yet be filled with the glory of the Lord. But I sometimes
sorely feared that I might never live to see or hear of that happy day!
By the goodness of the Ever-merciful One I have lived to see and hear of
a Gospel Church on Tanna, and to read about my dear fellow-Missionaries,
Mr. and Mrs. Watt, celebrating the Holy Supper to a Native Congregation
of Tannese, amid the very scenes and people where the seeds of faith and
hope were planted not only in tears, but tears of blood,--"in deaths
oft."

My own intention was to remain on Aneityum, go on with my work of
translating the Gospels, and watch the earliest opportunity, as God
opened up my way, to return to Tanna, I had, however, got very weak and
thin; my health was undoubtedly much shaken by the continued trials and
dangers through which we had passed; and therefore, as Dr. and Mrs.
Inglis were at home carrying the New Testament through the press in the
language of Aneityum, and as Tanna was closed for a season--Dr. Geddie,
the Rev. Joseph Copeland, and Mr. Mathieson all urged me to go to
Australia by a vessel then in the Harbor and leaving in a few days. My
commission was to awaken an interest among the Presbyterian Churches of
our Colonies in this New Hebrides Mission which lay at their doors, up
till this time sustained by Scotland and Nova Scotia alone. And further,
and very specially, to raise money there, if possible, to purchase a new
Mission Ship for the work of God in the New Hebrides,--a clamant
necessity which would save all future Missionaries some of the more
terrible of the privations and risks of which a few examples have in
these pages already been recorded.

With regrets, and yet with unquenchable hope for these Islands, I
embarked for Australia. But I had only spoken to one man in Sydney; all
the doors to influence had therefore to be unlocked; and I had no
helper, no leader, but the Spirit of my Lord.

Oftentimes, while passing through the perils and defeats of my first
four years in the Mission field on Tanna, I wondered, and perhaps the
reader hereof has wondered, why God permitted such things. But on
looking back now, I already clearly perceive, and the reader of my
future pages will, I think, perceive, that the Lord was thereby
preparing me for doing, and providing me materials wherewith to
accomplish, the best work of all my life, namely, the kindling of the
heart of Australian Presbyterianism with a living affection for these
Islanders of thei