nd them. Having launched
it, he said I had hired the canoe but not the paddles. I protested,
"Surely you know we hired the paddles too. What could we do without
paddles?"

But Arkurat lay down and pretended to have fallen asleep, snoring on the
sand, and could not be awaked. I appealed to Nowar, who only said, "That
is his conduct, Missi, our conduct!"

I replied, "As he has got the blankets which I saved to keep me from
ague and fever, and I have nothing left now but the clothes I have on,
surely you will give me paddles."

Nowar gave me one. Returning to the village, friends gave me one each
till I got other three. Now Arkurat started up, and refused to let us
go. A Chief and one of his men, who lived on the other side of the
island near to where we were going, and who was hired by me to go with
us and help in paddling the canoe, drew back also and refused to go.
Again I offered to leave the canoe, and walk overland if possible, when
Faimungo, the Chief who had refused to go with us, came forward and
said, "Missi, they are all deceiving you! The sea is so rough, you
cannot go by it; and if you should get round the weather point, Miaki
has men appointed to shoot you as you pass the Black Rocks, while by
land all the paths are guarded by armed men. I tell you the truth,
having heard all their talk. Miaki and Karewick say they hate the
Worship, and will kill you. They killed your goats, and stole all your
property yesterday. Farewell!"

The Teachers, the boy, and I now resolved to enter the canoe and attempt
it, as the only gleam of hope left to us. My party of five embarked in
our frail canoe; Abraham first, I next, Matthew after me, the boy at the
steering paddle, and Abraham's wife sitting in the bottom, where she
might hold on while it continued to float. For a mile or more we got
away nicely under the lee of the island, but when we turned to go south
for Mr. Mathieson's Station, we met the full force of wind and sea,
every wave breaking over and almost swamping our canoe. The Native lad
at the helm paddle stood up crying, "Missi, this is the conduct of the
sea! It swallows up all who seek its help."

I answered, "We do not seek help from it, but from Jehovah Jesus."

Our danger became very great, as the sea broke over and lashed around
us. My faithful Aneityumese, overcome with terror, threw down their
paddles, and Abraham said, "Missi, we are all drowned now! We are food
for the sharks. We might as well be e