STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. ; L_ 4 "He spake to his disciples that a small ship should wait on him." ,ston': PUlBLISHIED BY THE AMERICAN BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FOR FOREIGN MISSIONS. 1866. a. \ X alit'" O. , , v il 1 -A P.~ - I to STORY OF THE MORNING STAR, igb~ (bilbrcn's Miionapciru bol. BY REV. HIRAM BINGHAM, JR., MISSIONARY TO MICRONESIA. BOSTON(): PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN BOARD. MISSIONARY HOUSE, 33 PEMBERTON SQUARE. 1866. I Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866, by THE A-IERICAN IBOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FOR FOREIGN MIISSIONS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the District of Massachusetts ' t I._ iS t RIVERSIDE, CAMBRIDGE: STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BY H. 0. HOUGHTON AND COMPANY r 'r , -L I ,4 ,F: "I 4, 41; I TO THOSE WHO BUILT THE FIRST MORNING STAR, TO THOSE WHO WISH TO BUILD ANOTHER. MIY DEAIR YOUXG FRIENDS,-You have all heard of the mis sionary V-essel that was sent to the Pacific Ocean in 1856; not a few of you took stock in her. Perhaps you have read about her in the "iMissionary Herald," the "Journal of Missions," the "Youth's Day spring," the "Friend," or in a book written by Mrs. Warren. Well, thelittle craft has been sold. She was ahnlmost worn out; and it was thought better to build a new vessel than to repair the old one. As I was the first missionary that went to sea in her, and have known her ever since, the Secretaries of the American Board a few weeks ago requested me to write a short story about her, in order that you may see how much good she has done, and so be all the more glad to aid in building another Jlorning Star to take her place. From the shortness of the time allowed me, to say nothing of ln: imperfect health, I should have been unequal to the task, had I lnot received much assistance from others. A great deal of this I have had from one who has known the JIorniny Star as long as 1 hi.ve, and has been my companion in nearly all my voyagings in her; and I take pleasure also in saying that kind friends at the Missionary House have, by their valued suggestions and criticisms, and in other ways. added not a little to the interest which this " Story of the Moridng Star " may be thought to possess. Such as it is I offer it to you. Anid my prayer is that it may lead you to pity the heathen more deeply than ever. May I not hope that you will think more of that love, so great, so free, which has made it possible for them, as well as for you and me, to see the Lord Jesus in his Heavenly kingdom! II. B., JIM. Missionary House, May 19td, 1866. 0 .,q AND 'Y ,4 0 I -1 EXPLANATORY NOTE. THOSE who desire to pronounce the native words found in the following pages as they are pronounced in the Pacific, will please to remember that a is generally like a in father. e is " " a in late. i is " " i in ravine. o is, " o in note. u is " oo in pool. ai is " " i in fine. au is " - "ow in now. n is " "ng in sing. As the names of certain islands will occur very frequently, I will add that, Ponape is to be pronounced nearly as if written Po'-nah-pa.* Kusaie " " Koo-syt-a.* Ebon " " A-b6ne. Apaiany " " Ap-py-hhng. Tarawa " " Tar'-rah-wah. Please to notice the marks which show where the accent is to be placed. * The final a in these two words, as also A in A-bone, has the sound of a in late. ol. *c . 04 'IL -4" ik CONTENTS. o CHAPTER I. THE LAN'DS THE MORNING STAR WAS TO VISIT CHAPTER II. THE PEOPLE SHE WVAS TO VISIT. CHAPTER III. WNHAT IIAD BEEN DONE BEFORE HER VISIT. E0 ~ CHAPTER IV. WHY SHE WVAS NEEDED. CHAPTER V. HER VOYAGE AROUND CAPE HORN CHAPTER VI. SHE VISITS THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS. CHAPTER VII. SHE SETS OUT FOR MICRONESIA CHAPTER VIII. HER V'ISIT TO KUSAIE. CHAPTER IX. HER VISIT TO PONAPE... CHAPTER X. HER VISIT TO APAIANG... CHAPTER XI. PAGE . 7 *. 11 . 14 . 20 . 22 . 25 . 28 *. 33 . 35 . 39 . 42 HER VISIT TO EBON. l I # —,I I" N 04 - Ar " PI ol ol Jr I 'r ,- -4 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XII. PAGE . 45 WAITING FOR THE MORNING STAR. CHAPTER XIII. CHAPTER XIV. HER YEARLY VISITS ().IE THINGS SHE BROUGHT, AND HOW WE USED THEM. 55 CHAPTER XV. MItRONESIANS WHO SAILED IN HER CHAPTER XVI. HER LAST VISIT TO THE MIARQUESAS ISLANDS CHAPTER XVII. HER L,AST VISIT TO MICRONESIA.. CHAPTER XVIII. ILLUSTRATIONS. CONCLUSION THE 3IORNING STAR THE EVENING STAR.. THE M3ORNING STAR OFF EBON MAP OF EASTERN MICRONESIA GILBERT ISLAND IANEABA WELCOME OF THE MORNING STAR, A MARSHALL ISLANDER. MISSION STATION AT APAIANG GILBERT ISLAND WARRIORS SUNDAY MORNING ON APAIANG MR. SNOW'S DEPARTURE FROM KUSAIE. vi IC 'A 52 I11 60 -A - 64' . 67 w 0 . 69. 4-1 Front Cove2, Back Covei, Title-Page .. 9 .. 17 .. 29 .. 31 .. 41 .. 47 .. 51 .. 63 -4 t STORY OF THE MORNING STAtR. CHAPTER I. TIIE LANDS SHE WAS TO VISIT. WHEN Balboa, in 1513, first looked( upon the mighty Pacific from a mountain-top on the Isthmus of Panama, and called it the South Sea, how little did he kniow of the thousands of islands which studded its placid bosom, stretching ten thousand miles towards the setting sun! No Captain Cook, or Marshall, or Gilbert, or any one else, had described themn, or even seen them. Now, howvever, enough could be told about them to fill many large books. On one of them I was born; and as you speak of America as your native land, so I sometimes speak of the Pacific as my birthplace and childhlood- home. There too was the field of my labors as a missionary, and there the Horning Star has been going about on her errands of love. The Pacific is so large that people who make geographies have divided it into several portions. One they call Polynesia, which means "many islands; " and another they call Micronesia, which means "little islands." In both divisions we find some high islands; but many are mere coral reefs. The Ladrone and some of the Caroline Islands are high; but the Gilbert and Marshall Islands are all low. One of the missionaries has beautifully described this island world, by saying, I -$ Of If 8 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. " The whole is studded with ocean gems, as if the nirror of the starry sky above it." Come with mne, wlile I take you to those parts of the Pacific which your little vessel has visited. We will start from New York, in a steamer, for Aspinwall on the Isthmus of Panama. This we can reach in eight days; and there we will take the cars across the Isthmus, passing not far from the mountain where Bal boa first saw the Pacific. By steamer we shall reach San Francisco in thirteen days. Thence we will go in a sailing vessel toward the southwest. With a good wind, we shall have sailed more than twenty-five hundred miles in ten or twelve days, and shall have reached the high, volcanic island of Hawaii. Now let us imagine that from the top of Mauna Kea, (nearly three miles high,) which I once tried to reach, but did not, we are looking off far toward the south. If the world was flat, and we had eyes sharp enough, we should see the Marquesas Islands, about two thousand miles distant, high, rugged, volcanic. Looking off toward the southwest, we should see the Micronesian Islands, the nearest of which are more than two thousand miles away, and the farthest more than four thousand. Let us dwell upon this beautiful sight. Some of these islands, you see, are clustered together in groups; while some may be called " lone isles of the sea." Some of them are volcanic; and by this we mean that they have been made by the lava which is thrown up by volcanoes in the sea. These are generally covered with forests; and on them you would find, if you could go there, lovely valleys, babbling brooks, birds of bright plumage and sweet song. You would also find tre(s that yield figs, limes, oranges, bread-fruit, bananas, and guavas. Pine-apples, melons, yams, and sweet potatoes, you would expect to see, of course, in great abundance. -A 14 I., "A r I -A 4 .0 4-,; ' 0 —. c'-...< %ifs -A I t~ ~ ~ p.~ C', .J :,it * - * g ) m OqROL A A,' i { ~ (D-: r~ 2~ ~i C'.g ~~ @,' <' ~t (Gk Sv4 INE.jil 0o, -.o% ~-._ nl t n, - u .. p. I O 7 , < ^e' ,/. / ) ?. O' 0 Q ' l-t 2 .e *t\ , STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. The larger part of the islands of Micronesia are low coral islands; and they have all been built up by animnals. These little creatures began their work, if such it may be called, on the side of some island, high, low, or sub merged, not more than one hundred and twenty feet below the surface of the sea. And when the foundation upon which they were building, sunk slowly down ink the deep water, (for all these islands are believed to have sunk,) the patient workers kept right on, striving to reach the surface, till at last they gained the victory. The dry land, if any, had disappeared; the fruit of their labor alone remained! What a monument to the industry and skill of these wonderful architects! EveiyTwhere in Micronesia, therefore, you will find coral islands, mlost of them with a great lake or lagoon in the centre, so that you might call them "hollow islands." These central lakes are generally connected with t~e ocean by one or more ship-channels. In the largest of these all the navies of the world might anchor with perfect safety. The rimls of land which surround the lagoons are very narrow; so that you might run across them in three or four minutes. The soil is poor, and often very barren. There are no springs, no running styeams, no hills; and there are but few land-birds and few flowers. Cattle, sheep, and goats can live there but a short time; but, strange to say, multitudes of human beings have their homies there. Alas, in what darkness "The immense Pacific smiles, Routnd ten thousand little isles LHItunts of violence and wiles." -4A .r4 -4 4 t,4 y-, (, 1 7 .,A ,-4 I* .0 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. CHAPTER IIH. THE PEOPLE SHE WAS TO VISIT. I HAVE told you of the regions to which the Morninyg Star was bound. It is time to speak of the people to whom she was going; for men are worth a great deal more than the lands in which they live. You have all heard about the Sandwich Islanders, or Hawaiians,- how they cast away their idols, and how they became a Christian nation in less than thirty years air the first missionaries (of whom my father was one) went among them. The Marquesas Islanders are much like the Hawaiians in looks and language; and before the latter received the Gospel their religion was much the same. In one respect, however, they were very different. Few of the latter were ever cannibals, while the former were universally so. Dr. Gulick places the Marquesans among the "more sprightly and intelligent of the Polynesian tribes." "Their free democracy from earliest days, fostered by their se questered valleys," he says, "has been the great outer obstacle to the Gospel; but it has given them an inde pendence, and a certain firmness of character, which renders them less impressible to foreign motives and in fluences, and has given a subsoil to cultivate, from which we may hope for growths of some permanence. We see this in those who have been converted. The mien and conversation of several of them is that of men convinced, and ready to stand by their convictions, even in the face of the scoffer from foreign lands." The people of the different groups of Micronesia have I I k. 0 All, p A 12 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. some things in common; but in other things they differ greatly. They are much alike in color; they are some what alike in looks, in religion, in manners, and customis. The Gilbert and Marshall Islanders are of the usual size; the Strong's Islanders (Kusaieans) are rather smaller. Mr. Damon says that the Marshall Islanders are "unmistak ably of Japanese extraction," and the Gilbert Islanders "nost strikingly like the Hawaiians." If you would paint one of the Micronesians, you must give him a dark skin,- here copper, there olive; you must make his hair straight and black; you must make his eyes black also; and you must be sure not to forget the "tattoo" marks on his body, of which he is so very proud. The people of one group cannot understand the language of another; but the missionaries find that many words are common to all the groups. It sometimes happens that the men living on these islands are drifted away in their canons to a great distance; but they soon learn to converse in any new tongue which they have occasion to use. You know, of course, that before the missionaries visited them they had no books; neither could they read or write, so dark were their minds; but, alas, their hearts were darker still! The unconverted Micronesians are all liars. The fathers lie, the mothers lie, and the children lie. Indeed, they seem just as ready to deceive as to speak the truth. They are much disposed to steal, moreover. They steal from one another, from the ships which visit them, and frequently from missionaries who live among them. In their way they are very covetous. They know very little about nice houses, railroads, bank-stocks, fine horses, and fine clothes; but they are greedy of fishhooks, tobacco, planeirons, large knives, scented oils, and beads. They often treat their women with great cruelty, beating them, stabbing them, making slaves of them. The little children, for the most part, have much kindness shown to them; but I am sorry to say that they do not honor their fathers el -,- 4 A 4 It' la I "( STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. and their mothers. And I will add that very little respect is paid to old people. They generally treat strangers kindly, offering food and drink to those who call on them. None of the Micronesians are cannibals; but they are very passionate and revengeful. Hence they are much given to fighting and killing one another. A great many murders are committed every year. The'Micronesians can hardly be called idolaters; tlft is, they do not bow "down to wood and stone;" but they are heathen nevertheless, and they worship false gods. I think we might call them "spiritualists." They believe there are a great many spirits which have to do with them. They set up stones in honor of themn, (see one of these stones in the extreme left of the picture opposite page 16,) and often make offerings of food to them; for they are much afraid of them. Some persons profess to hold in terourse with these spirits. In the Gilbert Islands the priests decide that a spirit is present, not by his knocking, as some people in Amierica do, but by his whistling. They have many superstitions which it would take a whole book to describe; but I have said enough to give you some idea of the tribes which the Morning Star was to visit. I have said enough to show you that the Micronesians were poor heathen, needing the Bible to tell them that Jesus had died to save them as well as us. You see that such people could not be happy in heaven. The blood that cleanseth from all sin, must be sprinkled upon them before they can be admitted to that holy place. 13 -10 14 t STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. CHAPTER III. WHAT HAD BEEN DONE BEFORE HER VISIT. I HAVE told you what kind of people the Micronesians were; and I have shown you how much they needed the Bible. Now let us see what Christians had done to give them the Gospel before the children sent the,Morning Star to them. Of what had been done for the Marquesans I will speak in another place. When the Hawaiians became a Christian people, not a few of them were willing to carry the Gospel to others who were ignorant of it, as they themselves had bee*; and the missionaries were glad to have them do this, in order that the churches to which they belonged might take a more active part in the salvation of the world, and receive a better training for all good works at home. They could not well go to China, or India, or Japan; for those countries were far off, and their languages were hard to learn. The islands of which we have been speaking were very small, it is true; but they were much nearer, and the people were more like themselves, in manners, and habits, and ways of living. To these, therefore, it was decided that some of them should be sent, and with themn a few Americans, to cheer and counsel them, to translate the Scriptures, and to prepare books. For this purpose three men, Mr. Snow, Dr. Gulick, Mr. Sturges, and their wives, sailed from the United States for Micronesia, the two former in 1851, and the latter early in 1852. They went first to the Sandwich Islands. While they were there, two Hawaiians, Kaaikaula and Opunui, with their wives, Debora and Doreka, were selected to accompany them to Micronesia. 4 4' I* ,, *A -T -4' 41 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. But how should they get to their field of labor? There were no ships going back and forth between the Sandwich Islands and any of the groups of Micronesia. It seemed best, therefore, to buy a small schooner, which light take them there, and carry supplies to them afterwards. Her name was the Caroline; and in Jutly, 1852, these five men and their wives set sail for their future home. 5ir. Clark, one of the older missionaries at te Sandwich Islands, and Kekela, pastor of a church on Oahu, went to help them in getting a foothold, after which they were to return again. That you may know more about this Kekela, I will say that he was educated (as I was in part) by the kindness of a Boston merchant, once an officer of the brig Thaddeus, which took the first missionaries to the Sandwich Islands. He has been for many years, and is now, a missionary to the Marquesas Islands. Just before he salted in the Caroline, he made a public address, which will give you some idea of the man. "I am a native of these islands," he said. " My parents were idolaters, and I was born in times of darkness. A short time ago all our people were heathen; they worshipped a great variety of gods; they were engaged in war; they were addicted to stealing and robbery). Man and wife did not live together and eat together, as now; they took no care of their children.... But a great light has arisen over us.... The Bible has driven away our darkness, overturned our heathenish customs, and caused a great improvement in our condition. Because the Word of God has been given us in our own language, we have learned to read; and all the people have learned to read it, old and young. It has been scattered all over the land, and taught all the people to do right. Therefore the people live peaceably; parents take some care of their children; the Sabbath is observed; the laws are regarded, and all dwell securely.... What, then, is more reasonable than that we Hawaiians should extend to other 1 5 4 16 STORY OF THE MORNING STARZ. nations in this ocean the blessings of the Gospel? Those tribes are now what we were a short time ago,- degraded, wretched idolaters. Shall we not have pity on them, as the people of God in the United States have had pity on us?" The Caroline touched first at Butaritari, or Pitt's Island, in the Gilbert group. On going ashore, the missionaries viesited the maneaba, (large council-house.) Learning that there were just such buildings on other islands, they could not help remarking to each other,-" Here are houses for public Christian worship already erected, waiting for those who shall proclaim the word of life." Not that the people had any such thought; but God's ways are not as our ways. How well they were adapted to such a use, you will learn from the picture on the opposite page. You have before you an immense roof, resting upon large coral stones, some three feet firom the ground, neatly thatched with the pandanus leaf:. But though there were a great many people on this island, as also on other islands of this group, the missionaries were not ready to leave any of their number there. And so they passed on, some six hundred miles, to Strong's Island, or, as the natives call it, Kusaie, a perfect "gem of the sea," of which I shall say more hereafter. Here they decided to leave Mr. Snow and Opunui. These brethren were very kindly received by the highest chief of the island, who was called King George. He could speak a little English, and so could some of his people. The missionaries were surprised at this, when they remembered how seldom the Kusaieans had seen either Americans or Englishmen. Let me give you a specimen of King George's English. He was telling the missionaries how he had forbidden the making of intoxicating drinks and this is what he said( "Plenty white men speak me,'Very good, tap cocoa-nuttree; get toddy.' Me say,' No; no good.' Plenty men get drunk on shore; too much row; me like all quiet. 4 4 4 10 ",of " l 7 _.. V I t z -t _z i I -W 18 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. No tap cocoa-nut-tree on Strong's Island.'" I am sure "oi will say that King George was a wise ruler, even though you may think his English somewhat rough and jagged. And he deserves this testimony also, that he was always kind to Mr. and Mrs. Snow andi their conm panions, He hlad promised to be " all samne father" to them, and he kept his word. They were very sorry when he died(; but they hoped that he was prepared for thee better homie." His dying charge to his son and the other chiefs was, "Take good care of the missionaries." After the visit of the Carolitoe to Strong's Island, she wenlt some three lhundlre(l miles farther west to Ascen sion Island, or, as the natives call it, Ponape. This is one of the largest islands in Micronesia. It is high and very fertile; and the inhabitants at that time wvere supposed to be about ten thousand. The missionaries had been afraid that they mighiit not be able to land; but the -wa- w as open, an(l Mr. Sturges, Dr. Guli*-, Kaaikaula, and( their wvives, commenced their work inmediately on that dark shore. In 185o5 Mr. Doane and Kamakahiki, with their wiv es, sailed from Honolulu in a whale-ship, to join the miission onil Ponape. The samle 3ear Dr. and Mris. Pierson, from the United States, reached Honolulut on their w-av to KIusaie. They did not know when or how tihey could a-et there froim the Sandwich Islands; but (God( had pros ided a way. The barique Belle was soon to cruise near that island, and the captain kindly consented to take them on board. Kanoa and his wife Kaholo, )both of them Hawaiians, went with them. But I imust tell you more of this barque Belle; for it was she that prepared the way for sending the Gospel to the low islands of Micronesia. She touched at several of the Gilbert Islands; and in this way Dr. Pierson aid Kanoa were able to learn much about them. They foulnd that a great many people lived there, although the soil would not produce garden vegetables "I Alk STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. and Dr. Pierson thought that missionaries might live there too. "They are the last persons," he said, "to choose a field because it is easy." Both he and Mrs. Pierson were willing, therefore, to return, and occupy one of them in the name of the Lord Jesus. The Belle next proceeded to the Marshall Islands; and there Dr. Pierson became acquainted with a leadin, chief, called Kaibuke, and with his sister, Nemair. No white men were then living in that group; and'as thlis chief had promised to take care of him, if he would live there, he felt that it might be his duty to do so. " To us," he said, " the field seems exceedingly inviting; and we dloubt not it will prove so to any one who may be allowed the privilege of teaching this people the way of life." The Belle arrived at Kusaie on the 6th of October, 1855; and Dr. Pierson began to labor there, hoping, Nevertheless, to return to the Marshall Islanders at an early day. Next April a fleet of canoes which had gone a(lrift, with many of these very people on board, reached Kusaie, and with them he became w ell acquainted. After a few months, they set out for their homies, d(is tant some three hundred miles; but Dr. Pierson did not think it safe to go with them in their frail barks, fastened together, not with iron, but with cocoa-nut cord, and using mats for sails. He chose, rather, to wait for a safer conveyance. Thus were the isles wait ilg, for the law of the Lord, ' the powers of darkness yield, For the Cross is in the field, And the light of life revealed." 19 20 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. CHAPTER IV. WHY SHE WAS NEEDED. SHE Caroline, which took out the first missionaries to Micronesia, was soon sold for lack of money to sail her. This was a sad blow to them; for they all felt that they needed a v essel of their own. Whale-ships, it is true, touched at their islands now and then; not so. however, as to be depended on. If you had been with them, you would have felt just as they (lid(l. Let me tell you why. A missionary packet would bring tlhemn tidlings from their i ative land. Mr. Snow's mother died, and f was two years before he heard of it! How, think you, could the missionaries have lived through our terrible war, if they had been obliged to wait two years for the news"? Such a vessel would supply them with proper food. They needed salt meat, flour, rice, sugar, and( other articles which you have in your pleasant homes. Before the Morning Star was built, they suffered very much for the want of these things. Such a vessel would give the sick the benefit of a sea-voyage. Before the children had built the 3Iorning Star, Dr. Gulick wrote home from Ponape, concerning his wife, - " Her health is gradually failing. She minuch needs more exercise and relaxation than I can give her here. Were it possible, I should wish her to go to the Sandwich Islands for a time." Such a vessel would be a protection to the missionaries. There are a great many bad men in the Pacific; and if they should get the idea that nobody cared( for one .4. r W ,4; I'A I, .- IC VIC I I STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. of these servants of Christ, they might rob him or kill him. But the Jlorning Star has told them that thou sands of good people, far away, are looking after his welfare. WTith such a vessel they could preach ChIrist more freely to the Micronesians. They could go from island to island, where no white man had ever been; so that the first words fromn strange lips should be of "the great L salvation." Mr. Doane said, before the Morning Ttar _ was sent to Micronesia, that he felt very much as if' li he were in sight of a wrecked sailor on a huge rock, around which the angry sea was dashing furiously, , u tterly unable to reach him! He seemed to see the peo ple beckoning to him to give them the Bible, and yet lie could not do it. Let me show you just how the case stood in 1855. The Caroline, in taking missionaries to Kusaie and Ponape, had passed the Gilbert Islands on the left, where there were some 30,000 or 40,000 heathen, and the Marshall Islands on the right, where there were at least 10,000. She touched, as we have seen, for a few days at Btitaritari, one of the imost northerly of the Gilbert Islands. The missionaries pitied these poor heathen very much; and they hoped that the Gos pel would some day be preached to them. Hawaiian missionaries might easily be found who could live on these coral rims; and we lIave seen that there were American missionaries who would be glad to labor there. What should be done? Should these Marshall and Gilbert Islanders be left, as they had been for so many ages, to live and die withlout hearing about their Sav ioui'? If not, somebody must go and live among them. It was decided to state the case to the children in America, and to ask them to build a missionary vessel. The "little folks" were all ready; and in three months from the laying of the keel, the,Iorning Star was in trimi for her long voyage roundi Cape Horn 21 22 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. r CHAPTER V. HER VOYAGE AROUD CAPE HORN. Ok- the evening of November 30th, 1856, a farewell meeting was held in Park Street Church, Boston, at which Captain Moore and his crew were present. Both he and myself were to receive our "instructions," as to where we were to go, and what we were to do. The house was crowded with the friends of the little vessel, who wished to hear what would be said to us. The fuist day of winter was col(l; but many Christian friends met on board our missionary packet, to bid her an* her company " God speed!" It was not, however, till the next day that she spread her white sails for the long voy ag,e..(See the cover.) With deep interest we watched the forms of loved ones, as they stood on the wharves, seindcing after us their best wishes. When should we see their faces again? Though it was a tender hour, it was a happy one. We thought it a great privilege to be per miitted to go to the heathen in such a vessel. Oh, how many prayers were offered by Jesus' little lambs for her preservation! We sailed beautifully out of Boston harbor; but, not long after, a dreadful storm came upon us. The YIorning Statr was forced to anchor under the lee of Cape Cod(l, off Provincetown; and so were two other vessels, one on each side of her. The wind shifted during the night; and the next morning we saw our two neighbors high up on the shore, amid the breakers. But God had taken care of us, and the AlIorniiig Star held fast, and was all safe! There we lay for three days, till a steamer from 4 -I . , - 4 I r STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. Boston came to our assistance; and, having towed us around the Cape, she left us to go on our way over the stormy Atlantic. When we reached the South Atlantic, we found that our fore-yard was sprung; and so we put into Rio Janeiro for repairs. The harbor was very beautiful, and we en joyed the visit, to which the nice oranges and bananas added not a little. On the 24th of February, we passed Cape Horn, where we encountered another severe gale. But God helped us, and in a few days we had passed the stormy Cape, where vessels are often detained for weeks. Soon after entering the Pacific, we felt that the Holy Spirit was with us; and ere we reached the Sandwich Isl ands, we hoped that some of our company had given their hearts to the Saviour. Our carpenter had been very pro fie during the early part of the voyage, and, when reasoned with, he thought he could not help swearing. But when he determined to become a Christian, he strove hard and successfully against this great sin. Sometimes he would haul in a rope that might be accidentally dragging in the sea, without being told to do it. And when some of his companions wondered at this, he replied that the vessel belonged to Jesus, and he wished to help take care of it, even if he was not commanded by the officer to do what he knew he ought to do. It made us happy to think that God had blessed the little vessel on her first voyage. On the 20th of April, 1857, we had our first view of the snow-capped mountains of Hawaii, distant more than a hundred miles. The sunrise was beautiful, the clouds being tinged with a gorgeous crimson, and everything seemed to be in harmony with the feelings of joy which we experienced, when, at about six o'clock, as I was sweeping the western horizon with my glass, the majestic Mauna Kea was distinctly seen! Many hours did we spend that day on deck, awed by the stupendous pile which, so far away from us, was piercing the clouds. 23 24 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. We passed Hawaii on our left; and the next morning we had Maui and Molokai in full view. As we coasted along the shore of the latter, we were charmed with the numerous cascades which rushed down the rocky precipices near the sea. I shall not soon forget the first sight of Oahu, the island of my birth, with its rugged mountains, cocoa-nut grives, little villages, and, last of all, the beautiful harbor of Honolulu. Many years had rolled away since I had left it, then a mnere boy. As we neared the land, a small schooner passed us, and( her captain, standing upon her rail, shouted, " Welcomle to the 21orning Star!" And then from the crowd of natives on her deck there went up a round of cheers, which seemed to come from full Ihearts. These people were very glad to see the Morning Star, of which they had heard so much, and toward the building of which many of their children had given their money. The captain who welcomed us was a brother of Dr. Gulick, of Micronesia; and he is now the principal of a Girls' BoardingSchool at Waialua, Oahu. He came on board with Mr. Bond, and the watermelon, cocoa-nuts, potatoes, sweet and Irish, which they gave us, were a great luxury, after we had been so many months upon the deep. We had not been long at Honolulu, when the good people wished to give the Morning Star a new flag. At the time it was presented, thousands assembled near the vessel on the wharf; speeches were made, songs were sung, and great joy was expressed in what the children had done. Amid the shouts of the people, the new flag was hoisted to the mast-head by Captain Moore. -A 4 T' -q I, V"' tk-l i' STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. CHAPTER VI. SHE VISITS THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS. THE JlIoroing Star was first sent to the Marquesas Islands, to relieve the wants of the Hawaiian missionaries who were living there. Many years before, English mnis sionaries made some effort to carry the Gospel to the Marquesans; afterwards American missionaries renewed the attempt; but none of them saw fit to remain per manently. In1853 a chief of one of these islands, Matunui, came to the Sandwich Islands in a whale-ship, with his son-in law, who was a Hawaiian, to ask for missionaries. Chris4' tians felt that this was a Macedonian cry; and soon they sent back with him four Hawaiian missionaries and their wives. The names of the men were Kekela, Kauwealoha, Kuaihelani, and Kaiwi. Mr. Bicknell, an Englishman, also went with them, hoping that he might assist them. The people of Fatuhiva, where Matunui lived, seemed very glad to see him again. But only five days after they had landed, a French brig anchored there, bringing a Catholic priest. He demanded of Matunui and the other chiefs that these missionaries should be sent away, saying that the Marquesas Islands belonged to the French. One of the chiefs replied, "No; the land is not yours. It belongs to this people; and there never was a French man born on Fatuhiva; and these teachers must not be sent back." So the Hawaiians were not sent away; and they were very glad, you may be sure, to remain. Matu nui, however, did not always treat them kindly. . In 1856 a vessel was chartered at Honolulu to visit 25 -7 tt 26 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. them, and Dr. Lowell Smith was sent to inquire of their welfare. On his return to the Sandwich Islands, he gave an account of his visit. " I found our friends," he said, "all in usual health, cheerful and happy in their work; but they had been obliged, for several months, to look a little too much on the'shady side.'" You will ask, lerhaps, " What was this' shady side."'? I will let Dr. Smith tell you: "Brother Bicknell had sold his handsaws, plane-irons, chisels, hatchets, and adze, and one or two razors, in exchange for food. And the native missionaries had parted with most of their knives and forks and spoons, for the same purpose. They said that they would soon have been obliged to part with their clothes, if their supplies had not come to hand." I am sure that you will consider these Hawaiians worthy of being fed and clothed, when you read what Dr. Smith says of them: "The apparent respect and confidence with whicl the natives daily called upon them for favors or advice, reminded me of what has occurred around my own door for the last twenty years." It was the privilege of Dr. Smith to welcome Natua, the " first-fruits" of the mission, to the Church of Christ, giving him the baptismal name of Abraham, because he was the "father of the faithful" among the 5Iarquesans. Let me tell you a pleasant story of this good man. In 1858 a whale-ship visited his island; and, being on board of her, he was invited to sit at the cabin-table. But not a morsel of food would he taste, till he had asked a blessing. He tried to speak in English, and said: " O Great Fader! Got no fader; got no moder; got no broder; got no sister! Make first the sea; make first the dry land; make first the moon and stars; make first the trees; then He make man. And now, Great Fader, give man his belly-full. Amen!" You may smile when you read this simple prayer. But you remember, do you not, those sweet words of the Saviour, "She hath done what she could"? And Natua r ( f I I I STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. did what Aie could. What a sublime conception of God did he express! Pardon the poor man's English, because of his great thoughts. My young friends are glad, I do not doubt, that the Mflorniog Star could go to visit these good missionaries the next year, before they should be too much in want. She took out two other Hawaiian laborers, Kaukau and hb wife, to help them; and on her return she brought Mr. Bicknell to Honolulu, to superintend the printing of the Gospel of John and other books. On her way back, she touched at Hilo, on the island of Hawaii, where Mr. Coan lives, who was for so many years pastor of the largest church in the world. Some of you may remember the letter which he wrote at that timne. Here is a part of it: "The morning of the 7th of July dawned gloriously on Hawaii. The mountains were throw ing off their night-robes, and adorning themselves in the ,ight drapery of the dawn; the fields were slowly unveil ing their peerless beauty; the ocean began to reflect the first tinges of morning light, when suddenly the sound, 'Hokuao! (Morning Star!) Hokuao!' broke our sium bers!'Hokuao! Hokuao!' echoed and reechoed from every headland and hill, and rolled back from every val ley along our coast; and multitudes of children waked, and ran, and shouted, and caught the'flying joy.' All Hilo was active. Away in the eastern horizon floated that beauteous Star of Hope, while Venus, like an angel's eye, looked down upon her from the vault of heaven. Then we felt that our prayers had been heard, and re alized that the sleepless eye of Him who proclaims Hinm self'the Bright and Morning Star,' was also looking down upon that little consecrated bark. And while our spirit ual organs seemed to catch the notes of the celestial anthem, as' the morning stars sang together,' our bodily ears did hear many voices of the'sons of God,' as they ' shouted for joy.'" 27 28 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. CHAPTER VII. SHE SETS OUT FOR MICRONESIA. BY the 7th of August the Morning Star was ready to start for Micronesia. A farewell meeting was held on board; missionaries, foreigners, and natives crowding her deck. We were commended to the kind care of our heavenly Father, with prayer, both in English and Hawaiian; the" Missionary Hymn" was sung; the benediction was pronounced; the moorings of your little vessel were cast off, and our long voyage of more than twentyethousan(l miles was resumed, after a pleasant visit of three months, among a people so recently converted from heathenism. We touched twice at Kauai, one of the Hawaiian Islands, and held pleasant meetings on shore. All were delighted to see us, and to contribute something for our comfort. But this last of Christian lands that we were to see for many years, faded at length in the distance. And yet, as we were wafted farther and farther from the friends we loved, our joy only increased; for we thought, " Soon we shall be proclaiming the love of Christ to those who are sitting in darkness." After we had been fourteen days without the sight of land, the good chronometer which the Sunday-School children of Essex Street Church, Boston, had given to the lMorning Star, told us that we were nearing Uderik, one of the Marshall Islands. Oh, how eager I was to catch my first glimpse of a Micronesian island! And do you not think that I was very happy to be the first one to see the cocoa-nut tree tops just rising out of the ocean? With 0 A o,; WELCOME OF THE MORNING STAR. N t 9 4 ol 1 30 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. a burst of joy I shouted, "Land ho! " And instantly the word was taken up by almost all on board, till the fishes around us might have wondered at a sound so new and strange. We passed near enough to see with the naked eye several specks upon the beach. These, the spy-glass showed us, were human beings. Gladly would we have stopped to tell them of our errand; but we were obliged to pass them by; and even to this day no missionary has landed there. Poor people! Do you not pity them? Perhaps the new vessel will bear the "glad tidings" to them. Two days later we passed so near Mentchikoff Island that we could see the men, women, and children upon the beach. Some of them waved their mats to us, and we in turn waved our handkerchiefs to them. You will find a picture, illustrating this first welcome of the ilIorning Star by the heathen of Micronesia, on the preceding paged. It was not long before several of them pushe(l off in *a proa to visit us. They were strange-looking men; and the strangest thing about them was the pair of ear-rings which they wore. Only think of having a hole in the lower part of one's ear, large enough to put a man's arm through! Just look at the picture of the -Marshall Islander on the opposite page, and you will see what I mean. The narrow strip around the tortoise-shell ear-ring,, is a part of the ear itself. The large hole has been made by constant stretching. When the ear-rings are taken out, they often hang it up; in other words, they put the lower part of the ear on the top of the ear. The long hair is firmly tied in a knot on the back of the head, which is sometimes adorned with white lilies and a coronet of shells, curiously wrought. You see that this man is carefully tattooed. One of the men who came off to us, asked for a knife and tobacco, the latter of which the Morning Star had 11r IL 4' I I I f . f 4 4c AMARSITALL ISLANDER. I I I- 0 r, 32 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. not for sale. He offered in return mother-of-pearl fishhooks, nicely contrived and neatly finished, a few cocoanuts, and several broken sea-shells. Not long after this we were visited by another man, who came off to us in a canoe just large enough to carry himself It was so frail, so old, so leaky, that it seemed is if e very wave would swamp it. He had to keep bailing it all the while, by means of a skilfully contrived scoop, w i t h lwhic h h e tossed out the water with great ease and rapidity. I held up to him a file, a jews-harp, and a letter, which I had written at the suggestion of Captain Moore. It read much as follows: MORNING STAR, Aue. 29, 1857. S. G. Moore, Captain. To the Inhabitants of AI3eitchikoff Island: Glad tidings! "Glory to God in the highest place on earth; good-will toward men." "God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, might not perish, but have everlasting life." We hope soon to bring you the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and some of His missionaries to teach you. Very truly yours, HIRAM BINGHAM, Jr., 3issionary to Micronesia. P.S.- We left Honolulu August 7th, and are bound for Strong's Island. This man came near enough to take these articles from my hands. The file, however, slipped from him, and he instantly dove after it; but it outstripped him in its bottom-ward flight. and he returned without it. The letter, which he still held in his hand, was completely drenched; but he laid it with care upon the little platform between the canoe and its outrigger. I gave him another file; and Captain Moore gave him some fish hooks and hard bread. r I , i i-, STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. After this friendly interview with these natives, we squared our yards for Kusaie, and soon left them astern. Perhaps some of my young friends will ask whether the Marshall Islanders could read the letter which Is had -written them, and which I may call my first sermon to the Micronesians. We did not suppose that they could; but wve hoped that they would one day show it to some whim man, who could tell them of the "glad tidings" whichl it contained. CHAPTER VIII. HER VISIT TO KUSAIFE. * THOUGH it was only three hundred and fifty miles from Mentchikoff Island to Kusaie, we were ten days in making the passage, owing to head-winds and calms Much of Micronesia is in the "doldrums," as the sailors call the low latitudes; and often, while passing from one island to another, our patience is sorely tried by fitful breezes, ocean-currents, and the torrid sun. On the 8th of September we dropped anchor in one of the beautiful harbors of Kusaie. What a feast to our weary eyes was this gem of the Pacific, - so green, so romantic, so lovely! All about us there rose abruptly hills and mountains, covered to their very summits with the densest verdure. Beneath cocoa-nut and bread-fruit and banana and banyan trees nestled the picturesque dwellings of the natives. Here and there a light canoe passed rapidly along, bearing the rich, spontaneous fruits which had only to be gathered as they were needed. Snow-white birds sailed gracefully along, at a dizzy height, toward the dark mountain-sides. On a lovely islet, which the missionaries called "Dove 33 i t 14 34 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. Island," stood the cottage of Mr. Snow; and not far off were the houses of Dr. Pierson and Kanoa. Oh, how beautiful was this secluded spot! It might have beer called a fairy scene. We could not help thinking of th e words, " Where every prospect pleases." Too soon, however, we felt the force of those other words, - "Anld only man is vile." A house was pointed out to us, where a few white men and several natives of Rotuma had been for many days blockaded by the Kusaieans. Some of them had designed to kill the king and take the island; and the missionaries had good reason to believe that these reckless men had wished to destroy their lives. Buit God had mercifully preserved His servants thus far. Beore our arrival several of the insurgents had been slain? and others had taken refut,e in the house to which I have referred. You will not wonder that our brethren were very glad to see the -iorniling Star, for which they had been looking so earnestly! It was a great relief to them to have the little packet so near them, ready for any emergency. She brought a mail, moreover, that contained tidings of their friends for more than a year. We soon assembled in Mr. Snow's house to thank our heavenly Father for all his "mercy and truth." And through His gracious influence our little vessel was soon made a peacemaker. A meeting between the king and the leading insurgents was held on board of her; and it was arranged that most of them should leave the island at an early day. Four of the Rotumas we took with us to Ponape. The king declared that he wanted no white men to remain on his island, except the missionaries. He knew that the latter came, not to kill and to rule, but to I II . I i STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. preach the gospel of peace; and he felt quite willing to trust them. The missionaries were very glad to hear him express his confidence in them; and although scarcely any one had been converted during their five years of hard labor, they did not think of giving up and going elsewhere. When Mr. Snow told him of his purpose to visit Ponape for a few weeks, he seemed re luctant to let him go. We were happy, during the visit, to make the ac quaintance of Keduka, one of the earliest converts. Ir. Snow told a pleasant story about him, in con nection with Dr. Piersonl's arrival in the Belle. He was away from home on some pressing business, when he saw a vessel. He immediately left his business, and hastened to the pilot, to go with him to the ship. "Me think missionary stop board that ship," he afterward said to Mr. Snow. "Me want to go'long pilot; look quick. Me no care nothing'bout'nother ship come lefore; but me think missionary in this ship; that's what for I want go; look plenty." This man is still one of the leading Christians in the little church on Kusaie. Taking Mr. Snow and Dr. Pierson with their families, we set sail for Ponape, September 15th, to visit the missionaries there, and to hold a meeting of the Miceronesia mission, to decide what new stations should be occupied, and what men should commence thenm. CHAPTER IX. HER VISIT TO PONAPE. O-x the 23(1 of September we entered the Metalanim harbor, on the east side of Ponape, mountain-locked, like 35 36 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. the one we had just left, with surroundings less abrupt, indeed, but more grand. Here too we saw the same intense green; and on our left we beheld two picturesque water-falls, which greatly enhanced the beauty of the place. On our right, standing by itself, was the " Sugar Loaf," several hundred feet high; and were any of you &o see it, you would say at once, "It is a Sugar Loaf." All who visit this place, are struck with the extraordinary likeness. At Shalong, near this harbor, was the home of Dr. Gulick. WAVe were very glad when he came alongside of our vessel in his little boat, called the Soso. We had on board his gray-haired father; and their meeting, after a five years' separation, was truly affecting. Ponape is a much larger island than Kusaie; and there were three missionary stations on it. Word was soon sent to the other brethren that the 3]orning Star had arrived. Our friends were delighted to hear the tidings; for the food of some of them was nearly gone, and them found it hard to buy any of the natives. Indeed, they were about making their necessities a subject of special prayer; when lo I He who hath "the times and the seasolns" in His own hand, sent the missionary ship to t.em just at the right time! Missionary life on Ponape has always been one of much hardship. But those who have been sowing in tears, are now reaping in joy. Some of the trials which in early years they were subjected to, will appear in the following extracts from a letter of Mr. Doane: "Not a native boy or girl, man or woman, can we get to do anything for us. Our family work I am obliged to share with my wife; and my co-laborers do likewise. I am familiar with the kitchen and the wash-tub. All the out-door work, more over, I must do. I must go after firewood, bring it home in a small canoe, and then cut it. I must bring my own water; I must attend to the watering and feeding of my cow. I must, in short, help myself, if I would be helped. k — I II STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. And in this hot climate it requires no little energy to go forward, and do all that is needful." And yet this good brother was "not disheartened." He felt, moreover, that w his trials might help forward the work which he was do ing. " One good result at least," he wrote, " will come from all this. When the natives see us toiling thus, all wet with perspiration, all sore with toil, coats off; perhaps in the water up to the knees, they will see that we have not come here to play the gentleman." While the illorning Star lay in the harbor of MetZ lanim, a meeting was held on board of her, for the sake of {iving the missionaries at Shalong a public opportunity to testify their joy, and also to impress upon the natives the nature of the work which she was doing. Captain Moore and others made addresses, which Dr. Gulick interpreted. T he flag was exhibited, with other articles of interest, among them a large Bible. The exercises were closed by sindg,H 0 " Waft, waft, ve winds, His story," &c. From Metalanim harbor we proceeded to Mr. Doane's station, in the Jokoij tribe, on the northwest side of the island, to take on board his goods. While this was going on, the Wajai (a high chief) came to Mr. Doane's house, and commenced stoning the people, saying that our mis sionary brother was leaving them because they did not come to hear him preach on the Sabbath. He and other chiefs accompanied Mr. Doane to the Morning Star in several canoes. For a short time we endeavored to entertain them with instrumental and(i vocal music. Mr. Doane then implored God's blessing upon them, and bade them "good-bye." You will be glad to know that his labors among that tribe were not in vain. Many of the people, including this very Wajai, are now coming to Jesus. A-: From this station we proceeded to Ron Kiti, the resi dence of Mr. Sturges. In his hospitable dwelling we had ,D., IV 3S8 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. a pleasant homne for a week and more. His house stoo(l upon a high hill, surrounded with bread-fruit, cocoa-nut, and papaw trees, and overlooking the smooth sheet of water where the Alorning Stae lay safely moored. We enjoyed the few (lays which we spent on Ponapc very much. Those who dwell in Christian lands, canl hardly imagine the pleasure which missionaries derive *f roue intercourse with each other. It is "'like the pre cious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard; that went down to the skirts of his garments.' But the time soon came for our parting words. The isles were waiting for the law! It had been decided to commence new stations on the Marshall and Gilbert Islands. Although there were some five thousand people on Ponape, even after the terrible ravages made by the small-pox, it was thought best to send Dr. Pierson and Mr. Doane to the MarshalL Islands, as also Kanoa and myself to the Gilbert Islands. Some of us, therefore, must turn away from these "heavent places in Christ Jesus," and preach the "unsearchable riches" where they had not been known. And so, on the 15th of October, we set sail and en tered the Metalanim harbor again, to take on board Mrs. Gulick (with three children), who was going to the Sand wich Islands for her health. While attempting to get to sea, the Alorning Star struck on one of the thousand reefs with which these waters abound, where she thumped about for ten or fifteen minutes; but the Keeper of Israel mer cifully cared fbr us; and before night we were safely under way. Dr. Gulick then left us to return in his little boat to his "hermit-home," while we bore away for East ern Micronesia. You will not wonder that he called to mind the following words: "Thou who dost the winds control, Guide our vessel to her goal; Pour the sunshine o'er her track; Father, lead the storm-cloud back. r 4 L.-, Ik Is STORY OF THIE MORNING STAR. "Infant hopes are centred there, Infant voices raised in pray er; Infant hands have launched the bark; Safely speed thee, Gospel Ark!" CHAPTER X. HER VISIT TO APAIANG. VE touched at Wellington and McAskill Islands, an(l then at Kusaie to return Mr. and Mrs. Snow to their home, henceforth to be so lonely, in consequence of the removal of Dr. Pierson and Kanoa. With the latter were two Gilbert Islanders, a man and his wife, who had drifted( away fjpm their own group. They had taught Kanoa a tfew words of their language, which were of mnuch use to ?lim in beginning his new work. Your mnissionaiy vessel was now loaded down as mucli as she could be with safety; for she had on her decks ()esid(es much of the lumber for my little framed house which I took out from IHonolulu) poles and( posts for buildi-ig houses, as soon as possible, upon the new islands to which the other missionaries were going. Though the lloriinyg Stai sailed from Kusaie for the Gilbert Islands, she was compelled by the wind(s to pass near Ebon. Of our exciting interview with the people there, I will tell you il the next chapter. It was on the 13th of Noveminber that I climbed almost to the top of the mast, and caught the first sight of what proved to be, for so many years, our island-home. It was Apaiang, a low coral reef, some fifty miles in circumference, enclosing one of those great lagoons which I have already described. The highest parts of this reef were only a few feet above the ocean; but on these were many cocoa-nut andl pandanus trees. The lowest parts were covered with 3J 0 t 40 STORY OF TIlE MORNING STAR. water at high tide. The lagoon was about eighteen miles long, six wide, and one hundred feet deep. Thile land surrounding it did not average more than a quarter of a mile in width; but on this narrow strip, such as it was, were many villages. We landed first on an islet, belonging to the western side, where the reef is lowest. There we found a solitary old man, walking amonig the trees. He was the first Gilbert Islander to receive the missionaries, who had come to live among his people! On the 17th of Novelnber the Morning Star entered the beautiful lagoon, and came to anchor near Koinawa, the king's village, on the eastern side. Next morning the king, at our request, came on board, and, learning something of our wishes from the Gilbert Islanders with up, he seemed pleased; and, putting his hand on me and on my lumber, he pointed to the shore. I took the hint, and the very next day we began to bild. The house was twenty-four feet by sixteen, and though we took time to shingle it, much to the wonder of the niatives, in less than two weeks it had been made so comfortable as to be ready for housekeeping. We afterwards painted it white, except the blinds, which were green, and put on piazzas. We called it "Happy Home." In the picture of the station. on the opposite page, it is the largest building on the right. On the left is Kanoa's house, somewhat like it, but made chiefly of cocoa-nut wood, with pandanus thatch for roofing. The buildings from which you see smoke issuing are our kitchens. You notice that they have no chimneys, and the smoke escapes through openings in the gable-ends. Back of Kanoa's house stands a schoolhouse, which we built for the pupils of Mrs. Bingham and Kaholo. The water in the foreground is a part of the lagoon. See that poor woman dragging a canoe along the shore, in which her husband sits, leisurely smoking a pipe. The wind is ahead; but little does he care how hard she must I -4 4- A -i F7; C,r 4. 42 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. toil beneath the burning sun to tow him, as if she were a mule or donkey, to his home, somne five or six miles away. Oh, how much woman, in this Chlristian land, owes to the Gospel! A part of this picture serves to illustrate what is mentioned on page On the 2d of December, 1857, just one year from the (Lay of our departure from Boston, the Morning Star was ready to take her departure from Apaiang. And now we were to be left alone among these savages! Would they treat us kindly? Or would they steal from us, and perhaps murder us? Could we live happily among them? Should we not be very lonely? By remaining on board our little vessel, we might be carried again to dear friends. What, think you, were our thoughts in such an hour? We were glad to remain, to teach the people, and to lead them to Jesus. *And while we loved your missiopary packet, in which we had sailed( so many thousandl-riies, we would not detain her longer. Getting into my little, canoe, I paddled off to the shore, while the children's messenger of peace went her way on other errands of love. From that time forward, we were to have no Amnerican fellow-laborers, and yet we were not alone. The Saviour. as He had promised, was with us! -4 CHAPTER XI. HIER VISIT TO EBON. ElION is one of the Marshall Islands, all of which are coral reefs. As more rain falls on them than on the Gilbert Islands, they are much more fertile, and abound, not only in cocoa-nuts and the fruit of the pandanus or screw-pine, but also in bread-fruit, and a variety of the taro, the last being a vegetable which is used much as we L #-I 'e 14 Al - I STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. usc potatoes. Somne bananas are also raised. Neither goats, nor sheep, nor cattle, as I have said, can live on either the Marashall or Gilbert Islands; and of course the natives never have any fresh beef or minuttonii or milk or butter. But in both groups (logs and rats abound, and there are some cats and fowls. Land-birds are scarce, but sea-birds are plenty everywhere. ~ The Marshall Islanders are bold navigators, and fi'equently set out in their proas, without any comnpass, tor small islands distant a hundred miles. Sometimes they get adrift, however, and wander about over the ocean for weeks, before they find a landing-place. It was in this way that the party of which I have spoken in another place, drifted to Kusaie, in a starving condition, and fully expecting to bie put to death. But they ivere treated kindly, and pertiiittedto return to their lioi*s-i peace. God had coninanded the winds to take 6hem to that distant island, that they might see what the missionaries were doing, and so be ready to welcome them. Somne of these were among the people whom we met. as I have said, when sailing from Kusaie to Apaiang. We had hearId niuch of their barbarity; for they had made a covenant of death, and had resolve d that every white mian who should set his foot upon their island, should be killed! Only a little while before, indeed, a vessel had been seized by them, and all the crew slain. And now, as we saw one large proa suddenly shoot out from the lagoon, and then another and another, (in spite of the roughness of the sea,) we began to fear lest our little vessel might be seizedi also. What then was our sense of relief, when, as Dr. Pierson addressed the first proa that reached us in the language of Ebon, the man who was steering recognized him, and exclaimed, repeatedly, and with great joy, "Doketur! (Doctor) Doketur! Mitchinari! (missionary) Mitchinari!" All in the canoe became highly excited, laughing most joyously. The news soon spread like wildfire among the fleet of seven 4 I') 44 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. teenl proas. Some of the natives soon boarded us, an(1 when they learned that Dr. Pierson was expecting to return in the course of one or two " mioons," thley were greatly delighted. See a picture of this scene on the title-page. We felt that "the set time to favor" themn had come, ,nnd that the God of missions had(l prepared the way for His servants. Kaibuke, the head chief, welcomed the missionaries on their return from Apaiang, assuring theIl again that their lives and property should be perfectly safe. He told them to select any place on the island which they might prefer. He called Dr. Pierson his son, and said that any injury done to him would be regarded as done to himself. They soon chose a spot upon which to build, called by the people "Rube," and they were much pleased with the cheerfulness of the natives.wvhile assisting them in putting up their houses. [he missionaries were happy in the prospect before them, as you will judge from whlat Mr. Doane wrote at that time. " Let me be a missionary," he said, " a pioneer missionary, if my Master so wills it, and I ask no other, no higher employment in this worl(l. To enter in among a people, lost, depraved, exposed to endless ruin, and tell them of the way of life, of the blessed Saviour, of the riches of his dying love, - this is all and tha only work I ask for in this life." The Marshall Islanders have been very treacherous until recently, and even now it might not be safe for white men to live on some of the islands. But Dr. Pierson, Mr. Doane, and their wives, were not afraid to be left by the llorning Star; and after their houses had been partially built, the vessel set out for Honolulu, Christmas, 1857. But it was a great comfort to them, I can assure you, (as it was to all of us,) that the llIoraing Star was to return next year. + I - I-I I11 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. CHAPTER XII. WVAI-TING FOR THE MORNING STAR. As soon as we were left upon Apaiang, we began to learn the language which we were to use; but, as none of the people spoke English, it was slow work. One word after another we picked up, by pointing to this thing and that, by representing various motions, as rising up, walking, sitting down, throwing, and so on. The little children delighted in counting their fingers for us, that we might learn to count as they (lid. And this was what they said: "Teuana, uoua, tenua, aua, nimaua, onoua, itua, wanua, ruaiua, tebwina." Would you have ever dreamed that they were saying, "One, two. three, fo*," &c.? (ohad hardly been in our new home three months, when a party of Gilbert Islanders from Tarawa, not far off, made an attack upon our people in a fleet of one hundred proas. Our king assembled his army about our house to await the onset, as the other party seemed to be coming directly towards us. They changed their course, however, and the battle was fought some six miles away. The king who had befriended us when we landed, was killed, but his people were victorious. Next morning I visited the battle-ground; and there I saw among the dead six women, who had helped their husbands in the fight. We were very sorry that so many had been killed; but we were thankful that the savages had been driven off; for it is quite possible that they might have slain us, and taken possession of our little house. And here I must explain the engraving on the next leaf. It represents two Gilbert Island warriors, going to battle. Forminerly this people had no guns, but fought with clubs and spears; and even now they like to take their old weapons into battle with them, to use when their 45 It 4 A) STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. powder is gone. Some of the spears are armed withl sharks' teeth, and are almost twenty feet long. To protect themselves they have a kind of armor, made of cocoa-nut fibre cord. A part of this resembles a greatcoat; and it comes up behind their heads, to shield them from behind, or when they run. They also make coverinos for their legs, arms, and head, of the same material, and still another covering for the head, of the skin of the porcupine-fish. The picture opposite is quite lifelike. The Alorni2.g Star will not be here for somne time. Let me take you, therefore, on a missionary tour. We put up some bread and boiled salt-beef; a little rice, and a little butter, if we have any; a saucepan, a keg of water from our well, for the water in most wells is very bad. We take a mat, a blanket or two, and loading up outr little boat, which we call the Alfred, (for we have nIeither carriages, nor horses, nor mules, nor donkey,*ou know,) we set off for a heathen village. A crowd of naked men, boys, and girls meet us as we land; and we go directly to the?iianeaba of the village. The people throng about us; and we try to teach them to sing and pray, and we speak of Jesus' love. As we close our eyes for prayer, one and another shout to those near them, "1 Matu, matu!" ( Go to sleep; go to sleep!") meaning, " Shut your eyes." After a general commotion, in which some bow their faces to the groun(ld, the prayer is offered. At its close, as the missionary opens his eyes, a number begin to shout, "Uti, uti!" (" Wake up, wake up!") and, with a burst of laughter, these rude worshippers sit up again. I begin to preach. But the leading man of the village may break in upon me, by asking if I will not take a pipe. "I never smoke," is the answer. Next hlie may offer me some molasses and water to drink, or the milk of a green cocoa-nut. Sometimes we tell them that we have not come to eat and drink, but to teach them. It is often better, however, to stop preaching, and drink i T, V4" ,I el -*i GILBERT T,AND WA RRTORS. I X I', 0 0 -.f - 4lp .j i ik STrORY OF THE AMORNING STAR. fiom the cocoa-nut, and then go on again. After service we often look up the blind and( sick of the village, and teach them in their own houses. We go to the next village. Perhaps we find the ia,eabac preoccupied. A man has died, and his body hlas been brought to the big house, and is laid out in state. WVomien sit by it, day after day, even for weeks. You wt1ll wonder how they can do so, especially in such a hot climate. Poor creatures! They think that in this way they are treating the dead man kindly. Most of the time the body is covered by a mat; and frequently beneath the same mat lies the dead man's wife, grieving over her loss. When at length the corpse is about to be buried, the wife often keeps his skull, and makes it her constant companion. (See the right-hand figure in the picture on page 5.) A man is generally buried und(ler his own hlour,Cand only a few inches below the surface of the ground;*for the people think that if there should be room for another~ corpse above him, there would soon be another to fill the place. Sometimes, however, bodies are rolled up in mats, and laid away in a loft of the house. When we find the mnaneaba thus occupied, the friends of the deceased are usually willing to listen to me while I urge them to prepare for death. But sometimes we find the people assembled for a feast. If they have only cocoa-nut milk to drink, or cocoa-nut molasses and water, they are generally willing to hear me speak of the land where men never hunger; and yet they may be very desirouis to know what kind of food they may expect there. If the people are drinking mang'ing, (fermented toddy,) some of them may be very noisy, and interrupt us while we preach to them of temperance. When they are intoxicated, they often quarrel, and kill one another; sometimes they stab themselves. When the toddy is first obtained from the bud of the cocoa-nut, which is cut twice I t. -U f STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. a day, it is pleasant and wholesome. But if it is allowed to stand three or four days, it ferments and becomes hurtful. A great deal of it, nevertheless, is drunk in the Gilbert Islands; and they need missionaries to teach them better. Whlen night overtakes us, we spread our mats on the ground, hang up our musquito-netting in some native house, and lie down to sleep. In the morning perhaps, while we are eating the food which we have brought, the people will crowd around us, saying, "Kamai teutana," (" Give me a little piece.") If we refuse theini, they may call us "bataoti," (" stingy.") But we could not give all of them even a little piece; if we should, our supply would soon be gone. After several days have been spent in this way, the tour is completed, and we spread our sail for the white cottage among the cocoa-nut trees. As we cuss the lagoon, we enoyean hour of rest, which is very refreshing. But sonme bright-eyed boy may say, "You have taken us on a preaching tour, but you have not told us when and where you began to preach at home." Well, I will say a word on this point just here. I had been living on Apaiang about six months, when I began to address the natives publicly in their own tongue. At first I spoke to them in the maneaba of Koinawa, a large village near us where the king lives. This building answered the purpose of a chapel very well; still we thought it best to build a small church, to be dedicated to the worship of the true God. You have a picture of this building on the next leaf. We are going to church, you see; and Kanoa, my Hawaiian associate, is blowing a shell, to call the people to meeting, as we have no bell. Kanoa's wife, with one of her children, is just behind us. Be sure to look at J the king, son of the one who was killed, in his long shirt, and under his umbrella. The queen will come too, for both are very regular in their attendance; and, what is better still, we hope they are Christians. 4 49 5 1) STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. You will say, perhaps, that some things in this picture look mnore like breaking the Sabbath than keeping it; and you are quite right. You will learn fiom the scene, however, how the Gilbert Islanders dishonor God's holy 'l-. How much they need the Gospel! But let me proceed with my explanation. The woman Whom you see is a heathen, carrying her husband's skull as she goes on a visit to some other village. A party of the natives are pressing scraped cocoa-nuts in an oil-press, to get the oil to buy tobacco with. The dog is one of thle many, as heathenish as their masters, which greatly annov us. Three men are climbing cocoa-nut trees in as many different ways. The one at the right has notches cut in his tree, large enough to hold the second joint of the great toe. He s going after his toddy, which he will give his child instead of milk, as they have no Lom6 or goats. The man in the middle walks up the tree in 2 wonderful way. If onie of his hands should slip, he would fall, and perhaps break his neck. The man at the left has his feet tied together, a few inches apart; and while he holds himself away from the tree by pushing off with one arm, and clasping the other round the trunk, he draws up his feet, which easily cling to the tree by the help of the cord which binds them together; and then he straightens himself up again. The second way of climbing is the most difficult. On the right you wvill see a pandanus-tree. How strange its roots, which grow out of the trunk, and run off into the ground! How large tile great bunches of fruit! They sometimes weigh forty or fifty pounds. When they are ripe, you can pull them to pieces, each piece being a separate conical seed some three inches long, the small end of which is fibrous, and contains a sweet juice, is chewed, and the juice is sucked out. See the great papai leaves, back of the chapel, coining up out of a pit! You would call them giant calla leaves. The papai is a root which grows in the 4 11 0 I " 44 . d -k - A 'iD)NVIVdVV x0 D~lfI.o AV(lN1iS 4 11 It I i-,, 5- - I 0 I - I- - -'I I -- I it,,%, 52 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. mud, and( is sometimes as large as a half-barrel. The natives eat it as a luxury. The houses of the niiatives on the left have, you see, no sides, and the eaves are very low. We mnust always stoop to enter them, but, when we have once entered, we can see what the people are doing in the next mnan's house, and so on, through the village. The hut in the t distance is a kitchen where poor old women are comnpelled to do the cooking, half-smothered by the smoke. CHAPTER XIII. RER YEARLY VISITS. *. TItE annual return of the 3forning Star was always a looked forward to with great interest. It would be difficult to say who of the missionaries wished to see her most; but I can assure my young readers that some of the most joyous days of my life were those on which she hove in sight. The heathen children soon learned how we felt, when the time of her arrival drew near. As soon as a sail was seen in the distant horizon, a shout of "Te so!" (" Sail ho! ") was set up. Our waiting ears were not long in catching the sound, and immediately we sprang for the spy-glass. With almost breathless suspense it was directed to the far-off vessel. For a moment everybody kept still. If the " white flag" was seen at the mast-head, we were sure that she was coming; and shouts of joy, the clapping of hands, and happ)y faces, gave indications of the hearty welcome we were ready to give her. A large white flag, with the word WELCOME upon it, was speedily flung to the breeze from a pole tied to the.top of a lofty cocoa-nut tree; and the missionaries' wives 4 4. 0 .It A STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. made haste to prepare shore-comforts for the weary voyagers. The picture on page 41 will give you an imperfect idlea of the scene. Kanoa and myself, launching our little Alp'ed, went out to meet the illorning Star in Inid-lagoon. Oh, what moments were those during which we watched the dear vessel, as steadily, but surely, we came nearer and nearer to each other! Whollm shall we greet on board? The same kind captain, or some new face? What missionaries shall we find, conming to help us? What missionary father from the Sandwich Islands will counsel and encourage us? What shall we hear of fathers and mnothers, brothers and sisters? Are they yet alive? And( that wicked Rebellion! What battles have there been? What victories and what defeats? Oh, this drodful suspense, when the life of otr father-land is in peil? And then there wvas the large mail-bag, with its many letters from the many friends who had remembered us in our loneliness. We had hardly time to think of the good things to eat which the children's vessel had brought us,the flour and salt-beef, and potatoes, sweet and Irish, (we had eaten none for months,) the watermelons, the bananas, the oranges, the nice jars of jelly and cans of fruit which loving friends (God bless them!) had sent us. And the new clothes, an(d shoes, and umbrellas, were worth thinking of, had there not been so many other thiings of more value. And now, as the beautiful vessel sails past our boat, a line is thrown to us. In a moment we are onI board, and then the hearty shakes of the hand, the searching glances for familiar faces, the thrilling items of news! In a few inoments we are at anchor off the mission premises. Friends go down with us into our little boat; the mailbag and a few packages are put in, with a pail of potatoes for-immediate use; and we pull for the shore. Our wives watch us with intense earnestness, to see if 53 54 STORY OF TIHE MORNING STAR. they can recognize those who have come so many hlun,Ireds of miles to our island home. The natives crowd down to the beach to meet us; and, taking up one parcel after another, go with us to the humble cottage of the "missionary, and almnost immediately fill every place available for sitting. Perhaps the mnissionary's wife welcomes to.her door the first white woman that she has seen in nearly two y ears. The Hawaiian missionaries assemble with us, and thanks are returned to God for bringing the MIorning Star once more to us in safety. Such hours of meeting are precious, and words fl" rapidly. The captain and friends visit our little schools, or attend worship in our chapel. In due timne our supplies are landed; our mail to friends is put on board; and the little vessel takes her leave, to be absent again for many long, long months. Happy, golden hows! Bright sunbeams through the thick clouds of isolaioo! Ilow soon they are gone! But our hearts are refireshe(l, and we gird ourselves anew for the work before us. Once in two years we join the vessel, to go with her to Ponape, distant one thousand miles, to attend the meeting of the Micronesia mission. This absence of two months, mnuch of the time being spent on board the Moru,ing Star, renews our acquaintance with the little craft that brought us to our Micronesian home. WTe think often of those (lear children that desired to help us iii our blessed work of telling the heathen of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we draw near the different stations, where our fellow-missionaries dwell, we often say, " How little do these dear friends know where the 3forning Star is just now; and how soon their hearts will overflow with joy!" And how little did we know whether our friends were alive or not! For a whole year, perhaps, we had heard no tidings of them, so little intercourse is there between these islands. HIow eagerly did we watch the canoes, as they came to meet us, to see if thev contained a brother missionary! a i I - . 4. STrORY OF THE MORNING STAR. I well remember the sad news which we told to one brother, as hie boarded us. Ihis wife had died in Honolulu, months before! IT He had been waiting seven months for a vessel, which left him on Ponape, intending to call in five weeks, and take hiin to his invalid companion. CHAPTER XIV. SOMIE THINGS SItE B1]OUGHT, AND HOW WE USED THEM. Ix tliis chapter I wish to tell you about a few of the good things which the Aforiingy Star brought us. One of thesewas a nice surf-boat, which we caled the Star of Peace. It was mainly purchased with money given to us )y Captain Moore and his crew, when they took leave of us in D)ecember, 1857. We had visited every part of Apaiang in the little Al fred; an(l we had even crossed in her to Tarawa, the largest island of the group, being towed by one of the great war-p)roas, which was bearing presents from our kind to a high chief, whose two sons had been recently be trothed to two of his daughters. But there were other islands which could not be reached in our sminall boat, and on which the Gospel had never been preached. To these we longed to go. One of them coul( be seen from the top of the cocoa-nut trees near our house; but the ocean channel was more than twenty miles wide, and the current often so swift as to make it very unsafe to venture across in the Alfred. We were very glad, therefore, when the new surf-boat arrived in the 3Iorning Star, and still more glad were we, when Captain Gelett said, after he had helped me rig it, that he thought I might safely cross to Marakei and Maiana; for he thought that I was a pretty good sailor. 55 0 I' - k 56 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. You may be sure that I was anxious to be off as soon as possible. I went first to Tarawa, where I left Mrs. Biinham, and then to Maiana. On my return firom the latter, I ha(l a much harder time than I expected. The winId wvas favorable when I started; but it changed afterwards, and we were greatly at the mercy of a current which was very strong. At sundown, Tarawa bore due east, about twelve miles. The wind( lulled, but the sea was rough, and we were fast drifting to the westward. A fearfill hour was that! No land to the leeward for more than two hundred miles! I was in just the place where Mr. Huntley went adrift, on attempting to return to Maiana, after the battle of February 19, 1858. He was picked iup thirty (lays later, all his companions having starved to death. WVe' had food an(l water to sustain life for a month; but there are times when no ship can be, up against this current. * ~ At length, however, by dlint of hard( rowing, we got* into stiller water, under the lee of Tarawa; and a little after midnight, we made out to reach the island. You will not wonder that we were truly joyful and thankful for our escape, from what seemed to be very great d(langer. I had sometimes seen Marakei firom the top of a cocoanut tree, and I longed to preach the Gospel there. A boat like the Star of Peace can seldom cross thither; but one day everything seemed to be favorable, and Kanoa and myself were soon under way. Now if you will turn to Acts xxvii. 13-15, you will see that the weather may seem to be very good( for a voyage, and yet, " not long after," "a tempestuous wind" may arise. This was precisely our case. About three o'clock in the afternoon a fearful squall approached. As we were out on a wide sea, anxious to reach, before night, a strange island, with no ship channel to its lagoon, I kept on sail to the last mnoment, bidding one of the mnen " stand by the halyards," and let them go at an instant's warning. At length I could venture no longer. We lowered I I 11 "I, STORY OF TIlE MORNING STAR. and furled our sails, and had hardly seated ourselves, when the tempest burst upon us with tremendous fury. As soon as it abated, we reefed our mainsail, and, hoisting it up a little, pushed on. The sea was beginning to run wildly, and the large billows raised their white crests around us. The Star of Peace had experienced no such sea as that. Suddenly a towering wave burst upon up drenching us from stem to stern. Blinded by the spray, for the moment I hardly knew our fate. Thanks to our kind Keeper, the boat still danced on. But frightened faces turned towards me, as if to read the future in my countenance. Just at dark, it being difficult to distinguish people on the shore, we found ourselves oiff a narrow break in the cocoa-nut and pandanus trees. This was the so-called boatwhannel, a fearful place, with billovs dashing their foal against the rocks. I trembled to enter, and would enot venture myself at the helm, lest I should not under stand the rapid commands of the pilot, but put my old teacher at that post, and took his oar. For a moment we paused, as the billows began to lift their crests before breaking. Two large ones passed, and we sprang to our oars. In the darkness, our pilot had "headed-in" a little too soon, and in order to enter a gap between the rocks, not forty feet wide, was obliged to slant our course a little, -a most perilous feat! For an instant death seemed staring me in the face. Swimmer that I was, should we swamp, the chances for my escape were exceedingly small, as I was not accustomed to surf-swimming. But the blessed Master was with us. A small wave took us upon its crest, and we were hurried through this narrow vortex in a moment's time. But what a sight greeted our eyes the iiext morning! We found ourselves upon one of the loveliest of all the coral islands. About six miles in length, from one to three in width, and enclosing a placid lagoon on all sides by wooded land, with fairy-like islets here and there, it 57 58 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. lay spread out before us. The Gospel light for the first time now beamed upon it. We preached in all its villages; and more than a thousan(l souls heard of the way of life. In passing out of this lagoon, there was quite as much peril as there had been in passing in. But I will not fescribe the scene. Possibly you may think that lmy zeal for ocean touring in an open boat was by this time slightly cooled, or. at least, that it ought to have been. But it is hard to see a populous island without the Gospel, and not do anything for it. Wishing to make this part of our work safer, the Sabbath School children of California sent us a larger boat than the Sta, of Peace, called the Evening Star. You will see a picture of her on the last page of the cover. We thank these children very much for their genecrous gift. e e On page 17 you can see a picture of the Star of* Peace. The scene is intended to illustrate our arrival at a heathen village. We are bound to the maneaba. Kanoa is the man with the umbrella. Do you see the little boys who are running towards us? They wish to find out why the I-?natany (foreigners) have come; but perhaps they will stay andI play with oulr boat, instead of going with us to be taught. At the left is a stout man carrying home a heavy load of cocoa-nuts and pand(lanus fruit on a stick across his shoulder, as neither he nor his friends have a cart or wheelbarrow. Among other "1worthy deeds" of the MIorning Star, she has carried printing-presses to Micronesia. The story of our press at Apaiang I think will please you. Nearly five years after we landed( there, we sent a copy of the Gospel of Matthew in the Gilbert Island language to Honolulu, by the hands of Kanoa, to be printed there, as also a small hymn-book. Thirteen months later, Kanoa returned in the Morning Star, bringing back an edition of the hymn-book, but no printed copy of Matthew. -4 4 A ,r i !~.I' "P. STORY OF TIlE MORNING STAR. We were very sorry, for we had often told our pupils that they would soon have an entire Gospel. It happened that a printing-press had just been sent to us in the -Morning Star; and so we sai(l, "We can print Matthew for ourselves." The box which was supposed to contain the press was landed, and soon opened. We tfound in it a small box of types, cases, and other thiigs used in printing, but no press! The captain felt sure that all had been landed; but I could not rest until I had boarded the vessel and inquired of the mate. He assured nie that there was nothing more. As I paddled home that evening, mny heart was doubly heavy, from this second disappointment. Next morning the examination of one of our schools was held; and while this was going on, the captain came to iform me that another search for tl missing press was tobo mad(le; and, in case it should be found, the Stars and Stripes would be hoisted. How great was our joy, upon leaving the school-house, to see the old flag at the iast-head The!lornning Star soon left us. We had a press, but no printer. A book, however, telling us how to print had been sent, and we hoped soon to understand the business. Only two days after Captain James's departure, a boat entered our lagoon, which had gone adrift with several sailors, when trying to reach a small guano island, some forty miles from the place where they had been wrecked. For ten days they were upon the ocean, and after a voy age of six hundred miles they reached Maiana. They rested one night, and then set out for Apaiang, in the hope of finding the Morning Star, and going in her to Honolulu. The current was too strong, and the wind too much ahead; so they put back, and remained five days longer. They then set out again for Apaiang, and reached us just too late! A few weeks later they had an opportunity of leaving for Sydney in a cocoa-nut oil trader. 5 9 60 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. One of the men was a printer, and he was willing to remain, and set our little press to work. In a few weeks we had Matthew ready, for our pupils! Mr. Hotchkiss (for that was his namne) also printed several other small books, which were greatly needed. We love to think that God( sent that kind printer to us over the wide oean, in an open boat, to help us in giving the Word of Life to the poor Gilbert Islanders. 4 CHIIAPTER XV. MICRONESIANS WHO SAILEI) IN HER. LET me tell you about some of the Micronesia*s bho have sailed in the Morning Stan. I will first speak of Joseph, from whom I once expected a great deal, but who afterwards disappointed me. Still I do not give him up. I often pray that he may return to the path of duty and usefulness; and I want you to pray for him too. Only thirteen letters (a, e, i, o, u, b, k, m, n, h, (ng), r, t, w) are needed for writing( the Gilbert Island language. We had taught a few children to spell ba, be, &c., when one day I heard a lad whom we had never taught saying over with great rapidity, "Ba, be, bi, bo, bu; k, ke, ki, ko, ku; ma, me," &c. I was much pleased, for I thought to myself, "'This boy must be very bright;" and ind(leed he ivas very bright. We took great pains to teach him; and soon he learned to read and write his own language very fast. After a while he came to live with us, with the consent of his father, a brother of the old king that welcomed us to Apaiang. We taught him English also, in, the hope that he would be more useful as an assistant translator of the New Testament. But he made Dome curious mistakes. 4 .P., 0 0. STORY OF THE MIORNING ST'AR. He could not easily distinguish between b and p, and when hlie triedl to read the words, " big pig," he woul( frequently say, " pig big." Other Gilbert Islanders would have (lone the samne thing. He took much interest in the various generals who were fighting to save our country, and he knew the names of several of them. On one occasion he saw in large letters, in an advertisement, the words, " General M.erchlandise." Having spelled themn out, he asked, "Does this General command troops?" Ekeuea (for such was his heathen name) helped us very much in learning his language. After we had been at Apaiang a good while, I offered him a cent a word for all the new words he would define for us. In a few months he had give us nearly a thousand! As he learned about the love of Jesh, he seemed very nomuc nterested; and( we had good reason to think him a Christian. At his baptism he chose the name of Joseph, or, as it is written in his language, I6teba. We took him with us on one of our voyages to Kusaie and Ponape. He thought the Marshall Islanders hideouslooking people, with their great ear-rings and knotted hair. Their language he called "jabber." His wonder at the mountains of Kusaie (for he had never seen so much as a hill before) was very great. I rambled with him through the woods and by the running streams, of which there are none in the Gilbert Islan(ls; and together we climbed, with great difficulty, to the top of the highest mountain. The story of this ascent he never wearied in telling his people, after his return. One night we heard loud crying; and we supposed it to come from some heathen child. The next morning Joseph told us that he had dreamed of seeing a savage cut off my head(; and, as he awoke, the dream seemed so real, that he arose, left his little house, and sat under the cocoa-nut trees at the dead of night, to give vent to his sorrow. C) I C, 2 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. He often went with me on my tours to assist ill tcllinl, the people about Jesus; and they always liked to hear hlim. His help too, in translating portions of the New Testament, was very great. He once visited Butaritari and Mnakin, isla(nds where I had never preached, an(, gathering many of the people together, told themn the ,great news of salvation through Jesus Christ. The journal ~vhich he kept was very interesting. After a time a white man gave him some liquor, and he became intoxicated. From that day he left us; perlhasl) hlie is still wandering. Will not my young friends p)ray that he mnay be brought back to the true fold? My healt vearns over him. But let me speak of another Micronesian, whose history is more cheering, and who is now at rest with the Lord Jesus. When A. Snow removed from Kusaie to Ebon, in 1862, he left some thirty converts behind, wit! lnany others who loved himn very much. It was a sad da for them, as I well remember, when hlie went on board th( Jlorning Star. Many of them followed him in their canoes for a mile or two. At length they said their last " good-byes," and returned to their island-home, as sheep without a shepherd. But one of the good women, the wife of Keduka, said in her simplicity that Jesus would be their missionary now; and her words have been fulfilled. Ile has, in very deed, taken care of them; and you will be glad to know that your little packet has several times carried Mr. Snow to them, to spend a few days, while she should be gone to Ponape. It has been very pleasant for him to make these visits; for he has always found new converts desirous of being baptized. Shall not this encourage us to plant the Gospel on every island of Micronesia? Mr. Snow took with him to Ebon a young Christian named Selpas, to aid in making some translations, which he desired to complete for the Kusaieans. He was very helpful, and he set a good example of Christian liv It p 4( . -t VI I 0. 11 ol VI C> Ih tt P. -3 * ;t 1-1 I G I STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. iiig before the natives of Ebon. At length he became sick, and was glad to return to Kusaie before hlie shoul die. W hen near his native island, and very feeble, Mr. Snow asked him where he wanted mnost to be, expecting him to say, "In Kusaie." He replied, "' In heaven." Mr. Sno w then asked whoml he most desired to see, thinking the answer would be, " My mother; " but it was "Jesus." 14e was spared to reach Kusaie, and to see his mother for a few hours. Then hlie was taken to his home above; and there he looks upon the face of the Blessed One, singing doubtless, (as he was wont to do so sweetly upon earth, but oh, how muchl more sweetly now,) "Okasak nunik on nu mnwo, On nu sin Leum su es la ko; L1, lunsel na in on nu sel Lun kulaiz Leum mia mwo nu lal." . (" Awake, my soul, to joyful lays, Aud sing the great Redeemer's praise; Hejustly claims a song firom mIe, tis loving kindness, oh, how free.") On the preceding page is a picture of Mr. Snow's (leparture from the beautiful home of Selpas. The 3Iorniny Star is seen coming out of the harbor, of which I have spoken as so picturesque, and where at least two whlaleships have been wrecked in trying to put to sea. In her wake is the fleet of native Christians, sadly following their teacher and friends as far as they dare. 4 X, CHAPTER XVI. HER LAST VISIT TO THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS. I MUST now speak of the last visit of the 3Iorning Star to the MIarquesas Islan(ds. Besides her usual freight, she L f, *-O 0 0 * 0 i t STORY OF THE MORNING STAPR. took out two guns, two gold watches, two silver medals and other things, a gift from President Lincoln. "But how came she, a missionary vessel, to carry such things to a heathen land," you ask, "and that too from our good President " I will tell you. An American whale-ship having touched at the Mar quesas Islands for supplies, the first mate (Mr. Whalon~ went ashore; whereupon he wvas seized and dragged away. Why? That he might be killed and( eaten! But what had he done? Nothing. Wickled men from Perut had landed there, and stolen a number of the Mar quesans, to make slaves of them. One of these poor creatures was the son of a chief. The father, of course, was very angry. He was so angry, indeed, that hle re solved to kill and eat the first white men who should fall into his hands. And now the day Of vengeance had coaed The mate was in his power! Others would have vfalen into the same snare, but for a Marquesan girl, liv ing in the famnily of Kekela, (mentioned in Chapter III.,) who made signs to them to go back to their vessel, crying out, "Pull away! pull away!" Kekela and others made haste to rescue the mate. At first the wrathful chief refused to give up his victim; but he yield(led at length to Kekela's entreaties, and offered to receive as a ransom his new six-oared boat, given him by his benefactor in Boston, which he greatly prized, and greatly needed in his missionary work. But the good man did not hesitate a moment to accept the hard terms. Another chief interfered, however, and satisfied the fierce cannibal with a gun and some other things. This story was told to our kind-hearted President; and from his own money, it is said, he gave five hundred dollars to be dis tributed among Mr. Whalon's deliverers. You would be glad, I doubt not, to see the letter whichl Kekela wrote to Mr. Lincoln; but I have room for. only a part of it:, 5 6,5 - I 66 STORY OF THE MAORNING STAR. " Greetings to you, great and good Friejid.' "My mind is stirred up to address you in friendship." "I greatly respect you for holding converse with such humble ones. Such you well know us to be." "When I saw one of your countrymen, a citizen of your great nation, ill-treated, and about to be baked and eaten, as a 1)g is eaten, I ran to deliver him, full of pity and grief at tile evil deed of these benighted people." "As to this friendly deed of mine in saving Mr. Whalon, its seed came from your great land(l, and was brought by certain of your countrymen, who had received the love of God. It was planted in Hawaii, and I brought it to plant in this land and in these dark regions, that they might receive the root of all that is good and true, which is love. "1. Love to J~hovah. "2. Love to self. "3. Love to our neighbor." "This is a great thling for your great nation to boast of. before all the nations of the earth. From your great land a most precious seed was brought to the land of darkness." " How shall I repay your great kindness to me? ThLis David asked of Jehovah, and thus I ask of you, the President of the United States. This is my only payment, - that which I have received of the Lord,- aloha, (love.) MIay the love of the Lord Jesus abound with you until the end of this terrible war in your land." Alas, that the great and good man to whom it was addressed, did not live to see this letter! When it reached(l Washington our whole land was in mourning. A I - -t I 0 I STORY OF THEI MORNING STAR. CHAPTER XVII. IEIt LAST VISIT TO MICRONESIA. ON the 17th of July, 1865, we went on board the A3lorning Star at Honolulu, not to return to the Gilbert Islands, as we longed to do, but to bid "good-bye" to our tbllow-laborers who were to sail for Micronesia. Among them was Mr. Snow, who had so kindly left his work at Ebon to assist in caring for me on the passage to Hono lulu. It was hard to part with your dear little vessel! Rev. Mr. Emerson of Waialua, whq sailed in her, and( touched at all the stations in Micronesia, has given an account of what he saw. He first visited Tarawa, where therl were two HIawaiian missionaries, Tahoe and Haina, of bvhll he speaks as follows: " These brethren have *been about five years in this field..... They have erected two good-sized meeting-hiouses and two school-houses.... Their own buildings were mainly erected by their own hand(s, and all look neat and( more comfortable than we at first enjoyed at the Sandwich Islands.... I could not but admire these laborers, as men and women of warm hearts and true devotion to the cause of our Lord and Master; and we shall expect to hear that He has honored them in His service." From Tarawa the Aforning Star went to Apaiang. I amn very thankful to learn with how much interest the people heard from MIr. Snow an account of my sickness and return to this country, and to know that the king and queen continued to "run well." While Mr. Emerson saw less evidence of the Spirit's presence among the Gilbert Islanders than elsewhere, still he says, " There is much occasion to give thanks and( take courage." The prayer-meeting whi(h Mr. Emerson attended the Wed(nesday evening he spent at Ebon, "was one of pecul iar interest, and showed that there was a Chlristian feel 67 . I STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. ing among a people so recently heathen. Although l)ut partially clothed, their appearance was every way becoliing and decent." At an examination of the schools there were present one hundred and twenty-five pupils, of whomn forty-four could repeat the Gospel of Mark. (How many iI the United States can do this?) At Kusaie the Lord's work was advancing in a very ecinarkable manner. They ha(l only a part of the New Testament; but they were studying it very carefully, Mr. Emnerson says,' Not to know?v/ethier things are so, for of that they have no doubt, but to know what they are. The Gospel of John, which they have had for a year or more, is committed entirely to memory by many. That this people have simple, child-like confidence in God, is so apparent that no one can mistake it." Leaving Mr. snow with his people on Kusaie. the ieomningq Star went on to Ponape, where Mr. an llrs Sturges had been for four years alone, with more than, they could( do, earnestly begging for some one to coinme and help them. They were, therefore, very glad to see Mr. and Mrs. Doane, who were to be their fellow-laborers. Mr. Emerson spent two weeks on this island, visiting (lifierent places, and finding much to interest him in the progress of the Gospel. Two new stations were commenced during this voyage. KIanoa and Maka were placed on Butaritari, (leaving Auniiai and Kapu in charge of Apaiang,) and Kapali was transferred from Namerik to Jaluit, (leaving Kliaelemakule alone.) On the former of these it was difficult to gain a foothold; but " after much talk" the king consented to receive the two Hawaiians. Mr. Snow filt that it was well Kanoa was present; fobr it need(led "all his amiable skill" to succeed. The people feared that if the missionaries came, they would be obliged( to give up all their wives but one, and that all the children woul( be obliged to attend schools, &c. But Mr. Snow satisfied them that no compulsion would be used. -- L *- It I t STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. On the 12th of Decemiber, 1865, the AIorniing Star returned to Honolulu, thus ending her voyages as a mis sionary vessel. Shle has done a noble work, and honored be her memory! Listen to the testimony of Rev. Mr. Damon, Seamien's Chaplain at Honolulu, and editor of the Friend": "Having advocated the building of the 3Iorn ing Star, having been presenit on her arrival at Honolulu in 1857, having witnessed her frequent departures fod Micronesia and Marquesas, having welcomed her arrival from those distant missionary fields, having once made a delightful voyage in her through the Micronesian Islands, and having been fully conversant with the management of the little craft, during the entire period that she has been sailing in the service of missions, It affords me much pleasure in bearing testimony to the great assistance whichll she has rendered the missionary cause. A great and( good work has been accomplished by her aid. The hundred thoRsand stockholders could not have invested their - dimes' in a more paying enterprise." CHAPTER XVIII. CONCLUSION. J I HAVE now told my story. But before we bid adieu to our little vessel, let us take a parting glance at the work which the Morning Star has helped the missionaries, American and Hawaiian, to do. Of their labors in reducing four languages to writing, in translating portions of the Scriptures into as many tongues, and in preparing good books in the same, I cannot speak at length. We have seen that when the Morning Star first visited Micronesia not a single convert had been baptized. Only a few pages had(l been printed, and that in a single language. Now tvo Gospels have been printed in thebMarshall Island ai(nd Kusaiean laliligages, one quarter of the C) ) s 7() STORY OF TIlE MORNING STAR. New Testament in the Gilbert Island language, more than one Gospel in the Ponapean, to say nothing of hymnbooks, primers, and other books in all the four languages. Go with me to Ponape, and let Mr. Sturges point you to more than two thousand persons, who "are now by choice and inii their sympathies on the Lord's sid(le." i There is much light on our little islan(l," he says. ~ EN erywhere the people are eager to hear the truth. One entire tribe has abandoned heathenism and dleclare(l itself' missionary.'" Places and objects, once held( sacre(l, are niow treated with scorn. " The highest priests tell ine, and tell the crowd, that their gods and( their teachings were all false. Every available reader is put to work in teaching' she book;' and it is very gratifying to see the progress many are making." Hle can point you to large congregations, "clothed and in their right mind(." $.. LHe can show y'ou his churches with nearly two hulre(l church-memibers, whom he believes to be true Chrifiaes. And now Mr. Snow will wish you to visit Kusaie, that* you may see the people whom he left nearly four years ago. Ile can show you a Sabbath-school of one hundred an(l eighteen pupils, of all ages, sitting in little circles on the floor, some of the classes touching the backs of others, and yet wvith no disturbance or confusion. He can point you to groups of Christians hungry for the Word of Life, lying around their little jacket-lamps at night, working their way through the new Gospel of Matthew or the new hlymnbook, just taken out to them in the llIorning Star. He will tell you that he never made a tour of the island when he found( so much to cheer his heart. Of the people he will bear this striking testimony: " Formerly stupid as death, indifferent as the grave, they are now intensely interested in the Word and the \Vork of Life." And you must go to Ebon also, and see the little church gathered among those wild( savages, to whom the .loriiing Star took Dr. Pierson and Mr. Doane in 1857. \Vlin once on the Marshall Island(s, however, you may be sgro that the Hawaiian missionaries will hold you fast, -0 I 4 STORY OF THIE MORNING STAR. till you shall have looked in upon their congregations and their schools. But you will be richly repaid for the delay, when you hear Aea (wvho is supported by the children of American missionaries at thie Sand(lwich Islands) ask ing you, as he does his patrons, to praise God with himi by singing a Hawaiian hymn, (227 or 161,) on account of his conv erts, belove(l of Christ, who are valiant soldiers of the cross. He will say of them, "They are very bid in their work. If they meet a person in the road or elsewhliere, they stop him an(l propose to hol(I a meeting. ... They exhort their ciliefs, having no fear of men, but remembering Him who is able to destroy the soul in hell." I coul(l wish to show you some fruit on the Gilbert Islands, but I have said enough. TRe good work is still going forward. The harvest is ripening, and soon, we trust, these isles of Micronesia will b full of the praise of % Saviour King, to whom be all the glory! *And now, my dear young friends, I must bid you "farewell" Very pleasant has it been for me to do what I have done, in telling you the story of your vessel. I love the Ilorning Star, my home for so many months upon the deep, when about mny Master's business. Many a thrill has she sent through nmy heart. By the blessing of God she has saved my life. Why should I not love her, and her owners too? Why should I not, with a full heart, tell them of hler, - of the good she has done to me, to my companions, and to the dying heathen? How could I consent to part with her, except in the confident hope that soon another and better "children's vessel would be ready to bear me hence again, "Far in heathen lands to dwell," her sails filled with the breath of prayer from ten times ten thousand youthful hearts! Gentle reader, farewell' "And when our labors all are o'er, Then we shall meet to part no more, Meet with the blood-bought throng, to fall, And crown our' Jesus, Lord of all.!" 7 1 APPENDIX. SPECIMENS OF MIICRONESLIAN LANGUAGES. THE LORD'S PlR DYER IN THE GILBERT ISLAND LANGUAGE. Tamara are i karawa, e na tabuaki aram. E na roko ueam: E na tauaki am taeka i aon te aba n ai aron tauana i karawa. Ko na anianira karara ae ti a tau iai n te boil aei. Ao ko na kabara ara buakaka mairoura n ai arora nkai ti kabara te buakaka inairouia akana ioawa nako ira. Ao talkairira nakon te kaririaki, ma ko na kamaiuira man te buakaka; ba amibai te uea, ao te maka, ao te neboaki, n aki toki. Amene. TIIE LORD'S PRAOER IN THE MiARSIIALL ISLAND LIANGUGE. Jememuij i lon, en kwojarjar etom. En itok am ailin. Jen5koionmon ankil am i lol enwot dri lon. Panin, letok non kim kijim ranin:o Im jolok amuij jerawiwi, enwot kimuij jolok an armij jerawiwi jen kim. hfi jab tellok non mon, ak drebij kim jen nana. Bwe amn ailin, im kajur, imi wijtak in drio. Amen. THE LORD'S PRIIAYER IN THE KUSAIERAN LANGUAGE. Papa tumus su in kosao, E'los oal payi. Togusai lalos tuku. Orek ma nu fwalu, ou elos oru in kosao. Kite kit len si ini ma kut miono misini: A nunok munas nu ses ke ma koluk las, oanu kut nunok munas sin met orek ma koluk nu ses. A tiu kol kit kut in mel, a es kit la liki ma koluk, tu togusai lalos, a ku, at mwolanu, ma patpat. Amen. FIRST VERISE OF " TIIERiE IS A HAI'PY LAND," IN'[IIE PONAPiEAN LANGUAGE. " Uaja kajalelia, ileto, meto, Uaja en ani mau, Mlarain, marain; Ar kaul mekajalel, Jijuj kom kamnauri kit, Kitail kaul laut er kaul, Kaul meuare." 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