o
worship Jehovah.

Commodore Seymour, Captain Hume, and Dr. Geddie came on shore. After
inquiring into everything, the Commodore urged me to leave at once, and
very kindly offered to remove me to Aneityum, or Auckland, or any place
of safety that I preferred. Again, however, I hesitated to leave my dear
benighted Tannese, knowing that both Stations would be instantly broken
up, that all the influence gained would be thrown away, that the Church
would lose all that had been expended, and above all, that those
friendly to us would be left to persecution and destruction. For a long
time I had seldom taken off my clothes at night, needing to be
constantly on the alert to start at a moment's notice; yet, while hope
burned within my soul I could not withdraw, so I resolved to risk all
with my dear Lord Jesus, and remained at my post. At my request,
however, they met and talked with all the leaders who could be assembled
at the Mission House. The Natives declared frankly that they liked me,
but did not like the Worship. The Commodore reminded them that they had
invited me to land among them, and had pledged their word more than once
to protect me; he argued with them that as they had no fault to find
with me, but only with the Worship, which could do them only good, they
must bind themselves to protect my life. Miaki and others promised, and
gave him their hand to do so. Lathella, an Aneityumese Chief, who was
with Dr. Geddie, interpreted for him and them, Dr. Geddie explaining
fully to Lathella in Aneityumese what the Commodore said in English, and
Lathella explaining all to the Tannese in their own tongue.

At last old Mouka spoke out for all and said, "Captain Paddan and all
the Traders tell us that the Worship causes all our sickness and death.
They will not trade with us, nor sell us tobacco, pipes, powder, balls,
caps, and muskets, till we kill our Missi like the Erromangans, but
after that they will send a Trader to live among us and give us plenty
of all these things. We love Missi. But when the Traders tell us that
the Worship makes us sick, and when they bribe us with tobacco and
powder to kill him or drive him away, some believe them and our hearts
do bad conduct to Missi. Let Missi remain here, and we will try to do
good conduct to Missi; but you must tell Queen 'Toria of her people's
bad treatment of us, and that she must prevent her Traders from killing
us with their measles, and from telling us lies to make us