_LETTERS FROM ANIWA._
Editorial Preface.—_Letter for 1867._—Not Tanna but Aniwa.—“Missi
Paton _versus_ Teapots.”—The Humour of Taia.—Evening
Village-Prayers.—“Make him _Bokis_ Sing.”—My Sewing Class.—“That
no Gammon.”—“Talk Biritania.”—The Marriage of Kahi.... _Letter
for 1869._—First Communicants on Aniwa.—Mungaw and the Mission
Boys.—The Blessing of the _Dayspring_.... _Letter for 1874._—Home
to Aniwa.—“Taking Possession.”—“Another Soul Committed to our
Care.”—Hutshi and her Lover.—Six Missionaries on Aniwa....
_Letter for 1875._—Missi Paton and “Joseph” and the Tannese.—A
Tropical Hurricane.—The Disgrace and Sale of Hutshi.—Taia Baited
by Nalihi.—Earthquakes and Tidal Waves.—Farewells.... _Letter for
1878._—A Madman at Large.—The Passing of Yawaci.—The Madness and
Death of Mungaw.—Our Native Elders.—Music on the Waters.—A Wicked
Vow.... _Letter for 1879._—New Year’s Day on Aniwa.—A Miserable
Slaver.—Litsi Married Again.—Mission Synod on Erromanga.—Tragic and
Holy Memories.—Day-Light on Tanna.—Pigs in Galore.—Arrowroot for
Jehovah.
[The Editor takes upon himself the responsibility of presenting here a
picture of life among the New Hebrideans, as portrayed by the graphic
and gifted pen of Mrs. John G. Paton.
His only regret is that the exigencies of space compel him to give
mere _fragments_ of these Letters, instead of the full-flowing
descriptions, which have led him to regard them as amongst the most
charming pieces of Missionary literature with which he has become
acquainted.
He apologizes also to that dear lady herself for the liberty he is thus
taking with her “Family Epistles,”—written for the delight of her inner
circle of friends, and for their eyes alone. He is well aware that if
she were at his side, instead of being in the New Hebrides, while he is
sending these pages to press, nothing would probably induce her to give
her consent to this appearance in print. But he trusts that her wrath
will be assuaged, when she returns to the Colonies and learns how the
Christian Public approve in this respect of what her friend has done.
The Editor makes no apology to the reader for this break in the flow
of the story, or even for re-touching one or two scenes that are past,
for he already instinctively knows that even these fragments will be
appreciated, as a great enrichment to the Autobiography which he has
been privileged to introduce to them.]
(1867.)
TO REV. DR. MACDONALD, SOUTH MELBOURNE.
“... How much I enjoyed your kind letter which came by the _Dayspring_
last month! I was delighted indeed to hear that your Parish now extends
to the New Hebrides,—rather a scattered one certainly, nevertheless you
are bound to look after your flock, and we shall soon be expecting _a
pastoral visit_....
“You were, I dare say, surprised when you heard that we had been sent
to Aniwa instead of Tanna. It was a blow which Mr. Paton has hardly
got over yet; but all the brethren were decidedly opposed to us going
there alone, and we feel now that we have been Divinely led hither. Mr.
Inglis, in his last kind letter, said to Mr. Paton that he believed
he was doing more real work for Tanna, by bringing the Aniwans to a
knowledge of the truth and thus fitting them for by-and-bye spreading
the Gospel among the Tannese, than if he were now labouring alone
among that dense mass of people. We are encouraged, therefore, to hope
that there may be many ambassadors for Christ from this little Island,
for the Aniwans are a superior people, and the work has made steady
and rapid progress of late. I don’t mean that half the people are
converted,—very far from that! There is a great deal to be done, before
the soil is prepared even to receive the seed,—they cling so to their
old prejudices and superstitions. I believe, to many of them, it is
like taking a great leap into the dark to risk the anger of their gods
by coming to the Worship. For what proof have they at first that we are
leading them into the right way? True, they see we wish to be kind;
but the idea of any one coming among them simply for their good is a
doctrine they cannot understand.
“We are very thankful to have so many regularly at Church; and Mr.
Paton possessed a great advantage in being able to address them from
the first in Tannese, which some of them speak freely,—hence the double
hope of training them as helpers for Tanna. You would be surprised
to see with what propriety the Services are conducted. The Native
Teachers, two devoted men from Aneityum who have been here for years,
try to give short speeches. Then Mr. Paton usually invites one or
other of the more enlightened of the Aniwans to speak, which he does
by invariably pitching into his brethren in the most energetic terms,
comparing them to pigs, dogs, serpents, etc., the speaker not generally
including himself, and asking how long they mean to continue their
‘black-hearted conduct’?
“They are never at a loss for a text, and for a long time after we came
it sounded to me something like ‘Missi Paton and Teapots.’ I supposed
it to be, ‘Missi Paton _versus_ Teapots,’ but by-and-bye I discovered
that it was not Teapots, but Teapolo (= Devil), against which they
stormed. Lately they have been choosing more sacred subjects, generally
a repetition of what they have heard from Mr. Paton before, or been
helping him to translate during the week. Last Sabbath, we were much
struck with the gentle, persuasive tones of the old Chief who was
addressing them. Mr. Paton noted down two words he did not remember
having heard before, and asked for the translation after worship.
The man took him by the hand and said in Tannese, ‘Missi, I was only
telling them what you have been teaching us all this time about Jesus
pouring out His blood to wash away all our sins!’
“Taia, and Namakei the Chief, two of our firmest friends, give very
telling speeches sometimes. The former is a tall and powerful fellow,
quite a notoriety on account of his loquacious powers. He has a great
deal of ready wit too; and, though he does little else but talk, it
is wonderful what influence he exerts. Some time ago, he prevented a
violent quarrel ending in probable bloodshed. The party who thought
themselves insulted ran home, seized their arms, and were rushing
past Taia’s house, where he was lying outside, basking in the sun and
enjoying his pipe. He saw something was wrong, for they don’t continue
the habit of carrying their arms constantly now, and he called out to
them (of course in their own language), ‘Stop! stop! let me see what
you are carrying. Is it the book that Missi has been busy making?’
His sly hit set them all a-laughing, and they turned into his house;
there he had a long and serious talk with them, and got them to give up
the idea of fighting, at least for that day. The next being Sabbath,
he came to Mr. Paton before the Service to ask him to let him speak;
and, having both the offending parties present, he _did_ give it them,
finishing up by reminding them how difficult it had been to get a
Missionary, and how he, Taia, had gone to Aneityum to plead for more
Native Teachers after they had murdered Nemeyan and tried to kill
Navalak, and how he had always been careful to give them food to do
the work of Jehovah! In that part of the speech referring to his own
conduct, there were a few embellishments which in strict regard to
truth might have been omitted; but his advice seemed to do good, for we
heard no more of that quarrel.
“Taia, however, does not always do as he professes, and Mr. Paton
sometimes feels it incumbent on him to call Taia to account; but Taia’s
equanimity is never in the least ruffled. He sits listening with his
chin resting upon his knees, looking up now and again with a bland
smile, saying, ‘Ah, very good talk that, Missi! Very good talk that!’...
“Namakei never fails, when well, to take Mr. Paton’s Bible and lay it
on the desk every Sabbath and Wednesday before the Service, and to
get the people in the village assembled for worship, which we have
every evening under a large banyan tree in the Imrai (= the public
meeting-ground), the great place of general rendezvous, which is close
behind our house.
“I particularly enjoy this Evening Service, when all Nature is at rest
and looks so exquisitely beautiful, everything reflecting the gorgeous
sunsets and nothing heard but the soft rustle of the leaves and what
Longfellow calls ‘the symphony of Ocean’. I think the Natives, too,
are inspired with it, for none of us seem inclined to move off after
worship, and often, but especially on Sabbath evenings, we sit still
and sing over all our hymns. They never tire of this, being all of them
intensely fond of music...
“I was heartily amused, the first time I was called upon to perform on
Aniwa! We had just unpacked the harmonium, one day, about a fortnight
after our arrival. The news must have spread like wildfire; for,
towards evening, about forty or fifty people came marching towards the
Church (the house where we stayed till our new home was built), the
foremost shouting in broken English, ‘Missi, make him bokis (= box)
sing! Plenty man come hear you make him bokis sing!’
“I must not omit to tell you about my peculiar charge, and a very
pleasant one it is, I mean my own Sewing Class. Nearly fifty women
and girls attend pretty regularly every morning, except Wednesday and
Saturday, and we spend two hours (often more) together sewing and
singing. They are very tractable and willing to learn, having taken
a great fancy for sewing. I never dreamt it would be really such
delightful work teaching them, but my heart was drawn to them from the
first, and I will always feel grateful to them for the kindly way they
behaved to me when I landed amongst them, timid and rather frightened
at feeling myself the only white woman on these lonely shores....
“Mr. Paton took the matter much more coolly, seeming to take for
granted that they were all his ‘dear friends,’ though most of the men,
really fine fellows we have since found them, thought it advisable to
receive us with a good deal of impudence, trying how far we could be
imposed upon! Plenty of them talk a little English, and really it was
almost laughable to hear them telling the most monstrous lies with
such a long innocent face, that one would suppose they believed them
themselves, and then gravely adding, ‘That no gammon!’...
“I feel the sewing, however, to be only a stepping-stone to something
far more important. It brings me into contact with them so as to learn
their language. I so long to be able to talk freely to them; but it is
slow work with me! How the Apostles must have appreciated the gift of
Tongues on the day of Pentecost! I wonder if it was accorded to their
wives as well? It is so provoking, when you think you have mastered
enough to venture on a little conversation with them, to see them
looking at each other wonderingly. Some time ago, in talking to a girl,
I plunged a little deeper than usual, thinking to astonish her with my
wisdom, but she looked up innocently and told me she ‘did not savvy
talk Biritania!’ I must have made awful blunders at first. But some of
the women can talk Tannese as well as the men; and I got Mr. Paton’s
help in any great difficulty, though he did not at all times enjoy the
interruption, especially if the point in question turned out to be only
about a needle and a thread, while he had been called away when setting
up the type for our first Aniwan book!...
“Before closing this long epistle, I want to tell you about our first
Christian marriage here, especially as the Bride was decked out from
your Emerald Hill box, last sent,—at least partly so. It was a deeply
interesting occasion. Kahi, the bride, was one of my scholars, a
pretty young widow of about seventeen; and Ropu, her lover, was such
a nice fellow, too, a great favourite of Mr. Paton’s. They seemed
really attached; but Kahi’s father-in-law demurred about giving her
away, as he considered her still his property, having given a high
price (present?) for her when he bought her for his son. One morning,
however, Ropu appeared with such a number of fat pigs, that they quite
took the old man’s heart by storm, and he declared that he might have
her that day, if the Missi thought it was right. The Missi did not
object, but advised them to get married in Church; and I determined
to give Kahi a nice present, in order to tempt her young companions
to follow her example; not a very high motive, to be sure, but if the
prospect of a good present will induce them to alter their habits in
regard to marriage, I have not the slightest objection that it should
be so. It’s about the highest motive some of them can yet appreciate,
and there is no vital principle, after all, at stake in the mere form.
We made the event as public as the time would permit, and there was
quite a little gathering to witness the ceremony. Poor Kahi was brought
to me in tears; but when we put on her nice skirt and jacket, and she
caught sight of the pretty hat which happened to be trimmed with orange
blossom, she seemed to think she had indulged long enough in sentiment
and dried her tears quite briskly, looking out from under her long
eyelashes from side to side with great admiration, and when at last I
put a glaring red handkerchief into her hand she fairly laughed aloud!
There was a little trouble with them in Church, as they would not come
near enough to join hands till they were pushed; and then the poor girl
got her marriage vows repeated to her on the deafest side of her head,
for, being too bashful or something of the sort to give the response,
it seemed to be the public opinion that Mr. Paton was letting her off
too easily, and the men taking up the question thundered it in such a
manner as to elicit a pretty quick reply!
“... P.S.
“6th _December_.
“Please send the _Dayspring_ quickly down this season; for I have found
this morning to my horror, that the whole stock of flour has gone
useless, and not a bit of bread shall we get till the Vessel returns!
I suppose we are indebted to the climate and the weevil together for
this. We have plenty of other food,—so no danger of starving.”
(1869.)
TO A LADY.
... “To spend such a day as we did a few Sabbaths ago when our little
Church of God on Aniwa was formally constituted, we felt to be worth
more than all the sacrifices connected with our isolated life. We had
a very good attendance, 180 being present, and an unusual solemnity
and interest pervaded the Church throughout the whole Services. The
Communicants, twelve in number, were arranged in rows from the platform
to my seat, so that they occupied the space in the centre; and, as
they stood up to answer the form of questions Mr. Paton put to them
before receiving Baptism, you could scarcely have conceived a more
interesting group. Vasi, our eldest member, must we think be near to
ninety; but, aged and infirm as he is, he came every day to School with
his spectacles on, and is one of Mr. Paton’s best writers as well as
readers. Our old chief, Namakei, was there, with his daughter Litsi.
She is his only child living, and is almost as great a comfort to me
as to her father. She was the first girl who came to live with us,
and, being the eldest on our Premises, she sets a good example to the
others. Her devotion to Mr. Paton amounts almost to idolatry. She seems
as if she never could be grateful enough to him for being the means
of her conversion. But the one I felt most interest in was Namakei’s
sister, a very gentle and delicate-looking woman. I knew what it had
cost her to profess her faith in Jesus, and how her husband and son
were even then jeering and laughing at her. If I had time, I could tell
you something interesting about each of them, for of course it was our
knowing all their little histories that made it so intensely gratifying
a sight to us. I can remember when one began to wear clothing, when
another cut off his long hair, and when one whom we had thought a
very hardened character came one day with the last of his idols,
saying,—‘Now, Missi, these are the very last. I have no more.’
“It was a beautiful sight to see these all standing up neatly clothed,
in the midst of their benighted brethren, to declare themselves on the
Lord’s side; and more than one could witness without deep emotion.
Never did I feel happier in any society on Earth, than when partaking
of our Saviour’s body and blood with these dark Sisters and Brothers,
now united with me in Jesus. It was a day long to be remembered. I
trust it will be so even in Eternity, with thanksgiving. Our dear
friend and sister Missionary, Mrs. McNair, was with us, paying a
long-promised visit; and I felt so glad she happened to be here at the
time, for she says she never witnessed a more beautiful and affecting
spectacle. We have every reason to hope that the true work of grace is
begun in their hearts. Mr. Paton had much satisfaction in them while
attending his Candidates’ Class; and their own earnest inquiries were
what delighted him most. How often have we had cause to set up our
Ebenezer since coming to this far-off land; and this is but a small
beginning, yet we have most emphatically reason to thank the Lord and
take courage....
“Mungaw was so disgusted at having to wear a kilt, that I did not dare
to mention about cutting his long hair; and Mr. Paton does not wish the
Natives to be forced to these things, for he always says that, when
their hearts are changed, they will be sure to give up these things of
their own accord. I know that this is very true; but as I don’t see
that there would be any harm in having the short hair first, I coaxed
Mungaw to cut his, and he looks very much more civilized.
“We have a gathering of boys now on the Premises; for Mungaw had not
been installed into his office two days, before a few others came and
asked quite humbly that they might be allowed to do something for the
Missi. We were truly amazed as well as gratified at this unexpected
proposal; for the boys here, as a rule, are the idlest and most
impudent set I ever saw. They seem to be the ‘masters’ too, for no one
thinks of contradicting a boy. Of course, Mr. Paton told them that he
was very glad to have them come, as he wanted to teach them a great
deal they ought to know. They are really doing tolerably well, and
I feel so thankful to have a man-cook, as there are so many things
connected therewith that men or boys require to do and that they will
not do to help a _woman_; for instance, chopping wood and black-leading
the stove....
“The _Dayspring_ is a great blessing to us all. There is little fear
of any Missionary now on the most savage Islands being ill-treated,
if they see that he is well looked after. Of course, I mean ‘humanly
speaking,’ the fear is _nil_; and if we be kept in safety, and our
work in the end begins to prosper, that dear little Vessel and her
supporters have more to do with it all than might by some be imagined.
Two of our Natives, one of them the wildest character on Aniwa, were
engaged by Captain Fraser to go as boat’s crew, the trip before last;
and they came back in ecstasies, declaring there was never such a
Captain as the one on board the _Dayspring_. He was so kind and good to
them, for when they came to any Island without a Missionary, he would
not let them go on shore for fear of being killed, and that would have
damaged our work on Aniwa. Then they counted on their finger ends, with
great glee, the things they had received in payment; and as these are
good and useful articles, it engenders a love for such things instead
of the paint and stuffs they get from the Traders, while their huge
ambition for sailing and sight-seeing is gratified.”
(1874.)
TO THE FAMILY CIRCLE
“MY DEAREST MOTHER, SISTERS, AND BROTHERS,— ... I must, however, arrive
at Aniwa more by degrees, as this is to be the journalistic Family
Epistle, and you have heard nothing of us since we left Sydney on
the 4th April, with dear Dr. Steele on board, who seemed like a link
between us and Civilization. I felt ‘strong to go,’ as our Natives
would express it, for I realized as I never before had done the ‘Lo,
I am with you,’ and some of God’s dear ones with whom we had had such
precious Christian fellowship were with us till the last....
“We had finished up at Fotuna soon after breakfast; and how intensely
delighted we were to hear the Captain’s cheery voice shouting out that
we would be able to have a drink of milk at Aniwa to-morrow morning,
as the wind was fair. We had all packed up in the afternoon, and the
first sight which greeted me, on looking out at my port-hole next
morning, was the trees and rocks of dear old Aniwa! The first boat was
sent ashore with eight or nine Fotunese and their cumbrous baggage,
who had insisted on coming to visit our Island, rather to the disgust
of the Captain. Meantime we were having our breakfast, and Mr. Arthur,
the mate, brought back word that our Natives were in a-state of great
delight and excitement,—dear Yawaci making the younger girls fly round
their work,—also that our six cows had increased to ten, and that our
goats no man could number! He had also heard that a number of our
Natives had died, and some had been taken away by Traders.
“When we neared the shore, we could see that the great majority of the
people had turned out, and even the very cattle and goats been brought
to meet us! There were my girls, standing in a group in bright pink
dresses, sewed and shaped by themselves, and turkey-red turbans, and in
short, by one and another of the Natives all the colours of the rainbow
were well represented. Not one person, I am thankful to say, was
_without clothing_. True, some of their garments were ragged and scanty
enough,—still they had them, and it was almost more than we expected
from some of them, after being away from them so long. They do _so_
love to run naked!
“What a shaking of hands, and ‘Alofa’-ing there was! Two or three
little groups were sitting apart sobbing for their dead; indeed, they
firmly believed that if we had been on the Island to attend to them
they would not have died. When we reached the house, everything looked
beautiful and the ground so well kept, new coral on the walks, a fine
new mat on the dining-room floor and another on the lobby, and last,
but not least in the estimation of weary sea-voyagers,—a great jug
of new goat’s milk! When Dr. Steele and Mr. Robertson made playful
speeches about our Home-coming before drinking it, I could most truly
say, even after all the enjoyment and kindness of the Colonies and
delightful Christian fellowship with kindred spirits there,—‘Home,
sweet Home, no place like Home.’...
“Amidst all my hurry, however, I had five minutes alone by my little
Lena’s grave. The beautiful white coral was blackened, but the grass
and shrubs had grown, and the lemon branches with their bright fruit
were bending over and shading it beautifully. How naturally one looks
_up_ to the blue sky above, and wonders where the spirit is, or if she
can see the mourning hearts below. She would have been running on her
own little feet now, had she been on Earth; but though my heart aches
for her still, I would not have it otherwise, for she was not sent in
vain, and oh, what a little _teacher_ she has been! When John took Dr.
Steele to see the grave, he said,—‘You have thus taken possession’; and
I felt we had taken possession of more through her than that little
spot of ground on Aniwa....
“Our visitors and Vessel left us in the afternoon, and on my return
from seeing them off (John was too exhausted to go), I met a very nice
man, one of the Church members, who stopped me and said,—‘Missi, I’ve
given my boy up to you and Missi the man, and you’re to feed and clothe
and teach him, as you do the other children.’ I could hardly believe my
ears, and you would need to know how boys are prized here to appreciate
as we did the sacrifice made,—at least as John did, for I must confess
that the thought of their bodily sustenance comes between me and the
fervent thanksgiving of my earnest little man for ‘another soul being
added to our care!’ We’ve got ten of these souls, with bodies attached,
at the present time, besides several outsiders who come during the day,
and it taxes all my ingenuity to keep them in work and ‘Kai-Kai,’—their
capacity for the latter being of no mean order. Their clothes are no
concern beyond the making of them, and that they soon learn to do for
themselves; for we have always been abundantly supplied from kind
Mission friends.... Although I _do_ sometimes think how nice it would
be to be in Civilization with a small house of our own and with the
care of only one or two servants at most, yet we are more than re-paid
for all our love to these dear Darkies. They are just like our very
children, and such we always call them, and they are so confiding and
loving with us and tell us everything, especially the elder girls, who
have lived with us now for more than five years.
“By the way, we have just had an _affaire de cœur_ amongst them, and
as Hutshi is the young lady, you will be interested to hear. You
know she was given away, when an infant, by her parents, to Nelwang,
another infant about the same age, but who is now one of the best and
most intelligent boys on the Island,—the only drawback being that his
limbs are rather diseased, and he is so fearfully timid that he won’t
let John apply anything to cure them. Well, when we were in Sydney, a
middle-aged man, a returned labourer, whose betrothed wife is yet a
baby, came trying to curry favour with Hutshi’s guardians (her parents
are dead long ago) by bringing them large presents, and finally got
them talked over to give him Hutshi when she returned with us,—so it
was settled, only awaiting her and our consent. Now, her guardian has
always been most honourable with us. He gave up Hutshi to us, when
she was of the greatest use in his village (but I took care to let
her go and help them pretty often), and when we asked if she might go
with us to the Colonies, he and his wife said,—‘She is more your child
than ours, Missi; do as you like.’ So, when they explained matters to
John one evening in the study, and said that both Hutshi and Nelwang
were agreeable to the change, he felt he could not interfere much, but
warned them not to be too rash and to ask God about it.
“Hutshi, the mischief, flirted with her new admirer when she could
get a chance, and I felt it would be a great relief to have her
married; but we could see, from Nelwang’s looks (he is one of our
boys), that there was a pain at his heart. I set him a piece of work
in the dining-room one day, and, sitting down to help him, got all
his confidence. The poor boy’s heart was breaking, and he wound up by
saying,—‘I can’t tell _them_ my heart, Missi, for they would but laugh,
and I am only one; but if my father had been alive, they would not have
_dared_ to give Hutshi away before my eyes.’ Seeing his lady-love,
however, who at that moment came in at the open window and evidently
comprehended matters, he tossed his head proudly and said,—‘It’s very
good that she takes him!’
“John and I espoused Nelwang’s cause from that moment, and he soon
found an opportunity for saying a word on his behalf. I also got Hutshi
alone, and told her what Nelwang had said. She replied that she did not
know what to do, as they were all urging her to take Sarra (the new
lover); but she said,—‘I would cry more to give up Nelwang than that
old fellow!’
“She came to me the other day, and said she had finally made up her
mind to keep by Nelwang. I answered,—‘But I thought, Hutshi, you seemed
for the while to prefer the other.’ ‘Yes, Missi,’ she replied, ‘when
everybody was praising him and telling me to take him, I thought it
would be nice; but Nelwang and I have had a talk. We told each other
what our dead parents said about our being married when we were big,
and then we both cried, and we are going to be true to each other!’ So,
you see, there is sentiment in blacks as well as whites!...
“Here I am at the end of my fourth sheet, and have not even begun to
tell you of the nice Ladies’ Meeting we had at Aniwa, or the lively
time we have had with visitors ever since the Vessel returned with the
Missionaries on board for the annual Synod....
“That was a refreshing visit on the return of the Vessel from the
Synod; and we had a cheery houseful, for in addition to our four
husbands, whom as canny Scots say, ‘we were _not sorry_’ to see after a
three weeks’ absence, Mr. and Mrs. Inglis and Dr. Steele (the latter to
remain with us) came and stayed from the Saturday till the Monday,—the
vessel going out to sea with the rest of the Missionaries, who declared
it would kill me outright to have any more! Those who came tried to
make me promise just to give them a pillow and a blanket on the floor,
but we got them snugly stowed away in beds and on sofas, and we so
enjoyed their society. It is especially delightful to hear their voices
mingling in the Psalm at Family Worship. It makes one think of the
great company of the redeemed, singing the ‘New Song.’
“The Sabbath was such a blessed day too, and it was quite an event in
the Church history of Aniwa to see six Missionaries on the platform,
and five ladies in the Missionary’s pew. Mr. Inglis preached at the
first service, Mr. Annand at the second (John of course translating),
good Gospel truth; and Dr. Steele gave us a _white_ sermon in
the evening in the drawing-room, upon the ‘Prayer of Jabez.’ The
language was very beautiful, and the Doctor suited himself to his
audience,—leaving out his appeal to _unconverted Sinners_!...
“Every one in the house is asleep, and my eyes will hardly keep open;
so I must say Good-night to you all, with heart’s love from your
ever-loving daughter and sister,
“MAGGIE WHITECROSS PATON.”
(1875.)
TO THE FAMILY CIRCLE.
“MY DEAREST SISTERS AND BROTHERS,—
“If I could only put one of the Earthquakes we’ve had into this journal
it would produce a sensation,—descriptions seem so very tame after one
has experienced the awful feelings they produce! But I must begin and
go forward as best I can, there being no possibility of gratifying you
in that direction.
“You know, it was not till very near the time of the Vessel’s sailing
that we decided last year to remain; and I sent my last ‘Journal’ on
board with an aching heart. We had been so nearly going to see our
precious boys, and till I saw the _Dayspring_ slowly disappear in the
distance I did not know how intensely my heart had been set upon seeing
them!...
“To crown all, John got very ill, and sunk so low we feared he might
not live to see the return of the _Dayspring_. But all the time I had
an inward conviction that God had not kept him on Aniwa just to die,
after giving us such encouragement to remain, and we had waited so
confidingly upon Him just to show us the way. And He did not keep us
long in suspense, for one event transpired after another to show how
wisely we had been guided.
“The first of these happened about a month after the vessel left, and
as John was slowly recovering from his illness. We heard, one lovely
day, as I was setting the copies for afternoon School (I managed to
keep it going all the time), a cry of ‘Sail O!’ which set us all into
a fine pitch of excitement. School was the last thing to be thought
of, and the Natives scampered off towards the other end of the Island,
where the vessel lay. John was unable to walk so far; but you may
be sure we were quite on the _qui vive_ for news, and I waylaid the
first returning Native, who shouted to me in Aniwan, ‘Missi, what _do_
you think has happened? A whole shipload of Tannese, men, women, and
children, have been driven off their own Island by war, and have come
over to live on this little Island, because the Worship is strong,
and they know they are safe. They are many in number for the people
of Aniwa; and where are we to get food for them, Missi? for they had
to escape at night with what little baggage they could bring in the
vessel.’
“Another Native soon arrived with letters from Mr. and Mrs. Neilson,
confirming the report, and we were rather dumbfounded at this turn of
events; but, like most of the other Missionaries, when they heard of
it, we were also deeply impressed with God’s mysterious ways. Tanna was
the Island upon which John’s whole heart was set; and it was one of the
bitterest disappointments of his life when the Mission Synod would not
allow him to return there, instead of coming to Aniwa nine years ago;
but we both felt we were following God here, and now He had brought
the Tannese to Aniwa; for those who had come were from around Port
Resolution, and some of them were John’s old friends!
“Some of the Islanders themselves were as much struck with the event
as we were. And at last Mission Synod, Mr. Neilson amused all the
Missionaries by giving the outline of a speech made upon the occasion
by one of the Aneityumese Teachers on Tanna, apt as all Natives are
in drawing illustrations from daily life to point their addresses on
Sabbath. He took the story of Joseph for his subject, and made out
‘Missi Paton’ to be Joseph driven from Tanna by his wicked brethren the
Tanna men, but that God had gone with him to Egypt, _alias_ Aniwa, and
prospered him and the land for his sake, and prepared it for them to go
and live upon, and thus save much people alive!...
“John immediately set to work revising his Tannese, which he had
well-nigh forgotten, so that when the Tanna gentry declined to come
to Church he was soon able to go to them and first read his addresses
and then preach to them in Tannese. How it did remind us of the early
Aniwan days, when our worthy parishioners used to enjoy a pipe or a
nap, as they lay on their backs listening to the sermon!...
“The Hurricane began in earnest about noon on January 14th, after a
heavy thunderstorm which had blackened the air all the morning. As we
sat at dinner the wind suddenly became furious; we had to jump up and
make preparations, as the house was shaking and creaking, the thatch
standing on end, and the rain pouring in. Immediately trees, fences,
etc., began to occupy a horizontal position; so the children and I took
refuge in the Study, which seemed to stand firmer than the rest of
the house, and from the windows watched the progress of the storm,—a
magnificent sight, tall trees bending and falling before the awful
force of the wind. John came in greatly dejected, saying that if it
continued much longer the Church would go, as it was already bending,
notwithstanding its being so strongly propped. There was a lull just
then in the storm, which cheered me; but his more experienced eye led
him to pronounce it the stillness that precedes a great storm, it
was still so black and ominous. And sure enough, just before dark, a
terrific blast sent us flying down to the Cellar, our usual place of
refuge.
“John and a couple of the girls made a final attempt to get into the
house for one or two loaves, and whatever else they could grab,—we
were now awfully hungry, having been so unceremoniously interrupted at
our dinner. My faithful little cook was precipitated into the Cellar
before a great blast, puffing and panting and holding on to a kettle of
boiling water, which was an unexpected luxury in the circumstances. So
we managed to make a very jolly meal off the top of a box; and all our
stores being in the Cellar, we got hold of a tin of salmon.—the girls
had thoughtfully brought a great basin of milk for the children,—and
when F. found we were all to eat the salmon out of one plate, his joy
knew no bounds, and he stuck his fork into the biggest bit in the dish,
which proved too large for his wee mouth, causing great merriment!
“The storm raged till midnight, when we were all thankful to get up to
our beds, and found our own room, fortunately, the only habitable part
of the house. But oh, what utter desolation the morning light revealed!
Our fine large Church a mass of ruins, with one great pillar standing
solitary and upright through the rubbish against the clear blue sky.
The School House in the same condition, at the other side of the
_Imrai_ (= public meeting ground). With the exception of our cook-house
and printing-office, not an outhouse was left standing on the Mission
Premises; but oh, how thankful we felt that our dwelling-house stood
secure, as John was in no condition to have attempted building another.
Not even a pane of glass was broken, though of course the roof could
not escape, and consequently everything was soaked. The day proved
fortunately very hot, and we got all the mats lifted, and mattresses,
blankets, etc., washed and dried. The pigs were in their glory, running
riot over all the plantations, and I am sure if they could have spoken
they would have said in Scotch, ‘It’s an ill wind that blaws naebody
guid!’
“Almost every Native on the Island was at work before daylight at his
fences; dwelling-houses—and there were not a dozen standing uninjured
on the Island—being left till the plantations were secured. School
duties were not even thought of. It was so sad to see the destruction
of food,—fine large breadfruit and cocoa-nut trees torn up by the
roots, and bananas with the fruit half formed lying useless on the
ground. But the greatest lamentation seemed to be about the _Tafari
Moré_ (= House of Worship), though the general Public were complacently
viewing it as a judgment from ‘_Teapolo_’ (= His Satanic Majesty,
in Aniwan), for their being ‘so strong for the Worship.’ This is a
popular error; and John guarded them against it next Sabbath, preaching
an impressive sermon from the text, ‘Labour not for the meat which
_perisheth_,’—rather _apropos_ to the occasion!...
“It was altogether a sad time, that, for we had been so tried with
Hutshi, the girl I had last time with us in Australia, and who turned
out a complete _vixen_; the first of my girls, I am thankful to say,
who has not turned out well. She was married to one of our best young
lads, and went quite gracefully through the whole affair—I think I
wrote you all about it before—but all the while she was dying for my
handsome young cook, who is engaged to the little table-maid. She
began, soon after the marriage, to persecute her husband and flirt
with the other, going from bad to worse, notwithstanding all we could
say to her; and one day she behaved so frightfully, that, when we
were told of her guilt, John and I sank down on the nearest seats,
perfectly overpowered with disappointment and horror. I could hardly
have believed that any woman, either black or white, could have so
deliberately planned to lead others so young and innocent into sin.
“The young Chief came to ask John how she ought to be punished, as
something would have to be done; but he hesitated to give advice, never
having been called upon to legislate in a similar case, being indeed
too vexed to collect his thoughts; only he strongly forbade them to
shoot her, as one or two of the enraged fathers proposed, and advised
them to be guided by the Aneityumese Teachers, two wise Christian men
from Mr. Inglis’s Station. They said that the punishment inflicted on
Aneityum by the Chiefs was to tie up the guilty parties, collect all
the goods of those most deeply involved, and distribute them among the
people at the other side of the Island, so as not to tempt those around
to bring false accusations against neighbours for the sake of their
property.
“This was accordingly done in the case of Hutshi; and we had an
invitation to be present at the ceremony, which we declined, as John
told them it was better he should not be too much mixed up in these
things. The only way in which he did interfere was to shorten the time
to _three_ hours, instead of the twenty-four they were determined to
keep her tied, and which, in my opinion, she richly deserved! Two
or three Tannese happened to arrive at her village before she was
unloosed, and expressed their disgust at the consequences entailed by
the Worship, saying they could have as much ‘fun’ on Tanna as they
liked without being punished for it. But one of our Aniwans answered,
with a sly wink at his neighbours, that bad as the Worship might be, it
had at least not driven them from their own land!...
“I wish I could say that was the last of the trouble we had with
Mistress Hutshi; for she professed great repentance, and sent one of
the girls, two or three weeks afterwards, to say she wanted to tell me
all her badness, as that would make her feel better. She had not been
allowed to come near the Mission Premises, nor had we since taken any
notice of her. We had very little faith in the young lady’s repentance,
but feared to crush any yearning after amendment, if it _did_ exist;
and I thought that God might give me a word for her. So we had a long
interview; but I felt all the time there was no change in her, as was
immediately proved, for she went back tossing her head and telling the
others they might talk as much as they liked, she didn’t care, for the
Missi was quite satisfied with her now!
“She did not improve, but the Church members round kept such a watch
upon her that she did not do anything very flagrant. She did, however,
lead her husband a miserable life; and I never believed that a Native
could have borne with patience what he did; at last, being able to
stand it no longer, he came to bid us Good-bye, saying he was going to
live about three miles distant (it was as far away almost as he could
get on Aniwa, either in one direction or the other, as his lady-love
lived close to us in the centre of the Island!) and that he freely
bestowed her upon any man who might be fool enough to take her, as
henceforth he would have nothing to do with her.
“She had, out of pure bravado, professed to elude their vigilance and
implicated a Tanna man, as well as Rangi (the wildest man on Aniwa),
who both proved their innocence. Perhaps Rangi agreed with me that he
had enough sins of his own to account for without being blamed for
what he really did not do; and being an out and out Savage in his
disposition, we feared trouble when he came with all the Tanna men at
his heels to inquire about it one morning after her husband had left
her. We little expected, however, the scene there really was enacted,
right outside our gate too, for it was there Rangi caught hold of her.
She gave one spring to John for protection, but the gate was between
them, and Rangi wrenched her from it, and the savage yells that got up
nearly sent me frantic with terror.
“John stood leaning carelessly against the gate, viewing it all—the
calmest person there! He felt that his presence would be a sufficient
check, though it would have been folly to interfere. My girls
were groaning and crying; and Yawaci (the girl I have here) was
unconsciously doing her best to wrench the handles off the dining-room
door in her despair, groaning out, “Missi, blood will be spilt!” while
I was on my knees in the middle of the floor calling upon God to
interfere. But my little F. stopped me, saying, “Mamma, Mamma, I don’t
like to see you look up and talk like that! Are you ill?” So I tried
to be myself again to the wee man, and felt comforted in having left
the case with the Lord. Only I _must_ see Rangi, though I had very
slender hope of influencing him; and I put my careful husband into a
fine consternation, as he would rather have seen an apparition than
me coming on such a scene. I had only a very dim notion, then, of his
gestures and entreaties, being deaf and blind to everything except
Rangi, who came nearest my idea of a _demon_ of anything I had ever
seen!
“The poor girl was tied, with her arms backward, to a cocoa-nut tree,
pale with terror, and a hundred muskets bristling round her. The
Tannese were in full Heathen costume, which means paint instead of
clothing; and the Church members stood calmly, like John, looking on,
except two or three of them, who kept guard around her with loaded
muskets for her defence from murder, if necessary. Her life was all
they or we wished to see spared, for she richly deserved any punishment
short of death. I caught Rangi’s eye at last. At a sign he came quietly
forward, and I began to tell him he should not dare to shoot my girl,
but being too excited I ended in sobs and was marched off,—but not
before Rangi earnestly assured me that he would not touch a hair of her
head, or let any one else do it, only, he said, she deserved to be tied
and ought to be well beaten for blackening his character! We could not
keep from smiling, even in the excitement, at Rangi’s care for _his_
reputation, which was truly as black as it well could be.
“Well, here was mistress Hutshi practically put up for public sale;
for, according to Native law, whoever dared to unloose her from that
tree had to take her for his wife, her husband having renounced all
claim to her. Rangi reminded them of this when he tied her up, saying
that the Missi only could alter that law if he wished. The Missi did
not feel inclined to do any such thing, having devoutly wished her at
Jericho ever since she commenced her pranks, as she was proving a curse
to the place, and now only hoped that the most tyrannical unmarried
man on the Island would take her off bodily as far away as the limited
circumference of Aniwa would permit (so did the Church members); but
for John to _say_ so would only be the beginning of mischief. He was so
anxious they would not appeal to him for advice, for we both felt that
for her Native law was the best. But though a score of young men would
have gone down on their knees for her before she was married, there she
stood for about three hours without a single bidder!
“John had got the whole crowd dispersed to go and cut wood for the lime
pits (you know he is of a rather practical turn of mind and likes to
utilize the most unlikely occasions), which they did with great energy,
having the steam up; so she was left alone, as the women had all to
run and cook food. I had a grand donation for the labourers besides
the tea, that day, as we had a calf killed the evening before, and I
was giving orders about it when I saw John waving me to the study with
such an amused face. It seems that Hutshi’s _old_ sweetheart had rushed
to him in eager haste, saying, ‘Missi, I never will have such a chance
for a wife! Will you marry me to Hutshi, if I untie her?’ John said he
certainly could not, and that if he took her it must be _à la Native_,
and that he would have to discontinue his attendance at the Candidates’
Class, of which he was a member. He explained, at the same time, that
it was not like running away with another man’s wife, as her behaviour
(which in Britain would have divorced her) had led her husband to give
her up; only that, for the sake of example, he could not countenance
such proceedings on the part of intending Communicants. Sarra said,
in that case he would have nothing to do with her. But, alas, female
influence prevailed, and he unloosed her an hour or two after, amid the
Hurrahs of the passers-by and our intense though secret delight; for
though Sarra is obliged to confess he has ‘caught a Tartar,’ yet he
manages to keep her in tolerable check, being a determined fellow.
“We heartily re-echoed the sentiments of one of our Church members,
when speaking of Hutshi, viz., ‘that it was awful what a _woman_ could
do, when she was bent upon mischief!’ Indeed, according to the Natives,
we have her, along with the two murderers, to thank for those awful
Earthquakes which nearly frightened us out of our senses, though on
Aniwa very little damage accrued from them.
“The first, at least the first to speak of, occurred near midnight on
the 28th March (the second anniversary of our Lena’s birth), and woke
us up with a vengeance, being the worst we ever had, the Earth heaving
so awfully that we expected every moment to be swallowed up, and were
almost paralyzed with terror, but M. and F. slept through it all. After
it, _a tremendous_ rush of the sea seemed to take place, from the noise
it made, and which we found next morning was the case, carrying our
boat from where it lay, high and dry about one hundred yards inland,
also canoes, two of which were smashed.
“I lay in awful terror after the Earthquake till three o’clock, and
was dropping off to sleep, when another terrible one sent us flying
out of the house in our night gowns, John dragging the children out of
their beds, and the girls rushing out of their house. There was not a
breath of wind, and it was awful to see in the bright moonlight the
great trunks of the trees swaying back and forward, and to feel the
ground going to and fro with such force. We had one or two slight ones
after that, and then just at daybreak an awful repetition,—every one
of us simultaneously rushing out of doors! This was number _five_; and
before breakfast we went to see the damage done to the boat (but it was
uninjured); and we had two more violent shocks ere we got home, making
_seven_ in all before breakfast, after which we had a commotion of
another kind.
“John felt so exhausted, and had just got fast asleep on the study sofa
(a most unusual occurrence with him), when I heard high words between
Taia, one of our Church members, and Nalihi, an Erromangan. I knew not
what to do, for Natives never waste time on high words—they at once
rush to arms; and I was unwilling to wake John to more excitement, as
it was exactly that day two years since he had been seized with that
awful fever, and I had been in fear of its return, as people predicted
it would, about the same time of the year. Well, I actually made up my
mind to show my wifely devotion,—and it was a good test for me, I beg
leave to say, I always had such a foolish terror of a loaded musket
anywhere, and infinitely more so in the hands of an enraged Savage,—by
going between the combatants myself. To make matters worse, all the
men about had gone that morning to bring lime-coral, and only a few
women had collected, and one or two timid fellows who stood at a safe
distance.
“Nalihi was flourishing his musket in Taia’s face, as an accompaniment
to an eloquent harangue he was delivering in Erromangan, not being able
to speak Aniwan; and Taia, who understood and could speak it perfectly,
seemed to be paying him back with interest. They subsided for a few
moments, when it was whispered the Missi was there; but on finding that
it was only the ‘Missi finé,’ they went at it with renewed vigour. I
took no notice of the Erromangan, knowing my only chance was with Taia;
so I went over to him, and implored him not to utter another word,
whatever provocation he might receive; and though reluctant at first,
he behaved nobly and stood what I think few white men would have done
in the circumstances. I kept close beside him all the time, and though
for three quarters of an hour that villain stood heaping insults upon
him, and at last, in his rage, cut down his bananas and fences before
his eyes, he never spoke, though his muscles twitched and he clutched
at his great club sometimes—one that I knew had done good (?) service
in Heathen days under the great brawny arms that wielded it; for Taia
is a perfect Hercules, and such a contrast to the little treacherous,
sharp-nosed Erromangan, who was dying for an excuse to get a shot at
him. When I thought Taia was going to give way, I put my cold white
paw (it _did_ feel so cold) on his black arm, and every time I did so
he turned and looked down at me with a grim smile, saying, ‘Don’t fear,
Missi, I’ll not speak.’
“Now I maintain, that though John sometimes fears Taia’s Christianity
is not of the highest type, yet he is undoubtedly a _perfect
gentleman_, or he would not have stood there, the greatest living
orator on Aniwa, silent at the bidding of any woman! When I saw the
good food being destroyed and so little left from the Hurricane,
indignation mastered every other feeling, and I felt it was high time
for John to interfere with Nalihi; as no one else dared to speak to
him, except master F., who had, by the way, found us out just then,
and proceeded without hesitation to deal with him in plain terms. His
little figure heaved with indignation, and he drew such a long breath
before calling out, ‘O you naughty, _naughty_ man! You’re a wicked man!
Jehovah, _so_ angry at you!’ Every one was so amused, and a general
titter went round, while Nalihi, with whom F. had been a favourite,
began vigorously to defend himself to the child in broken English, at
the same time wielding his axe to some purpose amongst Taia’s bananas.
So, feeling my own strength would not hold out much longer, I sped
off and brought John, who quietly went up to Nalihi and relieved him
of his musket and axe (Oh, I was glad to see that musket in dear old
John’s trusty fingers, for Nalihi held it in a horizontal position, and
it always _would_ point at me the whole time I stood there!) clapped
him on the shoulder and had him sobbing like a child in a minute and
offering payment to Taia for the damage done, which, however, Taia was
too seriously offended to receive, and I do not wonder at it.
“The crowd began to disperse, and John was taking Nalihi off for a
day’s work under his own eye, in case of his coming in contact with
Taia again, when I put a graceful finish to the proceedings by going
off into a fainting fit under the cocoa-nut trees! John said I managed
bravely, all except that; but I do think that after _seven_ Earthquakes
and such a scene, I had a good right to get up some demonstration, and
it was the first I ever perpetrated for the public benefit!
“We had three more Earthquakes that day, but slight, making _ten_ in
all; and I took care at night to provide for emergencies by putting a
supply of blankets on the verandah, as there is not a moment to snatch
clothes when they come, and we had felt chilly the night before. I
got laughed at for what was termed my needless precaution; but we had
hardly got into our first sleep, when another violent Earthquake turned
us out, and we were thankful for them. It was not so bad as some,
however, and we got a sleep till morning without further disturbance,
as the grand performance did not come off till next evening at nine
o’clock.
“John was busy in the bath-room, with the girls, damping paper for next
day’s printing, I was in the dining-room, jotting in my journal the
events of the day, when we all had to rush out with the most frightful
Earthquake that had yet taken place. The house danced, the windows
rattled awfully, and F. woke up with the first of it screaming in
terror, but M. took it more gently, telling him it was _nice_. It might
have been nice to feel ourselves rocked on the bosom of mother Earth
(we lay down on the ground at a safe distance from the house, which we
expected to fall every moment), could we have been sure she would not
open up and receive us into a closer embrace!
“The heaving must, I think, have continued nearly five minutes, and
we had just got into the house again, still trembling with agitation,
when a terrible gust of wind and roar of the sea half prepared us
for the shouting of the Natives, who called to us that the sea had
actually come close to our gate! We went out and found Natives up to
the waist in water, where it had been bush two or three minutes before.
We heard something flapping, and Yawaci picked up a large fish about
twelve feet from our gate; and as the tidal wave receded, they were
left in hundreds, which the Natives spent most of that night and next
day in gathering. An enormous turtle was found too among a lot of
_débris_,—‘Jehovah’s turtle,’ the Natives called it, owing to the way
in which it was found.
“No serious accident occurred from the wave on our Island, as in most
of the others, though some Natives fishing at Tiara were nearly carried
away, and our boat which lay at anchor there was lifted, anchor and
all, and carried a long way inland, but to a sandy place, where it got
no damage; yet not a canoe, if I remember rightly, was left whole.
“From that time we had a constant succession of Earthquakes, and were
kept in continual dread, though none of them so violent as those I have
mentioned. We had to sleep with our doors open, and at last John went
to bed in his clothes to be ready to run! I suppose you have heard
that the tidal wave swept right through Mr. Inglis’s, doing terrible
damage and half drowning them, and the Earthquakes kept knocking down
his walls and chimneys as fast as he could rebuild them. Dr. Geddie’s
fine Church, too, is all but destroyed. But I think the greatest damage
done is to the nerves of the poor Missionaries’ wives (the Missionaries
themselves would be indignant if you accused them of having any!) It is
such an awful sensation to feel the very Earth trembling and heaving
beneath one, and such an _eerie_ feeling comes on at night.
... “I must pass over everything else that happened until we turned up
in Civilization, and it is close upon Mail time. I would have liked to
tell you about our pretty new Church, with its snow white walls, which
was finished just before our beloved friends, Mr. and Mrs. Inglis, paid
us their farewell visit, which was like to break our hearts, for they
have been a father and mother to us and to the Mission. Our parting
too with our Darkies was intensely trying, as we are to be away from
them a longer visit than the last; but the society of our dear friends,
the Murrays, was an unexpected treat, and made the voyage so pleasant
notwithstanding the sea-sickness....
“The Home Mail closes in the morning; and I must close, with fervent
love, from your loving sister,
“MAGGIE WHITECROSS PATON.”
(1878.)
TO THE FAMILY CIRCLE.
“MY DEAREST SISTERS AND BROTHERS,—
“_Sons and daughter_, I should almost have added, as the biggest half
of our little flock are separated from Aniwa, and will as eagerly look
for the ‘family billet’ now as the rest of you....
“Now that I have sat down to write, so much comes crowding upon me
that I hardly know where to begin; but I cannot put down a word of
news before testifying of the Lord’s goodness to us, which has just
been vouchsafed during this last hot season. He has encompassed us
round as with a shield and preserved us safe and well, though from the
day after the _Dayspring_ left for the Colonies on the 14th November
last until the 30th March we have lived in daily—I might almost say
_hourly_—terror of our lives. We have seen—especially John has—the rage
of the Heathen, and passed through Earthquake and Hurricane; but all
seems as nothing compared with coming into constant contact with an
unrestrained _madman_, and this we have had to do with poor Mungaw....
“You must not think of us as pining in solitude, however. Indeed, poor
Mungaw took care to keep us all in lively exercise, and acted his first
scene the day after the _Dayspring_ left for Sydney with our mails. You
know that he married Litsi, one of my best girls (and how delighted we
were at the time that she was getting such a good young man!), who was
with me on my first visit to Australia from Aniwa, and you remember
how pleased you all were with her. Well, he spent the night beating
that gentle girl (who was near her confinement) and their little boy
about two years of age; and when John met him in the Imrai and quietly
remonstrated with him, he stalked off in high dudgeon; and in two
minutes more, a tremendous crackling and roar of fire made us rush to
the window, where we saw his nice house and all that was in it one mass
of flame. Not content with setting it on fire, he tore off Litsi’s
jacket and flung it in too. We quite expected that our own house would
go, as there were only two light fences betwixt some of our outhouses
and his, but providentially the wind carried everything the other way.
“He then took Litsi and Nomaki, their little boy, to a distant village;
and, oh! how we hoped he would remain, as Litsi had friends there,
but back he dragged them, terror-stricken and breathless from having
to keep pace with his tremendous strides. I sent Litsi an old jacket
(she begged me not to send a good one, as it might go the same way),
and a blanket to sleep or rather to roll herself in—for there was no
sleep for any one near that night. He had threatened to murder some of
the villagers, and was stalking round and round our Premises with his
loaded musket; but an Aneityumese Teacher kept watch over our house all
the night.