o collect a fixed vocabulary and grammar, which might be
available in future translations. The great kindness shown him at his
shipwreck had greatly touched his heart, especially in contrast with the
usage he was meeting with in Australia, for this was in the height of the
persecution about Ring, which detained him at home for more than two
years. During this time Mr. Williams was joined by his brother William,
also a priest of the English Church, but the wars of the Maories had
become so desperate that the peril of the missionaries had been much
increased; indeed, the Wesleyans had had the whole of their premises
ravaged, so that the minister came as a fugitive to find a refuge at
Paramatta, as a guest of Mr. Marsden.

That brave soldier of his Lord decided on going at once to the scene of
peril. Though sixty-three years old, he sailed as soon as possible in
H.M.S. _Rainbow_, but found peace restored and the danger to his missions
over. He therefore came back, after remaining only five days at his
labours in New South Wales, to the superintendence of the translation of
several chapters of Holy Scripture, and to the instruction of the young
Maories at the sort of college he had tried from the first to keep up at
Paramatta, but which he was forced to abandon, since the delicate lungs
of the Maories could not endure the parching dryness of the Australian
climate.

By the time he went again to New Zealand, in 1830, Hunghi had been killed
in battle, and the nation was fast dwindling between war and a disease
resembling the influenza. It was estimated that in twenty years the
numbers had diminished by one-half, and in the meantime English settlers
were entering on the lands so numerously that it was evident that before
long the islands would be annexed to the British crown. Mr. Marsden had
hoped at first that this brave and intelligent people might have been
Christianized and civilized, so as to stand alone, but finding that their
deadly feuds and internecine savagery rendered this impossible, he
thought it best to prepare them to come willingly under a curb that he
trusted would be no more than beneficial.

He found the missionaries much alarmed, for a horrible battle had just
been fought, caused by the misconduct and insulting behaviour of the crew
of an English ship. One tribe had taken their part, another had risen to
revenge the affront, and a great mutual slaughter had taken place;
victory had remained with th