ce, by testimony or
otherwise, to place all the facts before the Christian public and to
vindicate our Missionaries.

The outstanding facts are best presented in the following extract from
the official report of the Mission Synod:--

"When the New Hebrides Missionaries were assembled at their annual
meeting on Aneityum, H. M. S. _Curacoa_, Sir Win. Wiseman, Bart., C. B.,
arrived in the harbor to investigate many grievances of white men and
trading vessels among the Islands. A petition having been previously
presented to the Governor in Sydney, as drawn out by the Revs. Messrs.
Geddie and Copeland, after the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon on
Erromanga, requesting an investigation into the sad event, and the
removal of a Sandal-wood Trader, a British subject, who had incited the
Natives to it,--the Missionaries gave the Commodore a memorandum on the
loss of life and property that had been sustained by the Mission on
Tanna, Erromanga, and Efate. He requested the Missionaries to supply him
with interpreters, and requested the _Dayspring_ to accompany him with
them. The request was at once acceded to. Mr. Paton was appointed to act
as interpreter for Tanna, Mr. Gordon (brother of the martyr) for
Erromanga, and Mr. Morrison for Efate.

"At each of these Islands, the Commodore summoned the principal Chiefs
near the harbors to appear before him, and explained to them that his
visit was to inquire into the complaints British subjects had made
against them, and to see if they had any against British subjects; and
when he had found out the truth he would punish those who had done the
wrong and protect those who had suffered wrong. The Queen did not send
him to compel them to become Christians, or to punish them for not
becoming Christians. She left them to do as they liked in this matter;
but she was very angry at them because they had encouraged her subjects
to live amongst them, sold them land, and promised to protect them, and
afterwards murdered some of them and attempted to murder others, and
stolen and destroyed their property; that the inhabitants of these
islands were talked of over the whole world for their treachery,
cruelty, and murders; and that the Queen would no longer allow them to
murder or injure her subjects, who were living peaceably among them
either as Missionaries or Traders. She would send a Ship of War every
year to inquire into their conduct, and if any white man injured any
Native they were to tell the