to which I immediately proceeded, they
unanimously elected me Moderator of their Supreme Court, and called me
back to fill that highest Chair of honor in the Presbyterian Church. God
is my witness how very little any or all of these things in themselves
ever have been coveted by me; but how, when they have come in my way, I
have embraced them with a single desire thereby to promote the Church's
interest in that Cause to which my whole life and all my opportunities
are consecrated--the Conversion of the Heathen World.

My Mission to Britain was to raise L6000, in order to enable the
Australian Churches to provide a Steam Auxiliary Mission Ship, for the
enlarged and constantly enlarging requirements of the New Hebrides. I
spent exactly eighteen months at home; and when I returned, I was
enabled to hand over to the Church that had commissioned and authorized
me no less a sum than L9000. And all this had been forwarded to me, as
the freewill offerings of the Lord's stewards, in the manner illustrated
by the preceding pages. "Behold! What God hath wrought!"

Of this sum L6000 are set apart to build or acquire the new Mission
Ship. The remainder is added to what we call our Number II. Fund, for
the maintenance and equipment of additional Missionaries. It has been
the dream of my life to see one Missionary at least, with trained Native
Teachers, planted on every Island of the New Hebrides, and then I could
lie down and whisper gladly, "Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart
in peace!"

As to the new Mission Ship, unexpected delay has arisen. There are
differences of opinion about the best way of carrying out the proposal.
There must be an understanding betwixt New South Wales and Victoria and
the other Colonies, as to the additional annual expenditure. And the
perplexity as to the wisest course has deepened, since the Colonial
Government began to run Mail Ships regularly from Australia to Fiji,
willing on certain terms of subsidy, to call at one or other harbor in
the New Hebrides. Meantime, let all friends who are interested in us and
our work understand--that the money so generously intrusted to me has
been safely handed over to my own Victorian Church, and is deposited at
good interest in the bank, to be spent at their discretion in due time,
when all details are settled, and, as nearly as possible in the altered
circumstances, exclusively for the purposes for which it was asked and
bestowed.

To me personally, this