LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 13'A-HEROOF-THE M 
 
 NEW-HEBRIDES
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 LOS ANGELES 
 
 The CELLAR BOOK 
 Box 6, College Park Sta
 
 EMAI OF LENAKEL 
 A HERO OF THE NEW 
 HEBRIDES. A FRESH CHAPTER 
 IN THE TRIUMPH OF THE GOSPEL. By 
 FRANK H. L. PATON, B.D., for six years Resident 
 Missionary on the West Coast of Tanna. Illustrated 
 
 LONDON: HODDER AND 
 STOUGHTON ? ? 27 
 PATERNOSTER ROW 1903
 
 Go tbe 
 
 COMMITTEE OF THE JOHN G. PATON MISSION FUND 
 
 IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION OF 
 
 THEIR ABUNDANT AND SELF-DENYING LABOURS 
 
 ON BEHALF OF THE NEW HEBRIDES
 
 PREFACE 
 
 BY JAMES PATON, D.D. 
 
 MY share in this book has been limited to the 
 revising of the proof-sheets, as they were passing 
 through the press. 
 
 The literary grace of the style, and the spiritual 
 fascination of the contents, we owe entirely to the 
 gifted and devoted Author. 
 
 When, in January 1889, I launched upon the 
 world the Autobiography of his Venerable Father 
 John G. Paton, my apology was thus expressed 
 " I publish it, because Something tells me there is 
 a blessing in it." The results have amply vindicated 
 the grounds of that decision. 
 
 In venturing now to publish this book, by his 
 like-minded son, The Story of the Planting of 
 the Kingdom of God on West Tanna my apology 
 is, that nowhere else in all the world, within 
 recent times, have I been able to discover, nor do 
 I believe that there can be found, a more direct 
 and irresistible demonstration of the supernatural 
 origin of the Word of God, and the miraculous 
 effects of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 
 
 This little book goes forth, therefore, as a living
 
 VI PREFACE 
 
 and unanswerable proof entitled to be character- 
 ised as " historic " and " scientific," because it 
 proceeds on the basis of unassailable fact, and is 
 wrought out in the light of undoubted experience 
 that the Word of God revealed in the Holy 
 Bible, and the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ 
 proclaimed by men and women who believe it and 
 live under its power, can transform semi-brutalized 
 and almost demonized Cannibals, of the worst and 
 lowest type on the face of this Earth, into Saints 
 and Heroes, such as those who live and move 
 before us in the following pages ; many of them 
 gladly hazarding their lives daily for the Name of 
 the Lord Jesus, and not a few of them victoriously 
 enrolled already in the Noble Army of the 
 Martyrs. 
 
 We argue, fearlessly, that what has been done 
 in the Haunts of Savagery can be done in the 
 Slums of Civilization ; and our further contention 
 is that the results thus obtained, on the line of 
 Moral, Social, and Spiritual Progress, could be 
 achieved through no other power or influence 
 known to the human mind, save only through the 
 revealed Word of God and the glorious Gospel of 
 His blessed Son. 
 
 Readers of the last Chapter, with its apparent 
 wreck of health and failure of life-work, will be 
 gratified to learn that, though the Author has been 
 precluded from the hope of again residing on
 
 PREFACE Vll 
 
 Tanna, yet, in less than twelve months, God has 
 opened for him another door of usefulness, and in 
 a most congenial sphere. At the call of the 
 Federated Presbyterian Church of the Common- 
 wealth of Australia, he has undertaken if strength 
 be confirmed to visit and address all their 
 Congregations ; in the hope that the story of his 
 experience may kindle everywhere a deeper interest 
 in, and create a more generous enthusiasm for, all 
 the Foreign Mission Enterprises of the Kingdom 
 of God. Thus as in many a noble instance in 
 the past mysterious sufferings, apparent disaster, 
 and the heart-breaking burial of cherished hopes, 
 may be but the pathway to the fulfilling of greater 
 and better things than the sufferers had ever 
 dreamed to accomplish. 
 
 To God be all the Glory ! 
 
 GLASGOW, February 1903
 
 N.B. All proper Names to be pronounced phonetically every 
 letter at its full 'value, and all vowels -with the broad Italian sound : 
 thus, e.g. 
 
 Lomai= Lo-mdh-ee, 
 Lenakel= Le-ndk-el. 
 Seimata = Say-ec-mdh-ta. 
 Loinio Lo-e"e-nee-o. 
 Numanian = Noo-mdh-nee-an .
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 PAGE 
 
 LANDING AMONG SAVAGES . . i 
 
 CHAPTER II 
 FEELING OUR WAY . . . . 11 
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 PROGRESS AND OPPOSITION ... 22 
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 EXPLORING AND PREACHING . . . 33 
 
 CHAPTER V 
 RECRUITING TROUBLES .... 42 
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS ON TANNA . . 49 
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 To ANIWA AND BACK .... 58
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 66 
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 THE SPIRIT WORKING .... 75 
 
 CHAPTER X 
 DECISION FOR CHRIST .... 86 
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 AMONG THE IOUNMENE .... 92 
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 BATTLING WITH HEATHENISM . . . 103 
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 GAINING GROUND . . . . .114 
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 SUNSHINE AND SHADOW .... 124 
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 FIRST-FRUITS ..... 139 
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 BACK TO TANNA ..... 147
 
 CONTENTS XI 
 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 
 PAGE 
 
 ANIWA ONCE MORE . . . . .159 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII 
 REINFORCEMENTS . . . . . 171 
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 BEGINNINGS OF A NATIVE MINISTRY . . 181 
 
 CHAPTER XX 
 
 NUMANIAN THE MARTYR .... 190 
 
 CHAPTER XXI 
 OUR FOURTH CHRISTMAS (1899) . . . 201 
 
 CHAPTER XXII 
 THE RAGING OF THE HEATHEN . . . 215 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII 
 THE FELLOWSHIP OF SUFFERING . . . 227 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV 
 
 LOMAI AND lAVIS ORDAINED AS ELDERS . 240 
 
 CHAPTER XXV 
 OUR FIFTH CHRISTMAS . , . . 251
 
 XI 1 CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI 
 
 PAGE 
 
 LETTERS FROM THE NATIVES . . . 263 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII 
 BACK TO TANNA ONCE MORE . . . 271 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII 
 THE HORRORS OF WAR . . . .281 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX 
 MEMORABLE SCENES .... 290 
 
 CHAPTER XXX 
 FAREWELL TO TANNA 305
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 LANDING AMONG SAVAGES 
 
 TOWARDS dark on the I2th of May 1896, the 
 little Dayspring weighed anchor at Futuna, and 
 steamed away for Tanna. After evening worship 
 we gathered on the deck, our hearts full of thoughts 
 of the morrow. Futuna gradually faded into the 
 darkness behind us, while far before us a dull red 
 glow from the volcano marked the south-east point 
 of Tanna. A solemn hush fell upon us, and Mr 
 Smaill of Epi proposed that we should have a 
 time of special prayer for Tanna and the work of 
 the coming day. It was a quiet and helpful hour 
 as we laid all our hopes and fears and plans before 
 Him in whose name we were going forth. We all 
 felt that God was very near to us that night on 
 the deck of our little ship, and we felt that He 
 would enable us to do and endure anything. 
 
 At daylight we anchored off Port Resolution, 
 where Turner and Nisbet landed so long ago, and 
 where my father worked until he was driven out 
 by the fury of the savages. Here we picked up 
 Mr Watt, who has so heroically done battle with
 
 2 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 the Heathenism of Tanna ; and then we steamed 
 on along the south coast to Kwamera, the early 
 home of Mr and Mrs Watt. We did not stay long 
 here, but pressed on up the west coast. The 
 scenery was lovely : now a white fringe of sand, 
 now a bold and rocky headland, and always a 
 background of magnificent mountains clothed to 
 the very top with luxuriant vegetation. 
 
 At 4.30 P.M. we dropped anchor in a little 
 bay with a white beach, and many thoughts came 
 crowding upon us as we wondered if this lovely 
 spot was to be the scene of our future home and 
 work. The boat was soon lowered, and in a few 
 minutes we were pulling in between the ugly 
 rocks that guard the entrance to the Lenakel boat 
 passage. A tall, military-looking Englishman in 
 white came forward to receive us, and in the 
 background stood a small group of fully armed 
 and naked savages. The Englishman we found 
 to be Mr A. H. Worthington, planter and trader, 
 and he led us through the scrub to his house 
 which was finely situated on the north side of the 
 bay. Here we were welcomed by Mrs Worthington, 
 who shared with her husband the privation and 
 loneliness of life in the South Seas. 
 
 But before going up to the house we sought to 
 make friends with our dusky brothers of Tanna, 
 who stood in a row curiously watching our landing. 
 As my wife and I went up to them they shrank
 
 LANDING AMONG SAVAGES 3 
 
 back, but our smiles reassured them, and they 
 shook hands, grinning broadly. But further than 
 that they would not go, and when we asked them 
 if they wanted a Missionary, they were dour and 
 silent. At last they said that they were not Chiefs 
 and could give no consent, and that if they did 
 they would be killed. This was not promising, 
 but we arranged with them to bring the Chiefs down 
 next morning for a conference ; and after some 
 talk with the Worthingtons we pulled back to the 
 ship to spend a night of much prayer and thought. 
 The next morning we were ashore before break- 
 fast, but the Chiefs had not yet come ; and, from 
 the attitude of the natives who had gathered, 
 some of the most experienced of the Missionaries 
 thought there was little hope of a settlement. We 
 waited for a while, and then pulled back to the 
 ship for breakfast. We were somewhat cast down, 
 but we lifted our hearts to God in prayer, assured 
 that if He wished us to settle at Lenakel He 
 would open up the way. 
 
 By the time breakfast was over we could see 
 a large crowd of men and women on the beach, 
 so we again' pulled ashore. By this time one of 
 the leading Chiefs had arrived upon the scene. 
 He was a splendid specimen of a savage, very 
 tall, with immense shoulders and limbs. He was 
 dressed in Tanna fashion, which is not to be 
 described ; and, as if he did not think himself
 
 4 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 dark enough already, he had painted both his 
 cheeks jet black. Around him were his advisers 
 and warriors, all fiercely painted and armed with 
 loaded guns. Some were painted bright yellow 
 and vermilion, others had cheeks, nose, chin, and 
 forehead all different colours. They did not look 
 at all an inviting crowd, as they sat and glared 
 at us. 
 
 When I tried to make friends with luiap, the 
 Chief, he refused to have anything to do with us, 
 but said with a lordly wave of his arm 
 " Me talk Tanna first." 
 
 After consulting with his people, he went and 
 had an interview with Mr Worthington. Then 
 he came back, and with great strides stalked 
 down nearly to the water's edge. There he 
 turned and stood erect and motionless, eyeing 
 his people with an imperial air. Three of his 
 under Chiefs then arose and joined him, and the 
 four of them squatted on the sand and had a 
 long talk. It was a momentous conference, and 
 while the Heathen talked we Missionaries lifted 
 up our hearts to God, for we knew that on the 
 result of that talk, humanly speaking, depended 
 the whole question of a settlement. It seemed 
 to me as if these four men were deciding the 
 eternal destiny of their people, so far as that 
 lay in their own hands. 
 
 At last luiap arose and came towards us. I
 
 LANDING AMONG SAVAGES 5 
 
 at once went to meet him, and asked him if he 
 had decided for a Missionary, but he said with 
 great dignity 
 
 " No, no, me talk Tanna first." 
 
 I asked if he himself was willing, but he 
 would not commit himself, and put an end to 
 the conversation by saying, with a regal haughti- 
 ness, " Suppose me like Missionary, me tell you ; 
 suppose me no like Missionary, me tell you." 
 
 luiap then harangued his people. Instantly a 
 change came over the whole scene. Sour looks 
 gave way to smiles, and an under Chief beckoned 
 to us to follow him to see some land which they 
 were willing to sell. A young girl came running 
 forward and seized Mrs Paton's hand and led her 
 along the track, turning round every now and 
 then to give her a reassuring nod. God had 
 answered our prayers, and we thanked Him for 
 so inclining the people's hearts to let us land 
 among them. 
 
 Now began the anxious work of selecting the 
 best site. The ground the natives showed us 
 was rather far from the boat landing, and they 
 wanted too much for it. Mr Worthington kindly 
 offered us a piece right on the beach, and most 
 of the Missionaries were in favour of accepting 
 his offer. Then a short, thick-set man of 
 magnificent proportions came forward for the 
 first time, and asked us to look at a piece of
 
 6 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 land to the south of the bay. He had long, 
 shaggy hair and a bushy beard, and one expected 
 to hear a voice like a lion's roar ; but his voice 
 was strikingly gentle, and his sweet smile belied 
 his whole appearance. We followed him along 
 the shore for nearly a mile, wondering all the 
 time at his splendid frame. There was strength 
 and grace in every movement. But we were 
 sorry to disappoint him, for his ground was too 
 far from the landing. This naked Heathen was 
 Lomai, the central figure in the narrative that is 
 to follow. 
 
 From Lenakel we steamed to Loanatit on the 
 north-west of Tanna to see if we could obtain 
 a settlement for Dr Sandilands. The natives 
 were friendly, but decidedly rejected all proposals 
 that a Missionary should live amongst them. 
 Their invariable reply to all advances was 
 
 " Me fellow want copra man, me fellow no 
 want Missionary." 
 
 The population also seemed very thin and 
 scattered, so we weighed anchor and proceeded 
 on our voyage through the group to gather the 
 Missionaries and bring them to Aneityum for 
 Synod. 
 
 One morning at daylight we steamed into 
 South West Bay, Malekula, just as H.M.S. 
 Royalist was weighing anchor to come out. On 
 the shore we could see two lonely white figures.
 
 LANDING AMONG SAVAGES 7 
 
 They were my brother and Mr Boyd. Four of 
 us jumped into a boat, and a quarter of an hour's 
 pulling brought us to the landing, where my 
 brother and I gripped hands after years of 
 separation. 
 
 The Synod meeting was a happy time and 
 much important work was done. When it was 
 over, we steamed to Weasisi and landed the Rev. 
 Thomson Macmillan, who was to take up Mr 
 Gray's work on East Tanna. Then we crossed 
 over to Aniwa, my birth-place, to ask for teachers. 
 My father addressed the natives and called for 
 volunteers for Lenakel. Titonga and Tausi at 
 once agreed to come. Both were my playfellows 
 in boyhood, and they had now grown into fine, 
 true men of God. Titonga's wife was Litsi. She 
 was my mother's first girl and nursed me as a 
 baby. Litsi had already done years of noble 
 service, but she once more left her native isle at 
 the call of Christ. Seimata, Tausi's wife, was a 
 much younger woman, and she also proved a 
 beautiful soul. 
 
 With such splendid helpers we made our way 
 joyfully across to Tanna. Our first point of call 
 was Loanbakel. As soon as the boat was lowered, 
 the Dayspring steamed on to find an anchorage, 
 while some of us pulled ashore to see Mr Forlong, 
 a Christian trader who spends most of his time 
 evangelising. Mr Forlong gave us much infor-
 
 8 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 mation about North Tanna, and we were delighted 
 with what we saw of his work. We then sailed 
 after the Dayspring to where she had anchored for 
 the night. 
 
 The next morning was the Sabbath and we 
 pulled ashore to hold services. But we found no 
 landing in the bay, so we pulled as near the rocks 
 as we could and then shouted. At first there 
 was no response ; but after some time a woman 
 appeared and told us that the men had all gone 
 away to a club fight. As soon as she had made 
 this announcement she bolted, and not another 
 soul was to be seen. 
 
 In the afternoon we pulled a mile or two along 
 the coast to the south. We found a few men at 
 a place called Nalebot, and we landed and had a 
 talk with them. But they listened as those who 
 don't quite know what to make of it. 
 
 There seemed to be no suitable opening for a 
 mission station on North Tanna, so Dr Sandilands 
 decided to go to Santo in accordance with Synod's 
 advice. It was a keen disappointment to us, for a 
 medical man was sorely needed on Tanna. 
 
 At daybreak next morning, June I5th, we 
 arrived at Lenakel, and the work of landing our 
 house began without delay. Great crowds of 
 armed men and not a few women and children 
 looked on, and showed a much more friendly 
 spirit than on our first visit. We had no difficulty
 
 LANDING AMONG SAVAGES 9 
 
 in getting the men to work at the usual rate of 
 tenpence a day. Our first business was to clear a 
 bit of land on which to place the timber, well above 
 high water mark, to dry. The natives then carried 
 it up from the beach, while the rest of us got our 
 camp fixed up. Mr Worthington very kindly 
 allowed us to pitch our tents on a corner of his 
 coffee clearing, and gave us the use of a shed and 
 copra house. We walled in the cop-shed with 
 corrugated iron, and partitioned it off into dining- 
 room and kitchen, while for sleeping quarters we 
 had two tents. Our boxes and provisions we 
 stored in the copra hut. Very soon our snug little 
 camp was completed, and for the first six weeks 
 this was all the home we had. 
 
 Our great difficulty was to keep my father 
 from overworking. He was like a school-boy 
 let loose among his dear Tannese, and insisted 
 on lifting the heaviest burdens. When we stopped 
 him from carrying timber, he seized an axe and 
 began to clear the ground. When we got the 
 axe away from him, he found a spade and began 
 to grub out trees. At last we thought we had 
 got every tool out of his reach, when we suddenly 
 missed him. After some searching I found him 
 in an out-of-the-way corner hacking away at the 
 scrub with a long knife, the perspiration pouring 
 down his face, and chuckling with delight at 
 having evaded his unworthy sons ! On each
 
 10 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 side of him was a dusky Tanna woman inspired 
 by his example to join him in the work. I brought 
 him back in triumph, and he complained bitterly 
 that we would not let him do anything at all, and 
 this after he had done enough work for half-a- 
 dozen men of his age ! 
 
 Things went on very happily with so many 
 willing helpers, and in two days and a half all 
 our timber and belongings were landed, including 
 our three goats and two dogs, Fritz and Laddie. 
 Then we pulled out to the Dayspring, and had 
 dinner together for the last time. It was decided 
 that Mr Kenneth M'Kenzie, ship's carpenter and 
 brother of the Rev. J. Noble M'Kenzie of Santo, 
 should remain with us for two months to help in 
 the building of our house. The good-byes were 
 hard, but our hearts were full of thankfulness to 
 God for His goodness. As the Dayspring weighed 
 anchor, we went down the side into our good boat 
 Pioneer. Little was said as we pulled back to 
 Lenakel, for we were now alone with great 
 responsibilities. And yet God was with us, and 
 in Him was our confidence.
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 As the Dayspring steamed out, H.M.S. Royalist 
 dropped anchor in the bay. Captain Rason at 
 once came ashore, and we were delighted to 
 welcome Her Majesty's representative in these 
 seas as our first visitor in our new home. His 
 visit had a great effect upon the natives, who 
 looked on from a respectful distance, quite pre- 
 pared to take to their heels should the captain 
 show any signs of becoming dangerous. 
 
 As soon as the captain left, we set to work 
 in real earnest to get our ground cleared. We 
 went over it carefully, and then decided upon a 
 site for the house. A gang of Tanna men helped 
 us to clear it, while another gang carried up the 
 timber from the beach. When the site was 
 cleared, Mr Hume and some natives cut down 
 huge trees and sawed them into lengths for 
 foundation stumps, while Mr M'Kenzie and I 
 sank them into the ground. 
 
 While we worked at the building, Mrs Paton 
 took charge at the camp. From early morning 
 till late afternoon, men and women came to her
 
 12 
 
 with yams, bananas, oranges, shells, cats, sugar- 
 cane and all kinds of articles for sale. One day 
 a band of armed men came to the camp, and the 
 leader deposited a large yam, for which he de- 
 manded five shillings. As the yam was only 
 worth sixpence, my wife offered him that amount. 
 The man looked very indignant and said 
 
 " No, very good you give me five shillings." 
 
 My wife replied, " No, suppose you no want 
 sixpence, you take yam belong you, I keep 
 sixpence." 
 
 But it was a long way to carry the yam back, 
 and the sixpence looked very bright, so the 
 savage gave in. This gentle firmness in the 
 beginning saved endless trouble ; and the natives 
 soon got to know that when we said a thing we 
 meant it. 
 
 A man called Tom was the leader of our gang 
 of Tanna workers. He could speak the usual 
 South Sea " pigeon " English, and he acted as our 
 foreman. The men worked well as a rule when 
 we were watching them, but we had some difficulty 
 at first in getting them to keep long enough at it. 
 They would saunter down about nine o'clock in 
 the morning, and decamp about three in the 
 afternoon. But by insisting upon it we got 
 them to work from 8 A.M. to 4 P.M., with an 
 hour's interval for dinner. They also showed 
 some disposition at first to strike for higher
 
 FEELING OUR WAY 13 
 
 wages, but kindness and firmness overcame all 
 obstacles, and the work went on happily. 
 
 There were plenty of natives about all day 
 till 4 P.M., but after that not a native was to 
 be seen. The villages were all a mile or more 
 inland, and at sundown the men met in the public 
 square to drink kava. This is the name of a 
 shrub, and from it they prepare what they call 
 their " grog belong Tanna." They dig up the 
 root of the kava, and the boys chew it and spit 
 the juice into a small wooden vessel shaped like 
 a canoe. This is mixed with water, and the drug 
 is then ready for use. It is drunk only at sun- 
 down, and no woman is allowed to enter the 
 square while this rite is being indulged in. Nor 
 is anyone allowed to talk, else the spell is broken 
 and the kava spirits take wing. In every village 
 square there is a small hut, in which the kava 
 bowls are kept. It is the general lounging place 
 of the men during the day, while in the evening 
 it is sacred to the kava ceremony. Many a 
 fiendish plot is hatched in these wretched kava 
 houses. The effect of the kava upon the men 
 is to make them dull and stupid. Hence the 
 favourite time for attacking a village is just after 
 sundown, while the men are still heavy with the 
 drug. 
 
 Our foreman, Tom, was a most interesting 
 character. He had been in Queensland, and
 
 14 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 there he had learned something about Jesus. 
 Then he came back to his people and tried to 
 teach them all he knew. But the darkness of 
 Heathenism was too much for him, and his own 
 light flickered and died. Still he longed for 
 better things, and one day he sent a scrap of 
 paper to Mr Gray at Weasisi, asking for a 
 Missionary. The paper reached its destination, 
 though it was long before Mr Gray could make 
 out where it came from. At last he found out 
 who Tom was, and visited him, to his no small 
 delight. Tom built him a house, and made a 
 new start with his teaching. But, after Mr Gray 
 left Tanna, Tom again sank back into Heathen 
 darkness. But Mr Gray's visit had convinced 
 him that Lenakel was a good opening for a 
 Mission Station, and in due time Tom's earnest 
 longing became an accomplished fact. Tom was 
 a pathetic figure, and for a time he was our chief 
 helper. He had taught his people that beautiful 
 little hymn, " Jesus loves me " ; and sometimes we 
 would hear a wild, painted savage singing it as 
 he worked, absolutely unconscious of the meaning 
 of a single word of it. 
 
 I shall never forget Tom's sad look, the first 
 Sabbath, when he brought his villagers almost to 
 the Mission camp, and they suddenly deserted 
 and fled. He sat on a stump and said 
 
 " Me take piccanninni by hand and come close
 
 FEELING OUR WAY 15 
 
 up, but they fright and run away. Me plenty 
 sorry they no come." 
 
 Our first congregation consisted of four Tannese, 
 Tom and his wife, lelo, lesua, a bright-faced eager 
 girl, and little lauilam. It was a day of small 
 beginnings ; but even for these we thanked God. 
 
 The next Sabbath I told Tom that we would 
 go up to his village. Tom's eyes gleamed with 
 delight, and then he said shrewdly 
 
 " Very good you tell me one fellow. Suppose 
 you tell altogether, he fright, he run away." 
 
 We followed Tom's advice, and took his village 
 by surprise. It was a lovely climb of two miles 
 through dense bush, the path running between 
 two banks of exquisite ferns. As we neared the 
 village our approach was heralded by the yelping 
 of dogs, the squealing of pigs, and the general 
 stampede of nearly the whole village, the humans 
 adding lustily to the chorus of yells. Tom smiled 
 good-naturedly, and gathered ten others around 
 us, while we showed them pictures, and explained 
 them in "pigeon" English. Our teachers translated 
 into Eastern Tannese ; and Tom explained in his 
 own language the points not easily understood 
 by the rest. Occasionally we would see a face 
 peep out from behind a tree in the distance, and 
 from various directions we could hear excited 
 whisperings. 
 
 In the afternoon, we went along the beach
 
 16 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 seeking for audiences. There were plenty of 
 people, but they generally decamped as soon as 
 they saw us coming. The Sacred men had told 
 them that they would die if they listened to the 
 Worship, and hence their special fear of us on the 
 Sabbath. On week days they came about us 
 freely, for they could then make something out 
 of us, and the Sacred men quite approved of that. 
 But when it came to a question of holding a 
 service, they bolted in real terror. 
 
 One afternoon, we saw a fine-looking man 
 sitting on the beach with his loaded rifle across 
 his knees. He was tall and splendidly formed, 
 with good features and a long flowing beard. 
 His only adornment was a single spot of yellow 
 paint on each cheek. We proposed to show him 
 some pictures, and with a pleasant smile he rose 
 and said 
 
 " You come, we go look some more man," and 
 then he walked along with a kingly grace. He 
 tried to collect one or two others, but in vain ; so 
 we showed him the pictures, and preached the 
 Gospel to him in broken English. He was most 
 polite, and smiled his thanks. We found out 
 that this was lavis, the great war Chief of the 
 Loinio tribe ; and a man of truer natural dignity I 
 never saw. We thought that we had done a 
 poor afternoon's work with only one listener ; 
 but, had we known it, that one was to become a
 
 FEELING OUR WAY 17 
 
 mighty force in the land, a hero for God and his 
 fellows. 
 
 On the morning of the third Sabbath at 
 Lenakel, we followed a track which led inland to 
 the south of our camp. A mile's climbing along 
 a good road that ran between two dense walls of 
 reeds brought us to a large public square ; but as 
 no one was about, and we could see no houses, 
 we passed on. The track now ran along a 
 narrow ridge, with magnificent gullies on either 
 side. The trees were festooned with creepers, 
 and the colouring of the whole was brilliant. 
 Suddenly the track glided into a great open 
 space. On one side was a far-spreading banyan 
 tree, from the roots of which we could see right 
 down the valley away to the calm sea beyond. 
 On the other side was a fine guava tree, and near 
 it stood a kava house. Sitting on a stone beside 
 the house was a wild-looking Tanna man, whom 
 we did not at first recognise. 
 
 " Plenty hot to-day," I said, in the usual 
 " pigeon " English. 
 
 " Yes, it is very warm," was the answer in gentle 
 accents, and with a winsome smile that quite trans- 
 formed his face. It was Lomai, who had been so 
 anxious that we should settle on his ground, and 
 who evidently bore us no grudge for choosing a rival 
 site. I asked him to guide us to the next village, 
 and he at once led the way inland. Again, as he 
 
 B
 
 1 8 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 walked along, we were lost in admiration of his 
 graceful strength. Another mile through forest 
 country brought us to a small village, where we 
 saw an old man sitting under the shade of his 
 banyan tree. I asked him to come along to the 
 next village, and he answered with an emphatic 
 " No." But to my surprise he got up and 
 followed us. I afterwards discovered that " No " 
 was the only English word he knew, and that he 
 used it to express any answer, sublimely uncon- 
 scious of its meaning ! 
 
 The next village was a very large and im- 
 portant one. We were delighted to find that it 
 was the home of lavis, the Loinio war Chief. 
 He came forward and received us graciously, his 
 cheeks ado.rned as usual with their spot of yellow 
 paint. He led us to his banyan tree, and invited 
 us to be seated on a fallen branch. We found 
 that lavis and Lomai were close friends, the two 
 leaders of a very large tribe, and I never saw a 
 finer pair of men anywhere. A few people 
 gatnered round us, and we sang to them and 
 showed a picture roll. lavis and Lomai trans- 
 lated between them, and then we prayed that 
 God would lead these men into the light. We 
 little knew at the time that these two Heathen 
 leaders were to become the most potent 
 forces under God in the conversion of their 
 fellows.
 
 FEELING OUR WAY 19 
 
 On the way home a woman met us at the first 
 public square through which we had passed in the 
 morning. She could speak no English, but she 
 beckoned to us to follow her along a track which 
 led to the south. After a little hesitation we 
 followed, wondering what she wanted. In a few 
 seconds we found ourselves in the midst of a 
 cluster of houses. Outside one of these sat a 
 pleasant - featured man, with long hair plaited 
 Tanna fashion. He was evidently in great pain, 
 and we found that he was suffering from pneu- 
 monia. He was the husband of the woman who 
 had brought us to see him. He had a long 
 illness, but by constant attention and with God's 
 blessing we pulled him through. He was very 
 grateful, and promised that if he got well he 
 would come to school, and try to get his people 
 to do so also. And Nalbini, for that was his 
 name, was true to his promise, and became one 
 of our most devoted helpers. 
 
 On the fourth Sabbath we decided to visit 
 luiap's tribe. We had no guides, but we knew 
 that his village lay to the north of our camp, so 
 we followed a track leading in that direction. 
 The first mile was up the bed of a dry creek. 
 The banks were one mass of the most lovely 
 ferns, and the vegetation around was so thick that 
 the air was quite cold. Then we climbed up a 
 very steep hill, the roots of the trees forming a
 
 20 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 natural staircase. After about a mile's climbing 
 and half a mile along the ridge we came to a large 
 village, where the people were fiercely painted. 
 Our reception was very mixed. The women and 
 children bolted with howls of terror, dogs and 
 pigs yelping and squealing in sympathy. The 
 older men frowned savagely at us, and shook 
 their heads when we approached them, but the 
 younger men gathered round us in a friendly 
 way. One of these was the ugliest and most 
 repulsive man I ever saw ; and his appearance was 
 not improved by the thick layer of red and black 
 paint which covered his face. We sang a hymn 
 and then unfolded our picture roll. The old 
 men stood at a distance scowling ; but as picture 
 after picture was unfolded they were quite un- 
 consciously drawn right up to the little circle that 
 surrounded us. As soon as the service was over, 
 they realised where they were and ran back in 
 great disgust, to the immense delight of the 
 younger men. 
 
 We found that this was not luiap's village 
 which was on the ridge across the gully. We 
 then went down a very steep track, along the bed 
 of a watercourse, to the bottom of the gully several 
 hundred feet below. Then we climbed up the 
 other side which was not quite so steep, and very 
 soon came to a large village presided over by 
 lawak, a fine - looking Tanna Chief with seven
 
 FEELING OUR WAY 21 
 
 wives. He received us like a gentleman, and 
 gathered his people round us for a service. 
 
 A few minutes' more walking brought us to 
 luiap's village. The old Chief was sick in bed, 
 but he was very pleased to see us and seemed to 
 feel honoured by our visit. We had a service in 
 the village square, and then returned by a road 
 that passed near luiap's house. We were sur- 
 prised to see him standing by the path waiting 
 for us. He held out a native mat to Titonga, and 
 when the teacher hesitated to accept it, luiap 
 threw it at his feet with a lordly air, as much as 
 to say, " I take no denial." Then he turned to 
 me, and put a two shilling piece into my hand. 
 I was about to return it with warm thanks for his 
 kindliness, when he said solemnly 
 
 " You come house belong me, I give you this." 
 And then he marched back to bed. Good old 
 luiap ! That was the first contribution to our 
 Tanna Church, and I kept it for the new 
 building.
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 PROGRESS AND OPPOSITION 
 
 FOR some time we did not see much of Lomai. 
 He was friendly when we met, but otherwise he 
 kept away from us. One day, however, he came 
 to our camp carrying his little baby. He was in 
 a great state, for his only child was ill, and he 
 was afraid it would die. I found that little lolu 
 was suffering from a suppurating ear, and I told 
 Lomai to bring him down every day for treat- 
 ment. For about two weeks after this he was a 
 daily visitor, and a great friendship sprang up 
 between us. Lomai was different from all the 
 rest ; he was so sympathetic, and so quick to 
 respond and understand. As his child grew 
 better, he could not do enough to show his 
 gratitude. But still something seemed to be 
 keeping him back, and for a time again we saw 
 very little of him. Sometimes, when I was 
 attending the sick in his tribe, Lomai would come 
 and help me, and his gentleness always impressed 
 me. He was so handy, too, and so helpful in 
 every way. At other times he would come down
 
 PROGRESS AND OPPOSITION 23 
 
 with a number of Heathen to interpret for them 
 in bartering ; and when he saw the crowds that 
 always kept Mrs Paton so busy he would say 
 
 " You very busy, Misis ; I sorry to give you 
 more trouble, but these people want to sell some 
 yam." 
 
 And he always tried to give as little trouble as 
 possible. 
 
 Afterwards I found out what was keeping Lomai 
 back. He told me, when he became a Christian, 
 that this was a time of sore struggle and shame 
 with him. He knew that we had come for their 
 sakes, and he knew that the fashion of Tanna 
 was bad, but he was under the influence of the 
 old men. He wanted to come to us and learn, 
 but he was afraid of the rest of the tribe. Shame 
 kept him from breaking away from them, and yet 
 in staying with them shame rilled his heart And 
 this was why he avoided me. Then came lolu's 
 illness ; and he shook off the influence of the 
 others for a time, but only to be dragged back 
 once more. The Spirit was already beginning to 
 work and he had no rest in the old ways. 
 
 Lomai was by no means the only one, who was 
 first attracted to us by medical treatment. One 
 day, lavis the war Chief came to the camp with 
 a sore chest. Mrs Paton rubbed in some tur- 
 pentine, and till he was better lavis came every 
 day for treatment. And so careful was he to do
 
 24 LOAIAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 nothing to hinder his recovery, that he asked 
 Mrs Paton if bathing would do him any harm, 
 and then came back to ask if he was to bathe 
 before or after the medicine was rubbed in. Of 
 course all these comings and goings gave many 
 opportunities of quietly sowing the seed in what 
 proved to be a most receptive heart. 
 
 Another day as we were building, a short, 
 burly savage, with long hair plaited as usual in 
 the Tanna mode, and with a very determined jaw, 
 came to me and said 
 
 " Please you give me some medicine." 
 
 I asked what the matter was, and he answered, 
 " Me short wind along night, me no savey lie 
 down." 
 
 I found it to be a case of asthma, and a few 
 doses of iodide of potassium worked wonders. 
 From that time Numanian became our fast 
 friend, though he still continued a determined 
 Heathen and opposed the Worship. When he 
 got better he came to work for us, and for the 
 first few weeks the regular thing was 
 
 " Good morning, Numanian." 
 
 " Good morning," came the bright answer, and 
 then after a pause, " Please you give me six 
 shilling." 
 
 Five shillings a week was the ordinary wage, 
 and we firmly refused to go higher ; and when 
 Numanian saw that we really meant it, he was
 
 PROGRESS AND OPPOSITION 25 
 
 quite content, and worked magnificently. It 
 was his nature to do things thoroughly. 
 
 Many others, who would have nothing to do 
 with the Worship, came to us for medical treat- 
 ment, and in this way we gained their confidence. 
 Villages, that were closed to us in every other 
 way, let us in to tend their sick. Especially was 
 this so in the case of children. The Tannese 
 are very fond of their children ; and many a hard 
 heart was softened and even awaked to better 
 things by our tending their little ones in sickness. 
 Again and again we were reminded of the words, 
 " A little child shall lead them." Our one sorrow 
 was that we did not have a fuller medical know- 
 ledge. Every missionary in such a field should 
 have at least some years of medical training, the 
 more the better. It is simply invaluable, not 
 only for the joy of relieving pain, but also for 
 the door it opens to the hearts of the people. 
 Through the healing of the body, many a soul 
 has been led to the true Physician. 
 
 One day lesua, the bright-faced girl who came 
 with Tom to our first service, was going about 
 the camp with a very bad thumb. Mrs Paton 
 persuaded her to have it dressed, and in a few 
 days it began to heal. lesua was amazed at the 
 result, and became a constant visitor, often sitting 
 and watching Mrs Paton at her work for an hour 
 at a time. We could not speak directly to her
 
 26 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 for many months, but the seed was sown by 
 degrees and her heart was receptive. In after 
 years, she also became one of the heroic souls of 
 Lenakel, and bore her share of suffering for her 
 Lord. 
 
 But, though we made friends with the people, 
 we had great difficulty in getting anything like 
 a regular school set agoing. One day, however, 
 lavis and Numanian and two others came to Mrs 
 Paton and said 
 
 " Misis, very good you show picture and sing, 
 and me fellow go home." Mrs Paton called me 
 from the building, and we had a little service. 
 That was the beginning of our regular daily 
 school, and from four the numbers gradually in- 
 creased till our dining-room was too small to hold 
 the people. And then we had to build a school 
 house. 
 
 But, in the meantime, the Heathen talked 
 strenuously against us. The Sacred men worked 
 upon their superstitious fears, and many of the 
 people began to avoid us. They really believed 
 that they would sicken and die, if they came to 
 the Worship. Others discovered that the new 
 teaching clashed with their most cherished sins, 
 and many fell away on that account. Even Tom 
 entered upon a period of reaction, and while he 
 generally came on Sabbaths, we saw very little 
 of him during the week. The old spirit seemed
 
 PROGRESS AND OPPOSITION 27 
 
 to master him for the time, and Tom gave him- 
 self up to seeking the things of the world. He 
 complained that we did not give him presents for 
 coming to school. But I pointed out to him and 
 the rest, that we had come to give them some- 
 thing far better than this world's goods, and that 
 no one need expect presents from us for coming 
 to the Worship. We had made it a principle of 
 our work, from which we never departed, to offer 
 them no outside attractions, but simply to preach 
 the Gospel and to magnify it as the supreme 
 good in this life as in the next. In this way 
 there was no confusion in their minds as to what 
 we had come for. The results amply justified 
 the principle, and we became convinced that to 
 work on any other would be a disastrous mistake. 
 It also helped to develop an independent spirit 
 among our people, a thing which is sadly lacking 
 in Heathen races. Thus, men, who at first ex- 
 pected payment for coming to school, learned in 
 the end that the obligation was all on their side. 
 
 Lomai and lavis also hung back. As Lomai 
 told me afterwards, he looked on from a distance 
 and was very unhappy. Others not only kept 
 away themselves, but also tried to hinder their 
 people. Lomai's brother forbade his wife to 
 come, and another man took away his children 
 from the school. I went up to see the two men 
 about it, and found Lomai's brother just at death's
 
 28 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 door. He was vomiting blood, and thought that 
 his last hour had come. The day after he took 
 ill the favourite child of the other man fell sick, 
 and the father in great fear sent his wife and 
 family to Lomai to bring them to me, as he was 
 afraid to come himself. They both recovered 
 under treatment ; and, though the two men 
 remained Heathen to the last, they never again 
 put any hindrance in the way of others coming 
 to the Worship. 
 
 About this time I asked Lomai to come down 
 every day and help me to learn the language. 
 He had the best knowledge of English in the 
 whole district, and he was by far the ablest man. 
 He had left Tanna when a boy, and spent thirteen 
 years among English-speaking people in different 
 lands. In Queensland he had received great 
 kindness and teaching from a Mrs Robinson, of 
 whom he often spoke ; but bad companions and 
 drink had kept him from becoming a Christian. 
 In his later years in Queensland, he had taken a 
 prominent part in the survey of the Cairns Rail- 
 way, and in this work he gained much useful 
 experience. On his return to Tanna he at once 
 went back into Heathenism, and his great ability 
 and force of character made him, next to I avis, 
 the foremost man in his tribe. 
 
 When I asked Lomai to come and help me 
 with the language, he at once agreed to do so.
 
 PROGRESS AND OPPOSITION 29 
 
 This was the turning-point in his career. After 
 a time he began to interpret for me in Church 
 and school, and this ensured regular attendance. 
 He soon became our best reader and brightest 
 pupil. Then we began to translate some hymns 
 together. The first .one was "Jesus loves me," 
 and Lomai's delight knew no bounds when we 
 sang it to him in his own language. When 
 we sang it in school the people first listened 
 mechanically, then their eyes opened wide as if 
 they thought their ears were deceiving them, and 
 finally they looked at each other in startled 
 amazement as they realised that we were singing 
 in their own mother tongue. 
 
 But the great formative influence in Lomai's 
 character was the Word of God. As soon as I 
 had got some grip of the language, we began to 
 translate the Gospel of Mark together. Every 
 word of it had to be clearly explained to Lomai, 
 that he might know its Tanna " brother." He 
 became deeply impressed, and as the Gospel 
 story unfolded itself his wonder deepened. At 
 last when he came to the narrative of the suffer- 
 ings and death of Christ, Lomai exclaimed in 
 horror and amazement 
 
 " Misi, did they really do that to the Son of 
 God ? " 
 
 We could see the change going on in Lomai's 
 heart, and oh how we prayed over that man that
 
 30 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 he might be led to Christ and become a worker 
 for Him among his fellows. 
 
 One day Lomai remained after school with 
 Tausi and Titonga, and they read to him out of 
 Mr Watt's translation of the New Testament, 
 explaining as they went along. He listened for 
 several hours, every now and then sighing deeply. 
 When he was gone, Tausi came to me and said 
 with deep emotion 
 
 " Me talk plenty along Lomai, by-and-bye he 
 savey, close up. He here now " (pointing to his 
 throat, and meaning the Word of God), " by-and- 
 bye he come here " (pointing to his heart). 
 
 On the Qth November, our new school was 
 finished. It was a native building, with reed 
 walls and a thatch roof, but large enough to hold 
 sixty or seventy people. All that was needed to 
 complete the thing was a bell. But even this was 
 forthcoming, as Tom Tanna very soon made clear, 
 for he and another man came marching into the 
 station one day with a bell hanging from a pole, 
 which they carried between them. Some years 
 ago a steamer, called the Fijian, was wrecked at 
 Lenakel, and its belongings were soon seized 
 upon by the savages. Tom secured the bell 
 among other things, and when Mr Gray visited 
 him he sold him the bell. Mr Gray left it in 
 Tom's charge for the Worship, and Tom now 
 handed it over to me for our new Church. We
 
 PROGRESS AND OPPOSITION 3! 
 
 soon had it hanging on a tree ; and thus our 
 church was fully equipped, and only needed men 
 and women to fill it. 
 
 The firm stand now taken by Lomai put 
 courage into many of the weaker ones, and our 
 numbers grew apace. lavis gradually drew away 
 from the old men, and became more and more 
 whole-hearted in his desire for the Worship. Tom 
 also began to get the old yearning look back into 
 his eyes, and inch by inch he was drawn under 
 the influence of the Gospel. 
 
 As we had a good many people working for 
 us on the Station, we made it a rule that workers 
 must attend the daily school which was held in 
 the working hours. All the workers fell in with 
 this rule cheerfully enough, except Numanian. 
 This determined Heathen had constituted himself 
 the leader of the young men who opposed the 
 Worship. He harangued his fellow-workers, and 
 persuaded them to strike against the new rule. 
 When we began school, one day, Numanian and 
 the workers stood defiantly under a tree. Mr 
 Hume went to call them to school, but they 
 refused to come in. 
 
 " Very well," said Mr Hume, " you need not 
 come in unless you like, but the Missionary 
 will pay you off afterwards." 
 
 He then came in and the school proceeded. 
 But, just as we were beginning the reading lesson,
 
 32 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 Numanian came in quietly and sat down, followed 
 by all the other workers. This was the turning- 
 point in another great career. From that day, 
 Numanian became at first an interested listener, 
 and then an earnest seeker after truth. The 
 Worship, which he at first opposed with all the 
 energy of a determined character, he now humbly 
 accepted. And, by degrees, he grew into one of 
 God's heroes. 
 
 Our work was now fairly launched with such 
 followers as Lomai, I avis, Numanian, Tom, and 
 Nelbina. A small company, but one that was 
 soon to exert an influence on West Tanna not 
 to be measured by human forces.
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 EXPLORING AND PREACHING 
 
 AT first building operations left little time during 
 the week for exploring our district, and most of 
 our preaching tours were made on the Sabbath. 
 Rising with the dawn we set out in two com- 
 panies, Mr Hume leading the one, and I the 
 other. In the afternoon we conducted services 
 at Lenakel, and in the evening we held a service 
 in English with our neighbours the Worthingtons. 
 But as our house neared completion we were able 
 to go further afield on week-days, and one day 
 we decided to explore the country right across 
 to the other side of Tanna. Our party consisted 
 of Mrs Paton, Mr Hume, Tausi, and Seimata, 
 Nakata and myself. Titonga and Litai were left 
 in charge at Lenakel. 
 
 At first our road lay along the dry bed of a 
 creek. Here the foliage met above us ; and we 
 could hardly see our way, as we had made a 
 very early start. Then we climbed an almost 
 perpendicular hill, and at last came to a village. 
 It was only a small one, and we passed on to the 
 next, where we got our first guide. Tausi ex- 
 
 C 33
 
 34 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 plained where we were going, and a stalwart 
 savage shouldered his gun without a word and 
 stalked on before us. This was old Tavo, whom 
 we afterwards nicknamed William the Silent, 
 because he so rarely spoke. In the after years, 
 he became one of our great men at Lenakel. 
 We followed him through a lovely glen, with a 
 carpet of ferns below and a canopy of palms 
 above. Then we came to some high open country, 
 where we found another village. Here Tavo left 
 us, and we obtained new guides and pressed on. 
 Our road now lay through a long line of deserted 
 villages. Here and there we could see the charred 
 remains of what had once been a house. It was 
 a sad sight, this devastation of war. But we also 
 saw some signs of returning life. There were 
 several little clearings in the forest, which meant 
 that plantations were being made ; and we learned 
 that the people who had been burnt out were 
 soon coming back. 
 
 After a while, we met the Chief of one of these 
 returning tribes. When he saw us he stood 
 rooted to the ground with sheer astonishment, 
 and it was some time before we could make him 
 understand who we were and where we were 
 going. However, in the end, he undertook to 
 guide us to the other side ; and the other men 
 left us as they were afraid to go any further. 
 Our new guide proved a thorough gentleman in
 
 EXPLORING AND PREACHING 35 
 
 his way, with a dash of natural grace that made 
 one forget that he was a naked savage. 
 
 Our way for miles lay across an elevated 
 plateau, and the track was very good. At 7.15 
 we stopped for a lemon squash, and at eleven 
 we boiled our billy and had lunch. The Chief 
 was greatly interested in all these proceedings, 
 and accepted all we gave him in the way of food, 
 carefully wrapping it up in leaves, but eating 
 none of it. He politely explained that he would 
 eat it when he got home. 
 
 Soon after lunch it came on to rain, and 
 walking became rather disagreeable. As we 
 neared Weasisi, we noticed that the vegetation 
 changed considerably, and for a time we missed 
 the fine banyan trees. At last we climbed a 
 very steep rugged hill, and our guide left us 
 after giving some final directions to Tausi about 
 the track. We were standing on the highest peak 
 for miles around, but alas ! a dense mist enveloped 
 us and shut out all the view. The descent was 
 difficult, and at times somewhat dangerous for a 
 lady ; but in two hours we found ourselves safely 
 landed at Mr Macmillan's Station. He was away 
 from home, but soon returned and was not a little 
 surprised to find us in possession of his house. 
 
 We remained there the next day and had a 
 glad time together. On the day following, Mr 
 Malm, the local trader, kindly took us across the
 
 36 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 bay in his boat to Nimtahin, and from there we 
 had a much easier climb. The scenery was most 
 beautiful, and we passed through some large 
 villages, preaching the Gospel to wondering savages. 
 The natives were greatly surprised to see a white 
 woman, none ever having crossed the island before. 
 At 6 P.M. we arrived at Lenakel and found all 
 well. Our journey gave us a much better idea 
 of our whole district, amd also opened up friendly 
 relations with many inland tribes. 
 
 About this time we got the sad news that the 
 Dayspring was lost. For weeks we had been 
 anxiously scanning the horizon. At last our 
 suspense became awful. Then the Wyrallah 
 appeared, and as her boat entered the passage Mr 
 Hume shouted for news of the Dayspring. We 
 held our breath as Mr Brewster stood up to reply. 
 " She has gone down." 
 
 Our hearts sank as we heard the dreadful news, 
 and our teachers wept. Even the Tannese were 
 touched, and quite a wail of sympathy arose from 
 the women when they heard the news. The loss 
 of our dearly loved little ship brought us a new 
 sense of loneliness. We felt as if the last link 
 with home and friends had been broken. Most 
 of our worldly possessions perished with her. 
 But no lives were lost, and for this we thanked 
 God. And we knew that, if God so willed, our 
 little ship would speedily be replaced.
 
 EXPLORING AND PREACHING 37 
 
 We were soon called upon to make another long 
 expedition. A tribe on the other side of Tanna, 
 away near the volcano, had made repeated raids 
 upon the allies of lavis and Lomai. Every now 
 and again they surprised one of their villages, and 
 shot one or more of their people. The tribe 
 brought great pressure upon lavis to make war 
 upon their enemies, and they could not understand 
 their War Chief's reluctance to fight. lavis and 
 Lomai came to me about it, and I urged them to 
 prevent fighting if they possibly could, and offered 
 to go on a peace-mission to their enemies. lavis 
 was delighted at this, and one morning about five 
 o'clock Titonga and I set out upon our mission. 
 As soon as we got up into the mountains, we were 
 overtaken by heavy rain which continued all day. 
 For the first few miles we followed the Weasisi 
 track, and then we lost our way. At last we 
 reached the top of a high mountain right in the 
 heart of Tanna. From here we had a magnificent 
 view of mountain and valley all around us. 
 Close beside us was what I took to be a deserted 
 hut ; but, on looking in, I saw a lanky savage sound 
 asleep with a loaded gun at his head. I had 
 doubts as to the wisdom of waking him, on the 
 principle that it is best to " Let sleeping savages 
 lie," but Titonga cheerfully yelled at him. The 
 savage leapt to his feet and seized his gun, as I 
 expected, to defend himself. But when he saw
 
 38 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 two unarmed men hugely enjoying his fright, he 
 grinned broadly and came out. He kindly agreed 
 to act as our guide, and a very decent man he 
 was. He first led us to his own village, and then 
 to a second one surrounded by a high palisade. 
 Here we saw some of the most evil-looking 
 cannibals one could wish to avoid. They looked 
 at us ferociously and rather hungrily, but allowed 
 us to proceed in peace with our guide. We re- 
 joined the Weasisi track for a few miles, and then 
 turned southwards. Our road now became very 
 difficult, as we had to cross several deep gullies. 
 About noon we reached the enemy. The leading 
 Chiefs, two young brothers, were away in the bush ; 
 but some vigorous yells from their people soon 
 brought them to the village, where they gazed at 
 us in astonishment. We explained who we were, 
 and a very friendly talk followed. They promised 
 not to begin the war again, and gave us a peace- 
 ful message to carry back to I avis and his tribe. 
 We then held a service, after which Titonga and 
 I began our homeward march. It was a weary 
 journey ; but we reached home just before dark, 
 and the success of our mission caused great joy 
 at Lenakel. 
 
 Our next long tramp was to Kwamera, to visit 
 Mr Watt's teachers during his absence. This 
 time I took Tausi, and we had a most ad- 
 venturous journey. For the first few hours we
 
 EXPLORING AND PREACHING 39 
 
 got on well ; and then our guides left us, because 
 they were at war with the next tribe. A nasty 
 fall on a slippery rock did not make matters any 
 easier. Soon the track was altogether obliterated, 
 and we had to haul ourselves up a steep cliff by 
 roots and creepers. Then we lost our way, and 
 had to make a perilous descent to the sea. By 
 this time our water was done, and we were in 
 sore straits till some cocoanuts revived us. For 
 miles we trudged along the shore, and then had 
 to climb up into the mountains, where we 
 wandered for hours. There were no cocoanuts, 
 and we were almost overcome by thirst and 
 fatigue. Tausi cut me a stick, and I leaned 
 heavily upon it. Every now and again the 
 faithful fellow looked round at me with an 
 anxious expression. But we plodded on, resting 
 every few minutes to regain strength. At last 
 we came to a village. Some men ran upon us 
 with loaded muskets, and would have shot us on 
 the spot, but Tausi explained who we were, and 
 the Chief said, " Don't shoot." I was so dead 
 beat, that I stood leaning on my stick quite 
 unconscious of our danger. They said that a 
 trader on the other side had sold cartridges to 
 their enemies, and that they had mistaken me 
 for that trader. They quickly made up their 
 minds that the best way to stop their enemy's 
 supply of ammunition was to shoot the trader,
 
 40 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 whom they now thought a merciful providence 
 had delivered into their power. But when they 
 found out who we were, they became most 
 friendly, and set us upon the right track down 
 to Kwamera. In fact we discovered that we 
 were old friends, as they remembered the time 
 when I stayed five months with Mr and Mrs 
 Watt as a boy. 
 
 When they left us Tausi said to me 
 
 " Close up you me finish to-day." 
 
 "Yes, Tausi," I replied, "we plenty tired along 
 road." 
 
 " No," said Tausi, " close up you me finish 
 along musket." 
 
 He then told me how nearly we had been 
 shot. I asked him if he was not afraid, and he 
 said 
 
 " No, me think suppose time belong me come, 
 he good me die along musket. Suppose time 
 belong me he no come, musket he no savey 
 kill me." And I realised that Tausi was even 
 greater than I had thought him. 
 
 The teachers at Kwamera were surprised and 
 delighted to see us. One of them could do 
 nothing but whistle his astonishment. He dived 
 into a clean shirt, and as soon as his head 
 appeared at the opening he paused to give vent 
 to another astonished whistle ! They then got 
 us tea and a change of clothing. Many memories
 
 EXPLORING AND PREACHING 41 
 
 came crowding upon me, as I visited the old 
 scenes. Every thing seemed sacred now ; and 
 for the first time I realized that Mrs Watt was 
 gone. The teachers had kept the grounds in 
 beautiful order, and had been faithful in all their 
 work. 
 
 That evening and next morning we gathered 
 the people in Church for service ; and then we set 
 out for home through pouring rain. Our friends 
 of the day before led us as far as the fighting 
 ground, and our troubles then began. At one 
 place, we had to swing from one rock to another 
 by means of overhanging creepers ; at another 
 we had to slide down huge boulders ; and then 
 again we had to jump chasms in the reef with 
 the surf boiling around us. But towards evening 
 we reached Lenakel in safety. 
 
 My next adventure was a sharp illness, when I 
 had to learn what Professor Christlieb used to call 
 " the passive voice " in the verb of life.
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 RECRUITING TROUBLES 
 
 ONE day a French labour schooner, the Caroline, 
 anchored a few miles south of Lenakel ; and her 
 boats plied back and forward picking up recruits. 
 Very soon the Chief of Imlau, a point off which 
 the schooner was anchored, came to me followed 
 by a long line of warriors. 
 
 " I have trouble," he said ; and then he told me 
 that three of his nieces had run away to the 
 French schooner. He wanted me to send a letter 
 to the captain asking him to return the girls. 
 Both he and their father, who was present, ob- 
 jected to their being recruited. I told him that 
 a letter would be of little use, but that Mr Hume 
 and I would go and see the captain. Willing 
 hands launched the Pioneer, and an hour's stiff 
 pulling brought us alongside the Caroline. The 
 captain was civil, but said that he could do 
 nothing till the recruiter returned. He ran up 
 a signal, and the boats returned from the shore. 
 The recruiter, a Mare man, called Womage, re- 
 fused point blank to return the girls. We had 
 a long argument, and he defied all the powers
 
 RECRUITING TROUBLES 43 
 
 that be, saying that the French regulations re- 
 ferred only to recruiting for Noumea and not for 
 Vila. I then turned to the captain and said 
 
 " I warn you, in presence of these witnesses, 
 that it is illegal for you to take away these girls, 
 as both their father and their Chief object to their 
 being recruited. I hold you responsible, and I 
 shall leave no stone unturned to bring you to 
 justice." 
 
 This brought on a fierce argument between the 
 captain and the recruiter, the final upshot being 
 that the girls were returned. The recruiter 
 asked me not to interfere in future with his 
 business. I replied that, as Missionary of West 
 Tanna, I would always interfere where injustice 
 was being done to the natives. He then told 
 the natives that the girls were being returned, not 
 because the Missionary had come on board, but 
 because they had not been paid for ! 
 
 The natives were delighted, especially I avis 
 who had come with us, and the Imlau men be- 
 came very friendly. Formerly this tribe was 
 bitterly opposed to the Worship. But we followed 
 up the advantage we had gained over them by 
 visiting their villages, and the Chief offered me a 
 pig for my services in getting his nieces back. 
 This I declined with thanks, but these villages 
 were ever after open to the preaching of the 
 Gospel, though as yet with little apparent result.
 
 44 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 Another day, the French steamer Ocean Queen 
 appeared off Lenakel. A boat came ashore with 
 a couple of returned recruits ; and the officer in 
 charge asked me if he might land them under my 
 care, as they belonged to a tribe just round the 
 point. I agreed to do so, and the boat pulled 
 back to the ship. I then had some talk with the 
 man and his wife, and found that they did not 
 belong to this coast at all, but to the other side 
 of Tanna. They were both gorgeously dressed, 
 and the woman clung to her husband's arm. 
 The surrounding Heathen soon swooped down, 
 and there was a wordy warfare on between two 
 tribes as to who should get possession of the man 
 and his boxes. Fearing for the safety of the 
 couple, I settled the matter by taking them up 
 to the Mission house. We then sent word to his 
 brother, who happened to be living on the west 
 side of Tanna ; and he came down with his friends 
 and took them home with him. But they had to 
 scatter a good part of their hard gained earnings 
 among the leading men of the local tribes, to 
 ensure their good-will. They had been seven 
 years in Noumea ; and yet they at once threw off 
 their clothes and went back into naked Heathenism. 
 
 A week or two later a Queensland labour 
 vessel, the Riologe, landed four recruits a married 
 couple and two single men. One of the men at 
 once went back into Heathenism, and cleared out
 
 RECRUITING TROUBLES 45 
 
 with some of his friends' property. The other 
 made a feeble stand, and then became leader of 
 one of the worst gangs of ruffians in the place. 
 This was Jimmie lerapuia, of whom more will be 
 heard later on. The married couple, Neropo and 
 Sarah, tried hard to resist the pleadings of their 
 native friends, and for a time we had great hopes 
 of them. But they also gave way, and to our 
 great sorrow went back into Heathenism. 
 
 A few weeks later we had another visit from 
 the French steamer. The rain was coming down 
 in torrents, and a heavy sea was setting in. As 
 the boat neared the shore, we saw a recruit on 
 board with his box. He looked wet and miser- 
 able enough in the boat ; but when he was put 
 over the side he presented a ghastly sight. 
 Emaciated and racked with a fearful cough, he 
 was too weak to walk out of the water, but stood 
 helplessly gazing about him. There were no 
 friends to welcome him, so we agreed to take 
 care of him and return him to his village. Mr 
 Hume and Tausi carried up his small box, while 
 I followed with the recruit. He told me his 
 name was Notiang, and that he came from a 
 village a few miles to the south. I had to 
 walk very slowly, and when we had gone 
 about a hundred yards, Notiang stopped and 
 said, " Me sore," and would have fallen had 
 I not caught hold of him. We had to half
 
 46 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 carry him the remaining hundred yards to the 
 house. By this time he was almost in a state of 
 collapse ; but Mrs Paton got him a hot cup of tea, 
 and his eyes fairly gleamed when he saw it. A 
 warm bath refreshed him, and we got him into 
 bed. Every two hours we gave him a little 
 nourishment, and he came round wonderfully ; 
 but he was still very weak. All night long his 
 fearful cough sounded through the house, and our 
 hearts ached for him. The poor fellow kept 
 complaining that his throat and chest had been 
 burned out with grog. It made our blood boil 
 against his ruthless murderers. For two or three 
 days he lingered on. Then his brother came and 
 took him on his back and carried him home. It 
 was only that he might die in his old village. 
 
 Notiang's story is only too common in these 
 far lands. He left Tanna four years ago in a 
 labour vessel, and was taken to Noumea. There 
 he was worked till his strength was gone, and 
 then sent back to die in his native land to die 
 like a dog without a knowledge of God. These 
 men who sucked out his life-blood may go free 
 here, but there is a God of Justice and of Mercy 
 who will reckon with them some day. I would 
 rather be this dying Heathen when that day 
 comes, than those who had done him to death. 
 Noumea and Vila, among other places, will have 
 much innocent blood to answer for on that day.
 
 RECRUITING TROUBLES 47 
 
 The Caroline visited us again, but her recruiter 
 had gone to his account. While steering his boat 
 into an Ambrim passage, he was fired at by a 
 native from behind a rock. The bullet took 
 effect, and he fell over the side and sank like a 
 stone. Poor Womage ! It saddened us to think 
 what he might have become, had his training fallen 
 into other hands. 
 
 This labour traffic has had a dreadful effect in 
 depopulating these islands. I have studied the 
 question for six years from the Island point of 
 view, and I am convinced beyond all shadow of 
 doubt that this is one of the main causes of the 
 dying out of our people. Many men blame the 
 wearing of clothes. One day I took a naval 
 doctor to see a man whom I suspected to be 
 dying of phthisis. The doctor examined him 
 carefully, and then turned to me and said 
 
 " The wearing of clothes has brought this 
 on," and proceeded to theorise upon the subject. 
 It was with malicious joy that I answered 
 
 " That man is a Heathen, and has never worn 
 clothes in his life." 
 
 No, the labour traffic is mainly responsible, for 
 it sucks out the young life-blood of the com- 
 munity, breaks up family ties, and everywhere 
 leaves desolation and bad feeling behind it. I 
 have seen a whole village emptied of its young 
 men by the visit of a Queensland labour vessel ;
 
 48 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 and most of their wives then recruited by the 
 next French vessel for Noumea. 
 
 The labour traffic has been aided in its dire 
 work by the trade in firearms and drink, a trade 
 which has lined the pockets of British as well as 
 French with ill-gotten gain. 
 
 Add to these the introduction and spread of 
 European diseases, through returned recruits, and 
 you have the three main causes of the rapid 
 dying out of our people in the New Hebrides.
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS ON TANNA 
 
 ON Christmas Eve we invited our teachers to a 
 social evening. We had various games which 
 they greatly enjoyed, and at the close we made 
 them each a present of clothing. The grace 
 with which they conducted themselves would 
 have done credit to any drawing-room. They 
 can work well, these teachers, and they can 
 play well. 
 
 Early on Christmas morning, a large number 
 of natives gathered. They thought the sports 
 were to be on that day ; and they had also got it 
 into their heads that there was to be a free distri- 
 bution all round. It made our hearts sad to see 
 men, who had never looked near school or 
 service, greedily hanging round in the hope of 
 getting something. But what more could we 
 expect from Heathen ? Even white Heathen some- 
 times try to make something out of Christianity, 
 while they refuse to accept its teaching. 
 
 At noon we rang the bell for service, and 
 eighty-two natives responded. I gave an address 
 on the coming of Christ, illustrated by beautiful
 
 50 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 pictures. Lomai interpreted for me, and the 
 people listened most attentively. We sang four 
 hymns in their own mother tongue, and it moved 
 us greatly to hear many of these naked savages 
 joining in the singing. How we prayed that the 
 Christ would come into their hearts, and that the 
 next Christmas morning might dawn with a new 
 meaning to them. 
 
 New Year's Day was a great field day for the 
 natives. Early in the morning, armed bands 
 began to arrive in the Mission grounds. Each 
 band, as it came, took up a position apart from the 
 others. Many of the natives were fiercely and 
 horribly painted ; and even women were in some 
 cases hardly recognisable for paint. By 9 o'clock 
 about three hundred savages surrounded our 
 grounds, the women taking up a position of 
 vantage whence they could survey the whole 
 fold. With their rifles and their war paint, they 
 looked much more like an attacking party than a 
 company of friendly guests. Some of them had 
 come great distances, and many different tribes 
 were represented. They kept apart from each 
 other, and we had great difficulty in getting 
 any of them to mix up in the competitions. 
 Lomai was our right-hand man, and did all he 
 could to make the gathering a success. The 
 Heathen were very anxious for a shooting com- 
 petition ; but we firmly refused to have anything
 
 OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS ON TANNA 51 
 
 to do with shooting, so long as these guns were 
 used to take human life. At noon, about one 
 hundred and fifty of the natives attended the 
 feast which we had prepared, the rest holding 
 aloof and looking on from a distance. 
 
 In the evening, we had a time of special prayer 
 for Tanna and its people. 
 
 Just after this the steamer brought us a 
 beautiful organ. We unpacked it on the ver- 
 andah, and the natives crowded round in eager 
 expectancy. When Mrs Paton played over some 
 of the tunes which we had taught them, their joy 
 knew no bounds. Their eyes were like to start 
 out of their heads. To them the " Bokas 
 Nabuk " (singing box) was a wonder, a mystery. 
 All of them were particularly struck with the 
 pedal movements; and one of them suggested that 
 there was a man inside, who cried out when Mrs 
 Paton kicked him with her foot ! Tausi asked 
 them waggishly how the man could get his 
 " kaikai " (food) inside a box. 
 
 First we sang " Jesus loves me " in Tannese, 
 and the natives joined in, their wonder growing 
 with each new hymn. Our own hearts were full, 
 too, as the grand old tunes that we had sung in 
 our childhood sweetly rose to God. It was an 
 hour never to be forgotten. The sweet notes of 
 the organ, the wonder-looking faces of the natives, 
 singing in their own tongue the praises of a
 
 52 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 Christ of whom they were only beginning to hear, 
 the dark, unbroken mass of Heathenism around us, 
 and the agony of prayer that rose from our hearts 
 to God on their behalf, these things will go with 
 us to our graves. 
 
 Some time before this, an old Heathen, called 
 Kalia, came to me with bad toothache. He 
 insisted on having his tooth pulled out. I had 
 nothing better than a pair of artery forceps to 
 do it with, but I made a heroic attempt at the 
 impossible. Kalia soon came to the conclusion 
 that the cure was worse than the disease ; and he 
 left me after promising faithlessly to come again 
 next day ! But soon Kalia had worse than 
 toothache to trouble him. For about this time a 
 good many people had died, and Kalia, possessed 
 by an insane desire for glory, boasted that he 
 had caused their death by " netik." The people 
 believed it, and the tribe decided to shoot him ; 
 but he put the breadth of the island between 
 himself and them. Then he thought to stir up 
 the inland tribes against lavis and Lomai. 
 I avis came to me for advice, and I urged him to 
 send a peaceful message to Kalia. This he 
 agreed to do, and some of us set out to deliver 
 it, but Kalia was nowhere to be found. His 
 friends, however, warned him that if he did not 
 take care he would be shot. 
 
 Kalia was deaf to warnings and threats alike.
 
 He openly stated his firm resolve to shoot Noam, 
 to whom he sent insulting messages such as 
 
 " Kill all your pigs and have a good feast, for 
 it will be your last." 
 
 For a week he sought to carry out his purpose, 
 but old Noam managed to keep out of his way. 
 At last Nilua, a fine young fellow who was fast 
 becoming interested in the Worship, decided to 
 protect his father at all costs. Towards evening, 
 Kalia sneaked up to Noam's village in the hope 
 of finding him heavy with Kava. But Nilua was 
 on the watch. A friend of his stopped Kalia as 
 he was gliding noiselessly along the track, and 
 engaged him in conversation. Kalia boasted 
 that he was going to shoot Noam or his son. 
 Alas ! even in the midst of his boastful plans 
 Nilua's rifle blazed out, and the bullet pierced 
 his side. Nilua and his friend fled, while Kalia 
 dragged himself painfully along for about a mile. 
 Then he lay down in a lovely glen to die. Here 
 one of Nilua's tribe came suddenly upon him, and 
 the dying man, gathering up his last strength, 
 clutched his rifle to shoot him. But the effort 
 was too much for him ; the rifle dropped from 
 his powerless arms, and Kalia fell back dead. 
 
 It was a horrible deed. And yet Nilua was 
 acting in defence of his father, and I blamed their 
 "netik" system rather than him. Lomai came down 
 next day and told me all about the tragedy and
 
 54 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 how it had come about. I at once went up with 
 one of the teachers to Nilua's village and gathered 
 the people together. Nilua was present and very 
 quiet, but totally unconscious of the awful guilt of 
 murder. I spoke to them strongly and earnestly 
 about the terrible evils of their " netik " system, and 
 urged them to give it up and accept the Worship 
 of Jesus, who alone could bring them peace and 
 happiness. 
 
 A day or two afterwards, two women came out 
 of the village next to Nilua's. A volley of 
 muskets rang out from the scrub around, and 
 both women fell dead. This was native warfare, 
 the answer of the inland tribes to the shooting of 
 Kalia. 
 
 This " netik " business is the curse of Tanna. 
 The Sacred men possess certain stones called 
 netik stones. With these stones they are believed 
 to have the power of causing the death of any 
 one they choose. It is necessary, however, that 
 they get something belonging to the person whose 
 life they wish to take. A piece of banana peel, 
 cocoanut shell, tobacco, remains of food or leaf in 
 which it has been wrapped up, a foot-print, basket, 
 or anything of that kind will do. They take the 
 bit of food, or whatever it is, and then gather 
 leaves from certain short-lived trees, and rub them 
 on the " netik " stone. The food and stone are then 
 wrapped up in these leaves, and the whole is
 
 OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS ON TANNA 55 
 
 placed between two fires, one above and one 
 below. As the stone gets hot, the man is sup- 
 posed to sicken and die. There are two kinds of 
 sickness produced, in their belief, by " netik." The 
 one is called the light, or walking sickness, in 
 which the man has no pain, but becomes light and 
 wastes away, dies on his feet as it were that is 
 consumption. The other they call the heavy 
 sickness, in which a man is unable to rise, and is 
 possessed by terrible heat such as pneumonia, 
 fever, etc. But just as the Sacred man has power 
 to produce sickness, so he has the power to take 
 it away. All he has to do is to take the stone 
 out of the fire, and the sick one gets better. The 
 Sacred man may be induced to do this by huge 
 presents of pigs, or if that fails, by threats. Hence 
 the importance of finding out who is causing the 
 sickness. Hence also the willingness of men like 
 Kalia to boast of causing death by " netik," that 
 they may be feared, and have many pigs given to 
 them. 
 
 All this seems to us very ridiculous. But the 
 natives believe in it with their whole soul. They 
 would as soon doubt their own being as doubt the 
 truth of "netik." Their whole life is governed by 
 this terrible belief. No native will throw away 
 refuse of food, except in the privacy of his own 
 home. There are two ways by which " netik " can 
 be baffled ; either by burning the refuse, or by
 
 56 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 throwing it into the sea. The Sacred men can 
 do nothing with it, once it has been in the fire or 
 the sea. Hence you will often see a native carry- 
 ing remains of food a long way, to throw it into 
 the sea. They are kept in constant fear and 
 suspicion over this superstition. Close friends are 
 often changed into bitter enemies, through the 
 belief that the one is trying to obtain something 
 belonging to the other in order to give it to the 
 " netik " men. If a man becomes ill, his friends 
 go to all the tribes around and " talk netik." The 
 great questions are, " Who is the netik man ? " 
 and " Who is the netik carrier ? " or the man who 
 carried the food to the " netik " man. While the 
 man still lives they may try presents of pigs ; but 
 when he dies they have resort to the bullet. 
 Any one belonging to the " netik " man's tribe will 
 do, as long as they kill someone. Almost all the 
 fighting on Tanna arises over their belief in 
 " netik." 
 
 While the " netik " talk is on, the Heathen think 
 of nothing else. It never enters their heads that 
 proper food and nursing will do the sick one any 
 good. Their one hope is to find out the " netik " 
 man, and persuade him to undo his evil work. 
 Meanwhile, the patient may die of starvation and 
 neglect, or he may die of sheer fear. 
 
 Sometimes they hoped great things from the 
 Missionary's medicine, for they regarded him as
 
 OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS ON TANNA 57 
 
 also a Sacred man. With such it was just a ques- 
 tion as to which was the stronger, " netik " or the 
 Worship. But it is no easy matter to treat a 
 patient, who is possessed by the belief that he is 
 a doomed man, and who often refuses absolutely 
 to take food or medicine. No amount of argu- 
 ment has the least effect upon their minds ; their 
 one answer is 
 
 " Netik he belong Tanna ; white man he no 
 savey. Plenty man he die along netik." 
 
 Nothing but a new heart, set free by the truth 
 of Christ, delivers them from this bondage.
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 TO ANIWA AND BACK 
 
 ON Saturday, 3Oth January 1897, we had a 
 delightful surprise in the shape of a visit from 
 Mr Macmillan. He brought us grand news from 
 Weasisi. Ten of his people had declared openly 
 for Christ, and were now attending the Candidates' 
 class. The dawn was breaking, and we were 
 thrilled with joy. 
 
 The next day there was a great Heathen talk on 
 Mr Worthington's beach. It was to make peace ; 
 but the atmosphere became heated, and, but for 
 Mr Worthington and a young Chief stepping for- 
 ward, shots would have been exchanged. We 
 arrived on the scene just in time to meet Tom's 
 tribe coming away, in a state of wild excitement. 
 We gathered the leaders and urged them not to 
 fight. That night we prayed very earnestly that 
 war would not break out, and next day we visited 
 luiap's tribe. luiap was surrounded by his 
 warriors, and looked as if he would like to fight ; 
 but he promised, " Me fellow no fight first time," 
 that is that he would not begin hostilities. 
 
 All was now in readiness for our visit to Aniwa,
 
 TO ANIWA AND BACK 59 
 
 and we waited eagerly for the steamer. That 
 night, about eight o'clock, we heard her whistle. 
 We at once lit great fires on the beach that they 
 might see the landing. By twelve o'clock all our 
 goods were landed, and we bade farewell to our 
 teachers. There in the midnight we left them 
 silently weeping, even big, strong Tausi being 
 unable to keep back his tears. And Fritz, our 
 little Scotch terrier, howled piteously as the boat 
 glided out into the darkness. Soon all that we 
 could see of Tanna was a dark outline of hills 
 with one solitary light the light in the Mission 
 house. How lonely it looked, one little light in 
 the midst of a great darkness ! " Shine on, lone 
 star," the dawn is coming, was the cry that 
 filled our hearts, as we thought and prayed far on 
 into the morning hours. 
 
 At daylight, we landed Mr Macmillan at 
 Loanbakel, and two hours later we landed on 
 Aniwa. Almost the whole island was there to 
 welcome us. It was delightful to be amongst a 
 Christian people ! Even in outward appearance 
 they are as different from the Heathen as light is 
 from darkness. Willing hands carried our goods 
 to the house, and we were delighted to find 
 Kamasiteia, the head teacher, quite recovered from 
 his illness. The path from the landing runs between 
 a long avenue of lovely cocoanuts, and we found 
 everything in beautiful order. Litsi, Sisi, Hutshi,
 
 60 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 and Nalausi received us at the house with many 
 " alofas " and greetings. Our hearts were gladdened 
 and uplifted. We were also welcomed by Mr 
 Bates, a Christian trader then living on Aniwa, 
 who devoted most of his time to spiritual work 
 amongst the natives. 
 
 The next day we had a prayer meeting, which 
 was largely attended. We were specially struck 
 with the large number of healthy, bright-faced 
 children. I addressed the people in Aniwan, 
 which was rapidly coming back to me. After the 
 service we had a meeting of Session ; and they 
 presented a most gratifying report of the state of 
 affairs on the island. 
 
 The following days were very busy ones for us 
 too busy as it proved for our health. We had to 
 rise before daylight, to visit the morning village 
 schools. Then we had sick cases to attend to, 
 clothes to give out, classes to teach, and countless 
 other things from morning to night. In the after- 
 noons I conducted a teacher's class, and in the 
 evenings we had singing and addresses on the 
 children of the Bible. Arrowroot had also to be 
 prepared, and 313! Ibs. were dedicated to be sold 
 towards the expense of printing the New Testament 
 in the language of the people. It was a busy and 
 a happy time. The people worked well and 
 learned well, and they entwined themselves around 
 our hearts. They had their faults but who has
 
 TO ANIWA AND BACK 61 
 
 not ? The children were eager and respectful ; the 
 young men took an active part in Christian work ; 
 and there was only one able-bodied man on the 
 whole island who did not attend Church regularly. 
 
 Kamasiteia, the head teacher, was a fine, 
 Christian gentleman, and came nearest to Lomai 
 of any native I have ever known. One day, 
 when the trader was completely out of food, 
 owing to the neglect of the steamer, Kamasiteia 
 preached to the people on " Inasmuch as ye did 
 it unto one of these my brethren, even these 
 least, ye did it unto me." Then, after picturing 
 the joy and the liberality of the people if Christ 
 Himself should come to Aniwa, he said 
 
 " But, people of Aniwa, one of Christ's brethren 
 is here on Aniwa, and he is in need. Do to him 
 as you would do to Christ Himself if He came." 
 
 A woman in going out gave the trader a native 
 pudding which she had brought for her own 
 dinner ; and from that day the Aniwans kept him 
 in food till he was able to get a supply of his own. 
 
 A census of the island showed the population to 
 be 166, made up of 82 children and 84 adults, a 
 fine, vigorous people, who gave promise of holding 
 their own for many generations to come. The 
 rush of work brought on fever, and both Mrs 
 Paton and I had very severe attacks. It was 
 our first experience of fever, and not a very 
 pleasant one either.
 
 62 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 On Tuesday, i6th February, at 5.15 A.M., we 
 left Aniwa in our boat for Tanna. Early and 
 dark as it was, large numbers gathered at the 
 boat landing to say good-bye. We felt genuinely 
 sorry to leave Aniwa, and yet we were longing 
 to be at our darker post on Tanna. A five 
 hours' pull brought us to Mr Forlong's station 
 at Loanbakel. Here we rested a few hours, 
 greatly refreshed by Mr Forlong's kindness, and 
 by what we saw of his heroic work for God. 
 
 At 2.15 we left for Lenakel ; but, as the wind 
 was light, darkness overtook us before we rounded 
 the last point. It is no easy matter to pick up a 
 narrow passage between ugly reefs in the dark, 
 so we shouted again and again to wake our 
 teachers. At last a mighty yell broke the still- 
 ness on shore, followed by a huge piece of flaming 
 wood hurled high into the air. It was our 
 faithful Tausi ; and, guided by his shouts, we soon 
 reached the landing in safety. 
 
 Here bad news awaited us. In a few rapid 
 sentences Tausi told us that Mr Worthington 
 had been ill, Seimata was almost dying, Titonga, 
 Litsi, and Somo were also very bad with fever. 
 Mrs Worthington, who had gone to Aniwa with 
 us, hurried up to her husband, and we quickly 
 made our way to our teachers. First we saw 
 Litsi ; and then a mere shadow of a woman, whom 
 none of us recognised till a faint smile revealed
 
 TO ANIWA AND BACK 63 
 
 Seimata's beautiful teeth. They were both weak 
 and emaciated, and yet they had crawled over to 
 the Mission house to light a fire for our tea. We 
 packed them off to bed, and then visited 
 Titonga and little Somo. Good old Tausi had 
 attended to the sick teachers, kept the school 
 going, and also gone over to look after Mr 
 Worthington. He was quite worn out, and 
 broke down as soon as we relieved him of the 
 strain of nursing. It was a sad home-coming ; 
 but our return, and the visit of the Aniwans who 
 came with us, put new heart into them, and 
 before long all were well again. We were glad 
 to find that peace reigned among the Tannese ; 
 and the next morning they came down and gave 
 us a great welcome, which touched us deeply. 
 
 About this time, I found that drink was being 
 sold freely to the Tannese. lavis came to me 
 and asked me to get the sale of it stopped, 
 because it was destroying his people. I promised 
 to do my best, but we had a long struggle before 
 us ere we could persuade the British Company 
 to give up selling drink to the local traders on 
 Tanna. At last we gained the day, and the 
 supply of drink was stopped. 
 
 One Sabbath morning, soon after this, word 
 was brought that Lomai had given his wife a 
 terrible thrashing the night before. We were all 
 greatly shocked at the news. When Church time
 
 64 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 came, Lomai was present with an expression of 
 deep sorrow. Instead of speaking in English as 
 usual, and asking him to interpret, I spoke in 
 Aniwan, and asked Titonga to interpret into the 
 Weasisi dialect. As soon as I began to speak, 
 Lomai hung his head in shame. After Church, I 
 called him into the study and asked him to tell 
 me all about it. He did so frankly. His second 
 wife had got angry and pitched his belongings 
 out of the house ; and his heart had gone bad, 
 and he had seized a stick and given her some 
 smashing blows on the head and shoulders. I 
 told him how bad a thing he had done, and what 
 harm it would do to the whole cause. Lomai 
 covered his eyes with his hands and said, in a 
 broken voice, " I know it." We had a long talk, 
 and Lomai was most penitent and humble. He 
 said that, as soon as he had done it, he felt like 
 killing himself, and prayed hard to Jesus to make 
 his heart good. The man was in an agony of 
 remorse, and we prayed together. I told him 
 that for a time I would not ask him to interpret 
 in Church or school. He felt this keenly, but 
 humbly acquiesced ; and it hurt me, as much as 
 it hurt Lomai, to discipline ; but I did it for his 
 good and for the good of the cause. 
 
 We then went up to his village and attended 
 to his wife. Lomai tended her very gently, and 
 did all in his power to atone for his sin. Her
 
 TO ANIWA AND BACK 65 
 
 wounds soon healed, but for weeks she was very 
 sulky. 
 
 This was a lesson Lomai never forgot. He 
 was so far above all the others, intellectually and 
 spiritually, that there might have been a strong 
 temptation to spiritual pride. But this fall 
 revealed to Lomai his own weakness, and his 
 need of close dependence upon his Lord. Never 
 did Lomai show the slightest leaning to self- 
 sufficiency or pride. Indeed, never again had I 
 to reprove him for the slightest inconsistency. 
 It seemed as if this were the last great battle 
 between the Old and the New in Lomai. From 
 that day, he became one of the meekest and 
 purest followers of Jesus that I have ever known 
 in my life. 
 
 About this time Lomai, lavis, and Nelbini 
 began the practice of regular family worship. 
 They prayed in English, but they were groping 
 after God, led by His own Spirit. Outwardly, 
 they were still naked Heathen ; but inwardly, they 
 were not far from the kingdom of God, if not 
 already in it, and there was a new light in their 
 faces. But they had still many a fiery trial to 
 pass through, ere they could give up all and 
 follow Christ.
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 CLOTHED AND IN HIS RIGHT MIND 
 
 TUESDAY, i6th March, was one of our land- 
 marks at Lenakel. The steamer brought us some 
 fine boxes of clothing from London, and I urged 
 the people to accept the Worship and put on 
 clothes. I told them how loving hearts had sent 
 them all the way from London, and showed them 
 in the map how far that was, telling them how 
 many days it took the steamer to travel across. 
 They were greatly interested in the map, and 
 wondered to see their own land so small in com- 
 parison with others. They call Tanna, " Ten 
 Asul " (the great land) ! Aniwa being " Ten 
 Asuas " (the small land). I told them they must 
 either bring native food for the clothes, or come 
 and work four days on the Mission Station. 
 Soon they began to come in twos and threes to 
 work, while others brought yams and bananas. 
 But the great difficulty was to make a start at 
 wearing the clothes. A Tanna man is ashamed 
 to be seen clothed ; and it needed tremendous 
 moral courage for the first man to begin. That 
 man was Lomai. One Sabbath morning I saw 
 
 66
 
 CLOTHED AND IN HIS RIGHT MIND 67 
 
 a man in a red shirt and lavalava coming up the 
 path. I hastened out, thinking he was a stranger 
 from the other side. But, to our unutterable joy, 
 it was Lomai. The Heathen called him an old 
 woman, and if there is anything a Tanna man 
 hates to be called, it is " old woman " ! But he 
 paid no heed to their ridicule. It was a distinct 
 declaration that he had for ever turned his back 
 on Heathenism, and that he was now an out and 
 out Worshipping man. Only those who have 
 lived in the midst of naked Heathenism can know 
 the joy that thrilled our hearts to see Lomai 
 clothed that morning. He had now taken the 
 first decisive step ; the Spirit had begun to work in 
 his heart, and we knew that the rest would follow. 
 
 By degrees, some women plucked up courage 
 to follow Lomai's example. Each Sabbath, we 
 counted one or two more who came clothed. 
 Then a few men began to wear clothes, at first 
 shamefacedly, but their courage grew with num- 
 bers. The Worshipping party were now, for the 
 first time, outwardly distinct from the Heathen. 
 It was a small party, truly ; but it was compact 
 and united, a force for ever after to be reckoned 
 with on West Tanna. 
 
 One Sabbath morning, when we went to Loinio, 
 I thought the people much slower than usual in 
 coming out. Presently I saw a boy working his 
 way into a shirt, a fine little fellow who had never
 
 68 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 worn clothes before. Then I saw his little sister 
 emerge in a nice dress, and the mother followed 
 later likewise dressed, while the father brought up 
 the rear in a long pink nightshirt. lavis turned 
 out in a coat, and Numanian slipped away and 
 put on a topcoat. His wife also was dressed. I 
 shall never forget the joy of seeing these people 
 coming clothed for the first time ! We had a 
 stirring service, and our hearts surged with hope. 
 
 Sometimes native ideas of dress were somewhat 
 trying to our risibles. One day, a man came to 
 Church with nothing but a vest and a tall silk hat. 
 At the next service, the wife wore the silk hat, 
 and sat with her neck very stiff all the time lest 
 it should topple over ! Every now and again, she 
 tried to keek round without moving her head to 
 see if she was being duly admired ! It was quite 
 a common thing to see a man in a woman's dress, 
 and a woman in a man's coat. Sometimes a 
 whole family had only one dress between them, 
 and each wore it in turn, father, boys and all, till 
 it had gone through the lot. 
 
 One day, a woman suddenly remembered in the 
 middle of the service that she had forgotten to 
 put on her dress. She at once began to wriggle 
 into it, and it took her some time even with 
 friendly hints and tugs from her neighbours. 
 All this while the Missionary was solemnly 
 preaching !
 
 CLOTHED AND IN HIS RIGHT MIND 69 
 
 New comers were often puzzled what to do 
 during the service. They thought that they 
 would bring upon themselves dire calamity, if 
 they did not do exactly the right thing. Those 
 around generally gave them audible and friendly 
 instructions. When I rose to pray, the old hands 
 would call out, ' Apul, apul " (sleep) ; and the new- 
 comers would screw their eyes tight shut lest they 
 should open by accident. They would remain 
 thus after the prayer was finished ; and their neigh- 
 bour would give them a vigorous dig in the ribs ! 
 The stranger would then start up with a terrified 
 grunt, thinking he had committed some unpardon- 
 able sin, and his gentle monitor would say in a 
 very audible whisper, " Ait " (awake) ! Or, a 
 stranger would come in with a basket on his head 
 for a hat and forget to take it off ; " Osita tam- 
 kapa ! " (Take your hat off), would be hurled at 
 him from various quarters. The man would duck 
 his head and whip off his hat, and then look 
 sheepishly at me to see if I was very angry, but 
 my benign expression would reassure him. 
 
 Among the first to follow Lomai's example in 
 wearing clothes were lavis, Numanian, Nelbini 
 and Tom. They worked for clothes for them- 
 selves and then for their families, and their 
 example inspired the weaker ones to follow in 
 their wake. 
 
 One night we were startled by a cry from the
 
 70 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 shore. It was a woman's voice, and its tone was 
 of suppressed excitement. We ran out, but could 
 see nothing. Then the cry was repeated, and 
 Seimata rushed past us, calling out, " Ta hot 
 Aniwa " (the Aniwan boat) ! We were soon at 
 the landing, and found that the Aniwans had 
 brought back the Pioneer, which I had sent over 
 to Aniwa with them. Litzi's son and Seimata's 
 were on board, and there was great rejoicing all 
 round. After a few days Lomai and Tausi col- 
 lected a Tanna crew to take the Aniwans back 
 and return with the Pioneer. I went with them 
 as far as North Tanna to evangelise while they 
 were on Aniwa. 
 
 We had a fair wind as far as Loanatit, where 
 we landed about noon. Three men met me at 
 the landing, and I got one of them to lead me up 
 to the village, while the crew boiled the billy and 
 made tea on the beach. Peter, my guide, did not 
 seem quite sure about me at first ; but we were 
 soon on good terms, and he told me all about the 
 place and the people. A sharp climb up the face 
 of a steep cliff brought us to a beautiful grassy 
 slope,- my guide explaining that they brought 
 heavy pigs up this track from the shore. A few 
 minutes' walk then brought us to the village. 
 Here we had a splendid view of mountain and 
 gully, while away across the sea were the blue 
 mountains of Erromanga. The village was right
 
 SKI MAT A AND TAUSI
 
 CLOTHED AND IN HIS RIGHT MIND 71 
 
 on the edge of a precipice. A man received us 
 very cautiously. I asked him if he remembered 
 some Missionaries coming ashore the year before ; 
 but his memory seemed to give him no light on 
 the subject. But when I said that one of them 
 was an old man with white hair, he grasped my 
 hand and said 
 
 " Now me savey you." 
 
 Then he shouted " Tom," and Tom yelled back 
 a reply from the other side of the ravine. Soon 
 he appeared, followed by his wife, both dumb with 
 astonishment at the sight of a white man in their 
 village. We had a short service, and then made 
 our way down to the beach. There we had 
 another service ; and I asked them to talk the 
 matter over, and promised to come back on 
 Saturday to find out whether they would like a 
 teacher or not. 
 
 From Loanatit we had a long and heavy pull 
 to Loanbakel, where Mr Forlong gave us a kindly 
 welcome. The next morning Mr Macmillan 
 arrived. He had started on the previous day, 
 but had missed the passage on the other side of 
 the point in the dark. They had got on to the 
 reef, and had to stand in the water for three hours 
 keeping the boat afloat till help arrived. They 
 had then spent the night in wet clothes in a copra- 
 house. It was a happy meeting; and we did some 
 itinerating together in spite of the heavy rain that
 
 72 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 was falling. We were delighted to see so many 
 natives wearing clothes as a result of Mr Forlong's 
 work. In the evening, we held a special service 
 in the boat-house, where our crews were camped 
 for the night, and we urged them to decide for 
 Christ. 
 
 The next morning we parted on the beach. 
 Mr Macmillian set out for Weasisi, the Pioneer 
 started for Aniwa, and I sailed for Loanatit in 
 Mr Forlong's boat. On the way, I got all the 
 information I could out of my crew. As we 
 neared Loanatit I asked one of them if he was 
 afraid of the people there. " No, me no fright," 
 he said, but he was quietly slipping a fresh 
 cartridge into his gun all the same ! About 
 twenty-five people were awaiting us on the shore. 
 We sat down on an old canoe under the banyan 
 tree ; and Peter told me that the Chiefs and people 
 had talked the thing over, and decided for a 
 teacher. The old Chief who had opposed us the 
 year before was dead, and his son was favourable 
 to the Worship. We then held a service together, 
 and I preached the Gospel to them. I was 
 delighted with the result of our visit, and pro- 
 mised to settle a teacher among them as soon as 
 I could get one. 
 
 About midday Mr Forlong's boat returned to 
 Loanbakel, and Peter led me to Black Beach. 
 Here he showed me ground where a teacher
 
 CLOTHED AND IN HIS RIGHT MIND 73 
 
 had once been settled for a time in the old days. 
 He told me to keep along the coast till I got to 
 Lenakel, and then returned to Loanatit, leaving 
 me to go on alone. It was a long, rough walk, 
 with not a single village for miles. At one time, 
 I became so weary and thirsty that I thought I 
 must give in. I looked in vain for a water- 
 spring. At last I came to a little pool in the 
 rock, and it was only half-salt, so I drank some 
 of it, and lay down with my feet in it for a quarter 
 of an hour. This revived me, and I pressed on. 
 But it was long after dark when I reached 
 Lenakel, more dead than alive. 
 
 The Pioneer was to have returned from Aniwa 
 on Monday, and we lit great fires on the beach, 
 but no boat appeared. On Tuesday night we 
 again lit fires, but still there was no sign of the 
 boat. On Wednesday, ugly rumours reached us. 
 The people of the North sent word that the 
 boat had foundered, and that all the crew were 
 drowned. We did not believe the story, but the 
 Tannese did, and I avis came to me in great 
 excitement. We cheered him up as well as we 
 could, and at night we lit a huge fire that would 
 burn till daylight. After ten o'clock we went to 
 bed feeling rather uneasy ; but we laid all our 
 anxiety before God, and felt comforted. At 
 midnight we were roused by the boat-cry. We 
 hurried down to the beach and listened. Out of
 
 74 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 the darkness, far away to sea, we heard again the 
 high-pitched boat-cry. Joyfully we answered it, 
 and our hearts rose to God. Our boat was safe. 
 We heaped huge logs on the fire, and they blazed 
 up rarely ! In half-an-hour our boat was at the 
 landing, and we were gripping Tausi and Lomai 
 warmly by the hand. The next morning there 
 was great rejoicing among the Tannese, and lavis 
 went about beaming. 
 
 This visit did our Tannese an immense amount 
 of good. They saw on Aniwa what a Christian 
 community was, and they were deeply impressed. 
 On the Sabbath Lomai gave an address to the 
 people, describing in glowing colours all that they 
 had seen and heard. 
 
 After this came our Synod gathering, where 
 we met our fellow missionaries of the Fund, Dr 
 and Mrs Bowie. It was a helpful and uplifting 
 time. Despite great differences of opinion on 
 some questions, the meetings were saturated with 
 prayer, and we all felt that it was good for us to 
 be there. After Synod, Mr Hume went north 
 with the steamer to help in building Dr Bowie's 
 house.
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 THE SPIRIT WORKING 
 
 ON our return from Synod, we found all going 
 on well. There was only one cloud, but that 
 was rather a black one. The people from the 
 other side had made another raid upon the 
 Loinio tribe, and shot an old man. Most of the 
 tribe wanted at once to retaliate, but lavis and 
 Lomai made a determined stand. They went 
 from village to village persuading their people to 
 keep the peace a strange mission for the war 
 Chief and his leading warrior ! Lomai said to 
 me 
 
 " They call us old women, but we don't care. 
 We don't want to fight. We want to come to 
 school, and keep talk belong Jesus." 
 
 lavis and Lomai acted nobly in the crisis, and 
 their efforts were crowned with success. Nothing 
 but God's Spirit could have given them such 
 moral courage. 
 
 A day or two afterwards I was working at the 
 language with Lomai. We came to the word 
 kava, and Lomai told me about its effect on the 
 people. 
 
 75
 
 76 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 " Oh, if it is good kava a man loses his senses 
 altogether." 
 
 Then he told me that he had always drank 
 kava till quite recently, but that he had now 
 given it up. And this is how Lomai came to 
 give up kava : I tell it in his own words 
 
 " One night me dream along night, and me 
 think Misis Paton come to me. She growl plenty 
 along me and say, ' Lomai, what for you drink 
 kava? By-and-bye suppose you drink him you 
 get very ill.' Me say, ' Oh no, Misis, me no get 
 ill ; kava he very good.' But Mrs Paton she say, 
 ' Yes, by-and-bye you ill.' Then I wake and 
 think, ' Oh, it is only a dream,' and I go on drink 
 kava. 
 
 " Then me dream again, and I think Mr Hume 
 he come and growl along me. He say, ' Lomai, 
 what for you drink grog ? By-and-bye you get 
 very sick and die, suppose you drink all the 
 same.' I say, ' No, Mr Hume, I no drink grog.' 
 But Mr Hume he say, ' Yes, you drink grog, 
 and suppose you no give it up you get very ill.' 
 Then me wake again and think all the same 
 before. 
 
 " That night me drink kava again, and then 
 me begin to feel very bad. By-and-bye I get 
 very ill, and close up me die. Then I think, 
 that no only a dream ; kava he bad, me no drink 
 any more. And me no drink kava any more."
 
 THE SPIRIT WORKING 77 
 
 And so Lomai took another great step into the 
 liberty wherewith Christ had made him free. 
 
 Tom now began to come to the front again. 
 His period of reaction was coming to an end, and 
 a new expression of rest was coming into his 
 eyes. One day I was painting my boat when 
 Tom came and sat down on the sand. After 
 watching me awhile in silence he said 
 
 " By-and-bye me wear clothes, make heart 
 belong me good." 
 
 I said that was good so far, but explained that 
 it needed Jesus to make the heart good. Tom 
 agreed, and then after a long pause he said 
 
 " Suppose me want lamp, you sell one along 
 me?" 
 
 I said, " No, Tom, suppose you want lamp, you 
 go along Harry, he sell you one." 
 
 Harry is the name by which Mr Worthington 
 is known among the natives, his surname being 
 altogether too hard for their tongues to get round. 
 After another pause Tom said 
 
 " Suppose me get lamp along Harry, you give 
 me kerosene ? " 
 
 But I referred him to the same quarter for the 
 kerosene. I wondered what Tom wanted with 
 the lamp, but soon forgot all about the incident. 
 
 A week or two after this Tom came to me 
 with a beaming face. He told me that he had 
 got a lamp, and that he now held school every
 
 78 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 evening in his village. They met in an old house, 
 but it was not nearly big enough to hold all that 
 came. Now I saw what Tom had been driving 
 at about the lamp ! We were overjoyed at this 
 grand news, and promised to visit his school. So, 
 the following evening, with a lantern to light our 
 way, Mrs Paton, the teachers and I set out for 
 lakurmig. And what a welcome we received ! 
 The women crowded around Mrs Paton crying 
 out, " Awe Misi Tana " their favourite name for 
 Mrs Paton. 
 
 There was quite a throng outside the door, but 
 inside the little building was crowded almost to 
 suffocation. Tom Kouiamera and lauiko sat on 
 boxes at the far end, and the rest squatted on the 
 ground, while high above them all hung Tom's 
 lamp. The moment we appeared at the door two 
 boxes were passed over the heads of the people 
 for us to sit on. Tom opened the meeting with a 
 hymn. He read it little by little, and the people 
 repeated it after him. It was an English hymn 
 and they sang it with zest. Then Tom prayed in 
 English, and it stirred our hearts to hear one of 
 our Tannese pray for the first time before us. 
 And this was Tom's prayer as nearly as I can 
 remember it in his own words : 
 
 " Oh Lord God Father, we thank Thee this 
 night for bring altogether people here. Lord 
 Father, help altogether, make we fellow strong
 
 THE SPIRIT WORKING 79 
 
 along Jesus. We no savey much, we savey too 
 little. O Lord Father, stop along heaven good 
 fellow place, look down along this world and see 
 every man sinner. Jesus He born piccaninni, He 
 grow man, He shed blood along cross wash away 
 sin belong heart. O Lord Father, help we alto- 
 gether think about Jesus every day, every hour. 
 Keep from steal, keep from tellum lie, keep from 
 every bad thing, keep from Satan. Help we alto- 
 gether keep close along Jesus every day, every 
 hour. Help every man and woman here, and 
 every man who no come help bring him come. O 
 Lord Father, we altogether sinner. Nothing take 
 away sin, only blood of Jesus. Jesus Master, we 
 thank Thee. Help us all we go along work we 
 think about Jesus all the time. All this we ask 
 for Jesus' sake. Amen." 
 
 An address from me and a few more hymns 
 closed this memorable meeting. It was the work 
 of God and we could only look on with adoring 
 hearts. 
 
 Tom soon found the old building to be too 
 small, so he carried the sides of it into the public 
 square, and erected a much larger building 
 opposite the village kava house. There he con- 
 ducted service every evening, and lolo, lesua and 
 lauilam helped to teach the women their letters. 
 
 We were greatly pleased by lesua's eagerness 
 to learn. One day she saw some Heathens help-
 
 8o LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 ing themselves to Mr Worthington's corn. She 
 reproved them and told them that the Misi had 
 taught them that it was bad to steal. The women 
 dropped the corn and ran away in great fear. 
 
 A few days later we all went up to lakurmig 
 to open Tom's new Church. When we reached 
 the village, Tom and his helpers made a great 
 heap of food in the middle of the square as a pre- 
 sent to the visitors. We then made a return heap 
 of clothes. This done, we went into the new 
 Church, which was crowded to the door, over 
 seventy people being present I preached on the 
 building and dedicating of Solomon's Temple 
 a vastly different affair in men's eyes, but perhaps 
 not very different in the sight of God. We were 
 deeply stirred at the opening of our first village 
 Church. After the service, the heaps were divided 
 and we returned home. 
 
 About this time, our Church at Lenakel became 
 too small to hold the people, so we began the 
 fine big lime and thatch building which now 
 stands on the Station. Tausi, Titonga, Lomai, 
 lavis and Numanian were our leading workers, 
 Nelbini, Tom and others helping occasionally. 
 First we went into the forest, and felled huge trees 
 for posts. Then we went out on to the reef at 
 low tide, and broke up coral stone, boating 
 home when the tide eame in. When we had 
 enough stone we dug a great pit and filled it up
 
 THE SPIRIT WORKING 81 
 
 with wood, mixing green with dry. Then we 
 heaped the stone upon the wood, and set fire to 
 it. It burned for three days and then we had a 
 fine pit of lime. While we were cutting posts and 
 burning lime, the women gathered sugar cane leaf 
 and weaved it on to long reeds for thatch. It was 
 a lengthy task with so few workers, but it was a 
 great joy to see our Church daily growing under 
 our hands. 
 
 The Heathen came down now and then, and 
 exclaimed with wonder at the immense building 
 we were putting up. And when they looked at 
 our small band of Worshippers, they smiled and 
 thought that we were mad. One day, some of them 
 tried to persuade our workers to stop working. 
 They said they would get much more from Harry 
 which was not true, of course. At last I avis 
 got angry and said 
 
 " Very good you go work along money, by- 
 and-bye you go along big fire ! Me work along 
 Misi, me want to go Heaven." 
 
 The Heathen at once decamped, feeling rather 
 uneasy at the mention of " big fire." 
 
 Shortly after Tom began his village service, 
 lavis and Lomai began a service at Lapuna. 
 Three or four villages met together there every 
 evening, and lavis told them what he had heard 
 at the midday school at Lenakel. Numanian 
 soon became a leader in this little band of
 
 82 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 Worshippers, and Heathen were won for Christ by 
 these men who had themselves only just emerged 
 from gross darkness. Truly the Spirit was 
 working mightily in their hearts. They had no 
 building as yet, but they gathered under the 
 village banyan tree. Many a fiendish plot had 
 been discussed and decided upon under that tree ; 
 but henceforth nothing but the Gospel of Jesus 
 was ever proclaimed beneath its branches. 
 
 lavis the war Chief now became a great 
 preacher of peace. Taking Lomai with him, he 
 visited all his allies, and refused to talk about 
 anything but the Word of Jesus. Together they 
 visited the Nouramene, a friendly tribe some 
 miles to the south. The advent of the war Chief 
 and his leading warrior caused a stir in the tribe, 
 and soon the people gathered from the various 
 villages. Lomai and lavis spent two days among 
 them, preaching the Word of Jesus. The 
 Nouramene were astounded. They had gathered 
 to hear far other news from the war Chief. 
 
 " What name ? " they said. " We all come 
 together hear news belong Tanna. You come 
 tell us another fellow news. We no hear all the 
 same before ! " 
 
 " No," replied lavis. " Belong me one fellow 
 talk now talk belong Jesus. Suppose you listen 
 me talk along Jesus." 
 
 Another day they visited Lonapkeramera.
 
 THE SPIRIT WORKING 83 
 
 The whole village turned out to hear their news. 
 To their surprise, it was no Tanna talk about 
 " netik " and fighting, but news of Jesus. They 
 talked and persuaded, till Lomai was dead beat 
 and went into a house to have a sleep. When he 
 awoke and came out, lavis was still in full swing, 
 lavis is the best talker in the whole district, 
 he can go on all day and talk any number of 
 Heathen down and he talks good sense too. 
 Tausi waggishly calls him " Captain Talkitalk." 
 The result of their visit to Lonapkeramera was 
 that the people asked Lomai to come and teach 
 them every night. Here, under the banyan tree, 
 he gathered them night after night, till the whole 
 village became Worshippers. 
 
 One day, the teachers and I set out for 
 Loanatit in the Pioneer to see how Peter and his 
 fellows were getting on. A large number of 
 Heathen met us and were very friendly. The 
 war with the inland tribe was over, and Peter 
 showed me a reed which had been planted as a 
 seal of peace. Two of the inland natives were 
 present, and all united in asking for a teacher. 
 They were tired of fighting, and wanted to " stop 
 quiet." We greatly enjoyed our visit, and the 
 last words they shouted out to us as the boat shot 
 through the passage were 
 
 " Send us teacher, he come quick." 
 
 On our return we found that Lomai, lavis, and
 
 84 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 Nelbini had helped Mrs Paton to conduct the 
 weekly prayer meeting. Next morning Lomai 
 was ill with fever, but he crawled down through 
 the pouring rain that he might again help 
 Mrs Paton in case we had not returned. 
 
 But we found that the Devil had been at work 
 as well. Nelbini's father and some others had 
 sold one of our school girls to a tribe some miles 
 to the north of us for a Heathen practice too 
 abominable to mention. Lomai had done all he 
 could to prevent it, but in vain. It was a sicken- 
 ing revelation to me of what Heathenism really is. 
 We visited four villages and saw the leading men 
 concerned. I insisted that the full price must 
 be paid back and the girl restored. There was 
 vehement opposition, and days of talk followed, 
 luiap had received a pig as his part of the pay, 
 but the pig was eaten, and he refused to give up 
 one of his own instead. Lomai and Nelbini 
 helped me day after day, till at last the guardian 
 of the girl restored his part of the profits. 
 Nelbini gave a pig, but still there was one lacking 
 to make up the full price, so I gave our pig to 
 complete the thing. Then we launched the 
 Pioneer with a freight of pigs and mats. The 
 Heathen bolted when they saw us coming, but 
 Nelbini and Lomai ran after them and persuaded 
 them to come back. We had a long talk and the 
 Heathen were simply dumb with astonishment.
 
 THE SPIRIT WORKING 85 
 
 They could see no evil in a custom which filled 
 our hearts with such revolting horror. However, 
 they accepted the returned price and restored the 
 girl, and we sailed home in triumph. It was a 
 great victory for the Worship, and a distinct blow 
 to Heathenism. Nabupo now came back to school, 
 happy at being among her own people again. 
 
 A good many people were now wearing 
 clothes. It was a great joy to come home from 
 our long Sabbath tramps, and see a group of well- 
 dressed natives sitting around Mrs Paton on the 
 verandah, lost in wonder at the pictures she was 
 explaining to them. Some had even got the 
 length of having two dresses, one for working, 
 and one always kept clean for Sabbaths. 
 
 Even among the Heathen, we had a gleam of 
 encouragement now and again. For example, 
 one day at the close of a village service an aged 
 Chief said to me 
 
 " That is good news. Very good you tell 
 altogether man Tanna quick." 
 
 It was old Numanian, who in his younger days 
 had led a party of warriors to Port Resolution to 
 try and kill my father. He was now almost 
 blind, and could only walk with the help of a 
 stick.
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 DECISION FOR CHRIST 
 
 ONE day Lomai came to see me. He said his 
 heart was very sore. I took him into the study, 
 and he unburdened his soul to me. He was 
 greatly troubled because he had two wives, and 
 he felt that he should have only one. 
 
 " Me think all the time, what am I doing with 
 another wife now ? It is all right for me now, 
 but the woman she no savey much yet, and it is 
 very hard for her." 
 
 We prayed over it, and I advised him to bring 
 both his wives regularly to school, and to teach 
 them at home ; also to pray daily to Jesus, and 
 the way would be opened up. I had never men- 
 tioned the subject of two wives to any of the 
 Tannese. It was entirely the working of God's 
 Spirit in Lomai's own heart. 
 
 Not long after Lomai came back to me and 
 said 
 
 " Misi, very good you pray very hard along me, 
 for my heart be plenty sore." He told me that 
 he had prayed much about giving up his second 
 wife, and his way had been suddenly opened up. 
 
 86
 
 I.OMAI AND NAflTM
 
 DECISION FOR CHRIST 87 
 
 A young relative of his had come to manhood, 
 and this is always ushered in on Tanna by un- 
 speakable abominations. Nothing but Lomai's 
 splendid stand saved young Lohman from these 
 Heathen ceremonies. The thought then came to 
 Lomai : Why not give his second wife to Loh- 
 man. He at once gathered together all the 
 relatives concerned, and in due time the marriage 
 was arranged. Lomai was full of joy, but his 
 heart was sore nevertheless. 
 
 " It's the old fashion," he said, " and we have 
 been used to it on Tanna. Suppose Jesus He no 
 stop in heart, a man can't do it. Suppose Jesus 
 no stop along heart, Misi Paton, a man would kill 
 himself sooner than do that. It's all right for me, 
 only I can't help thinking about it, and my heart 
 very sore. By and bye my heart no sore, but 
 to-day and to-morrow me feel plenty sore. Me 
 want you pray very hard along me." 
 
 Dear Lomai ! he was passing through a baptism 
 of fire, but he never flinched. He suffered keenly, 
 and it made him gentle. He learned, too, how 
 strength is to be found in Jesus only. One day 
 some of his friends said to him 
 
 " Suppose we come along Worship ; Misi he tell 
 us give up all wife only one." 
 
 But Lomai answered, " No, Misi he no tell you 
 that. Misi tell you word belong Jesus. All you 
 do is to listen good. By and bye, when Jesus stop
 
 88 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 along your heart, He make it easy for you. No 
 use you think about it now, he too hard for you. 
 You listen along word of Jesus. Suppose you 
 get Jesus along your heart, he no hard for you 
 any more." 
 
 Lomai spoke out of the deep experience of 
 his own heart. God was teaching him through 
 suffering. 
 
 lavis was also troubled because he had three 
 wives. But he soon made up his mind, and put 
 away his second and third, though he still pro- 
 vided for them, and saw that they lacked nothing. 
 Though far below Lomai in intellect and spiritual 
 insight, yet lavis was a giant among his fellows, 
 and a true follower of Jesus according to his light. 
 One day he said to me 
 
 " Altogether talk belong me finish, only one 
 fellow he stop, talk belong Jesus." 
 
 And he was true to his word. Lomai said to 
 me 
 
 " lavis, he strong. Suppose he see a stranger, 
 he get alongside him quick, and tell him about 
 Jesus. We no more talk belong Tanna, lavis and 
 me, we talk about Jesus along altogether man." 
 
 Seeing that God's spirit was working so deeply 
 in some hearts, we felt that the time had come to 
 call for definite decisions for Christ. So after 
 much prayer, I addressed the people one Sabbath 
 morning on the Lord's Supper, and called upon
 
 DECISION FOR CHRIST 89 
 
 those who were willing to make a definite and full 
 surrender of their hearts and lives to Christ, to 
 come to me after school the following Friday. It 
 was a week of much prayer, and Mrs Paton and I 
 visited several villages in the interval. On the 
 Wednesday night we visited lakurmig, and had 
 a solemn service under the great banyan tree, 
 lavis, Lomai, Nelbini and Numanian took a very 
 earnest part in the meeting, and about sixty 
 people were present. It gladdened and uplifted 
 us to hear these Tannese speak and pray. 
 
 At Tom's village, we had a good time. When 
 the little girls saw Mrs Paton they jumped and 
 yelled with delight, then they made a rush, and 
 taking both her hands, led her into the village. 
 It touched us deeply to see their affection. 
 
 On the Friday, I again spoke earnestly to the 
 people about decision for Christ, and what it 
 meant. I asked only those who wanted to give 
 their hearts wholly to Jesus, and to live for Him 
 alone, to come forward. Then we went into the 
 study and prayed. First Lomai came in, then 
 lavis and Numanian, then Naupum (Lomai's wife), 
 then Tom and his wife, lalo, followed by lauilam 
 and lesua. As each one came in, our hearts filled 
 anew, and no words could tell the feelings that 
 surged within us. Nelbini sent word that he 
 would come the following Friday, as he could not 
 be present that day. These eight men and
 
 90 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 women we formed into a Candidates' class, to 
 prepare them for baptism. It was a little com- 
 pany, and some of them were very weak, but they 
 were all in dead earnest, and meant what they 
 were doing. It had cost them all something, and 
 one or two of them more than words can tell, to 
 make this decision. It was a happy day for us, and 
 we felt that Tanna's dark night would soon be over. 
 
 A few nights before he joined the class, Nelbini 
 gathered his village together, and standing at the 
 roots of a great banyan tree, he told them that he 
 was now going to decide for Christ. He urged 
 them not to vex his soul any more with Heathen 
 customs, and pled with them to give up the old 
 fashion and accept the Worship. That was the 
 beginning of a regular evening service at Lona- 
 puas, Nelbini's village. Some opposed him 
 bitterly, including his old father, but Nelbini 
 persisted, and in the end he had the joy of 
 winning his village for Christ. Among the first 
 to be touched was Nelbini's stepmother, Teniau. 
 Mrs Paton gave her a slip of paper, with a text in 
 Tannese written upon it. Teniau spelt this over 
 every night before the fire, and then prayed before 
 going to sleep. Her husband at first looked on 
 with good-natured contempt, then became inter- 
 ested, and finally joined the Worship. 
 
 Of course this open decision for Christ aroused 
 intense opposition among the Heathen. They
 
 DECISION FOR CHRIST 91 
 
 warned the Worshippers against " that bad man, 
 the Missionary," and told them that they would 
 all die if they did not leave the Worship. I told 
 our converts that they must expect opposition and 
 abuse of all sorts, and Lomai said 
 
 " Yes, me talk plenty along altogether last 
 night. Me tell them Devil get man all the same 
 Jesus, and he see some man give his heart along 
 Jesus, he make man belong him talk plenty. No 
 good we listen along talk belong Devil, very good 
 we hold fast word belong Jesus." 
 
 And so Lomai comforted himself and strength- 
 ened his fellow-converts. 
 
 Week by week the little band grew, Vihikenan, 
 the War Chiefs wife, and Lohman, Numanian's 
 wife, being among the next to come forward. It 
 was happy work teaching this class of Candidates, 
 they were so eager to learn. One day, when 
 coming home from Loinio, I met Numanian deeply 
 engrossed in the study of St Luke. I had brought 
 over a copy of Mr Gray's translation from Weasisi 
 a day or two before ; and Numanian, Lomai 
 and I avis at once began to study it, though it was 
 in a foreign dialect In no way could you please 
 Numanian better than to sit down beside him and 
 go over a few verses of the Gospel, or spell over a 
 hymn to him. He would persist till he could 
 repeat it off by heart ; and then he would go home 
 joyfully conning it over to himself.
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 AMONG THE IOUNMENE 
 
 ONE day a middle-aged Heathen, who described 
 himself as Jimmie Palmer, came to me for 
 medicine. He was a stranger, so I questioned 
 him about his tribe, and finally promised to go 
 and see him. Mrs Paton asked him if the road 
 was very far. Jimmie studied her critically, and 
 then said 
 
 " You young fellow, you no old fellow, he no 
 long way, you savey walk." 
 
 Not long afterwards lakar, a Tanna man who 
 had settled for some years on Tongoa, and 
 become a Christian there, returned to Tanna. 
 He had left his wife, Lewi, a Tongoan woman, 
 on her own island, till he should come and make 
 a home on Tanna and see if it was safe. lakar 
 was connected with Jimmie Palmer's tribe, and 
 Tom had a sister married into that tribe, so one 
 day we set out to visit them. They lived a long 
 way inland to the north of Lenakel, and were 
 called the lounmene. Tom was our guide ; and 
 three hours' easy walking brought us to their first 
 village. Here we came upon about fifty savages
 
 AMONG THE IOUNMENE 93 
 
 holding a war council. Jimmie Palmer beamed 
 all over, and introduced us to his fellow-chiefs. 
 The warriors crowded round us, and listened 
 respectfully while we preached the Gospel to 
 them. They showed us great friendliness, and 
 we returned home well pleased with the result of 
 our visit. 
 
 After this I had to see Mr Watt on Synod 
 business ; so early one morning Mrs Paton, 
 Noumeta, and I started for Weasisi overland. 
 The first village on the road was Tom's, and the 
 people gave us a very hearty send-off. At 
 Losiganu, the next village, we came upon another 
 war council, as the island was in a very disturbed 
 state just then. The men came round us at 
 once, but the women were afraid to join us, and 
 even Mrs Paton had difficulty in getting near 
 enough to speak to them. A little further on 
 we heard wailing, a man had been shot the day 
 before. At the next village a volley of guns 
 was fired not far away during the service. The 
 men picked up their guns and ran ; but it turned 
 out to be a band of warriors shooting the pigs of 
 their enemies. Then we came to a village where 
 a crowd of girls and boys gathered round us. 
 They were greatly delighted with Mrs Paton's 
 hair. First, they asked for the hat to be taken 
 off, and then they asked for the hair to be untied. 
 Mrs Paton humoured them, and they danced and
 
 94 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 clapped their hands with delight a woman with 
 long hair, and fair ! 
 
 We now descended to the sea, and two hours' 
 rough walking along the shore and over some 
 nasty points brought us to Weasisi, where a warm 
 welcome from Mr Macmillan and a happy evening 
 made us forget the weary length of the road. 
 Next morning we all went to Port Resolution by 
 boat. Mr Watt was most kind, and we had a 
 splendid few days together. 
 
 Amidst a good deal of work we found time to 
 make an excursion to the volcano. It was an 
 awe-inspiring sight, which can be no more de- 
 scribed than photographed. We could simply 
 gaze and wonder and start back at the terrific 
 explosions, that made the whole mountain tremble 
 to its base. When the smoke and steam cleared 
 a little, we could see down the crater hundreds of 
 feet to the bottom, which was a seething mass of 
 molten lava. Then there would be a vast jet of 
 steam and smoke, followed by a most terrifying 
 report as of a thousand cannons, and huge masses 
 of burning lava and red-hot stones would be 
 hurled high up above our heads. Some of the 
 natives took to their heels at the first explosion, 
 and nothing would persuade them to come near 
 the crater again. 
 
 When we got back to Weasisi we found that 
 war had broken out to the north, and that the
 
 AMONG THE IOUNMENE 95 
 
 road by which we had come was closed. There 
 was another road, however, still open, and we 
 returned by it. We had to climb over a very 
 high mountain, but otherwise the road was a very 
 good one. 
 
 At Lenakel a message was awaiting me from 
 the lounmene to go up and see them, as there was 
 much talk of fighting. The teachers and I at 
 once went up and visited three of their villages, 
 and the Chiefs all agreed to keep the peace. 
 Towards evening, as we were conducting our last 
 service at Jimmie Palmer's village, a rifle shot 
 rang out. No one took any notice of it at the 
 time, but just after we had left the village the 
 death wail was raised. My heart sank, for I 
 knew then what the shot had meant. We were 
 just turning back to the village, when the Chief 
 and his men met us and motioned us forward. I 
 followed hard after the Chief, and we soon came 
 upon the scene of tragedy. In a little clearing in 
 the forest, where she had been digging her yam 
 heaps, lay an old woman with a bullet-hole 
 through her body. It was an awful scene. The 
 women flung themselves on the body in frantic 
 grief, and the men darted about with grim, 
 determined faces. For a few moments my 
 feelings overcame me ; but I crushed them back, 
 and gathered some of the men together. I talked 
 and prayed with them, and they promised not to
 
 96 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 fight, if I would write to the man-of-war to come 
 and visit them and talk to their enemies. I said 
 I would write, but could not promise any definite 
 result. However, I told them that I would return 
 in two days and visit all their Chiefs. It was 
 with heavy hearts that we made our way back to 
 Lenakel, through the gathering darkness. That 
 scene long haunted me ; and I thought that if 
 only God's people in Christian lands could see it, 
 they would flood the islands from end to end with 
 Gospel light, till Heathenism had not a hole or 
 corner in which to hide its head. 
 
 We spent the next day building at our Church, 
 and on the following morning Noumeta and I 
 set out for the lounmene. Mr Hume and the 
 teachers were ill, so our party was a small one. 
 But Tom joined us at lakurming, and a band of 
 armed warriors. Nakat, their general, led the 
 way, armed with a rifle and a belt of cartridges ; 
 then came the Missionary armed with a kodak, 
 followed by Noumeta armed with the lunch 
 basket ; then came Tom with a walking stick, 
 followed by a long line of armed savages. Each 
 village, as we passed through it, added its quota of 
 armed men. All were on the alert ; and, at the 
 least sound in the scrub, the muskets were grasped 
 in both hands and held ready to fire. Once, 
 someone began to chop wood in the bush, and 
 the whole line halted till it was discovered who it
 
 AMONG THE IOUNMENE 97 
 
 was. It was a strange peace mission, and I 
 wondered what kind of counsel Nakat would 
 give the lounmene. But I knew that God was 
 able to overrule his counsel whatever it was. 
 
 At last we reached Jimmie Palmer's village, 
 and the Chief at once came forward to receive us. 
 He said 
 
 " I was cross when I saw the marks on laptoto's 
 body, and we would have gone to shed blood that 
 night, but you told us not to fight. Your word 
 was good, and I have taken it. It is not fear 
 that keeps me from fighting, for I have killed 
 many men, and my tribe is stronger than theirs. 
 But I have taken your word, and I want to give 
 up fighting and live quiet." 
 
 We then went through the whole tribe from 
 village to village. Great crowds followed us and 
 listened eagerly to the Gospel. They said 
 
 " Your word is good. You must send us a 
 Missionary quickly. We will sell you any land 
 you like, with good springs of water. At first we 
 did not want the Missionary, because we thought 
 he would be like the white man, but now we have 
 heard your word, and it is good. And our hearts 
 are glad." 
 
 It was a joyous triumphal progress through 
 the tribe. Men, women, and children followed us 
 from village to village. They had never been 
 visited by a white man before. The Chiefs all
 
 98 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 decided for peace. One old Chief, called Nemak, 
 was specially earnest in haranguing his people. 
 He was a fine type of savage, quite unspoiled by 
 contact with evil whites. He said that hence- 
 forth he had done with fighting, Even if any- 
 one came to shoot him, he would refuse to fight. 
 He then offered to sell me the best part of his 
 land, where there was good water for an out- 
 station. I shall never forget that great gathering, 
 and Nemak gesticulating earnestly as he urged 
 his people to take the Missionary's word and give 
 up fighting. It was a glorious day, and we felt 
 more than rewarded for our eleven-and-a-half 
 hours' tramping. 
 
 While I was away, Mrs Paton and the teachers 
 put the finishing touches on our new Church. 
 It measured 45 feet by 25, and we wondered 
 how long it would be before we had enough 
 worshippers to fill it. Our hope was in God, 
 and we had not many years to wait till it was far 
 too small to hold the people, whom He gathered 
 to Himself out of Heathenism. The following 
 day was a Sabbath, and we opened and dedicated 
 our new Church. Six of our Tanna converts took 
 part in the services. It was a fitting crown to 
 months of weary toil, and our hearts were full of 
 joy that day. 
 
 Then came the steamer, and a month's happy 
 work on Aniwa. At two o'clock one morning
 
 AMONG THE IOUNMENE 99 
 
 we left Aniwa again, and had a long pull out to 
 the ship in the dark. Mr and Mrs Gillies were 
 on board, and we were glad to welcome them as 
 fellow-labourers on Tanna, as they were to be Mr 
 Watt's colleagues. At Weasisi, Mr Macmillan 
 came ashore with the joyful news that he had just 
 baptised eight of his people. Our hearts were 
 stirred beyond all telling. Surely the dawn was 
 breaking on Tanna at last. 
 
 We brought with us from Aniwa a teacher for 
 Loaneai, a shore village three miles north of 
 Lenakel. He was Litsi's son, and was called 
 Numakai after the famous old Chief. He was 
 the finest athlete on all Aniwa, and turned out 
 to be one of our very ablest teachers. 
 
 We found all going on well on our return 
 to Lenakel. The candidates had all kept firm 
 during our absence, though great pressure had 
 been brought to bear upon them by the heathen. 
 At Loinio there had been a heathen dance or 
 sing-sing, and this is always a time of special 
 danger for new converts. But while the heathen 
 danced Lomai gathered the worshippers together 
 for prayer, and the Father kept His own. 
 
 But we had bad news from the lounmene. 
 One section of the tribe had revived the bitter 
 feelings against their enemies, and insisted upon 
 war. But Nemak, the old chief who had so 
 strongly declared for peace on our last visit,
 
 zoo LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 absolutely refused to allow any fighting. As 
 long as he lived, peace was assured. But the 
 war-party determined to have fighting at any 
 cost, so they sent two men to bring Nemak to a 
 great talk. Nemak went with them to give his 
 voice for peace. But the whole thing was a 
 treacherous plot, and at a spot agreed upon three 
 rifles rang out, and Nemak fell with three bullets 
 through his body. He was killed because he 
 had accepted the Gospel message of peace. He 
 was our best friend among the inland tribes. It 
 was a dastardly deed, and our hearts were very 
 heavy that night. 
 
 The next morning we set out for the loun- 
 mene, taking Tom with us. The first village 
 seemed to be utterly deserted, but gradually one 
 woman after another emerged from her hiding- 
 place. Then a shout was heard, and in a 
 moment, as if by magic, the village was again 
 as empty and deserted as before. It was dis- 
 covered, however, that the shout was that of a 
 friend, and the women again appeared. Two 
 men now came upon the scene, and asked us to 
 follow them to the main body of fighters. The 
 Chief and his warriors were encamped just under 
 the brow of Nemak's hill, while eight or ten of 
 the men were thrown out as skirmishers. Hither 
 and thither they darted : never still for a moment, 
 except when a warrior lifted his musket and fired
 
 AMONG THE IOUNMENE IOI 
 
 into the bush. They were feeling for the enemy, 
 in case they were lurking in the scrub. It was a 
 sight to be long remembered. The faces of the 
 men were full of fierce excitement, but they 
 received us very kindly. The Chief explained 
 that they did not want to fight, but that the 
 murder of his friend Nemak had forced it upon 
 him. I suggested that we should hold a service, 
 but he said 
 
 " Not here, man he come close up shoot you 
 me." 
 
 So he left one or two men to watch the road, 
 and drew off the rest of his warriors to the village. 
 There we talked and prayed with them, and they 
 listened attentively. They promised to try and 
 end the fighting. 
 
 We now turned our thoughts to Loaneai. We 
 had bought a piece of ground some time before, 
 and we now began to clear it with a view to 
 building an out-station. At first we had some 
 difficulty in getting the natives to work properly, 
 but in the end they did well. 
 
 While we were busy at this work, news came 
 to us that the people at Loanatit were now against 
 the Worship, and did not want us to go back. 
 Lomai and others rallied round us, and we sailed 
 to Loanatit to see if the rumour was true. A lad 
 called Koiel met us on the beach and led us up 
 to the village. We found that the people were
 
 102 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 all away at their plantations on the other side of 
 the ravine. Koiel yelled across the news of our 
 arrival, and becoming more and more excited as 
 he warmed to the subject, he abruptly closed by 
 turning round and hugging me ! And this on the 
 edge of a precipice ! Answering yells came back 
 from the other side, and soon all the gullies and 
 hills around rang with yells. In a few minutes 
 a band of savages arrived and received us joyfully. 
 We all went down to the beach and had a long- 
 talk under the banyan tree there. The rumour 
 was not true, and to show their good faith they 
 sold us a piece of land for an out-station. After 
 a service we started back to Lenakel with joyful 
 hearts. A head wind made our pull a long and 
 weary one. We were now praying constantly for 
 a teacher to be sent to us for Loanatit. 
 
 Meanwhile the lounmene went on fighting, and 
 every now and again news came of another victim. 
 How we longed for the day when the peace of 
 Jesus would reign in the land, and the love of 
 God be shed abroad in the hearts of the people.
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 BATTLING WITH HEATHENISM 
 
 THE year 1897 closed at Lenakel amid the 
 horrors of war. But it also closed with a marked 
 increase of the worshipping party. Heathenism 
 was rampant ; but the Christian party was be- 
 coming more aggressive, and the outlook was 
 brighter than it had ever been. 
 
 Feeling that the time had now come for our 
 people to unite in a determined onslaught upon 
 Heathenism, I intimated one Sabbath that we 
 would spend two whole days a week preaching 
 the Gospel among the more distant tribes. I 
 called for volunteers to go with us, on Tuesdays 
 and Thursdays, to this work. The response was 
 cheering, and twice a week we were able to lead 
 out a small band of Tannese evangelists men 
 who knew what Heathenism was, and who had 
 begun to feel the power of the Gospel throbbing 
 in their pulses. Our tramps were sometimes far 
 afield, and our audiences varied greatly. But, by 
 this system of touring, we were able to bring the 
 Gospel within regular hearing of a population of 
 at least 1500. It was often weary and toilsome 
 
 103
 
 104 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 work, and I believe it had not a little to do with 
 the breaking up of Mr Hume's health and my 
 own ; but it was a necessary work, and opened up 
 the country to the Gospel as nothing else could 
 have done. It prepared the way for all our 
 out-stations, and it made the Worship the most 
 aggressive force on West Tanna. It kept us in 
 constant touch with the heathen in all parts of 
 our district, and it trained up a fine body of 
 native evangelists and preachers. 
 
 At length, as the work of teaching and transla- 
 tion grew at the head station, we were able to 
 devote only one day a week to itinerating. But 
 by that time we were strong enough to send out 
 two bands, Mr Hume leading the one, and I the 
 other. Then as our numbers grew our bands 
 increased to five or six, and we then reached more 
 heathen in one day than we did before in two or 
 three. 
 
 One day I said to Lomai, as we parted in the 
 evening after a weary day's tramping 
 
 " Well, Lomai, I suppose you very tired now ? " 
 
 With a bright smile he answered, " Yes, but my 
 heart no tired." 
 
 And truly Lomai did heroic service. He was 
 ably helped by lavis, Numanian, Nelbini, and 
 Tom. These men never failed us, and were con- 
 stantly with our faithful teachers and ourselves in 
 all the work.
 
 BATTLING WITH HEATHENISM 105 
 
 Another day Lomai said to me 
 
 " Now I begin to understand why Missionary 
 corne out along different country. When I see 
 these men lie about, all the same, and no listen 
 good along word belong Jesus, my heart very sore 
 for them. Now I understand." 
 
 Lomai was growing in grace and in the know- 
 ledge of Jesus. 
 
 About this time luiap died. We felt his death 
 keenly, as he had been so prominently associated 
 with our landing. So far as we know he remained 
 a Heathen to the last, though he was most friendly 
 to us and always listened with keen interest to 
 the Gospel. Who knows but that some dim 
 spark of the Divine Life had been kindled in the 
 deep darkness of his soul ? The ever-merciful 
 Father knows, and we leave luiap to Him. 
 
 His tribe buried him on Sabbath, and invited 
 us to attend. They had dug a deep grave, and 
 then hollowed out a place in the side for his body 
 to lie in. Just before they filled in the grave, one 
 of his wives cut down his yams and then threw 
 his axe into the grave. We sang " There is a 
 Happy Land " in Tannese, and I prayed, and 
 then the grave was filled in. After the funeral) 
 we all gathered under luiap's banyan tree, a 
 great congregation, and I addressed them most 
 solemnly. 
 
 luiap's death was followed by much "netik " talk
 
 106 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 on the part of the Heathen. One night Jimmie 
 lerapuia, who now became Chief in luiap's place, 
 broke into Mr Worthington's store, and stole a 
 good deal of money and goods. His idea was 
 evidently to get cartridges and means to pay his 
 allies. A day or two after he declared war on 
 lawak, a powerful Chief in the next village. And 
 this was how they declared it : three men hid 
 themselves near lawak's water-springs, at the head 
 of a lovely glen. Soon a woman, with her babe 
 and a little girl, came to draw water. Out blazed 
 the rifles, and the woman fell dead, the little girl 
 ran into the bush with the blood pouring from her 
 arm, but the babe was missed. The inhuman 
 wretches then shot the helpless babe, and made 
 good their escape. A few mornings later, lawak 
 and lakin, an allied Chief, stole up to Jimmie's 
 people in the dark and shot two men. One fell 
 dead, and the other dragged himself away. I 
 came upon the scene shortly afterwards, and saw 
 the murderers on their return, but of course they 
 denied the deed. I then hurried home and got 
 bandages and carbolic to dress the wounded man, 
 but he would have none of my medicine. He 
 trusted to the Heathen doctors, with the result that 
 he died a few days after. 
 
 Jimmie was a villain of the first rank. To his 
 own Heathen vices, he added the European vices 
 which he had learned in Queensland. He was
 
 BATTLING WITH HEATHENISM 107 
 
 not even a good fighter, though he was always 
 stirring up his tribe to deeds of darkness. When 
 Jimmie lost his two warriors he got into a state of 
 great fear, and gave us part of the money he had 
 stolen from Mr Worthington's store to return to 
 its owner. He also expressed a great desire to 
 take the Worship, if only his enemies would let 
 him alone. 
 
 We constantly visited both sides, and urged 
 them to peace, but the war dragged on week after 
 week, and every now and then a man or woman 
 was shot. Each side blamed the other, and pro- 
 bably both were at fault. The tribes for miles 
 around were drawn into it, and donned the war 
 paint. They tried hard to induce the followers of 
 Tom and I avis to join them, but the Christian 
 party was strong enough to keep these two tribes 
 clear. Yet, though our hearts were often sick with 
 horror at the deeds done in the name of war, there 
 was another side to the picture which must not be 
 overlooked. In times of peace, those who did not 
 want to hear the Gospel bolted into the bush when 
 we drew near a village ; but during the war they 
 were compelled to remain within the village for 
 safety. In this way we had access to the worst 
 gangs of savages for miles around, and they 
 listened respectfully to the Gospel. They also 
 saw how fearlessly and freely the Worshippers 
 were able to go about, and they could not help
 
 108 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 drawing a contrast between the blessings of the 
 Gospel and their own unhappy condition. It 
 made some, at any rate, long to have done with 
 Heathenism and its terrors. 
 
 In the middle of this war a boat arrived from 
 Aniwa, with the sad news of Kamasiteia's death. 
 He was by far the ablest and best man on the 
 island ; he was the Lomai of Aniwa. There was 
 no one else who could fill his place, and his death 
 greatly crippled the work. The news was a great 
 blow to us all, for we had learned to love and 
 revere the man. 
 
 Soon after this, a determined effort was made 
 by the Worshippers to put an end to Jimmie's 
 fighting. They were to gather next morning and 
 march in a body to the scene of war. But when 
 the day broke, no Worshippers appeared ; so Mr 
 Hume and the teachers and I set out alone, and 
 visited both sides, and earnestly prayed with the 
 leaders. I found that one of Jimmie's Chiefs had 
 forbidden the Worshippers to intervene, and that 
 this was the reason why they kept away. The 
 next morning I preached on " O, thou of little 
 faith," and reproved our people for their fear. I 
 asked them whether they would obey a Heathen 
 Chief or Jesus Christ. They were greatly ashamed 
 and hung their heads. After the service they told 
 Lomai to ask me if I would go up with them next 
 morning. Lomai had waited for them the day
 
 BATTLING WITH HEATHENISM 109 
 
 before at an appointed meeting-place, but, as they 
 did not turn up, he thought that I had changed 
 the day, and so went home. When he discovered 
 the real cause he was wroth with them, and told 
 them what he thought of their lack of faith. Then 
 he came to me and said 
 
 " I very shamed to bring you this word again, 
 Misi Paton, for I no savey that the others tell you 
 lie yesterday. I wait for them at Lokuaihwai ; 
 and because they no come I think you change the 
 day. Suppose I know that they no come, I 
 come straight along you." 
 
 And I knew that Lomai was not to blame. 
 
 Messengers were sent out in all directions, and 
 next morning, through the pouring rain, a long 
 line of men filed into Jimmie's village. We asked 
 for representatives to go with us to lawak's village 
 for a conference. After some urging on our part, 
 they agreed to this. We then marched across 
 the fighting ground, singing in Tannese 
 
 Onward, Christian Soldiers, 
 
 Marching as to war. 
 With the Cross of Jesus 
 
 Going on before : 
 Christ the Royal Master 
 
 Leads against the foe ; 
 Forward into battle, 
 
 See, His banners go ! 
 
 lawak and his warriors received us graciously, 
 and after an animated conference he agreed to
 
 1 10 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 give up the war, if the other side would pledge 
 themselves to keep the peace. Messengers were 
 then sent back to Jimmie's tribe for Tubas and 
 Loanamam, two of their leaders, to come and seal 
 the compact. The messengers returned to say 
 that Tubas and Loanamam agreed to the terms, 
 but were afraid to risk their lives in the enemy's 
 village. A more influential deputation was then 
 sent to bring them, for we felt that the peace 
 would not be assured without their presence. 
 Still the Chiefs refused to come, but instead they 
 sent some under-chiefs. This time I went back 
 myself, and earnestly pled with them to come. 
 Loanamam now pleaded a sore foot, but Tubas 
 at last agreed to come. lawak and Tubas then 
 hurled hot words at each other, each grasping his 
 loaded rifle. The warriors gathered behind their 
 leaders, and between them stood the Christian 
 party. The atmosphere became very heated, and 
 lakin on lawak's side glared fierce anger at 
 Tubas. I was becoming somewhat anxious, and 
 turned to ask Lomai how he thought the matter 
 was going. Lomai was standing under the 
 banyan with the rain running down his face, but 
 he beamed all over, as he turned to me and 
 said 
 
 " It's all right, it will do them good to get all 
 that bad stuff out ; it's got to come out." 
 
 And so it proved, for hot words were followed
 
 BATTLING WITH HEATHENISM III 
 
 by mutual explanations, and then we held a 
 united service, the leaders shook hands, and the 
 horrid war was over. 
 
 The joy was tremendous. Not even the 
 torrents of rain damped their spirits. The 
 women waved their arms and shouted with 
 delight. The men blazed off their muskets, and 
 lawak killed his fattest pig. It was the most 
 wonderful day we had had on Tanna ! God 
 wrought a great victory for His people, and never 
 did we feel the Divine Presence more real. The 
 next day, some of the warriors worshipped with 
 us in a great thanksgiving service at Lenakel. 
 
 But another war had been threatening to break 
 out for some time. The enemies of the Loinio 
 tribe had broken the promise which they gave 
 to Titonga and myself, when we visited them. 
 They made repeated raids, and on New Year's 
 day a band of them stole up to a village belong- 
 ing to an ally of lavis. They could see no man 
 about, but two little girls were eating fruit and 
 swinging on the branch of a tree. They were so 
 happy, and the sound of their innocent prattle 
 and laughter drew the warriors to their tree. The 
 sight of two such happy, harmless little things 
 would have softened less inhuman hearts, but not 
 so the " noble savage." They fired and then ran 
 for their lives. The elder girl fell with a thud to 
 the ground and her life-blood stained the green
 
 112 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 carpet of ferns. The little sister was missed, but 
 her screams of terror drew the heartless murderers 
 back, and a bullet stilled her cries. A few days 
 afterwards we stood under the tree and saw the 
 blood stains, and our hearts bled for our little 
 Tanna sisters. Fathers and mothers, who love 
 your little girls, help us in God's name to battle 
 against such devil's work ! You can, if you will. 
 The father did all he could to stir up the tribe 
 to war. But lavis was War Chief, and he refused 
 to sanction any fighting. As long as he was 
 Chief, there could be no war ; so the war party 
 attempted to depose lavis and put another man 
 in his place. But no other name could command 
 such authority as that of lavis, and he remained 
 as before the War Chief of Loinio. lavis and 
 Lomai then came to me for some Christmas cards, 
 which they sent to their enemies as a symbol of 
 peace, and invited them to a great peace con- 
 ference at Towar Ribor, a mountain right in the 
 heart of Tanna. The enemies accepted the 
 symbol, and fixed a day for the conference. 
 When the day came, a great company of clothed 
 people set out for Towar Ribor. The direct road 
 had long been closed by war, and we made a 
 long journey round. When we neared the spot 
 our people halted and some talking took place. 
 I was just going on, when Lomai came to me and 
 said
 
 BATTLING WITH HEATHENISM 113 
 
 " Some of the people are afraid. lavis wants 
 you to pray that their fear may depart." 
 
 I then turned back, and after prayer our people 
 plucked up courage and we marched on. A little 
 further on, I noticed Tausi looking very intently 
 up into a banyan tree that stood beside the track. 
 He then called out, and I saw an armed savage 
 up among the branches, earnestly watching our 
 party as it climbed the hill. The enemies had 
 posted him there to give the alarm, in case we 
 looked hostile. They wanted to guard them- 
 selves against treachery. He seemed quite 
 satisfied, however, with our peaceful looks, and 
 still more by the fact that we were unarmed. 
 Quickly scrambling down, he led us into the 
 village square on top of Towar Ribor. Here we 
 found about three hundred armed savages, most of 
 them horribly painted. 
 
 A long talk then took place, peace counsels 
 prevailed, and a further conference was arranged 
 for the following Monday. This time, we opened 
 the direct road to Towar Ribor. By God's 
 blessing these two meetings ended a generation of 
 fighting, and not only was peace declared, but 
 arrangements were made for the enemies to 
 return to villages from which they had been 
 driven out so long ago. These two great achieve- 
 ments made the Christian party the strongest and 
 most united force on West Tanna.
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 GAINING GROUND 
 
 A NEW era at Lenakel was marked by the 
 arrival of a printing press. When Mr Ander- 
 son, who was on his way to Santo, told me that 
 there was one on board for us, I fairly shouted 
 for joy. This was by far the best gift we had 
 yet received for our Mission work. And no 
 human measure can tell the forces that flowed 
 from that little press. 
 
 We lost no time in getting it set up, and the 
 first thing we printed was a translation of the 
 Lord's Prayer. I took a copy and gave it to 
 Lomai, who was outside talking to some people. 
 He slowly spelled out the first word, and then 
 the second more excitedly, and at the third he 
 burst out with delight, " Nuparhien, nakaran 
 tetar ! " (Truly it is our language). His de- 
 light knew no bounds. Then we printed copies 
 of the alphabet, and five days after the press was 
 set up we began to print the Gospel of Mark in 
 the language of Lenakel. For months we had 
 longed and prayed for a press, and now it was 
 joyful work to see the Word of God taking
 
 GAINING GROUND 115 
 
 printed form in the mother tongue of the people. 
 It was a slow process, for we could only print one 
 page at a time, but the result was worth any labour. 
 
 The people soon heard about the wonderful 
 new iron thing that made white paper black with 
 writing, and they came in crowds to watch me at 
 work. It caused even more wonder to them than 
 the organ. One day, Tausi watched me for a 
 while and then exclaimed 
 
 " What name ? Black man he no savey ; 
 plenty work along make book, and we no look 
 out good along him ! " 
 
 Another day some of the school people asked 
 if they might see " the thing that made books." 
 I showed them the blank paper, and one simul- 
 taneous howl of wonder and delight greeted the 
 first page, as it became suddenly transformed 
 before them. 
 
 It took nearly three months, along with other 
 work, to complete the 200 copies which con- 
 stituted our first edition of Mark. I gave the 
 first bound copy to Lomai. He became very 
 tender, and handled it as if it were a living 
 thing that could be hurt. Then he gathered 
 a little band around him, and, sitting on a box, 
 he read God's Word in his own language to his 
 own people. Our hearts were deeply moved as 
 we looked upon Lomai and his eager listeners. 
 Never shall I forget the expression of joyful
 
 Ii6 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 tenderness on that once heathen face, as he 
 spelled out the story of Jesus in his own mother 
 tongue. Such a sight was more than a reward 
 for all the weary labour of the past months. 
 
 But more than Lomai were stirred up by the 
 printing of Mark. It gave an impetus to our 
 whole school work. The people had now an 
 object in learning to read, and most of them 
 made great progress. Others, again, who were 
 too old ever to learn to read, began to learn the 
 pages off by heart. It was a pretty sight, on 
 Sabbath afternoons, to see little groups of natives, 
 scattered all over the Mission grounds spelling 
 out the Gospel message. Those more advanced 
 were soon surrounded by the slower ones. Words 
 cannot describe the uplift to our whole work 
 which came through the printing of Mark. 
 
 As soon as Mark was finished I put a hymn 
 book and catechism through the press. Then, 
 later on, a second and revised edition of Mark 
 was printed, containing 500 copies. So that 
 our little press was not idle. 
 
 One day, as we were translating Matthew 
 together, Lomai said to me, " Now I can make 
 it more straight. Before my heart not right, and 
 I no get the Word of Jesus straight. Now my 
 heart right a little bit, and I got the Word of 
 Jesus more straight. By-and-bye we get him 
 altogether straight."
 
 GAINING GROUND 117 
 
 Dear old Lomai, the Lenakel Mission owes 
 more to him than words can tell. 
 
 Shortly after the year began we had a delight- 
 ful visit from Mr Watt, who walked overland from 
 Weasisi. His visit stimulated the natives as well 
 as ourselves, but was all too short. Lomai 
 gathered a crew, and at 4.30 one morning we set 
 out for Port Resolution to take Mr Watt back. 
 Mrs Paton became very ill in the boat and is not 
 likely ever to forget that long day's journey. A 
 five hours' pull brought us to Kwamera, where we 
 had lunch and a delightful rest And then began 
 the real battle of the day, for we had six hours' 
 pulling against a head wind and heavy sea. The 
 scenery along the coast was lovely, and we 
 startled shoals of flying fish, six turtles, two 
 sharks and one whale. But the loveliest sight of 
 all was when we saw the lovely waters of Port 
 Resolution opening out before our tired eyes. We 
 were not sorry to lay aside our oars, for our hands 
 were sorely blistered. 
 
 We intended to return next day, but a strong 
 wind and high sea kept us close prisoners in very 
 happy quarters for two days longer. Mr Watt 
 and Mr and Mrs Gillies made our stay as 
 pleasant as it was profitable. 
 
 On the Friday, wind and sea had gone down a 
 good deal, so we ventured out. Mr Watt accom- 
 panied us as far as Kwamera in his boat. There
 
 Ii8 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 we had an hour's rest and then set sail for Lenakel. 
 Mr Watt walked round the point, and stood 
 watching us as long as we could see him. There 
 we left him still standing, a lonely, heroic figure. 
 
 We had now a heavy sea, but the wind was 
 fair, and we bowled along nicely. As we drew 
 near Laiuk, a point about half way to Lenakel, a 
 heavy squall struck us, and it became so thick that 
 we could hardly make out the land, though we 
 were quite close to the reef. It made us anxious 
 at the time, but we afterwards learned that an 
 armed band of men were hiding behind the rocks 
 on that very point to shoot us as we passed. 
 The squall hid the boat from their view, and by 
 the time it cleared we were far out of reach of 
 their guns. It was a merciful deliverance, of 
 which we knew nothing till long afterwards. 
 
 Towards evening the wind fell, and we had a 
 long pull home in the dark. When we drew near 
 Lenakel, we skirted the reef to find the passage. 
 We could see nothing but the dark outline of the 
 hills, but the roar of the breakers guided us, while 
 every now and then a white gleam warned us that 
 we were too near and must head out. At length 
 we raised the boat cry, and joyful yells answered 
 us from the shore. Soon a huge fire was blazing 
 on the beach at the landing, and we got safely 
 through the passage. Our crew had done nobly, 
 and we got a great welcome from our people.
 
 GAINING GROUND 119 
 
 The next great event was the settlement of 
 Numakai at Loaneai. We launched the Pioneer 
 one morning and took Numakai and his family 
 over, a great company of people going by the 
 shore road. As soon as we had landed his goods, 
 we gathered under the fine banyan tree which 
 stood beside the house we had built for him. 
 Lomai and Tom spoke earnestly to the people, 
 and we had a good service. The old Chief of 
 Loaneai put on a shirt for the occasion, while his 
 son adorned himself with a vest and a straw hat. 
 They were the first of the local tribe to put on 
 any clothing. The people heartily welcomed their 
 teacher, and it was a great joy to us to plant out 
 our first out-station. 
 
 The following week we set out in the Pioneer 
 for Loanatit to build a second out-station there, 
 although as yet we had no teacher for it. It is 
 about twelve miles north of Lenakel by sea. We 
 had a fair wind and arrived about noon. Two 
 little girls rushed out up to their waists into the 
 sea, with outstretched hands to welcome Mrs 
 Paton. The people crowded round us, and their 
 welcome was the warmest we had yet had on 
 Tanna. Willing hands carried ashore our goods, 
 including our faithful goat Peggotty. Peter, Tom 
 and Harry, the leading Chiefs, were delighted when 
 we told them that we had come to stay a week. 
 The women and girls fairly clung to Mrs Paton
 
 120 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 Many of them had never seen a white woman 
 before. We were going to put up a temporary 
 shelter, but Peter showed us a fine, dry cave, and 
 we decided to camp in it till our house was 
 finished. Our sail made the front wall, and with 
 many hands to help us we soon had the cave par- 
 titioned off into three rooms a dining-room and 
 two bedrooms. By evening, we were completely 
 established in our new quarters. The day closed 
 with a service at the mouth of our cave, and the 
 people listened earnestly to the glad news of 
 Jesus. 
 
 That night we slept little, for we found that 
 there were other inhabitants of the cave who 
 resented our intrusion crabs ! To hear a crab 
 making straight for one's toes in the darkness is a 
 wonderful stimulant ! But we had a good rest 
 for all that. 
 
 The next morning, we began building opera- 
 tions. Peter and a few men and women offered 
 their services for work. Tom was busy preparing 
 for a sing-sing, but he assured me again and again 
 that it was no unfriendly spirit that kept him 
 away. 
 
 " Heart belong me fellow good along you, we 
 want help you, only we make sing-sing, that's 
 all." 
 
 And he showed his interest by sending his wife to 
 work instead, while he himself always attended the
 
 CAMP AT LEXAKEL 
 
 Yalemyan 
 
 Lomai 
 
 THE CAVE AT l.OANATIT
 
 GAINING GROUND 121 
 
 services. In five days our little three-roomed native 
 house was finished, and we moved into it, not sorry 
 to leave the cave to the undisputed possession of the 
 crabs. The house was built right on top of a rock 
 and was beautifully shaded by trees. It faced the 
 sea with its lovely, cool breezes, and was a lovely 
 romantic spot. The easy road to it was through 
 our cave, the only other approach being up the 
 face of the rock. 
 
 It was a happy week at Loanatit. The people 
 were so simple and warm-hearted, and so eager 
 for the Gospel. We learned to love Peter, he was 
 so quiet and earnest. Three times a day the 
 people gathered round us, and we read and 
 explained to them the Word of God. Even 
 before we left some had begun to pray, and their 
 prayer was, " Jesus, help us " a short prayer, but 
 one that must have gone straight to the Saviour's 
 heart. 
 
 On the Saturday we explored southwards in the 
 Pioneer, and on the Sabbath we went inland right 
 up into the heart of the mountains. The heavy 
 rains had made the roads slippery, and we had to 
 help ourselves up by catching hold of the reeds 
 and long grass that grew along the track. An 
 old Chief who was struggling up the mountain with 
 a heavy load on his back a most unusual thing 
 for a Tanna man was chuckling away to himself, 
 " Very good road belong me, splendid road, oh
 
 122 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 very nice, ah good fellow road belong me ! " His 
 sentences were punctuated by slips and stumbles. 
 He evidently had a sense of humour. We found 
 the population to be very thin and scattered 
 among the mountains. The view from the top was 
 extensive, as most of the hills were bare of trees ; 
 instead they were covered with lovely grass. The 
 valleys were wooded and well watered. 
 
 It was late afternoon when we got back, and 
 a youth James was sitting on top of the last 
 hill just above our camp. As I came up he said, 
 " Very good you come quick ; Misis, she want 
 you too much." 
 
 He looked so sorrowful that I asked, in some 
 alarm, if Mrs Paton was ill. " I dunno," replied 
 James, " I think she plenty sorry along you." 
 
 When I got down to the beach, I found that 
 James's alarm had been caused by seeing Mrs Paton 
 come out and look up the mountain track pretty 
 often, as we were much later than I had expected. 
 
 Monday we spent evangelizing along the north 
 coast of Tanna. All went well till we were 
 returning, when the crew stopped rowing just at 
 the critical moment in the passage to watch a fine 
 breaker that was gathering astern. The result was 
 that the wave broke over us, but beyond a good 
 ducking no harm was done. 
 
 On Wednesday we returned to Lenakel, leaving 
 Peter in charee of our home till a teacher could be
 
 GAINING GROUND 123 
 
 settled. A head wind and heavy sea delayed us, 
 and we put into Loaneai just after dark. Numakai 
 and his wife got us some nice, warm tea, which 
 greatly refreshed us, and we had an hour's rest. 
 The wind had now died down, so we put out to sea 
 once more, Mrs Paton at the helm and the rest of 
 us at the oars. An hour's good pulling brought 
 us to Lenakel, where we found all well and in 
 good heart. 
 
 A few weeks later we again visited our friends 
 at Loanatit. They were as eager as ever for a 
 teacher, and four or five of them begged me to 
 take them to Lenakel to learn the Worship. As 
 we were short of food at the time, I took only 
 two, Peter and Jack. On the way back Jack 
 pointed out to me a place where he and a friend 
 of his had shot five people in one day. I said 
 to him 
 
 " That conduct belong devil, Jack." 
 
 " Yes," he quite agreed, " they bad fellow man. 
 They come shoot me fellow. No good they make 
 all the same." 
 
 They were, however, a very quiet, docile couple, 
 and it was a pleasure to teach them, they seemed 
 so eager to learn.
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 
 SUNSHINE AND SHADOW 
 
 ABOUT this time my wife became very ill, and in 
 spite of all treatment she grew weaker and weaker. 
 In such circumstances it was no small comfort 
 when the steamer arrived to find that Dr and 
 Mrs Sandilands were on board. They were on 
 their way to Port Resolution, but the doctor very 
 kindly came across several times, and his advice 
 checked the symptoms. 
 
 A few weeks later the steamer again called to 
 take us to Synod. Our hearts beat as we drew 
 near the ship, and we picked out one after another 
 of our brother Missionaries. There was my 
 brother waving his hat, and Mr Robertson, the 
 hero of Erromanga, and Dr Bowie from the far 
 north, and many others who were dear to us 
 heroes all of them, battling for God and for man. 
 It was a glorious reunion. 
 
 At dawn next morning we reached Anelcauhat, 
 and Mr Macmillan came off for us in his new 
 boat, looking as happy as a bridegroom should. 
 On the shore Mrs Heyer was awaiting us, and 
 mother and daughter were soon locked in each
 
 SUNSHINE AND SHADOW 125 
 
 other's arms. Mrs Heyer had come down from 
 Melbourne by the Sydney steamer, which went 
 direct to Aneityum, and hence our meeting there. 
 The voyage and the excitement were too much 
 for my wife in her weak state, and she again 
 became very ill. But we had no lack of medical 
 skill and kindness, and she soon began to mend. 
 
 At midnight on a Wednesday we left Aneityum, 
 and at daylight we were off Lenakel. Hard 
 good-byes had now to be said, and then we pulled 
 ashore. The natives gave Mrs Heyer a warm 
 welcome, and were greatly interested to see Mrs 
 Paton's mother. 
 
 Soon after Synod, we had the joy of opening a 
 village Church at Lapuna. Numanian was the 
 leader of the work of building it, and the Church 
 did credit to his zeal and energy. At the opening 
 service Lomai read a portion out of Mark, and 
 then expounded it with great force and insight. 
 At the close the people made a collection, as a 
 gift to Numanian and his fellow-workers. 
 
 An answer now came to our prayers for 
 Loanatit, as the steamer brought a teacher and his 
 wife from Erromanga, and a young fellow to help 
 him. None of them knew any English, and we 
 could only speak through signs. However, we 
 got on very well. 
 
 One morning we set sail for Loanatit, accom- 
 panied by Mrs Heyer. On the way we called at
 
 126 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 Loaneai, and found Numakai well, and the work 
 prospering. At Loanatit the people gave us a 
 right royal welcome. They were glad to see 
 Peter and Jack again, and they grinned with 
 delight when they found that we had a teacher for 
 them. On the top of the hill on which our little 
 house stood, we gathered them for service. Then 
 they went off to their plantations to gather yams 
 and food, which I bought for Yalemyau, their 
 teacher. To Yalemyau's surprise and delight, he 
 found a man at Loanatit who could speak Erro- 
 mangan. They became fast friends at once, and 
 Yalemyau was soon quite at home with the people. 
 In the evening we again had service, and for the 
 first time Peter spoke a few words. He was very 
 nervous, but it was a good beginning. Then we 
 slung our hammocks, and turned in for the night. 
 
 Early next morning, we committed Yalemyua 
 and his little company to the Father's love and 
 care. Then we had a long day's pulling back to 
 Lenakel against a heavy sea. It was a happy 
 settlement, the result of much prayer and many 
 toilsome journeys by sea and land. And, from 
 the very first, God's blessing rested upon the work. 
 
 All this time my wife was improving slowly in 
 health. But Dr Sandilands still considered it 
 necessary for her to go at once to the Colonies 
 for a few months' change, so we reluctantly decided 
 that she should return with her mother to Mel-
 
 SUNSHINE AND SHADOW 127 
 
 bourne. We were not glad, therefore, to hear the 
 steamer's whistle on the I3th of May, for it meant 
 some hard good-byes. It was a comfort, however, 
 to find that Dr and Mrs Lamb were on board. 
 The steamer was in a hurry, and five minutes after 
 we reached the vessel's side we pulled away again, 
 leaving Mrs Paton and Mrs Heyer on board. It 
 was a silent pull back, and it was to a silent and 
 empty home that we returned. 
 
 A few days later, Lomai and Tom and some 
 of our candidates came with us on a three days' 
 tour among the lounmene and their enemies. For 
 some hours we tramped through reeds and rough 
 bush, as the tracks had been closed by war, and 
 we were the first to re-open them. Then we 
 came upon a man in his garden, and he guided 
 us to the nearest village. It was a real bush 
 village, and the people did stare at us ! We sent 
 them to the plantations to hunt up the rest of the 
 people, while we had lunch beside a beautiful 
 water-spring. It bubbled out from the side of a 
 rock, and a savage filled a large leaf and gave me 
 to drink. He told me that it was the Devil's 
 water. I asked him how that was, and he told 
 me its history. Long ago the Devil and his wife 
 were tramping along the great high road to North 
 Tanna. With the instinct of a true Tanna man, 
 the Devil made his wife carry the water. All 
 went well until they came to this spot, where the
 
 128 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 ground is somewhat uneven ; the poor woman 
 stumbled. The water was all spilt, but the rocky 
 hollow beside the track caught it, and on they 
 tramped. At last the Devil became hot and thirsty, 
 and turning round for the first time he asked his 
 wife for some water. " Temet " (It is empty), she 
 replied. And Temet they call the spring to this 
 day. I could not help wishing that the Devil had 
 left more such beneficent traces on Tanna ! 
 
 By this time the people had all gathered, and 
 we told them of the Water of Life, and of the 
 source from Whom it flowed. It was a new and 
 wonderful story to them, and they listened as 
 those who cannot take it in. But some glimmer- 
 ing of a Father's love may have pierced the dark- 
 ness of their souls. We prayed that it might be so. 
 
 From this village, willing guides led us to the 
 next. Here again the people stared at us, some 
 from behind trees in the distance. But at length 
 they became more trustful and gathered round us, 
 as we sang to them, and told them of Jesus and 
 His love. Our track now lay to the north-west, 
 and we soon found ourselves on the outskirts of 
 the lounmene. Lomai was very happy, and said 
 to me with a beaming face 
 
 " We go right in the Devil's eye to-day, I think 
 he have a sore head to-night ! " 
 
 After preaching in five villages we came to 
 Lokavit, where Tom's married sister was living.
 
 SUNSHINE AND SHADOW 129 
 
 As it was now dark we decided to camp here for 
 the night, and some young fellows went off to 
 their plantations to get sweet potatoes for our tea. 
 Then they showed us a hut where we could sleep. 
 But before turning in the people gathered round 
 our camp fire, and we had an impressive service. 
 
 That night, Lomai's slumbers were disturbed by 
 a rat, at which he vainly aimed terrible blows. 
 He was stretched out on a mat just under my 
 hammock. Titonga lay near the door, while 
 Nalin and Nakohma lay along the sides of the 
 hut. 
 
 " Did you sleep well ? " I asked Lomai, as I 
 looked over the edge of my hammock, in the 
 morning. 
 
 " No," said Lomai ; " One rat he come and 
 growl plenty along me last night. I think he say 
 ' What for you hang up tucker where I can't 
 reach him ? ' 
 
 Lomai referred to the lunch basket, which he 
 had taken care to hang high up the night before. 
 And what with insects, pigs, dogs and flying- 
 foxes, I did not sleep much either. 
 
 After a breakfast of cocoanut and biscuit, we 
 set out for a village further north. Here we 
 found a man called Koman, who had worked 
 with Lomai in Queensland. He seemed very 
 glad indeed to see us, and said 
 
 " I hear good word in Queensland, but when 
 i
 
 130 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 I come back here the old fashion too strong for 
 me, and I close up road to heaven. Now I 
 plenty glad you come open that road again." 
 
 A sad, pathetic story ! Koman then showed 
 us a fine site for an out-station, and I decided to 
 buy it next time I came. I also promised to 
 send a teacher to Lokavit as soon as ever I could 
 get one. 
 
 When we got back to our camp, we found that 
 a royal dinner of chicken and sweet potato had 
 been cooked for us. After doing full justice to 
 this, we set out for home over hills and across 
 gullies, preaching as we went along. 
 
 Soon after we got home, old Tamanu died. 
 She was a member of our Candidates' class. 
 Titonga and I went up to the village, and I 
 shall never forget the scene which met our eyes. 
 On the one side of the hut four men were digging 
 the grave ; on the other the women were cutting 
 up three pigs, and preparing a great feast for the 
 diggers. They finished their preparations just 
 in time to come round the hut, and cry at the 
 funeral. And yet they were truly sorry. But 
 their sorrow is like the sorrow of children, easily 
 diverted and soon forgotten. 
 
 Our next experience was somewhat rough and 
 exciting. We sailed in the Pioneer for a week's 
 work at Loanatit. On the way we called in at 
 Loaneai with some yams for Numakai. The
 
 SUNSHINE AND SHADOW 131 
 
 passage is a bad one, and the sea was very rough. 
 Just as we got to the critical place coming out, a 
 wave struck the boat and knocked two oars out of 
 the rowlocks. This rendered us helpless for the 
 moment, and before we could get our oars righted 
 another wave lifted us on to an ugly rock. We 
 were now, humanly speaking, at the mercy of the 
 sea, for Mr Hume was thrown violently across the 
 gunwale of the boat, and Noumeta had his oar 
 carried away. The next wave lifted up one side 
 of the boat till she was almost perpendicular, and 
 then instead of capsizing, as we fully expected, 
 she slid off the rock into deep water. Mean- 
 while Mr Hume had regained his seat, and 
 Noumeta had got out another oar, so we pulled 
 out into the open sea. There we thanked God 
 for His wonderful deliverance, and waited for our 
 oar as it drifted outside the breakers. A hasty 
 examination showed that the boat was not 
 damaged, so we once more hoisted sail for 
 Loanatit, where we arrived safely and found all 
 well. 
 
 While we were holding service, a French labour- 
 schooner passed us on her way to Black Beach. 
 Then a second schooner passed us, followed by 
 three boats. The first was the Jeanette on her 
 way to Noumea, and the second was our old 
 friend the Caroline from Vila. We learned next 
 morning that the Caroline's boats had been fired
 
 132 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 upon just round the point, and one of her crew 
 seriously wounded. We went on board the 
 Jeanette and heard the particulars of the affair, 
 as the Caroline had gone right on to Vila during 
 the night for medical aid. We then hastened to 
 Nalebot, where the shooting had taken place. 
 At first the natives bolted, but when they saw 
 that it was the Mission boat they came down. 
 They were greatly excited, but I got them to sit 
 down and make a clear statement of the whole 
 incident. I put the statement into writing, and 
 they signed their marks in presence of Mr Hume 
 and myself as witnesses. I cross-examined them 
 very severely, but their story was consistent 
 throughout. An Erromangan had run away 
 from the French boat, and an armed party from 
 the Caroline searched the shore for him. Failing 
 to find the runaway they seized upon the nearest, 
 who happened to be the Chief, and stated that 
 they would hold him as hostage till the 
 Erromangan turned up. The Chiefs son then 
 ran forward with his gun, and shots were 
 exchanged on both sides, with the result that 
 one of the native crew of the French boat was 
 seriously wounded. As Nalebot was in Mr 
 Macmillan's district, we went on to Loanbakel, 
 to see if Mr Forlong could take this statement 
 on to Weasisi, in case the man-of-war should call 
 there. But we found Mr Forlong suffering from
 
 SUNSHINE AND SHADOW 133 
 
 fever, so we pushed on ourselves. We had a 
 long pull in the dark, but at last we sighted Mr 
 Macmillan's light away up on the hill, and we 
 carefully felt our way in to the landing. A 
 hospitable welcome and happy fellowship awaited 
 us there. 
 
 Next morning we went down to the beach 
 intending to make an early start, but to our 
 grief we found that the Pioneer had dragged her 
 anchor in the night and been swamped. There 
 she lay, half buried in the sand, with just the tips 
 of her bow and stern above the water. There 
 was nothing for it but to wait till the tide went 
 down. Then we set to work, in real earnest, to dig 
 her out and get her afloat. The sea kept break- 
 ing over her side even at low tide, and washing 
 in as much sand as we took out, so we made a 
 breakwater with the sail. This enabled us to 
 gain on the sand, and at last the good Pioneer 
 was afloat once more, though sadly strained and 
 leaking badly. Half-an-hour later we were pull- 
 ing for North Tanna. The sun went down while 
 we were still far from Loanbakel, and a heavy 
 thunderstorm hurst over us. The darkness was 
 so intense that we could not even see the breakers, 
 and the lightning flashes revealed the dark out- 
 line of the hills for a moment, only to make the 
 after darkness deeper. We tried in vain to find 
 Mr Forlong's passage, and once an oar touched
 
 134 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 the surf, we were so near the reef. We were just 
 making up our minds for a rough night at sea, 
 when a joyous shout burst from the crew. It 
 was Mr Forlong's light, which appeared for a few 
 seconds and then disappeared. But we now knew 
 where we were. A flash of lightning revealed the 
 white sand at the landing, and then we pulled 
 slowly forward into a black wall of darkness. 
 We could see nothing till the boat touched the 
 sand, and then we all jumped into the water to 
 keep her from being capsized in the surf. The 
 sea was like warm water compared with the cold 
 rain which had drenched us. I have seldom been 
 in such awful darkness, and my heart rose to God 
 for His goodness in bringing us safe to land. 
 We found Mr Forlorig better, and were soon 
 enjoying the warm tea which he prepared for 
 us. 
 
 Early next morning we returned to Loanatit, 
 taking Mr Forlong with us. On the way we 
 landed on the reef, and preached the Gospel to 
 some men who had come down to fish. 
 
 After a night's rest at Loanatit, we set out for 
 Lenakel. About half way a head wind met us, 
 and for some hours we crept up the coast by 
 beating. But about three o'clock the wind 
 freshened to a gale, and the sea became moun- 
 tainous, so we took down sail and pulled. Then 
 began a tremendous struggle against wind and
 
 SUNSHINE AND SHADOW 13$ 
 
 sea, which lasted four and a half hours, and 
 ended in a victory for the elements. We got 
 within two miles of home, and then it blew such 
 a gale that we had to give in. Our hands were 
 skinned with pulling, and our strength was com- 
 pletely spent. There was nothing for it but to 
 turn round and run before the wind with our sail 
 double reefed. We tore through the water at a 
 fearful pace. Tausi stood at the bow to keep a 
 good look out, and 1 kept the helm. Mr Hume, 
 Mr Forlong, and Noumeta were all ill, and it was 
 an anxious time. At last the water became 
 suddenly smoother, and we knew that we had 
 rounded the great point and were now in the 
 Black Beach Bay. All danger from the sea was 
 now over, but we had to face a rough landing in 
 the dark, and, wearied as we were with pulling, 
 we fared badly. At midnight we reached 
 Loanatit, and got safely through the outer 
 passage but the wind and sea drove us on 
 to a sunken rock inside. However, we got 
 off again safely, and were soon ashore. We 
 thanked God for our deliverance, and then threw 
 ourselves down around a blazing fire, to await 
 the daylight. 
 
 When we got back to Lenakel next day by 
 walking overland from Black Beach Point, we 
 found Lomai and our teachers mourning for us as 
 lost. The natives at Loaneai had seen the boat
 
 136 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 passing there just at dark, arid when they found 
 that we had not arrived at Lenakel next morning 
 they made sure that we had perished in the storm. 
 When we suddenly walked into the station the 
 natives received us as from the dead. Lomai 
 came rushing forward with both hands outstretched 
 and said over and over again 
 
 " Oh now my heart glad, me vary glad to see 
 you back again." 
 
 A few days later Captain Leah called in H.M.S. 
 Mildura, to enquire into the shooting at Nalebot. 
 He asked me to go up with him as guide, and we 
 took Lomai as interpreter. The Pioneer was 
 towed astern, and Lomai and one or two natives 
 steered her, while Mr Hume and I remained on 
 board the vessel. As the steamer went at a good 
 pace, Lomai and the crew had some difficulty in 
 keeping their seats in the boat, and they looked 
 longingly at Mr Hume and me on deck. Lomai 
 afterwards used this as an illustration and said to 
 the people 
 
 "In the boat we were unhappy and in fear of 
 death, but when we looked to the man of war we 
 saw Mr Paton and Mr Hume smiling and talking 
 to the Captain. My heart then thought, Will 
 it be like this at the last with some of us ? Shall 
 we be in pain and fear of death in the big fire, 
 and see Misi and others happy in heaven ? My 
 friends, let us really give our hearts to Jesus, that
 
 SUNSHINE AND SHADOW 137 
 
 we may not deceive ourselves and come to such 
 an evil plight." 
 
 We reached Nalebot just before sundown, and 
 the natives decamped as soon as we appeared 
 round the point They thought that we were the 
 French man of war. The Captain, Lomai and I 
 climbed up the hill to the village, but it was quite 
 deserted. The fires were still burning, and various 
 articles were lying about, which the natives had 
 dropped in their headlong flight. We then went 
 a little distance inland, Lomai shouting that we 
 were friends and not enemies. But if they heard 
 us they made no response, and we had to go back 
 to the ship without having seen a native. Next 
 morning there was still no one to be seen, so we 
 returned home. But I was able to tell the Captain 
 the story the natives had given to me. 
 
 The Ysobal now arrived with cheering news 
 that my wife had arrived safely in Melbourne, and 
 was improving in health though still very weak. 
 We had also the pleasure of welcoming Mr David 
 Paterson, as a fellow worker to the New Hebrides. 
 
 When the steamer left, our candidates and I set 
 out on a three days' walking tour through the 
 lounmene on to Loanatit and back. We bought 
 the ground which Koman had offered to us at 
 Lokavit for our third out-station, and we now 
 began to pray that a teacher might be sent us to 
 occupy it.
 
 138 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 I now completed the printing of the hymn 
 book, for which I charged the natives 6d. a copy 
 to cover cost of paper and start a book fund. 
 Lomai and I then continued together the trans- 
 lation of Matthew.
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 
 FIRST-FRUITS 
 
 IT was now drawing near our Communion season, 
 and our thoughts and prayers were directed to- 
 wards the sifting of Candidates for baptism. It 
 was serious and responsible work, but in the end 
 we had no doubt. Eleven were chosen, and I 
 formed them into a special class for the last few 
 weeks. 
 
 lavis now gained his final victory over 
 Heathenism. He had already given up his 
 second and third wives, and his last battle was 
 against a very serious superstition which had held 
 him in bondage for years. Long ago he was 
 very ill, and a Tanna man gave him medicine 
 which cured him. This man told him that he 
 must not eat food prepared by another, and that 
 he must not touch the leaves of certain trees or 
 else he would die. lavis believed him, and from 
 that day became a slave to these commands. 
 He would go all day without food, rather than 
 risk eating anything cooked by another. After 
 he had given up his extra wives, lavis began to 
 feel that this fear of his was not right, and he 
 
 139
 
 140 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 made it a matter of earnest prayer. He then 
 entered upon a period of great conflict, but little 
 by little his faith grew. At last he decided to 
 end the struggle, and praying hard all the time, 
 he walked up to the forbidden tree and clutched 
 and crushed its leaves. Then he took some food 
 cooked by another, and, praying hard, he ate it. 
 From that day lavis was delivered from his bond- 
 age, and rejoiced in the liberty of Christ. 
 
 Tom and his people left their village among 
 the hills at this time, and came down and built 
 a new village at Lenakel, so as to be near the 
 Worship. This was a step in the right direction, 
 and others gradually followed his example, until 
 we had quite a large home population. 
 
 In the first week in August, we had special 
 meetings every day, leading up to the great 
 Communion day. The men cut down bread-fruit 
 trees and made rough seats for the Church, while 
 the women made cocoanut leaf mats to cover the 
 floor. 
 
 At last the glad day dawned. From north 
 and south and east the people came. All our 
 worshippers were present, and many heathen 
 from afar. At 8.30 the Candidates met for 
 prayer, and at 9 o'clock the bell rang out its 
 gladdest and most solemn call. In a few minutes 
 the Church was crowded to the door, and the 
 windows were black with eager faces. Our hearts
 
 FIRST-FRUITS 141 
 
 were very full and rose in thankfulness to God 
 who had so drawn the people's hearts. 
 
 But there was one blank which we all felt, and 
 I most of all ; the seat at the organ was empty. 
 It was a great sorrow to us that she, who had 
 done so much, and suffered so much, to bring 
 
 these people to Jesus, should be unable to sit 
 down with us, as our first converts gathered 
 around the Lord's Table. But God so willed, 
 and though absent and sick in body, she was 
 very present in spirit and in the hearts of the 
 people. Never had they forgotten her in their 
 prayers, and that Sabbath Lomai's voice grew 
 husky, as he prayed 
 
 " Help Mrs Paton far away, that she may have 
 joy to-day. Make her strong again that she may 
 come back to us to teach us the word of Jesus. 
 And hear her prayers for us at Lenakel on this 
 great day." 
 
 When our people were all gathered, our never 
 to be forgotten service began. Mr Hume gave 
 an earnest address to the people, and then I spoke 
 solemn words to the Candidates, and put some 
 questions to them which they answered standing. 
 No words can tell what we felt as the eleven rose 
 up to witness the good confession. It must have 
 been something like the joy of the angels in 
 heaven. 
 
 I then baptized them one by one. First came
 
 142 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 Lomai, and as he stepped forward, with tears in 
 his eyes, my own feelings surged within me. For 
 was not Lomai the first of our spiritual children, 
 and the most dearly loved ? Through all the 
 joys and sorrows of our life on Tanna he had 
 stood by us, a brave, noble man, of iron will and 
 tender heart, the most spiritual and Christlike of 
 all our people. Next I baptized Naupum, his 
 wife, an earnest, intelligent woman, who rose into 
 a true leader among the women, and in after 
 years proved a worthy helpmeet to Lomai. Then 
 came Numanian and his wife, Lohman, a splendid 
 couple. Numanian had now become a leader 
 of the first rank among the Worshippers, and we 
 hoped great things from him. Then came Tom 
 Tanna and his wife, lelo, another fine couple. 
 Tom had outgrown his weaknesses, and had 
 become a faithful helper in all the work, whose 
 one aim was to serve Jesus, and win his fellows. 
 Tom had been baptized in Queensland, so I 
 simply admitted him. Tom was an example of 
 what God could do with a naturally weak charac- 
 ter, and he did noble service for West Tanna. 
 Then came lesua, the brightest and most loving 
 of all the younger girls. She was at first one of 
 the wildest, but now she was full of a beautiful 
 earnestness. Then came Numanipan, an earnest, 
 faithful woman. She was followed by Teniau, 
 who gave herself to Jesus, while her husband was
 
 FIRST-FRUITS 143 
 
 still violently opposed to the Gospel, and who 
 gradually won him for Christ. Then came 
 Nelbini, who was once rather weak and unreliable, 
 but who fast became one of our very best helpers, 
 and won his whole village for Christ. Last of all 
 came I avis, the great War Chief, who had become 
 one of the most childlike and beautiful of our 
 native Christians, and stood next to Lomai in all 
 the work. He was an untiring preacher of the 
 Gospel, and used his great influence for one end 
 only, the advancement of Christ's Kingdom. 
 After the Candidates, I baptized lolu, Lomai's 
 little son, and Numanian's two children, lata and 
 Magia. Then we gathered round the Lord's 
 Table, and enjoyed a blessed and holy feast, one 
 to be remembered throughout all eternity. 
 
 Thus came and went a day for which we had 
 long prepared. The day passed, but its influence 
 remained. A new spirit of earnestness manifested 
 itself among the people, and our members grew in 
 knowledge and in grace, and the influence of their 
 lives told upon the people. God gave us grand 
 leaders in these men. They were the natural 
 leaders in Heathenism, and now they became the 
 spiritual leaders for Christ. Heathenism could 
 never again be what it had been on West Tanna. 
 It had received a deadly wound. Its death might 
 be slow, but die it must. It could not long stand 
 before the forces which had come into these lives.
 
 144 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 Christ had formed them into His Church, and the 
 gates of hell would not prevail against them. 
 The Kingdom of Christ had begun, small as a 
 mustard seed at present, but in this beginning of 
 the new we saw the end of the old. God speed 
 the day when every son and daughter of Tanna 
 shall be gathered into His Church ! 
 
 We now formed a members' class in addition 
 to our Candidates' class, and studied the Acts of 
 the Apostles. We also made the Gospel of 
 Matthew, which Lomai and I had now translated, 
 one of our main text books in all the classes. 
 
 One day, not long after this, Titonga came in 
 and told me that Nausian wanted to shoot his 
 wife. I was horrified and astounded, as Nausian 
 was a leading member of our Candidates' class. 
 I hurried up to the village, and a crowd collected 
 to see what I would do. I asked Nausian if the 
 report were true, and he hung his head as he 
 answered that it was. I then asked him the 
 reason. It was the demon of jealousy which had 
 been aroused in his heart. His father, a cunning 
 old Heathen, had told him that his wife was 
 unfaithful. When I demanded his evidence he 
 said that a young woman had told him. I at 
 once sent for the woman, and meanwhile asked 
 the wife to give her version of the thing. She 
 protested her innocence, and pled for her life. 
 The young woman now arrived, and I asked her
 
 FIRST-FRUITS 145 
 
 to state her evidence. She did so, but it utterly 
 broke down under cross-examination. In fact, 
 her story rather tended to prove the wife's inno- 
 cence. I then sent for the old father, and he said 
 that another old Heathen had told him. I sent 
 for the second old man, and he declared that the 
 father was lying. They then confessed that the 
 whole thing was a trumped up story, without any 
 foundation whatever in fact. By this time the 
 woman had ceased to weep, and Nausian looked 
 thoroughly ashamed of himself I asked him 
 what he thought of it now, and he said 
 
 " It is a lie of the Devil." 
 
 Then I let him know what I thought of his 
 conduct. The old father came in for some warm 
 remarks too. Then we held a service, and I con- 
 trasted the lying, crooked way of the Heathen 
 with the truthful and just ways of the people of 
 Jesus. The woman's life was saved, and the 
 Heathen were cowed. 
 
 This great fall was a lesson which Nausian 
 never forgot From this time he became an out- 
 and-out follower of Jesus, and a leader among his 
 fellows. His name will occur again in these 
 pages, to his honour. 
 
 After this we set out on another three days' 
 walking tour among the inland northern tribes. 
 The first night we spent at Lokavit, in a hut 
 that they had built for us on the land which 
 
 K
 
 146 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 I had bought for an out-station. Lokavit is high 
 up on the mountain, and we could hardly sleep 
 for cold that night. The people received us 
 gladly, and again pled for a teacher. 
 
 Early next morning we set out for Loanatit, 
 which we reached about noon. Yalemyau and 
 his people were in good heart, and after service I 
 bought in a good deal of native food for him. 
 At the close of the first service I had just lain 
 down in my hammock for a rest, when a woman 
 came to the door and sat down. She opened her 
 Gospel of Mark, and then looked appealingly at 
 me. I could not resist such an appeal, so I got 
 up, and we read a portion together. I found that 
 she had made good progress, and was earnestly 
 seeking for the light. She said, " Before, nekiuk 
 (my heart) go all about, he no savey ; now all 
 clear, very glad." 
 
 Others also at Loanatit were seeking after 
 Jesus. 
 
 In the beginning of September, Mr Hume and 
 I left Lenakel for a few months' rest in the 
 colonies, leaving the work in charge of our faith- 
 ful teachers, under the general supervision of Mr 
 Macmillan.
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 BACK TO TANNA 
 
 BACK to Tanna, and what a welcome ! Before 
 we reached the anchorage, our trusted leaders were 
 bending to the oars in the Pioneer, and as they 
 neared us a hearty British cheer sounded out their 
 welcome. Dear old Lomai stood up in the boat, 
 and eagerly scanned the faces of the ladies, and 
 then looked enquiringly at me. " Where Mrs 
 Paton ? " There was keen disappointment when 
 I told them that she was not strong enough to 
 return with me. 
 
 " Ah, well," said Lomai, " he more better for 
 her to wait till hot sun finish." 
 
 The next question was, " Misi Hume ? " And 
 I told them that he also would probably return 
 next trip. A few hurried questions brought out 
 the answers, 
 
 " Altogether man he well. Worship he strong. 
 Plenty people stop along shore." 
 
 Then we got into the boat, and willing arms 
 pulled for the shore. There I got a welcome that 
 made my throat very lumpy. The men, women 
 and children rushed down to the water's edge and 
 
 M7
 
 148 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 stood with outstretched arms, uttering their plain- 
 tive cry of welcome. Then Tausi led them in a 
 ringing cheer, and the moment the keel grated on 
 the sand we were surrounded by a crowd of eager 
 people. They thought that Mrs Paton was in the 
 boat, and their disappointment was great " Awe 
 Misis Paton," they cried in their touching way. 
 Mr Hume, too, was eagerly looked for. My 
 father and sister, who were with us on their way 
 to Aniwa, were warmly welcomed, and also the 
 other Missionaries. 
 
 The teachers were well, and all the news was 
 cheering. Everywhere were signs of special pre- 
 parations, which touched me deeply. How 
 different these smiles of welcome from the sus- 
 picious scowls of three short years ago ! I 
 realized, as I had never done before, how great a 
 change the Gospel had already worked at Lenakel. 
 And I thanked God and took courage. 
 
 From Norfolk Island I had brought two splen- 
 did horses for the work on Tanna. It was no 
 little anxiety getting them ashore, but the skill of 
 the officer in charge overcame all difficulties, and 
 the natives yelled with delight as they saw them 
 safely landed. 
 
 Early next morning, Sabbath, 1 2th February 
 1899, the people began to arrive for public Wor- 
 ship, and when the bell rang the Church was 
 crammed to the door. It was to me a moving
 
 BACK TO TANNA 149 
 
 sight, and I could hardly trust myself to lead the 
 singing. My father, Mr Boyd, Mr McKenzie and 
 I took part in the services. It was a great day 
 for our people and for me. 
 
 Just as we sat down to tea, the steamer's whistle 
 sounded, and on looking out we saw that a storm 
 was brewing in the west. In a few minutes we 
 were in the Pioneer, and five strong men were 
 bending to the oars. We reached the ship just 
 in time, and it was with difficulty that we got our 
 beloved friends on board, owing to the quickly 
 rising sea. Then, after a farewell cheer from boat 
 and steamer, we pulled with all our might to get 
 in before the storm burst. We got in not a 
 moment too soon, and the vessel steamed slowly 
 south. 
 
 The next morning I opened the boxes, and was 
 delighted to find a good supply of clothing. There 
 were 1 40 natives waiting to be paid for work they 
 had done, and about 100 others were eager to 
 begin. It takes an enormous amount of clothing 
 to supplya people just emerging out of Heathenism, 
 and it cannot be done without the self-denying 
 efforts of friends abroad. 
 
 Towards evening I had my first ride on Tanna. 
 The natives rushed into the bush with frantic 
 yells, the moment the horse's head was turned in 
 their direction, and I could hear them crashing 
 through the reeds as I passed. Others followed
 
 150 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 with shouts of delight, but a long way behind, and 
 ready to take to the bush at a moment's notice. 
 When I rode into the village, the people ran up 
 the trees like monkeys, or scrambled on to the 
 roofs of their houses. Others, again, trusted 
 rather to the speed of their legs, and the result 
 fully justified their confidence. 
 
 The next day, I rode up about three miles into 
 the hills to see some sick people. Rangi, Tausi's 
 stepson, came with me to cut away any obstruc- 
 tions from the path. Between Rangi's desire to 
 clear the road for me and his fear of the horse, 
 there was a constant struggle. Sometimes he 
 would hack wildly at some overhanging branch, 
 and then fly for his life, calling out 
 
 " Misi, look out for that branch, I am weak to 
 cut it, for fear the horse tramps on me." 
 
 Once the horse snorted, and with a howl of 
 terror Rangi took to his heels, expecting each 
 moment to be his last ! The horses proved to 
 be a priceless boon to us in our work, and I only 
 regretted that we had not got them long before. 
 
 While we were in Victoria, a report got about 
 among the Heathen that Jesus was coming on a 
 certain day to take the Worshippers to heaven, 
 and burn up Tanna and all the Heathen. Some 
 of the Heathen gathered their pigs together, and 
 sat up all night watching ; others began to kill 
 and eat them, lest they should be destroyed by
 
 BACK TO TANNA 151 
 
 the fire. Others, again, turned fiercely upon the 
 Worshippers as the cause of all the trouble. In 
 the midst of this excitement, a labour-vessel came. 
 The Heathen told the recruiter of the report that 
 Tanna was to be burned, arid asked him if it was 
 true. The recruiter, being a long-headed man 
 replied 
 
 " I don't know about Tanna, but I know that 
 Queensland is not going to be burned," and hinted 
 that it would be as well to make sure by recruiting 
 for Queensland ! 
 
 We found that, in our absence, labour-vessels 
 had obtained over ninety recruits at Lenakel, 
 many of them lads that we had saved from 
 Heathenism. 
 
 Shortly after my return we had our first mar- 
 riage in the Church. The bridegroom was lamahu, 
 a veteran Loinio orator, about sixty years of age, 
 and the bride was Katagha, who had likewise 
 seen length of days. Old lamahu was nervous, 
 but resolute. One eye had been completely 
 bunged up a few days before, but there was a 
 fierce light of " do or die " in the other. Titonga 
 acted as best man, and Litsi supported the bride. 
 When I asked them to stand up, lamahu strode 
 right up to the pulpit, and glared at me with his 
 one eye as much as to say, " Now, Misi, do your 
 worst ! " But it required all the persuasive powers 
 of Litsi, Titonga, and myself to coax the bride on
 
 152 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 to her feet beside the bridegroom. At last she 
 got up, screwing her face into frightful contortions. 
 She grabbed the tip of lamahu's fingers, and then 
 made a dash for her seat, but Titonga had antici- 
 pated her movement, and caught her in his arms 
 and brought her back. She now resigned herself 
 to the inevitable, and answered the questions 
 with her face turned away from the bridegroom, 
 and finally beamed upon us all round. It was no 
 easy matter to control my risibles, and I was 
 thankful that Mrs Paton and Mr Hume were not 
 present ! They were a most loving and devoted 
 couple, and were quite proud of having been the 
 first to get married in the Church. 
 
 A never-ending delight to the natives was our 
 magic-lantern. We were so thankful to get a 
 box of beautiful Scripture slides from London. 
 The picture that always made the deepest impres- 
 sion upon the natives was that of the Crucifixion. 
 Even determined Heathen came to see the wonder- 
 ful pictures, which could only be seen in the dark ! 
 
 We had now to pass through a sad experience 
 at Lenakel. Numakai, our noble, self-denying 
 teacher at Loanesi, was taken from us. He took 
 ill on the Sabbath, and on the Tuesday morning 
 he died. The blow came to us with a terrible 
 suddenness. I was with him all the Monday 
 forenoon, and did what I could to relieve his fever. 
 About one o'clock he was easier, and I returned
 
 BACK TO TANNA 153 
 
 to Lenakel, leaving Litsi and Titonga in charge, 
 with instructions to send for me at once if he got 
 worse. At 3.30 on Tuesday morning Tausi 
 roused me with the news that Numakai was 
 worse. I hurried off and reached Loaneai at 
 5 o'clock. Numakai was then unconscious, and 
 breathing heavily, and at 6 o'clock, while Titonga 
 and I were praying beside him, he passed away 
 peacefully. His wife and his mother were broken- 
 hearted, and my own heart was like to break. 
 We had played together as boys, and we had 
 worked together as men. He was one of our 
 ablest teachers, and his labours were greatly 
 blessed of God. It was hard to believe that he 
 was really gone. 
 
 Titonga hastened away to carry the sad news 
 to Lenakel, and I sat beside the body of my 
 comrade till he returned. As the news spread 
 among the surrounding villages, one after another 
 the dark figures stole softly in and sat down. 
 The women cried, but the men sat in silent sorrow, 
 some of them with their heads between their 
 knees, and the tears falling fast. At last Titonga 
 came back, and with him were all our Lenakel 
 people. Tausi gave me one look, and then sat 
 down and sobbed as if his heart would break 
 and he did not sob alone, for the four of us were 
 comrades in the old Aniwan days, and now one 
 of us was gone.
 
 154 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 At 1 1 o'clock we gathered in the Church, and 
 earnest, solemn words were spoken to the people 
 of Loaneai, and many prayers ascended to the 
 Throne of Grace. At 2 o'clock we buried him 
 beside the Church which he had built with his 
 own hands. Many stood around who had been 
 led out of Heathenism by Numakai. We sang 
 " There is a Happy Land," and then I read the 
 last chapter of Mark, and prayed. After the 
 grave was filled in, we all went down to the beach 
 and brought up lovely white coral to mark a 
 hero's grave. 
 
 Numakai left an influence at Loaneai that will 
 never die. In earlier years he had a quick temper, 
 but towards the end he had it in complete control, 
 and his life was beautiful with Christlikeness. 
 When he saw his wife crying during his illness, he 
 said to her 
 
 " Weep not, I am going to be with Jesus. Be 
 strong to worship Him and to do His Will, and 
 we will all meet there." 
 
 It was well with Numakai, and we could only 
 pray that God would send us a like-hearted man 
 of faith to carry on the work which he was called 
 upon to lay aside. 
 
 Our little Church on West Tanna now passed 
 through a time of sore trial. One after another 
 was brought low in sickness till there were few of 
 us left to tend the sufferers ; and the death-wail
 
 BACK TO TANNA 155 
 
 became terribly familiar to our ears. Some of our 
 candidates were called home, and many of the 
 less decided Worshippers also passed away. We 
 leave them, and their glimmering faith, to Him 
 who saw so much where men often saw so little. 
 At last we began to look into one another's 
 faces with the silent question, " Who will be the 
 next ? " 
 
 Seimata, Tausi's gentle wife, had a long illness. 
 We did all we could for her, but the disease 
 baffled us. It was hard to see the face growing 
 daily thinner and more drawn with pain. If 
 only Mrs Paton were here, we thought, how 
 much she could do to relieve her distress ! How 
 I longed, too, for more medical knowledge. But 
 we knew that she was in God's hands, and we 
 prayed much for guidance. 
 
 " I love the people of Tanna," she said to me one 
 day, " but only this sickness makes me so weak." 
 
 Near the end she took a great longing to see 
 her native Aniwa once more, and I promised 
 that if the steamer came here first on her way 
 from the North I would send Tausi across with 
 her. But when we heard the steamer's whistle 
 it came from the South. That meant that it 
 had gone to Aniwa first, and Seimata turned 
 her face to the wall and said 
 
 " It is finished with Aniwa now, I shall never 
 see it again."
 
 156 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 She lingered on a few days longer, and then 
 on the 1 3th of May she passed away. Tausi 
 looked long and wistfully at the worn face, and 
 then up at me as he said 
 
 " Misi, she is at rest now." 
 
 Poor Tausi, how my heart bled for him ! The 
 news soon spread, and very deep was the sorrow 
 of the people, for they loved the happy-hearted 
 woman who had given up all for them. Tausi 
 helped me to make her coffin, and as the sun 
 was setting we buried her in our little Church- 
 yard. A palm tree marks the place, and it is 
 one of the sacred spots of Tanna. We prayed 
 that God would send us more workers, as bright 
 and faithful as our beloved Seimata. 
 
 A few days before Seimata died, I was giving out 
 medicine on the back verandah, when I saw lakar 
 coming into the station carrying his only child. 
 Lowi, his wife, and a few others followed. They 
 were strangely quiet, and Tausi said to me 
 
 " Misi, I think the child is dead." 
 
 I hurried over to lakar, and found that it was 
 even so. Their only child was dead. 
 
 Poor Lowi and lakar ! They had just re- 
 turned from Tongoa a few weeks before, and 
 lakar had settled among his own people at 
 Lonialapin to be their teacher. And now in 
 the very beginning of their work this sorrow 
 had come upon them.
 
 BACK TO TANNA 157 
 
 Lomai, too, was sorely tried at this time. 
 First his baby girl sickened and died, and then 
 his first-born son, little lolu, who was the joy 
 and delight of all Lenakel, became very ill. 
 Lomai at once brought him to me, and for two 
 days and a night we battled with death. But 
 nothing could reduce the terrible fever. " Awe, 
 my son, would that I could die for thee ! " was 
 the cry that was again and again wrung from 
 Lomai's heart. And at last he added in a 
 great agony of soul, " What Thou wiliest, O 
 God." We did all that we could for our little 
 lolu, but on the second evening, just after Titonga 
 and I had offered prayer, he passed away. 
 Lomai was lying on his face on the floor, one 
 hand clasping his child's and the other tightly 
 clenched by his side. 
 
 " He is with Jesus now, Lomai," I said very 
 gently. For a while nothing but the convulsive 
 working of his muscles showed that he heard me, 
 and then he said, " It is true, Misi." At last 
 he lifted up his head and as he looked upon 
 the face of his only child, so calm and still in 
 death, a passion of sobbing shook his whole 
 frame. How my heart did bleed for our noble- 
 hearted Lomai and his brave wife ! 
 
 Early next morning, through pouring rain he 
 carried his child up to his village to bury him 
 there. Titonga went with him and I was to
 
 158 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 follow at midday to conduct the funeral. But 
 just as I was getting ready, Titonga came in 
 to say that it was all over. Lomai had hurried 
 on the burial, and got Titonga to act for me 
 that I might not have to go so far in the heavy 
 rain. It touched me deeply to think that, even 
 in his great sorrow, Lomai was more thoughtful 
 of his Missionary than of himself. Surely this 
 was the same mind which was in Christ. 
 
 Our hearts were saddened by many other 
 deaths, and the faith of our people was sorely 
 tried. But despite the wild " netik " talk of the 
 Heathen, the Worshippers stood firm. Indeed 
 the general sickness only drew them nearer to 
 God. My own health was bad at this time, 
 and I can never forget the tender faithfulness 
 of our beloved teachers Tausi and Titonga who 
 nursed me in sickness and lovingly ministered 
 to all my wants. One or other would constantly 
 come in, and sit down and look at me with 
 earnest, loving eyes. " Misi, are you feeling a 
 little better now ? " or, " Misi, can I cook you 
 something to eat ? " God reward them for their 
 faithful ministering, for I never can !
 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 
 ANIWA ONCE MORE 
 
 DURING a lull in the general sickness, I decided 
 to visit Aniwa, where my father and sister were 
 now living. We launched the Pioneer at 2.30 
 one morning, and with Lomai and some of our 
 leaders as crew, we set out for Aniwa. At day- 
 light we reached Loanatit. A large number of 
 people met us at the boat landing, and we had 
 a very hearty service together. We then pushed 
 on, hoping to reach Aniwa before dark, but a 
 strong head wind baffled us, and we put into 
 Loanbakel. Mr Forlong kindly invited us to 
 stay the night with him, so we moored our boat 
 in a lovely creek, and then climbed up to Mr 
 Forlong's picturesque home. We sent messengers 
 to the villages to gather the people for a service 
 in the evening, and Mr Forlong and I ascended 
 the hill that I might take accurate bearings of 
 Aniwa on my boat compass. Meanwhile our 
 crew stowed themselves away in all sorts of nooks 
 and crannies, and slept soundly. At night I gave 
 a magic lantern entertainment to the great delight 
 of the natives. 
 
 '59
 
 160 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 That night I had just fallen into a deep sleep, 
 when I was awakened by a terrible thud and 
 found myself sitting on the floor. How I got 
 there or in what part of the world I was, I had 
 not the faintest idea ! I was trying in vain to think 
 the matter out, when an anxious voice asked 
 
 " Are you much hurt ? " 
 
 It was Mr Forlong's voice, and that brought 
 me back with a mental thud to Loanbakel. 
 
 " What's up ? "I asked in a startled bewilder- 
 ment. 
 
 " Your hammock gave way ! " was the answer 
 which made all things clear. Then I slowly got 
 up, rubbed myself on the sore place, stretched out 
 my hammock once more, and was soon fast asleep. 
 
 At 2 A.M. I roused the crew, and by 3.30 we 
 were feeling our way out of the creek and pulling 
 seawards. It was very dark but I took the bear- 
 ings of a star and steered by it. It was the 
 Morning Star, and it took me back to the old 
 student days in Germany. When my fellow- 
 student, George Macfadyen, was lying on a weary 
 bed of sickness, he used to watch so longingly 
 for the Morning Star : 
 
 " It is like the great eye of God," he said, 
 " looking down upon me in my illness, and telling 
 me that I am not forgotten." 
 
 As we got out from the shelter of the point 
 we found that we had a head wind and a lumpy
 
 ANIWA ONCE MORE 161 
 
 sea to contend with. The great waves broke 
 around us, and it sounded eerie in the darkness. 
 Our crew were getting just a little anxious, so I 
 reminded them of Jesus watching and praying 
 on the mountain top, while His disciples were 
 struggling against wind and sea away down in 
 the lake below. This cheered them greatly and 
 they pulled on with fresh courage, till at last we 
 came into less troubled seas. 
 
 When morning broke, we were still far from 
 Aniwa, and the wind began to freshen. We 
 now decided to try beating, and our new set of 
 sails were soon hoisted. The Pioneer did nobly, 
 and every board brought us nearer to Aniwa. 
 At last we could see the fringe of white breakers 
 around the reef. Lomai looked wistfully towards 
 the land.and then said," The old man will be stand- 
 ing upon these rocks all the time, and his heart 
 will be saying, ' My son is in that boat away out 
 there.' And then he will be praying hard to 
 Jesus to help us and bring us safe to land." 
 
 And that was just what my father was doing 
 all the long forenoon, as he watched us plunging 
 and beating away out at sea. 
 
 In the boat with us was a little Aniwan lad, 
 a son of the late Kamasiteia, who had come over 
 to Tanna to help Numakai with the junior classes. 
 
 " Who is that, Tavo ? " I said, pointing to a 
 woman far out on the rocks. Tavo's eyes grew 
 
 L
 
 1 62 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 tender, and his face lit up with a beautiful smile 
 of love, but he could not speak. It was his 
 mother, whom the little fellow had not seen for 
 a year, and I loved him for the love he showed. 
 One sees too seldom the love-light in a native's eye. 
 
 As we neared the landing we could distinguish 
 one white head among all the black ones, and I 
 knew it was my father's. Beside him stood my 
 sister, and around them were gathered the faithful 
 Aniwans, overjoyed to have their spiritual father 
 once more in their midst. A few more strokes 
 and fifty eager hands grasped the boat, while I 
 jumped out upon the rocks. What a welcome 
 we got ! And how deeply our hearts were stirred. 
 
 But there was one dark shadow, and most of 
 us shook hands with silence and with many tears. 
 It was Numakai's death. Not since Kamasiteia 
 died had there been such deep and general sorrow 
 on Aniwa. And when we gathered in the Church 
 an hour later, and I tried to tell them in broken 
 words the story of Numakai's life and death, the 
 whole congregation was bathed in silent tears. 
 It was the sorrow of a whole people for one whom 
 they loved with no common love, and he was 
 worthy of their love. 
 
 The next few days were very happy ones to 
 me, but they passed all too quickly. We man- 
 aged to get a good deal of work done, including 
 the election of a new elder. The man chosen
 
 ANIWA ONCE MORE 163 
 
 was Nalausi, another of my boyhood's comrades. 
 It was no little joy to assist my father in all these 
 services, and especially in the Communion Service 
 to which they all led up. 
 
 One of the most hopeful features of the work 
 on Aniwa was the large number of bright, intelli- 
 gent children. And they were so eager to learn. 
 My sister was kept more than busy with her 
 many classes for writing, singing, reading, English, 
 sewing, etc. The Aniwans were delighted to get 
 the whole New Testament in their own language, 
 which my father brought down with him. And 
 it was a never to be forgotten sight to see my 
 father's overflowing joy, as he went from village 
 to village, followed by a crowd of happy children. 
 It was a week to me of great happiness ; and I 
 would fain have stayed longer, but Tanna and its 
 needs were tugging at my heart strings. 
 
 On the Sabbath afternoon, Lomai and Titonga 
 addressed the people of Aniwa. Lomai said 
 
 " Our joy is great to-day, as we meet in God's 
 house and around the Holy Feast of Jesus. It is 
 very good that we meet like this and praise our 
 Father in heaven. There is for us only one 
 heaven, the heaven that Jesus leads to. There 
 is no other road for us but the road which Jesus 
 made. We may think of earthly things, but they 
 will not lead us to heaven. Only Jesus can take 
 away our sins and lead us to heaven.
 
 164 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 " Long ago Dr Paton, the aged, was a young 
 man, and lived in Scotland. The Light came 
 into his heart, and he said within himself, ' I must 
 not hide this Light, I must let it shine.' And so 
 he left his own land and brought the Light of 
 Jesus to Aniwa. Aniwa was then a dark land, 
 but now it is full of light. Men and women of 
 Aniwa, do not hide your Light, let it shine ! 
 There is a dark land across the sea. Take the 
 Light of Jesus there, and let it shine till that land 
 is full of Light like your own. This is what Jesus 
 told us to do, Let our Light shine." 
 
 Titonga then rose and said 
 
 " I see many things among us that are not 
 right. There is often bad talk. When you hear 
 a whisper of scandal you bend forward your ear 
 and exclaim, ' Say that again, say it again that 
 I may hear it well.' And then you take it and 
 put it in your heart, and go about looking for 
 someone to tell it to. 
 
 " You come to Church and take the Word of 
 Jesus and open it and read it. Then you shut it 
 and leave it there. You go to school in the 
 morning and open the Word of Jesus and read it. 
 Then you shut it and leave it there. You go to 
 your work and forget it. You do not lay it up in 
 your hearts. My friends, this is not right. We 
 must close our hearts and ears to bad talk, and 
 open our hearts and ears to the Word of Jesus."
 
 ANIWA ONCE MORE 165 
 
 It was hard to go, but on Tuesday morning 
 we set sail for Tanna with a fair wind. At 
 3 P.M. we landed at Nalebot, and preached the 
 Gospel to some people whom we saw on the 
 beach. Towards sundown we arrived at Loanatit 
 Yalemyau and ninety of his people met us at the 
 landing, and the report of the work was most 
 cheering. We rigged up our tent and made 
 things comfortable for the night, and then had 
 some tea. As soon as it was dark enough, we 
 climbed the cliff to the Church, and I showed 
 them pictures through the magic lantern. The 
 pictures of Jesus as a Baby and Jesus on the 
 Cross were the two that impressed them most. 
 The people were eager for books, and as soon as 
 it became known that I had hymn-books with me, 
 a rush was made for the tent, and they were all 
 sold out in a few seconds. Yalemyau's labours 
 were being abundantly blessed. 
 
 Early next morning we once more set out, and 
 a long day's pulling brought us safely to Lenakel, 
 to the great joy of our people. All was well and 
 the work prosperous. 
 
 Soon after our return, we went on a three days' 
 walking tour among the lounmene and our friends 
 to the North. At one village we found the people 
 on the point of war, but we brought the hostile 
 parties together, and after some heated explana- 
 tions peace was restored. At the same village
 
 1 66 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 was a man who had been baptized in Queensland, 
 but who on his return gradually went back into 
 Heathenism. I was astonished to find him a kava 
 drinker, and when I spoke to him about it he pro- 
 duced his English New Testament and said 
 
 " You show me book and number where kava 
 he stop. Me no look kava here ; me think he 
 all right." 
 
 I tried to reason the thing out with him, but he 
 was obstinate. I was afraid his influence might 
 be hurtful to the others, but the general verdict 
 was, " I think kava he make head belong him no 
 good." So that his conduct was regarded as a 
 strong argument against kava. 
 
 At another village, lemagia, high priest of 
 Maslo, tried to interrupt our service. He roared 
 at the people for listening, and all the women 
 bolted except one old dame, who braved his 
 anger. The men, however, took no notice of him. 
 He then got his gun and ordered us to stop. I 
 was engaged in prayer at the time, and at the 
 close I made some pointed remarks to lemagia, 
 which sent him roaring into the bush. 
 
 It was now getting near steamer-time, and the 
 natives made great preparations to welcome Mrs 
 Paton. The steamer cry startled us one morning 
 at school. Down went the copy books, and half 
 the school had reached the door when Numanian 
 arose and called out
 
 ANIWA ONCE MORE 167 
 
 " What do you mean by running out before 
 Misi has closed with prayer?" 
 
 So I called them back and asked Numanian to 
 pray. Then we all made a rush Titonga to run 
 up the flag, Tausi to kill a couple of fowls, and 
 Lomai to launch the Pioneer. All the natives 
 were in a state of the wildest excitement, and 
 perhaps the most excited of all was their Mis- 
 sionary, who was looking forward to seeing his 
 wife and child. 
 
 But alas ! we were doomed to disappointment. 
 For when we got alongside we found that Mrs 
 Paton was not on board. Our little one had been 
 at death's door, and the doctor had forbidden 
 them to come. But my heart rose to God in 
 thankfulness for His sparing mercies, and for all 
 the loving-kindness with which my wife had been 
 surrounded in her time of sore anxiety. 
 
 Mr Hume also was not on board, having got 
 off at Kwamera to be with our fellow-workers 
 there at a time of great danger and unrest. Keen 
 was the disappointment among the women, when 
 we returned from the ship without Mrs Paton. 
 
 One Wednesday morning about this time, Tit- 
 onga, Lomai, Numanian and I set out at daylight 
 to visit our southern tribes. We found that sick- 
 ness had made terrible ravages amongst them. 
 One village was in daily dread of an attack from 
 the lasurmene, a tribe in Mr Gillies' district, and
 
 1 68 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 they asked us to go and mediate between them. 
 The lasurmene were one of the fiercest tribes on 
 Tanna. They were deadly haters of the Wor- 
 ship, and were constantly threatening to shoot 
 Mr Gillies. One night they had even gone to the 
 house and looked in at the window in the night 
 to carry out their threat, but the dogs rushed at 
 them and they bolted. It was the same tribe 
 who had lain hid among the rocks on Point Laiuk 
 to shoot us as we passed in the boat, when the 
 squall baulked them. 
 
 Lomai and the other two were eager to go and 
 see them. He said, " Misi, they are like other 
 men ; and if we go and look into their faces, they 
 will be friendly and let us talk to them." 
 
 So we decided to go and see them. 
 
 We had not gone far into their territory when 
 we saw a small band of them. They began to 
 run away, but we called them back ; they stood 
 irresolutely for a few seconds, and then sat down 
 on a rock to await us. We had a long talk with 
 them, and they promised to gather the whole tribe 
 next morning for a conference. We then pushed 
 on towards Kwamera to spend the night there. 
 In a couple of hours, we met a larger band of 
 them returning from a day's man-hunting. They 
 also promised to meet us next morning, and we 
 continued our weary walk, climbing hills, walking 
 over long stretches of loose boulders, wading round
 
 ANIWA ONCE MORE 169 
 
 precipitous points, and finally losing our way 
 among dense reeds as the sun went down. Tit- 
 onga hunted out a comfortable place for us to 
 camp in, but Lomai climbed a tree and looked 
 about him. Then he said, " Let me go first," 
 and with a wonderful instinct he hacked away 
 right through the tangled reeds and creepers, 
 and soon brought us out on to the beach. 
 The moon was now up, and its light en- 
 abled us to follow the track along the shore. 
 Here a new danger presented itself; for we were 
 coming from the enemy's country, and should any 
 of the Kwamera natives see us approaching, they 
 would undoubtedly fire upon us. However, we 
 gave three British cheers to show that we were 
 friends, and then crossed the stream that flows 
 past the Mission station. We found Mr and Mrs 
 Gillies and the baby well, though they had been 
 suffering from fever. Mr Hume, too, was looking 
 much better. We sat up far into the night talk- 
 ing, and enjoyed the happy fellowship. 
 
 Early next morning we started on our home- 
 ward journey, Mr Gillies and Mr Hume accom- 
 panying us for a mile or two. At Laiuk the 
 lasurmene met us, and we had a long talk with 
 them on the very rocks from which they had 
 planned to shoot us. They listened attentively, 
 and at the close of our talk we held a service. 
 Lomai began his address by saying, " Long ago
 
 i;o LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 my grandfather stood upon these stones to talk to 
 you about the old fashion, and now upon these 
 same rocks I stand up to tell you about a new 
 and better fashion." And he told them the story 
 of Jesus and His love. Titonga and Numanian 
 also spoke fearlessly and earnestly. After the 
 service they came with us to the point. We 
 prayed that God's Spirit would work in the hearts 
 of this treacherous and bloodthirsty tribe. 
 
 The sun had gone down, and the short twilight 
 was deepening into darkness as we rounded the 
 last point on our homeward journey. A mighty 
 yell from Tausi showed that he was on the watch, 
 and we got a specially warm welcome from our 
 people, as they feared that we had been killed by 
 the lasurmene.
 
 CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 REINFORCEMENTS 
 
 ONE day a labour vessel landed two recruits. 
 Lomai and lavis met them and persuaded them 
 to remain with the Christian party. A few days 
 after Mrs Paton returned, one of them came to 
 her and asked her to mend his trousers, as one 
 leg was cut off. She asked how it had happened, 
 and he said that as they drew near Tanna he 
 made up his mind to go back into Heathenism, 
 and cut up his trousers. Then Lomai and lavis 
 talked him over, and he had now decided to 
 remain with the Worshippers. He was a son of 
 old lamahu, the Loinio orator. The other man 
 was lehlap, Numanipen's husband. He remained 
 with us for a while, as his wife was one of our 
 Church members. Then he went back to his own 
 village on the other side of Tanna, and of course 
 Numanipen went with him. All his people were 
 Heathen, and they tried hard to get lehlap to 
 join in their evil practices. Numanipen fought 
 a lonely battle with the whole tribe, and sent 
 pathetic messages to us to come over and help 
 her.
 
 172 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 One day Lomai, Tausi, Sisi and I set out for 
 Weasisi, and spent a couple of days with Mr 
 Macmillan, returning by Numanipen's village. As 
 soon as she heard our voices she came running 
 forward with both hands outstretched, and then 
 she burst into tears. My heart was deeply stirred 
 to see her joy at seeing us. She cried bitterly as 
 she told us how the men sought to draw her 
 husband away, and how he sometimes yielded. 
 She had been longing for some of us to come 
 over and help her. She had an almanac, and on 
 this she marked each day with a piece of burned 
 stick lest she should miss the Sabbaths ! We had 
 a long talk and earnest prayer, which greatly 
 cheered her. She was battling against fearful 
 odds, but God was on her side, and she clung to 
 Him with a tenacious faith. And God answered 
 her prayer and ours, for in the end she won her 
 husband back to Christ, and he is now an assist- 
 ant teacher at Lenakel. But she had to sow in 
 many tears before, she reaped her harvest of joy. 
 
 The sun set before we were half way across 
 Tanna on our way back. It is no joke to be 
 overtaken by darkness in the heart of Tanna, but 
 fortunately Tausi had bought some wax matches 
 at Weasisi. We each took a box, and lighted 
 ourselves over the rough places by match-light. 
 As we were descending a mountain pass, we were 
 suddenly brought up by a band of armed and
 
 REINFORCEMENTS 173 
 
 painted savages. Holding a match close up to 
 the face of the leader, I recognised him, and 
 asked what their errand was. He said they were 
 going to get water at the spring. I knew that 
 this was a lie, so I pressed him further, and at 
 last he said that they were going to a Heathen 
 dance. I was still doubtful, but had to be con- 
 tent with this, and we hurried on. I asked 
 Lomai if he thought they spoke the truth, or if 
 he thought they were on their road to some deed 
 of darkness. Lomai was quite satisfied that it 
 was feasting and not bloodshed that they were 
 going to, because he noticed that the leaves in 
 their armlets were festal leaves, and not leaves of 
 war. An hour or two later we got safely back to 
 Lenakel. 
 
 Our next incident was a visit from H.M.S 
 Wallaroo. Mr Watt came ashore, with a request 
 from the captain that I should go on board and 
 see him in connection with the lasurmene trouble. 
 I did so, and we had a long conference. It was 
 arranged that we should go on board before day- 
 light next morning with native guides, and that 
 from Kwamera we should walk to the lasurmene 
 and have a friendly talk with them. I at once 
 agreed to this, though I was weak with fever and 
 had a painful boil on my leg. Next morning we 
 boarded the man of war with Tausi, Lomai and 
 lavis as guides. At 8.30 we arrived at Kwamera,
 
 1/4 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 and Mr and Mrs Gillies and Mr Hume welcomed 
 us on the beach. We at once set out for the 
 lasurmene. The expedition was made up of 
 Captain Farquhar, Lieutenant Thompson, Mr 
 Watt, Mr Gillies, Tausi, Lomai, lavis and myself. 
 It was a long rough walk, and about half way Mr 
 Watt became exhausted and had to turn back. 
 I sent Tausi with him. We were rewarded for 
 our pains by surprising the natives before they 
 could run away. Only one man was missing, but 
 as he was the Chief, Mr Gillies and I started to 
 hunt for him. After about an hour's search, with 
 natives yelling in all directions, we came upon 
 him hiding in some long grass in a corner of his 
 plantation. When he found that there was no 
 escape he said 
 
 " Me no run away, me no fright, me sick ! " 
 But all the time he could hardly speak for 
 terror, and kept looking this way and that for 
 some chance of bolting. Mr Gillies and I placed 
 him between us, and marched him in triumph 
 into the village. The captain now addressed 
 the lasurmene, and Mr Gillies and Lomai in- 
 terpreted. I shall never forget the Chiefs face. 
 He firmly believed that his last hour had come, 
 and he looked appealingly from Mr Gillies to the 
 captain for mercy. He tried to smoke to show 
 that he was quite at ease, but the attempt was a 
 melancholy failure, as he applied the burning
 
 REINFORCEMENTS 175 
 
 stick to his pipe and forgot to take it away again ! 
 Thus he stood throughout the whole interview. 
 He promised to behave in future, and then the 
 captain and he planted a tree together as a 
 symbol of peace. This and the shaking of hands 
 ended the conference to the intense relief of the 
 Chief, whose evil conscience kept him in abject 
 terror throughout. 
 
 The homeward journey was a somewhat painful 
 experience. Mr Gillies became ill with fever, 
 so we sent Lomai on with the captain and 
 lieutenant, as they were anxious to reach their 
 ship before dark. lavis and I followed with 
 Mr Gillies. As darkness set in, we lost our way 
 and came to a stream. The safest way was to 
 wade down the stream, as we knew that it flowed 
 past the Mission house. The bed of the stream 
 was full of huge boulders, and here and there 
 were deep pools. At first, we had a long stick 
 with which we sounded the depth of the next 
 pool before sliding down the boulder into it, but 
 at one place the current carried away the stick, 
 and we could not find it in the dark. The banks 
 were impassable for wild undergrowth, so we had 
 to make the best of it, the water often reaching 
 up to our waists. Poor lavis felt it terribly cold, 
 and between Mr Gillies' fever, and my boil, we 
 had a bad time. But at last we came to the 
 mouth of the stream, and the cheerful lights in
 
 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 the Mission house greeted our tired eyes. Rest 
 was sweet after the day of toil. 
 
 Early next morning, Mr Watt and our Lenakel 
 party and I, set out for Port Resolution by boat. 
 A squall struck us as we got out of the passage, 
 but Mr Watt's splendid seamanship saved us 
 from being capsized. We landed on the Kwamera 
 side of the port, and had an hour and a half's 
 walking. We found Mr and Mrs Paterson well, 
 and had a happy evening together. We were to 
 start by boat early next morning for Loelikas, 
 and walk from there across Tanna to Lenakel, 
 but I was very ill with fever all that night, and 
 our start had to be delayed for a day. 
 
 Next day, however, I faced the journey, and 
 though I was still very weak, and my boil gave 
 me great pain, we got safely across. A great 
 welcome awaited us at Lenakel. Old lamahu 
 shook hands with me three times and said 
 
 " Misi, don't go so far away again. I have 
 been crying and praying for you all the 
 time." 
 
 The lasurmene kept their compact for a long 
 time, and then " netik " troubles broke out amongst 
 themselves. Kaiahune, the Chief, turned traitor 
 and massacred half his village. Those who 
 escaped got help from another tribe and in return 
 massacred Kaiahune and most of his party. The 
 remainder recruited in the next labour vessel, and
 
 REINFORCEMENTS 
 
 thus another powerful tribe was practically wiped 
 out of Tanna. 
 
 It was now nearing Synod, and as I had a 
 great deal of station work on hand, Tausi and 
 Lomai visited the northern out-stations for me. 
 They were away three days, and brought back a 
 most cheering report. 
 
 Titonga went to Weasisi, to see if he could get 
 any news of the steamer, and on Sabbath evening 
 he returned with the news that she had arrived 
 there, and that she would arrive next morning 
 with little Frankie and Mrs Heyer on board. 
 I was away among the hills preaching when he 
 arrived, but in the evening I saw him sitting 
 under a cedar tree as I returned. Litsi and some 
 others were standing near, and I was so excited 
 to get the news that I walked up to Litsi and 
 shook hands warmly and asked her if she was 
 very tired. A roar of laughter from the others 
 made me realise that in my excitement I had 
 mistaken Litsi for Titonga ! It was good news 
 not only for me, but for the whole work, for every 
 department of it suffered for lack of Mrs Paton's 
 presence and counsel. 
 
 About 7.30 next morning the steamer arrived. 
 We pulled out at once in the Pioneer^ and we 
 had a happy re-union on board. It was no little 
 joy to see my wife and bairn again. Mrs Heyer 
 had come all the way from Melbourne to enable 
 
 M
 
 i;8 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 me to remain at my post off Tanna. Mr Hume, 
 my father and sister were also on board, and 
 many others who were on their way to Synod. 
 It was a great disappointment to us that we could 
 not go on with them to the annual gathering, but 
 our duty lay at home. In a few minutes the 
 anchor was up, and the Victoria steamed away 
 north, while we pulled for the shore. 
 
 As we neared the landing the people crowded 
 down to the water's edge, and Tausi led them in 
 a ringing British cheer. Then the women's voices 
 sounded out one continuous chorus of welcome, 
 until the boat touched the sand. With a joyous 
 rush they surrounded us, and a hundred eager 
 hands were pressing forward to grasp Mrs Paton's. 
 We were soon ashore, but it was a long time 
 before we reached the gate, only a few yards 
 away. The welcome touched us deeply. Little 
 Frankie was not a bit afraid of the natives, but 
 smiled all around to their intense delight. All 
 day the people came to welcome Mrs Paton, and 
 to see the little fair-haired, blue-eyed stranger, 
 whom they took to their hearts at once. Deep 
 and genuine also was the welcome which was 
 extended on all hands to Mr Hume. It was a 
 great day for the natives, but greatest of all for 
 their Missionary. 
 
 But this was not all. The steamer brought us 
 four new teachers and their wives from Aniwa.
 
 REINFORCEMENTS 179 
 
 We went straight into Church and held a great 
 thanksgiving service. We were now able to fill 
 up Numakai's place, and had still three teachers 
 for new out-stations. Truly we had great cause 
 for thanksgiving on that historic day. 
 
 The first to be settled out were Tapanua and 
 his wife Mene, named after my sister Minnie. 
 They took up Numakai's work at Loaneai. Mrs 
 Paton and I rode over with them one Saturday 
 afternoon, and great was the excitement of the 
 people at seeing a woman on horseback. They 
 were overjoyed to get another teacher, and we 
 had an impressive consecration service. The 
 next day we again went to Loaneai, with a great 
 company of worshippers from Lenakel. The 
 settlement was a very happy one. Tapanua 
 belonged to the younger generation of Aniwans, 
 but he proved a worthy successor to Numakai. 
 He was a man of great sagacity, and his letters 
 to me about the work were always a model for 
 clearness and brevity. He saved me many a 
 tramp by sending me statements of difficulties, so 
 clear and comprehensive, that I could at once 
 write him full advice. He was cool-headed and 
 fearless, and God abundantly blessed his labours 
 from the very beginning. 
 
 We were anxious to settle one of the other 
 teachers at Eneta. One day Lomai found the 
 Chief and his people on the beach, so he brought
 
 i8o LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 them up to the Mission house for a conference. 
 For hours Lomai and lavis pled with them to 
 take a teacher, and accept the Worship. Most of 
 them seemed willing enough, but the Chief was 
 afraid of " netik," and obstinately opposed the pro- 
 posal. In the end he carried his people with him, 
 and they decided against a teacher. However, in 
 time there will be a good opening there. 
 
 Sabbath, the 2nd of July, was one of our great 
 days at Lenakel. Early in the morning the 
 people began to troop into the Mission station. 
 It was our Communion Sabbath, and our Church 
 was filled to the door. Mr Hume and I both 
 addressed the people, and I had the inexpressible 
 joy of baptizing twenty-five men and women whom 
 God had drawn to Himself out of Heathenism. 
 Thirty-seven Tannese sat down with us at the 
 Lord's Table, and it was a time of holy joy. How 
 it made us long for the time when all the Tannese 
 would share in that blessed Feast ! 
 
 At the close of the service, we took our first 
 collection, and it amounted to 5, 73. Since 
 then we have taken up a regular monthly collec- 
 tion in aid of the printing fund. It was one more 
 step in the gradual development of our West 
 Tanna Church.
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 
 BEGINNINGS OF A NATIVE MINISTRY 
 
 IN June 1899, I made an earnest appeal to the 
 people for men and women who would consecrate 
 their lives to the work of teaching. They were 
 to leave their homes and come to Lenakel to be 
 trained for three years. They were then to go, 
 where God led the way, to settle as teachers. I 
 dwelt especially on the fact that they must give 
 up all and follow Christ anywhere. The response 
 was such as to fill our hearts with joy and thanks- 
 giving. Nine of our best men willingly conse- 
 crated themselves to this work. Five of them 
 were our tried leaders : Lomai, lavis, Numanian, 
 Nelbini and Tom ; men who had proved them- 
 selves to be full of faith and of the Holy Spirit ; 
 men who had already endured much and done 
 much for the spread of Christ's Kingdom among 
 their fellows. They were giants and heroes, all 
 of them. The four others were younger men, who 
 were fast becoming leaders of real power. They 
 were Nilua, Neropo, Kahwa and lau Selok. 
 
 These men left their homes and friends to 
 follow Christ. We marked out a new village on
 
 1 82 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 the Mission station, the houses forming three sides 
 of a square, with a huge banyan tree in the centre. 
 Each house contained two rooms, a living-room 
 and a sleeping-room. The volunteers built their 
 own houses, and in a few months the village was 
 finished. They called it Lomanipo, and it became 
 the model village for all West Tanna. It was a 
 lovely, shady spot, and they were delighted with 
 their new quarters. 
 
 We appointed these men assistant teachers, and 
 also deacons or managers in the Church. The 
 Bible was our text book, and the study of it our 
 main business, together with the preaching of it 
 and the living of it. The women were under 
 Mrs Paton's special control, and had to learn all 
 kinds of women's work. In the forenoons we had 
 classes, and in the afternoons the assistant teachers 
 did manual labour on the Mission station, while 
 in the evening they always conducted open-air 
 services among themselves. We spent every 
 Thursday evangelizing, and on Sabbath after- 
 noons we visited the surrounding villages. Satur- 
 day was generally devoted to plantation work, but 
 often I sent the assistant teachers home from 
 Saturday to Monday, that they might hold special 
 services among their own people. 
 
 But the following programme will give a better 
 idea than anything else of our regular school day's 
 work :
 
 BEGINNINGS OF A NATIVE MINISTRY 183 
 
 At 6 A.M. the large conch-shell was blown, and 
 the natives trooped down to the beach to wash 
 their faces. At 6.30 the shell again sounded to 
 call them to breakfast. At 7 the bell rang for 
 school. This was the general school, and was 
 attended by old and young from all the villages 
 for miles around. Reading, singing, a Bible 
 lesson, and writing were the main subjects. At 
 8.30 the general school was over, and the natives 
 went off to their plantations. From 8.30 to 9.30 
 we attended to sick cases, gave out medicine, did 
 bartering, and dealt with all sorts of requests from 
 natives. At 9.30 the small conch-shell called the 
 assistant teachers to their special classes. We 
 had Old and New Testament lessons, English 
 and writing, with all kinds of odd information and 
 teaching thrown in. At 11.30 the large shell 
 sounded the call to dinner, and the day's teaching 
 was over. From 11.30 till I r.M. the teachers 
 rested, and then the large shell again sounded as 
 a call to manual work. This continued till 4, 
 when the signal to cease work gladdened their 
 hearts. Most of them then went down to the sea 
 for a swim, and at 5 the bell rang for evening 
 worship in the Church. At 5.30 the call to tea was 
 blown, and then they had the evening to them- 
 selves, when they always gathered for prayer and 
 conference under their village banyan tree. This 
 was our regular order on teaching days, but, of
 
 1 84 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 course, it was often broken into by special calls to 
 other work. 
 
 This plan succeeded far beyond our hopes. 
 These men became in a short time able teachers 
 of the Word of God and wise rulers in His 
 Church. Not one of them disappointed us, and 
 God's blessing rested abundantly on all their 
 labours. More and more we were led to feel that 
 our main work was to translate the Word of God 
 and train up men to teach and preach that Word 
 to their fellows, and there is no training like 
 setting them to win their own people for Christ. 
 It was a great responsibility, but an ever-increasing 
 joy, to teach these men and women, and to see 
 them growing in grace and in power. A native 
 ministry trained by and working under a European 
 Missionary we felt to be the only true and lasting 
 way of doing Missionary work. 
 
 Another advance in our work was the taking 
 into the house and training of Tanna girls. We 
 found them not only willing but eager to come, 
 lesua was the first, and then Wahu. Wiau, a 
 third girl, was told to come after the steamer 
 arrived, as some of our Aniwans were then leaving 
 us. No sooner was the steamer sighted than 
 Wiau presented herself all smiles. Later on we 
 took in a fourth, Nabupo. These girls were Mrs 
 Paton's special care. They were eager to learn, 
 and their influence soon told upon the other girls.
 
 BEGINNINGS OF A NATIVE MINISTRY 185 
 
 Little Frankie was very fond of his little black 
 nurses, and they in turn would do anything for 
 him. One day lesua came running to me in 
 great excitement, " Franke ramakar ! Franke 
 ramakar ! " That is, Frankie is speaking ! I 
 found the little fellow saying, " Tata, tata ! " which 
 happens to be Tannese for " Father," whatever it 
 may mean in baby language. This quite estab- 
 lished Frankie's reputation as a genuine Tanna man, 
 and proved to their entire satisfaction that his being 
 born in the Colonies was a mere accident of birth ! 
 We now turned our attention to the settlement 
 of our remaining Aniwan teachers. Mala and his 
 wife volunteered for Lokavit. We used to shoot 
 birds and catch fish together in the old Aniwan 
 days, and it was a peculiar joy to me to see these 
 men rallying round us in the serious work of life. 
 Early one morning we started for Lokavit. Some 
 of us boated half way, while a large party walked 
 along the beach. As we rounded the first point 
 we saw the shore party far ahead of us, but as the 
 wind freshened we overtook one band after another. 
 Each band broke into a run as we came abreast 
 of it, until at last a long straggling line of men, 
 women, and children were running along the 
 beach. Their many coloured dresses, the white 
 sand, the lovely green background, and the morn- 
 ing sunshine flooding it all, made up a picture to 
 be long remembered.
 
 1 86 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 From the landing we had a climb of three miles 
 to Lokavit. While most of us went to settle 
 Mala, Tausi sailed on in the Pioneer to Loanatit 
 to bring Yalemyau and his wife to Lenakel for 
 medical treatment, and to leave lakave and Nakata 
 in their place. lakave was one of the new teachers 
 who had come over from Aniwa, and Nakata, his 
 wife, was the girl who came over with Litsi in the 
 beginning as nurse to little Somo. 
 
 At Lokavit the people received us with many 
 signs of joy. They came out to meet us, and led 
 us to a banyan tree under which they had pre- 
 pared a great feast. They were overjoyed to have 
 a teacher of their own at last, and we ourselves 
 thanked God for this happy outcome of our many 
 journeys among the lounmene. Mala felt at home 
 at once, and never was teacher better cared for. 
 He proved a faithful and able man, though he was 
 never a fluent speaker, and God gave him many 
 souls for his hire. 
 
 About six weeks later we again visited Lokavit, 
 this time to cut a horse track. Numanian did 
 heroic service with the axe that day, as did the 
 others. The natives yelled with excitement as 
 I galloped into Lokavit. Mala was happy in 
 his work and was being loaded with kindness 
 by his people. 
 
 We now turned our thoughts to Towar Ribor 
 (the great mountain) as a good site for an out-
 
 BEGINNINGS OF A NATIVE MINISTRY 187 
 
 station right in the heart of Tanna. It had long 
 been one of our preaching stations, and we had 
 promised to get them a teacher if we could. So 
 one morning a large party of us set out for Lona- 
 puas, the leading village of the Towar Ribor tribe. 
 But we found it utterly deserted. The people 
 had got wind of our coming, and being too polite 
 to refuse a teacher, they had cleared out. We 
 were surprised and somewhat disheartened by 
 this sudden change of attitude to the Worship, 
 but we sent out scouts to hunt for the people. 
 Meanwhile we sat down under a shady tree to eat 
 our lunch. lamahu, who has a turn for humour, 
 found some kava roots in the kava house, and in 
 imitation of a heathen festival solemnly made 
 three heaps, one for the Aniwans, one for 
 Lomai and the Tannese, and one for me. He 
 was laughing heartily at his own joke, when the 
 owner of the kava suddenly walked into the village, 
 lamahu's face now became a picture of dismay, 
 but fortunately the man sat down with his back 
 to the heaps. lamahu seized the opportunity to 
 collect the kava and return it to its proper place, 
 but he kept an eye on the owner the whole time 
 in case he should turn round. Tausi was grinning 
 broadly at lamahu's feverish anxiety. Lomai's 
 face was very solemn, but his shoulders were 
 heaving as if with some internal earthquake. As 
 for me, I laughed outright, but our Heathen friend
 
 1 88 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 put it down to friendliness and good-will, quite 
 unconscious of the play that was going on behind 
 his back. When the last root was returned 
 lamahu heaved a great sigh of relief, and came 
 and sat down with a most virtuous expression of 
 innocence ! 
 
 By this time two other leading Heathen arrived, 
 and a long talk and much inward prayer resulted 
 in their decision to sell a piece of ground for an 
 out-station. They promised to build a house free 
 of cost and I promised to settle Kawa, our fourth 
 Aniwan, among them as soon as it was finished. 
 Fever came on badly on the road back, and it was 
 with difficulty that I got home. But we were all 
 well pleased with the result of our day's work. 
 
 The steamer now came, and we had the sorrow 
 of bidding farewell to Mrs Heyer and my father 
 and sister, who were on their way to Melbourne. 
 
 A little later an epidemic of measles swept 
 over the island. Almost the whole population 
 were down with it, but fortunately few deaths 
 resulted. Still it caused much bad talk and ill 
 feeling among the Heathen, who of course blamed 
 the " netik " makers, and they in turn blamed the 
 Worship. 
 
 Nabuk, a man whom I visited frequently in his 
 last illness, said to me one day 
 
 " I had a vision last night. I was carried up to 
 a beautiful village, a beautiful village, and there
 
 BEGINNINGS OF A NATIVE MINISTRY 189 
 
 was plenty of food, plenty of food, beautiful food. 
 I am going to that place, I am longing to go to it." 
 
 Another day he said to me, " I seemed to be in 
 heaven, and far away in a horrible place I saw the 
 people of Lomanian. The fire burned them and 
 they cried out for oranges. Lomanian is one of the 
 most Heathen villages in the Loinio tribe. When 
 lavis heard of this vision he beamed with delight, 
 and went straight off to Lomanian to warn the 
 people of their coming doom if they did not give 
 up their evil conduct. Even Lomanian, however, 
 is becoming disheartened in its Heathenism, for in 
 reply to an invitation to get up a Heathen dance 
 they said, " We can't, for the Worship is all around 
 us." 
 
 At another very Heathen village the Chief asked 
 a youth to take a second wife, but he declined on 
 the ground that the Worship was bound to come 
 in the end, and he was not going to make it 
 harder for him to accept it when it did come. 
 Thus even where men refused to accept the Gospel, 
 it was beginning to influence them in spite of 
 themselves.
 
 CHAPTER XX 
 
 NUMANIAN THE MARTYR 
 
 ON Friday 8th September 1899, alarming news 
 reached us from Loanatit. It was reported that 
 lakave, our teacher, was murdered, and that Mr 
 Forlong had been shot through the leg. We 
 knew that a trader near Weasisi had been fired 
 at by the natives and slightly wounded in the 
 leg, and we hoped that the report from Loanatit 
 was nothing more than a Heathen version of this 
 incident But as the report was full and circum- 
 stantial, we decided to go at once to Loanatit 
 and investigate. With some difficulty I got 
 Yalemyau mounted on horseback and we started 
 off, intending to ride as far as the road was good, 
 and then tie up our horses and walk the rest of 
 the way. Yalemyau was much more afraid of 
 the horse than of the Heathen, but he stuck to it 
 bravely. About four miles from Lenakel, as we 
 were cantering along the sand, we saw a party of 
 clothed natives coming towards us. Suddenly 
 Yalemyau gave a great shout of " lakave ! " And 
 my heart rose to God for His goodness, for it was 
 indeed lakave on his way from Loanatit to Lena- 
 190
 
 NUMANIAN THE MARTYR 191 
 
 kel. The report was a heathen He from beginning 
 to end. All was well at Loanatit, but the bush 
 people were constantly threatening them, and they 
 wanted me to bring them all over to Lenakel that 
 they might worship in peace. After a few hurried 
 words, Yalemyau and I galloped back to Lenakel 
 with the joyful news, leaving lakave and his party 
 to follow more slowly. 
 
 That night at midnight the steamer arrived, 
 and we had the joy of welcoming ashore a large 
 party of Missionaries, including my brother from 
 Mafekula. The time passed all too quickly, as 
 our friends had to be on board again at 4 A.M. 
 
 The following Sabbath, I asked for volunteers 
 to go with me to Loanatit on the Monday. Lomai, 
 Numanian, Neropo, Titonga and others responded, 
 and early next morning we set sail with a fair 
 wind. The people turned out in force to welcome 
 us, and we spent a happy afternoon and evening 
 with them. We talked over all their troubles, 
 and it was decided that we should go to Lone- 
 botbot next day and have a talk with the bush 
 people. 
 
 We set out accordingly with a good following, 
 including Yalemyau and our Lenakel volunteers. 
 Some of the Loanatit people came with us as 
 guides. The walk was a very rough one as we 
 had to climb a steep mountain, but in about two 
 hours we reached Lonebotbot. It was a village
 
 192 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 on the top of a conical hill, surrounded by moun- 
 tains and gullies. The old Chief received us in a 
 very friendly way, and we had a long talk with 
 him. He said he wished his sons were there to 
 hear the good word, but they were away with the 
 rest of the tribe fighting. Besides the Chief I 
 could only see one man and some women in the 
 village. We were delighted with the old Chief, 
 and he seemed greatly interested when we held a 
 service with him. 
 
 I asked Numanian to close with prayer, and 
 we had just finished when we were startled by 
 the bang of a musket close beside us. The first 
 hint I had of any danger was the sudden clearing 
 of the village. Turning round I found myself 
 face to face with two men with levelled guns. 
 One of the Loanatit men remained beside me, 
 and together we talked earnestly with the two 
 men, and explained that our mission was one of 
 peace and for their salvation. One of the men 
 seemed to be touched by our appeal, and lowered 
 his gun. But the other ran up to him and laying 
 down his own gun which had been discharged, 
 seized that of his more merciful friend, and came 
 towards us. I was still talking to him, and he 
 was only a few yards away, when I saw his finger 
 tighten on the trigger. With one swift prayer I 
 threw myself on Christ, and then I saw the flash 
 and heard the bang as he fired at me.
 
 NUMANIAN THE MARTYR 193 
 
 But I felt no pain he had missed me. I 
 could hardly believe my own senses, and was still 
 looking down at my side in a dazed sort of way 
 when Lomai recalled me to myself. He had 
 fallen over the embankment at the first shot, and 
 now hurried up again to get me away dead or 
 alive. " Come away quick, Misi ! " he called out. 
 I then saw the man who had fired pick up his 
 own gun and run behind a tree with both guns, 
 probably to reload them. Lomai called out again, 
 " Come on, Misi, no good you stand there and get 
 we all shot." All our party had taken to the 
 bush at the first shot and made straight for 
 Loanatit, except Lomai and Tauero, who only 
 waited to save me. Realizing that by remaining 
 I endangered their lives as well as my own, I 
 followed Lomai along the track with a heavy 
 heart. " Quick, Misi, quick," Lomai called out 
 over his shoulder. " Suppose they get round the 
 mountain first, we all get killed." 
 
 We did not know then that the brave Numanian 
 had been mortally wounded by the first shot. 
 Both shots were fired at me, and as Numanian 
 took to the bush with the rest we did not know 
 that he was hurt. But when he did not turn up 
 at Loanatit with the others, and various rumours 
 reached us, we feared the worst, and the hours 
 that followed were terrible with suspense and 
 grief. Search parties went out, and one of these 
 
 N
 
 194 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 brought him back. He had kept in the bush for 
 hours to hide from the enemy, and did not show 
 himself till well on towards Loanatit. It was 
 then that he was found struggling manfully on- 
 ward, with a bullet hole through his body. Had 
 he only taken to the track sooner, Lomai and 
 Tauero and I would have overtaken him, as we 
 left the village a good while after he did. 
 
 Meanwhile I had got the boat launched, and 
 all in readiness for a start to Lenakel. Some of 
 the Loanatit people wanted to go and shoot the 
 Lonebotbot people, but they came to me first to 
 know what my word was. I said that my word 
 was that no one was to be shot, and so they 
 agreed to restrain themselves. After some talk- 
 ing the whole tribe decided to come in a body to 
 Lenakel and live there, that they might be able to 
 " learn the Worship in peace." Soon the news 
 came that Numanian was being brought, and I 
 ran up the hill with a light to meet him. I could 
 hardly speak for grief, but Numanian said 
 
 " Awe, Misi Paton, Jesus bore as great a pain 
 as this for me ; it is good that I should suffer 
 too." 
 
 We made a bed for him with the tent in the stern 
 of the boat, and with a load of women and children 
 on board we pulled for Lenakel. I gave Lomai 
 the helm, and did all I could to ease Numanian. 
 His wound, I saw at once, was hopeless, and
 
 NUMANIAN THE MARTYR 195 
 
 neither he nor we expected to reach Lenakel 
 before he died. But we prayed hard and pulled 
 hard. Most of us were utterly worn out with the 
 day's terrible experiences, and we made but slow 
 progress. Numanian exhorted the deacons and 
 all the people to stand fast for Jesus, and he sent 
 his last messages to his wife and children. He 
 longed to see them once more, but he knew that 
 Jesus would take care of them. Lomai then sang 
 very softly that beautiful hymn which we had 
 translated into Tannese : 
 
 " There is a green hill far away, 
 
 Without a city wall, 
 Where the dear Lord was crucified, 
 Who died to save us all. 
 
 " We may not know, we cannot tell 
 
 What pains He had to bear, 
 But we believe it was for us 
 He hung and suffered there. 
 
 " He died that we might be forgiven ; 
 
 He died to make us good, 
 That we might go at last to heaven, 
 Saved by His precious blood. 
 
 " There was no other good enough 
 
 To pay the price of sin ; 
 He only could unlock the gate 
 Of heaven, and let us in. 
 
 " Oh, dearly, dearly has He loved ; 
 
 And we must love Him too, 
 And trust in His redeeming blood, 
 And try His works to do,"
 
 196 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 And it soothed Numanian. But his heart was 
 
 full of joy, and he never once complained. All 
 
 night long we bent at the oars, and at last just as 
 
 the first faint glow of dawn lit up the eastern 
 
 sky, we reached Lenakel. We at once sent for 
 
 Numanian's wife and children, and then we 
 
 carried our beloved friend up to the Mission 
 
 house and did all that loving hearts could do for 
 
 his comfort and relief. Soon the whole worshipping 
 
 people from every village round about were with 
 
 us. The grief of our people was terrible. But 
 
 Numanian was calm, and spoke his last words 
 
 to them, and said good-bye. Our hearts were 
 
 like to break for his wife and lovely children. 
 
 " Good-bye, Lohman," he said, " be strong for 
 
 Jesus, and teach our children lata and Makia 
 
 His word. I go before you to heaven, but I 
 
 wait for you there. Give your hearts to Jesus 
 
 and you will come to me there. My word to 
 
 you is finished." 
 
 Then he said good-bye to us all, and waved 
 his hand to the people gathered outside. He 
 suffered great agony, but he was brave and calm. 
 At a quarter past one he passed away, leaving us 
 a name and an example that will move us to the 
 end of our lives. 
 
 That evening we buried him in the Churchyard, 
 a spot already made sacred as the last resting- 
 place of Seimata. Mrs Paton made a cross of
 
 NUMANIAN THE MARTYR 197 
 
 white flowers, while the people gathered lovely 
 white coral to mark his grave. 
 
 Next to Lomai, Numanian had become our 
 most trusted leader, and the loss to us was a 
 terrible one. But we believed that even so great 
 a loss would be turned into gain for Tanna. We 
 had travelled many rough roads together, and 
 together we had slept in tents and huts. In all 
 the work, he was our constant helper, and we 
 never found him to fail. We trusted him as a 
 worker, and we loved him as a friend. He died 
 for his Lord and for his fellow -men, and an 
 abiding joy in our hearts, as well as an abiding 
 sorrow, will be the memory of Numanian the 
 Martyr. 
 
 The day after Numanian died, we set out 
 early for Loanatit to bring over the rest of the 
 people. Mr Worthington very kindly lent us his 
 boat, and Lomai took charge of it, while I sailed 
 the Pioneer. The people were all ready, and we 
 soon had the two boats filled with women and 
 children. All who were strong enough walked 
 along the shore. It was a somewhat anxious 
 trip with our boats so full, but we reached 
 Lenakel safely as the sun went down. The bush 
 people evidently took us for an attacking party, 
 for as soon as we appeared round the point in the 
 morning they set fire to the grass all along the 
 top of the mountains between Loanatit and
 
 198 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 Lonebotbot. This was so as to leave no cover 
 for an enemy to approach under. It was as well 
 they made this mistake, as otherwise they would 
 not likely have let us remove the Loanatit 
 people without making an attack upon us. 
 
 While we were away, the Lenakel Worshippers 
 met and decided that each of them would invite 
 one or more families of the Loanatit people to 
 come and live with them. They did this of their 
 own accord, and it relieved us of much care, as it 
 spread over many families the burden of feeding 
 so large a number of people. Our friends were 
 soon at home at Lenakel and Loaneai, and many 
 of them joined the Candidates' class and became 
 truly earnest Worshippers. 
 
 Mr Macmillan, on hearing 'the sad news, 
 hurried over from Weasisi to see us, Mr Forlong 
 came from North Tanna, and Mr Hume from 
 Kwamera, where he was helping Mr Gillies in 
 some building operations. We were deeply 
 touched by the sympathy of our fellow-workers, 
 and their visit did all our people good. 
 
 On the ist of October, a letter reached me 
 from Captain Farquhar, who was at Weasisi with 
 his ship, requesting me to give him full infor- 
 mation as to the sad affair at Lonebotbot. Lomai 
 and I walked across to Weasisi, and gave him 
 an account of what had taken place. We spent 
 the night with the Macmillans, and returned to
 
 NUMANIAN THE MARTYR 199 
 
 Lenakel early next morning. We heard after- 
 wards that the British and French men-of-war 
 landed a joint party who went up and burned 
 the village. The natives of course decamped, and 
 when the men-of-war had gone rebuilt their 
 village. However, the visit did good and showed 
 the natives that the man of war had a long arm 
 that could reach right into the heart of Tanna. 
 It was a much needed lesson. 
 
 After this, the village authorities met and 
 decided to shoot lapum for firing at us. But 
 one of them spoke up and said 
 
 " lapum is a young man, he could do nothing 
 in his own name, he only did what you decided 
 that he should do." They acknowledged that 
 this was true, and lapum was allowed to live, 
 though he thought it prudent to remove to 
 another village. 
 
 One of the ringleaders of Heathenism in that 
 tribe became ill soon after. His last request 
 before he died was that they should bury him 
 with his loaded gun in his hands, so that he could 
 shoot the Devil when he came to take him to the 
 " big fire." As soon as he died, a man was shot 
 on suspicion of causing his death by " netik," and 
 the tribe divided itself into two parties. In this 
 war, Lonebotbot was a second time wrapped in 
 flames. They were learning that Heathen com- 
 pacts are not to be relied upon, and that the way
 
 200 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 of transgressors is hard. We were saddened to 
 think of all this fighting on the lovely hills of 
 North Tanna. 
 
 At this time, I translated some new hymns to 
 rouse the spirit of our people, such as, " The Son 
 of God goes forth to war," and " Why rage the 
 Heathen ? " They learned them quickly, and 
 these hymns had no small influence in stirring 
 them up to fresh hope and confidence.
 
 CHAPTER XXI 
 
 OUR FOURTH CHRISTMAS 
 (1899) 
 
 OUR people continued to make a decided attack 
 on Heathenism. One day several large parties set 
 out in various directions to evangelize. Tausi led 
 one party inland, while Mr Hume and I led an- 
 other to the far south. A Heathen Chief called 
 Kaukare gave us a warm welcome, and we felt 
 rewarded for our long tramp. While we were 
 resting on the banks of a stream on our way 
 back, a messenger overtook us to say that the 
 tribe to the south of Kaukare's would like us to 
 go there next time and show them pictures. This 
 invitation from a Heathen tribe as yet unvisited 
 greatly cheered us, and we plodded on weary in 
 body but glad in heart. When we reached the 
 top of the last hill on our homeward road, I said 
 to Mr Hume, " If Tausi were here he would say, 
 1 No more sorrow, no more pain,' " a favourite line 
 of Tausi's at the end of some especially toilsome 
 journey. A little further on we passed the inland 
 track, which Tausi had taken in the morning.
 
 202 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 Hung up beside the path was a piece of bamboo 
 with a message from Tausi in Aniwan to say that 
 they had passed there about four o'clock, and then 
 came the words, " Nomo soro nomo pen." It was 
 not Aniwan, and it was not Tannese, so I asked 
 Yalemyau if it was Erromangan, but it was not. 
 I read it over and over again, placing the accent 
 on different syllables and running the words into 
 each other. At last it flashed across me, " No 
 more sorrow, no more pain." It was Tausi's 
 favourite quotation, and I knew that he had had 
 a good day. 
 
 Another day Nelbini shot a turtle, and decided 
 to present it to the Heathen people of Eneta. The 
 assistant teachers asked permission to go with him 
 to speak for the Worship. I gave them some 
 a b c cards, and away they went full of childlike 
 glee. The turtle was placed in the middle of the 
 village square, and on its back they placed the 
 a b c cards as a symbol of the Worship instead of 
 the Heathen symbol kava. They then addressed 
 the people, and urged them to accept the Worship. 
 At the close the Heathen quickly demolished the 
 turtle, but postponed their decision regarding the 
 Worship ! 
 
 The visit of a boat full of Aniwans, with their 
 old Chief Lawawa, also did our people good. The 
 aged Chief told me that he had come to see the 
 Worship at Lenakel, and his comment on every-
 
 OUR FOURTH CHRISTMAS 203 
 
 thing was, " Erefia kage ; erefia kage." (It is very 
 good ; it is very good.) 
 
 One day Mr Hume and I rode up to Lokavit 
 to see Mala. We found his work going on splen- 
 didly. They had built a fine large Church entirely 
 free of cost, and fully thirty people were clothed 
 and regular attenders at Church and school, and 
 this in the heart of dark Tanna. 
 
 About this time there were a good many talks 
 among the Heathen. In these "talks" the Heathen 
 gather together from many villages, to ventilate 
 their grievances and discuss " netik." Whenever 
 our Worshippers heard of such a gathering, they 
 sent a strong deputation. The members listened 
 to all that the Heathen had to say, and then they 
 exposed the foolishness of it, and urged them to 
 give up their bickerings and take the Worship. 
 I have often been surprised to see how respectfully 
 the Heathen listened to these addresses. One noted 
 Heathen, lemakia, high priest of Maslo, after hear- 
 ing one of these addresses, rose and said 
 
 " The Worship must not be given up. Numakia 
 has died for it, Seimata has died for it, and now 
 Numanian has died for it. We must not lose 
 what so many have died to gain for us." 
 
 lemakia is still Heathen, but surely the light is 
 breaking in on his soul when he can talk like 
 that. 
 
 On Monday, the 4th December, Tom Tanna
 
 204 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 died. He had been ill for some time, but was 
 feeling so much better on the Saturday that 
 he prepared some yam heaps in his plantation. 
 This brought on a fresh attack of coughing, and 
 he died on Monday morning. He was full of 
 peace, and eagerly looked forward to his rest with 
 Jesus. 
 
 " Misi, my rest is near now," he said, " Jesus He 
 close up along me, Jesus He strong." 
 
 Good old Tom ! We missed him sorely. He 
 was one of the fathers of our Church on West 
 Tanna, and towards the end he seemed to com- 
 pletely overcome the faults which marred his 
 earlier work. Naturally a weak and rather 
 greedy man, he became one of our foremost 
 helpers, a man of faith and power, an earnest 
 humble follower of Jesus. It was Tom who 
 wrote that pathetic appeal to Mr Gray, and who 
 tried to teach his people all he knew. He laboured 
 in the night, he lived to see the dawn, and now 
 the light for which he longed has broken in upon 
 him in perfect fulness. Among the names of 
 sacred memory for West Tanna will always stand 
 that of Nebuk Tom Tanna. 
 
 The following Sabbath was a great day for 
 Lonialapin, where lakar and Lewi were fighting 
 a splendid battle. They were Heathen of the 
 Heathen at Lonialapin. They were really lakur- 
 ming people, but when Tom took the Worship they
 
 OUR FOURTH CHRISTMAS 205 
 
 deserted him and rebuilt an old village further 
 inland. When lakar came they did not want him, 
 but as he was one of the owners of the land they 
 could not prevent him from settling among them. 
 Nobody wanted the Worship except one woman. 
 But lakar was nothing daunted. When I asked 
 him how he was getting on, his brave reply was 
 always, " Oh, by the bye Holy Spirit He work 
 along heart belong Him." 
 
 One day when I was trying to encourage lakar 
 in his work he said, " Oh, by and bye we savey, 
 perhaps before Christmas some man he take 
 Jesus." lakar was not a fluent speaker, but he 
 was a man of faith and a man of God. His faith 
 was rewarded, and on the Sabbath before Christ- 
 mas a Lonialapin Heathen, called Siak, and his 
 wife put on clothes and joined the Worship. It 
 was a great event in lakar's life, and the one gleam 
 of encouragement which came to him in all his 
 work. The same day we held a great united 
 service at Lonialapin to open a fine Church which 
 lakar and Lewi had built almost unaided. We 
 thanked God for the first-fruits of Lonialapin, and 
 prayed for still greater blessing upon the labours 
 of our apostolic teacher. 
 
 It was now nearing Christmas, and great pre- 
 parations were made for our usual gathering. 
 The Worshippers had invited all the Heathen to a 
 great feast, and a labour schooner hearing of this
 
 206 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 in North Tanna hastened to Lenakel to improve 
 the occasion in the way of getting recruits. Men 
 came from all our out-stations, and our Mission 
 grounds overflowed with natives in all directions. 
 
 On the Sabbath morning a great congregation 
 assembled, and the Church could not hold them 
 all. I first ordained our trusted fellow-worker, 
 Mr Hume, as an elder in the Church, and then I 
 had the supreme joy of baptizing twenty-nine of 
 our converts. This brought the number of our 
 Church members up to sixty-three. And then we 
 sat down around the table of our Lord. These 
 are times the holy joy of which no tongue can tell. 
 
 On Christmas morning our people were up long 
 before daylight. As the sun rose the last of the 
 native puddings were safely entombed in the 
 ovens, and by 7.30 the pigs had followed them. 
 At 8 o'clock we held a great thanksgiving service. 
 And then, as the labour vessel's boats made for 
 the shore, we began our games and sports. The 
 Heathen gathered from all quarters, and over a thou- 
 sand people filled our grounds. All around were 
 dense masses of armed men. The first item was a 
 tug-of-war, and then came the greasy pole, followed 
 by games and contests of all kinds. The Worship- 
 ping people threw themselves with great heartiness 
 into everything. The bright, laughing Christians 
 in their many coloured dresses formed a striking 
 contrast to the black, armed ranks of the Heathen.
 
 OUR FOURTH CHRISTMAS 207 
 
 At first my great anxiety was the labour 
 schooner, but soon a new anxiety made me lift 
 my heart to God in prayer. Some of the Heathen 
 had not met, since war had raged between them. 
 At first they simply glared at each other, and 
 then old hatreds broke out afresh and hot words 
 were spoken. Again and again I started some 
 race on a course that would scatter these excited 
 groups, but they generally managed to come 
 together again. Then I went from group to 
 group and tried to spread a better feeling. About 
 noon I went up to the house to see if the feast 
 was ready, and word came to me that Nakat and 
 another Chief were going to fight in the front 
 paddock. I ran out and found Nakat walking 
 up and down with his loaded musket. He looked 
 decidedly dangerous, but when I spoke to him 
 he was quite civil and promised that there should 
 be no shooting. I then went over and spoke to 
 his enemy. lavis also harangued both parties, 
 and we got the two bands separated without any 
 further outbreak. Thus our Christmas gathering 
 was nearly turned into a scene of bloodshed in 
 our very garden, but God heard our prayers and 
 all passed off most happily. 
 
 The Heathen immensely enjoyed the great feast 
 spread out for them, and then the far-away ones 
 returned to their homes, while our people went on 
 with their games. The most exciting contest was
 
 208 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 the tug of war between the men and the women. 
 An even number on each side would begin 
 pulling, and then, as the tug became exciting, 
 there would be a simultaneous rush of men to 
 help the men and women to help the women. 
 One time we counted a hundred men and women 
 all pulling at once. The yelling was tremendous, 
 and they returned to the charge again and again 
 till hands and backs were sore. 
 
 In the evening we had a magic lantern enter- 
 tainment and singing. Despite the threatened 
 outbreak of fighting the day was most successful 
 and it made a marked impression on the Heathen. 
 One of them said a few days after, " We know 
 that the Worship has come to stay. When we 
 saw all the women and the children mixing with 
 the men in their joy, and all so nicely clothed, we 
 felt ashamed, and that was why we stood apart 
 and looked on. Where can we go ? We cannot 
 escape the Worship. We must take it in the 
 end." 
 
 The next day all were thoroughly exhausted. 
 Everywhere natives were lying sound asleep after 
 their unwonted exertions. Kahwa was sleeping 
 on the back verandah, with a glue-pot for a pillow. 
 Lomai was lying on the beach, fast asleep with 
 his knife stuck into the sand and the end of its 
 upright handle for his pillow. As for ourselves, 
 we enjoyed a quiet day of rest, and we needed it.
 
 OUR FOURTH CHRISTMAS 209 
 
 A day or two later, Lomai came in to tell us 
 that a woman had fallen on the rocks and broken 
 her baby's head. Mrs Paton and I ran out to 
 find that it was only too true. The little fellow 
 had a round break in his skull about the size of 
 half a crown. He was unconscious, and we had 
 little hope of his recovery, but we washed the 
 wound with carbolic and applied wet cloths. 
 To our surprise and joy consciousness gradually 
 returned, and the baby recovered. He did good 
 service to the Worship by getting his head broken, 
 for he belonged to a very Heathen tribe. His 
 parents now became our fast friends, and one day 
 the father brought down two roosters as a present 
 a rare sign of gratitude in a Heathen. 
 
 About the same time, the minds of the Neria- 
 kene tribe were greatly agitated over the subject 
 of lesua's marriage. lesua, the first of Mrs 
 Paton's girls, was a young lady with a mind of 
 her own, and while she was quite willing to get 
 married, she did not accept the husband whom 
 they proposed. The result was that a deputation 
 called to interview lesua. Jimmie and Sam re- 
 presented the tribe, and Tavo appeared for the pro- 
 posed husband. We invited them into the study 
 and sent for her ladyship, Mrs Paton and I remain- 
 ing in to see that she had fair play. The deputation 
 looked very nervous, and lesua looked decidedly 
 dour. After a lengthy pause they asked lesua if
 
 210 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 she would take their word and marry Nelbini, or 
 take her own way and throw away their word, 
 lesua flatly refused Nelbini. The deputation 
 looked dour themselves now, and there was a 
 deadlock in the negotiations. At length Mrs 
 Paton suggested that lesua should be asked if 
 there was anybody else she would like to marry. 
 The answer to this question was a lifting of the 
 eyebrows, which means " yes," and is easier than 
 speech to a native. The next question was, 
 " Pehe ? " (who), but much coaxing was needed 
 to get an answer to this question. At last Mrs 
 Paton whispered, " Is it lau ? " Again the eye- 
 brows were raised in assent, and Mrs Paton told 
 the deputation who it was. lau was one of our 
 assistant teachers, and as " Barkis was willin'," 
 the marriage was arranged accordingly, to the 
 great delight ot the young couple. 
 
 But now the two of them became terribly 
 dumpy. We asked what was wrong. " Church," 
 was the laconic answer. They were quaking at 
 the thought of standing up in Church to get 
 married. However, a morning or two later both 
 sides turned up in force, and the wedding ceremony 
 was safely carried through. It was an unspeak- 
 able relief to the couple to get it over, and they 
 became a very happy and well - matched pair, 
 lesua still worked in the house, but of course she 
 had also domestic duties of her own to attend to.
 
 OUR FOURTH CHRISTMAS 21 1 
 
 The natives had arranged another marriage for 
 that morning, but they forgot to tell the bride- 
 groom, and as he happened to be absent, the 
 wedding had to be postponed ! 
 
 Tausi also had his matrimonial worries at this 
 time. One day as I was riding with him to 
 Loaneai, the hot sun beating down unmercifully 
 upon our heads, Tausi came alongside my horse 
 and said 
 
 " Misi, have you heard the news ? " 
 " What news ? " I asked. 
 " Did Misis Paton not tell you ? " 
 " Tell me what ? " I asked, wondering what in 
 the world Tausi was after. He looked somewhat 
 embarrassed and then said 
 
 " Litsi Sisi has written over from Aniwa to 
 say that it is good that we two get married." 
 
 I asked him what his own heart said in the 
 matter, and he replied 
 
 " Misi, my own heart says nothing. I did not 
 want to get married again yet, but when I read 
 Litsi Sisi's letter my heart gave a jump, and now 
 I am thinking about it all the time." 
 
 I suggested that he should pray over it, and 
 just do what his heart told him. For weeks 
 Tausi was greatly troubled, and then he thought 
 he would marry Litsi Sisi, but first went over to 
 Aniwa to see how matters stood. The Aniwans 
 were opposed to the marriage, as they did not
 
 212 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 want to lose Litsi Sisi from the island. Finally 
 Tausi decided to refuse Litsi Sisi's offer, and he 
 returned to Tanna still a widower. 
 
 Sometime after this, Tausi again approached 
 me on the subject of his marriage. He came to 
 me in great perplexity and said 
 
 " Misi, I am listening to my heart all the time, 
 but it tells me nothing." 
 
 " But I thought you had given up Litsi Sisi," 
 I said in some surprise. 
 
 " Yes, Misi," he answered, " but there are four 
 others who want to marry me, and I don't know 
 which to take : I want to stop as I am for a time, 
 but they will run after me, Misi, and I can't help 
 it." 
 
 Poor Tausi was in a great fix, and for a long 
 time he could not make up his mind. At last a 
 new rival for his affections came upon the scene 
 in the person of Lohman, Numanian's widow. 
 This time Tausi had no difficulty in knowing 
 what his heart said. There were many ups and 
 downs in the negotiations which followed, but at 
 last the match was arranged and the day fixed 
 for the wedding. A few minutes before the 
 service on the happy morning Mrs Paton was 
 surprised to find Tausi cleaning the stove as if 
 nothing special were about to happen. She 
 asked him if he was not nervous, and Tausi went 
 on cleaning in silence, but held up three fingers of
 
 TAl'SI AND I.OIIMAN ON THEIR \\KDDING HAY
 
 OUR FOURTH CHRISTMAS 213 
 
 his right hand he meant that it was his third 
 marriage and he had got used to the business ! 
 
 The Towar Ribor people, for some reason or 
 another, were slow in finishing their teacher's 
 house. Each blamed the other for laziness, and 
 professed to be the only zealous one. There was 
 something beneath it all, and a visit to their 
 village convinced us that it would not be wise to 
 settle Kava among them till they became more 
 decided in their attitude. Meanwhile he was 
 learning the language, and doing good work from 
 Lenakel as a centre. On the way home one of 
 our party went down a side track, and returned 
 with some lovely spring water in an old beer 
 bottle. As Mr Hume took a good pull at it, 
 Lomai said with a twinkle in his eye 
 
 " Don't drink too much, Mr Hume, the road is 
 not very good ; " Lomai's memories of the old 
 Queensland days often bubbled up. 
 
 We next turned our attention to Mala and his 
 people. A note had come from him to say that 
 the natives at Lokavit wanted to buy clothes, 
 and that if we would go by boat to Loanatuan, 
 their nearest passage, they would bring down yam 
 and bananas to that landing. So one morning 
 we sailed to Loanatuan ; and there on the beach 
 was Mala, surrounded by a little inner circle of 
 clothed Worshippers and a much larger outer circle 
 of armed and naked Heathen. Mala beamed all
 
 214 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 over as he told us that two more had joined the 
 Worship since Christmas, and that all the Wor- 
 shippers were standing firm. Romana, his wife, 
 and her two children were there also with a good 
 following of women. Brave Mala and his bright- 
 hearted wife : how my heart went out to them at 
 their lonely post ! They are the stuff" that heroes 
 are made of, and they already have their jewels 
 for the Master's Crown. 
 
 We bought their yam, and then sailed for home 
 with our boat full. On the way we intended to 
 land some food at Loaneai for Tapanua, but the 
 sea had risen and it was too rough for our heavy 
 laden boat to attempt the passage. Tausi then 
 stood up in the boat, and signalled to Tapanua 
 who was standing on the shore. The Aniwans 
 have a perfect code of signals, and can carry on a 
 long conversation in this way. There is a deaf 
 and dumb man on Aniwa, and it was in trying to 
 make him understand their words that this code 
 was built up. First he signalled to Tapanua to come 
 out in a canoe and get some food, but the answer 
 came that the canoes were all unseaworthy. 
 Then Tausi signalled that they were to walk over- 
 land and fetch the boat back from Lenakel with 
 food next morning, if the sea went down. All 
 this talk was carried on in dumb show, but next 
 morning Tapanua turned up with a crew for the 
 boat, having perfectly understood Tausi's meaning.
 
 CHAPTER XXII 
 
 THE RAGING OF THE HEATHEN 
 
 AT this time we entered upon the most troubled 
 period of our Mission life at Lenakel. A Heathen 
 Chief had been pressing his attentions upon Loh- 
 man, and when she refused him and married 
 Tausi, he stirred up his fellow-heathen against us. 
 They made this an excuse to aim a terrible blow 
 at the Worship. Various rumours reached us 
 about the raging of the Heathen, but we paid no 
 need to them. At length a fiendish plot was 
 brought to light. It had been decided by the 
 Heathen to attack us at Lenakel, and shoot at 
 least Tausi and as many others as they could. 
 As soon as the Loaneai Heathen heard the firing 
 at Lenakel, they were to massacre Tapanua and 
 his family. Word was then to be sent to Lokavit 
 and the Heathen there were to murder Mala and 
 his whole family. All was in readiness, the men 
 were told off to do the deed, and a refuge was 
 arranged for them among the inland tribes. For 
 weeks the Heathen watched our house at night, 
 and friendly tribes sent messages to us not to go 
 far from home. Our people rallied round us, and 
 
 215
 
 216 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 our kitchen was often full of Worshippers who 
 slept all night about the premises. Several times 
 the Heathen approached very near to us, but they 
 could not escape the vigilance of our people, and 
 days lengthened into weeks without their being 
 able to carry out their plot. 
 
 I at once called a meeting of our teachers and 
 deacons, to pray and deliberate about the matter. 
 We found that one of the instigators of this plot 
 was lauhnam, a member of the Candidates' class, 
 though I had long had doubts as to his sincerity. 
 I sent word to lauhnam that he must at once 
 undo his evil work, and that if any shooting took 
 place his name would be the first to be reported 
 to the man-of-war. lauhnam confessed his guilt ; 
 but he was deeply penitent, and really did all in 
 his power to frustrate the plot which he had 
 helped to originate. It was for us all a time of 
 much prayer, and we felt that God was near 
 to us. 
 
 When the Heathen failed to get at us at Lenakel, 
 they began to plot against us when we went abroad. 
 They sent word to Kaukare, in the far south, that 
 if any of us came to his place he was to shoot us. 
 But Kaukare replied that we were his friends, and 
 that whatever they might do to us in other parts, 
 in his territory we were safe. At last the Heathen 
 had to confess themselves beaten. They had made 
 a really determined attempt to get rid of the Wor-
 
 THE RAGING OF THE HEATHEN 217 
 
 ship, but all their fury could do was to make the 
 Worship stronger. As the atmosphere cleared, 
 Lomai, Nilua and I visited one of the most dis- 
 affected districts, and we were received at first 
 doubtfully and then cordially. While we were 
 sitting in the village square, the Chief, who was 
 the main cause of all the trouble, suddenly ap- 
 peared with his gun. When he saw us he stopped 
 short, and stood eyeing us earnestly. Then he 
 said something to one of his followers, who at 
 once dropped out of sight. I did not like the 
 look of things, but sat watching the Chief. Lomai 
 then said something to him, and he came towards 
 us and sat down. He then became very friendly, 
 and the other warrior who had dropped out of 
 sight so mysteriously joined us, and turned out to 
 be the father of the little boy who got his head 
 broken. Our visit did good, and gradually all 
 danger passed away. We learned two things in 
 these few weeks. First, that if they could, 
 the Heathen would not hesitate to sweep us in 
 blood from their island ; and second, that God 
 reigns, and can make even the raging of the 
 Heathen work out the advancement of His 
 Kingdom. 
 
 One day, after a stormy debate with the Heathen 
 at Lomanian, Lomai stood up and said, " Now, 
 let us worship God," and he gave out as the 
 opening hymn
 
 218 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 " Why rage the heathen ? and vain things 
 
 Why do the people mind? 
 Kings of the earth do set themselves, 
 And princes are combined, 
 
 " To plot against the Lord, and his 
 
 Anointed, saying thus, 
 Let us asunder break their bands, 
 And cast their cords from us." 
 
 It was a fine scene, and the Heathen must have 
 felt that here was a spirit that was too strong 
 for them. They listened quietly. The whole 
 thing revealed the weakness of the Heathen, and 
 the strength of the Worshipping party in the face 
 of danger and opposition. And we thanked God 
 for His loving care of us in these troubled times. 
 
 The Heathen, baffled in their thirst for our blood, 
 now held high riot in other ways. Three men 
 were shot on the other side of Tanna, and two of 
 the bodies fell into the hands of the enemy. These 
 bodies were passed from village to village right 
 across Tanna, till one of them was eaten not far 
 from Loaneai. The Heathen attended from far 
 and near, and pieces of the body were sent through- 
 out our district as a great delicacy. Two of the 
 leading Heathen on the hills above Loaneai were 
 so disgusted with these proceedings, they renounced 
 Heathenism on the spot and joined the Worship. 
 
 The second body was sent to a village in Lomai's 
 tribe, and was to be eaten on Sabbath. We heard 
 about it in the morning, so with all the strength
 
 THE RAGING OF THE HEATHEN 219 
 
 we could muster we hurried up to Ikunala to stop, 
 if possible, the horrid feast. It horrified us all the 
 more to hear that the body was that of a man 
 who had been a Worshipper, and that it was a 
 fortnight since he had been killed. As we neared 
 the village we met bands of Heathen returning 
 from their ghastly sight-seeing. Some of the men 
 were carrying their little children, whom they had 
 taken to view the body as it hung from the banyan 
 tree. Lomai, who was leading our party, quick- 
 ened his pace lest we should be too late. At last 
 we dashed into the square, but our approach had 
 been signalled, and some of the natives had bolted 
 with the body. The fearful stench told us that 
 it could not be very far away, and Lomai ran 
 along a path leading inland, followed by myself 
 and some others. The Heathen picked up their 
 guns and ran along among the reeds on either 
 side of our track, and for a few minutes things 
 looked black. But our determined attitude over- 
 awed them. A turn in the path hid Lomai for a 
 minute, and when I came up with him he was 
 standing on a rise, with a dip in the path between 
 him and as evil-looking a group of savages as I 
 have ever seen. Along a side track a savage was 
 stealing up on him with his gun, but Nelbini, who 
 was just behind me, called out and asked him 
 what he was doing. The man looked sheepish 
 and then dropped out of sight.
 
 220 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 Lomai and I now rushed up to the group in front, 
 and demanded to know what they had done with 
 the body. They pointed to the right, and Lomai 
 ran forward in that direction. Suddenly he turned 
 back with a look of horror in his face, and said to 
 me 
 
 " Awe, Misi Paton, awe, Misi Paton," and then 
 burst into tears. 
 
 As he passed me and went back to the track, 
 I went forward and saw the saddest sight I have 
 ever seen on Tanna a human body fast decom- 
 posing, tied like a pig by the hands and knees to 
 a long pole. My whole heart sickened, and I did 
 not measure my words as I stormed at the diabolical 
 wretches whom we had overtaken in their horrible 
 work. I ordered them to carry the body back to 
 the village for burial. They hesitated, but we were 
 determined, and at length they yielded. Stuffing 
 their noses with strong-scented leaves, they lifted 
 their gruesome burden and followed us back to the 
 village. There I could not help giving vent to my 
 feelings, in a terrible denunciation of the Chief for 
 his abominable wickedness. There are times when 
 nothing will stem the tide of righteous indignation, 
 and who could be calm or measure words with 
 such a scene before his eyes ? The Chief was 
 thoroughly cowed, and his followers dug a grave 
 just outside the village square. We then sang the 
 I 2 ist Psalm, and committed the body to the earth
 
 THE RAGING OF THE HEATHEN 221 
 
 in prayer. It was a terrible funeral, and most of 
 us were ill long before it was over. After the 
 funeral we held a service, when I was able to 
 speak in sorrow and in love rather than in anger. 
 Oh ! rise up, ye people of Christ, and in His 
 name and strength put an end to this horror of 
 Heathenism. 
 
 Things now became very unsettled among the 
 Heathen. Besides the desire to shoot us, there 
 was a rumour that Mr Worthington also was to 
 be shot. This kept our friends in anxiety and 
 suspense for a time, but gradually the rumours 
 died down, and a more settled feeling prevailed 
 among the coast natives. Inland, however, there 
 was an uneasy feeling for some time yet. Three 
 Aniwans came across from Weasisi to Lenakel 
 one day, passing through Ikunala where we had 
 prevented the cannibal feast. Tausi advised them 
 to return by a different road, and it was well that 
 they did so, for the Ikunala people watched the 
 track for hours next day to shoot them as they 
 returned. Warning also reached us, from friendly 
 natives on the other side, that our lives would be 
 taken if we went inland. All this showed how 
 bitter the Heathen were, and how careful we had 
 to be in going amongst them. It was because 
 they now realised fully how utterly opposed the 
 Gospel was to all their evil conduct, and that they 
 must fight it to the death or yield to it. It was
 
 222 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 really a healthy sign, and showed more than any- 
 thing how strong a hold the Gospel was getting 
 in the district. Still it also meant a good deal of 
 anxiety for our people and ourselves. But God 
 was for us, and we knew that the Heathen could 
 do nothing to us without His will. 
 
 But over against all this bitter opposition we 
 had much to cheer us. Our people were faithful 
 and full of brightness. The Candidates' class was 
 growing steadily, and the school was increasing at 
 such a rate that our new Church became uncom- 
 fortably crowded. At Loaneai also there was 
 much life and movement in the work. Several 
 noted Heathen joined the Worship, and this 
 greatly weakened the Heathen party in that 
 district. 
 
 But the fiercest opposition, and the most re- 
 markable growth took place in North Tanna. 
 When the Loanatit tribe came to Lenakel, an 
 allied tribe just to the north of them divided 
 into two, part coming to Lenakel, and part re- 
 maining at Lopilpil, their home. Amongst those 
 who remained was one Worshipper called Charlie, 
 and he gathered a little company together Sabbath 
 by Sabbath. There was constant coming and 
 going between Lopilpil and Lenakel on the part 
 of our Worshippers, and these visits greatly stimu- 
 lated Charlie and his company. Then a fine 
 young fellow called Dick Nimiling returned from
 
 THE RAGING OF THE HEATHEN 223 
 
 Queensland where he had been converted under the 
 teaching of Mrs Mackenzie at Bundaberg. Dick 
 joined Charlie in his work, and the Worshipping 
 party at Lopilpil grew by leaps and bounds. 
 
 This growth of the Worship enraged the 
 Heathen, who drove the coast people from their 
 villages, and compelled them to take refuge 
 among the caves and rocks on the shore. This 
 only strengthened Charlie and his followers, 
 and the Worship continued to grow. Then the 
 Heathen stole up one day, and from the top of 
 the cliff they fired a volley into the Worshippers 
 as they were holding a service in the camp below. 
 By the loving care of God not one was hit, though 
 the bullets fell right in their midst. Dick and 
 Charlie were nothing daunted, and still the Wor- 
 ship grew. 
 
 Then began a remarkable work among the 
 Heathen there. Various things had prepared the 
 way for this : Yalemyau's faithful work, the deep 
 impression caused by Numanian's death, the con- 
 stant intercourse between Lenakel and Lopilpil, 
 the splendid work of Charlie and Dick, and the 
 outbreak of dysentery among the Heathen. These 
 and other means were used by the Holy Spirit to 
 arouse the conscience of the people, and they 
 flocked to Lopilpil to join the Worship. Truly 
 the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church. 
 Boatloads came to Lenakel and to Loaneai, in-
 
 224 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 eluding some of the leading natives from Lone- 
 botbot, where Numanian received his mortal 
 wound. It was no small joy to see in our 
 Lenakel Church one of the very men who had 
 come upon us with loaded guns on that memor- 
 able day. He was not the murderer, but the one 
 who was touched by our earnest appeal. They 
 begged us to settle a teacher at Lopilpil. 
 
 Seeing this great movement beginning, I went 
 to Lopilpil myself one day to investigate. I was 
 simply astounded to see the work of God in these 
 Heathen hearts. About sixty clothed people 
 crowded around us, and eagerly listened to the 
 Gospel message. They were living in caves, and 
 many of them were ill with dysentery, but their 
 one cry was 
 
 " Send us the Gospel, or we perish." They 
 regarded the plague as a judgment upon them 
 for their evil conduct, and they said 
 
 " If you do not send us a teacher, we will all 
 come to Lenakel." 
 
 We thanked God for this wonderful work of 
 grace, and leaving a good supply of medicine, we 
 pulled back to Lenakel to take measures to meet 
 the need that had arisen. They sent a messenger 
 after us to say 
 
 "If you do not send us a teacher, we will seize 
 the next one that visits us in the boat, and detain 
 him by force."
 
 THE RAGING OF THE HEATHEN 225 
 
 We then held a great meeting at Lenakel to 
 consider the whole question. After much prayer 
 I called upon the northern people to speak. They 
 pled hard for a teacher, saying 
 
 " We must have the Worship. If we cannot 
 get teachers we will all come to Lenakel. But in 
 that case there would be no check on the Heathen- 
 ism in our district, and things would go from bad 
 to worse. Let us have teachers and we will hold 
 our ground, and the Word of Jesus will spread 
 among the inland Heathen." 
 
 Kawa and lakave then rose and stated their 
 desire to go and take up the work at Lopilpil. 
 We were deeply moved, and after much prayer we 
 decided to send these two Aniwan teachers to 
 Lopilpil. The delegates from the north at once 
 returned to Lopilpil with the glad news, and next 
 day they came back to Lenakel to say that in 
 one week a house would be ready for the 
 teachers. 
 
 All this lifted up our hearts in adoring praise 
 to God for all His wonderful works. Kawa was 
 to have gone to Towar Ribor, but as the door was 
 closed there for the present, we were glad to send 
 him to Lopilpil. 
 
 A war now threatened to break out to the south 
 of us. The Nouramene fired at a man belonging 
 to the Nelpaimene. Lomai and Nilua at once 
 visited both tribes. They came to the Nelpai- 
 
 p
 
 226 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 mene in time to learn that a war party had just 
 gone out to attack the Nouramene. They urged 
 them to give up the fight, and after some earnest 
 words from Lomai, the Chief sent a messenger to 
 recall the warriors. Lomai then conducted a ser- 
 vice with them, and the people promised to give 
 up fighting. The same day some of us visited the 
 tribes to the far south, while a third party visited 
 the tribes in between. It was a glorious day, and 
 we rejoiced in the manifest blessing of God.
 
 CHAPTER XXIII 
 
 THE FELLOWSHIP OF SUFFERING 
 
 IT was now nearing steamer-time, and we were 
 busy preparing for our annual visit to Aniwa, 
 when our little Frankie took ill. Our hearts sank 
 when we found he had caught the prevailing 
 dysentery. Despite all that we could do he grew 
 rapidly weaker. Then the steamer came with 
 Dr Ewen M'Kenzie. He was very kind, and 
 gave us invaluable advice. He thought the worst 
 was over, and advised us to go on to Aniwa as 
 we had intended. It was a great joy to us to 
 welcome Dr and Mrs M'Kenzie to the New 
 Hebrides as fellow-workers of the Fund. 
 
 The Tannese greatly touched us by their 
 sympathy and thoughtfulness. When the sail 
 cry was heard from the point, not one shout was 
 raised on the Station or in any of the villages 
 around us. The natives came quietly and told 
 us, lest the shouting should disturb the little sick 
 one. Many of the women were in tears when we 
 went into the boat, and lesua cried as if her heart 
 would break when she said good-bye to little 
 Frankie. When we were half-way out to the 
 
 "7
 
 228 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 ship, a faint cheer was heard from the shore. 
 "They have taken a long time to think of it," 
 said one of the passengers. No, they had only 
 waited till the boat was far enough away, so 
 that the cheer would not disturb their beloved 
 " Faranke." 
 
 When Captain Todd saw how ill our little one 
 was, he very kindly altered his plans and steamed 
 straight to Aniwa to save us a night on board. 
 He also placed his cabin entirely at our disposal. 
 All on board showed us great kindness. Mr 
 Hume landed with Mr Watt's mails at Port 
 Resolution as we passed, and in the evening we 
 arrived at Aniwa. 
 
 The next few days were sad ones for us. Not 
 only was our baby very ill, but we found that the 
 Aniwans had fallen into sin. Two Aniwans had 
 gone so far as to send food to " netik " men on 
 
 o 
 
 Tanna, that they might act against three of their 
 fellow-islanders. The Tannese offered to destroy 
 the food, if the Aniwans would pay them money. 
 The whole island met, the elder bowed before 
 the storm, and the blackmail was paid to the 
 Tanna " netik "-makers. It was a great fall, and I 
 called upon the whole island to unite in a week 
 of humiliation and prayer. Every day the Church 
 was full, and I solemnly showed them how terrible 
 had been their fall. They were deeply penitent. 
 Elder and people humbled themselves before God,
 
 THE FELLOWSHIP OF SUFFERING 229 
 
 and cried earnestly for forgiveness and for a 
 special outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Their 
 prayers were answered, and God overruled this 
 sad fall to draw the people very near to Himself. 
 
 All this time our little one was sinking. Night 
 and day we battled with the disease, and prayed 
 for recovery. But God willed otherwise, and at 
 4.35 in the morning of the 23rd of April our 
 little darling passed away. It was a sore blow to 
 us, but God comforted us with a loving tender- 
 ness, and we felt His presence more real than 
 ever before. It was agony to see our little one 
 suffer, and we thanked God when he was at rest. 
 The blessedness of the change made it easier for 
 us to bear our sorrow. 
 
 The sad news soon spread, and from all parts 
 of the island the natives came to show their 
 sympathy. Many came into the room and sat 
 down in silence, with the tears running down their 
 faces. Nalausi and the teachers dug the grave, 
 while Mrs Paton and I made the little coffin. 
 We buried him beside Lena and Walter, my little 
 sister and brother, and the natives brought lovely 
 white coral to beautify his grave. How empty 
 the house seemed when we went back to it ! 
 
 The next day the Aniwans brought us a pre- 
 sent of yams and fowls to express their sympathy 
 with us in our sorrow. On the Friday Mr 
 Macmillan arrived from Weasisi, and his loving
 
 230 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 sympathy greatly cheered us. He returned next 
 day through a heavy sea. We sorely missed our 
 little Frankie, but we thanked God for all that he 
 had been to us these eighteen months, and for all 
 that he had taught us. We praised Him, too, for 
 the softening influence our wee bairn was upon 
 the natives. Unconsciously he did his part in 
 the work of Lenakel, and he did it better than we 
 did ours. 
 
 One Thursday evening, the steamer came to 
 take us back to Tanna. The Aniwans carried all 
 our things down to the boatlanding, and then we 
 had a quiet moment beside our little darling's 
 grave before following ourselves. It was never 
 so hard to leave Aniwa before ! It was dark as 
 the boat neared the steamer, but officers and 
 passengers crowded to look over the side. No 
 question was asked ; they saw that our baby was 
 not, and in silence they shook hands. From the 
 captain downwards we received such kindness and 
 sympathy as we shall never forget. Mr and Mrs 
 Leggatt were also on board, and their sympathy 
 was specially tender, as they had so lately passed 
 through a like sorrow. 
 
 At nine o'clock we reached Weasisi, and Mr 
 and Mrs Macmillan came off to see us. It was 
 after midnight when we reached Port Resolution, 
 and Mr and Mrs Leggatt went ashore. Soon we 
 saw a dim object on the water nearing the ship ;
 
 THE FELLOWSHIP OF SUFFERING 231 
 
 then the swish of oars told us that a boat was 
 coming, and Mr Watt's cheery voice sounded 
 through the darkness. He and Mr Hume were 
 soon on board, and it did us good to see them. 
 
 At daylight we reached Lenakel. As we 
 neared the shore in the ship's boat the Pioneer 
 met us. They stopped pulling and eagerly looked 
 for Frankie ; then they looked at each other 
 in silence, and slowly turning round pulled for 
 the shore. I asked Tausi if all were well at 
 Lenakel, and he called out over his shoulder as 
 he steered the Pioneer through the passage 
 
 " Nakata is dead, Nerua is shot, Saulam is 
 dead, Naupum is dead, Lamou is dying, and few 
 of us are not sick." 
 
 Our hearts were sad before, but they were 
 sadder still at such a report. On the beach the 
 people crowded round us and shook hands in 
 silence, then lesua burst into a heartrending wail, 
 which was taken up by all the other women along 
 the beach. Lomai, who was always little Frankie's 
 favourite, bowed his head on the gunwale of the 
 boat and sobbed as if his heart would break. It 
 made us love the Tannese more deeply than ever 
 for the sympathy they showed us in our time of 
 sorrow. 
 
 The work had gone on well in our absence. 
 Lomai and the teachers had taken Kawa and 
 lakave to Lopilpil, and they had received a
 
 232 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 glorious welcome. The Heathen on the mountains 
 were so enraged at this that they shot one of the 
 Worshippers a few miles south of Lopilpil. But our 
 teachers were safe. Nakata had died of dysentery 
 a few weeks after they landed, and this was a 
 terrible blow to our little band of workers in the 
 North. But they stuck to it bravely, and blessing 
 upon blessing was showered down upon them in 
 the work. One day our hearts were gladdened 
 to hear that a service had been held, by a great 
 company of Worshippers, at Lonebotbot. There 
 were still some wild Heathen among the mountains, 
 but the shore people were coming in fast. 
 
 All the following week, we battled against the 
 terrible dysentery. Most of the Worshippers pulled 
 through under treatment, but the Heathen died in 
 scores. The result was much " netik " talk and ill 
 feeling. At length I caught the prevailing trouble 
 myself, and for a week or more the whole work 
 of the Station fell on Mrs Paton's shoulders. But 
 by the blessing of God I recovered, and all went 
 well. The day after I took ill, one of our little house 
 girls bolted. Her guardian had told her that if 
 she remained near the sea she would die. How- 
 ever, Lomai brought her back, and we had no 
 more trouble. 
 
 About this time Mr Forlong and Mr Carruthers 
 arrived from Loanbakel to say that the people 
 there wished to come and settle at Lenakel. The
 
 THE FELLOWSHIP OF SUFFERING 233 
 
 Lenakel people gathered to discuss the matter. 
 The result was a cordial invitation to the northern 
 people to come and settle among them if they so 
 desired. Mr Forlong and his friend, who had 
 come to the islands with him to do Mission work, 
 returned with this message to the people at 
 Loanbakel. A few days later, Mr Carruthers and 
 one or two of the Loanbakel people came on 
 ahead of the others to start the building of the 
 new village. We then got a band of workers to 
 clear the place. lavis superintended the work, 
 aided by Mr Carruthers and his people. 
 
 Shortly thereafter, Mr Carruthers and I set out 
 for Itua, where Mr Forlong was camping with 
 the Loanbakel natives. On the road we called at 
 Lopilpil and found the work going on well and 
 the teachers full of hope and enthusiasm. In the 
 evening we reached Itua, and were welcomed by 
 Mr Forlong and Mr and Mrs M'Kenzie, who had 
 come down like Mr Carruthers to do Mission work 
 in the islands. We spent the night there, and 
 next day we set sail for Lenakel. Mr Worthington 
 had kindly lent us his boat, so we were able to 
 bring a good many of the people with us. Some, 
 however, remained behind unwilling to leave their 
 homes. A heavy squall struck us, but through 
 the mercy of our God we arrived safely with our 
 heavy freight of men, women, and children. The 
 M'Kenzies and Mr Forlong; and Mr Carruthers
 
 234 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 came with me to Lenakel to see their people 
 thoroughly established in their new home before 
 going on to Malekula to do Mission work there. 
 
 The steamer now called to take us to Synod, 
 and we had a happy and busy time at Port 
 Resolution. Here we were glad to welcome my 
 sister to the islands as Mrs Gillan. 
 
 A week after our return, a Chief called Nakat 
 came and asked for a teacher. It was the same 
 Nakat who once very nearly turned our Christmas 
 gathering into a scene of bloodshed. This man 
 was a great fighter, and his name had become a 
 terror to the tribes for miles around. Many an 
 appeal had been made to me to get Nakat taken 
 away by the " Manowau " (man-of-war), and then 
 "all Tanna he stop quiet." It was with great joy, 
 therefore, that I heard Nakat's request for a 
 teacher. His second in command was Jimmie 
 Palmer, our old friend of the lounmene. I had 
 no teacher to send, but Nausian, one of our assist- 
 ant teachers volunteered to fill the difficult and 
 dangerous post, till I could get a fully trained 
 teacher. I gladly accepted Nausian's offer, and 
 he entered upon a period of heroic service for 
 Christ, and Nakat, Jimmie Palmer and another 
 Chief, called lauiko, all joined the Worship under 
 Nausian's teaching. 
 
 I had learned at Synod that Mr Gillies was 
 absolutely without teachers at Kwamera, so I told
 
 THE FELLOWSHIP OF SUFFERING 235 
 
 the assistant teachers of the need, and called for 
 two volunteers for a year's service there. lau and 
 lesua at once volunteered along with Kahwa. 
 lesua was our first house girl, our little Frankie's 
 nurse and the one who next to Lomai loved him 
 most. lau was our first Tanna kitchen boy, and 
 he and Kahwa were among the first to offer them- 
 selves to be trained as teachers. We were deeply 
 touched at their readiness to go, and after a fare- 
 well service in the Church, and a parting prayer 
 on the beach, we set out for Kwamera in the 
 Pioneer. We had a good passage and spent a 
 happy Sabbath with our fellow-workers there. 
 
 On the Monday morning, we bade farewell to 
 our three spiritual children. lau said good-bye 
 with his hat over his eyes. lesua kept up bravely 
 till the boat shot out from the landing, and then 
 she utterly broke down. The last thing we saw, 
 as we pulled away, was three figures standing far 
 out on the rocks and waving till they gradually 
 faded into the distance. They were only half 
 trained native teachers, with much to learn and 
 much to unlearn, and another might have sighed 
 over their shortcomings. But to us who had the 
 joy of leading them out of Heathen darkness, and 
 knew how immeasurably they had risen in these 
 four years, they were inexpressibly dear. They 
 were our first converts to leave home and friends 
 for Christ's sake, and with all their imperfections
 
 236 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 we honoured them for their willingness to follow 
 Christ at His call. 
 
 On the return journey to Lenakel, Mrs Paton 
 became very ill, and the last part of the voyage 
 was made through a heavy sea. But our boat 
 behaved nobly, and we arrived safely. Christians 
 abroad do not realize how much depends on the 
 Missionary's boat, or there would not be the 
 difficulty there sometimes is in raising sums for 
 good, seaworthy boats. We have never ceased 
 to be thankful for our good boat Pioneer, which 
 has brought us safely through so many wild and 
 troubled seas. 
 
 Heathen anger was again roused by the progress 
 of our work, and at Lemrau an attempt was made 
 to shoot one of our teachers. A man was about 
 to fire at him as he was holding service, but the 
 old Chief's grandson stood up and forbade the 
 deed. The Christians quietly closed their service 
 and went on their way. 
 
 Our faithful teacher lakar now became very ill. 
 His malady resisted all treatment, and one day 
 Mr Hume went up to lakar's village and led him 
 down to Lenakel on horseback. lakar was so 
 weak that he could hardly sit in the saddle. 
 Then anxious days and nights followed. Lewi, 
 his wife, nursed him most tenderly and faithfully, 
 but still he grew worse. We had several other 
 serious cases on the Station, so that we were not
 
 THE FELLOWSHIP OF SUFFERING 237 
 
 a little glad to see the man-of-war steam into our 
 bay one evening. Mr Hume at once went off and 
 brought the doctor ashore, and I can never for- 
 get the kindly help and advice which he so readily 
 gave us. He did all that was possible in the 
 short time that he was able to remain on shore, 
 and then we had a rough pull back to the ship in 
 the dark. But despite all our efforts lakar became 
 steadily worse, and Monday, July the 23rd, he 
 passed away. 
 
 In lakar we lost one of our best teachers. His 
 post was a most difficult one, and no one else 
 could fill it. His tribe are bitterly opposed to 
 the Worship, and with the exception of Siak and 
 his family, not one of them would have anything 
 to do with him. In fact, as they could not drive 
 lakar out, they left the village themselves. Lomai 
 asked them where they could go to escape the 
 Worship, as it was now all over Tanna. But 
 lakar never became discouraged. His faith and 
 courage were magnificent. Why he was taken 
 away we cannot tell. His village is now a 
 deserted clump of crumbling houses, and the 
 Church stands empty. But God makes no mis- 
 takes, and His purpose never fails. lakar won 
 Siak, and through Siak the tribe may yet be 
 brought to Christ. 
 
 Another sad event was the death of Nelbini. 
 He was ill for months, and towards the end he
 
 238 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 was full of joy at the prospect of going to Jesus. 
 He said that for the work's sake he would like to 
 stay, but that for his own he would like to go and 
 be with Jesus. 
 
 " My heart wants to go, my whole body wants 
 to go," he said ; "but it is with Jesus. If He wants 
 me to stay He will make me better ; if He wants 
 to take me, my heart is glad to go." 
 
 His peace and joy were an inspiration to us all. 
 We missed him sorely in the work, but his happy 
 death was an untold influence for good among 
 our people. He was the seventh of our beloved 
 fellow-workers to die within two years. He was 
 one of the fathers of Lenakel, and he has gone to 
 his reward. At the last day many shall rise and 
 call him blessed, for he led them out of darkness 
 into light. 
 
 Another deep sorrow to us at this time was the 
 serious illness of Mr Hume. He had often suf- 
 fered terribly from fever and ague, but now he 
 completely broke down. At one time we did not 
 think he would live till the steamer came. But 
 God had mercy upon us, and spared us this 
 sorrow. He was, however, too ill to think of 
 remaining on Tanna, and was reluctantly com- 
 pelled to hand me in his resignation. It was a 
 great blow to the work. Mr Hume had been 
 with us from the first beginnings of our work at 
 Lenakel, and he was part of it all. He was
 
 THE FELLOWSHIP OF SUFFERING 239 
 
 always a willing and earnest helper, and was 
 deeply beloved by the people. Great and uni- 
 versal was their sorrow, when I told them that 
 Mr Hume was going to leave us. 
 
 About this time, our hearts were gladdened 
 beyond all telling by the glorious news from 
 Port Resolution that fourteen natives had been 
 baptized there by Mr Watt. At last the harvest 
 so long prayed for was beginning. God's servants 
 had toiled faithfully and heroically through the 
 long night, and now the day was breaking. From 
 end to end of the New Hebrides, as the news 
 spread, hearts rose in gratitude to God, and in 
 sympathy with Mr Watt in his great joy.
 
 CHAPTER XXIV 
 
 LOMAI AND IAVIS ORDAINED AS ELDERS 
 (IQOO) 
 
 ON Tuesday, the 4th of July, we began a week 
 of special services, in preparation for our Com- 
 munion season the following Sabbath. The 
 natives attended well, and their numbers grew as 
 the people arrived from the various out-stations. 
 On Tuesday we had 192 present, and by Sabbath 
 there were 284. The sifting of Candidates re- 
 sulted in i 3 being accepted for baptism. It was 
 an intensely solemn and stirring service. We did 
 not realize before what strides the Worship had 
 taken. Our membership had risen to 73, and to 
 these were added 1 3 of Mr Forlong's members 
 from Loanbakel. Our Candidates' class now 
 numbered 170, and our Worshippers about 400. 
 For all this we thanked God and took courage for 
 the future. We greatly enjoyed the presence and 
 help of Mr and Mrs M'Kenzie at this season. 
 The time they spent with us was not only a joy 
 to ourselves, but a great help to all the work. 
 The work was now growing so much, and Lomai 
 040
 
 LOMAI AND IAVIS ORDAINED ELDERS 24! 
 
 and lavis had proved themselves such true men 
 of God, that I decided to ordain them as elders. 
 After a long talk, in which I explained the duties 
 and responsibilities of the eldership, I asked them 
 if they were willing to undertake the office. 
 Lomai said to me 
 
 " Misi, we cannot go back in the work of Jesus. 
 You first baptized us, then you made us deacons, 
 and now you have asked us to be elders. We 
 are not fit to be elders, but we cannot go back. 
 We must go forward, and we must just pray hard 
 to Jesus to make us more fit. We want to do 
 everything you tell us, and we know that Jesus 
 will help us." 
 
 And lavis said that his heart was one with 
 Lomai's. 
 
 The next day I told the people in Church 
 what I had decided to do, and I called upon any 
 one who knew anything against the character of 
 Lomai or lavis to come forward and speak before 
 the Sabbath. No one made any charge, so on 
 the day named a great congregation gathered at 
 Lenakel. The people solemnly promised to obey 
 Lomai and lavis in the Lord, and I then ordained 
 them as elders in the West Tanna Church. It 
 was a great day for Lenakel, and it marked a 
 distinct advance in our work. Lomai and lavis 
 had a new standing among the people, and it was 
 fine to see how the natives looked up to and 
 
 Q
 
 242 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 obeyed them. It was a great joy to see them 
 rising step by step in the work, and they were 
 worthy of all the honour and responsibility that 
 we could lay upon them. 
 
 On the iith of September the steamer came, 
 and with it the dreaded hour of parting with 
 our beloved fellow-worker, Mr Hume. We had 
 already held a farewell meeting in the Church, 
 when Mr Hume, though very weak, was able to 
 say a word or two. Lomai got up to interpret, 
 but after vainly trying to speak, he burst into 
 tears, and sat down, saying 
 
 " Let us remember the words of Mr Hume." 
 
 The whole congregation wept with real sorrow, 
 and it must have gladdened Mr Hume's heart to 
 see the love with which the people regarded him. 
 We all felt deeply that though Mr Hume might 
 go far afield in life's journeys, he would never be 
 better loved than at Lenakel. And he has lived 
 ever since in the hearts and in the prayers of the 
 people. 
 
 When the steamer came, the natives crowded 
 round the boat to say good-bye, but I lost no 
 time in getting under weigh as I feared the strain 
 on Mr Hume in his weak state. Just as we got 
 him alongside he collapsed, but a strong restora- 
 tive brought him round, and in a few minutes we 
 placed him safely on board. Before we left the 
 ship he was able to sit up, and looked more like
 
 LOMAI AND IAVIS ORDAINED ELDERS 243 
 
 himself again. It was hard to say good-bye after 
 four years of such happy fellowship in the work. 
 But it had to be. 
 
 By the same steamer we sent away our first 
 small shipment of arrowroot. As there was not 
 enough to fill a cask, we suggested to lavis that 
 the people should bring some curios to fill the 
 vacant space. In a few minutes we had enough 
 native dresses, mats, baskets, etc., to fill nearly 
 two casks. The whole was to be sold towards 
 the printing of Matthew and other translations. 
 
 The next day, Naupum presented Lomai with 
 a fine little son, and he named him John after my 
 father. A few days later, lavis became the proud 
 father of a little daughter, and he called her 
 Rebecca. The two elders stood side by side in 
 Church, and offered their children to the Lord in 
 baptism. 
 
 Two days after the steamer left, Mrs Paton and 
 I started for White Sands, with a party of nine 
 volunteers, to help in building Mr Macmillan's 
 new Station. Mr and Mrs M'Kenzie kindly 
 took charge at Lenakel, during our absence, aided 
 by Lomai as interpreter and general right hand 
 man. We rode for the first four miles and then 
 tramped for seven hours. As we had to carry 
 our tents and baggage we were pretty tired when 
 we reached White Sands, but a warm welcome 
 made up for it all. Before dark we had our tents
 
 244 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 up, and were quite snug. It was a most pic- 
 turesque camp. The dining-room was built of 
 corrugated iron, and the chief corner-post was a 
 cocoanut tree. When the wind blew the tree 
 swayed, and with it the whole house. Between 
 the swaying of the walls and the slant of the 
 floor, we often felt as if we were on board a ship 
 heeling over to the wind. Our tent was also on 
 the hillside in among banana trees, and every time 
 we woke up we had to haul ourselves up to the 
 head of our stretchers, for we slid down in our 
 sleep owing to the slope of the floor. Our second 
 tent and a boat turned upside down served as 
 sleeping quarters for our Lenakel natives, while a 
 hot volcanic spring supplied us with water. 
 
 Here we spent a happy fortnight, building 
 from morning to night on week days, and spend- 
 ing both Sabbaths at Port Resolution with Mr and 
 Mrs Gillies. We were specially glad to see our 
 old friends lau and lesua and Kahwa at the Port, 
 and to hear a good account of their work. At 
 the end of the first week, we sent our natives back 
 with a message to Lomai to call for volunteers to 
 cut a horse track right through from Lenakel to 
 White Sands. The people responded nobly, and 
 just after dark on Monday Lomai and Tausi 
 arrived with the horses and thirty-eight natives 
 from Lenakel. They had been at it since day- 
 light, and had cut a good road right across Tanna.
 
 LOMAI AND IAVIS ORDAINED ELDERS 245 
 
 Lomai and nineteen of the others returned next 
 day to complete the road, while the other twenty 
 stayed on to give a few days' help at White 
 Sands. The natives worked well, and they did 
 it all for nothing. 
 
 We were quite sorry when the fortnight came 
 to an end, and would gladly have stayed longer, 
 but we were needed at Lenakel. We had a 
 lovely ride back, along the newly-made horse 
 track. It was rough in parts, but a great im- 
 provement on tramping. Not long after we left 
 White Sands, we saw some leaves on the side of 
 the track. They were signals, to their allies, that 
 an attacking party had gone inland that morning. 
 It saddened our hearts to think of these poor 
 Tannese shooting one another down, and all 
 because they believed in that wretched " netik." 
 A little further on, Nilua found a pronged stick 
 placed in a certain way which meant that a man 
 was to be shot on that track. He at once broke 
 the prong and negatived the signal. 
 
 About half way across, we met some natives 
 who had been waiting there since daylight to see 
 the horses, or " Big Nannies " as one old man 
 called them. Their excitement was tremendous, 
 and they begged us to take the horses round a 
 large open space, while they looked on from trees 
 and other points of vantage. Great was the 
 yelling when my wife and I cantered round to
 
 246 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 please them. One youngster was so excited that 
 he fell off a tree on to his head, but he scrambled 
 up again in dire terror, not even waiting to rub 
 his bump ! 
 
 We arrived at Lenakel quite fresh, and found 
 all well. We were saddened, however, to hear 
 that war had broken out in the far south. 
 Kaukare and Siaka, two great fighting Chiefs, 
 were filling bags with copra on the beach. After 
 a while Kaukare went home, leaving Siaka to 
 finish the job. All unknown to them, some natives 
 from another tribe had been watching them from 
 the bush. One of these now came forward and 
 chattered away to Siaka, as if he were his greatest 
 friend. Suddenly a rifle shot rang out, and Siaka 
 fell dead. It was a dastardly deed, and was fol- 
 lowed by fierce war between the two tribes. 
 Kaukare and his party surrounded the village of 
 the murderers, and were just preparing to rush, 
 when a poor little girl stumbled upon them and 
 gave the alarm. She paid for it dearly, for the 
 next moment she fell pierced with three bullets. 
 
 A message also came from Nausian at Imwanel- 
 hiaune, his out-station in the heart of Tanna, that 
 his people were threatened from north and south. 
 I sent word to Tapanua at Loaneai to gather his 
 Worshippers and visit the tribe to the north, 
 while the rest of us visited the tribe to the south. 
 The result of our pleading and prayer was that
 
 LOMAI AND IAVIS ORDAINED ELDERS 247 
 
 the war-clouds passed away and peace was 
 assured. 
 
 But Nausian himself was now greatly tried. 
 He had left his wife, Kaupa, in his old village be- 
 cause she had a sore foot and could not walk 
 home with him. Nausian's relatives are bitter 
 Heathen, and they had done all they could to vex 
 his soul and rouse the old nature in him. But he 
 remained firm. Then they tried to tamper with 
 his wife, and his half-brother got her to promise 
 to run away with him. Nausian heard of this in 
 time, and came to Lenakel to ask our prayers and 
 help. A couple of years before he would have 
 settled the matter by putting a bullet through his 
 wife, and this is what the wily Heathen expected 
 he would do. But they little knew the power of 
 the Gospel to change even a Nausian heart. We 
 met in the Church for prayer, and then the 
 teachers, elders and I went up to the village. The 
 Heathen bolted, but we had a long talk with his 
 wife and brought her back with us to Lenakel, 
 where she remained till her foot was well enough 
 for her to return to Imwanelhiaune. Nausian 
 then returned to his post in great joy. 
 
 But his troubles were not over yet. The 
 Heathen having failed to move him through his 
 wife, now kidnapped one of his adopted children 
 to bring him up according to their own ways. 
 Nausian again came to Lenakel, and asked us to
 
 248 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 pray for him while he hunted for his boy. He 
 found him and brought him to Lenakel to live 
 under our care. Then he went back to the 
 village to see Tavo, his half-brother. Tavo was 
 in a great fury, and got his gun to shoot Nausian. 
 But our brave teacher calmly faced his would-be 
 murderer, and said 
 
 "If you shoot me, Tavo, you will do yourself 
 far greater harm than you can do to me. You 
 can only hurt my body, but you will hurt your 
 own soul." Tavo trembled all over, and then 
 lowered his gun. Nausian then came back to 
 Lenakel, and told me what had happened. We 
 prayed together about it, and I advised him to 
 remain at Lenakel overnight, and we would have 
 a united prayer meeting in the Church in the 
 evening. Nausian agreed to this, and I did not 
 see him again till evening, when he came in late 
 to the prayer meeting. The brave fellow had 
 gone straight from the study to Tavo's village, 
 where he gathered the people together for prayer. 
 And they listened quietly, feeling no doubt that 
 the Worship that could so change a man was too 
 strong for them. The next day Nausian returned 
 to his lonely post, full of faith and joy. That 
 man was the stuff out of which God's heroes are 
 made ! 
 
 The steamer now arrived with the long 
 expected copies of Matthew's Gospel printed in
 
 LOMAI AND IAVIS ORDAINED ELDERS 249 
 
 the language of the people. By the light of the 
 lantern, we opened the box on the beach, and 
 excited natives crowded round. Print and binding 
 were all that could be desired, and the natives 
 rejoiced to have a fresh part of the Word of God 
 in their own mother tongue. By return, we were 
 able to send the 28 raised by the natives to pay 
 for it. The book was published by the Melbourne 
 Auxiliary of the British and Foreign Bible Society, 
 and the Rev. F. R. M. Wilson, my old minister, 
 kindly corrected the proofs. 
 
 A week later, Mrs Paton and I visited Lokavit. 
 We found Mala and Romana in great spirits, 
 because a new tribe had just joined the Worship. 
 After a service with the people, Nouka, the old 
 Chief, said 
 
 " Misi, long ago you came over the mountains 
 and told me to give up fighting and take the 
 Worship. I wanted to take your word, but the 
 tribes around kept me back. Then you came to 
 me from the sea and planted the Worship here, 
 and left Mala to teach us. I have now taken 
 the Worship which you first brought from over 
 the mountains and then from the sea. The 
 Worship is now strong and will soon fill the 
 whole land." 
 
 The old Chief referred to the fact, that at first 
 we visited him by the inland road over the 
 mountains, and then later by the shore road.
 
 250 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 Mala had now seventy people attending school 
 and services. He was a faithful and able teacher, 
 and we thanked God for the abundant blessing 
 on his work. 
 
 Our school at Lenakel was also making great 
 progress. 
 
 Mrs Paton began a great battle to get the 
 natives into more cleanly habits, for they are by 
 nature indescribably dirty. We now made a rule, 
 that hands and faces must be washed before 
 school in the morning. At six o'clock, the 
 conch-shell was blown, and then a long straggling 
 line of sleepy natives trooped down to the sea 
 and ducked their heads under water, and scrubbed 
 their hands and faces. The result was almost 
 incredible, not only to our eyes, but also to our 
 noses ! We also instituted a regular washing day 
 for clothes, and woe betide the native who came 
 to school with dirty face or clothes. We have by 
 no means reached perfection yet in the matter 
 of cleanliness, but we have at least made a 
 beginning.
 
 CHAPTER XXV 
 
 OUR FIFTH CHRISTMAS 
 
 THE year 1900 ended amid the horrors of 
 Heathenism, but also amid many cheering signs 
 of progress. For example, a Heathen in Lomai's 
 tribe decided to take a second wife. But his first 
 wife heard of his purpose, and in the dead of 
 night she stole up to the poor woman whom 
 he intended to take and brutally hacked her with 
 a tomahawk. I was ill at the time, but Lomai 
 took up medicine and tended her carefully. All 
 her Heathen friends deserted her, and she lingered 
 on a few days and then died, after giving birth to 
 her dead baby. The Heathen seemed to think 
 that the wretched murderess had not only acted 
 within her rights, but had done a praiseworthy 
 deed. 
 
 Another day, an old Chief got into trouble for 
 " netik-making." His tribe had had enough of 
 fighting, so they deserted him. His enemies shot 
 his eldest son and burned his village. For days 
 the old Chief hid in gullies to save his second son.
 
 252 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 He refused to take refuge with us, and after sore 
 privations he accepted the invitation of another 
 villainous old Chief and took shelter with him. 
 
 In Mala's district a young Chief was suspected 
 of " netik "-making, so they shot his wife as a 
 warning. Then a man came to him with some 
 food, and told him that it belonged to the murderer 
 of his wife. The young Chief fell into the trap, 
 and took the food to make " netik." A few days 
 later he was shot dead in his plantation. 
 
 But the Worshippers at Mala's Station were 
 vigorous and aggressive. They built a fine 
 three - roomed native house for us beside the 
 Church, and showed eagerness and enthusiasm in 
 the work of evangelizing their neighbours. I 
 had promised to pay for the house in clothes, 
 and one day Mala came down with a list of 
 sixty workers to be paid. We were almost out 
 of clothes, but happened to have some print. 
 Mrs Paton and her girls set to work, and sewed 
 dresses and jumpers enough to pay all. The 
 girls were becoming experienced sewers, and 
 Wahu was quite at home with the machine. 
 
 Much bloodshed was saved by the vigilance 
 and earnestness of the Worshippers. For ex- 
 ample, one day Lomai and lavis heard that a 
 party had set out to shoot a man a few miles 
 south of here. They at once tracked the would- 
 be murderers to their ambush, and persuaded
 
 MALA AND KOMANA
 
 OUR FIFTH CHRISTMAS 253 
 
 them to give up their evil purpose. Another day, 
 they heard that an old Chief, called Tavo, was 
 going to be shot by his own people. They 
 hurried to the spot and spoke and prayed 
 earnestly with the Heathen. There was a long 
 day's talking, and then the Heathen said 
 
 " We will give Tavo his choice between two 
 things, death or the Worship. If he joins the 
 Worship and leaves " netik " we will spare him ; 
 if he remains a Heathen we will shoot him." 
 
 On hearing this decision, Tavo came to the 
 conclusion that the Worship was the lesser of the 
 two evils, and so he chose it. He joined the 
 Worship to save his life, but he soon became 
 really interested, and now he is an earnest seeker 
 after truth. It is not often that the Heathen win 
 recruits for us ! It showed that even the Heathen 
 now knew that if a man became a Worshipper 
 he was not to be feared any more, as an enemy. 
 They were beginning to see how completely it 
 changed a man's life, and surely this was a grand 
 testimony to the living reality of the Christian 
 life of our people. 
 
 All this time my health was getting worse and 
 worse. The low fever hardly ever left me even 
 for a day. As I became too weak to visit the 
 villages, I devoted what strength I had to the 
 revision and typewriting of a Bible History which 
 Lomai and I had translated. Then my right
 
 254 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 hand became disabled, and I had to plod on 
 slowly with my left. But at last my left hand 
 became disabled also, and then Mrs Paton did 
 the typewriting for me while I dictated. At last 
 I became too ill even to dictate. The low fever 
 affected my liver, and I became so weak that we 
 all thought the end was near. The elders and 
 teachers gathered round my bed and prayed, 
 while a good many people waited outside. At 
 midnight, Mrs Paton sent a party to White Sands 
 for Mr Macmillan, but I did not then expect 
 to live to see him. While the teachers prayed, 
 Mrs Paton did all that loving skill could do to 
 keep me from sinking, and it was to her under 
 God that I owed my life. Again and again I 
 felt myself going, again and again she seemed to 
 draw me back. At last, towards morning, the 
 terrible weakness passed away, and I gradually 
 got relief from the pain. That evening Mr 
 Macmillan arrived, and very kindly stayed with 
 us a couple of days. It was a great relief to 
 my wife to share the responsibility of treatment. 
 Twice, during the illness that followed, Mr Mac- 
 millan came over and did all in his power to 
 help us. 
 
 Mr Worthington very kindly offered to go a 
 long and perilous boat journey, to Vila to get 
 the Ysobel to call on her way to Sydney, and 
 Lomai volunteered to find a crew. But I refused
 
 OUR FIFTH CHRISTMAS 255 
 
 to allow them to undertake such a serious risk 
 on my account. Nevertheless, we were deeply 
 touched by such kindness. 
 
 Then the steamer called on her way north, and 
 we had the joy of welcoming my brother and his 
 bride, but they were only on shore an hour or 
 two. Our new hymn book also arrived, and we 
 were delighted with it. By return I was able to 
 send up the ig, los. which the natives raised to 
 pay for it. The natives pay for all their books ; 
 and the proceeds, aided by the monthly collec- 
 tions, go towards the printing fund. 
 
 The preparation for our Christmas gathering 
 now began in earnest. Our boats plied back 
 and forward in all directions, bringing in people 
 from the out-stations, while many others came 
 overland. The teachers held special services 
 every day, and along with the elders examined 
 those who wished to be baptized. Those whom 
 they recommended came in to me and I ex- 
 amined them further. I was delighted with the 
 progress the Candidates had made, and decided 
 to baptize forty-five of them. Many of these 
 were converts from the out-stations, who had been 
 trained by our teachers there. Mala, Kawa and 
 Tapanua all had converts to be baptized ; and 
 some of these volunteered to be trained as 
 teachers. It was a glad and happy time. 
 
 On the Sabbath a great crowd gathered on the
 
 256 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 Mission Station. I managed to get up for the 
 first time for a month, and the teachers came to 
 carry me over to Church, but I was able to walk 
 across though very weak and feeble. By patient 
 packing, Tausi and Titonga got 342 people 
 into Church, and 42 more stood round the 
 windows. In addition to the Tannese, there were 
 two boatloads of Aniwans who had come over for 
 Christmas. It was a most gladdening service. 
 I baptized 45 adults and 7 children. Lomai 
 and lavis carried round the elements, with a quiet 
 dignity that showed how deeply they felt what 
 they were doing. Our Communion Roll now re- 
 corded 129 in full standing and I under sus- 
 pension. Besides these 9 of our members had 
 died. Our Worshippers had risen to over 500. 
 
 This was a day to be remembered on all 
 Tanna ; for at Weasisi Mr Macmillan was also 
 baptizing converts, and Mr Gillies was doing the 
 same at his Station, all on the one day and each 
 unknown to the other. 
 
 At daylight on Monday, the people began their 
 preparations for the great Christmas feast on 
 Tuesday. All day long, pigs were squealing in 
 every direction. Men and women staggered 
 under great loads of food. Huge ovens were 
 dug out and heated, to bake puddings so large 
 that four men could hardly carry one. 
 
 On Christmas morning we gathered in the
 
 OUR FIFTH CHRISTMAS 257 
 
 Church and held a great thanksgiving service. 
 Then the people went to the level ground behind 
 the Station, where 600 Heathen had already taken 
 up their stand. There were over a thousand people 
 present at the games which followed. Mrs Paton 
 and the teachers made and carried out all the 
 arrangements, as I was too weak to do more than 
 sit for a while in an easy chair and look on from 
 under a tree. The people entered into everything 
 with zest, and all went off well. At one time, two 
 hostile tribes met face to face in the middle of 
 the ground. Neither expected the other to be 
 present. There was an ominous pause, while the 
 two tribes glared at each other and gripped their 
 loaded muskets hard. But our people quickly 
 mixed up amongst them, and welcomed them to 
 our gathering of peace. Out of respect to the 
 Worshippers no firing took place, and the two 
 tribes forgot their quarrel for a time and looked 
 on from opposite sides. Unfortunately one of 
 them was leaning on his gun with his toe on the 
 trigger guard, when his toe slipped and set his 
 gun off. The other side thought there was 
 treachery, and instantly every man levelled his 
 gun ; but Lomai and the teachers ran out into the 
 middle and called out that it was an accident. 
 The culprit's burned face bore out their statement, 
 and the incident ended in great roars of laughter. 
 At mid-day the feasting began, and the natives
 
 258 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 did justice to the enormous heap of puddings, 
 pigs, biscuits, rice, bread, scones, tea and cocoanuts. 
 They were all gloriously happy. 
 
 The most pleasing incident of the whole day 
 was the decision of a Heathen tribe to take the 
 Worship. Lomai said to them 
 
 " But you have often told us that you were 
 going to take the Worship, how can we tell that 
 you really mean it this time ? Why not take it 
 right away to-day ? " 
 
 They said that they really did mean it this 
 time, and in proof they handed over one of their 
 young lads to be kept at Lenakel that he might 
 be taught daily. The boy put on clothes, and 
 the tribe went home promising to come to Church 
 next Sabbath. They were true to their promise, 
 and there was great joy at Lenakel. 
 
 On the morning of New Year's Day we had a 
 very solemn service in the Church, when Lomai, 
 lavis, Nilua and Neropo were set apart as full 
 teachers of the Word of God. Lomai and lavis 
 were appointed to labour at the head station, so 
 that they could help in the general oversight of 
 the whole work. Nilua was appointed to Lapuna, 
 and Neropo to Leniakis, both very important 
 Heathen centres, and each about three miles from 
 Lenakel. It was an impressive hour, and our 
 people were full of faith and power. Tausi led 
 in prayer, and this is how he prayed :
 
 OUR FIFTH CHRISTMAS 259 
 
 " Lord God our Heavenly Father, this is the 
 New Day to-day. The yams, the trees, the whole 
 earth is full of joy to-day, and we Thy children 
 are full of joy to-day because of Thy love. Fill 
 us with Thy Holy Spirit, and make us like Thy 
 Son. We are glad to-day because of these Thy 
 servants, who have given their lives to teach Thy 
 Word. Fill them with Thy Holy Spirit, and 
 make them strong for the work which Thou hast 
 put into their hearts to do. Go Thou before 
 them, and turn the people's hearts to them, that 
 the people may take Thy word and find life in 
 Thee. It is not in ourselves we trust, for we are 
 sinful men, O Lord. But our trust is in Thy Son, 
 who came to earth and died for us. We ask 
 Thee to hear our prayer to-day in the Name of 
 Jesus the Messiah. Amen." 
 
 After the service we had a meeting of teachers 
 for special prayer. Then the whole people went 
 to Lapuna, and committed Nilua to God as the 
 teacher of that district. The next day they went 
 to Leniakis and settled Neropo and Sarah. It 
 was a sorrow to me that I could not go with 
 them, but our people were full of enthusiasm. It 
 was a time of much prayer for us all. 
 
 A letter now reached me from Mala, to say 
 that the Heathen had decided to attack the Wor- 
 shippers and burn the Church at Lokavit. He 
 asked what he was to do if they carried out their
 
 260 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 threat. I at once sent for the elders and teachers, 
 and after prayer it was decided that Lomai should 
 lead one party to visit the Heathen, while lavis 
 led another party to Lokavit where both parties 
 were to meet. Next morning they set out with a 
 large following, and towards evening they returned 
 dead beat but full of joy. Their mission had 
 been a complete success. The whole trouble had 
 arisen through a misunderstanding on the part of 
 the Heathen, who suspected old Noka of dealing 
 in " netik." They promised not to attack Lokavit, 
 if Noka would leave the village and go to Lena- 
 kel. This Noka agreed to do, and lavis and 
 Lomai brought him back with them. This quite 
 satisfied the Heathen, who believed that Noka 
 could make no " netik" among the Worshippers at 
 Lenakel, and peace was proclaimed amid great 
 rejoicings. 
 
 It now became evident to us all, that I must go 
 to the Colonies for change and medical advice. 
 It was hard to leave the work, but there was no 
 help for it. On the Monday evening we gave 
 final instructions to Tausi, Titonga, Lomai and 
 lavis, whom we left in charge of the whole work. 
 Mr Macmillan had kindly agreed to exercise a 
 general supervision during our absence. We also 
 arranged for a great farewell meeting on the 
 Wednesday, and the teachers went out evangeliz- 
 ing on Tuesday instead of Thursday. But to our
 
 OUR FIFTH CHRISTMAS 261 
 
 sorrow the steamer came two days early, and all 
 our teachers and most of our Worshippers were 
 away in the hills. Tausi and Neropo saw the 
 steamer, and ran three miles to be in time ! Wiau 
 and Wahu cried bitterly, and at the last moment 
 Tausi burst into tears and sobbed like a child. 
 It was hard to go. 
 
 Our fellow-passengers were Mr and Mrs Smaill, 
 who were going to the Colonies to save the life of 
 their child, and Mr and Mrs M'Kenzie and others. 
 During the voyage we had frequent meetings of 
 the Synod's Public Questions Committee, as several 
 of us were on board, to deal with the grave 
 crisis which had arisen in the islands through the 
 aggressions of the French settlers. We drew up 
 a careful statement of the whole facts, and, on 
 arriving at Sydney, we laid this statement before 
 the Hon. Edmund Barton, Prime Minister of the 
 Commonwealth of Australia, who kindly granted 
 us a long interview. Mr Barton laid our state- 
 ments before the Secretary of State for the 
 Colonies, and, after discussing the matter with his 
 colleagues, sent a further communication to Mr 
 Chamberlain upon the subject. After that we 
 interviewed many of the leading men of Australia 
 and New Zealand, and all were of one mind that 
 France must not be allowed to annex the New 
 Hebrides. Never was the feeling of Australia so 
 strongly expressed on this question, not only by
 
 262 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 the leading statesmen, but also by the Press from 
 end to end of the Commonwealth. 
 
 But our real hope is not in men and princes, 
 but in God. He rules ; and we believe that He 
 will deliver these helpless and oppressed people 
 from the cruel greed of man.
 
 CHAPTER XXVI 
 
 LETTERS FROM THE NATIVES 
 (March 1901) 
 
 DURING our absence the faithful teachers at 
 Lenakel sent us full news about the work. They 
 reported steady progress among the Worshippers } 
 but fierce fighting among the Heathen. The 
 former threatened to attack the latter, and burn 
 the Church and Mission-house at Lenakel. The 
 answer of the Worshippers was, " Very well, 
 come and try it." But the Heathen thought 
 better of it. 
 
 The following letters are literally translated, 
 and give an interesting glimpse into the native 
 mind. They also show how faithfully our teachers 
 attended to the smallest details of their work, 
 despite the raging of the Heathen around them. 
 
 Letter from Lomai. 
 
 I, Lomai, give you news of the Worship that is 
 in Tanna in these days, that the talk of fighting is 
 very great. lavis and I went to the land of Iru 
 
 263
 
 264 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 to forbid it, but it went on ; and to the land of 
 the Neriakene, and to the land of the Neviliagene, 
 but they did not give heed ; and to the land of 
 the Nouramene, and to Imal, but their hearts are 
 hard even to death by the musket. One day we 
 sent word to Kota that he should cease fighting 
 against Kaukare, but he would not give heed ; he 
 went and fired at two people, but the bullets did 
 not take their bodies. 
 
 All these things are hard for us, but we hope in 
 God, and our prayers are many in Him. We, 
 the Church members and teachers, hear the Word 
 of Jesus, in the book which Mark wrote, that this 
 thing goes not out but by prayer. For two weeks 
 we went about forbidding all this talk, but they 
 gave no heed to our word. It is hard to make 
 them heed our word, but they shall give heed to 
 the Spirit of God. 
 
 I want to tell all these things to you and Mrs 
 Paton. And it is not that we men are strong to 
 make the hearts of men soft, but God is strong to 
 do all things that are hard for us men. This is 
 my news to you and Mrs Paton. It is good that 
 you tell my friend Johannes Heyer, and that you 
 all pray to Jesus to help us all and Tausi and 
 Titonga and I avis and the Church members at 
 Lenakel. This is my news to you and Mrs 
 Paton and Johannes Heyer. 
 
 All the Church members are strong, and Wiau
 
 LETTERS FROM THE NATIVES 265 
 
 and Wahu are behaving well in these days. And 
 John is strong and Naupum, they are both strong. 
 One old woman whom you know, named Nam 
 Asul, died at Lapuna on Monday, I 8th February. 
 
 We have taken your book and are reading it. 
 Titonga reads it on all Fridays, and we all rejoice 
 in all the things that are in the book, which it 
 tells to us. Farewell to you and Mrs Paton. 
 This is my love to you both. My hope is in God 
 for you both that you will come again to Lenakel, 
 and that we shall all be glad together. 
 
 I want to hear news of my brother, Mr Hume, 
 if he is well or not. I pray much to Jesus that 
 He will give strength to him. You, Mr Hume, 
 said you would give me a likeness which you took 
 of me at Lomanipe, and you promised one to me 
 some day. 
 
 In the fighting in the Land of the Nelpai, many 
 people fought against Kauraka and Lohman. 
 They two were alone and they fled, they and the 
 women to a place where there was no food. They 
 were driven there, and they two took to their 
 muskets and stood at two roads and watched. 
 And their women blocked another road and 
 watched. Their pain was very great, and their 
 sorrow and their hunger for very many days. 
 
 I LOMAI. A men.
 
 266 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 Letter from Tausi. 
 
 LENAKEL, TANNA, Feb. 20, Wednesday. 
 
 I tell you about the wind which smote us on 
 Saturday. We made ready the House of Worship 
 on Friday, and when the House of Worship was 
 strong we took the Pioneer and Naitikam inland. 
 All the fences fell. Your house stood fast and all 
 the houses, only the house of the nannies fell, it 
 alone. When the wind became calm we made 
 again the fences, and we made the station good 
 also. All things are good. 
 
 We also made lime for the workshop, and we 
 have nearly finished plastering it. We have also 
 prepared the site for the house of Lomai and the 
 house of I avis, but we have not yet cut the wood 
 for them. When yours is finished we shall put 
 on the frame. All things are well. The horses 
 and the sheep are strong and well. Not one of 
 them is bad. 
 
 The wind destroyed the food, the breadfruits 
 and the chestnuts. It did not destroy all the 
 yams, the wind took away some, but some was 
 left. But its time is not finished yet, it has not 
 yet come. Had we been on the sea we should 
 have died, but we were on the land. We eat only 
 cocoanuts every day, and we drink tea, we also 
 eat biscuits and rice. In this I tell you that the 
 people have no food and they bring cocoanuts to
 
 LETTERS FROM THE NATIVES 267 
 
 buy it. For two bunches I give four small cups 
 of rice, and for five bunches I give also five cups 
 of rice. And I am afraid that you did not tell 
 me to do this, but they have done this thing. It 
 is good that you tell me your mind about this. I 
 think not to do it, but just now the food is very 
 little, and I am giving thus. There are three 
 casks of biscuits left and one is finished. Half a 
 cask of rice and one bag are left. In a little 
 while there will be no food. 
 
 I took the boat and went to Loanbakel, and 
 the people of Lokavit brought many bananas 
 there and the boat was filled. I took the names 
 of the people, and when we came home I paid 
 them in dresses and shirts and lavalavas and 
 handkerchiefs. And some of our people from 
 Ikunala and Leatan also brought sweet potatoes 
 and I bought them also, and the lavalavas were 
 finished, only a few remain. I would like you to 
 send me a piece of white calico-sheet and another 
 calico. If our food were much I would not say it, 
 but our food is little just now. The shirts are 
 also finished, and I would like some more. Some 
 long dresses are left and some handkerchiefs are 
 left. 
 
 The steamer went to Aniwa but did not anchor. 
 The Aniwans took the boat and went out, but 
 the steamer did not wait, it came to Tanna and 
 they returned. The wind was good and Tatowa
 
 268 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 and Kalei and Saloki took Romana and her 
 children and brought them to Weasisi, and they 
 brought them over the land by Towar Ribor and 
 came to Lenakel. We rejoiced greatly because 
 Jesus led them in much strength. They returned 
 and went back to Weasisi. All the people of 
 Aniwa are strong and well. The Worship is 
 strong again on Aniwa now. They had a great 
 talk and made all things straight. The people of 
 the north gave Seirimu and Mahau to the people 
 of the south. Jesus helped them and there was 
 no anger over it. My greeting to you. 
 
 I TAUSI. 
 
 Letter from Titonga. 
 
 I, Titonga, write to you, Mr Paton and Mrs 
 Paton. That day you went away you appointed 
 us to all things at Lenakel, that we should stay 
 and look after them and make all things good. 
 
 The nannies are all strong. Only the dogs 
 bit one nannie and broke its tail, but it is well 
 again. Another one had a sore eye. I asked 
 whether anyone had struck it, but no one said it, 
 and I do not know what caused it. And they 
 are all well. I also tell you that one of the 
 sheep has given birth to a little one. laruel and 
 Nakabua look after the water every day, they are 
 not lazy but they are strong. I also tell you that
 
 LETTERS FROM THE NATIVES 269 
 
 the English fowls are strong, but the dogs did 
 eat two and then they did stop. I also tell of 
 the horses that they are all strong. 
 
 I also tell of the women that they are strong 
 to look well after the Station every day. They 
 also sew the clothes on all Wednesdays. I also 
 tell that the deacons read that book in these 
 days. I also tell of the school that every day 
 the Church members and the people of the Candi- 
 dates' class gather together and read the Word. 
 Some know it and some do not know it. 
 
 Letter from Mrs Patoris House-girls. 
 
 We two, Wahu and Wiau, write this letter to 
 you, Mrs Paton, to tell you that we two are living 
 in the house of lau and lesua, and that we are 
 awaiting you, we two and Nabupo. We have 
 been working on the Station every Friday in every 
 week, we two and Wiko and Nabupo. We two 
 also do your bedroom on all Wednesdays, and 
 the room in which food is eaten on all Saturdays. 
 Nabupo also does her work in the kitchen on all 
 Saturdays. We two take out the biscuits and 
 the sugar every day, and we help the wives of the 
 deacons in cleaning your Station and the paths, 
 and in teaching in the House of Worship, and on 
 the day for going forth on all Thursdays. 
 
 This is our love and our gladness to you. We
 
 270 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 two pray to Jesus to help you and give strength 
 to you, that one day He may bring you back here 
 in great strength. 
 
 We two are teaching the women to sew dresses. 
 We have cut up all the pieces which you left, 
 they are finished. The women are bringing their 
 own and sewing them. There is very great 
 fighting in these days and we are afraid, but you 
 pray much for us to Jesus that He will help us 
 in every trouble in this land. We also are 
 praying to Jesus to help you in doing all things 
 across the sea. 
 
 We two also speak our love to Johannes 
 Heyer, saying that we are doing Mrs Paton's 
 work, and looking after all her things which she 
 appointed to us two. 
 
 We bought two pieces of calico, and we sewed 
 two dresses, one for me, Wiau, and one for Wahu 
 very good. This is the love of us two to you. 
 May Jesus help you ! Farewell, Mrs Paton and 
 Mr Paton. 
 
 We two, WAHU, 
 WIAU. 
 
 I, Tausi, helped these two to write this letter. 
 AMEN.
 
 CHAPTER XXVII 
 
 BACK TO TANNA ONCE MORE 
 (June 1901) 
 
 WE sailed from Sydney on the ist of June, 
 steaming slowly past the Ophir and her splendid 
 escort of war ships. A pleasant run of ten days 
 brought us to Port Resolution, Tanna, where we 
 went ashore while the Mambare steamed north 
 to collect the Missionaries for Synod. She was 
 to be back on the iQth, but it was the ist of 
 July before we heard the welcome steamer cry 
 again. Day after day we eagerly scanned the 
 horizon through our glasses, and day by day the 
 certainty grew that some serious accident had 
 happened. We were quite helpless, and all that 
 we could do was to wait patiently and commit 
 our anxiety to our God. 
 
 Meanwhile, we were not idle. Natives gathered 
 from all parts of Tanna, including our beloved 
 leaders from Lenakel, and we had many meetings 
 culminating in a Communion service. It was 
 one of Tanna's gladdest and holiest days when 
 ninety-one natives sat down with us around the 
 
 Lord's Table. 
 
 271
 
 272 LOMAI OF LRNAKEL 
 
 One night we were aroused at midnight. A 
 boat had just arrived from Aniwa, with a man 
 whose hand had been shattered by dynamite. 
 We ran down to the landing and found that he 
 was just dying. It was Tatowa, one of our 
 strongest teachers on Aniwa. We carried him 
 up to the house, and did what we could to 
 revive him, but he was beyond all human aid. 
 He had lost so much blood, and had suffered so 
 much from exposure on a rough sea, that he died 
 soon after he reached us. It was a great loss to 
 Aniwa, and our hearts went out to the poor 
 widow and her two little children. This sad 
 event cast a great gloom upon our gathering. 
 
 At last the steamer came. She had broken 
 down, and gone to Noumea for repairs. All was 
 now bustle and excitement. Long sittings, much 
 writing, little sleep, and happy fellowship filled 
 the four days of Synod's meetings. The welcom- 
 ing of new workers, and the reports of Stations, 
 were the two most interesting items of business. 
 Among the former we had the joy of welcoming 
 Mr Kenneth M'Kenzie to be our fellow-worker 
 at Lenakel. 
 
 All too soon, the Synod came to an end. 
 Almost before we realized we had met, we were 
 bidding each other farewell. In a few hours we 
 reached Lenakel. Lomai and lavis came off in 
 the Pioneer, and a few minutes later the Mambare
 
 BACK TO TANNA ONCE MORE 273 
 
 was steaming north, while we pulled for the 
 shore. On the landing, a great crowd of natives 
 were waiting to welcome us. It was a gladsome 
 sight to see so many clothed bodies and happy 
 faces. In the background there was an armed 
 band of naked savages. It was good to be among 
 our own people again, and our hearts rose in 
 thankfulness to God, who had in His mercy 
 brought us back. Some faces were missing, and 
 among them, that of little John, Lomai's son, and 
 we shall never see them here again. But there 
 were new faces among the Worshippers, and for 
 these we thanked God. 
 
 The elders and teachers gave a most encourag- 
 ing report. Only a few shallow ones had gone 
 back, while there had been decided gains from 
 Heathenism. The Candidates' class had grown, 
 and the day school had been fully maintained, 
 lavis and Lomai had built splendid houses next 
 to those of Tausi and Titonga, and their little 
 compound was an example to all the others for 
 neatness and cleanliness. Everything about the 
 Station was in good order, and Mrs Paton's 
 house-girls were found faithful in all that had 
 been entrusted to their care. It was a joyous 
 home-coming, and all our hope and prayer was 
 that God would grant our heart's desire and 
 enable us to spend our lives on Tanna. 
 
 The work of shifting our house to the brow of the 
 s
 
 274 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 hill was at once undertaken under Mr M'Kenzie's 
 skilled direction, in the hope that a higher and 
 breezier site might free us from the constant 
 fever. Scores of men and women helped us in 
 clearing, digging, fencing, and carrying. The 
 clatter of tongues never ceased from early 
 morning till late at night, and every nook and 
 cranny of the Station was seized upon as sleeping 
 quarters by people from a distance. All these 
 workers were paid in clothes, and despite some 
 fine Mission boxes from London and Victoria, 
 it took Mrs Paton and her girls sewing late and 
 early to keep within sight of the demand. 
 
 On the 1 8th July, Neropo finished his new 
 Church at Leniakis, and we all gathered there 
 for an opening service. The Church stands on 
 the site of the old kava house. We had many 
 impressive addresses, and those of Lomai and 
 Neropo were among the best. Lomai urged the 
 people of Leniakis not to do to Neropo what 
 the people of Nazareth did to Jesus, and reject 
 his teaching because he came back to his own 
 people. He said 
 
 " Neropo was the same as you, but he is not 
 now. He has got a new thing in his heart, 
 which you have not got He has got the living 
 Word of the living God, and he comes to you as 
 the messenger of Christ. Say not, He is only 
 one of ourselves why should we listen to him ?
 
 BACK TO TANNA ONCE MORE 275 
 
 But say, He is God's teacher, come to tell us 
 God's Word. Obey his teaching, and you will 
 find life eternal through Jesus." 
 
 Neropo said, " Long ago I lived in the old 
 
 fashion, and my heart was full of badness. Then 
 
 I went to Queensland and heard the Word of 
 
 Jesus. I came back and tried to worship God, 
 
 but the old fashion was too strong for me, and I 
 
 went back into darkness. Then Jesus called me, 
 
 and I heard Him say, Go to Lenakel and learn to 
 
 be a teacher. And I left you and went to live at 
 
 Lenakel. A few months ago, Jesus again called 
 
 me, and said, Go back and teach your own people 
 
 my good Word. And I came and built my 
 
 house, and then I built this Church. And now 
 
 I stand before you, not because my heart is 
 
 good, not because I am better than you ; but I 
 
 stand here because I have sinned and am sorry 
 
 for my sin, and because I trust in Jesus to take 
 
 away my sin. I have come because Jesus told 
 
 me to come, and I call upon you to be sorry for 
 
 your sin, and trust in Jesus to take away your 
 
 sin and give you life." 
 
 At the close of the service, Neropo and his 
 people made a feast to the visitors, and Mrs 
 Paton and I rode home. Lomai came with us 
 to lead my horse, as both my hands were in 
 bandages, my old trouble having come back 
 upon me.
 
 276 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 On Saturday, the 2 7th of July, Lomai and lavis 
 sailed for Lopilpil, to spend the Sabbath with our 
 people there. They came back on Monday, with 
 mingled news of good and evil. A large crowd 
 had gathered in the Church, and great joy had 
 been manifested by the people. During the service 
 they heard two shots, but thought no more about 
 it. Lomai then led a party to evangelise to the 
 north, while lavis remained to speak further with 
 the local people. At the close of a second service, 
 a young woman went to the village on the top of 
 the cliff, where she had left her old mother who 
 was too feeble to descend to the Church. To her 
 unspeakable horror she found the old woman lying 
 dead with a bullet-hole through her body ! The 
 shots were now explained. Not content with 
 shooting her, the murderer had mutilated the 
 body with an axe, and then rolled it in the ashes 
 of the fire at which the poor old woman had been 
 warming herself. It was a sad ending to a happy 
 day. 
 
 To this day the murder remains a mystery. 
 The inland Heathen disclaimed all connection 
 with it, but suspicion fell on letab, one of the 
 wildest of the mountain savages and a man of 
 blood. The only effect upon the Worshippers 
 was to quicken their zeal and earnestness. 
 
 Lomai brought back with him a poor little 
 fellow called Ihiwa, who had lost both his feet.
 
 BACK TO TANNA ONCE MORE 277 
 
 The trouble began with native sores, and the feet 
 gradually rotted away, till only the stumps of his 
 legs were left close to his knees. I had heard about 
 him months before, and sent up one of the teachers 
 to bring him up to Lenakel for treatment. But 
 the little fellow was afraid, and crept away in the 
 night and hid himself. So the teacher had to 
 come back without him. This time Lomai found 
 him, and asked him to come to Lenakel. Ihiwa 
 gave one long look into Lomai's great loving face, 
 and then all his fears fled away ! He could trust 
 Lomai to go anywhere with him. And I do not 
 wonder that he trusted Lomai, for to see him is to 
 love him. So Lomai brought Ihiwa to Lenakel, 
 and gently carried him up to the Mission house. 
 As my hands were still bad, I showed Lomai how 
 to cleanse and bandage the sores, and he did so 
 every day. The sores were in a frightful state, 
 but the regular dressing worked wonders, and soon 
 one leg was quite healed, while the other was 
 rapidly improving. The little fellow crept about 
 on his hands and knees, and was as happy as the 
 day was long. He was not used to such kindness, 
 and he used to look up at us with great wondering 
 eyes. After a time he decided to give his heart to 
 Jesus, and he is now a member of the Candidates' 
 class. 
 
 At our Communion season in August five 
 couples offered themselves to be trained as
 
 278 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 teachers. The work of training teachers has 
 been a great joy to us, and even while in training 
 these men and women do untold good in winning 
 their fellows. 
 
 One day, a Heathen elopement very nearly ended 
 in bloodshed. A young Heathen in Neropo's tribe 
 ran off with a woman belonging to another tribe, 
 whose husband was in Queensland. Neropo, not 
 knowing what had happened, went to the woman's 
 village to hold a service. Her father wanted to 
 shoot him, but when Neropo heard the reason, he 
 challenged the man to lay any evil conduct at his 
 door. He said to the enraged father 
 
 " What mark has the man who ran away with 
 your daughter ? He has the same mark that you 
 have the mark of Heathenism. What mark have 
 I ? The mark of the Worship. Can you lay any 
 such conduct as this upon one who bears the mark 
 of the Worship ? " 
 
 The man confessed that he could not. Then he 
 jumped up and said 
 
 " I was angry. I have just come from attack- 
 ing your wife. But you have spoken truly, and 
 my anger is gone. Let us worship together." 
 And they held a service. Neropo afterwards 
 learned that before he went to the village the 
 father had met Sarah on the track and rushed 
 at her with a stick, but she fled and escaped. 
 
 The runaway couple were now found, and the
 
 BACK TO TANNA ONCE MORE 279 
 
 young scoundrel tried to shoot his brother's wife 
 for scolding him. But the woman became afraid, 
 and ran home. On getting to her village she 
 seized a gun and tried to shoot herself, but her 
 father snatched it out of her hands. Then his 
 anger blazed up afresh, and he fired at her. For- 
 tunately he missed her and she escaped into the 
 bush. 
 
 Another Heathen affair ended more sadly. A 
 man proposed to marry a widow, but she refused 
 him on the ground that he had already several 
 wives. His answer was a bullet, and she fell dead. 
 So little does a Heathen value human life ! 
 
 On September the 1 6th, we began the great 
 work of pulling down the house. The ceiling, 
 walls and flooring were cut into large sections, 
 and each section was taken down by itself. It 
 was a work of no little danger, but Mr M'Kenzie's 
 skilful appliances averted any serious accident. 
 We had our narrow escapes, however, as once 
 when a whole partition came crashing down with- 
 out the slightest warning, and we just managed to 
 get away from under it in time. Another day a 
 heavy verandah beam in being taken down fell 
 right on top of my head, and the very same beam 
 in being put up some days after fell on Mr 
 M'Kenzie, bruising his face and arm. 
 
 During the actual removal, we had the school 
 and teachers' classes in the evening, so as to have
 
 280 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 all the daylight for working. The excitement 
 among the natives was great. As each section 
 was taken down a great crowd of men, women and 
 children got around it, and with tremendous yell- 
 ing, tugging and straining, carried it up the hill to 
 the new site. While we were building, Mrs Paton 
 and her girls were sewing from morning to night 
 to make garments to pay the workers. By the 
 5th of October, we had half the house up and 
 moved into it. Not long after the rest of the 
 house was removed, and we found the new site 
 well worth the toil of removing. Mr M'Kenzie's 
 large experience, and the willing way the natives 
 rallied round us, greatly lessened the labour.
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII 
 
 THE HORRORS OF WAR 
 
 ONE morning, as we were building, the news came 
 that a woman had been shot four miles inland. 
 I avis and the teachers went up to inquire into it, 
 and to try to prevent further bloodshed. It was 
 a sad tale that they brought back. A man called 
 lakabas had a quarrel against a man in that 
 village. He went to his house in the dead of 
 night to shoot him, but could not see him. He 
 was turning away disappointed, when he saw 
 someone sleeping outside under a red blanket. 
 Hoping that it might be his enemy, he fired at 
 close range and then bolted. It was not his 
 enemy, but a mother and her babe. The bullet 
 entered her left side just below the waist, passed 
 out again below the thigh, and then ploughed 
 right through the bone of her right leg just above 
 the ankle. The baby was unhurt. The village 
 was aroused by the woman's shrieks of pain, and 
 an old man fired along the track, but lakabas was 
 safe in the bush by that time. 
 
 On hearing that the woman was still alive, I 
 got guides, as it is a new village, and hurried up
 
 282 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 first thing in the morning to see if I could do 
 anything. When we got to the village, an armed 
 band came stealing out upon us with their guns 
 full cocked and pointing at us. I did not like 
 the look of things, but I walked right up to the 
 ringleader and held out my hand to him. He 
 grounded his gun, and shook hands sullenly. It 
 happened to be the woman's husband. I told 
 them how sorry I was, and that I had brought 
 medicine for the wounded woman. The men 
 then turned round and silently walked back to 
 the village, and the rest of us followed them. I 
 found the poor woman in great agony, but I 
 cleansed and dressed the wounds as well as 
 I could. She seemed to be greatly relieved, and 
 was very grateful. The men also began to thaw, 
 and gradually became very friendly. They had 
 mistaken us for the enemy, and had got a fright, 
 but they now did all they could to make up for 
 their stiff reception. 
 
 The woman gradually recovered under treatment, 
 though she may never be able to walk. One day 
 an old Sacred man in the village said to me 
 
 " You said you thought the woman would live ; 
 I said she would die. You are a Sacred man." 
 
 I told him that such things were in the power 
 of God alone, and that He had made this woman 
 better. The whole thing made a deep impression 
 on a thoroughly Heathen village.
 
 THE HORRORS OF WAR 283 
 
 Another day, I was visiting the sick on the 
 Station at dusk when I came upon an excited 
 group of people. " lawak has been shot ! " was 
 the cry that greeted me. " Is he killed ? " was 
 my first question, and the answer was, " No ; he 
 is still alive." lawak was a great Heathen Chief 
 in Neropo's district. So I seized a horse and 
 sent the natives for the other. Mr M'Kenzie 
 saddled up, while I got some medical supplies, 
 and then we rode up to see lawak. We reached 
 the village after dark. Black figures flitted here 
 and there, on the watch with loaded guns. In a 
 dark house we found lawak lying surrounded by 
 his wives, and with Neropo attending to his wants. 
 He was shot through the groin, but we cleansed 
 and dressed the wound, and he seemed much 
 easier. After some talk and prayer we set off 
 home again. 
 
 Just after we left lawak we halted to light 
 some torches. Suddenly I heard angry exclama- 
 tions, and looking round I could just dimly see 
 Noukout with his gun levelled at his wife, who 
 was clinging to another native. In a moment I 
 swung my horse round so as to come between 
 them. Mr M'Kenzie did the same, and between 
 us we were able to prevent Noukout from getting 
 a shot at his wife. What made it so unutterably 
 sad was that both Noukout and his wife were 
 Church members. As soon as we got Noukout
 
 284 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 edged round to the back, still with levelled 
 gun and pleading with us to get out of his way 
 and let him shoot his wife, I told Noaniamok to 
 go on quietly along the homeward track, while we 
 followed between her husband and herself. We 
 soon reached the village, and then we had a long 
 talk. Noukout was at first defiant, and threatened 
 to kill the first one that spoke to him, but by 
 patient pleading and prayer we got him calmed. 
 He then became penitent and humble. Noukout 
 is a raging maniac when roused, but at other 
 times he is as meek as a lamb. His nerves were 
 upset over the shooting of lawak, who was his 
 brother-in-law. Of course this was no excuse for 
 his terrible conduct, and I suspended him from 
 Church membership. I had to do so once before, 
 when he gave Noaniamok a severe thrashing in a 
 fit of temper. I have seldom been as sick at 
 heart as I was that night as we rode back to 
 Lenakel. 
 
 Next day I rode up again to see lawak. His 
 people were standing in two rows facing each 
 other, and lawak was lying in their arms. Thus 
 he had lain all night, and thus he lay all that 
 day. I found him much better, and he told me 
 how he had been shot. His own people across 
 the gully had invited him to their village for a 
 talk. He suspected nothing, and went unarmed, 
 but his son took the precaution to take his Win-
 
 THE HORRORS OF WAR 285 
 
 Chester and a good supply of cartridges. As 
 soon as lawak began to speak a man fired at him, 
 and the bullet passed through his groin. lawak 
 fell, but his son blazed away at the traitors, while 
 his father wriggled away into the bush. The 
 bullets ploughed up the ground around lawak as 
 he dragged himself along, and one cut a great 
 gash across his shoulder, while another grazed the 
 son's eyebrows, and a third made a flesh wound in 
 the father's arm. At last they got away from the 
 village, and the men were afraid to follow because 
 of the son's Winchester. 
 
 I tried to persuade lawak to come right down 
 to Lenakel and " take the Worship," as he said he 
 was done for ever with Heathenism, but for some 
 reason he kept in the bush. They were afraid to 
 stay in the village, so they carried him about 
 from place to place in the scrub. The enemy 
 hunted for him daily, and hence they could not 
 remain long in one spot. Neropo kept me in 
 touch with his hiding-place, and his wound rapidly 
 began to heal. 
 
 The enemy, baffled at first in tracing him, took 
 some of his blood from the ground where he fell 
 to make " netik " and kill him by that means, 
 lawak on hearing of this ordered his wives to kill 
 a dog and wrap it up like a man, and bury it 
 with great lamentation in his old village. The 
 wives did so, and wailed all night. The enemy
 
 286 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 made sure that lawak was dead, and rejoiced 
 accordingly. His idea seems to have been to get 
 them to throw away the blood as no longer neces- 
 sary, and so baffle them in their " netik "-making. 
 It was a clever ruse. 
 
 For a time it looked as if lawak would recover. 
 But the constant shifting and the fear of being 
 deserted and killed so worked on his nerves that 
 sleep left him, and he suddenly collapsed. When 
 last I saw him he was lying in a rough shelter in 
 the midst of dense reeds, surrounded by his wives, 
 and very carelessly guarded by several men. I 
 pointed out to Neropo how easy it would be for 
 the enemy to steal upon them and shoot them, 
 owing to the total lack of any system in their 
 guard. The same day lawak died, and Neropo 
 buried him. 
 
 The war would now have been brought to a 
 close but for Jimmie's treachery in firing upon 
 the enemy as they came to a conference. The 
 enemy then vowed that they would fight against 
 Jimmie, till he either fled to a distant part of 
 Tanna or joined the Worship at Lenakel. Many 
 tribes now became involved, and life after life was 
 lost owing to Jimmie's villainy. 
 
 One Sabbath evening, as Neropo was leaving 
 Jimmie's village after conducting a service, he 
 caught sight of the enemy lurking in the bush. 
 His first thought was to call out, and then he
 
 THE HORRORS OF WAR 287 
 
 remembered that he was taking some women and 
 children to the coast for safety. So he went on 
 until a turn in the path hid him from the enemy, 
 and then he sent back an old woman by a different 
 road to warn the village. She was in time, but 
 one man, disregarding the advice of the others, 
 raised his head to take a look round. The next 
 moment he fell forward shot through the head. 
 Neropo having taken the women to a place of 
 safety, now ran back and found the man lying dead. 
 
 A few days later, a man on the other side was 
 shot while heavy with kava. Next day his brother 
 was killed. And so the dreadful war went on. 
 From our verandah we could see the smoke of 
 burning villages, and hear the shots that were 
 dealing death and sorrow. It was unspeakably 
 sad to see this slaughter and destruction going on 
 right under our eyes, and to know that British 
 bullets and British guns were doing the deadly 
 work ! 
 
 One morning, as we were building, a labour 
 schooner hove in sight. When she came abreast 
 of the landing her boat came ashore with a sad 
 freight. The recruiter had died that morning 
 it was supposed from drinking carbolic in mistake 
 for rum and the Government agent brought his 
 body ashore for burial. The sailors carried his 
 body up to the Church, and we buried him in our 
 little churchyard. It was a sad funeral.
 
 288 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 The same schooner landed a Tanna man, called 
 Naias. He had learned many things in Queens- 
 land, but he had not learned to know Jesus. 
 Lomai and others urged him to remain at Len- 
 akel, and learn the Worship. And he agreed ; 
 but, alas, for his new-formed resolution ! The 
 Heathen came down in crowds and besought him 
 to go back to them. Naias could not resist their 
 pleadings, and he went back into Heathen dark- 
 ness, and to our sorrow we saw him no more. 
 
 Not long after lawak died, Noaniamok and 
 some women were sitting chatting round a fire in a 
 little clearing in the reeds. We could see the tree, 
 under which they sat, from our dining-room door. 
 Suddenly three musket shots rang out from the 
 reeds, just behind them. Noaniamok fell forward 
 dead ; a second woman threw her child from her 
 with a shriek, and then she also fell dead ; while 
 the third sprang to her feet with a great gash 
 across her back. A puff of smoke among the 
 reeds showed where the murderers lay hid, and a 
 man who was sitting near fired at the spot. His 
 chance bullet dealt death to one of the murderers. 
 Down in the valley, the Worshippers were just 
 coming out of Church, all unconscious of the tragedy 
 that was being enacted on the hill above them. 
 
 This was only one among many such horrrors. 
 But the Worshippers never ceased to plead with 
 both sides ; and at last a Chief and two important
 
 THE HORRORS OF WAR 289 
 
 men among the enemy came right out of the thick 
 of it and joined the Worship. And then, to our 
 unspeakable joy, peace was proclaimed, and the 
 cruel war was at an end. It was another great 
 triumph for the Worship, and it left Heathenism 
 weaker than ever on West Tanna.
 
 CHAPTER XXIX 
 
 MEMORABLE SCENES 
 
 AN epidemic of influenza swept over West Tanna, 
 about this time. It was followed by whooping- 
 cough. Many of our people died, and still more 
 of the Heathen. Poor Lomai was very ill too, 
 but as soon as he could manage to crawl about 
 with a stick he came to me and said 
 
 " Misi, can you not give me some work that 
 will equal my strength? There is so much to 
 do, and I have been ill so long, that my heart is 
 sore because I cannot help you. Is there nothing 
 that my weakness will equal ? " 
 
 Dear Lomai ! I sent him back to bed, and 
 told him that that was the work appointed him 
 for the present, and I believe that it was the 
 hardest task ever set to Lomai. Another day 
 I found him decidedly worse, and I asked him if 
 he had done anything to bring on a relapse. He 
 looked a bit shamefaced and then said 
 
 " Yes, I was reading in St John last night, and 
 my heart was so glad with what I read that I 
 went out into the village and told the people 
 about what I had read. Then I was cold, and 
 
 all the pain came back very bad." 
 290
 
 MEMORABLE SCENES 291 
 
 When Lomai got well again his face just 
 beamed all day long, and he was always to be 
 seen wherever the work was heaviest. 
 
 Lomai and lavis now purchased, on behalf of 
 the Church, about five acres of ground for various 
 purposes. Part of it we set aside as a burial 
 ground. Our new cemetery was not many days 
 old when a row of coral graves bore silent witness 
 to the steady work of death. Among the victims 
 were Nausian, our brave teacher at Imwanel- 
 hiaune, and little David, lesua's son, the brightest 
 child on all the Station. Nausian has already 
 been honourably mentioned in this narrative. 
 He did noble service at one of the most difficult 
 posts on West Tanna, and his work lives after 
 him. He was an heroic man of faith, and his 
 death was an untold loss to our work. But God 
 has the work at heart, and He is all-wise, and we 
 comforted ourselves with this thought. 
 
 After Nausian's death, I gathered our teachers 
 for prayer as to his successor. One name was 
 laid upon our hearts, and that was Kahwa, who 
 had already done good service at Kwamera. I 
 asked him if he was willing, and he at once 
 agreed to go. I was too ill to go myself, but a 
 great company of our Worshippers went up to 
 Imwanelhiaune, and settled Kahwa and his wife 
 among the people there. Kahwa is also a man 
 of faith, and he fears not the face of man. God
 
 292 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 help them at their lonely post, and grant them 
 the supreme joy of winning the Heathen for 
 Christ ! 
 
 Nausian's widow, Kaupa, was a member of the 
 Candidates' class, though a weak one. Nausian's 
 half-brother Tavo now claimed her as his lawful 
 wife, and she undoubtedly was according to the 
 Heathen law. I spoke and prayed with her, and 
 she braced herself up to refuse him. I also spoke 
 some straight words to that young scoundrel, and 
 he picked up his gun in a rage and stalked 
 out of the Station. A few nights after, Tavo 
 came back with an armed band to the village 
 where Kaupa was living, just outside the Mission 
 fence. He demanded that she should be given 
 up, and threatened to shoot lauiko if he refused. 
 Mr M'Kenzie and I ran down to the village, 
 followed by the whole Station. Lomai was already 
 on the spot, doing some plain speaking to Tavo. 
 It was a sad business. In the foreground stood 
 Tavo, clutching his loaded musket ; around him 
 were grouped a band of naked savages, armed 
 and ready for any emergency ; while in the back- 
 ground, dark figures flitted to and fro. We talked 
 and reasoned and pled with the Heathen, and told 
 them that Kaupa would not move a foot except 
 of her own free will. We were standing, a thick 
 body of men, between Kaupa and the guns of the 
 Heathen ; but, to our unutterable sorrow she gave
 
 MEMORABLE SCENES 293 
 
 way, and decided to go with Tavo. We solemnly 
 pointed out the consequences of such a step, but 
 she had made up her mind, and away she went 
 back into the darkness of Heathenism, taking her 
 little daughter with her. I felt years older, as I 
 sorrowfully made my way back to the house that 
 night. 
 
 We now began to prepare for our great Christ- 
 mas gathering. Our people had invited all the 
 Worshippers in Tanna, to meet for a week of 
 fellowship and prayer at Lenakel. The Wor- 
 shippers of East and North Tanna accepted our 
 invitation, but those on South Tanna were not 
 able to come. As the time drew near, our boats 
 plied back and forward in all directions, bringing 
 people and provisions. Soon every house and 
 shanty on the place was crowded with visitors. 
 Even pigs were turned out of their shelters, to 
 make room for their betters. The steamer brought 
 Mrs Macmillan and her child, and took away 
 Mr M'Kenzie, who went north to build a Church 
 at Santo. A few days later, Mr Macmillan and 
 his people walked overland from Weasisi, and our 
 boat-load arrived from Aniwa the same day. It 
 was a great joy to have our fellow-workers with 
 us, and it only needed Mr Watt's presence to 
 make our gathering complete, but unfortunately 
 he was away from Tanna. 
 
 It was the greatest gathering of Worshippers
 
 294 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 ever held in Tanna. The Church was far too 
 small to hold the people, so we met under the 
 ample shade of a far-spreading banyan tree. 
 There were men of different tribes and different 
 tongues, many of them bitter enemies only a few 
 years back, who addressed earnest words to each 
 other as brothers in Christ. It was a time of 
 much prayer and real blessing to us all. 
 
 Christmas Day began with a great gathering 
 under our banyan tree, and then the Heathen 
 gathered from all directions. First came the 
 women carrying baskets to bear away their share 
 of the feast ; then came their lordly husbands, 
 too dignified to carry anything but a loaded gun. 
 There would have been many more Heathen 
 present, but for their mutual distrust of one 
 another. A peaceful spirit prevailed throughout 
 the whole day, and the natives thoroughly en- 
 joyed themselves in the usual way. The friendly 
 rivalry between Tannese and Aniwans added to 
 the interest of the games. 
 
 On the Friday, we had special services in pre- 
 paration for the Communion. On the Saturday, 
 we had a baptismal service, when I had the joy 
 of baptising sixteen more of our converts. On 
 the Sabbath, our gathering culminated in a 
 memorable Communion Service. Early in the 
 morning, the Church members assembled on our 
 verandah for an hour of prayer. It touched our
 
 MEMORABLE SCENES 295 
 
 hearts to hear these men pray, each in his own 
 tongue. The very fact of such a gathering made 
 us realise, as never before, the marvellous power of 
 the Gospel of Christ. After ten or eleven short, 
 earnest prayers, we wended our way down to the 
 banyan tree, under which the Lord's Table was 
 spread. In all 166 natives partook with us of 
 the Holy Feast, and a great company of people 
 reverently looked on. Mr Macmillan dispensed 
 the Communion, and Lomai and lavis carried 
 round the bread and wine. It was the holiest and 
 gladdest day that had ever dawned on West Tanna ! 
 Next day, by sea and land, our guests began to 
 leave for their distant homes. It was a gathering 
 looked forward to with many prayers, and now it 
 was looked back upon with joyous hope. A few 
 more such gatherings, and Heathenism will hide 
 its head on Tanna. 
 
 Among those baptised was an old man called 
 Kahl. He was a great "netik" Chief in his Heathen 
 days, but now he was a true and earnest follower 
 of Jesus. He looked so happy that Lomai said 
 to him one day 
 
 " What is in your heart in these days, Kahl ? " 
 
 And the old man's face lit up as he answered 
 
 " Joy ! My heart is full of joy, and my rest is 
 
 good. In the old days I was baptised by the 
 
 Devil to do his work, and I had no rest, and my 
 
 sleep was bad. Now I have been baptised by
 
 296 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 Jesus to do His work, and my heart is full of joy, 
 and my rest is good." 
 
 On North Tanna, the work was so blest of God 
 that all the coast natives were now Worshippers. 
 From Nalebot an urgent request came for a 
 teacher. As Mr Macmillan had no one ready to 
 go just then, he asked me for lau. I gave lau 
 and lesua a day to think it over, and their answer 
 was a glad consent. A few days later Mr Mac- 
 millan rode across, and took lau and lesua to 
 Nalebot in the Pioneer. I was not well enough 
 to go with them, but the teachers told me what 
 a hearty settlement it was. It was a matter of 
 great thankfulness to us, that another of our own 
 trained teachers had thus willingly left home and 
 friends to labour for Christ, at a distant post and 
 among strangers. 
 
 That same morning just at dawn two women 
 arrived at Lenakel from the far south. They 
 had travelled all night through an enemy's country, 
 and were overcome with weariness and sorrow. 
 They came to appeal for help from the Wor- 
 shippers, for their tribe was in dire distress. One 
 of the two women was the wife of Kaukare, the 
 great fighting Chief. A day or two before, he had 
 led an expedition against his enemies and shot 
 one of them dead. He was returning in high 
 spirits, when he suddenly came face to face with 
 his mortal foe. He was off his guard and had
 
 MEMORABLE SCENES 297 
 
 no time to fire, but received the other's bullet with 
 a laugh. When they saw their leader fall the 
 tribe fled. Another of their number was waylaid 
 and shot, and his body was carried across Tanna 
 to be eaten. The tribe were now living in the 
 bush and were starving. The women stole 
 through the enemy's country, in the night, to beg 
 the Worshippers to go and bring the whole tribe 
 over to Lenakel for safety. All their Heathen 
 friends had deserted them in their extremity. 
 
 Lomai came to see me, and suggested that 
 he and lavis should at once gather a band of 
 volunteers, and bring over the tribe. I heartily 
 approved, and the Worshippers rallied round 
 their elders splendidly. As they passed through, 
 Lomanian the Heathen besought them not to 
 venture on so dangerous an expedition. When 
 they found that the Worshippers were not to be 
 moved from their purpose, they pled with them 
 to wait till they could gather a large force of 
 armed men. lavis was about to argue the matter 
 out with his tribe, when Lomai stood up and said 
 
 " This is no time for talking. This is a day 
 for action in God's name. Let us go alone." 
 
 The Worshippers then crossed the gullies into 
 the enemy's country. At one point a group of 
 armed Worshippers met them and proposed to go 
 with them. 
 
 ' Put away those guns," said Lomai.
 
 298 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 " We are afraid to go without them," was the 
 answer. 
 
 " Then go back home," said Lomai, " for we go 
 in God's name, and not a Worshipper shall take 
 his gun this day." 
 
 The lads returned ashamed and yet afraid, for 
 Lomai spoke with authority. 
 
 When they got right into the enemy's country, 
 Lomai's watchful eyes detected signs of fear 
 among his followers. 
 
 " Stop," he called out, " I see trembling among 
 you. Let us worship God and He will take away 
 all our fears and lift up our hearts." 
 
 They sang a hymn, and lavis prayed, and all 
 their fears vanished. 
 
 After a long march they came on to the first 
 of the three allied tribes. They were living in a 
 small enclosure, hungry and thirsty, and ready to 
 die with fear and despair, Lomai said to them 
 
 " We have come in God's name to save you. 
 Come with us at once." He then left a party to 
 help them to get ready, while he and the rest 
 went on to the second tribe. There also he 
 found the same distress, but their counsels were 
 divided. Some wanted to delay for a day or two, 
 but Lomai said 
 
 " This is your last chance. God has sent you 
 deliverance this day. Come now, and you live ; 
 stay, and you die."
 
 MEMORABLE SCENES 299 
 
 This decided the day, and they went with 
 Lomai. The third tribe gave him more trouble, 
 but Lomai warned them that the roads would be 
 better watched on the morrow and that escape 
 would then be impossible. 
 
 At last the homeward march began. The 
 lame, the blind, the aged and the infirm had 
 to be carried along roads that tax the strength 
 of the strong. Lomai had a baby in one arm, 
 and with the other he helped an old woman, 
 who was bent nearly double with age. All were 
 heavy laden. The rescued people were in great 
 terror lest the enemy should come upon them, 
 and when they suddenly heard guns banging in 
 front of them they would have bolted, had not 
 Lomai stayed their panic. 
 
 " Don't be afraid," he said, " God has sent us 
 to-day and we are safe in His keeping. It is 
 salvation and not death that has come to you 
 this day." And God caused the enemy to turn 
 back just before they came to the place where 
 Lomai and his party crossed their track. 
 
 It was a great deliverance, and so manifestly 
 of God that when Lomai and lavis arrived at La- 
 puna weary and worn, the Heathen said to them 
 
 " Our word is finished. We have no other 
 Chiefs now but you two. The Worship has done 
 what we with our guns were weak to do. Your 
 word is true, and there is no strength in us."
 
 300 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 It was dark when they got back, but their 
 hearts were uplifted, and their faith was greatly 
 strengthened. For they had seen God's arm 
 outstretched to save ! 
 
 The next morning Lomai heard with great 
 indignation that an old woman had been left by 
 her friends to die at one of the villages. Her 
 younger sister had seen her lying among the 
 reeds and said to her 
 
 " My sister, I must go ; and I cannot take you 
 with me, for the road is long, and I am in great 
 fear." 
 
 And the old woman had answered, " My sister, 
 go. Save yourself, and leave me to die, for I am 
 old." And she left her ! 
 
 Lomai's wrath was kindled at such a heartless 
 tale, and he said 
 
 " What did you bring on your backs ? Sticks 
 and rubbish that will rot away ! And yet you 
 left a woman who can never die ! Tell me where 
 you have left her, and I will go back for her." 
 
 They described the place, and lavis and Lomai, 
 though dead beat, again set out with a rescue 
 party. They first visited the enemy, however, to 
 tell them what they had done, and to urge them 
 to make peace. The warriors agreed to have a 
 great talk that day, and promised to send word as 
 to the result. lavis's legs refused to carry him 
 any further, so he spent the rest of the day talk-
 
 MEMORABLE SCENES 301 
 
 ing to the Heathen, while Lomai and Nilua went 
 on to find the woman. After some searching 
 they found her just at the point of death. At 
 first she could not speak, but by bending his ear 
 close to her mouth Lomai just made out the 
 words 
 
 " Water ; I am dying." 
 
 They gave her a cocoanut to drink, and that 
 revived her. Lomai then cut a rude stretcher 
 with one of the axes that had been flung away in 
 the flight of the previous day. They laid her 
 upon it, and by no little toil they brought her to 
 a place of safety, reaching home long after dark. 
 
 The next day was spent by both sides in talk. 
 But towards evening Lomai heard with horror 
 that another old woman had been left to die in 
 one of the furthest villages of the tribe. Neither 
 he nor lavis could walk any more, they were so 
 stiff and sore from their heroic exertions of the 
 past three days. So we called for volunteers, 
 among our young assistant teachers. There was 
 a cheering response, and they set out once more. 
 Next morning they arrived at the village, and 
 found the enemy in possession. The Heathen 
 scowled at the Worshippers, but offered no violence. 
 They had dug up Kaukare's body, and torn the 
 grave mats from it in their savage fury. The 
 teachers reburied the body, and asked the Heathen 
 to let it lie in peace. Then they looked for the
 
 302 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 old woman. The house which had been described 
 to them as hers was smashed in, and there was a 
 pool of fresh blood before the door, but they could 
 see nothing of the woman. The Heathen denied 
 all knowledge of her, and our party, having done 
 all that they could, returned to Lenakel. They 
 told me what they had done, and added that 
 " Satan looked out of the eyes of the Heathen." 
 We all thought that the old woman had been 
 murdered, but we learned afterwards that she had 
 crawled into the bush and escaped. We thanked 
 God for the faith and fearlessness of our young 
 teachers, who had shown the same spirit which we 
 had learned to look for in our veteran leaders. 
 
 The next day peace was declared, and the war 
 was at an end throughout the entire west of 
 Tanna. It was the work of God through His 
 worshipping people. 
 
 The steamer now came, and we were dis- 
 appointed at finding that my father and mother 
 had been prevented from coming. However, she 
 brought one precious thing for us the Bible 
 History, which Lomai and I had spent so much 
 strength in translating. It was printed at Basel, 
 at the Mission Institute, and was a beautiful book. 
 Print, binding and pictures were excellent, and we 
 felt thankful to our kind German friends for their 
 generous help. Lomai and all the natives were 
 overjoyed to get so large a portion of God's Word
 
 MEMORABLE SCENES 303 
 
 in their own mother tongue, and they willingly 
 paid a shilling for each copy. 
 
 All this time, Lomai and I were pressing on 
 with translation work. Both of us were far from 
 well, and nothing but the sense of the supreme 
 importance of the work enabled us to struggle 
 through to the end. I shall never forget seeing 
 Lomai crawling up the hill by the help of a stick, 
 resting every now and then for very weakness, 
 that he might not lose a day at helping me in 
 this great work. By dint of weary work, we 
 managed to complete the translation of Luke, 
 John, Acts, Epistles of John and Revelation, in 
 addition to Matthew and Mark, which were 
 already printed. 
 
 This work of translation had a wonderful effect 
 in shaping Lomai's character. From the begin- 
 ning he was deeply impressed by the Gospel 
 story, and he always tried to understand the true 
 meaning of each word. It was often no easy 
 matter to get any Tanna words to convey the 
 meaning of the original, and one day Lomai 
 said 
 
 " Greek is a very crooked language ! It is not 
 like the Tanna tongue, which is so straight and 
 smooth." Yes, to him ! But I am afraid I did 
 not find the Tanna tongue either straight or 
 smooth ! 
 
 On another occasion, after trying in vain to
 
 304 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 turn one of Paul's speeches into intelligible 
 Tannese, I said to Lomai 
 
 " Do you think the people will be able to 
 understand that, Lomai ? " 
 
 And he answered very dubiously, " I don't 
 know ; not many people speak like Paul ; he had 
 a very strong mouth ! " 
 
 Another day we were revising I John iii. 18 
 " My little children, let us not love in word, 
 neither with the tongue ; but in deed and in 
 truth." Lomai asked me to read it again, and 
 when I did so he said 
 
 " That is the very truth. If all men did that, 
 they would truly worship God." 
 
 But whatever the passage was, Lomai drank it 
 in, and thought over it, and honestly tried to live 
 it out in his daily life. His faith is as simple as 
 a child's, and he loves his Lord with his whole 
 soul. Consequently he loves his fellow-men as few 
 others do, and his life is beautiful with the beauty 
 of Christlike deeds.
 
 CHAPTER XXX 
 
 FAREWELL TO TANNA 
 
 MY health had now become so bad that we 
 sorrowfully decided to leave Tanna, at least for a 
 time. No greater sorrow could come to us than 
 to leave our beloved work and people, but we 
 knew that God knew this, and that he would not 
 send us away unless for some good purpose. It 
 was a time of sore struggle and much prayer, and 
 though we seemed to be baffled, we knew that it 
 was only our will that was baffled. God's will 
 was working through it all, and we knew that 
 this darkness would some day be full of light 
 in God's good time. 
 
 One of the hardest things to bear was to see 
 the sorrow of our people, when we told them. I 
 was too ill to go to the villages to say good-bye 
 so we arranged for a united farewell service at 
 Lenakel. When the day came, a great congrega- 
 tion filled the Church to over-flowing, but to my 
 sorrow I was too ill to be present. But Mrs 
 Paton was there, and I shall quote her description 
 of what took place at the meeting. 
 
 " Before 7 A.M. the bell rang, and the people
 
 306 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 gathered to the service. When I arrived the 
 Church was full about three hundred people. I 
 told Titonga, Lomai and lavis to address the people, 
 and I gave Lomai messages from Mr Paton which 
 he was to deliver. Titonga took the chair, and I 
 went to the organ. The first hymn was " Safe in 
 the arms of Jesus," which was beautifully sung. 
 Then Titonga prayed for the work, for Mr Paton, 
 and for us all. He also prayed that if Mr Paton's 
 health should prevent him from returning, they 
 might all be kept strong in the Worship, and not 
 go back. After the prayer, he read a passage out 
 of the 24th chapter of Joshua. He implored the 
 people to put away their strange gods, and to 
 worship with all their hearts, so that when their 
 Missionary left them for a time they would not 
 fall away. He told them to choose this day 
 whom they would serve, and if they chose to be 
 Christ's disciples, to do so whole-heartedly, and 
 not to be lukewarm. At the close of the address 
 we sang, " Who is on the Lord's side." How 
 they did open their mouths and sing ! 
 
 Lomai then rose. He said 
 
 " We all expected to see Mr Paton here to-day, 
 but Mrs Paton tells me. ..." And then Lomai, 
 the strong, noble-hearted Lomai, who has often 
 bravely faced the Heathen's rage, burst into tears, 
 and for a full minute he could not speak ! The 
 whole congregation joined with him. Such a
 
 FAREWELL TO TANNA 307 
 
 scene cannot, and need not be described. He 
 began once more 
 
 " Mrs Paton says that in the night our Misi 
 nearly fell asleep in death and left us his body. 
 I cannot say much to you, but I want to read you 
 this verse, ' Surely He hath borne our griefs and 
 carried our sorrows.' Just so our Misi also 
 suffered for us, and you have not taken his word 
 as you should have. Awake, my brothers, rouse 
 your hearts, and pray to God that we may all be 
 better men and women. Our Misi has struggled ; 
 I have seen him in his study go on with the 
 translation of these books, when he could hardly 
 stand. And when the books came, did you value 
 them as you should have ? There are many of 
 you who have not yet bought them. It is because 
 you are not strong, or you would have all bought 
 them long ago. Our Misi is ill, he goes away, 
 we may never see him again. My brothers, be 
 strong. My heart is too sore. I cannot say 
 much." 
 
 Poor Lomai, this was all uttered in broken 
 sentences, and accompanied with sobs, the tears 
 rolling fast down his face. 
 
 The hymn following was a great contrast to the 
 one before. I only heard two or three feeble 
 voices bravely attempting to sing. Four of our 
 other teachers then prayed shortly beautiful 
 prayers. 
 
 u*
 
 308 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 lavis, the War Chief, then arose and read in 
 Matthew xvi. 13-28. He spoke chiefly on " What 
 shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole 
 world and forfeit his life ? " He spoke very 
 earnestly to the people and exhorted them to 
 be more faithful 
 
 " You think that your plantations, crowds of 
 pigs, and money will help you to get to heaven, 
 that they will open the door for you. It is a big 
 mistake. Unless you give your hearts, and every 
 bit of them to Jesus, you won't get there. The 
 road to hell is easy, it is big enough for all your 
 goods, and you will notice that there is no key 
 mentioned for the door of hell, the door is loose 
 I warn you that unless you become better, and 
 give your whole hearts to Jesus, and give up these 
 earthly things, you cannot get into the narrow 
 road for heaven. We are all worshipping here to- 
 day. Looking at us, no one can tell who the real 
 Worshippers are. The outward signs are all 
 much alike. But when the harvest day comes, 
 we shall be like the wheat and the tares. And 
 what became of the tares ? They were burned in 
 the fire. Friends, if you don't take heed in time, 
 you will be too late. Your hearts are too full of 
 earthly things, and unless you put them out of 
 your hearts, you cannot give your hearts to Jesus. 
 He wants the whole of them." 
 
 Then he told them about four boats out fishing,
 
 FAREWELL TO TANNA 309 
 
 " It was a beautiful calm day, but suddenly those 
 on the shore saw a storm coming, and they blew 
 the shell for the boats to return. Three gave 
 heed to the signal and came in. The people in 
 the fourth boat said, ' Oh, there is plenty of time, 
 and the fish are biting so well now, we will wait a 
 little longer.' By the time they had decided to 
 come in, the storm had burst and it was too late. 
 Next morning, bits of broken boat were found 
 along the reef. The crew had all perished in the 
 night." 
 
 So lavis besought the people to turn before it 
 was too late. He closed by reminding them that 
 the time was now near when their Misi would 
 leave them, and that their hearts were all sore. 
 " But," he said, " let us show our love to our Misi 
 by being better Christians. Don't let us be like 
 the Israelites who fell away so often, but let us 
 worship God strong, and let us take the right 
 road. And if we cannot see our Misi again on 
 this earth, we shall all meet before the face of God." 
 
 Lomai closed with a beautiful prayer. 
 
 And it cheered me, on my bed of sickness, to 
 hear how our people loved us and prayed for us. 
 A day or two later, Mr Macmillan came overland 
 from Weasisi to say that the steamer would be 
 here in a few hours. We were grateful to him 
 for this last of many acts of loving thoughtfulness. 
 Our people came around the house in silence and
 
 310 LOMAI OF LENAKEL 
 
 amid many tears, as we sadly made our last 
 preparations. 
 
 Then the steamer came, and we gathered for 
 the last time in the Church which had become so 
 dear to us. I gave out a hymn which no one 
 sang. Mrs Paton played it on the organ, but the 
 only response from our people was a passionate 
 sobbing ! Then, in one or two broken prayers, we 
 commended each other to our God. 
 
 In the gathering dark, we boarded our good old 
 Pioneer. Tausi remained on shore, but laying 
 his head on the stern he sobbed as if his heart 
 would break. Lomai and lavis and Titonga 
 pulled us out to the ship. It was a dreadful part- 
 ing from our people. Then came the final good- 
 bye on board the ship. Our beloved Lomai was 
 the last to say farewell. Death would have been 
 easier than that terrible wrench. 
 
 Then the Pioneer pulled away into the dark- 
 ness, and the last sound we heard was Lomai's 
 sorrowful voice coming to us across the waters, 
 " Imam, Misi Paton ! Imam, Misis Paton ! " 
 
 Then the anchor was heaved up, and the 
 engines began to throb, and we slowly steamed 
 away from our home and our people away into 
 the unknown future, at God's command. We 
 watched the light in our home, till it faded into 
 the darkness, and then we went below to battle 
 through the sorest night in all our life.
 
 FAREWELL TO TANNA 311 
 
 We may travel far afield in the providence of 
 God, but we shall never meet with nobler or more 
 Christlike men than Lomai and his brave fellow- 
 teachers. They are heroes, every one of them, 
 God's Heroes.
 
 APPENDIX 
 
 "THE JOHN G. PATON MISSION FUND" 
 BY THE HON. TREASURER 
 
 SHORTLY after the publication of the Autobiography in 1889, free- 
 will offerings poured in on the Author, and on myself, from all 
 classes of readers in almost every quarter of the world, eager to 
 assist in carrying the Gospel to those Tribes and Islands on the New 
 Hebrides that were still Cannibal and Heathen. These sums were, 
 by request of the donors, directly entrusted to the Venerable 
 Missionary himself, who gladly allocated them towards that sacred 
 purpose. 
 
 But, within a year or little more, the Fund had so grown, and 
 God had raised up and had Himself called into the field such a 
 helper and organiser in the person of our beloved friend, Mr Albert 
 K. Langridge now the well-known Hon. Secy. that a Mission 
 
 Trust Fund had to be properly instituted, and an official Committee 
 312
 
 APPENDIX 313 
 
 made responsible. This was carried through at the desire, and 
 with the personal sanction of Dr John G. Paton himself ; and he, 
 so long as God spares him at our head, is the Director of this 
 Branch of the New Hebrides Mission work, without whose approval 
 the Committee have done nothing. 
 
 Mr Langridge, with a genius for organising, set himself to develop 
 the Scheme. First came his Lantern Lectures, with a splendid set 
 of illustrative Slides. Then followed, in view of John G. Paton's 
 visit to this Country, the launching of Quarterly Jottings, which Mr 
 Langridge continues to edit, and which is now the visible bond of 
 union betwixt us, our fellow-helpers everywhere, and the Islands 
 afar. By and bye, as the Fund still prospered steadily, there dawned 
 the audacious proposal to have at least one Missionary, "our own," 
 entirely supported by the Fund ! But God took the matter in hand, 
 and this year (1903) we find ourselves maintaining five Missionaries 
 on the New Hebrides, and full of confidence that we shall never 
 have need to have a smaller staff, till every Tribe on the Islands has 
 been won for Christ. 
 
 Other helpers have rallied around us particularly our devoted 
 friends, Mr Wm. Watson of Belfast, Hon. Secy, for Ireland, and 
 Mr R. M. B. Colquhoun of Glasgow, Hon. Secy, for Scotland, 
 with a host of willing assistants in many corners of the United 
 Kingdom, and in many other Lands. When we meet, at long 
 intervals, and consider how greatly blessed has been the Organisation 
 that sprang from so small a seed, we can but look into each others' 
 faces, and gratefully exclaim Behold, how great things GOD hath 
 wrought ! 
 
 We are now responsible for the following objects ; and all friends 
 of the New Hebrides may help in one or other of the undernoted 
 Schemes : 
 
 WAYS OF HELPING. 
 
 I. "Shares" may be taken through "Our Own Missionary 
 Fund " for the support of any one or more of our Five Missionaries. 
 A Share is 6. The ordinary Salary for a Missionary is 200 per 
 annum exclusive of special " Allowances." So that thirty-five
 
 314 APPENDIX 
 
 Families, or Subscribers, combining, may have their own "Mission- 
 ary Substitute " on the New Hebrides. Our General Fund would 
 meet all the extras, for Outfit, Boat, House, Transit, and the like. 
 
 2. In addition to these fully qualified Missionaries (all, either 
 Ministers or Doctors), the Fund is paying the Salary (^150 per 
 annum) of the "Assistant Master" at the Training Institute on 
 Tongoa ; and is also supporting two " Lay Helpers," Industrial 
 Evangelists from home, at a Salary of ^100 each per annum (2$ 
 extra when married). Generous donors provide the Salaries of the 
 two latter, but the former, the Assistant Master, has so far had to 
 be maintained out of the General Fund. 
 
 3. A Native Teacher or Evangelist begins at 6 per annum, and 
 may by service rise to 8 (according to a recent regulation). You 
 may have, therefore, a Native Evangelist working as your " Mis- 
 sionary Substitute " on the New Hebrides, by the payment of this 
 sum every year. We have not changed from the Salary of 6, 
 with which this Scheme was started ; but, we pay the balance, 
 when required, for experienced Agents, out of our " Native Teachers' 
 Fund " portion of which is left free by the donors for our alloca- 
 tion. One of the Missionaries acts as our Hon. Treasurer, and 
 disburses the money for us, at the sight and with the approval of 
 the Synod on the Islands. 
 
 4. The "General Fund" is that out of which all Salaries, not 
 otherwise subscribed for, and all the other Outlays in sending forth 
 Missionaries, in maintaining them from year to year, and in con- 
 ducting the affairs of the Mission, have to be from time to time met ; 
 and to this Branch of our Fund, happily, most of our Subscribers 
 send their donations, and leave their apportionment to the Committee 
 and to Dr John G. Paton, as circumstances seem to demand for the 
 Evangelising of the Islands. These sums reach us by post from 
 every Land in Christendom, and even from many Missionary 
 brethren in the heart of the Heathen World. We have no paid 
 Collectors or Officials of any kind. It has been, from the first, to 
 all of us a labour of pure love ; and the present Trustees mean that 
 it should be so to the last. 
 
 Copies of Quarterly Jottings are sent regularly by post to every
 
 APPENDIX 
 
 315 
 
 Subscriber, whose name and address are known to us. Collecting 
 Cards, Collecting Boxes, and Lantern Slides can all be arranged 
 for. Communications on these and other matters pertaining to the 
 Mission will be gladly answered by the Hon. Treasurer, James 
 Paton, D.D., Overdale House, Pollokshields, Glasgow, or by the 
 Hon. Organising Secretary, A. K. Langridge, " Aniwa," Southend- 
 on-Sea, Essex. 
 
 A NATIVE TEACHER. 
 
 TURNBULL AND SPEARS, PRINTERS, EDINBURGH.
 
 Twenty-fourth Thousand, Crown 8vo, Cloth 6s. 
 
 JOHN G. PATON, D.D., 
 
 MISSIONARY TO THE NEW HEBRIDES. 
 
 AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 
 Edited by his Brother, JAMES PATON, D.D. 
 
 With Portrait and Map. 
 
 Sixty-Eighth Thousand. Cloth is. 6d., 2s. 6d.; and gilt edges, $s. 6d. 
 
 THE STORY OF JOHN G. PATON. 
 
 TOLD FOR YOUNG FOLKS. 
 By JAMES PATON, D.D. 
 With Map and 7 Illustrations. 
 
 " In the record of thirty years' good work amongst the South Sea cannibals, we 
 have before us one of those missionary enterprises which read almost more strangely 
 than fiction itself. . . . There are enough hairbreadth escapes and deeds of cool if 
 unostentatious courage in these pages to stock half a dozen ordinary books." 
 Daily Telegraph. 
 
 Eighth Thousand. Croivn 8vo, Cloth 6s. 
 
 LETTERS AND SKETCHES FROM 
 THE NEW HEBRIDES. 
 
 By M. WHITECROSS PATON, of Aniwa. 
 Edited by her Brother-in-Law, JAMES PATON, D.D. 
 
 With Portrait, Map, and 23 Illustrations. 
 
 "These 'Letters and Sketches' are well described as ' supplementary and illumina- 
 tive' of that most interesting of missionary records, ' The Autobiography of John G. 
 Paton.' Delightful it is, nothing less, so great is the na'ive charm with which Mrs 
 Paton writes." Spectator. 
 
 Third Edition, Crown 8vo, Cloth is. 6d. 
 
 BEAUTIFUL CHARACTERS: 
 
 OR, TYPES OF VICTORY. 
 
 By JAMES PATON, D.D. 
 
 "A pleasant little book. . . . The stories are Scottish idylls, and they are written 
 from life. They give in an attractive form the experiences of a man with the true 
 pastoral heart and eye. . . . We like his book." British Weekly. 
 
 Crown 8vo, Cloth 3s. 6d. 
 
 THE GLORY AND JOY OF THE 
 RESURRECTION. 
 
 By JAMES PATON, D.D. 
 
 LONDON: HODDER & STOUGHTON, 27 PATERNOSTER Row
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 
 Los Angeles 
 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 
 
 Form 1,9-Sorios 4939
 
 I 
 
 PLEA C E DO NOT REMOVE 
 THIS BOOK CARD 
 
 University Research Library 
 
 ft 
 
 1) 
 I\J 
 
 H 
 O 
 
 z 
 \ 
 
 T 
 O 
 
 r 
 
 in 
 
 BV 
 3680 
 
 >i 
 
 O: 
 
 U'l 
 
 o!