me to keep a handkerchief to my mouth. Many times did I think of Kalee, and was anxious to know what had become of her. Ootacamund now rose to our view, with its well-built English-looking houses, scattered about on the sides and summits of those lovely hills, commanding extensive and delightful prospects. In a beautiful valley, in the centre of these, is a lake of water about seven miles in circumference; around it is a good road, which forms one of the most enchanting rides in even this romantic region. The distance between the houses is often considerable; and no small toil is necessary to climb the hills on which they are placed. You follow the path, but frequently see nothing of the house, till you pounce, as it were, upon some mountain-nest." There are many pathways cut out of the sides of the hills, forming the most charming walks, and all around are beautiful woods. But it is not safe to walk in them alone on account of the wild buffaloes. But where, all this while, was Kalee? (To be continued.) THE NEW HEBRIDES. VI. CLOUDS AND SUNSHINE. 66 Lasalo and Daniela were stationed at the Isle of Pines. But not many months had passed, before some Europeans went to the island to get sandal wood. They were not Christians; they were unjust and wicked men. The natives were so angry with them, that they resolved that they would have nothing more to do with foreigners, and that they would murder the first ship's crew that came. A little while after, the brig Star, cammanded by Captain Ebrill, a kind-hearted man, who, himself was married to the daughter of one of the missionaries at Tahiti, visited the Isle of Pines. He knew nothing of the cruel determination that had been made by the inhabitants. He and a great part of the crew, who had, up to that time, been very friendly with them, went on shore, and began to fell the trees for the sandal wood. One of the chiefs gave a signal-the people rushed upon them-snatched their axes out of their hands, and murdered them with their own weapons. And then they cooked their dead bodies, and ate them! There were some Samoan teachers on the island-but whether Lasalo and Daniela were there, or whether they had been sent away before, I cannot exactly make out; certain it is, however, that all the teachers who were then on the island, were put to death too. But we will turn to something brighter. On July 1, 1842, the Camden paid another visit to Tanna, to leave English missionaries on the island. On its way it passed Erromanga, close beside Dillon's Bay. Who that loves Jesus will pass Erromanga, without looking out for Dillon's Bay? There was a crowd of natives standing on the very spot where Mr. Williams fell, and the missionaries lowered the boat, and made for the shore, meaning, if any came off to them, to be very kind to them, in order to show that they had forgiven them; but none came. When they saw the boat, they ran away, and the missionaries turned back. They made for Tanna, and soon reached it. The native teachers came and told them that they had been kindly treated; the people had helped them to build a house, and had often brought them food: but they were great thieves, none of them had yet given up their heathen customs, and the chief reason of their kindness seemed to be, because they hoped they should get something by it. The next day, Mr. Heath and Captain Morgan, and the other missionaries, had a meeting with the chiefs. They said to them, "Do you wish to have English missionaries with you?" The chiefs said, "Yes." "Will you treat them and their wives with respect?" They said, "Yes." "Will you give them a piece of land to build a house upon?" They said, "Yes." In Tanna, a The next day was Sunday. Five of the missionaries went on shore at nine in the morning, and had a meeting with the natives in the open air, under the shade of a large tree. About two hundred were there. They were very attentive. Most of the men were armed with clubs, and bows and arrows. man when he goes out, takes up his club as naturally as in England he takes up his hat. It was a happy day, that Sabbath at Tanna. At half-past ten, the Bethel flag was hoisted in the Camden, to show that it was turned into a chapel; and the captains and some of the sailors came from other ships that happened to be there at the time, and the missionaries held a solemn service. In the afternoon, the friends of Jesus broke bread together in remembrance of his dying love. In the course of a few days, Mr. Nisbet and Mr. Turner were left on the island, and their brethren sailed away. They went next to Niua, and there found that matters were much in the same state as at Tanna. Many of the natives attended worship on the Sabbath, but none had become Christians. Yet the teachers had done good. Six times they had prevented war; for the natives of the South Seas are ready to go to war about anything. Once, too, the teachers prevented a whole boat's crew from being massacred. A faithful Christian must do good, wherever he is. Next, the Camden visited Eranan, an island close by, where teachers had been left a little while before. It was very difficult to get at this island, the wind blew so hard. The Camden would have visited it oftener, if it were not that it was often impossible to get at it because of the high wind. But they succeeded this time; and what good news they heard! Twelve woinen and five men had really thrown away their idols, and embraced Christianity. These were the first-fruits of the New Hebrides. The good missionaries sang for joy, and they cried, "Lord, let the little one become a thousand!" The next day they anchored at Ekeamu. You remember how gladly the natives of Ekeamu had welcomed the teachers with the waving of green boughs and shouts of joy. You had a picture of their landing. Here they found that three natives had become Christians. Some of the natives had been very cold and unfriendly to the teachers, and said that they knew very well that they were only sailors, who had been thrust out of their ship for behaving badly, and who were glad to take refuge on the island. But when they saw the Camden come again, and that Mr. Heath and Captain Morgan seemed delighted to meet the teachers, they altered their opinion, and said, "Now we will attend to their instructions." It was time that they should, for they were very wicked and barbarous. One of the customs of the island was, that when a man died, his wives were all to be strangled and buried with him. To bury at Ekeamu means, to throw into the sea. They never bury in any other way. The sea is their grave-yard. Only a few days before the Camden came, a man had died, and left a wife. Who do you think tried to strangle her? Her own brother. was his office to do it. He prepared a cord, and had already seized her, in spite of her struggles and cries; when Davida, one of the native teachers, ran to them, and rescued the poor woman. It Do you want to know how Mr. Turner and Mr. Nisbet were going on at Tanna? Well, I will just tell you, that they were rather discouraged. A war broke out; and although they were quite safe, as no one was quarrelling with them, yet the war prevented the people from coming to them to be taught. It was But they found a greater stop to their work than war. the power of the priests, or "sacred men," as they were called. These priests saw that they should lose their gains, if the people became Christians; so they resolved to do every thing they could against the missionaries. Still the missionaries went on, trusting in God, and hoping for better times. THE BOY AND THE FLOWERS. Radiant with his spirit's light, Was the little beauteous child; Sporting round a fountain bright- "I would watch you all the night, Nor in darkness be afraid; Only once to see aright How a beauteous flower is made. "Now remember, I shall come In the morning from my bed: To his buds he hastened out At the dewy morning hour; Crying, with a joyous shout, "God has made of each a flower!" Precious must the ready faith In the sight of Him, who saith, Answered by the smile of heaven, From the American Christian Keepsake. |