soon get hold of the letters and be able to read. I
have taught my little child, who can scarcely walk, the names of them
all. They are not hard to hold, but soft and easy. You will soon learn
to read the book, if you try it with all your heart!"

But Miaki was still our evil genius, and every incident seemed to be
used by him for one settled purpose of hate. A Kaserumini Chief, for
instance, and seven men took away a young girl in a canoe to Aniwa, to
be sold to friends there for tobacco leaf, which the Aniwans cultivated
extensively. They also prepared to take revenge there for a child's
death, killed in their belief by the sorcery of an Aniwan. When within
sight of the shore, the canoes were upset and all were said to have been
devoured by sharks, excepting only one canoe out of six. This one
returned to Tanna and reported that there were two white Traders living
on Aniwa, that they had plenty of ammunition and tobacco, but that they
would not come to Tanna as long as a Missionary lived there. Under this
fresh incitement, a party of Miaki's men came to my house, praising the
Erromangans for the murder of their Missionaries and threatening me.

Even the friendly Nowar said, "Miaki will make a great wind and sink any
Man-of-war that comes here. We will take the Man-of-war and kill all
that are on board. If you and Abraham do not leave us we will kill you
both, for we must have the Traders and the powder."

Just as they were assuming a threatening attitude, other Natives came
running with the cry, "Missi, the _John Knox_ is coming into the Harbor,
and two great ships of fire, Men-of war, behind her, coming very fast!"

I retorted upon Nowar and the hostile company, "Now is your time! Make
all possible haste! Let Miaki raise his great wind now; get all your men
ready; I will tell them that you mean to fight, and you will find them
always ready!"

Miaki's men fled away in unconcealed terror; but Nowar came to me and
said "Missi, I know that my talk is all lies, but if I speak the truth,
they will kill me!"

I answered, "Trust in Jehovah, the same God who sent these vessels now,
to protect us from being murdered." But Nowar always wavered.

And now from all parts of the island those who were most friendly
flocked to us. They were clamorous to have Miaki and some others of our
enemies punished by the Man-of-war in presence of the Natives; and then
they would be strong to speak in our defense and to lead the Tannese t