natives near her, and got overboard with the
child, and in between the double canoe. (There is generally a space
left between canoes when lashed together.) Tauraki, standing up,
severely wounded, tore his shirt down the middle, a mark of distress
_ amongst savages, and then began firing his rifle to frighten them.
They were frightened, and sprang into the water, when those who
were hiding between the canoes got on board, and they then paddled
away. Five were dead—the three women and two of the men. The
child was dangerously wounded; so also were Tauraki and his wife.
Getting to one of the creeks, they were met by friends who had
come to look for them. ‘The water in the creek was salt, and terrible
was the thirst they had to endure. The poor child cried bitterly for
water, and all that could be done was to wet its mouth with salt
water. When they reached the landing-place at the village of Motu-
motu, the child died. The teacher and his wife were very weak from
loss of blood, and were taken to the -house of a white man, who had
been at Motumotu for some months, with his wife, an English
woman. There they were kindly treated, and it was hoped the teacher
would live, but on the Saturday he died. The woman lived and was
soon well. Tauraki died because he would not forsake the crew, and
it was of that Mr. Chalmers wrote: ‘“’Twas nobly done, and I am
proud of it. Such an act by one of us Britons, and the Empire would
echo and re-echo with it! Grand deed! and by a native whose father
and mother were savages in my life-time.â€â€™
The South Sea Island teachers can bravely die; they can show
equal courage in living simple Christian lives. What more striking
testimony could be borne than the following account of Ruatoka, of
198 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
Port Moresby, already mentioned? Of him Mr. Lawes, his daily co-
worker and friend, said, nine years ago, and would repeat with
yet greater emphasis to-day :—
‘One of these teachers at Port Moresby may be regarded as a very
fair specimen of these South Sea Island people.. He was taken to Port
Moresby by Mr. Murray a year before my own arrival, and he has
been there eleven years steadily working. He has an amazing in-
fluence over the people, and has proved himself not only the friend of
the natives, but of the white man also. About seven years ago there
RUATOKA AND HIS WIFE,
was an influx of diggers to Port Moresby, and some of them were
stricken with sickness. This native teacher attended to these diggers,
and watched over them most tenderly, and he carried one on his back
from the place in which he was stricken down, and took him to his
own home.
“About that time a German had a store at Port Moresby, and a
Scotchman was associated with him in the business. One Sunday,
the Scotchman was hammering away and working while the native
teacher was conducting service close by. The teacher got his Bible,
and opened it at the twentieth chapter of Exodus, and going to the
JOINING HANDS TO SAVE NEW GUINEA 199
Sabbath-breaker, put the Bible before him, and pointing to the fourth
commandment, said: ‘See that. The white face from the land of
Bibles looked up at the face of his dark visitor and saw he was not
to be trifled with; for this native teacher was not only a Christian,
but a very muscular Christian. Then the white man looked, and saw
the long-forgotten words: ‘Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it
holy.’ And the native said: ‘What for you make me liar? You send
me the Bible, and the Bible tells me not to work on Sunday. But you
come here and work all day. What for you make me liar?’ So the
white man has learned to fear, respect, and honour the native teacher
as much as the natives of the place do.â€
The connection between Christianized Polynesia and heathen New
Guinea is kept up by means of the missionary ship John Williams.
Four vessels have borne this name. The Camden, in which Mr. and Mrs.
Williams returned to the Pacific after their sojourn in England, proved
too small for her work; so in 1843, after five years’ useful service, she
was sold, and a barque that was almost ready for sea bought in her
place. The new ship was called the John Williams, was paid for by
money raised by Sunday School children, and for twenty years sailed
to and fro among the islahds. Crossing and re-crossing the South
Seas in all directions, and returning to the Thames four different times,
this missionary barque sailed in all nearly half a million milés. But in
1864 she was wrecked on Pukapuka or Danger Island. A newand yet
finer vessel was forthwith built to carry on her work, the children again
raising the money; but she soon came to grief, being wrecked off Niué.
on her first and only voyage. That was the second John Williams,
The third, which closely resembles her, was sent out in October, 1868,
and for more than a quarter of a century has continued her useful
mission. But she is no longer young ; and, now that the number of
out-stations to be visited is so great, and yet more, because of the
growing demands of the mission in New Guinea, she is about to retire
and make way for the steamer John Williams, which the young
readers of this book have had built and sent forth, and will have paid
for before the book is in their hands. For many years to come New
Guinea will need South Sea Island teachers, and this, together with
0°c3
THE BARQUE ‘‘JOHN WILLIAMS†LEAVING
SYDNEY ON HER LAST VOYAGE,
* JOINING HANDS TO SAVE NEW GUINEA 201
her rounds among the smaller islands, will keep the steamer con-
stantly on the move. Samoans, Mangaians, Rarotongans, Aitutakians,
Niuéans, who have broken down in health, or who need a change and
a year’s rest among their friends, will be taken home; others who
have been home, or new ones going to the great island for the first
time, will be carried to their work. Supplies of .all kinds also will be
conveyed to them and to the missionaries. By means of the steamer
the links of connection will be kept, and New Guinea and all who
labour for her.be the gainers.
Much yet remains to be done before that home of savage tribes is
Christian, but a good beginning has been made. Four central stations
and about a hundred out-stations have been opened. From these the
light is spreading. Many villages on the coast have given up their
idols and their most heathen customs, and are undergoing the same
change as that described in the earlier chapters of this ‘“ Story.â€
There are more than a thousand natives who have been baptized, and
some hundreds of children are, being taught in the schools. Still it is,
as yet, but the day of small things, and we may have to pray, work,
and give for a long time before we see the island rescued from its
barbarism and brought to God. Our hope isin Him. He has wrought
mighty changes in other islands; indeed, He has already done wonders
in New Guinea itself, and in past victories we see the pledge of the
greater and more signal triumph yet to come.
CHAPTER XI.
OTHER LABOURERS IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN.
“Each as the Lord gave to him.â€
HIS “Story of the South Seas’’ might easily be
enlarged. Not half of what might be told
has found its way into these pages. There
is room for a second volume, recounting the
adventures, the trials, the sufferings, and the
successes of other missionaries, who, follow-
ing-those of the London Missionary Society,
have been honoured to do a like work in
~, different parts of the Pacific. A few pages
â„¢ only can be given to such a record here,
4 yet this book would mislead, and would be
sadly incomplete, were it to close without
frank and grateful recognition of the
labours of other societies. The fruits of a
hundred years’ toil are more than enough
to convince any candid mind that the religion of Jesus Christ is suited
to the most degraded races and tribes; and as these fruits have grown
upon different trees, they further show that in no one way, and by no
single set of men, does God carry forward His gracious plans, but that
a Paul, an Apollos, and a Cephas, alike has his own special share, both
of duty and of reward. .
First, in order of time, came the mission to the Maoris of New Zea-
land. A Church of England chaplain, stationed at Paramatta, in the
infant colony of New South Wales, the “Rev. Samuel. Marsden by
name, became greatly interested in these brave, intelligent, but savage
? 202
MAORI WOMAN AND CHILD.
203
204 THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
people, and encouraged their chiefs to visit him. The Maoris belong
to the Malayo-Polynesian race. Mr. Marsden hoped that, by means
of a colony of emigrant artisans, he might tame and civilize the un-
couth and ferocious natives, and so prepare them to receive Christian
teaching; but in this he made a serious mistake, as he himself after-
wards found out. He was beginning at the wrong end. A Maori
sailor, to whom he was kind on board ship when returning from
England to Sydney, became the instrument in God’s hands for opening
the door to New Zealand. This man, whose name was Tuatara,
remained with Mr. Mazxsden for six months, and was so touched by
the chaplain’s goodness and gentleness that his heart was completely
won. On his return home he took such delight in repeating the
story of Mr. Marsden’s helpful friendliness that that clergyman’s
name was soon widely known as “ the friend of the Maoris.†Shortly
after, at the invitation of Tuatara and six chiefs, who came over to
visit him, the convict chaplain himself sailed to New Zealand. A
band of naked warriors, armed with clubs and spears, awaited him on
the beach, and with wild but genuine heartiness welcomed him. By
yells, war dances, the brandishing of clubs and spears, terrible con-
tortions of the face, and violent movements of the body, the savage
fellows 'tried to show him how glad they were to see him. Even
Tuatara was alarmed at their fierceness, and urged his friend: not to
land; but Marsden was as full of courage as of gentleness. Without.
fear he stepped on shore and placed himself at the mercy of the
barbarous throng. He spent a few days with them, one of which,
being Christmas Day, .was marked’ by a special gathering for
Christian worship. A large number of chiefs and warriors assembled.
They did not understand what it all meant, but Tuatara did his best
to explain. That was in 1814, and from that ‘time onwards for a
quarter of a century Samuel Marsden lovingly watched over“ his
beloved Maoris.†Seven different times did he visit them, and on
each occasion he either opened a new station, arranged tribal disputes,
compiled a grammar, or in some other way conferred fresh blessings
upon the people. In 1819, for the first time, an ordained missionary
OTHER LABOURERS IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN 205
went out from England to take up the work. Others joined him, and
fresh districts were from time to time occupied. For some years na
converts were made, though large congregations gathered. Thena
change took place, and the missionaries had the joy of seeing Maori
Christians walking in the way of the Lord. After a time New Zea-
land became a British colony, and with this came many changes,
among them the appointment of Bishop Selwyn to organize and guide
the native church. This bishop ranks second only to Marsden as a
Christian worker on behalf of New Zealand. A clergyman of noble
type, cultured, earnest, Christian to the very core, apostolic in zeal and
fervour, a man, too, of strong muscles and of fearless spirit, he was
well fitted for the task he was called to undertake. To that task he
gave himself without reserve. Maoris and Englishmen alike held him
in the highest esteem and affection. The Maoris are dying out, but
no less than 18,000 of them are in fellowship with the Church, and
some fifteen or sixteen Maori clergymen are at work as fellow-
- labourers with English clergymen. The Wesleyan Methodists also
have a mission among the Maoris, nearly all of whom are now under
Christian instruction.
One outcome of Bishop Selwyn’s work is what is generally known
as the Melanesian mission, a mission to the black oceanic races
found in the Northern New Hebrides and the Banks, Torres, Solomon,
and Santa Cruz groups of islands. Going first himself, he made
friends with the islanders, and induced a number of youths to go with
him to New Zealand. There he educated and trained them. Next he
secured a man of like spirit with himself to become the missionary-
bishop of these hitherto neglected islands. Bishop Patteson was the
man of his choice, and was a true hero of the cross, who laid down his
lifeasa martyr. He was killed in revenge for the slaughter of five
of their own number by the natives of Nukapu, one of a cluster of
small islands twenty miles north of Santa Cruz, which had recently
been visited by a labour vessel. Previous to his death, Bishop
Patteson had made Norfolk Island the headquarters of his work. A
steamer called the Southern Cross passes from island to island, and
206 THE STORY O# THE SOUTH SEAS
renders similar service to that rendered by the John Williams.
Patteson was succeeded by Bishop John Selwyn, a son of: the founder
of the mission, but he has recently had to retire on account of his
health. There are about 9,000 Melanesian Christians, and nearly 5,000
scholars are under the care of Christian teachers. *
On the northern side of the Pacific lies a cluster of islands called
Hawaii, or the Sandwich Islands. In 1820 a band of American’
, Congregationalists, sent out
by the American Board of
Commissioners for Foreign
Missions, a Society very
much the same in basis and
history as the London Mis-
sionary Society, began work
in these islands. At first
they received cool, not to say
hostile, treatment from the
king, who was under the in-
fluence of some godless white
settlers; but after a few,
years’ faithful labours, the
American missionaries began
to reap a rich harvest. They
reduced the language to writ-
Do ing, prepared lesson books, and
BISHOP PATTESON, gathered both children and
adults into schools. Among
the scholars was the king himself. On the conversion of the king,
a law was passed insisting on the strict observance of the Lord’s
Day. This naturally led to a large increase in places of worship
and the number of those attending them. The Bible was as quickly
as possible translated into the Hawaiian tongue. One striking feature
in mission work in the Sandwich Islands were the religious revivals
which from time to time occurred. From 1836 to 1838 one of these
OTHER LABOURERS IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN 207
brought in large accessions. Immense crowds of natives came to-
gether to hear the Word of God. Dr. Titus Coan was especially
blessed at that time. In.one year he baptized 5,000 converts, and
1,700 of them ina single day! Altogether this warm-hearted mis-
sionary baptized no less than 13,000 people. Books were written,
native ministers trained, useful agencies of all kinds started. Indeed,
in no part of the world has a more thorough-going. work been done
than in the Sandwich Islands. The entire life of the natives has been -
changed, and these islands are both civilized and Christianized,
Happily, too, they have thus far retained their independence.
From Hawaii the light has spread to some of the Gilbert Islands,
on others of which same group Samoan teachers are stationed. In
1857 the Rev. Hiram Bingham, son of one of the Hawaiian mission-
aries, settled among the Gilbert Islanders and reduced their language
to writing. For thirty-four years this devoted missionary and his no
less devoted. wife gave time and strength to the translation first of the
New and then of the Old Testament. Together, we are told, they went
over “every letter, every word, every point, in writing, transcribing,
proof-reading, and it was a joyous occasion on April 11th, 1893, to
add the finishing touch to their labours. It is not often that one man
has done all in translating the Scriptures; but in Mr. Bingham’s case
it has been accomplished.â€
In many respects the Wesleyan Mission in Tonga .and Fiji is the
most wonderful of all. These islands were the home of savage can-
nibalism, and of everything bad in South Sea island heathenism.
We referred in a former chapter to the friendly arrangement entered
into by John Williams and the Wesleyan brethren. At the risk of
their lives Messrs. Cargill and Cross settled in Fiji. To quote a
summary written by the late Dr. Steel, they “had a painful struggle
amid a people with such reckless disregard for human life and its
tenderest ties, and with an appetite for human flesh never excelled
even among the Maoris. The Gospel at length gained influence,
natives were converted, and women were saved from strangling on
the death of their husbands. In 1857 Thakombau, the great cannibal
208 : THE STORY .OF THE SOUTH SEAS
chief and conqueror, was baptized before a congregation, many of
whcse wives he had dishonoured, widows whose husbands he had
eaten, women whose brothers he had murdered. He learned to read,
he learned to rule, he protected the missionaries, he aided the advanc-
ing cause of Christianity, and when white settlers were pressing into
the islands, he voluntarily offered them, with full consent of all the
chiefs, to the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland. The Scriptures
were translated partially at first in fifteen dialects, and finally in one,
now known and read by all Fijians. Mr. Calvert, who went to Fiji
in 1838, three years after the mission began, lived to see a glorious
result in the jubilee of the Fijian Church in 1885. The Rev. John |
Watsford, his colleague, still alive in a green old age of faith and
holiness, witnessed alike the horrors of heathenism, the strangling of
widows, and the marvellous triumph of the Gospel of Christ ‘in Fiji.
In 1835 there was no Christian native there, and in 1885 there was
not an avowed heathen Fijian in eighty inhabited islands. There are
only 10 white missionaries, but there are 65 native ordained ministers,
41 catechists, 1,016 head teachers and preachers, 1,889 local preachers;
28,147 accredited communicants, and 4,112 on trial, 3,206 class leaders,
1,824 schools, with 40,000 pupils, and 106,000 people attending public
worship. There is a college at Navuloa with roo students in the
higher departments of education. Governors, naval officers, travellers, a
and colonists, have all testified to the thorough work of transforma- >
tion wrought ‘by means of the Wesleyan Methodist mission. Miss
Gordon Cumming, after two years in Fiji, says: ‘‘ You may pass from
isle to isle, certain everywhere to find the same cordial reception by
kindly men and women. Every village in the aghty inhabited islands
has built for itself a tidy church, and a good house for its teacher or
native minister, for whom the village also provides food and clothing.
‘Can you realize,’ she asks, ‘that there are 900’ (she might have said
1,100) ‘ Wesleyan churches in Fiji, at every one of which the frequent
services are crowded by devout congregations; that the schools are
well attended; that the first sound which greets your ear at dawn
and the last at night is that of hymn-singing, and the most fervent
OTHER LABOURERS IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN 209
worship rising from each dwelling at the hour of family prayer?’
Well may we exclaim, ‘What hath God wrought!’ TheScriptures in
Fijian have been largely circulated—io,ooo of the whole Bible and
50,000 of the New Testament. The FPilgrim’s Progress, Christian
theology, catechisms, and hymns have been printed for the people
TTT.
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KING THAKOMBAU.
Many have been the triumphs of the Wesleyan Methodist missions, but
Fiji is the gem of their crown. The sphere of missions has been ex-
tended thence to New Britain and New Guinea. To the former the
Rev. George Brown,:now D.D., led a band of self-denying native
teachers among desperate cannibals. The wife of one of these
teachers, when warned of the perils, said: ‘The outrigger must go
with the canoe; I go with my husband!’ In the face of difficulties,
P
210 "THE STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS
bloodshed and trials, the missionaries persevered, and now there are
in New Britain 3 European missionaries, 2 native ministers, 45 local
preachers, 900 communicants, 1,300 Sabbath scholars, and 6,000 people
worshipping in 41 churches they have built. In New Guinea, more
recently commenced, there are 4 ordained missionaries, 1 lay and 1
lady missionary, 26 teachers, 44 communicants, 8 schools, 240 scholars,
and 5,790 attendants at public worship in 8 churches.â€
The earliest attempts to take the Gospel to the New Hebrides have
been described at great length in these pages, and also the agreement
entered into with the Presbyterians. Native teachers in the first
instance, and afterwards European missionaries, had to bear great
privations, and in many instances to lose their lives, in gaining an
entrance among these treacherous and cruel islanders. “Where could
one find a more pathetic inscription than the following, which is to
be seen on a wooden tablet. in the native church at Dillon’s Bay,
Eromanga?
Sacred to the memory
of Christian Missionaries, who died on this Island.
Joun WIL.iams,
James Harris,
Killed at Dillon’s Bay by the natives,
30 November, 1839.
Grorce N. Gorpon,
ELLen C. Gorpon,
- Txilled on 20 May, 1861.
James McNair,
Who died at Dillon's Bay 16 July, 1870; and
James D..Gorpon,
Killed at Portmia Bay, 7 March, 1872.
The death of his brother George served only as a call to James
Gordon to take his place, and, as the sequel proved, to meet the same
fate. But in spite of all opposition and difficulty, amid many perils
and hardships, John Geddie held on bravely on the island of Aneityum
for twenty-four years, and his colleague, John Inglis, for twenty-five
OTHER LABOURERS IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN 211
years, and through the blessing of God won the entire island for
Christ. John G. Paton, and others, joined in the work, and now in
thirty islands of the group there are stations, and twelve of the islands
are Christian.
Thus “the little one†becomes “a thousand, and the small one a
strong nationâ€; thus “mightily grows the word of the Lord and
prevails.†Savagism, cannibalism, barbarism, are not yet at an end;
the Pacific is not yet wholly Christian. But the promises of God and
the history of the past hundred years alike assure us that the day
will surely come when this shall verily come to pass, and the isles with
their dusky inhabitants all be gathered into the Kingdom of Christ.
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ARNOLD Foster, B.A., of Hankow. 4¢.; or 3s. per 100.
The Lament of a Missionary Box. Single page 4to. 1s. per roo. Grants
for gratuitous circulation in Sunday Schools are made. .
All about Ships. By Rev. Grorcr Cousins. Illustrated 8 pp. 4to pamphlet.
For gratuitous circulation.
Extending the Lines. 8 pp. 16mo booklet. Being Hints on Forming
Missionary Bands in our Churches. ;
Four-page Leaflet. Giving the Objects of Young Men’s Missionary Bands,
also outside work being carried on, etc. ~ / ;
Forward! An Appeal to the Women of our Churches. 16 pp. 16mo. For
’ gratuitous circulation.
Wanted, a Doctor! Women’s Work Leaflet, No. I. For gratuitous circulation.
Heathenism, as it is. . †go NOs LL, i i
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CENTENARY PAMPHLETS.
Centenary Wall Almanae, 34 in. x27 in. 1d.; or 6s. per 100.
A Grave Crisis and How to Meet It. 4 pp. 8vo. For gratuitous circulation.
Centenary Celebration. Donation and Subscription Promissory Form.
The Occasion, and its Celebration. 8 pp. 8vo, also 4 pp. 4to. 3a. per
doz. ; or Is. 6d.. per 100.
The Work Left Undone.. Centenary Leaflet, No. I., 2 pp. 8vo. 8d. per 100.
Tahitians and the Scriptures. Centenary Leaflet, No. II., 2 pp. -8vo.
8d..per 100.
Hinduism, and the Brotherhood of Man. Centenary Leaflet, No. IL,
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No Saviour from Sin. In Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Centen-
ary Leaflet, No. IV., 2 pp. 8vo. 8d. per 100. :
SUNBDAY SCHOOL LEAFLETS.
No. 1. India and its Gods. No. 2. Hindu Boys. No. 3. Hindu Girls.
No. 4. Africa. No. 5. Chinese Children. No.6. China and the Gospel.
MIS@ELLANEOUS.
“JOHN WILLIAMS†Hat Bands—
Cream colour, blue lettering ; Navy Blue, gold lettering ; Black, gold lettering—ts. each.
WATCHERS’ BAND PUBLICATIONS.
. Hints for the Formation of Branches, and Instructions to Local
Seeretaries.
. Form of Application for Membership, with full particulars of
the Organization.
. Membership Card.
. Manual and Atlas, with Name and Description of ‘every Station.
. List of Missionaries and their Stations.
Watehword Card for the Year.
. Circular Letter for the Use of Branch Secretaries.
. Large Description Cards for Church Lobbies, Schoolrooms, ete.
. W. B. Leaflets. No. 1. “The Spirit of Prayer for Foreign Missions,†by
_ Rev. J. F. T. HALLowEs, M.A. 2d. per doz. ;-15. per 100,
. Annual Report for the Year 1893-94. 4 pp. 8vo. .
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