130 THE FEEJEE ISLANDS. [NOV. rable number of persons, Tonguese, or natives of the Friendly Islands, were to be found at Lakemba and other isles of the Feejee group; and, as the Missionaries were already familiar with their language, their first attention was turned to them, and among these they gathered their firstfruits. Meanwhile, they were endeavouring to master the Fcejeean dialect, and, by means of converted Tonguese, to hold intercourse with the natives: an alphabet and a vocabulary were formed by Mr. Cross, and thus the first foundations of civilization laid; and, in the course of a few years, the New Testament was produced by the same apostolic Missionary in the Feejce tongue. In light canoes, and in perils by the deep, and perils by the heathen, the Missionaries passed from island to island, teaching and exhorting, leaving here a native evangelist, and there a native teacher-schools were founded-some of the chiefs began to lotu (worship) and were followed by many of their tribes. In the measure in which the gospel extended, war, infanticide, cannibalism, and impurity, waned, the naked islander became clothed, and the stalwart and ferocious man-eater sat at the feet of the Missionaries, docile and tractable as an infant. But we cannot, in a mere sketch, trace, step by step, the progress of the Feejeean Mission from year to year. We shall imagine ourselves, after an interval of twelve years from the first landing of the Missionaries in 1835, visiting the station in the Wesleyan Mission-ship, along with the Rev. Walter Lawry, in 1847, and glancing at some of the richest fruits of this gospel vintage. It may serve to give some notion of the extent to which Christian Missions had already extended in Feejee, to mention, that, to visit all the stations, required a voyage of 700 miles. Some of the islands were found to have already become entirely Christian. This was the case with the gem-like Ono, in which, with a population of 474 persons, there were 310 church-members, while all the children were under instruction. The earlier history of Christianity in Ono was found to be associated with a fact of singular interest. Above six years before the time of Mr. Lawry's visit, the few converts who were then on the island were violently persecuted by their heathen neighbours. Their numbers, however, continuing to increase, they at length determined that they would take up arms against their enemies. They did so, and the heathen fled before them to a strong fortress on the mountains. The Christians followed, and, with little bloodshed, took the town. But instead of putting the vanquished to the sword, they fell on their necks and wept over them. Affected and subdued by this extraordinary treatment, the heathen warriors fell on their knees, and lotued at once. They knew that aforetime they would have been eaten, instead of being preserved alive and wept over by their conquerors. Thus did Ono become Christian: love bowed the hearts of the people as the heart of one man, and Christ was glorified alike in the conquerors and in the conquered. In other islands, again, such as Lakemba, Mr. Lawry found the majority of the population still heathen, but the leaven of Christianity quietly and rapidly extending. Amidst a population of 1500, there were already 250 Christians; while, from the summit of a mountain in this island, he could look around him upon clusters of islands, with the delightful assurance that there was scarcely one of them in which there was not already some form of Christian agency, and some measure of 1855.] DEATH OF A YOUNG CHOCTAW. 131 Christian success. As he steered his way onward in the midst of coral reefs and sunken rocks, which strew those islands with so many wrecks, he was cheered, amid all the thick darkness that brooded over so many parts of Feejee, with the unequivocal signs of evangelic progress, constraining even hostile chiefs and people to acknowledge, "This lotu is a great thing." At one place the intelligence reached him of a whole town that had unexpectedly cast off heathenism in a day; at another place, he found a chief complaining that he could no longer send persons to the heathen dances, for nearly all his tribe had become Christian. A school was visited by him in one island, in which the bearded chief and his queen led the procession of the scholars, and repeated along with them the prescribed lessons of the day; while, in other places, his heart was warmed by being present at the prayer-meetings, and listening to the simple and often strangely eloquent prayers of the native Christians. "Lord, help us," said one of these worshippers-"help us to bear our cross; and, if it be heavy, help us to move on still, bending slowly! Untie the load of our sins. If this load were tied round our loins we could untie it ourselves; but as it is tied round our hearts we cannot untie it; but Thou canst. Lord, untie the burden now." (To be concluded in our next.) DEATH OF A YOUNG CHOCTAW. It is very painful to a Missionary to lose his native brethren. He needs them all, and many more, indeed, than he can ever expect to gather about him, to assist him in his labours. And if the brother who is taken has unusual qualifications for the Master's service, if he gives high promise as a fellow-worker unto the kingdom of God, the trial will be greatly increased. He Such a trial has fallen upon one of our Choctaw stations. The Missionary family at Lenox have been much comforted and assisted, since they began to reside at that place, by Ellis Wade, a young man of "rare talents, lovely disposition, buoyant spirit, and agreeable manners." was educated at Fort Coffee, where he became savingly interested in the doctrines of the gospel, as his exemplary life, and triumphant death, have clearly showed. He was a very efficient helper in the Missionary work, and his loss is severely felt by his people. His death-bed was eminently peaceful and happy. In speaking of his last hours, Dr. Hobbs writes as follows-"When told that we all desired and prayed that he might recover, but would try to say from the heart, 'Thy will, O God, be done,' he said, 'Yes, yes, yes. Thy will, O God, be done. I am young. I should like to do more for my family and country. But if my heavenly Father wishes me to go now, I am satisfied. It is right and best."'" His love for the Choctaws called forth the following message-"Give my love to all my people, and tell them to receive the gospel, believe in Jesus Christ, and be good Christians." His farewells will never be forgotten. To his wife he said, "We shall meet again. You will not always live in this wicked world. You will come soon to the happy world. I shall look for you; I shall look for you." "I am not afraid to die. I am going home." Waving his 132 THE BALE MISSIONARY SOCIETY. [NOV. hand, he said, "I bid you all farewell. Christians, be faithful to the end; and we shall meet in the blessed world above." Surely it is not a vain thing to engage in a work which brings forth such fruit! [Boston " Journal of Missions." www THE BALE MISSIONARY SOCIETY. THIS Society, one of the most ancient on the continent, was founded in 1816. Its Missionary Institution is one in every respect dear to us, yielding to us year by year a supply of valuable candidates for Missionary work, and thus reinforcing the ranks of the Church Missionary Society, as well as supplying the wants of that Society with which it is immediately connected. Some of our most valued Missionaries have come to us from the Bâle Institution. The financial position of the Bâle Society has become of late one of much difficulty, and an appeal was put forth in the spring of the present year, calling on the friends of Missions throughout Germany for increased efforts on its behalf. This has already produced about 40007., and some truly interesting instances of individual liberality have refreshed the hearts of those engaged in the direction of the work. At the late anniversaries at Bâle some of these facts were mentioned by M. Josenhans, the Principal of the Bâle Institution. A pious woman in a rural part of Würtemberg, having made a little profit by selling about sixty florins' worth of wine, brings forty of it (31. 6s. 8d.) to her pastor, as an answer to the Bâle appeal. Another woman of the same country had emigrated to America, seen all the members of her family die, and received the consolations of the gospel through the instrumentality of a Bâle Missionary: the President of the Society soon afterwards received from her a note for a thousand dollars (about 2007.), the fruit of her economy through a long period, and this rich "widow's mite" reaches Bâle at the moment of the greatest distress. But here is something finer still. Pastor Schaufler, also of Würtemburg, had two sons, both of whom he devoted to the Mission. The elder left for the Gold Coast, in Africa, and soon found a tomb under that deadly climate. The younger was still at the Bâle Institution. What does the father do? He writes to his youthful son-"Thy brother is with God: it is time that you thought of Africa. Go and ask the inspector to permit you to fill up the vacancy left by your brother." And the young Christian obeys with joy. The father also writes to the Committee "Do not abandon the Gold Coast, even although the graves of Missionaries should fill it with the dead like the trenches before Sebastopol. Resting on the promises of God, we are more sure to carry the African fortress than the allies to conquer Crimea." the The question had been agitated, "Will Christians make still greater efforts, or is it necessary to restrict the field of labour?" With such facts before them no one could counsel a limitation of the work, and the unanimous decision was, "Forward." N 1855.] ( 133 ) MOUNTAIN REGIONS. MOUNTAIN regions are full of torrents, which find their way through the valleys, until, gradually meeting, they form rivers. The higher the mountains, the more powerful are these torrents, and the mightier the rivers which at length issue forth from the mountain barrier to water SWINGING BRIDGE IN THE WESTERN HIMALAYAS.-Vide p. 135. 134 MOUNTAIN REGIONS. [DEC. the thirsty plains below. In this we see the gracious providence of God, "He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills." What would India be but for the lofty mountain ranges which bound her to the north? The rich plains of the Ganges would be a frightful desert, like the Sahara of Africa, the "ocean without water," as the Arabs call it. But amidst those lofty mountains noble rivers have their spring and birth-place, and, gradually increased by innumerable contributions, break forth into the lowlands, to water them and make them fertile. "O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! in wisdom hast Thou made them all the earth is full of Thy riches." The work of our own Society is like the course of a mighty river. It carries with it the gospel of Christ, and as it flows along it reclaims the desert, and the face of the earth is renewed. But the great stream of Christian love is made of many prayers, many efforts, many offerings, coming from those who lie hid from the world's eyes, like the deep valley and wooded glen through which a little tiny stream, not deep enough to reach the ankles, finds its way. It has trickled down from the peaks above, which are covered with eternal snow; and who would despise it because it is small? It is one of a multitude; and without the feeders where would be the great river in which they all unite, and which, mighty as it is, is dependent on these small beginnings? The Hindus, who are carnal and gross in all their ideas, aware that India owes its productiveness to the mighty rivers which flow throughout it, worship the stream, and fancy that the mountain region whence it comes is the dwelling-place of the gods. Hence Gungotra, at the source of the Ganges, and other like spots, are reckoned amongst their most holy places, and are visited by numerous pilgrims from the sultry plains below. Our Missionaries, also, from the more advanced stations in the hill countries, and the Punjab, have been entering into those mountain regions with very different objects in view. The Hindu goes on pilgrimage to do penance, and make satisfaction for his sins. The traveller from Europe penetrates the hot valleys, and climbs the lofty passes, where the atmosphere is so rarefied as to make breathing difficult, that, as a scientific man, he may acquire information, and put others in possession of what he has seen himself. Our Missionaries enter these difficult countries to seek out man. They know that, amidst those valleys and deep glens, overshadowed by the everlasting mountains, men have their dwelling. They are a part of the great human family, to each member of which the Saviour commanded His gospel to be preached; yet they know not of it. They have been shut up in their highland homes, and no man cared for their souls. It is right that they should be searched out, and that the results of those journeyings should be given to the Christian church: otherwise, they would remain unknown and unpitied, and another generation pass away without any effort being made to do good to their souls. And this is the course which must be pursued. Wherever a portion of the human race is lying in obscurity, endeavours must be made to give it prominence, and bring it out to the light. We may not mark out a certain portion of the world, a chosen field, and say, "Now let us attend to this first, and until we have finished our work here let us not look beyond, lest our attention be |