_Dayspring_, like a sailor getting a first peep at the child born
to him whilst far away on the sea. Some of the irritated ship's company
stopped us by the way, and threatened prosecution and all sorts of
annoyance. I could only urge again for a few days' patience. I found her
to be a beautiful two-masted Brigantine, with a deck-house (added when
she first arrived at Melbourne), and every way suitable for our
necessities,--a thing of beauty, a white-winged Angel set a-floating by
the pennies of the children to bear the Gospel to these sin-darkened but
sun-lit Southern Isles. To me she became a sort of living thing, the
impersonation of a living and throbbing love in the heart of thousands
of "shareholders"; and I said, with a deep, indestructible faith,--"The
Lord has provided--the Lord will provide."

Since she sailed, L1400 had been expended; for present liabilities at
least L700 more were instantly required: and, at any rate, as large a
sum to pay her way and meet expenses of next trip to the Islands. Having
laid our perplexing circumstances before our dear Lord Jesus, having
"spread out" all the details in His sympathetic presence, pleading that
the Ship itself and the new Missionaries were all His own, not mine, I
told Him that this money was needed to do His own blessed work.

On Friday morning, I consulted friends of the Mission, but no help was
visible. I tried to borrow, but found that the lender demanded 20 per
cent for interest, besides the title-deeds of the ship for security. I
applied for a loan from the agent of the London Missionary Society (then
agent for us too) on the credit of the Reformed Presbyterian Church's
Foreign Committee, but he could not give it without a written order from
Scotland. There were some who seemed rather to enjoy our perplexity!

Driven thus to the wall, I advertised for a meeting of Ministers and
other friends, next morning at eleven o'clock, to receive my report and
to consult _re_ the _Dayspring_. I related my journeyings since leaving
them and the results, and then asked for advice about the ship.

"Sell her," said some, "and have done with it."--"What," said others,
"have the Sabbath Schools given you the _Dayspring_ and can you not
support her yourselves?"

I pointed out to them that the salary of each Missionary was then only
L120 per annum, that they gave their lives for the Heathen, and that
surely the Colonial Christians would undertake the up-keep of the ship,
wh