ursuit
of the canoes. With one voice we burst forth in the native tongue with
songs of praise and thanksgiving; and now the canoe seemed to glide more
swiftly over the glad blue sea. We entered the harbour, where lay a
fine English frigate. As we passed her I hailed and inquired if the
station was safe.

"Yes, yes, all right," was the answer. "We came in just in time to
prevent mischief."

Our eagerness to reach home prevented us from stopping to make further
inquiries. No sooner did our boat's keel touch the strand than we
leaped on shore. Even then before leaving the beach the missionary
knelt down and offered up a few words of thanksgiving for the mercies
vouchsafed us. We reached the house. Mary and her companion did not
come out to welcome us. Voices reached our ears from within. One I
thought I recognised. We looked in. Mary was doing the honours of the
tea-table with some other ladies. There were three naval officers and
two gentlemen in black coats. One of the latter turned his face. It
was that of my brother John. I had time to greet him while Mary was
receiving her father and introducing her guests. Then came my turn to
be received by her. I need not describe that. I was very happy. The
whole scene was so different from what I had but a short time before
expected, that I was perfectly bewildered. I felt deeply grateful that
Mary had escaped all the dangers I apprehended, and which had really
threatened her.

The frigate had appeared off the station just at the very moment that
the cannibal chief and his followers were about to land. She brought up
with her guns commanding the approach to the town. The captain,
suspecting mischief, instantly despatched an armed boat to warn the
chief that he would allow no warlike demonstration to be made in his
presence, and that if he attempted to land he would blow his canoes to
pieces. The warning had had at first very little effect, and the chief,
in defiance, leaping on shore with his followers from the largest canoe,
left her deserted. The officer in charge of the boat immediately fired
the gun in the bows right into her, and almost knocked her to pieces.
The interpreter then shouted out, "If the small gun of this little boat
will do all this mischief, what would all the great guns of the big ship
do?"

The argument was irresistible. The chief, leaping on board another
canoe, begged that no more damage might be done, and offered to sail
aw