THE VISIT OF THE COMMODORE.
AT that time, though my life was daily attempted, a dear lad, named
Katasian, was coming six miles regularly to the Worship and to receive
frequent instruction. One day, when engaged in teaching him, I caught a
man stealing the blind from my window. On trying to prevent him, he
aimed his great club at me, but I seized the heavy end of it with both
my hands as it swung past my head, and held on with all my might. What a
prayer went up from me to God at that dread moment! The man, astonished
and abashed at my kind words and appeal, slunk away and left me in
peace. God never took away from me the consciousness that it was still
right for me to be kind and forgiving, and to hope that I might lead
them to love and imitate Jesus.
For some time, Nouka and his wife and daughter--a handsome girl, his
only child--and Miaki's principal wife and her two sons, and nine Chiefs
attended Worship regularly at the Mission House, on Sabbaths and on the
afternoon of every Wednesday. In ail, about sixty persons somewhat
regularly waited on our ministrations at this time; and amidst all
perils I was encouraged, and my heart was full of hope. Yet one evening
when feeling more consoled and hopeful than ever before, a musket was
discharged at my very door, and I was constrained to realize that we
were in the midst of death. Father, our times are in Thy hand!
In my Mission School, I offered as a prize a red shirt for the first
Chief who knew the whole Alphabet without a mistake. It was won by an
Inikahi Chief, who was once a terror to the whole community. Afterwards,
when trying to teach the A B C to others, he proceeded in something like
this graphic style: "A is a man's legs with the body cut off; B is like
two eyes; C is a three-quarters moon; D is like one eye; E is a man with
one club under his feet and another over his head; F is a man with a
large club and a smaller one," etc., etc.; L was like a man's foot; Q
was the talk of the dove, etc. Then he would say, "Remember these
things; you will soon get hold of the letters and be able to read. I
have taught my little child, who can scarcely walk, the names of them
all. They are not hard to hold, but soft and easy. You will soon learn
to read the book, if you try it with all your heart!"
But Miaki was still our evil genius, and every incident seemed to be
used by him for one settled purpose of hate. A Kaserumini Chief, for
instance, and seven men took away a young girl in a canoe to Aniwa, to
be sold to friends there for tobacco leaf, which the Aniwans cultivated
extensively. They also prepared to take revenge there for a child's
death, killed in their belief by the sorcery of an Aniwan. When within
sight of the shore, the canoes were upset and all were said to have been
devoured by sharks, excepting only one canoe out of six. This one
returned to Tanna and reported that there were two white Traders living
on Aniwa, that they had plenty of ammunition and tobacco, but that they
would not come to Tanna as long as a Missionary lived there. Under this
fresh incitement, a party of Miaki's men came to my house, praising the
Erromangans for the murder of their Missionaries and threatening me.
Even the friendly Nowar said, "Miaki will make a great wind and sink any
Man-of-war that comes here. We will take the Man-of-war and kill all
that are on board. If you and Abraham do not leave us we will kill you
both, for we must have the Traders and the powder."
Just as they were assuming a threatening attitude, other Natives came
running with the cry, "Missi, the _John Knox_ is coming into the Harbor,
and two great ships of fire, Men-of war, behind her, coming very fast!"
I retorted upon Nowar and the hostile company, "Now is your time! Make
all possible haste! Let Miaki raise his great wind now; get all your men
ready; I will tell them that you mean to fight, and you will find them
always ready!"
Miaki's men fled away in unconcealed terror; but Nowar came to me and
said "Missi, I know that my talk is all lies, but if I speak the truth,
they will kill me!"
I answered, "Trust in Jehovah, the same God who sent these vessels now,
to protect us from being murdered." But Nowar always wavered.
And now from all parts of the island those who were most friendly
flocked to us. They were clamorous to have Miaki and some others of our
enemies punished by the Man-of-war in presence of the Natives; and then
they would be strong to speak in our defense and to lead the Tannese to
worship Jehovah.
Commodore Seymour, Captain Hume, and Dr. Geddie came on shore. After
inquiring into everything, the Commodore urged me to leave at once, and
very kindly offered to remove me to Aneityum, or Auckland, or any place
of safety that I preferred. Again, however, I hesitated to leave my dear
benighted Tannese, knowing that both Stations would be instantly broken
up, that all the influence gained would be thrown away, that the Church
would lose all that had been expended, and above all, that those
friendly to us would be left to persecution and destruction. For a long
time I had seldom taken off my clothes at night, needing to be
constantly on the alert to start at a moment's notice; yet, while hope
burned within my soul I could not withdraw, so I resolved to risk all
with my dear Lord Jesus, and remained at my post. At my request,
however, they met and talked with all the leaders who could be assembled
at the Mission House. The Natives declared frankly that they liked me,
but did not like the Worship. The Commodore reminded them that they had
invited me to land among them, and had pledged their word more than once
to protect me; he argued with them that as they had no fault to find
with me, but only with the Worship, which could do them only good, they
must bind themselves to protect my life. Miaki and others promised, and
gave him their hand to do so. Lathella, an Aneityumese Chief, who was
with Dr. Geddie, interpreted for him and them, Dr. Geddie explaining
fully to Lathella in Aneityumese what the Commodore said in English, and
Lathella explaining all to the Tannese in their own tongue.
At last old Mouka spoke out for all and said, "Captain Paddan and all
the Traders tell us that the Worship causes all our sickness and death.
They will not trade with us, nor sell us tobacco, pipes, powder, balls,
caps, and muskets, till we kill our Missi like the Erromangans, but
after that they will send a Trader to live among us and give us plenty
of all these things. We love Missi. But when the Traders tell us that
the Worship makes us sick, and when they bribe us with tobacco and
powder to kill him or drive him away, some believe them and our hearts
do bad conduct to Missi. Let Missi remain here, and we will try to do
good conduct to Missi; but you must tell Queen 'Toria of her people's
bad treatment of us, and that she must prevent her Traders from killing
us with their measles, and from telling us lies to make us do bad
conduct to Missi! If they come to us and talk as before, our hearts are
very dark and may again lead us to bad conduct to Missi."
After this little parley, the Commodore invited us all on board, along
with the Chiefs. They saw about three hundred brave marines ranked up on
deck, and heard a great cannon discharged. For all such efforts to
impress them and open their eyes, I felt profoundly grateful; but too
clearly I knew and saw that only the grace of God could lastingly change
them! They were soon back to their old arguments, and were heard saying
to one another, "If no punishment is inflicted on the Erromangans for
murdering the Missi there, we fear the bad conduct of the Tannese will
continue."
No punishment was inflicted at Erromanga, and the Tannese were soon as
bold and wicked as ever. For instance, while the Man-of-war lay in the
Harbor, Nowar kept himself closely concealed; but no sooner had she
sailed than the cowardly fellow came out, laughing at the others, and
protesting that he was under no promise and was free to act as he
pleased! Yet in the hour of danger he generally proved to be our friend;
such was his vacillating character. Nor was Miaki very seriously
impressed. Mr. Mathieson shortly thereafter sent his boat round to me,
being again short of European food. On his crew leaving her to deliver
their message to me, some of Miaki's men at once jumped into the boat
and started off round the island in search of kava. I went to Miaki, to
ask that the boat might be brought back soon, but on seeing me he ran
for his club and aimed to strike me. I managed to seize it, and to hold
on, pleading with God and talking with Miaki, till by interference of
some friendly Natives his wrath was assuaged a little. Returning home, I
sent food overland to keep the Mathiesons going till the boat returned,
which she did in about eight days. Thus light and shadow pursued each
other, the light brightening for a moment, but upon the whole the
shadows deepening.