a good cause."

The teacher smiled approvingly at him as he said this, and after a
little further conversation, agreed to accompany us as interpreter--
saying that although Tararo was unfriendly to him, he had hitherto
treated him with respect.

We now went on board the schooner, having resolved to sail round the
island and drop anchor opposite the heathen village. We manned her with
natives, and hoped to overawe the savages by displaying our brass gun to
advantage. The teacher soon after came on board, and setting our sails,
we put to sea. In two hours more we made the cliffs reverberate with
the crash of the big gun, which we fired by way of salute, while we ran
the British ensign up to the peak and cast anchor. The commotion on
shore showed us that we had struck terror into the hearts of the
natives; but seeing that we did not offer to molest them, a canoe at
length put off and paddled cautiously towards us. The teacher showed
himself, and explaining that we were friends and wished to palaver with
the chief, desired the native to go and tell him to come on board.

We waited long and with much impatience for an answer. During this time
the native teacher conversed with us again, and told us many things
concerning the success of the Gospel among those islands; and perceiving
that we were by no means so much gratified as we ought to have been at
the hearing of such good news, he pressed us more closely in regard to
our personal interest in religion, and exhorted us to consider that our
souls were certainly in as great danger as those of the wretched heathen
whom we pitied so much if we had not already found salvation in Jesus
Christ. "Nay, further," he added, "if such be your unhappy case, you
are, in the sight of God, much worse than these savages--forgive me, my
young friends, for saying so--for they have no knowledge, no light, and
do not profess to believe; while you, on the contrary, have been brought
up in the light of the blessed Gospel and call yourselves Christians.
These poor savages are indeed the enemies of our Lord; but you, if ye be
not true believers, are traitors!"

I must confess that my heart condemned me while the teacher spoke in
this earnest manner, and I knew not what to reply. Peterkin, too, did
not seem to like it, and, I thought, would willingly have escaped. But
Jack seemed deeply impressed, and wore an anxious expression on his
naturally grave countenance, while he assented to the