ived would
soon give proof that they were of a very different spirit. The result
of this explanation was, that the chiefs agreed to receive the
missionary, who accordingly landed with his family, and with all that
was necessary for the establishment of a mission.

Those who have not read of missionary enterprise in the South Seas can
form no conception of the difficulties that missionaries have to contend
with, and the dangers to which they are exposed on the one hand, and, on
the other, the rapidity with which success is sometimes vouchsafed to
them. In some instances, they have passed years in the midst of
idolatry and bloody rites, the mere recital of which causes one to
shudder, while their lives have hung on the caprice of a volatile chief;
at other times God has so signally blessed their efforts that a whole
tribe has adopted Christianity in the course of a few weeks.
Misunderstand us not, reader. We do not say that they all became true
Christians; nevertheless it is a glorious fact that such changes have
occurred; that idolatry has been given up and Christianity embraced
within that short period, and that the end has been the civilisation of
the people; doubtless, also, the salvation of some immortal souls.

In about two months after their arrival a marvellous change had taken
place in the village.

The natives, like very children, came with delight to be taught the use
of the white man's tools, and to assist in clearing land and building a
cottage. When this was finished, a small church was begun. It was this
busy occupation that caused the savages to forget, for a time, the very
existence of Wandering Will and his friends; and if Bukawanga thought of
them, it was to conclude that they had taken refuge with one of the
tribes on the other side of the island.

That which seemed to amuse and delight the natives most in the new
arrivals was the clothing which was distributed among them. They proved
very untractable, however, in the matter of putting it on. One man
insisted on putting the body of a dress which had been meant for his
wife on his own nether limbs--thrusting his great feet through the
sleeves, and thereby splitting them to the shoulder. Another tied a
tippet round his waist, and a woman was found strutting about in a pair
of fisherman's boots, and a straw bonnet with the back to the front!

One of the chiefs thus absurdly arrayed was the means of letting the
fugitive white men have an idea