Part 19 (2/2)

Namakei, the principal Chief of Aniwa, had promised to protect and be kind to them But as tied to the Tribe on Aneityuo the Aniwans had been er, but were eager to make known the Gospel to Aniwa It was resolved that they should die But the Aniwans, having pro it themselves; so they hired two Tanna-ed to Tanna, to waylay and shoot the Teachers as they returned froes on Sabbath afternoon Their o off, but the murderers rushed upon them with clubs and left thest the noble ar, and the Chief Nae and kindly nursed hie had been satisfied, and that Navalak should be cherished and sent ho to work in that darkened soul! Navalak was restored to his people and is yet living (1888)--a high class Chief on Aneityu on his body ”the marks of the Lord Jesus” And often since has he visited Aniwa, in later years, and praised the Lord ast the very people who once thirsted for his blood and left hiood as dead!

For a time, Anias left without any witness for Jesus,--the London Missionary Society Teachers, having suffered dreadfully for lack of food and fro also removed But on a visit of a Mission vessel, Namakei sent his orator Taia to Aneityue was satisfied, the cut in the earth filled up, and a cocoanut tree planted and flourishi+ng where the blood of the Teachers had been shed, and that no person from Aneityum would ever be injured by Aniwans

Further, he was to plead for e his Chiefs word that they would be kindly received and protected They knew not the Gospel, and had no desire for it; but they wanted friendly intercourse with Aneityuht obtain th two Aneityuaru and Nelmai, one from each side of the Island, and were located by the Missionaries, along with their families, on Aniwa, one with Namakei, and the other at the south end, to lift up the Standard of a Christlike life ahbors

Taia, ent on the Mission to Aneityu man He was the old Chief's appointed ”Orator” on all state occasions, being tall and stately in appearance, of great bodily strength, and possessed of a winningandadvised not to smoke while on board, he pleaded with the Missionary just to let hiain till he finished the tobacco he had in his pipe, and then he would lay it aside But, like the 's meal, it lasted all the way to Aneityuet less--at which the innocent Taia expressed much astonishment!

CHAPTER LXII

FIRST FRUITS ON ANIWA

THE two Teachers and their wives on Aniere little better than slaves e landed there, toiling in the service of theirhty contrast presented by the life, character, and disposition of these Godly Teachers was the sowing of the seed that bore fruit in other days,--though as yet no single Aniwan had begun to wear clothing out of respect to Civilization, ht to know and love the Saviour

So soon as I could speak a little to theularly at their villages and to talk to theet them to come to our Church under the shade of the banyan tree Nasi and so not far off, or folloith loadedour work; soirls, showing them that our objects were kind and not selfish And however our hearts sometimes trembled in the presence of imminent death and sank within us, we stood fearless in their presence, and left all results in the hands of Jesus Often have I had to run into the ar or hisround him that he could neither strike nor shoot ed to slip away Often have I seized the pointed barrel and directed it upwards, or, pleading with le At other ti done, but stand still in silent prayer, asking God to protect us or to prepare us for going home to His Glory He fulfilled His own promise--”I will not fail thee nor forsake thee”

The first Aniwan that ever cae and love of Jesus was the old Chief Namakei We came to live on his land, as it was near our diminutive harbor; and, upon the whole, he and his people were the h his only brother, the Sacred Man of the tribe, on two occasions tried to shoot ood deal about us at the Mission House, and helped us to acquire the language He discovered that we took tea evening and ave hiave a sip to all around him At first he came for the tea, perhaps, and disappeared suspiciously soon thereafter; but his interestus in every possible way Along with him and as his associates carew into the knowledge of the Saviour together Froe Cannibals they rose before our eyes, under the influence of the Gospel, into noble and beloved characters, and they and we loved each other exceedingly

Nahter, his only child, the Queen of her race, called Litsi Sore (=Litsi the Great), and said, ”I want to leave my Litsi with you, I want you to train her for Jesus”

She was a very intelligent child, learned things like any white girl, and soon beca his niece dressed, and so s, the old Chief's only brother, the Sacred Man that had atteht his child, Litsi Sisi (=the Little) to be trained like her cousin The mothers of both were dead

The children reported all they saw, and all we taught them, and so their fathers became more deeply interested in our work, and the news of the Gospel spread far and wide Soon we had all the Orphans co to part with them, and our Ho up to help all irls to help my wife and to be civilized and trained by her, and elists

Our earlier Sabbath Services were sad affairs Every man came armed--indeed, every man slept with his weapons of war at his side--and bow and arrow, spear and tomahawk, club and musket, were always ready for action On fair days we assembled under the banyan tree, on rainy days in a Native hut partly built for the purpose One or two seemed to listen, but the , sleeping! When we stopped the feast at the close, which the Aneityu, and for which they were always ready, the audiences at first went down to two or three; but these actually caan immediately to pervade the Service We inforht the Church or School, and the greater nueon as very ill-used persons! Others of ato sell their ”idols,” and ould not purchase theive up and cast the they would have nothing to do with this new Worshi+p

Aers in those earlier times on Aniwa, our little Orphans often warned us privately and and saved our lives froe, our enes to us, I always said, ”It was a little bird frorew to have perfect confidence in us They kneould not betray theuardians of our lives

CHAPTER LXIII

TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS

WHAT a suggestive tradition of the Fall ca the hut and re to our new house, it was seized upon by Tupa for his sleeping-place, though still continuing to be used by the Natives as club-house, court of law, etc

One reat excite, ”Missi, I have killed the Tebil I have killed Teapolo He caht

I raised all the people, and we fought him round the house with our clubs At daybreak he came out and I killed him dead We will have no more bad conduct or trouble now Teapolo is dead!”

I said, ”What nonsense; Teapolo is a spirit, and cannot be seen”

But in mad excitement he persisted that he had killed him And at Mrs

Paton's advice, I ith the reat Sacred Rock of coral near our old hut, over which hung the dead body of a huge and beautiful sea-serpent, and exclaimed, ”There he lies! Truly I killed him”