Mr
Bent was also frequently engaged in teaching the young men and boys
various mechanical arts: house-building in its various departments,
agriculture and gardening, and last, though not least, printing and
book-binding. It is wonderful with what rapidity many acquired the art
of printing, and many learned to bind books with great neatness and
strongly. I meantime, aided by my wife, was making fail progress in the
language, so that I was able to talk without difficulty to the men who
assisted me in building the vessel. She was at length ready for
launching. I proposed calling her the _Mary_, but to this my wife would
not consent. We had a discussion on the subject round our tea-table
during that pleasantest of all meals in most missionary, indeed in most
quiet families. The _Ark_ was proposed, and then the _Olive Branch_.
The latter was the name decided on.

It was made a day of rejoicing and prayer and praise on the occasion of
launching the little _Olive Branch_. Formerly one, or perhaps several,
human victims would have been offered up to their idols by the then
benighted inhabitants. The vessel herself was decked with flags and
garlands, and surrounded by high poles, from which gay-coloured banners
were flying.

A feast was prepared also, at which the chief, who came in state,
presided. We had limited the quantity of provisions, or else, according
to custom, far more than could have been consumed would have been
collected. A large bower or tent of boughs and flowers had been erected
for the chief and his principal attendants,--a very elegant, though a
rapidly created structure. Mary named the vessel as she glided down the
ways, and a hymn of thankfulness, combined with a prayer for the safety
of all who might ever sail in her, was sung by the children of the
school at the same time, the effect being admirable. I was somewhat
anxious till I saw the little craft floating safely in the water.

We had purposely avoided anything savouring of heathenism, such as
breaking a bottle of wine on her bows, taken evidently from the Greek
custom of pouring out a libation to Neptune; nor would we make a mockery
of the rite of baptism, by pretending to christen her. Living among
heathens, it was our duty to be especially circumspect in all our
proceedings. The natives are very acute, and are accustomed to make
enquiries as to the meaning and origin of everything they see. How
unsatisfactory would have been the ans