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(JlDrneU UtiitJctaity Htbrary 
 
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 CHARLES WILLIAM WASON 
 COLLECTION 
 
 CHINA AND THE CHINESE 
 
 THE GIFT OF ■ 
 CHARLES WILLIAM WASON 
 CLASS OF 187e 
 1918 
 
Cornell University Library 
 BV 2550.M71 
 
 A history of Wesleyan missions in al 
 
 3 1924 023 188 174 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of tliis book is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924023188174 
 
A HISTORY 
 
 W ESLE Y A N 21 1 S S I N S. 
 
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lai.inr stock, i.o.M'Ox. 
 

 TUE FATnER OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
HISTORY 
 
 OF 
 
 WESLEYAN MISSIONS, 
 
 IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD, 
 
 Fll().\t THEIR COMMENCEMENT TO THE PREHENT TIME. 
 
 3l!vt$ti;ate(l bij 'IJjumcriOxis Kngravings. 
 
 i;y the 
 
 R E V. W I L L I A M M I S T E E. 
 
 WITH AN INTRODUCTIOX BY THE 3EV. ELIJAIT HOOLE, D.D , 
 
 SECOND AND REVISED EDITION. 
 
 LONDOiS^ ; 
 ELLIOT STOCK, 62, PATEEKOSTER, rvOYv^, E.G. 
 
 1871. 
 
PEE FACE. 
 
 On returning home with impaired health, after many years 
 of arduous Missionary labour in foreign lauds, the author of 
 this book was delighted to tind such a general interest manifested 
 by British Christians in the great and important work to which 
 the best part of his life had been cheerfully devoted. As oppor- 
 tunities and health permitted, he felt a real pleasure in striving 
 to maintain, foster, and increase this interest, by advocating the 
 cause of Missions in the pulpit, on the platform, in the Sabbath- 
 school, and on every fitting occasion. With the same object iu 
 view, he was induced to publish his " Memorials of Missionary 
 Labours in Africa and the West Indies " — a work which was so 
 favourably received that it soon passed into a third edition. 
 This was followed by a volume of " Missionary Stories, Facts, 
 and Incidents," drawn chicfl)' from the writer's personal recol- 
 lections, observations, and journals, which has also had a wide 
 circulation. 
 
 AVith improved health and a comparatively light pastoral 
 charge, last year the author found leisure to prepare for the 
 press, and to publish his " Conversations on the Kise, Progress, 
 and Present State of Wesleyau Missions in various parts of the 
 World." This work was intended more especially for the bene- 
 fit of the rising generation, to show them what had been done 
 during the century which had elapsed since the commencement 
 of our Foreign Missions : but it met with such a favourable 
 reception generally that a second edition was called for within 
 a few months of its first publication. Instead, however, of 
 re-publishing the book in its original form, the author was 
 induced to re-write and re-arrange the whole, with a view to 
 render it still more worthy of the high commendations it had 
 received, and to make it such a "History of Wesleyan Missions 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 in all Parts of the World," as might prove useful as a book of 
 reference and general information for all classes. In carrying 
 out this object, the conversational style has been dropped, to 
 make room for a considerable quantity of new matter, and for 
 some important information derived from valuable manuscripts 
 and original letters of Mr. Wesley and Dr. Coke, recently como 
 to hand, most of which have never before been published. 
 
 The author desires to express his grateful acknowledgments 
 for valuable hints and suggestions which he has received from 
 the Kevs. Dr. Hoole, W. B. Hojcc, James Calvert, and some 
 other brethren, and for the aid which he has derived from their 
 published works, as well as those of the Rev. Drs. Dixon, 
 Jobson, Etheridge, Scott, Rule, and Horsford, and of the Rev. 
 Messrs. Marsden, Churchill, Wilson, Playter, CaroU, Bleby, Dun- 
 can, Samuel, Morgan, McErair, Fox, Smith, Broadbent, B. Shaw, 
 W. Shaw, Holden, S. Yoimg, R. Young, Williams, West, Barrett, 
 Strachan, Hunt, Cargill, Arthur, Harvard, Hard}', Newstead, 
 Robinson, and Piercy. These and many other authors, as well 
 as the official records of the Society, have been laid under con- 
 tribution, so far as matters of fact are concerned, in order to 
 make the work as comprehensive and complete as was practi- 
 cable within a compass of a single volume. The writer vrill 
 receive with gratitude from his friends and brethren any further 
 communications which ma)" tend to make the work still more 
 perfect in future editions ; and whilst he commends his laboiu's 
 to the blessing of Ciod, he will continue to contribute all the 
 pecuniary profits which he may roaHse from the publication of 
 this and his other works to the funds of the ''Weslevau 
 Missionary Society." 
 
 W. M. 
 Sedbeeoh, Yorkshire. 
 
I N '1^ R O D U C T T 0' N. 
 
 l\/riSSIONS form tlio most pleasing part of the History 
 -'-'-^ of the Churcb. TIaey carry us away from disputes 
 concerning precedence among ecclesiastics, from rjuarrelliug 
 Synods, and from General Councils of doubtful authority ; 
 and exhibit the true life of Gbristia,nity, iu the endeavours 
 of holy men to spread the knowledge of the Gospel, and its 
 salvation, among those who were ready to perish. 
 
 Missions also contribute their testimony to the truth of 
 Christianity. In the Bible we read that God "hath made 
 of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of 
 the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, 
 and the bounds of their habitations : that they should seek 
 the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him 
 though he be not far from any one of us " (Acts xvii. 26, 27) , 
 If this declai'ation of inspired truth required any confirma- 
 tion, that confirmation is found in the history of modem 
 Missions. Men of all races have received the Gospel. 
 The touch of grace, like "a touch of nature, makes the 
 v,'hole world kin." The 300 inhabitants of Easter Island, 
 in the Pacific Ocean, 1,000 miles from any other laud, 
 dwelling among gigantic sculptures of unknown origin, 
 and of remote anticjuitj', may not have been reached by 
 Christian effort ; but men of the same race iu other 
 Islands of the Pacific have been received into the fellow- 
 ship of the Church. The same may be said of the in- 
 habitants of the remote regions of Asia and Africa, which 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 will in due time be reached by the leaven of the Gospel. 
 " In Him shall all the famiKes of the earth be blessed." 
 
 Science, the knowledge of language, and commerce have 
 been much indebted to Missions. It must also be acknow- 
 ledged that the success of modern Missions has been much 
 indebted to the discoveries of science, and the extension ol 
 commerce, as well as to the unparalleled colonisation from 
 the British shores. The use of steam by sea has brought 
 remote places within easy distance of each other. Eail- 
 roads and telegraphs have also increased the facility of 
 communication. The abundance of gold in some lands, 
 and the pressing over-population of the British Isles, have 
 led to the peopling of whole regions, heretofore almost 
 unknown, with civilised communities. While we exclaim 
 with wonder, "What hath God Avrought !" we acknowledge 
 that the course of events under the Divine blessing has 
 tended to produce the results over which we now rejoice. 
 
 The great extension of Wesleyan Missions so clearly and 
 accurately stated in this volume, has taken place within 
 living memory. There are members of the General 
 Committee who wore acquainted with William AVarrener, 
 the first Missionary sent to the AVest Indies. They knew 
 Dr. Coke, the founder of the AA^est India Missions, and who 
 laid down the plan of Methodism in America, under Air. 
 Wesley's direction. They esteemed the men who accom- 
 panied the Doctor when he took his departure for the East ; 
 they also knew the Shaws of South Africa, the Alorgaus, the 
 Daviscs, the Freemans, and other noble and devoted men 
 who were the means of leavening AA^estern Africa with Chris- 
 tian doctrine. They have seen Missionaries successively 
 prepared and sent out to the utmost parts of the earth, little 
 less than two thousand in number, and have witnessed a 
 measure of li])erality among poor and rich for the support 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 of Missions unparalleled since the clays of the Apostles. 
 There has been no lack of men for the service ; such as 
 Threlfall, Whitelej', Hill, Baker, and others, who have ob- 
 tained the crown of martyrdom. Eminent scholars, such 
 as Gogerly, Clougii, and Hardy ; eloquent preachers, such 
 as Arthur and Punshon; bold pioneers, such as Boardmau, 
 Pilmore, Black, Thomas, Lawry, Waterhouse, and Burt ; 
 diligent translators, such as Hunt, Hazel wood, Lyth, 
 Calvert, Rule, Newstead, Fletcher, Boyce, Appleyard, and 
 Tindall. Year after year bands of men whose hearts God 
 had touched, have presented themselves to the Committee 
 readj' to go wherever the Church under the guidance of 
 Divine Providence may send them, and they have had vith 
 them the true spirit and power of the Gospel. " God gave 
 the Word, and great was the company of those that puli- 
 iished it. Kings of armies did flee apace, and she that 
 tarried at home divided the spoil." 
 
 English Methodism, "she that tarried at home," is re- 
 presented by such advocates of Missions as Adam Clarke, 
 Jabez Bunting, Bichard Watson, James Buckley, Eobert 
 Smith, John James, and a host of laymen too numerous to 
 mention, whose memories are embalmed in many hearts, 
 and whose names are written in heaven. The effects of 
 Missions on those who " tarried at home " cannot be over- 
 rated, enlargement of acquaintance with the condition of 
 mankind in general ; their idolatries, immoralities, and 
 miseries ; deep concern to find how greatly we have been 
 "verily guilty concerning our brother," in having looked 
 on with indifference while he was perishing, and even help- 
 ing his tyrants and oppressors ; a kindling of zeal on his 
 behalf, and an accumulation of sorrow, and compassion, 
 and indignation, which at length flooded the country and 
 legislature, and secured the emancipation of the captives in 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 the West Indies, and the abohtion of slavery throughout 
 the world; and the suppression of the murder of women and 
 children, and of the sick and aged in India, under the pre- 
 tence of religion. All this was achieved in the face of the 
 determined opposition of po^verful parties in the State, and 
 the cruellest scoffs and ridicule of men of wit and learning ; 
 and meantime evangelical piety was on the increase, the 
 leaven of the Gospel permeating all classes of Society. The 
 hand of God is to he seen in the work thus wrought. 
 
 But more extraordinary, if possible, vfere the effects pro- 
 duced among the heathen. In the West Indies the power- 
 ful superstition of Obeaism ceased, marriage and the 
 sanctity of familj' life took the place of unbounded licen- 
 tiousness ; in Africa the Kaffir was found clothed and 
 seated at the feet of Jesus ; while from the uttermost 
 parts of the earth — Australia, New Zealand, the Tonga 
 Islands, and Fiji — were heard songs of praise, giving glory 
 to the " Eighteous One," with whom they had now become 
 acquainted, by the Word of God and the power of the Holy 
 Ghost, through the ministry of the messengers of the 
 Churches. 
 
 A writer on Missions has said that ''the Methodists 
 make a great talk about any good they may do.'' He 
 further proceeds to remark, '■' there is much in their 
 system which cherishes a spirit of self-complacency and 
 self-sufficiency. There is also about them too much of 
 the spirit of display ; they do nothing in a corner if the 
 exhibition of it may bring them any credit with the world." 
 — Broivii's Tlisfoi-ij of Missions, Vol. I. p. 5-17. We accept 
 the caution against vainglory : but we are not to be 
 restrained from declaring the wonderful works of the Lord 
 and from calling upon all who love and fear Him to unite 
 with us in blessing and praising His holy name, because 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 "He is good, and His mercy eudureth for ever." We cau 
 never sufficiently praise Him for the work He is now carry- 
 ing on in tlie heatlien world, and among His ancient people, 
 the Jews, and for the promises of Holy Writ yet to he ful- 
 filled : "It shall come, that I will gather all nations and 
 tongues ; and they shall come, and see My glory. And I will 
 set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape 
 of them unto the nations, to Tarshish (Spain), Pul (Asia), 
 and Lud (Africa), that draw the how, to Tuhal (Eussia), 
 and Javan (Greece), to the isles afar off (Britain and 
 American islands and continent), that have not heard My 
 fame, neither have seen My glory ; and they shall declare 
 My glory among the Gentiles " (Isaiah Ixvi. 18, 19). 
 
 It is now generally acknowledged that heathen people 
 are to he converted to Christianity by the labours of their 
 own countrymen chiefly. Missionaries may commence the 
 work, and may for some time be necessary for its super- 
 intendence ; hut the main body of labourers must be 
 natives. The Eev. Egerton Eyerson, now Dr. Eyerson, 
 was the means of the conversion of Peter Jones, and of 
 Shawundais, a native Indian chief, who still survives and 
 is venerated as the Eev. John Sunday ; and who, hy the 
 blessing of God, can count his converts and fellow-labourers 
 among the Indians of Canada in great numbers. In the 
 Hudson's Bay Territory, Henry Steinhaur and John Sin- 
 clair are native Missionaries. In Ceylon, Continental India, 
 and Southern and Western Africa, in the highly favoured 
 Tonga Islands, Fiji, and Eotumah Missions, the work is 
 carried on to a large extent hy native agents ; and in other 
 parts of the world ministers have been raised up, as the 
 fruit of Missionary labour, who, for talents, zeal, and 
 success, would compare favourably with the evangelists of 
 any country in Christendom. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Wliile tins Introduction is jOcassing through the jjress, 
 authentic accounts are received of extensive a^A'akenings 
 and conversions in tlie Soutli Sea IshT,nds, in the West 
 Indies, and in South Africa, reminding us of nianj' simihir 
 scenes wliicli have occurred on the ilissions in past years 
 under the faithful preaching of the AVord of God. By 
 Divine mercy there are multitudes hefore the throne of God 
 in heaven the fruit of Missionary labour, and there are 
 still greater multitudes preparing to join them in their 
 happj' employment. They come from the east and the 
 west, and the north and the south, to sit down in the 
 kingdom of God. 
 
 Protestant Missions for the conversion of the heathen to 
 Christianity are not of a very ancient date, and the name 
 of the Wesleys is connected with their earliest rise. It 
 has been stated, on good authority, that " the Missionary 
 spirit was a passion in the AYesle}' family when 
 Christian Missions scarcely existed. John Wesley, the 
 grandfather of the Wesleys, after being ejected from his 
 church living in 1G6'2, longed to go as a Missionary, first to 
 Surinam, and afterwards to Maryland. Samuel Wesley, 
 his son, when between thirty and forty years of age, formed 
 a magnificent scheme to go as a Missionary to India, 
 China, and Abyssinia : and in the last year of his life, 
 most sincerely lamented that ho was not young enough to 
 go to Georgia. His sons, John and Charles, then at 
 Oxford, caught his spirit, and actually went to Georgia, 
 John Wesley having it particularly in view to preach the 
 Gospel to the American Indians." — See Life a)id Times of 
 Samuel Wesley, p. 432. 
 
 These stirrings of the Wesley family towards the heathen 
 preceded the operations of the Societies which afterwards 
 took up the work of Missions. The " Society for Pro- 
 
INTRODUCrWA'. 
 
 moting Clivistian Knowledge," founded in 1G98, established 
 a connection with the first Protestant Mission to the 
 heathen, the Danish Mission to tlie Hindus at Tanquebar, 
 in 1709. The " Society for the Propagation of the Gospel 
 in Foreign Parts," incorporated in 1701, does not appear 
 to have had any Missions to the heathen for many years 
 after its formation. John Wesley did not acknowledge 
 himself a Missionary of this Society when in America ; 
 nor would he receive a salary from them ; but he furnished 
 them with most valuable reports as to the state of the 
 settlements and the proceedings of the clergymen employed 
 by them. The journals of that eminent man show how his 
 heart yearned over the heathen, and how willing he would 
 have been to devote his life to their spiritual benefit. 
 Divine Providence permitted his wish to be frustrated, and 
 directed his course back to his native land for the accom- 
 plishment of a greater work than was possible, humanly 
 speaking, among the scattered population of America at 
 that time. 
 
 The circumstances connected with the introduction of 
 Methodism into America are related at large in the pages 
 of this work. Particulars are also given of the commence- 
 ment of Methodist Missions to the heathen in the West 
 Indies in 1786, as well as in other countries in after j'ears. 
 Many providential circumstances concurred to favour the 
 benevolent work among the negroes at its commencement ; 
 and to the present day the blessing of God has rested 
 upon it. 
 
 In reference to Missions, at this early date, Mr. S. D. 
 Waddy is in possession of an original document of some 
 value, and of more than usual interest. It is entitled, 
 "A Plan of the Society for the establishment of Missions 
 among the Heathen;" the annual subscription consti- 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 tuting a member being two guineas. The General Meeting 
 of the Society to be held on tlie last Tuesday in January 
 1784. A List of Contributions is published, amounting 
 to £66 3s. Od., and a letter is addressed to the Eev. John 
 Fletcher, of Madeley, requesting his co-operation. It is 
 signed " Thomas Coke," vrho was no doubt the author of 
 the following address : — 
 
 " TO ALL THE REAL LOVERS OF MANKIMJ. 
 
 " The present, institution is so agrecal)le to the finest feelings of piety 
 and benevolence, that little need be added for its recommendation. The 
 candid of every denomination (even those who are entirely unconnected 
 with the Methodists, and are determined so to be) wiU aclvnowledge the 
 amazing change wliicli our preaching has wi'onght upon tlie ignorant and 
 uncivilised, at least throughout these nations ; and they will admit that 
 the spirit of a Missionary must be of tire most zealous, most devoted, and 
 self-denying kind : nor is anything more required to constitute a Mis- 
 sionary' for the heathen nations than good sense, integrity, great piety, 
 and amazing zeal. Men possessing all these qualifications in a high degree 
 wc have among us, and I dou.bt not but some of these will accept of tlie 
 arduous undertaking, not counting their lives dear, if they may but 
 promote the kingdom of Christ, and the present and eternal welfare of their 
 fellow-creatures. And we trust nothing shall be wanting, as far as time, 
 strength, and abiUtiea will admit, to give the fullest and liighest satisfac- 
 tion to the promoters of the plan, on the part of 
 
 " Tour devoted servants, 
 
 "TnOMAS COKT^, 
 
 "Thomas Paekek. 
 
 " Those who arc willing to promote the institution are desired to send 
 their names, places of abode, and sums subscribed, to the Eev. Dr. Coke, 
 in London, or Thomas Parker, Esq., Barrister-at-law, in York." 
 
 Animated by the spirit which dictated this " Address," 
 Dr. Coke, encouraged by Mr. Weslej', never ceased his 
 endeavours on behalf of Africa, the West Indies, and the 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 East. When nearly alone he had to hear the burden of 
 providing means for the support of Missions, he was not 
 discouraged. As a lover of humanity, and as a diligent 
 student of prophecy, he looked forward with joy and con- 
 fidence to the success of Missionary efforts ; and the result 
 showed that he had not been mistaken : he reaped a full 
 and glorious reward. 
 
 In the year 1804, on the departure of the Doctor for 
 America, a Committee Avas appointed to undertake the 
 management of the Missions which had for more than 
 twenty years chiefly devolved on himself, the Eev. Joseph 
 Benson, president; William Marriot, Esq., treasurer ; and 
 Joseph Butterworth, Esq., secretary. 
 
 On Dr. Coke's appointment to India in 1813, the Society 
 v/as reorganised, and in the course of a few years was 
 placed upon its present permanent footing. 
 
 Many volumes of great interest relating to the Missions 
 Have been published, but in no case has an entire history of 
 the whole been attempted, until Mr. Moister's publication 
 of last year, addressed chiefly to youthful readers, which, 
 meeting with much encouragement, has been improved and 
 enlarged so as to form the volume now submitted to the 
 reader. This undertaking has had the approval of the 
 authorities of the Missionary Society, and its accomplish- 
 ment is regarded as a fitting completion of the many 
 works omMissions which the author's extensive parsonal 
 knowledge and diligent researches have enabled him to 
 publish, to the great advantage of the cause to which his 
 life has been devoted. 
 
 ELIJAH HOOLE. 
 
 Wesleyan Mission House, 
 
 Bishopsgate-street Within, London. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 ( nAI-. I'AGE 
 
 I. EUROPE 3 
 
 II. AMEPdCA 51 
 
 in. THE WEHT IXniES 109 
 
 IV. WESTERN AFRICA I.j3 
 
 Y. SOU TIIERN AFRICA 206 
 
 VI. AUSTRALIA 202 
 
 VII. NEW ZEALAND zm 
 
 VIII. THE FRIENULY ISLANDS 352 
 
 IX. THE FIJI ISLANDS 403 
 
 X. LNDIA 453 
 
 XI. CLilNA 5H 
 
 XII. THE RETRdSrECr 533 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 CHAPTEEI. 
 EUROPE. 
 
 ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND IRELAND THE BRITISH ISLES FRANCE, 
 
 SWITZERLAND, AND GERMANY GIBRALTAR, SPAIN, AND ITALY 
 
 MALTA AND THE MEDITERRANEAIJ. 
 
 T has been admitted by writers of almost every shade of poli- 
 tical opinion, that, at the commencement of the seventeenth 
 century, religion and morality were at a very low ebb throughout 
 the length and breadth of England and the British Isles. The 
 clergy of the Established Church, with few exceptions, were 
 notoriously addicted to the pleasm-es of the world, and manifested 
 little regard for the spiritual interests of their parishioners ; whilst 
 the ministers and members of Dissenting congregations exhibited a 
 fearful lack of spiritual life in their religious worship and church 
 organisations. The result was a general disregard for religion 
 among all classes of people, and the prevalence of infidelity and 
 crime in almost every part of the land. It was at this juncture, 
 and in this special time of need, that God, in His providence, 
 raised up the Kev. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, his 
 pious and devoted brother Charles, and other good men, who took 
 a prominent part in that wonderful religious movement, which was 
 
 b2 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 so truly missionary in its character, being designed to "spread 
 Scriptm-al holiness throughout the land." 
 
 Some difference of opinion has been expressed by persons who 
 would be very exact in matters of history, as to the precise time 
 and place of the origin of this great work. But it is not our 
 province to decide whether Epworth or Oxford has the best claim 
 to the honour of being regarded as the cradle of Methodism. In 
 
 JOHN WESLEY. 
 
 tracing the rise and progress of Wesleyan Missions, it may bo 
 sufficient to state very briefly the simple facts of the case. It was 
 in the yeai- 1729 that Messrs. John and Charles Wesley, who had 
 been so piously trained at their Epworth home by their in- 
 comparable mother, began to hold religious meetings with some 
 of their fellow students at Oxford, for their mutual edification. 
 The peculiar strictness of their moral conduct, the systematic 
 
EUROPE. 
 
 manner in which they economised their time, and the zeal and 
 earnestness with which they laboured for the temporal and spiritual 
 benefit of then- fellow-men, exposed them to much persecution, and 
 brought upon them by way of reproach, the name of Methodists. 
 This innocent designation was ultimately accepted as one that 
 could do nobody any harm, and which might serve to distinguish 
 a body of people which were destined, in the order of Divine 
 Providence, to become a numerous, powerful, and influential branch 
 of the Christian Church, for the spread of the Gospel thi-oughout 
 the world. 
 
 The genuine missionary spirit which actuated the founder of 
 Methodism from the very commencement of his career was beauti- 
 fully exemplified in the readiness with which he took leave of his 
 widowed mother, and embarked for America a few months after 
 his dear father's death, in 1735. And although his pleasant dream 
 of converting the Indians to the faith of the Gospel was not fully 
 realized, there is sufficient evidence, in the touching records which 
 he has given in his journals of the interviews and conversations 
 which he had with red men of the West, that, if Providence had 
 permitted, it was in his heart to live and die with them. The 
 great Head of the Chm'ch designed John Wesley for a higher posi- 
 tion than that of an individual missionary in the xnai field of the 
 world. He was to be the chief instrument in organizing a 
 missionary system which should extend its influence not only to 
 the simple children of the forest, who had such a warm place in 
 his loving heart, but to " every nation and people and kindred and 
 tongue." If Mr. Wesley's mission to Georgia was in some respects 
 a failm-e, it was not useless or unfruitful. It was one of the links 
 in that chain of circumstances which ultimately led to such wonder- 
 ful results. In that far off land, and when tossing on the mighty 
 ocean, Wesley was brought into contact with a class of men who 
 were possessed of clearer views and stronger faith than he had ever 
 known before. At the feet of these disciples of Christ the strong- 
 minded theologian sat with the humility and meekness of a little 
 child, to learn more fully the lessons of a Saviour's love. The 
 work of evangelical enlightenment so hopefully commenced in the 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 mind of Mr. Wesley through the institimentahty of the Moravian 
 brethren in America, and on the voyage, v^as matured on his 
 return to England by means of his hallowed intercourse with good 
 Peter Bohler, one of their general superintendents or bishops. 
 Then came the grand crisis, on that memorable Wednesday evening 
 in the month of May, 1738, when Wesley was assembled with a 
 few Ckristian brethren at a little meeting in Aldersgate-street. One 
 of the members was reading Luther's preface to the Epistle to the 
 Romans, when, about a quarter before nine o'clock, whilst the 
 simple plan of justification by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ was 
 being clearly set forth, the humble penitent seeker was enabled 
 to believe to the full salvation of his soul. "I felt my heart 
 strangely warmed," says Weslejr, " and felt that I did trust in 
 Cln-ist — Christ alone — for salvation ; and an assurance was given 
 me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from 
 the law of sin and death." 
 
 From this eventful period in the history of the founder of 
 Methodism may be dated the commencement of that wonderful 
 career of evangelical labour which has been the admiration of the 
 world. Having thus at length emerged fi'om comparative darlaiess 
 into the glorious hglit of the Gospel, and found for himself the 
 pearl of great price, the heart of John "Wesley bui'ued witliin him 
 to proclaim the way of salvation to the perishing sons of men. In 
 connexion with his brother Charles, Mr. Whitfield, and others, 
 who had been made partakers of the like precious faith, he went 
 forth in the name and strength of the Lord to pii'oclaim a present, 
 free, and full salvation to penitent sinners. The churches in the 
 metropolis, and other places in which these men of God had been 
 wont occasionally to minister as duly authorized Clergj'men, were 
 soon closed against them, and they saw that their religious move- 
 ment, which they intended for the quickening and revival of the 
 established Church of England, would probably take another 
 direction. Nothing daunted by the taunts, and sneers, and hostile 
 attitude of wicked men, and wilUng to be led by Divine Providence, 
 Wesley and his associates went out into the highways and hedges 
 and, with all the power of loving entreaty, earnest exhortation, and 
 
EUROPE. 
 
 sympathetic tears, they compelled men to come in to the Gospel 
 feast. 
 
 Field preaching, to which Mr. Wesley and his coadjutors were 
 at first driven by dire necessity, when they were excluded from 
 the pulpits of the churches, soon became a popular institution, and 
 congregations, sometimes numbering tens of thousands, might be 
 seen assembled together in Moorfields, on Kennington Common, 
 
 GEORGE WHITFIELD. 
 
 and in other public places, listening with devout attention to the 
 heralds of the Cross. Thus, without any contrivance of theu-s, 
 and owing to circumstances over which they had no control, 
 multitudes were brought under the sound of the Gospel who would 
 never have entered a church to hear it. The Divine influence 
 which attended the preaching on the occasions of these miscel- 
 laneous gatherings was sometimes overwhelming; and it is believed 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 that hundreds of sinners were saved, who might have been lost if 
 the preachers had strictly confined themselves to canonical rules 
 and regulations. Hence it appears, from the earliest stages of its 
 history, Methodism was pre-eminently a child of Providence ; evei-y 
 step that was taken being clearly indicated by an invisible but 
 overruling Power. 
 
 Nor was the hand of Divine Providence less conspicuous in the 
 circumstances which led to the erection of separate places of 
 worship, and the employment of lay preachers to aid in carrying 
 on the good work. Preaching in the open air answered very well 
 during the summer months; but when the pelting rains, the bleak 
 winds, and chiUing frosts of autumn and winter came, the neA\'ly- 
 gathered flocks required places of shelter in which they might 
 worship God and enjoy those social means of grace which are so 
 necessary for the maintenance of spu-itual rehgion. Hence arose 
 the necessity of the erection of those plain and humble sanctuaries, 
 at first called "preaching houses," but afterwards more appropri- 
 ately designated " chapels." As the work extended, and IMcthodist 
 chapels and other preaching places were multiplied in various parts 
 of the country, the necessity of an increase in the number of 
 preachers was a natural consequence. Strange as it may appear, 
 Mr. Wesley was still ardently attached to the chmxh which had 
 excluded him from her pulpits, and was anxious, as far as possible, 
 to conform to her discipline ; but with all his ingenuit}" he could 
 not meet the demand for ministerial labour resulting from the 
 success of the enterprise, so long as he confined the work to him- 
 self, his brother, and the few other Clergj-men who joined with 
 them in their pious but erratic course of proceeding. A selection 
 was therefore made from among the converts of such as were most 
 distinguished by their piety, zeal, and talents, and they were 
 employed as prayer-leaders, cxhorters, and occasional expounders 
 of the Scriptures. The first person thus emplojxd was a j'onng 
 man named Thomas Maxficld, who gave umbrage to his friend and 
 patron, by ascending from the desk to the pulpit at the Foundrj' in 
 his absence. The young aspirant would probably have received a 
 severe rebuke, had it not been for the timely interposition of the 
 
EUROPE. 
 
 mother of the Wesleys, who had heard him. " Take care," said 
 the noble-minded woman to her indignant son, " what you do with 
 respect to that young man, for he is as sm-ely called to preach the 
 Gospel as you are." Under the influence of such testimony, 
 Mr. Wesley submitted to what he believed to be the order of God, 
 and young Maxfield became the first of a long list of devoted men 
 who faithfully and successfully preached the Gospel in the Methodist 
 Connexion, without the imposition of episcopal hands. 
 
 The origin of class-meetings, band-meetings, love-feasts, watch- 
 nights, and other means of grace peculiar to the Methodists, was 
 no less remarkable in its providential aspect. The self-den}'ing 
 labom-s of the Wesleys, and their noble band of itinerant preachers 
 would, in all probabilitj^, have been no more permanent iu their 
 results than those of other popular evangelists which might Ijc 
 named, had no provision been made for the sj'stematic pastoral 
 oversight of the new converts. But by a train of circumstances 
 entirely unpremeditated, the founder of Methodism was led, step 
 by step, to make arrangements for the spiiitual edification and 
 instruction of his people, and for their compact union in a well- 
 organized Connexion. Kespect was paid to the same principle of 
 unity and cohesion in the formation of Societies, Circuits, and 
 Districts, with their weekly, quarterlj', and annual meetings, for 
 the proper division of ministerial labour, and the exercise of 
 general discipline. When the whole country was thus divided into 
 separate spheres of evangelical labour, and every man at his post, 
 it was a beautiful sight to see the venerable and apostohc Wesley 
 mounted on his faithful steed, travelling vi'ilh amazing rapidity 
 from town to town, taking the general oversight of the work, in 
 the true spirit of a primitive bishop. 
 
 The principal centres of Methodistio influence in England at the 
 commencement of the enterprise were London, Bristol, and New- 
 castle-upon-Tyne, where large numbers of poor colliers, and the 
 labouring classes generally, were brought under the influence of 
 the Gospel, and many of them savingly converted to God. The 
 work was afterwards extended to Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, 
 York, Norwich, Cornwall, and other counties, cities, towns. 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 villages, and rural districts. In many places, in the course of 
 time, beautiful chapels were erected, large congregations gathered, 
 and interesting Societies organised, whilst considerable attention 
 was paid to the training of the rising generation by the establish- 
 ment of Sabbath and week-day schools in various parts of the 
 kingdom. Nor was the mental improvement of junior Ministers, 
 and the intellectual culture of our young men generally, neglected. 
 Ordination to the full work of the ministry by the imposition of 
 hands, having been adopted by the Conference, and all the attri- 
 butes of a Christian Church having been given to the Wesleyan 
 Societies, superior schools, colleges, and seminaries of learning 
 were established in different places, some for the education of 
 youth generally, and others for the training of our rising ministry 
 exclusively. Thus did Methodism grow and expand in all its 
 departments, till its influence had extended to almost every village 
 and hamlet in England and Wales ; and such were its power and 
 respectability that it ultimately took its place among the most 
 prominent and influential Noncomformist churches in the land. 
 It might appear invidious to mention the names of individual 
 Ministers who took a prominent part in the work of Methodism iu 
 this country at an early period ; but the labom-s of such men as 
 William Thompson, Samuel Bradbm'n, Joseph Benson, Adam 
 Clarke, Richard Watson, P^obert Newton, Jabcz Bunting, and a 
 host of others, will never be forgotten. 
 
 But whilst we rejoice over the success which has attended the 
 mission of Methodism in England, we must not close our ej'es to 
 the solemn fact that much yet remains to be done. Rapid as has 
 been the progress of om- denomination in this highly favoured 
 land, it has scarcely kept pace with the still more rapid increase of 
 the population. If it be true that there are at the present time 
 more unconverted sinners in England than there were in the days 
 of Wesley and Whitfield, surely every body of professing Christians, 
 and especially a missionary Church like ours, should be awake to 
 the importance of the occasion. It is lamentable to contemplate 
 the extent to which the Sabbath is desecrated and the worship of 
 God neglected in many of our large cities and towns, as well as in 
 
EUROPE. 
 
 many rural districts. Hence the necessity of falling back upon the 
 great principles so clearly recognised and so highly prized by the 
 early Methodists, and especially by our honoured founder, that 
 every Methodist preacher should regard himself as in a certain sense 
 a Home Missionary ; that the people should be zealous, united, and 
 liberal in the cause of God, remembering the well-known mottoes, 
 
 WESLEYAS SOLDIERS' CHURCH, ALDEESHOT. 
 
 " one and all," " all at work and always at work." To give every 
 member of the community an opportunity of doing something 
 towards the evangeHsation of the long-neglected parts of oui- own 
 country, our "Home Mission and Contingent Fund" has been 
 established. This important fund, for the assistance of poor 
 Circuits and for the support of the Gospel in destitute locahties. 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 was originated by Mr. Wesley himself; and, as recently amplified 
 and extended in its operations, it is doing a gi-eat work. In addi- 
 tion to various gi-ants made in aid of the ordinary circuit work of 
 Methodism, it helps to sustain seventy-fom- Home Missionaries, and 
 eleven Ministers who are appointed to labour for the benefit of 
 Wesloyans in the Aimy and Koyal Navy. The principal military 
 station is at Aldershot, where two Wesleyan chaplains are usefully 
 employed. It is an interesting sight to see the men marching to 
 parade service on Sunday mornings ; and it is still more pleasing 
 to witness their devout attention to the Word of God. In con- 
 nection with the Home Missionary work of Methodism, a useful 
 sphere of labom- is found, not only for Ministers, but also for the 
 pious and devoted members of the church. Christian ladies have 
 been usefully employed as visitors, and their labours have been 
 made a blessing to many a poor family. 
 
 But it is time to travel northward, and to consider what 
 Methodism has done for the people beyond the Border. 
 
 On Wednesday, the 2-fth of April, 1751, Mr. Wesley, accom- 
 panied by one of his preachers named Christopher Hopper, paid 
 his first visit to Scotland, not with the intention of preaching, 
 however, but merely to make his observations on a eountr)^ and 
 people who had figured so prominently in general and ecclesiastical 
 history, and in which he felt a livolj' interest. From their peculiar 
 theological views, and from their high character for religion and 
 morality, the founder of Methodism seems to have concluded that 
 the Scots would have no desire for his ministrations. But in this 
 he was mistaken. He had no sooner passed over the Tweed, than his 
 presence in North Britain was hailed by manj- with evident tokens of 
 gratitude and joy ; and, at the earnest request of the people, ho 
 preached in various places, especially at Dunbar and ^Musselburgh, 
 with a freedom and power which S(K'mcd to surprise both himself and 
 his hearers." The impression made upon Mr. Wesley's mind by this 
 
 * Tlio (-'Imriirli'i- mill aim of j\rctIioiliRin wero not entirely unknown acriis^ Tlio 
 liordrr at tlii.s rarly ^n'vioil. Both in Dnnli.ar and Musseltmrsrli small Suriitirs 
 of iiimis sitldici's from JmIiu Ifainr.s la'Lciuient of dragoons in Flandm's liad lippn 
 formed, wluLdi "w^ero niadc a blessiuij; to tlic toAvnsmen ; and it is believed that this 
 
EUROPE. 
 
 13 
 
 hasty visit appears to have been very favourable ; for, adverting to 
 it in his Journal, he says, " I know not why any should complain 
 of ihe shyness of the Soots towards strangers. All I spoke with 
 were as free and open with me as the people of Newcastle or 
 Bristol ; nor did any person move any dispute of any kind, or ask 
 
 HOME MISSION COTTAGE VISITOR. 
 
 visit of Mr. Wesley to North Britain was owing mainly to an inritation which ho 
 had received from a military officer then quartered at one of these places. This 
 introduction of Methodism into Scotland, through the instrumentality of converted 
 soldiers, is one of many instances which will come under our notice, as we trace 
 the history of Missions, in which pious men connected with the Army and Navy 
 have been the pioneers of the regular Missionary, and should tend to increase our 
 interest in the spiritual welfare of these classes of our fellow-men. 
 
14 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 me any question concerning my opinions." He was strongly 
 urged by several influential persons to remain longer in Scotland ; 
 but his engagements in England obliged bim reluctantly to decline 
 the invitation. Under these circumstances, he says, "All I could 
 do was to promise that llr. Hopper would come back and spend a 
 few days with them." 
 
 Mr. Wesley repeated his visit to North Britain ths following 
 year with evident pleasure ; and, at intervals, his Preachers who 
 were stationed in Northumberland responded to the calls which 
 were made for their services beyond the Border, as they had 
 opportunity. The results of these and subsequent visits of the 
 founder of Methodism and his fellow-laboui-ers in the Gospel was 
 so satisfactory, that ultimately Wesleyan Ministers were regularly 
 appointed to labour there, and the country was divided into 
 Circuits, on the plan adopted in England and Wales. It may be 
 freely admitted, however, without any reflection on the labourers 
 or the system, that Methodism has not taken such deep root or 
 had so extensive a range in Scotland as in some other parts of the 
 British empire, for various reasons which might be easily assigned. 
 It has, nevertheless, been made a great blessing to the country by 
 reviving and stimulating to action other religious communities, as 
 well as by directly promoting the personal salvation and religious 
 edification of multitudes of people. Commodious places of wor- 
 ship have been erected and Societies formed in Edinburgh, Glasgow, 
 Greenock, Leith, Dunbar, Dumbarton, Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth, 
 and other places, and if comparatively little has been done by 
 Methodism for the rui'al districts of Scotland, it is satisfactory to 
 know that more ample pro^'ision is made for the religious instruc- 
 tion of the scattered population in the country by other churches 
 than in many places. The cause of Methodism in North Britain 
 has suffered severely for several years past from financial pressure, 
 in the form of chapel debts and otherwise. But the noble move- 
 ment recently inaugurated, for the pm-pose of raising the sum of 
 JE10,000 aa a sustentation and extension fund, if well sustained, 
 will no doubt afi'ord considerable relief; and, with the blessing of 
 God upon the labours of His faithful servants, there is ground to 
 
EUROPE. 
 
 15 
 
 anticipate a bright and prosperous future for Methodism in Scotland, 
 which ah-eady numbers thirtij-two Ministers and about four thousand 
 church members. 
 
 We must now turn our attention to Ikeland, a country which 
 has so long been the great difficulty of statesmen and a source of 
 anxiety to Christian philanthropists. The introduction of Methodism 
 into the sister kingdom was attended by some interesting ciromn- 
 stances of a truly providential character, and which are deserving 
 of notice. When Mr. Wesley landed in Dublin for the first time, 
 on Sunday morning, the 9th of August, 1747, he found a small 
 Society of zealous Methodists already organized, who, from their 
 acquaintance with his character and writings, received him as their 
 father and friend, although they had never seen him before. These 
 earnest disciples of Christ had been gathered out of the world and 
 brought to a saving knowledge of the truth through the instru 
 mentality of Mr. Williams, one of Wesley's early Preachers, who 
 had crossed over to Ireland some time before. The generous, 
 bland, and courteous boaiing of the Irish people seems to have 
 made a favourable impression on the mind of the founder of 
 Methodism from the very first ; and on their part they showed 
 that they duly appreciated the value and importance of that free, 
 full, and present salvation which he and his associates came to 
 offer for their acceptance. Hence, notwithstanding the hindrances 
 arising from Popish darkness and superstition, the general poverty 
 of the people, and the frequent losses from emigration, Ireland has 
 proved a fruitful soil for Methodism. 
 
 Having a firm conviction that his labours would not be in vain 
 in the Lord, Mr. Wesley frequently visited the Emerald Isle in 
 after years, to regulate the affairs of the Societies, and to counsel 
 and encourage the Preachers whom he appointed, from time to 
 time, to labour there, as well as to proclaim from the fulness of his 
 own heart the good news of salvation. In these hallowed labours 
 he was nobly assisted by his devoted brother Charles and Dr. Coke, 
 both of whom had a special regard for the Irish people. They often 
 remained for weeks and months in succession, itinerating through 
 different parts of the country ; and when the leaders in London 
 
i6 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 manifested some dissatisfaction at their long-continued absence 
 from the metropolis, Iilr. Wesley gave utterance to that memorable 
 saying, "Have patience, and Ireland will repay you." Every 
 person acquainted with the history of Methodism in the sister 
 kingdom -ndll be ready to admit that the most sanguine expectations 
 of Wesley have been reahzed. Elegant chapels have been erected 
 in Dublin, Cork, Belfast, and many other places, and at the town 
 last named a college has been opened, which promises to be an 
 honom- to the Connexion. The very best kind of success has 
 attended the faithful preaching of the Gospel by Wesleyan Mini- 
 
 WBSLETAN CHAPEL, THURLES, TITPERART, IRELAND. 
 
 sters in Ireland. Tens of thousands of precious souls have been 
 won for Christ, under circumstances of difficulty and opposition, 
 which strikingly illustrate the amazing power of Divine gi-ace, as 
 well as the special providence of God. On the occasion of one of 
 his visits to Cork, Wesley was rudely assailed by the mob ; but a 
 party of British soldiers came to his rescue and, protected by 
 them, he finished his sermon in peace, and great good was the 
 result. 
 
 Among the numerous converts gathered out of the world, through 
 the instrumentality of the early Methodist Preachers, were several 
 
EUROPE. 
 
 17 
 
 
i8 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 yomig men of more than ordinary ability and zeal in the canse of 
 the Redeemer, who were called to go forth as Christian evangelists 
 to preach the Gospel to their fellow-countr5'men. The names of 
 Thomas Walsh, Matthias Joyce, Wilham Hamilton, Charles Gra- 
 ham, Gideon Ouseley, William Reilly, and some others, will ever 
 be held in grateful remembrance, not only by Irish Methodists, but 
 by Christian people of other lands. By the blessing of God upon 
 the persevering efforts of these faithful servants of the Lord, and 
 other zealous labom-ers with whom they were associated, or by 
 whom they were succeeded, a great and glorious work was com- 
 menced in Ireland, which has continued to prosper to the present 
 time, and which wUl never die. Had Irish Methodism kept her 
 own since the time of her first organization, she would have pre- 
 sented to our view a Chi-istian Church of large and fair proportions, 
 and one which would have compared favourably with any other 
 religious denomination in the land. But from the pecuKar circum- 
 stances of the country, and the blighting influence of Popish super- 
 stition, there has been a constant stream of emigi'ation flo-ning 
 from the Emerald Isle, which has tended gi'eatly to d imin ish her 
 numbers and weaken her resom-ces. 
 
 But whilst Ireland has thus been sufiering loss from the removal 
 of some of her best Christian citizens, America, Australia, Southern 
 Africa, and other countries, have been enriched. Zealous Lish 
 Methodists have frequently carried with them to the lauds of their 
 adoption the precious seed of the kingdom, which, when deposited 
 in a fruitful soil, has brought forth an abundant harvest to the 
 honour and glory of God. Some of the emigrants have been the 
 pioneers of the regular Missionary in the distant lands in which 
 they have settled ; and we have met vsith them on various Mission 
 Stations abroad, and have generally found them both able and 
 willing to aid us in our noble enterprize. Although long since 
 organized into a separate Conference, Lish Methodism has hitherto 
 been largely indebted to the British Connexion, and especially to 
 the Wosleyan Missionary Societ)', for the means to carrj' on the 
 work at many of the j)Oorer stations ; and Ireland still presents to 
 the view of the Christian philanthropist a field of home missionary 
 
EUROPE. 19 
 
 labour deserving of more attention than it has yet received. The 
 success of the past is well calculated to encourage increased exer- 
 tion for the future. After many losses by emigration and other- 
 wise, the Irish Connexion still numbers one hundred and serentij-four 
 ministers, and twenty thousand tico hundred and eighty-six church 
 members in the respective Districts and Circuits into which the 
 country is divided. It is hoped that the establishment of the 
 Methodist College at Belfast, mth the Rev. William Aithur, M.A. 
 at its head, will give a fresh impetus to the cause in Ireland, and 
 that still greater prosperity will be realized in time to come. 
 
 The British Isles. 
 
 After the brief sketches we have given of the origin and pro- 
 gress of Methodism in England, Scotland, and Ireland, it may be 
 well to glance at some of the beautiful isles near our shores, before 
 we cross the sea and proceed to distant lands. Far awaj' to the 
 north, in a cold and cheerless climate, are situated the Zetland 
 Islands, which possess a missionary history worthy of a brief 
 record. The principal of these are. Mainland, Yell, Unst, Bressay, 
 and Tula. Although so near to Scotland, these bleak and rocky 
 isles long remained in a state of great spiritual destitution. It 
 was not till a comparatively recent period that the Gospel, in the 
 form of Wesleyan-Metliodism, was introduced into them. This 
 event was brought about by means strikingly illustrative of the 
 special providence of God. John Nicholson, a native of one of 
 these northern islands, wishing to better his position, left home in 
 early life, and entered the British Army. During his absence he 
 was brought tO' a saving knowledge of the truth, whilst attending 
 the Methodist ministry in London, and joined the Soeietj' in Poplar. 
 Having suffered much from ill-health, he obtained his discharge, 
 and returned to his native land in 1819, in verj' poor circumstances 
 as to this world, but possessed of the pearl of great price. His 
 fellow-countrymen received him kindlj^, and supplied his temporal 
 wants with their characteristic hospitality ; and he, in return, from 
 the fulness of his heart, proclaimed to them the glad tidings cf 
 
 o2 
 
HISTORY OF IVESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
EUROPE. 
 
 salvation according to his ability. At that time most of the people 
 were, to a great extent, ignorant of spiritual things and very de- 
 moraHzed ; but the earnest exhortations of Nicholson were blessed 
 to the conversion of many, and others began to enquire what they 
 must do to be saved. A general concern for rehgion having been 
 thus awakened in the Zetland Islands, a number of inhabitants 
 united in requesting that they might have Wesleyan Ministers sent 
 to labour among them. This led to the appointment of the Eev. 
 Dr. M'Allum, as a deputation from the British Conference, to visit 
 the country, and to ascertain the real facts of the case. 
 
 The report of the deputation being favourable, and the necessity 
 for the appointment of Missionaries immediately being apparent, 
 at the Conference of 1822, it was an-anged that the Kevs. John 
 Baby and Samuel Dunn should be sent to Zetland. They embarked 
 soon afterwards, and arrived in safety at Lerwick, the capital of 
 the islands, on the 3rd of October. The Missionaries were every- 
 where received with the liveliest demonstrations of gratitude and 
 joy by a poor but simple-minded people, who were anxious to be 
 instructed in the things of God. They prosecuted their labours 
 from the first with evident tokens of Divine blessings, being 
 assisted by John Nicholson, who still continued faithful, and many 
 were brought to a saving knowledge of the truth. Dr. Clarke, 
 who was President of the Conference that year, took a lively 
 interest in the Mission, and at a subsequent period paid a personal 
 visit to the islands, which was very encouraging and refreshing 
 both to Ministers and people. Messrs Raby and Dunn were suc- 
 ceeded in after years by the Rev. Messrs. Lewis, Thompson, 
 Wears, Dickinson, Langridge, Hindson, Lowthian, Mackintosh, 
 Mortimer, Stevenson, and others, and the good work was ex- 
 tended to most of the inhabited islands, with much toil, exposure, 
 and discomfort to the Missionaries, but with unspeakable advantage 
 and blessing to the people. At Lerwick, Walls, and other prin- 
 cipal towns, tolerable chapels have been erected. Societies formed, 
 and Sabbath-schools established ; but from the comparative poverty 
 of the inhabitants the cause is, to a great extent, still dependent 
 upon the liberality of British Christians for its support. It has been 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
 sustained and carried on to tlie present time as an important brancli 
 of om- Home Mission work, and as such it has a strong claim 
 upon the benevolence of English Methodists." Six Ministers are 
 usefully employed in the Zetland Islands District, and the number 
 of church meialjers is one thousand eight hundred and niiietij-two. 
 
 About midway between the north of England and L'eland, and 
 du-ectly opposite the seaport town of Whitehaven, with which it is 
 in constant communication by means of steam-boats, Ues the Isle 
 OF Man. Methodism was introduced to this country in the year 
 1775, in a manner somewhat remarkable. A native of the island, 
 having taken up his residence in Livei-pool about that time, was 
 induced to hear one of Mr. Wesley's preachers, when the word 
 preached came with power to his heart, and led to his conversion. 
 The new convert had no sooner found the pearl of great price than 
 he felt deeply concerned for the spiritual welfare of his fellow- 
 countrymen. He was anxious that a Missionary of the Cross 
 should be sent to his native isle to make known to the poor deluded 
 inhabitants the glad tidings of salvation, which had made him so 
 happy. Seeing no prospect of seeming the services of a regular 
 Minister, he applied to a zealous Local Preacher named John Crook, 
 and earnestly entreated him to undertake the Mission. SIi-. Crook 
 complied with the request, embarked for the Isle of Man, and 
 landed in safety at Douglas on Sunday morning the 11th of March. 
 He made known the object of his visit to the inhabitants of the 
 to'wn, and proceeded at once to preach the fii'st Methodist sermon 
 ever heard in that country. The service was held in the court- 
 house, by the kind permission of the authorities, and the congre- 
 gation was rather small ; but in the evening the attendance was so 
 large that Mr. Crook was obliged to preach in the open air, and a 
 
 * In 1859 a schciuo was sot on foot for tlie erection of a new chapel and 
 minister's residence at Lerwick, tlie capital of Zetland, as a memorial of the Eev. 
 Dr. Adam Clarke. The buildings were expected to cost about £2,000, towards 
 which upwards of one-half was soon raised by an appeal to friends in Great 
 Britain and other places. This new establishment "^vill be an invaluable acqui- 
 sition to the wliole district, and a great improvement to the town of Lerwick 
 which has been for some time rising in importance. 
 
EUROPE. 23 
 
 gi'aoious influence rested upon the people. At the close of his 
 first day of labour in the Isle of Man, the lonely evangelist, being 
 a perfect stranger in the place, was meditating what steps to take 
 to obtain a lodging, when a warm-hearted Irishman, who had a 
 brother a Methodist in his native land, came up and cordially 
 invited him to his house for the night. A like-minded Scotchman 
 supplied his wants on the following day. Thus encoui-aged by 
 evident tokens of the providential care of his heavenly Father, as 
 well as by the gracious influence which attended the word, Mr. 
 Crook was induced to persevere in the good work in which he was 
 engaged. 
 
 At a subsequent service held during the week, a servant of the 
 Governor was convinced of sin, and led to seek the Lord ; and on 
 the foUo'wing Sabbath his Excellency himself and the clergyman 
 of the town were among the hearers of the humble Methodist 
 preacher. The good work thus aixspiciously commenced in Douglas 
 was, on the occasion of a subsequent visit of Mr. Crook, extended 
 to Peeltown, Castletown, and other places, where several persons 
 were savingly converted to God, some of whom were ultimately 
 called to preach the Gospel to their fellow-countrymen. Hence, 
 when Mr. Wesley visited the island, in 1777, he was much pleased 
 with what he saw, and on taking his leave he wrote in his Journal 
 as follows, " Having now visited the island round, east, south, 
 north, and west, I was thoroughly convinced that we have no such 
 Circuit as this, either in England, Scotland, or Ireland." The 
 result of this favourable impression which the founder of Methodism 
 received on the occasion of his first visit to the Isle of Man, was the 
 appointment of regular preachers to cultivate a field so fruitful and 
 promising ; and it is a pleasing fact that, from time to time, a glo- 
 rious harvest has been reaped and laid up in the garner of the Lord. 
 Commodious places of worship have, moreover, been erected in 
 Douglas, Castletown, Eamsay, and Peel, which are the heads of 
 so many "Wesleyan Circuits, with their numerous country chapels 
 and preaching places. The Isle of Man District numbers ten Minis- 
 ters and two thousand nine hundred and fourteen church members, 
 forming an interesting and important sphere of evangelical labour. 
 
24 HISTORY OF WESLEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
 Passing round the extreme point of Cornwall, called the Land's 
 End, we come to the Soilly Isles, the principal of which is called 
 St. Mary's. Rugged and uninteresting as they may appear to the 
 eye of the voyager, they justly claim a prominent place in the 
 history of early Methodism. To these wild and rocky regions the 
 glad tidings of salvation were conveyed by the Rev. Joseph 
 Sutcliffe, in the year 1788, when he was stationed at St. Ives, in 
 Cornwall. His colleagues were very loath to spare him for one 
 week even, to go on this adventurous enterprise, every night 
 being occupied with preaching appointments in the Circuit. But 
 one day a Cornish Methodist called to say, that his men had 
 agreed to forego a night's fishing, in order to take Mr. Sutclilfe to 
 Scilly, that the people there might have an opportunity of hearing 
 the Word of God. This was an opening of Providence which so 
 influenced both preachers and people that they were afraid to 
 obstruct the course of the zealous evangehst any longer. He 
 therefore embarked with the fishermen, and on landing at St. 
 Mary's, he stood up before the door of the inn and preached his 
 first sermon in the open air, on the love of God to a lost and 
 ruined world. He held another service in the evening, and dis- 
 coursed on justification by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. The 
 people Hstened with devout attention to the humble Methodist 
 preacher, and earnestly requested a continuance of his services ; 
 but he was obliged to hasten home for the present, promising to 
 return again at the earliest possible opportuuit)'. 
 
 On his second visit to the Scillj' Isles, Mr. Sutcliflo spent a week 
 in preaching to the people and in visiting from house to house. 
 On this occasion he formed a small class of three members, who 
 had formerly been connected with the Socict)' in Cornwall. On 
 visiting the islands for the third time, shortly afterwards, the 
 zealous Missionary arranged to remain three weeks ; but, in con- 
 sequence of the prevalence of stormy weather, he was detained for 
 three months. This was inconvenient to the St. Ives Circuit, but 
 a great blessing to the inhabitants of the rockj' isles ; for at that 
 time the only officiating clergyman was in poor health, and wag 
 only able to preach once a week, the prayers being read by a 
 
EUROPE. 25 
 
 sailor. Mr. Sutcliiie was therefore allowed to preach once in the 
 church, but more frequently in the com-t-house. During this pro- 
 tracted visit a number of persons were brought under religious 
 influence, and thii'ty enquirers were united in Society, being deter- 
 mined to flee from the wrath to come. Having as yet no religious 
 friends to entertain him, ]\Ir. Sutclifi'e was under the necessity of 
 boarding at the inn. But such was the impression made upon the 
 mind of his host by his holy walk and self-denying labom-s, that 
 when he enquired for his bill, on his departm-e, he was politely 
 told there was "nothing to pay," and that "the labourer was 
 worthy of his meat." Land was also given for a chapel, which 
 was soon afterwards built, and a Minister was appointed to live 
 and labour among the people. Ever since the Scilly Isles were 
 formed into a Wesleyan Circuit they have presented a useful and 
 interesting sphere of labour, of great importance to the fishermen 
 and others who have been resident there. One Minister is employed, 
 and he has o)te handred and tliirtij church members under his 
 pastoral care. 
 
 On proceeding up the English Channel our attention is arrested 
 by the chalky clifl's of the Isle of Wight. Or if we make our 
 approach from the other side, a sail of from thirt)^ to sixt)' minutes 
 in the steamer will bring us from Portsmouth or Southampton to 
 Ryde or Cowcs, where we land amid scenes of surpassing beauty 
 and loveliness. Considering the scenery and cUmate of this 
 charming little isle, it is not sm'prising that it should be called the 
 " Garden of England," or that it should have been selected as the 
 occasional residence of royalty. But to the Wesleyan Methodist 
 the Isle of Wight possesses an interest above all these considera- 
 tions, by reason of its early religious history. 
 
 When Mr. Wesley paid his first visit to the island, on Tuesday, 
 the 10th of July, 175S, he found a sma,ll Society already formed at 
 Newport ; but, after a lengthened residence in the town, we have 
 never been able to ascertain by what means the work was first 
 commenced. From Mr. Wesley's "Short History of the People 
 called Methodists," we glean the interesting fact that one of his 
 preachers had been on the ground before him ; but who that 
 
26 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 preacher was, or whence he came, are questions which no one 
 appears to be able to answer. The Uttle flock at Newport received 
 the founder of Methodism with gratitude and joy ; and, on inquir- 
 ing into their religious state, he records the pleasing circumstance 
 that " several of them had found peace with God." He makes 
 special mention of one, a pious female, who "had known her 
 interest in Christ for eight years," having first heard of the way of 
 salvation from a person who called at the island when on his 
 passage to Pennsylvania. Mr. Wesley was not slow to follow up 
 this good beginning. Hence we find him preaching in the market- 
 place at half-past six o'clock in the evening and at five o'clock in 
 the morning to large and attentive congregations. After another 
 sermon on the following evening, he took his departure ; but he 
 appears to have been well pleased with his visit to the island, for 
 he returned about three months afterwards, and renewed his efforts 
 for the spiritual welfare of the people, by preaching morning and 
 evening in the market-place at Newport as before, and by extend- 
 ing his visit to Shorwell, a village about six miles distant. ' ' Sm-ely ," 
 he wrote on leaving, "if there was any one here to preach the 
 Word of God with power, a multitude would soon be obedient to 
 the faith." 
 
 At subsequent periods Mr. Wesley visited the Isle of Wight 
 repeatedly, and took a lively interest in the erection of the first 
 Methodist chapel in Town-lane, Ne-\^'port. For several years, 
 however, the station was supphed with preachers from Ports- 
 mouth, and it was not till 1787 that a Wesleyan Minister was 
 appointed to reside on the island, when a regular Ciixuit was 
 formed embracing a number of preaching places in the rural 
 districts. Ultimately, the good work was extended to Cowes, 
 Ryde, Ventnor, Godshill, Yarmouth, Freshwater, and to almost 
 every other town and village in the island. The blessing of God 
 attended the word preached, and multitudes were brought to a 
 saving knowledge of the truth, chapels were erected in various 
 places, and Sabbath-schools established for the rehgious training of 
 the rising generation. The island is now divided into tifo Circuits, 
 with six Ministers, and nine hundred and ninety church members. 
 
EUROPE. 27 
 
 Among the early Wesleyan converts, in tlio Isle of Wiglit, was 
 Elizabeth Wallbridge, tire " Dairyman's Daughter," of world- 
 wide fame, by means of the simple and touching narrative of the 
 Eev. Legh Eichmond. Elizabeth was brought to God through 
 the instrumentality of the Eev. James Crabb, a Methodist Home 
 Missionary ; and she was for many years a truly pious and con- 
 sistent member of our church. When she was taken ill, she 
 went home to her parents, who lived in the cottage which stands 
 directly opposite the Wesleyan chapel on Hale Common, near 
 Arreton ; and, there being no Minister of her own denomination 
 in the country, she applied to the clergyman of the parish for 
 spiritual counsel. This led to Mr. Richmond's acquaintance 
 with her, and to the affecting account which he afterwards pub- 
 lished of her earnest piety and happy death. The attempt to 
 ignore the fact that the "Dairyman's Daughter" was a Wes- 
 leyan Methodist, by a marked silence on the subject, appears to 
 have been a mistaken piece of policj', to gain for the narrative 
 a wider circulation, as is clearlj^ set forth in the interesting 
 volume on " Methodism in the Isle of Wight," by the Eev. 
 J. B. Dyson. 
 
 We must now call the attention of the reader to the Channel 
 Islands, the principal of which are Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, 
 and Sark. From their proximity to the coast of France, they 
 would hardly appear, at first sight, viewed in reference to their 
 geographical position, to belong to England ; but such is, never- 
 theless, the fact. They are the only remnants of the Korman 
 dominions annexed to this country by WilHam the Conqueror, 
 and have ever since remained a part of the British empire, 
 although the French language still prevails there to a consider- 
 able extent. The introduction of Methodism into those beautiful 
 islands, and its extension thence to the Continent, may justly 
 be classed among the most remarkable events of its missionary 
 history. 
 
 Towards the latter part of the last century, Pierre Le Sueur, 
 a native of Jersey, went to Newfoundland as a trader; and, 
 whilst there, he was convinced of sin under the faithful ministry 
 
28 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 of the Kev. Lawrence Coughlan, who had been sent there as a 
 Missionary, at the instance of Mr. Wesley. He returned to Jersey 
 in 1775, with an awakened conscience ; but his friends and neigh- 
 bours, to whom he spoke of a change of heart, thought him mad ; 
 and he looked in vain for counsel or sympathy, till another con- 
 vert, named John Fentin, more estabhshed in the faith than him- 
 self, came from Newfoundland, who afforded him the help which 
 he required. With such counsel and fellowship Le Sueur soon 
 found peace in believing ; and he and his friend, Fentin, engaged 
 at once in active Christian labours for the good of their fellow- 
 countrymen. Their conversations, prayers, and exhortations, 
 produced considerable excitement ; and, in the com'se of a week 
 or two, twelve persons were awakened to a sense of theii' danger, 
 and joined them in their devotions. In 1779 a pious sea captain 
 arrived in Jersey, who gladly united with the Methodists in their 
 efforts to do good, boldly preaching in English, whilst Le Sueur 
 continued his labours in French. In 1788 the little band of 
 devoted Christians was further strengthened by the arrival of a 
 few pious soldiers who had been recentl}' converted, some in 
 Winchester, and others in Southampton, through the instrumen- 
 tality of Captain Webb, who had been successfully laboming in 
 those places. 
 
 The Methodists of Jersey now wrote to England for a preacher ; 
 and when Mr. Wesley received the letter, which was forwarded 
 to him by Jasper Winscombe, of Winchester, Robert Carr 
 Braokenbury, Es(|., a wealthy Methodist la3-man, was present. 
 This gentleman had been brought to God some time before, and 
 had just begun to preach ; and, being able to preach in French 
 as well as in Enghsh, he appeared to be just the man for the 
 Channel Islands. Mr. Wesley told him so, when he nobly offered 
 his services, and proceeded at once to Jersey. Having hired a 
 house in St. Hehers, Mr. Brackenbixry held meetings frequently 
 for the religious instruction of all who were willing to attend ; 
 and preached the Gospel with great success in various parts of 
 the island, being cordially assisted in his efforts to do good by 
 Mr. Le Sueur and the pious soldiers, and their friends, whom 
 
EUROPE. 29 
 
 he soon organized into a regular Methodist Society. As the work 
 advanced, in 1786, Mr. Wesley sent Adam Clarke to Jersey, to assist 
 Mr. Brackenbury ; and so great was their success that they were 
 soon able to report that " Societies were formed all over the island." 
 
 Methodism had been introduced into Guernsey the year before, 
 when Dr. Coke, on visiting the islands, took thither a young 
 French preacher named Jean de Quetteville, who had recentlj' been 
 brought to God and called to the work, and who was made instru- 
 mental in the conversion of many sinners. In 1787 Adam Clarke 
 visited Alderney, where he succeeded in planting the standard of 
 the Cross amid much opposition and peril. Whilst the good work 
 was thus advancing in Jersey, Guernsey, and Alderney, the little 
 isle of Sark was favoured with a few sparks of the heavenly fire, 
 and the whole gi'oup became permeated with the leven of Method- 
 ism. The origin and progress of this remarkable work of God wag 
 watched by Mr. Wesley with feelings of deep interest, when, in 
 the eighty-fifth year of his age, he paid a visit to the Channel 
 Islands, accompanied by Dr. Coke. And when the venerable 
 patriarch "saw the grace of God he was glad, and exhorted the 
 people to cleave unto the Lord with purpose of heart." Thence- 
 forward the cause continued to advance, commodious chapels 
 were built in all the towns and villages, and, from year to year, 
 vast multitudes were brought under the influence of the Gospel. 
 There are now, in the respective Circuits of the Channel Islands 
 District nineteen. Wesleyan Ministers, French and English, and 
 four thousand church members. 
 
 Havinc thus briefly sketched the chief characteristics and results 
 of the Home Missionary work of Methodism in England, Scotland, 
 L-eland, and the British Isles, before we cross the sea to take 
 a survey of the origin and progress of the enterprise in other 
 lands, we may just note the principal statistics, in the aggre- 
 gate, as far as ascertained. In connection with the various 
 Wesleyan Districts and Circuits in Great Britain, there are one 
 thomand five hundred and ninety-eight Ministers and three hundred 
 and sixty-six thousand, one hundred and twenty-tu-o church members, 
 in view of which we may " thank God and take courage." 
 
3° 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 France, Switzerland, and Germany. 
 In the circumstances connected with the introduction of 
 Methodism into France, and its establishment in various places 
 on the European continent, we can scarcely fail to notice some 
 
 VILLE, ARRA^ 
 
 beautiful illustrations of the providence and grace of God. The 
 Lord sometimes works by strange means for the accomplishment 
 of the purposes of His mercy. He frequently overrules evil for 
 good, and causes the wrath of man to praise Him. This was 
 clearly seen in many incidents connected with the war which so 
 
EUROPE. 31 
 
 long prevailed between England and France in the early part of 
 the present centm-y. Among the prisonerB who were taken by 
 the French during that fierce struggle were a number of pious 
 Methodists, who embraced every opportunity of edifying each 
 other, and of seeking to promote the spiritual welfare of their 
 fellow- sufferers in the land of their exile. As early as 1807 some 
 of these wrote home to their friends, from the Arras prison, giving 
 interesting accounts of earnest exhortations, the conversion of 
 sinners, lively prayer-meetings, and happy class-meetings ; and 
 reporting as many as seventy persons united in Society at that 
 place. Special mention is made of a dear Christian brother, 
 named Jeremiah Taylor, whose zealous labom's were made a 
 great blessing to his fellow-prisoners. 
 
 Whilst the leaven of Divine truth was thus working on the Con- 
 tinent, a gracious movement commenced in this country among the 
 French prisoners taken by the English. The unfortunate foreigners 
 were regarded with feelings of sympathy and kindness by the 
 British people generally. In some instances laudable efforts were 
 made to alleviate the distress of the sufferers, by suppljdng them with 
 clothing and such other temporal comforts as they could not other- 
 wise have obtained, whilst, at the same time, every opportunity 
 was embraced of communicating to them the light of the Gospel. 
 Indeed, a regular Methodist Mission was at length organized for 
 the benefit of the French prisoners of war, especially on the 
 Medway, where seven thousand were confined in ten ships, which 
 were anchored in the river, to receive them as they were brought 
 in. This work of Christian charity originated in motives of pure 
 benevolence, and was carried on in a manner worthy of the 
 highest commendation. 
 
 Early in the year 1810, the Kev. William Toase, who was then 
 stationed in the Sevenoaks Circuit, and who had a knowledge of 
 the French language, received a pohte invitation from the Com- 
 mander of H. M. prison ship Glory, to visit and preach to the 
 prisoners on board. This he did for the first time on the 7th of 
 March, and the result of the experiment was so encouraging, that 
 he repeated his visits as often as his other engagements would 
 
32 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 permit. The sanction of the Government authorities having been 
 obtained, through the intervention of Dr. Coke, for the Wesleyan 
 Ministers to visit all the other ships, at the following Conference 
 Mr. Toase was appointed to Rochester, with the understanding that 
 he should devote himself chiefly to this interesting department of 
 Christian labour. This arrangement enabled the zealous Missionary, 
 
 CHATHAM. 
 
 {lr/;e/-e many of the French Fj-isoners tcere Confned.) 
 
 assisted by a pious French preacher named Kei-pezdron, to esta- 
 blish preaching and teaching on board most of the prison ships 
 connected with the depot at Chatham. He also visited Portsmouth, 
 where nine thousand French prisoners were confined in fifteen 
 prisons, and where he met with the cordial co-operation of the 
 
EUROPE. 
 
 33 
 
 Rev. Messrs. Beal and Edmondson in making arrangements for 
 their instruction. Similar missions were commenced at Plymouth, 
 by Mr. Le Sueur from Jersey ; and at Dartmouth by Mr. Etchells 
 and others. 
 
 Thus was the Gospel of Christ faithfully preached to thousands 
 of poor captives in their own tongue, who in the day of their 
 adversity were disposed to attend to it in a manner which they 
 perhaps would not have done tmder other circumstances. And 
 there is reason to believe that by these means, and the schools 
 which were established for the instruction of youths, the circulation 
 of the Scriptures and other religious books, and the visits paid to 
 the sick in the hospital, many were brought to a saving knowledge 
 of the truth, and received impressions never to be effaced. At 
 intervals, arrangements were made by the Government authorities 
 for a cartel, when a considerable number of prisoners were 
 liberated and permitted to return to France as invalids, or in ex- 
 change for English prisoners. On such occasions the most affecting 
 scenes were witnessed when the hberated captives took leave of 
 the Missionaries, whom they regarded as their friends and bene- 
 factors, and who, in some instances, had been made the means of 
 their salvation. One would say, "When you preached to us the 
 Word of Life, it sounded in our years as the voice of mercy and 
 love, and was a source of consolation to our souls." "How can 
 we forget," exclaimed another, "your labours among us? and 
 be assured we shall feel it our indispensable duty to pubhsh 
 to our families and countrymen what the Methodists have done 
 on our behalf." And, what ia better still, they retm-ncd to their 
 native land well supplied with copies of the sacred Scriptures 
 and other good books, for their edification and for the instruc- 
 tion of their friends and countrymen. These evangchcal labours 
 among the French prisons were continued for three j'ears, 
 with manifest tokens of the presence and blessing of God, and 
 with the most beneficial results to the poor sufferers. Many 
 of those who had been brought to Christ during the time of 
 their captivity, wrote the most pleasing and interesting letters 
 to the Missionaries, after their return home, expressive of their 
 
34 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 eincere gratitude for the blessings which they had received at 
 their hands. 
 
 There can be no doubt but the return of the French prisoners to 
 their own country, under the circumstances we have described, 
 would tend to prepare the way for the reception of the Gospel by 
 their fellow-countrymen ; and it was not long afterwards that 
 direct and systematic efforts were made to introduce Methodism 
 into France. When the war was over, which had so long kept the 
 Continent of Europe in a state of constant ferment, the Missionaries 
 in the Channel Islands turned their attention to the neighbouring 
 coast, where some of their converts were akeady settled, and 
 where the people generally manifested a willingness to hear the 
 Gospel. In the year 1816, Mr. De Quitteville visited Normandy, 
 and spent several weeks at Beuville, Periere, Conde, and Cher- 
 bourg, where he met with a kind reception, and preached to the 
 people with evident tokens of the Divine blessing. Having formed 
 a small Society of those who were awakened to a sense of their 
 sinful state, and expressed a sincere desire to flee from the wrath 
 to come, Mr. De Quitteville returned to Guernsey to resume the 
 duties of his own station. In the early part of the following year 
 Messrs. Toase, OUivier, and Le Sueur, visited the coast at different 
 times as they could be spared from their circuits, to build up the 
 Uttle flock, and to make known to all who were willing to hear, 
 the way of salvation. Notwithstanding many difficulties, and con- 
 siderable opposition from Popish priests and others, the good work 
 continued to prosper, and neat little chapels were built, first at 
 Periere, and then at Beuville, and other places. 
 
 In 1818 arrangements were made for the occupation of several 
 stations on the coast by resident Missionaries with the hope of 
 giving permanence to the work. Messrs. Le Suem- and Cook were 
 appointed to Beuville, Periere and Conde, Mr. Kerpezdron to Mer, 
 and Mr. OUivier to Cherbom-g, with Mr. Toase, resident in Jersey, 
 as General Superintendent of the French Mission, under the direc- 
 tion of the Missionary Committee in London. The following year 
 the Eev. John Hawtrey was appointed to labom- in Paris where 
 he was succeeded, after a considerable interval, during which the 
 
EUROPE. 
 
 35 
 
 station was vacant, by Messrs. Cook, Toase, Newstead, and others 
 who prosecuted the work mth varied measures of succees amid 
 many difficulties and discouragementB, till, by the blessing of God 
 
 NEW WESLBYAN CHAPEL, PABIS. 
 
 upon the labours of His servants, it reached its present position of 
 importance and respectability. In 1862, a beautiful new chapel 
 and mission premises were erected in the Eue Koquepine, where 
 
 d2 
 
36 HISTORY OF WESLEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
 religious services are regularly held every Sabbath, and frequently 
 during the week, in French and English, and occasionally in 
 German, for the convenience and benefit of the inhabitants and the 
 numerous visitors who frequently flock to the French capital. 
 There also a book depot has been estabhshed, and schools are con- 
 ducted for the training of the rising generation, and the station is 
 an important centre of light and influence in a dark benighted land. 
 The work hag also been extended to Chantilly, Eheims, Calais, and 
 Boulogne, where there are a considerable number of EngUsh resi- 
 dents, who, by means of our Missionaries, are favoured with a 
 Gospel ministry in their own tongue. At the same time an im- 
 portant work is carried on in French by native ministers, who have 
 been raised up as the fruit of missionary labour. Since the 
 organization of the French Conference in 1852, Methodism has 
 been planted in various parts of the south of France and Switzer- 
 land, where it had not previously been introduced, and the noble 
 band of faithful labourers who occupy the ground are pressing 
 onward in their holy enterprise with heart and hope amid numerous 
 difficulties, arising chiefly from Komish prejudice and the want of 
 adequate means to carry on the work. 
 
 But Methodism in Switzerland demands a distinct and separate 
 notice, however brief. No true-hearted Weslej'an can regard with 
 feehngs of indifference the native land of the sainted John Fletcher, 
 Vicar of Madeley. Although these mountainous regions were more 
 highly favoured than many parts of the European continent in 
 former times, by enjoying a larger measiu-e of the light of Pro- 
 testant Christianity, yet many districts were fearfully dark and 
 demoralised, when, in 1889, the Missionaries in the south of 
 France were induced to extend their labours to them. In the 
 following year, a Missionary and an assistant were appointed to 
 the Upper Alps, the very place where the celebrated Felix Neff 
 had once laboured with such apostohc zeal and success, but which 
 was now suffering from extreme spiritual destitution. Ultimately, 
 a permanent station was established at Lausanne, in the Canton 
 de Vaud ; and, in 1867, a new chapel, college, and other ecclesi- 
 astical buildings were erected as a memorial of Mr. Fletcher, and 
 
EUROPE. 
 
 37 
 
 for the benefit of his birth-place, towards the cost of which the 
 Missionary Committee in London made a liberal grant from the 
 Jubilee Fund. This institution, which is called the " Students' 
 Home," is under the able superintendence of the Rev. James 
 Hocart, and promises to be a valuable acquisition to the French 
 
 FLETCHER MEMORIAL CHAPEL AND C0LLE9E, LAUSANNE. 
 
 Conference, as it affords the means of training labourers for every 
 part of the work. From this centre of spiritual hght and gospel 
 influence, as well as from other mission stations in France and 
 Switzerland, it may be reasonably hoped that, in time to come, 
 the truth of God will go forth, which with His blessing, may 
 prove effectual to the salvation of many souls, and tend to 
 
38 HISTORY OF WESLEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
 counteract the Popish euperstition and infideUty ■which are so 
 rife in those countries. 
 
 It is a pleasing fact that, notwithstanding the obstacles which 
 have impeded the progress of the work at every stage from its 
 very commencement, the servants of God have not been per- 
 mitted to labour in vain or spend their strength for nought. 
 Some precious sheaves have already been gathered into the 
 garner of the Lord. In addition to results which can never be 
 tabulated, there are now in connexion with the French Methodist 
 Conference thirty-Jive Missionaries, tioo thousand one hundred and 
 fifty-eight church members, and two thousand six hundred scholars 
 in the Mission schools. 
 
 Methodism in Germany, both in its origin and subsequent course, 
 appears to have been pre-eminently a child of Providence. About 
 the year 1830 an industrious and respectable German named 
 Christopher Gottlob Miiller, had occasion to visit England on 
 business ; and whilst in this country, he was brought to a saving 
 knowledge of the truth through the instrumentality of the Wes- 
 leyan ministry. On his return to Winnenden, in the kingdom of 
 Wurtemberg, his native place, he made known to his friends and 
 neighboui's what a precious treasure he had found. Being a man 
 of ardent temperament and unquenchable zeal, Mr. MiiUer exerted 
 himself in every possible way to save the souls of his fellow 
 countrymen. He held meetings for exhortation, prayer, and Chris- 
 tian fellowship, in different places, at stated intervals ; and the 
 effects produced by his humble efforts were of a very extraordinary 
 character. From the commencement the special blessing of God 
 rested upon the labours of His servant, and it is believed that in 
 a short time scores and hundreds of sinners were savingly con- 
 verted to God. 
 
 Those who were thus gathered out of the world Mr. Muller 
 united in religious societies after the Methodist plan as he had 
 seen it in England ; and, if the discipline was not so perfect as 
 could have been desired, it was better than none, as it kept the 
 people together ; and the good work continued to prosper. Every 
 convert who was endowed with the gift of prayer or exhortation was 
 
EUROPE. 39 
 
 immediately pressed into the service of the Lord by the zealous 
 evangelist ; and, in the course of a fevs^ years, their sphere of 
 usefulness had bo enlarged that he was enabled to report that his 
 fellovr-labourers in the Gospel were twenty-three in number, that 
 his plan of village labour included twenty-six places, and that the 
 number of persons admitted into his religious societies, after due 
 examination and trial, was three hundred and twenty-six. 
 
 Long before the work had reached this point of prosperity, 
 Mr. Miiller had placed himself in communication with the Com- 
 mittee of the Wesleyan Missionary Society in London, with a 
 view to obtain such aid and direction as they might be able to 
 give. The Mission would no doubt have been taken up by the 
 Society and prosecuted with vigour had the way been clear to do 
 so. But there were certain peculiarities in the laws and eccle- 
 siastical usages of the country, which seemed to render it inex- 
 pedient to send regular Wesleyan Missionaries from England to 
 Germany at that early period. It was, therefore, considered best for 
 the time being, to direct, encourage, and aid Mr. Miiller and his 
 coadjutors in every possible way in the prosecution of their noble 
 enterprise, and to await the openings of Divine Providence with 
 regard to future action. For the long period of twenty-eight 
 years did this zealous servant of the Lord continue to labour 
 under the direction of the Wesleyan Missionary Committee, by 
 whom> the necessaiy funds were supplied for carrying on the 
 work. In the early part of the year 1858, worn out with inces- 
 sant toil, but happy in the Saviour's love, good Mr. Miiller was 
 called to his reward in heaven ; and his remains were conveyed 
 to their last resting place amid the tears and lamentations of 
 multitudes of people who had been benefitted by his labours. 
 
 The father and founder of the German Wesleyan Mission having 
 been thus removed from the scene of his hallowed toil, it became 
 necessary to take immediate steps to provide for carrying on the 
 work. In the first place, the Eev. W. B. Pope, M.A., of Hull, 
 was requested to visit Germany, and report to the Committee the 
 state and requirements of the Mission. This led to the appoint- 
 ment, in 1859, of the Eev. John Lyth, D.D., to Winnenden, who 
 
40 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 for about five years rendered good service to the cause as General 
 Superintendent of the German Mission. On the return of Dr. 
 Lyth to England, he was succeeded in his office, in 1865, by the 
 Kev. John G. Barratt ; the Kevs. John M. Morill, and George Terry, 
 B.A., having taken part in the work in the interim. Nothwith- 
 standing numerous difficulties which have presented themselves 
 from time to time, a pleasing measure of success has been realised. 
 The most encouraging feature of this mission has been the raising 
 up of a large number of native evangelists to proclaim to their 
 fellow-countrymen that Gospel which had made them so happy. 
 By the blessing of God upon the agency employed, the work has 
 expanded into te7i circuits, supplied by one Enylish missionanj and 
 ten German ministers and assistants, with a membersld]} of one 
 tJiousand 'nine hundred and fifteen, and two hundred arid sixty-one 
 scholars in the Mission schools. 
 
 Before we take our leave of this part of the European continent 
 we must say a few words about Sweden, where a Wesleyan Mis- 
 sion was commenced in 1826 ; but, in consequence of pecuHar 
 circumstances, was ultimately relinquished. The first Missionary 
 appointed to this country was the Eev. Joseph R. Stephens, who 
 was sent there at the earnest request of a few Enghsh residents 
 in Stockholm, with the double object of ministering to them, and 
 of seeking to diffuse the light of the Gospel among the native 
 inhabitants. He addressed himself to the study of the Swedish 
 language with becoming diligence, and, in the mean time, he held 
 rehgious services in English, which were highly appreciated by 
 those who were able to profit by them. In 1880, Mr. Stephens 
 was succeeded by the Rev. George Scott, D.D., who continued 
 to labour in Sweden with much zeal and earnestness for about 
 twelve years, amid many difficulties, but with considerable success. 
 After a commodious chapel had been erected in Stockholm, and 
 the work had made encouraging progress, a storm of persecution 
 arose, and a spirit of intolerance was manifest by the civil and 
 ecclesiastical authorities, which resulted in the withdrawal of the 
 missionary, to the grief and disappointment of those who had 
 been benefitted by his labours. It is believed, however, that the 
 
EUROPE. 41 
 
 spiritual results of the mission during its continuance wUl be seen 
 in the last great day. It is a pleasing fact, moreover, that the 
 north of Europe is not left entirely without the benefit of our 
 form of Christianity, the Methodist Episcopal Chm-ch of America 
 having extensive and important Missions in Norway, as well as in 
 France and Germany. 
 
 Gibraltar, Spain, and Italy. 
 
 The Wesleyan Mission to Gibraltar was attended with circum- 
 stances of a very gloomy character in its commencement ; but 
 afterwards the sun of prosperity shone upon it, and it has been 
 made a blessing to thousands, especially of the military, who have 
 been, from time to time, stationed there. It was about the be- 
 ginning of the present century that a number of Methodist soldiers 
 then quartered at Gibraltar, united in a petition to Dr. Coke that 
 they and other residents at that celebrated military settlement, 
 who felt their spiritual destitution, might be favoured with the 
 services of a Wesleyan chaplain. This led to the appointment, in 
 1804, of the Kev. James M'MuUen, as the first Missionary to 
 Gibraltar. He arrived there with his wife and child, after a stormy 
 passage, in the month of September. On landing they found the 
 yellow fever raging among the wasted population with more than 
 its usual violence and malignity. The fatal disease had invaded 
 almost every family, and there was scarcely a house in which 
 there was not one dead. The Missionary's little child had scarcely 
 breathed the tainted air when it was seized with the malady. On 
 the 10th of October, her anxious father, fatigued with constant 
 watching by the couch of afSiction, was himself prostrated with 
 the fever, and on the 18th he was a corpse. Mrs. M'MuUen had 
 borne up duiing these days of woe with wonderful fortitude, being 
 sustained by her unwavering faith in the goodness and wisdom of 
 God ; but at the hour which ended the life of her dear husband, 
 she was herself smitten with the shaft of the pestilence, and 
 followed him in a few days to the tomb. Contrary to all 
 expectation, the orphan child survived ; and, as soon as possible, 
 was sent, under suitable care, to England. In His kind provi- 
 
42 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 dence the God of her parents gave her a home in the family of 
 good Dr. Adam Clarke. That fatherly man and his excellent wife 
 brought up the little Gibraltar orphan girl as their own daughter, 
 and had the satisfaction of seeing her rise into life well-educated, 
 amiable and pious. She became the wife of a Methodist minister, 
 the Rev. John Rigg, and Uved to see her children the subjects of 
 Divine blessing in providence and grace, one of her sons being the 
 Rev. J. H. Rigg, D.D., the esteemed Principal of the Westminster 
 Training College. She finished her course in peace at Southport, 
 on the 3d of June, 1869, in the seventy-third year of her age. 
 
 Four years elapsed after this dark cloud had passed over the 
 scene before another attempt was made to establish a Wesleyan 
 Mission at Gibraltar. The call being still loud and pressing, the 
 station was at length resumed by the appointment of the Rev. 
 William Griffith in 1808. On his arrival the Missionary received a 
 cordial welcome from a few sincere souls who had been anxiously 
 looking out for him ; and he entered upon his work with a zeal 
 and diligence which gave promise of success. Without loss of 
 time, a small piece of ground was purchased, and arrangements 
 made for the erection of a chapel. After many difficulties had 
 been overcome, this desirable object was accomplished, and the 
 building was opened for Divine worship early in the year 1811. 
 Mr. Griffith was succeeded by the Revs. Messrs. Gill, Wood, Davis, 
 Eees, Coscombe, Dixon, Pratten, Barber, Stinson, Rule, and 
 others ; but it is to the zealous and able minister last named that 
 Gibraltar is more particularly indebted. Dr. Rule spent the long 
 period of ten years in connection with the station, and in earnest 
 efforts to introduce the Gospel into Spain. At different periods 
 previous to his appointment, serious difficulties had been thrown in 
 the way of soldiers attending the Wesleyan Chapel. Indeed, on 
 one occasion, as early as the 11th of July, 1803, the year before 
 the arrival of the first Missionary, a regimental court-martial was 
 hold, by order of Lieutenant- Colonel Ramsay, for the trial of 
 Corporals James Lamb, and Richard Russel, and Privates James 
 Hampton, John Reeves, and John Fluccard ; charged with un- 
 soldior-liko conduct, in attending a Methodist meeting, contrary to 
 
EUROPE. 43 
 
 regimental orders. And, strange as it may appear, they were 
 found GUILTY ; and the sentence passed upon them was, that the 
 two corporals were to be reduced, and all the five men were to 
 receive five hundked lashes each ! Persecution was not often 
 carried to these extreme lengths it is true ; but various annoyances 
 were experienced, from time to time, till Dr. Kule adopted mea- 
 sures to secure to British soldiers the rights of religious liberty 
 which are enjoyed by Her Majesty's other subjects. Ultimately, 
 all military men who declared themselves Wesleyans, were not 
 only permitted to attend our services, but regularly paraded and 
 marched to chapel every Sunday morning. The attendance, of 
 com-se, is fluctuating ; but four or five hundred men have some- 
 times thus been marched to the Wesleyan parade service at 
 Gibraltar. A blessed work of gi-ace has, moreover, been fre- 
 quently experienced among the soldiers, and we have met with 
 pious men in different parts of the world who have thanked God 
 that ever they heard the Gospel preached by our Missionaries 
 at the "Eock." We have also heard them speak of happy prayer- 
 meetings in a secluded grotto in a mountain glen, well known to all 
 praying soldiers. We have now on that station only one Missionary, 
 twenty church members, and two hundred and seventy-fire scholars in 
 the Mission school ; but Ihe Gospel is faithfully preached to large 
 congregations. 
 
 When the Wesleyan Mission to Gibraltar was first organised, it 
 was not only with a view to the benefit of the military stationed 
 there, but also with the hope that Spain and other neighbouring 
 countries would ultimately derive considerable advantage from it. 
 In fact, Gibraltar was considered to be the key to Spam, the 
 Mediterranean, Northern Africa, and the Holy Land, in a Mis- 
 sionary sense, as well as in relation to political and mercantile 
 affairs. And if this pleasing idea has not been reaHsed to the ex- 
 tent that was anticipated, the failure must not be attributed to any 
 neglect on the part of the agents of the Society ; but to causes 
 entirely beyond their control. The Missionaries stationed at 
 Gibraltar, from time to time, have constantly kept an eye upon 
 Spain, and have made frequent attempts to benefit the inhabitants; 
 
44 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 but they have hitherto been, to a great extent, disappointed and 
 thwarted in their efforts. The Spanish department of the work on 
 the Eock, with its schools, preaching and other services in the 
 Castellan language has been sustained with the hope that it would 
 not only prove the means of salvation to the native inhabitants of 
 the settlement, but also prepare the way by training suitable 
 agents and otherwise, for an agressive movement on the Popish 
 darkness and superstition of the interior. Nor have direct efforts 
 for the accomplishment of this desirable object being wanting, 
 however unsuccessful in their results 
 
 As early as 1836, Dr. Rule made arrangements for the extension 
 of the mission to Spain ; and in order to ascertain the post most 
 eligible for occupation, he visited Cadiz, Malaga, and Granada. 
 This led, in the course of the following year, to the appointment of 
 a Spanish Wesleyan schoolmaster to Cadiz, who, for some time, 
 held religious services, distributed copies of the Scriptures, and 
 tracts, first on board the merchant ships in the harbour, and then 
 on shore as he had opportunity. Ho soon met with the most 
 determined and violent opposition from the priests and others. 
 Dr. Rule himself went over and held a service or two, and tried 
 to smooth the way for his agent ; but this made matters worse, 
 and the spirit of persecution increased till the Mission-school was 
 closed by authority, when the teacher was obliged to leave Cadiz, 
 and the work was consequently relinquished. Another attempt 
 was made in 1838, and the Mission at Cadiz was recommenced 
 under more favourable circumstances, when sanguine hopes were 
 entertained of ultimate success. But the same hostility to the 
 light and truth of the Gospel ere long manifested itself; and the 
 opposition became so violent, that the Missionary was again 
 obliged to abandon his post, and return to Gibraltar. In 1868 a 
 revolution occurred in Spain, the Queen being driven from the 
 throne, and a Provisional Government organised to make arrange- 
 ments for the future. When legislating on ecclesiastical matters 
 the Cortes decreed that Roman Catholicism should be the esta- 
 blished religion of the State ; but that free toleration should be 
 allowed to any other professions of faith. What wiU result from 
 
EUROPE. 45 
 
 these measures in favour of religious liberty remains to be seen ; 
 but we are free to confess, from what we have seen of the animus 
 of Popery in other countries, that we are not very sanguine as to 
 the religious future of Spain, so long as that form of error con- 
 tinues dominant. The Wesleyan Missionary Society has a lay- 
 agent, well acquainted with the Spanish language, employed in the 
 Peninsula, holding religious services, distributing tracts and 
 collecting information as he iinds opportunities, and the Committee 
 is ready to enter any opening which may present itself for the 
 permanent promulgation of the Gospel, so far as the friends of 
 Missions will authorise them by their contributions. 
 
 In common with all other countries where Popery predominates, 
 PoKTUGAL also stauds in need of the pure light of the Gospel. A 
 few pious Methodists, resident at Oporto, being anxious to worship 
 God in their own way, as well as to promote the spiritual welfare 
 of their neighbours, built a little Wesleyan chapel in the year 18C8, 
 and a few services were held in it with manifest tokens of the 
 Divine presence and blessing. Before long, however, a spirit 
 of persecution was evoked, which marred the peace of the humble 
 worshippers. The principal promoter of the enterprise was put in 
 prison for the serious crime of preaching the Gospel. When the 
 case was tried judgment was given in favour of the prisoner, and 
 he was set at liberty ; but the little flock of seventeen in number 
 are subject to much persecution and annoynnce, whilst they wait, 
 and hope, and pray for better days. 
 
 We must now pass over to Italy and take a glance at the rise 
 and progress of a work of God which, although but of yesterday, 
 gives promise of a bright and glorious future. Italy had long been 
 regarded as an inviting field of labour ; but for many years, like 
 all other Popish countries, it continued effectually closed against 
 the Gospel. But, after the revolution in the civil government of 
 the country which occurred a few years ago, a measure of religious 
 liberty was allowed to the inhabitants, and a desire was expressed 
 in many places for evangelical instruction, The Wesleyan Mis- 
 sionary Society gladly embraced the opportunity which presented 
 itself and entered the field, by the appointment in 1860, of the 
 
46 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Eev. Richard Green to commence the new Mission. In the course 
 of the following year Mr. Green was joined by the Rev. Henry J. 
 Kggott, B.A. ; and the two brethren took extensive tours to collect 
 information, and seek the most suitable place to begin their Mis- 
 sionary operations. At length they fixed upon Milan for their 
 head-quarters, and commenced their labours Vidth sanguine bopes 
 of success, being favoured with the assistance of Signor Bosio, an 
 Italian evangelist, who soon afterwards joined them. Mr. Green 
 having been obliged to return to England was succeeded, in 1863, 
 by the Rev. T. W. S. Jones, who proved admirably adapted for 
 the somewhat peculiar enterprise. 
 
 The blessing of God evidently attended the labours of His 
 servants, and in a short time the work was extended to Florence, 
 Jura, Parma, Monza, and other town and villages where preaching 
 places. Christian schools, and book depots were established, and 
 the work of evangelisation vigourously carried on in all its depart- 
 ments. At this early period the English Missionaries gladly 
 availed themselves of the services of Signers Lassolo, Ferretti, 
 and Gualtieri Ravioli, and Del Mondo, native evangelists, who 
 were providentially raised up to aid them in the good work. The 
 brother first named was subsequently, after the usual probation, 
 received into our Connexion as a Wesleyan Italian minister. 
 Whether the success of the Wesleyan Mission in Italy has met the 
 sanguine expectations of its friends and supporters or not, there 
 can be no doubt but it has already been made the means of salva- 
 tion to many; and if earnestly prosecuted, and Uberally sustained 
 by the friends of Missions at home, as it deserves to be, there is 
 reason to believe that in time to come, the results will be much 
 more abundant. We have now in Italy three EnrjUsh Wesleyan 
 Missionaries, nine Italian ministers, seven hundred and nine church 
 members, and seven hundred and forty. three scholctrs in the mission 
 schools. The report presented by the Rev. G. T. Perks, M.A., 
 and the Rev. W. Gibson, of Paris, who visited the respective 
 stations in Italy, in the autumn of 1859, as a deputation from the 
 parent society, was most encouraging. 
 
EUROPE. 47 
 
 Malta and the Mediterranean. 
 
 At an early period of the Society's history, several Mission 
 stations were commenced at difi'erent points on the islands and 
 shores of the Mediterranean, which seem to deserve a passing 
 notice in a work of this kind, notwithstanding the cii'cumstanoe 
 that most of them were afterwards relinquished. We have already 
 remarked that in former times Gibraltar was regarded, in a Mis- 
 sionary sense, as the key to all the countries beyond the Straits ; 
 and whilst this pleasant dream was indulged, earnest efforts were 
 made to plant the standard of the cross in various prominent 
 centres of the population. As early as 1824, the Eev. John 
 Keeling was appointed to Malta, and the Rev. Charles Cook to 
 Palestine ; and the following year the Rev. Donald Macpherson 
 was appointed to Alexandria in Egypt. In 1827, the Rev. Walter 
 Oke Croggon was appointed to Zante ; and he was afterwards 
 joined by the Rev. James Bartholomew, with the hope of extending 
 the work to different parts of Greece. These interesting stations, 
 with the exception of Palestine, which was never fully entered 
 upon, were occupied for several j'ears, with different measures of 
 success ; but, on the whole, the results were not such as to 
 warrant their continuance, and they were consequently given up, 
 to the disappointment and sorrow of numerou? hberal supporters 
 of the cause who felt an interest in their success. 
 
 But, although Missions once considered important and pro- 
 mising were thus reHnquished, we are not to conclude that no 
 good was done during their continuance. Perhaps the number 
 of souls that were saved through their instrumentality more than 
 justified the expense that was incurred in their support ; but the 
 numerous claims upon the Society's funds by fields of labour more 
 necessitous and more fruitful, were such as to render this step 
 imperatively necessary ; for we must remember the obligation to 
 " go, "not only to those who want us, but to those who want 
 us most." 
 
 The station that was occupied by the Wesleyan Missionary 
 Society, for the longest period in the Mediterranean, was Malta, 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 I , i 
 
 \ \h 
 
EUROPE. 49 
 
 the island where St. Paul was shipwrecked on his voyage to Eomo, 
 and the inhabitants of which showed him and his foUow-suflerers 
 " no small kindness." This place was favoured with the labours 
 of a Missionary for about twenty years, and was only given up in 
 18i4, when numerous changes had taken place among the few 
 English residents, and the military to whom his services were 
 chiefly devoted. The natives of Malta were so completely under the 
 influence of the Eomish Priests, who strictly prohibited them from 
 attending any Protestant religious service whatever, that, with very 
 few exceptions, they were entu-ely inaccessible to the Missionary, 
 or, perhaps, he would not have been withdrawn from the island. 
 
 It is pleasant to be able to add that Malta has recently been 
 re-occupied by the Society as a military station. Henceforth 
 as Methodists, sailing up the Mediterranean, come in sight of this 
 beautiful island, they will have the pleasure of knowing that a 
 Wesleyan Missionary is once more stationed there. At the Con- 
 ference of 18G9, the Rev. William S. Caldecott was appointed 
 to minister to the Wesleyan soldiers and sailors stationed there. 
 Under date of the 21st of April, 1869, Mr. Caldecott thus reports 
 the promising commencement of his work : " During the first 
 quarter we have discovered between two and three hundred 
 declared Wesleyans in the army. I have also found in the ships of 
 the royal navy, which have been in port, a hundred and sixtj--one 
 Wesleyans who were enrolled as such on joining their ships, and a 
 hundred and ninety-one who, not being acquainted with the regxi- 
 lations, were not so enrolled. Three services are now held every 
 Sunday. Soldiers and seamen also meet in my Bible-class, where 
 about thirty are generally present. Ourr egular Society class 
 is well attended." Surely, such a work as this, for the spiritual 
 benefit of the sons of om- people who have entered the army and 
 navy, and are far away from home, is worthy of the cordial support 
 of British Methodists, and it would be well if every garrison and 
 naval port in the world were thus favoured. We number at Malta 
 only one Missionary and tiventij church members ; but large congre- 
 gations of soldiers and sailors assemble every Sabbath at parade 
 service for the pubHc worship of God, and it would be difficult to 
 
 E 
 
so HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 calculate the benefits which may ultimately result from the faithful 
 preaching of the Gospel to such classes of men. 
 
 We cannot bring this chapter to a close, and take om- leave of a 
 country associated in the mind with so many touching historical 
 recollections, without expressing oui- regi'et that the Wesleyan Mis- 
 sionary Society has at present no station in Rome, Greece, Egypt, 
 Palestine, or any of the other classic Bible lands, where Popish 
 and Mahomedan darkness and superstition reign triumphant, and 
 where the light of the Gospel is so much requii-ed. All honour to 
 the Scottish and American Missionaries who have toiled so long 
 and so earnestly in those eastern regions with so little fruit ; but 
 we respectfully submit that a body like ours, which claims to be 
 the largest Protestant Missionary Society in the world, ought not 
 to be ■without its agents and representatives in a part of the globe 
 which must always be interesting as the original home of mankind, 
 the birth-place of Christianity, and the cradle of civilisation. May 
 the time soon come when British Methodists shall be honoured to take 
 their full share in the important task of disseminating the pm'e light 
 of the Gospel throughout the dark benighted regions of the East. 
 
 The aggregate number of Wesleyan Ministers now laboming in 
 Europe is one tliousand nine hundred and forty -tico ; and they have 
 under their pastoral care a chmxh-membership amounting to fire 
 himdred and ninety-one tlion.sand, two hundred and twenty; with 
 colleges, seminaries, and schools for the training of the rising 
 generation, which number their pupils by hundreds of thousands. 
 Gratifying, as this rate of progress may appear, when viewed in 
 connexion with the comparatively brief period which has elapsed 
 since the commencement of the work, we must not forget that 
 much more yet remains to be done before this highly favoured land, 
 and the countries in om- immediate vicinity, can be said entirely to 
 belong to Christ. The Home Mission work of Methodism was 
 never more needed than at the present time. Nor was it ever 
 more important, whether viewed in its direct bearing on the 
 spiritual interests of our countrymen, or in its inseparable con- 
 nection with the foreign Missionary enterprise, to which the atten- 
 tion of the reader will next be directed. 
 
CHAPTEK 11. 
 
 AMERICA. 
 
 discovery of the new world the united states canada 
 
 Hudson's bay territory — British Columbia — nova scotia — 
 
 NEW BRUNSWICK PRINCE EDWABD'S ISLAND NEWFOUNDLAND 
 
 BERMUDAS. 
 
 ONE of the most remarkable events recorded in ancient or 
 modern history is the discovery of the New World by the 
 celebrated Christopher Columbus. Age after age had passed away 
 without any definite idea having been entertained by the ancients 
 of the existence of a vast continent and numerous islands, beyond 
 the expansive ocean which bounded the distant horizon, as seen 
 from the shores of Europe and of Africa, when the grand problem 
 ■was solved, towards the close of the fifteenth century. After con- 
 siderable study and much experience as a navigator, Columbus 
 came to the conclusion that, in order to preserve the equilibrium 
 of the globe in its constant revolving motions, there must be a 
 large body of land in the western hemisphere, and the most direct 
 course to the remote regions of the east was by sailing due west. 
 Impressed with this conviction, his ardent mind longed for the 
 means of exploring the distant western seas to bring his theory to 
 the test of experience. He sought for the aid which he required 
 in England and other countries ; but he was disappointed and 
 thwarted in every direction, till Ferdinand and Isabella, King and 
 
 e2 
 
52 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Queen of Spain, became his patrons, and enabled him to take bis 
 first adventurous voyage in 1493. The undertaking was altogether 
 BO novel and romantic that it was not without difficulty that seamen 
 were engaged to man the ship ; and when they had sailed west- 
 ward for about four weeks without realising the object of their 
 search, the sailors were on the point of mutiny in their anxiety to 
 return. Columbus promised that if they did not succeed in three 
 days he would comply with their request, and abandon the enter- 
 prise ; but early the next morning, the 12th of October, to the 
 surprise and delight of all on board, they came in sight of land. 
 It was an island of the Bahama group, to which they gave the 
 name of San Salvador, and whore they soon landed and became 
 acquainted with a country and a loeople such as thej^ had never 
 seen before. Then commenced a series of incidents of a most 
 interesting character in connection with the discovery of other 
 islands, and the exploration of the neighbouring continent, into 
 the particulars of which we cannot now enter, as they arc not 
 relevant to the important object we have in view. 
 
 Amongst the crowd of adventurers from all parts of Europe who 
 followed in the wake of Columbus, after his first wonderful voyage, 
 was an enterprising Florentine navigator, named Americus Ves- 
 putius, who directed his course northwards, and who is said to 
 have been the first to discover the mainland of the northern conti- 
 nent, to which he gave his own name. From thenceforward, 
 whether appropriately or not, the western world was known as 
 America. Iu the year 1497, a famous foreign navigator, named 
 Cabot, a Venetian by birth, but who had for some time been 
 settled in England with his three sons, sailed from Bristol, under 
 the auspices of Henry VII., King of Great Britain and Ireland, 
 and traced the coast of Labrador. These enterprising voyagers 
 made other discoveries southwards, which, being followed up by 
 other EngHsh adventurers, resulted in the settlement by emigrants 
 from the United Kingdom, of those extensive provinces formerly 
 known as om- American plantations. Several of these ultimately 
 became independent of the British crown, and were formed into a 
 great republic, and designated 
 
AMERICA. 53 
 
 The United States. 
 
 By a reference to the map we shall see that the United States 
 embrace nearly one-half of the continent of North America, having 
 on the east the Atlantic Ocean, on the south Mexico and the West 
 Indies, on the west the Pacific, and on the north the Britisli 
 dominion of Canada. At the same time, it must be observed that 
 the boundaries of the Union have varied from time to time as new 
 territories have been annexed by purchase, aggressive war on the 
 aborigines, or otherwise. At its first formation the Republic con- 
 sisted of only thirteen states ; but by the means alluded to they 
 have now increased to thirty. The population has steadily but 
 rapidly increased in the meantime, as a mighty tide of emigration 
 has continued to flow from Great Britain and Ireland, and the 
 different states of continental Europe. 
 
 The extensive emigration to America, which has been going on 
 for so many years, may be traced to various causes besides that 
 love of change and adventure which is inherent in human nature. 
 As population increased, from year to year, in Europe, remunera- 
 tive employment, and a comfortable subsistence for industrious 
 labourers, and artizans, and their families, became more and more 
 difficult to acquire. Religious persecution, moreover, fell heavily 
 upon the people in many places, and made them, long for a resi- 
 dence in a country where they might worship God without 
 molestation, according to the dictates of conscience. These con- 
 siderations of civil and reUgious liberty, in connection with the 
 flattering prospects of worldly prosperity which were held out to 
 them, have induced tens of thousands to leave their native land, 
 and to try to improve the social position of themselves and their 
 posterity in the Western hemisphere. Whilst a few indolent and 
 apathetic persons have been much disappointed and wished them- 
 selves home again, others who were characterized by industrious 
 and energetic habits have succeeded beyond their most sanguine 
 expectations. From whatever point of view we regard the ques- 
 tion, it must be admitted that America possesses every necessary 
 
54 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIOi'^S. 
 
 quality for a great and prosperous country. Its commodious har- 
 bours, majestic rivers, towering mountains, fertile plains, and 
 abundance of timber, coal, iron, and other metals, with many 
 other advantages which might be named, all bespeak for it a grand 
 and glorious future. 
 
 The introduction of Methodism into America must be regarded 
 as one of the most important events that ever occurred in its 
 moral and religious history, and was attended by a train of provi- 
 dential circumstances which are worthy of notice. In the year 
 1760, among the emigrants who came from Ireland were a few 
 pious persons who had been gathered into the fold of Christ in 
 their native land, by the zealous and devoted Wesley or his 
 fellow labourers in the Gospel. The most distinguished of these 
 were Philip Embuiy and Barbara Heck, who were of Palatine 
 descent, and who, vdth their friends, settled at New York. Like 
 many other emigrants, whom we have known, they seem to have 
 suffered considerably from religious declension dming the voyage 
 across the Atlantic, and in their struggles to establish a home in 
 the New World ; for we have no information of any religious 
 movement among them for several years after their arrival in 
 America. Some, indeed, have asserted that the whole party had 
 so far wandered from God as to become addicted to the pleasures 
 of the world, such as dancing, card-playing, and the hke. How- 
 ever this may have been, there appears to be no doubt but that 
 Barbara Heck, a "Mother in Israel," was the principal means 
 of arousing them to a sense of their religious obligation, and of 
 initiating measures which led to the organisation of the first 
 Methodist Society on the continent of America. 
 
 According to the accounts which have been pubhshed by the 
 most reliable American historians, a large company of the Irish 
 emigrants were engaged in playing cards one evening in the 
 autumn of 1760, at the residence of one of them, when Barbara 
 Heck came in, and, burning with indignation at their sin and folly, 
 she hastily seized the cards and threw them into the fire ; and, at 
 the same time, administered a scathing rebuke to all concerned. 
 She then went to the house of Mr. Embury, and told him what 
 
AMERICA. 55 
 
 she had seen, and what she had done, adding with great earnest- 
 ness, "Philip, you must preach to us, or we shall all go to hell, 
 and God will require our hlood at your bands !" The backshding 
 professor was somewhat confused by this startling appeal, and he 
 endeavoured to excuse himself saying, "How can I preach when I 
 have neither a house to preach in, nor a congregation ?" " Preach," 
 said this noble, earnest. Christian woman, "in your own house, 
 and to your own company;" and before she left, she elicited 
 a promise from Mr. Embury, who had been a local preacher in 
 Ireland, that he would endeavour once more to speak to the people 
 in the name of the Lord. A few days afterwards he redeemed 
 his pledge by preaching the first Methodist sermon ever delivered 
 in America, in his own hired house, to a congregation of five 
 persons. Such was the humble origin of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church of the United States, now the largest and most influential 
 body of Christians on the great American continent. Well may we 
 exclaim with the prophet, "Who hath despised the day of small 
 things ?" 
 
 Having been aroused to a sense of the responsibility of his posi- 
 tion, and led to give himself afresh to God, Mr. Embm-y, en- 
 couraged by the zealous Mrs. Heck, thenceforth regularly exercised 
 his talents which had so long lain dormant ; and the Lord greatly 
 blessed his labours. In a short time his congregation so increased, 
 that it was found necessary to obtain a larger place of worship. 
 Accordingly, a spacious "upper room" in Barrack-street was 
 hired, where the people assembled in large numbers to hear the 
 Word of God, and where a class was soon formed of twelve 
 members. Among those who were gathered into the fold of Christ 
 at this early period, there were three British soldiers, James 
 Hodge, Addison Low, and John Buckley, who soon became 
 valuable helps to Mr. Embury, labouring zealously as prayer- 
 leaders, and exhorters, and co-operating -with him in every possible 
 way to carry on the good work. In the early part of the year 
 1767, it was foimd necessary for the infant church, in New York, 
 still further to extend their borders ; and a large room was hired 
 in William street, generally known as the " Eigging Loft," it 
 
55 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 having been formerly used as a marine-store room. The number 
 of services v^as now increased ; and preaching was commenced on 
 week nights, as well as on the morning and evening of the Sabbath. 
 About this time the society was strengthened by the arrival of Mr. 
 Thomas Taylor from England, and another party of Methodist 
 emigrants from Ireland, among whom were Messrs. Charles "Yi'iiite 
 and Eiohard Sause. Several of these being persons of more than 
 ordinary respectability and of undoubted piety and zeal, and also 
 possessed of considerable property, they were able to render 
 efficient help in various ways to the rising cause of Methodism in 
 the New World. 
 
 Shortly afterwards a httle incident occurred which shows how 
 God frequently provides the means for carrying on His work in a 
 manner quite unexpected by His people. When the infant church 
 at New York had been meeting together for Divine worship about 
 three months in the " Rigging Loft," one Sabbath evening, a 
 strange-looking military gentleman appeared amongst them. He 
 was dressed as a British offi-cer in full uniform, and had lost the 
 use of one of his eyes, over which he wore a gi-een shade. The 
 appearance of the stranger caused some excitement among the 
 timid worshippers, and a general enquiry was made as to his 
 character, and what could be his object in coming to the meeting. 
 The fears of the people soon gave way to joy and gi'atitude, how- 
 ever, on learning that the dashing military officer was a Christian 
 brother, and a Methodist, who had been converted to God under 
 the preaching of Mr. Wesley in Bristol about thi'ee years before. 
 The general joy was still further increased, when it became known 
 that he had come to reside in the country, having received the ap- 
 pointment of barrack-master at Albany, and that he was a zealous 
 Local Preacher, and would be able to render valuable assistance to 
 Mr. Embury and his associates in carrying on the good work 
 in which they were engaged. His name was Captain Webb — ■ 
 a name which is deservedly associated with those of Philip 
 Embury and Barbara Heck in the history of the planting of 
 Methodism in America. The gallant soldier preached in his regi- 
 mentals, his trusty sword lying on the desk in the meantime ; and 
 
AMERICA. 
 
 57 
 
58 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 the novelty of the sight, together with the warm and earnest 
 manner of the preacher, drew vast crowds to hear him. The 
 Word preached was attended with " soul- converting power," and 
 under his ministry, as well as that of the faithful Embury, multi- 
 tudes were gathered into the fold of Christ. The far-famed 
 " Rigging Loft," in which the people assembled for Divine 
 worship, soon became too small for the rapidly-increasing con- 
 gregation, and the erection of a regular Christian sanctuary has 
 seriously contemplated. 
 
 The building of a new chapel under such circumstances, bj' a 
 people so few in number, and of comparatively slender means, 
 was a great undertaking. But they v/ere animated by a true 
 spirit of Christian zeal, and commenced the work with a measure 
 of earnestness worthy of the occasion. The difficulties which 
 they had to encounter were numerous ; but in the strength of the 
 Lord they overcame them all, and the building being at length 
 completed, it was dedicated to the ser^ace of God on the 80th 
 of October, 17G8, when Mr. Embury preached from Hosea x, 12, 
 just two years after his first sermon in his own hired house. 
 Barbara Heck took a lively interest in the building of the new 
 chapel, and it is said she whitewashed the walls with her own 
 hands, her husband, Paul Heck being one of the trustees. This 
 first Methodist place of worship on the continent of America, was 
 the old chapel in John-street, on the site of which the present 
 noble John-street Methodist Church was erected several years 
 afterwards, — a place which we visited with feelings of pecuhar 
 interest when in New York in 1844, as it is known throughout 
 America as the " Cradle of Methodism " on that vast continent. 
 
 Whilst Mr. Embury was as earnestly engaged in evangelical 
 labours in New York as the claims of his worldlj' avocation would 
 permit. Captain Webb was boldly proclaiming the glad tidings 
 of salvation in other places, especially in Albany and Long Island, 
 where numbers were brought to a saving knowledge of the truth, 
 and prosperous societies were formed at an earlj' period. About 
 the same time, namely, in 17G7 or 1768, Methodism was introduced 
 into Marj'land, in the south, by Eobert Strawbridge, who was also 
 
AMERICA. 
 
 59 
 
 a pious emigi'ant from Ireland, and formerly in connexion with 
 Mr. Wesley. He had left his native land a short time before to 
 improve his temporal circumstances ; but although he seems to 
 have failed in that object, he was nevertheless made the instru- 
 ment of spiritual good to thousands. He settled at a place called 
 Sam's Creek, in Frederick County, then a backwoods' settlement, 
 where he immediately commenced preaching in his own dwelling- 
 house. Numbers were soon converted, several of whom were 
 called by the great Head of the Church to take a part with him in 
 the good work as Exhorters and Local Preachers ; and before 
 long a "Log Meeting-house" was built at a place about a mile 
 from Ml-. Strawbridge's residence, which, being the first Methodist 
 chapel in Maryland, ultimately became as noted in the annals of 
 Methodism in that part of America as had been the old " Eigging 
 Loft" in New York. 
 
 But zealous and earnest as were the labours of Philip Embury, 
 Captain Webb, and Eobert Strawbridge, and those of their noble 
 band of helpers, all of whom had to attend to their secular affairs 
 for the support of themselves and families, as the work expanded, 
 the need of regular Missionaries, who should be entirely devoted 
 to the work, was much felt. Hence, about two years after the 
 formation of the first Society, we find the members uniting in an 
 earnest request that Mr. Wesley would send them regular preachers 
 from England to take the spiritual oversight of the infant chm-ch, 
 which had been organised under such promising circumstances, 
 and to labour for the further extension of the Eedeemer's kingdom. 
 The founder of Methodism appears to have seen at a glance the 
 important bearing of the question, and to have resolved to do his 
 utmost to meet the wishes of his correspondents. When the Con- 
 ference, therefore, met in Leeds, on Tuesday, the 1st of August, 
 1769, Mr. Wesley brought before his brethren the claims of the 
 work of God in America, and enquired who would volunteer his 
 services to meet the emergency. It has been said by those who 
 were present on the occasion, that at first all were silent, none of 
 the Preachers being willing to brave the dangers of the passage, 
 and the still more formidable discouragements identified with the 
 
6o HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 work itself. Mr. Wesley was bitterly disappointed ; and at five 
 o'clock the following morning he preached before the Conference 
 from the words, " I have nourished and brought up children, and 
 they have rebelled against me." At the re-assembling of the 
 Preachers the same day, it is said he again proposed the question, 
 "Who is willing to go and assist our brethren in America?" 
 when Richard Boardman and Joseph Pilmoor immediately volun- 
 teered. In answer to the question, "What can we do further to 
 show om- brotherly love ? " it was recorded, "Let us now make 
 a collection among ourselves." This was immediately done; and 
 out of it fifty pounds were allotted toivards the payment of the 
 debt remaining on the chapel in New York ; and twenty pounds 
 were given to the Missionaries for their passage. 
 
 In looking at this striking incident from our present distant 
 point of view, it is difficult to say which is most to be admired, 
 the zeal and earnestness of Mr. Wesley, the sincere devotedness of 
 the Missionaries themselves, the self-denying liberality of the 
 assembled Ministers, or the wonderful providence of God, by 
 which the whole arrangement seems to have been du'ected. The 
 promptitude with which action was taken in the matter is equally 
 remarkable. No great preparation was necessary for these simple- 
 minded, holy men. Almost immediately after the Conference the 
 two newly appointed Missionaries set out for the place of their 
 destination, taking with them the £50 so nobly contributed by 
 their brethren in aid of the infant cause in America. 
 
 But before we follow them to their new and distant sphere 
 of labom-, we must pause to notice, however briefly, a little inci- 
 dent connected with their departure from their native land, which 
 was destined, in the order of Divine Pi-ovidcnce, to exercise in 
 after years a mighty influence over the Methodist Societies 
 throughout the world. When on his way to Bristol, the port 
 of embarkation, Mr. Boardman had occasion to pass through the 
 little town of Monyash, in Derbyshire, where he spent the night, 
 and preached in a humble Methodist cottage, from the prayer 
 of Jaboz (1 Chron. iv. 9, 10). In the congregation there was a 
 young woman, named Mary Eedfern, who was anxiously seeking 
 
AMERICA. 6i 
 
 the Saviour ; and the message of mercy from the lips of the 
 stranger proved a balm to her wounded spirit. Some years after 
 this she married William Bunting, a pious Methodist layman; and 
 in grateful remembrance of Mr. Boardman's sermon, and the 
 blessing which she received under it, she named her first-born son 
 Jabez Bunting — a name which afterwards became a household 
 word in the homes of Methodism in every part of the globe.* 
 
 The two Missionaries appointed to America arrived in Phila- 
 delphia on the 24th of October, 1769, and without delay entered 
 upon their work in the true spirit of the Gospel. Mr. Boardman 
 hastened to New York, to strengthen the hands of Mr. Embury 
 and Captain Webb, whose united labom's the Lord bad greatly 
 blessed ; and Mr. Pilmoor commenced preaching at once in the 
 "Quaker City," where he found a Methodist Society already 
 organised, consisting of one hundred members. A short time 
 previous to this the number of labourers in this part of the Lord's 
 vineyard bad been increased by the arrival from Ireland of Messrs. 
 Kobert Williams and John King, two zealous Local Preachers, who 
 did good service in the cause of Christ from the day on which 
 they landed on the shores of America, and who ultimately became 
 men of considerable influence in the ranks of the regular ministry. 
 In the meantime, while the good work was rapidly advancing 
 in New York, Albany, Long Island, Philadelphia, and other places, 
 it was not less prosperous in Baltimore, Sam's Creek, and other 
 parts of ]\Iaryland, where Mr. Strawbridge and his fellow labom'ers 
 
 * On Tlmrsday, the Ifith of September, 18(19, jiist one Imndi-ed years after the 
 occurrenee of tliis striking little incident, a religions centenary service was held in 
 its commemoration, in the secluded little town or village of Monyasli, when an 
 impressive and appropriate sermon was preached by the Rev. Joseph Hargraves, 
 chairman of the Sheffield District. About 160 visitors also sat down to a social 
 tea, which was provided on the occasion, after which a public meeting was held 
 under the presidency of Mr. G. Eassett, when several excellent speeches were 
 delivered by the Eevs. J. S. Workman, E. Stephenson, J. Hargraves, J. Howard, 
 and Messrs. Bassett, Jones, and others ; and a collection was made in aid of the 
 funds for the erection of a new chapel in Bakewell, the circuit town. The day 
 was one which will long be remembered, although the weather was somewhat un- 
 favourable. 
 
62 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 were nobly exerting themselves in the cause of their Divine Master. 
 Wherever the Word of God was preached by these noble bands of 
 pioneer evangelists, it had " free course and was glorified." Hun- 
 dreds of sinners were savingly converted to God ; and although 
 many of the new converts were themselves called to preach the 
 Gospel, the number of laboui'ers was still inadequate to meet the 
 demands for their services, as all the preachers, with the exception 
 of Messrs. Boardman and Pilmoor, had to pursue their worldly 
 avocations for the support of themselves and families, and could, 
 consequently, devote only a small portion of their time to the 
 interests of the Chui-ch. 
 
 When the intelligence of the success of the work in America 
 reached England, it caused much joy in the Methodist Connexion, 
 and both preachers and people were willing to aid to the utmost 
 of their power in the spread of the Gospel in a part of the world 
 which was then so spiritually destitute. To supply in part the 
 want of laboui-ers which existed on the American continent, in 
 1771, Mr. Wesley sent out Messrs. Francis Asbmy and Eichard 
 Wright; and in 1773 they were followed by Messrs. Thomas 
 Kankin and George Shadfield ; all men of acknowledged abihty as 
 preachers of the Gospel, and of active zeal and fidehty in the 
 cause of Christ. Up to this period no regular Conference had 
 been held in America, and little conventional business of any kind 
 had been done for the systematic working of Methodism. The 
 preachers were widely scattered through the different provinces, 
 and appropriated their- labours as circumstances seemed to require, 
 without any particular regard to ecclesiastical rule and order. 
 But now Mr. Eankin, who was the senior minister, took the 
 general superintendency of the work in the place of Mr. Asbury, in 
 accordance with the instructions of BIi-. Wesley, and summoned a 
 conference of preachers at Philadelphia, to commence on the 4th 
 of July, 1773. At this Conference it was unanimously agreed 
 that the founder of Methodism ought to exercise the same authority 
 over the preachers and people in America as in England ; and that, 
 in doctrine and discipline, the Societies should be governed by the 
 same rules in both countries. On examination it was found that 
 
AMERICA. 65 
 
 tHe Societies in America comprised ten itinerant preachers and 
 eleven hundred and sixty members. 
 
 From this period to the Conference of 1784, when the Methodist 
 Societies in America were organised into a separate and distinct 
 chui'ch, the work was prosecuted under numerous difficulties, some 
 of which threatened its utter ruin. These arose chiefly from the 
 revolutionary war, which commenced in 1776, and continued for 
 about seven years without intermission. War, under any circum- 
 stances, is very unfavourable to religious progress ; for when con- 
 tending armies are marching and counter-marching through the 
 country, and husbands, sons, and brothers are in the field of battle, 
 amid carnage and death, it is almost impossible to fix the public 
 mind upon any other subject, even when there is the utmost 
 harmony in relation to the cause and object of the war. But one 
 unfortunate feature of this war was that the community were 
 divided in sentiment and feeling with reference to it ; some con- 
 tending earnestly for independence, and others for continued 
 subordination to the mother-country. Thus were families and 
 friends, ministers and people frequently found at variance with each 
 other, by reason of their respective political opinions. It was, 
 moreover, in some respects unfortunate for Methodism that most 
 of the preachers w^ere Englishmen by birth, and Loyalists in prin- 
 ciple, as they were consequently looked upon with suspicion by 
 the Kepublican party, which was' rapidly gaining the ascendancy. 
 Ultimately they all left the country and returned to England, with 
 the exception of the zealous and self-denying Asbury, who nobly 
 remained at his post of duty and danger, amid unspeakable trials 
 and sufferings which time would fail to particularise. 
 
 For a considerable length of time party feehng and political 
 jealousy ran so high that Mr. Asbui-y himself found it necessary 
 to retire to the hospitable residence of Judge White, where he 
 remained in comparative concealment for nearly twelve months. 
 In this quiet asylum the man of God was frequently visited by 
 Freeborn Garrettson and the other American preachers who were 
 glad of his counsel and dii-ection during that stormy and trying 
 period. By these means the work of God was still carried on, 
 
64 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 but it was impeded in its progress by difficulties wbicli would 
 require many pages to recite in detail. Suffice it to say, that 
 scattered and ban-assed as they were the preachers were instant 
 in season and out of season, embracing every opportunity of deli- 
 vering their Lord's message to soldiers in the field and civilians at 
 home, everywhere endeavouring to diffuse abroad a knowledge of 
 the Saviour. The societies were kept together much better than 
 could have been expected, and some pleasing instances occuired of 
 the conversions of sinners to God. 
 
 At length the American colonists succeeded in establishing their 
 independence, and peace was restored to the land. The altered 
 state of affairs now required prompt and peculiar measures to meet 
 the vast demand for religious instruction in the promising new- 
 born nation. The resources at the command of the sagacious and 
 indefatigable Wesley were again found equal to the emergency. 
 Believing that he had the power to do so, and that such a form of 
 church government would be best, he ordained and sent out Dr. 
 Coke as General Superintendent or bishop, with Messrs. Wliatcoat 
 and Vasey as Presbyters, to lay the foundation of the Methodist 
 Episcopal Church in the United States. They arrived in New 
 York on the 8rd of November, ITSi ; and at the General Con- 
 ference, which was convened at Christmas in the same year, the 
 plan proposed by Mr. Wesley for the re-organisation and govern- 
 ment of American Methodism was unanimously adopted by the 
 preachers. On this occasion si.rhj of the c'ujlitij -three travelling 
 preachers, then in the American Connexion, were present ; and it 
 was found that, notwithstanding the difficulties with which the 
 infant church had to contend during the tr3dng j'ears of the revolu- 
 tionary war the number of members had increased to fourteen 
 thousemd nine hinidrcd and i'ii/Jiti/-xi.i\ 
 
 It would be a very pleasing task if time and space permitted to 
 follow the newly organised Methodist Chm'ch of the United States 
 in the rapid progress which it made, when all political and other 
 difficulties were removed out of the way of its full development. 
 But wore we to enter into minute particulars we should have no 
 sj>acc for a brief account of the origin and progress of Methodism 
 
AMERICA. 65 
 
 in Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward's Island, 
 Cape Breton, and Newfoundland — countries which remained at- 
 tached to the British crown after the declaration of American inde- 
 pendence. For ample information respecting the progress and 
 extent of this wonderful work of God, we may refer to the excel- 
 lent works of Drs. Stevens, Dixon, and Jobson, and to the in- 
 teresting memoirs of Bishop Asbury, the Kevs. Messrs. Garrettson, 
 Cartwright, Findlay, Spicer, and other zealous Missionary pioneers 
 of the West. Suffice it to say, that wherever the Gospel was 
 faithfully preached by Methodist ministers, a gracious influence 
 attended the Word, sinners were convinced and converted, and 
 multitudes were gathered into the fold of Christ. Beautiful church 
 buildings were erected, societies formed, and schools established in 
 almost every town and village of the Union, as rapidly as they 
 sprang up, east, west, north, and south. New Circuits, Districts, 
 and Conferences were organized in quick succession, as the work 
 advanced, in every direction, and as the population flowed west- 
 ward ; till, in process of time, the whole country, from the 
 Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the Gulf of Florida to the St. 
 Lawr-ence, was permeated with the leaven of Christianity in the 
 form of Methodism, to say nothing of the foreign and domestic 
 missions which have been established in the destitute parts of 
 the States, in India, China, Africa, and other countries. In the 
 wide field for Christian enterprise, presented by the vast extent 
 and rapidly increasing population of the United States, other 
 religious bodies have nobly exerted themselves for the spiritual 
 welfare of the people ; but, for successful labour, numbers, power, 
 and influence, none have surpassed the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church. 
 
 In the course of years there were several off-shoots from the 
 parent body, owing to various causes ; but the largest secession 
 was in 1844, when nearly one half of the entire community went 
 off, and organized themselves as the " Methodist Episcopal Church 
 South," on account of slavery, which they were determined to 
 uphold. 
 
 Being present at the General Conference in New York that 
 
§6 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 year, we watched, with feelings of deep interest, the course of 
 events, and listened with profound attention to the speeches which 
 were delivered both for and against the favourite domestic institu- 
 tion during the debate, which lasted more than a week. As the 
 recent civil war has terminated in the entii-e destruction of 
 American slavery, and thus removed, in the order of Divine provi- 
 dence, the bone of contention for ever out of the way, it is hoped 
 that the two great branches of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 
 the United States, may be ultimately re-united, as on all general 
 questions of doctrine and discipline they are understood to be 
 identical. 
 
 In the autumn of 1866, the first Centenary of American 
 Methodism was celebrated throughout the length and breadth of 
 the country, one hundred years having passed away since the 
 first society was formed in New York by Phihp Embury, Barbara 
 Heck, and a few other Irish emigrants. Songs of praise ascended 
 to heaven from almost every church and every family connected 
 with the body, for the great things which God had ^vi'ought. 
 Princely offerings were also laid upon the altar of Christian bene- 
 volence for the various objects contemplated in the financial 
 arrangements of the celebration. One gentleman, Daniel Drew, 
 Esq., presented the noble sum of one hundred thousand pounds 
 on the occasion ; and the entire amount contributed to the Cente- 
 nary Fund was upwards of one million sterling. But these are 
 trifling matters compared with the spiritual results of the great 
 movement. In the Centenary year alone the increase of chm'ch 
 members was about one hundred and twenty-three thousand, mak- 
 ing the total number of Methodist communicants in the United 
 States amount to about two milUoits, with about fouriceii tJiousand 
 Ministers in the ranks of the itinerancy, and an equal number 
 of zealous Local Preachers. Schools, seminaries, colleges, and 
 universities have increased in equal proportion ; whilst the church 
 buildings are estimated at tn-entij thousriiid in number, which, 
 allowing for those which have been superseded by larger edifices, 
 will give an average of about one place of worship erected each 
 day during the century — a rate of progress unparalleled, it is 
 
AMERICA. 67 
 
 believed, in any other branch of the Christian Church.* Viewing 
 the magnitude of the work of Methodism in all its phases, and its 
 probable influence on the future of America, we cannot fail to 
 admire with gratitude and praise the providence and grace of God 
 so clearly manifest in every stage of its progress. And when we 
 regard it as the legitimate fruit of the Missionary enterprise, we 
 are lost in wonder, love, and praise, and constrained to exclaim, 
 with adoring gratitude, " What hath God wrought ?" 
 
 The rapid progress and extensive spread of Methodism in the 
 United States is to be attributed in a large measure to the con- 
 tinual influx of Wesleyan emigrants from Europe, especially from 
 Ireland, and to the zeal and success with which they have laboured 
 in the good work. It is believed that there are at the present time 
 a larger number of Irish Methodists in New York than in Dublin ; 
 and among the bravest and best of the noble band of ministers of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church there are not a few who are the 
 genuine sons of Green Erin, or their descendants. America owes 
 
 * The Methodist churches of the United States are generally neat and elegaut 
 ecclesiastical buildings with spires, and are easily distinguished from houses 
 appropriated to secular purposes. But the most splendid stmoture of the kind 
 ever erected in America, was the " Metropolitan Memorial Methodist Episcopal 
 Church," built in Washington in the year 1868, by the united contributions of th» 
 members in all parts of the Union, It is in the gothic style of architecture, and 
 constructed chiefly of brown stone. The spire is to be 220 feet high, and when 
 finished, is to be furnished with a full chime of bells, the gift of a gentleman in 
 Pittsburg, in memory of a beloved daughter. The windows are of stained glass, 
 with beautiful designs, most of them being memorial presents. The jiulpit is also 
 of chaste design, constructed in part of black walnut, the panels being of olive 
 wood from the Mount of Olives, in the Holy Land, the posts having pieces of 
 cedar from Mount Lebanon inserted into them, whilst, on its front, is an elegantly- 
 carved cross, wreathed with entwined ivy. The caps on each side of the reading- 
 desk and altar rails are made of olive wood from the Mount of Olives. The 
 church is furnished with a powerful organ, twenty feet high, and thirteen feet 
 deep, which occupies a prominent place over the main entrance. This splendid 
 sanctuary was dedicated to the public worship of Almighty God on Sunday, the 
 28th of February, 1869, when eloquent and appropriate senuons were preached by 
 Bishop Simpson, the Kev. W. M. Punshon, M.A., and Dr. Eddy, after which a col- 
 lection was made amounting to upwards of £500, General Grant, the President of 
 the United States, who is said to be a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
 was in attendance at the opening service with his family and suite, and the coa- 
 ooui-se was very large, hundreds being unable to gain admittance. 
 
 r2 
 
68 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Is- 
 
 5 °^ e 
 
 S fc:^ 
 
 •o t: -i: 
 
 8sl 
 
 •2 0.^ 
 
AMERICA. 69 
 
 a large debt of gratitude to Irish Methodism ; and she has not 
 been slow to acknowledge her obligation. When a deputation was 
 sent by the Irish Conference of 18G6 to the United States, con- 
 sisting of W. M'Ai-thur, Esq. M.P., Dr. E. Scott, and the Rev. 
 R. Wallace (the last of whom, alas ! found a grave in American 
 soil), to sohoit aid towards the erection and endowment of a 
 Methodist College in Belfast, their ajjpeals met with a most 
 generous response. The noble sum of one hundred thousand 
 dollars was contributed by American Methodists towards this ob- 
 ject, by means of which, and the substantial aid received from 
 England added to Irish hberality, the college buildings have been 
 erected, and an institution inaugurated, which bids fair to be a 
 blessing to both hemispheres. 
 
 Cakada. 
 
 After the declaration of independence by the United States of 
 America, there remained more than one half of the vast continent 
 still attached to the British crown. The largest and most impor- 
 tant section of British America was called Canada, the country 
 which next claims our attention. To prepare the way for its Mis- 
 sionary history, which is the principal object we have in view, it 
 will only be necessary to make a few brief observations. In its 
 general features the country is very similar to the United States; 
 but being situated to the northward the climate is said to be some- 
 what more severe, the cold being more intense in winter, whilst 
 the heat is equally great during the summer months. It is 
 approached from the Atlantic by the majestic river St. Lawrence, 
 which, in its upper course, above Quebec and Montreal, expands 
 into a number of extensive lakes or inland seas, which give a 
 peculiar charm to the aspect of the scenery, whilst, at the same 
 time, they greatly facilitate commercial intercom-se by means of the 
 navigation which is constantly carried on in all kinds of vessels on 
 their majestic waters. 
 
 Canada is said to have been discovered by the French as early 
 as 1534 ; but it was not until the year 1607 that they formed their 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 first settlement of Quebec, on the site of an Indian village called 
 Sadaeona. For several years but little progress was made in 
 colonization, the country being almost completely covered -with 
 primeval forests, and occupied with a considerable population of 
 native Indians. In the wars of 1759, the colony was taken by 
 the English under General Wolfe ; at which period the number of 
 settlers amounted to about 70,000, who were chiefly of French ex- 
 traction, and Koman Catholics by profession. Soon after the 
 termination of the revolutionarj' war the population of Canada 
 was considerably increased by the arrival of a large number of 
 Loj'alists, who could not brook the idea of a repubhcan form 
 of government, and who preferred to maintain their allegiance to 
 England. From this source, as well as by the constant aiTival of 
 emigrants from the United Kingdom, the British €'lement in the 
 population has continued to preponderate ; and through the enter- 
 prising spirit of the settlers, the colonj' has reahsed a cheering 
 measure of prosperity. With the blessing of a kind and gi-acious 
 Providence, and the skill and energy of the colonists, there is 
 reason to anticipate for this important section of the British 
 Empire still greater jsrosperity in the future ; and more especially 
 so from its recent union with most of the other British American 
 provinces in a general confederacy, designated " the Dominion of 
 Canada." 
 
 A population so widely scattered and of such a mixed character, 
 and largely imbued with Popish ignorance and superstition, did 
 not present a very favourable soil for the cultivation of rehgion 
 and moraUty ; and many difficulties had to be encountered in the 
 ■first eiJ'orts which were made to propagate the Gospel in Canada. 
 It is a pleasing fact, however, that in process of time everv ob- 
 stacle was surmounted, and a great and glorious work was in- 
 augurated, which, in its history and results, will bear a favom-able 
 comparison with that of any other land. As British emigrants 
 arrived, either from the United States or from the mother country, 
 they generally settled in the Upper Pro\-ince, on the banks of the 
 rivers, the margins of the lakes, and on the shores of the Bav of 
 Quinte ; but the original settlers, of French extraction, continued 
 
AMERICA. yi 
 
 to occupy the Lower Province, whilst the aborigines generally 
 retii-ed westward. Among all these classes of people the leaven of 
 pure Christianity has spread to a considerable extent; but the 
 result is seen more especially in the energy, zeal, perseverance, 
 and prosperity, both temporal and spiritual, which characterizes 
 the British portion of the population. To bring about the ad- 
 vanced state of religious progress which at present exists in 
 Canada, various agencies have been employed ; but none have 
 been more powerful or more beneficial to the country than those 
 connected with Wesleyan Methodism, a brief history of which 
 we have now to record. 
 
 It is believed that the first Methodist sermon ever heard in 
 Canada was preached in Quebec in the year 1780, by a Local 
 Preacher named Tuffey, who had just arrived from England in 
 connection with the commissariat of the 44th Eegiment. This 
 zealous and devoted servant of God, seeing and lamenting the 
 wickedness which prevailed among the military and the Pro- 
 testant emigrants, and the Popish ignorance and superstition of 
 the older settlers, nobly lifted up his warning voice Avith a view 
 to reclaim them from the error of their ways. In this labour 
 of love the British soldier was assisted by a few of his pious 
 comrades, with whom he was in the habit of holding religious 
 meetings for their mutual edification ; but it does not appear that 
 any regular Methodist Society was formed among the civilians 
 at Quebec at this early period. At the restoration of peace, 
 Mr. Tuffey returned to England ; but several British regiments in 
 Canada were disbanded on the spot, and the discharged soldiers had 
 portions of land given to them on which to settle, and form their 
 homes in the land of their adoption. Among these were some of 
 Tuffey's comrades and converts, who retained their first love to the 
 Saviour, and who also became the means of blessing to others. 
 
 A Christian brother belonging to this class of men was the 
 honoured instrument in the hands of God of introducing Methodism 
 into Upper Canada also. This was George Neal, an Irish Local 
 Preacher of considerable power and abilit3^ He had come to 
 America with a cavalry regiment, in which he held the rank of 
 
72 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 major ; and at the close of the war he crossed the Niagara river 
 at Queenston, on the 7th of October, 1786, to take possession 
 of an officer's portion of land, which had been given to him in 
 acknowledgment of his past services in the British army. Whilst 
 busily engaged in the labom-s and anxieties incident to the esta- 
 blishing of a new home in a strange land, Major Neal embraced 
 every opportunitj- of preaching the Gospel to his fellow-settlers 
 on the banks of the Niagara, and he was made the means of 
 spiritual good to many, notwithstanding some opposition with 
 which he had to contend. 
 
 Whilst George Neal was thus labouring zealouslj' as he had 
 opportunity among the settlers in the Niagara river district, that 
 part of the country bordering on the Bay of Quinte continued for 
 some time in a state of great spiritual destitution, there being no 
 religious teacher of any denomination among the people. At 
 length the Lord of the harvest made provision for this district 
 also. In 1788, a pious young man named Lyons, an exhorter in 
 the Methodist Episcopal Church, came to Canada, and commenced 
 teaching a school at Adolphus-town. Having a zeal for the Lord, 
 and seeing the ignorance and sin which abounded on every hand, 
 he collected the people together on Sabbath daj'S in diflerent parts 
 of the country, and conducted Divine worship as best he could, 
 earnestly exhorting them to fiee from the wrath to come. He also 
 visited the people from house to house for the purpose of prajdng 
 with and instructing every family to which he had access, and 
 the Lord greatly blessed the labours of His servant. 
 
 In the same year came James M'Carty, a zealous Irishman from 
 the United States, who was also made very useful in turning 
 sinners to God. He had heard Whitfield dming his last visit to 
 America, and the Word preached had been the power of God to his 
 salvation. Earnestly desiring to bring others to a saving know- 
 ledge of the truth, ho crossed from the United States to Kingston, 
 and proceeded to Earnes-town, where he formed the acquaintance 
 of Robert Perry, and some other Methodists in those parts, who 
 encouraged him to hold religious services in their log-houses. He 
 was a man of attractive manners and address, and large numbers 
 
AMERICA. 73 
 
 attended his preaching, many of the settlers in that part of the 
 country never having heard a Gospel sermon before since ihej left 
 their native land. The labours of this humble evangelist were 
 blessed of the Lord to the salvation of many souls ; but he had 
 not been long engaged in this work when a storm of persecution 
 arose which cost him his life. Some of the Loyalists who had 
 retired to Canada at the close of the revolutionary war, and who 
 were fiery politicians as well as enemies to the Gospel, looked 
 upon the stranger with a suspicious eye, on account of his coming 
 from the United States, and organized a powerful party to oppose 
 his movements. Having failed to put a stop to the progress of 
 the work, and prevent the continuance of the meetings of the 
 Methodists by an appeal to the authorities, and by numerous petty 
 acts of violence, they resolved to make away with the Preacher in 
 a secret and clandestine manner. It is certain that jioor M'Carty 
 soon afterwards disappeared in a very mysterious way ; and it has 
 been asserted by persons who lived in the neighbom'hood that his 
 enemies hired a party of unprincipled Frenchmen to seize him, 
 thi'ow him into a boat, and take him by force to one of the deso- 
 late islands which stud the outlet of the Lake Ontario, where the 
 rapid waters rush into the river St. Lawrence. There, they say, 
 the Preacher was landed, and left to perish, being never heard of 
 any more. 
 
 Other instances of violent opposition to the truth on the part of 
 the enemies of the Cross of Christ might be given ; but, as in all 
 ages and countries, the more the Gospel was opposed the more 
 it prospered and prevailed. Whilst Mr. Lyons was preaching as 
 he had opportunity in the settlements on the shores of the Bay of 
 Quinte, Major Neal was made very useful in the Niagara town- 
 ships. Among those who were brought to God at the place last 
 named, in the year 1791, was a young man named Charles Warner, 
 who, with several of his converted neighbours, was united in a 
 class, of which he was appointed the Leader. This is beheved to 
 ■have been the first Methodist Society organised in Upper Canada. 
 It is a pleasing fact that Mr. Warner, who had settled in the town- 
 ship of Stamford, near the falls of Niagara, never changed the 
 
74 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 place of his residence, but continued to be a useful class-leader for 
 more than forty years, till his peaceful death in 1833. 
 
 In our researches into the history of early Methodism in Canada, 
 it is pleasant once more to meet with the honoured names of 
 Philip Embury and Barbara Heck, which figure so prominently in 
 
 MRS. HECK TEACHING THE SETTLER'S CHILDREN. 
 
 connection with the commencement of the work in New York. It 
 would appear that they, with many others of their original party, 
 removed to Canada soon after the breaking out of the revolutionary 
 war, and for some time they lived at Camden, near Lake Champ- 
 lain, where they were the founders of another new Methodist 
 
AMERICA. 
 
 75 
 
 cause. After a residence of about ten years in Lov^er Canada 
 they came to the Upper Province in 1785, and settled at Augusta, 
 in the neighbourhood of Big Creek. We find no record of the 
 last days of Mr. Embury, but his widow was married to a godly 
 man named John Laurance, and his son Samuel was the leader of 
 the class which was formed at Augusta. Here Barbara Heck 
 finished her com-se in peace, in the year 1804, her husband Paul 
 having died about fourteen years previously. About twelve 
 months afterwards their eldest son, John, died in the State of 
 Georgia. Two other sons, Jacob and Samuel, survived their 
 parents for many years, in whose pious footsteps they continued 
 to tread, the one last named being a highly respectable and 
 useful Local Preacher. The remains of Mr. and Mrs. Heck, with 
 those of other members of the family, repose in the Blue Church 
 grave-yard, near the place of their former residence at Augusta. 
 
 As the work of God extended its influence, both in the Upper 
 and Lower Provinces, and Societies were organised in various 
 places, the need of a regular ministry was urgently felt ; the good 
 men who had hitherto been the only preachers of the Gospel 
 among the scattered settlers having to attend to their farming and 
 other worldly avocations, which left them but little time for evan- 
 gelical labours. It was therefore resolved to make application for a 
 regular Missionary, to minister to the spiritual necessities of the 
 people, and to seek sjtill further to promote the extension of the 
 Eedeemer's kingdom. 
 
 The work having now taken deep root in the United States, and 
 conferences having been organised by the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church in different parts of the country, it was to this body that 
 application was made in the first instance, when additional la- 
 bourers were required in the Canadian provinces. The respectful 
 request of the people met with a cordial response, and the first 
 regular Methodist minister appointed to labour in Canada was the 
 Kev. William Losee. He was a man of moderate talents, but of 
 great energy and perseverance, and well adapted for the rough 
 pioneering work which he had to do. Mr. Losee had visited 
 Canada previous to his appointment as a Missionary, several of 
 
75 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 his relatives having settled in the country ; and being wishful to 
 join them, he volunteered his services, and was, in fact, the bearer 
 of the petition to the New York Conference requesting a minister. 
 The judicious Bishop Asbury and his coadjutors the more readily 
 acquiesced in the appointment of Mr. Losee to Canada in con- 
 sequence of his being a LoyaHst in principle, a circumstance 
 which would render his labours more acceptable in a British 
 colony. The young evangelist set out for his distant sphere of 
 labour on horseback ; and, after a long and tedious journey in the 
 depth of winter, he crossed the St. Lawrence, at Eangston, on the 
 ice, and formed the first regular Methodist Circuit in Canada 
 among the scattered settlers on the Bay of Quinte, in the early 
 part of the year 1791. Divine service was now conducted by the 
 new preacher and his assistants in log huts, or shanties, wherever 
 an opening presented itself, and the Lord of the harvest greatly 
 blessed the labours of His servants. Those who were convinced 
 of their sins, or savingly converted to God, were united in classes 
 for further instruction, three of which were formed in the short 
 space of ten days, one at Adolphus-town, another at Earnes-town, 
 and a third at Fredericksburgh. 
 
 Among the first converts in the extensive revival of religion 
 which now took place was a notable j'onng man named John 
 Roblin, who had been a prominent person in the dancing parties 
 and other vain amusements which were so prevalent at that period. 
 On finding peace with Grod his conscience would not permit him 
 to indulge in gaudy dress, much less to pm-sue the pleasures of 
 sin, which are but for a season. He therefore went to his room 
 and returned vnth his frilled shirt, saying to his mother, in the 
 presence of the family: "Mother, as soon as you can, take off 
 these frills from my shirt ; I shall wear such no more. 0, mother, 
 the Lord has converted my soul this morning. Let us all kneel 
 down and pray." He then, for the first time, prayed with his 
 mother, and brother, and sisters. Soon afterwards he went to 
 William Moore's, about a mile distant, and exhorted and prayed 
 with the family, leaving a deep impression, which resulted in a 
 change of heart and life in the case of several of its members. 
 
AMERICA. 77 
 
 William Moore soon became the leader of a class, and for several 
 years bore the character of a good and useful man, whilst the 
 somewhat eccentric but truly pious Mr. Eoblin laboured success- 
 fully as a Local Preacher, and was ultimately elected as a member 
 of the first Parliament in Upper Canada, a position which was not 
 at all congenial to his feelings, however, and which he soon 
 rehnquished. 
 
 Numerous other instances of remarkable individual conversions 
 might be given, but we must proceed to state the progress of the 
 work in the aggregate. Such was the success which attended the 
 labours of the first Missionary and his assistants, that in the fol- 
 lowing year the dwelling-houses of the settlers were found alto- 
 gether too small to contain the congregations which assembled to 
 hear the Word preached. The people, therefore, set to work, and 
 erected the first Methodist place of worship ever built in Canada 
 — on a piece of land generously given for the purpose by Mr. Paul 
 Hufi', at Adolphus-town, in whose cottage the meetings had pre- 
 viously been held. The building was a humble structure of 
 framed timber, thirty-five feet by thirty, and was erected amid 
 many difliculties, a comparatively poor people subscribing towards 
 it the noble sum of £108. This little sanctuary was almost imme- 
 diately followed by the erection of a similar structm-e for the use 
 of the people at Earnes-town, in the eastern part of the Circuit. 
 After about two years spent in useful labom-, in the spring of 1793 
 Mr. Losee attended the New York Conference, held at Albany, at 
 which he was able to report one hundred and sixty-five persons 
 united in Church fellowship under his pastoral care in Canada. 
 The encouraging account which he was enabled to give of the 
 general character of the work, and of the prospects which were 
 opening up before him, induced the Conference to appoint the Rev. 
 Dirius Dunham to accompany him on his return, as his colleague 
 in his interesting sphere of labour. 
 
 At this Conference Mr. Losee was ordained Deacon ; and Mr. 
 Dunham being already an elder, he was duly authorised to admi- 
 nister the sacraments, and to celebrate marriages, which was a 
 great advantage to the Societies, as they had hitherto been deprived 
 
78 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 of these privileges. Methodism in Canada having now assumed 
 the organisation and status of a regular Christian Church, at a 
 period when there were but few agents of other religious bodies 
 in the field, the work took deep root and greatly prospered, and 
 the two IMissionaries prosecuted their labours for some time with 
 encouragement and success. In the following year, however, an 
 untoward circumstance occurred, which affected the health, both 
 mental and bodily, of Mr. Losee, the first missionary to Canada, 
 in such a manner that he was obliged to relinquish the work and 
 enter into business. But before long, at intervals, several more 
 Ministers were sent from the United States, as Messrs. Coate, 
 Coleman, Wooster, Bangs, Eyan, and others ; additional Circuits 
 were formed, and a regular District was organised, over which Mi-. 
 Dunham was appointed Presiding Elder. In after years the work 
 was greatly extended in every direction, reaching ultimately to the 
 scattered settlements on the Lakes Ontario and Erie, Long Point, 
 Sam's Creek, and other places, where chapels were built, congre- 
 gations gathered, Societies formed, and multitudes of sinners 
 brought to a saving knowledge of the truth. 
 
 For several years after this systematic organisation and exten- 
 sion of Methodism in Canada, the work continued in connexion 
 with the Methodist Episcopal Chm-ch, by whom the fii'st regular 
 Missionary had been appointed ; but it was aftenvards found 
 necessary to detach it entirely from the dii-ection and control of 
 parties resident in the United States. And, after various vicissi- 
 tudes, into the particulars of which we need not now enter, it 
 ultimately became connected with the British Conference, mth a 
 separate organisation of its own. From the time that the States 
 declared their independence, political party feeling ran high on the 
 American Continent ; and the Loyahsts, who had found a home 
 in Canada, looked with a jealous eye upon theii- republican neigh- 
 bours in the States. Consequently many of the Canadian Metho- 
 dists were ill at ease on being obliged to receive their supply of 
 ministers from a body whose political views they could not always 
 endorse, although in general harmony with it as to doctrine and 
 discipline. For instance, when the Conference of the Methodist 
 
AMERICA. 79 
 
 Episcopal Church in 1796 ordered a general thanksgiving-day, and 
 gave directions that, among other things, all the people should 
 render thanks to God for the " admirable revolution obtained and 
 established" in their country, it was not likely that Canadian 
 Methodist Loyalists, who were dearly attached to the British 
 Government, should relish the sentiment or comply with the 
 order. The influence of true religion, however, for a length of 
 time helped all parties to overcome numerous difficulties, and the 
 good work continued to extend and prosper, till the breaking out 
 of the war between England and the United States in 1812, when 
 many of the American preachers left their stations, to return to 
 their own country, and everything was thrown into confusion. 
 
 Under these circumstances the attention of the Canadian 
 Methodists was tm-ned to England, from whence they earnestly 
 requested to be supplied with Ministers. The Wesleyan Mis- 
 sionary Committee in London readily responded to this natural 
 desire of British colonists, and they would, no doubt, have thought 
 of doing something for Canada before had not their resources 
 been so heavily taxed with the support of their extensive Missions 
 in the West Indies and other places. They were, moreover, the 
 less concerned about Canada so long as the stations there could 
 be supplied with Missionaries from the United States, and tolerable 
 harmony was preserved in carrying on the work. But the case 
 was altered now, and it seemed absolutely necessary to interfere, 
 and to supply preachers for the destitute settlers from the British 
 Conference. The first Missionary thus appointed was the Rev. 
 John Strong, who was stationed in Quebec in 1814 ; and in sub- 
 sequent years he was followed by the Revs. Messrs. WiUiams, 
 Pope, Booth, Binning, Crosscombe, Johnston, Lusher, Wood, and 
 others, who laboured with success, and whoso memory is still 
 cherished with much affection by a few surviving aged members. 
 
 At the same time, a number of American preachers, who re- 
 garded Canada as their adopted country, remained in their circuits 
 during the war, and continued afterwards to prosecute their 
 labours with acceptance and success. With these brethren and 
 their work the EngHsh Missionaries had no wish to interfere ; but 
 
8o HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 when difficulties afterwards arose, it was mutually agreed that the 
 newly- arrived Ministers should confine their labours to Lower 
 Canada, whilst those from the United States should prosecute 
 their work within the limits of the Upper Province. Under this 
 arrangement Methodism in Canada continued to advance with 
 amazing rapidity ; large numbers being added to the Church every 
 year ; and commodious places of worship being erected in every 
 town and village of importance. In 1824, political reasons 
 already alluded to rendered it necessary for the Ministers in 
 Upper Canada to form themselves into a separate Conference, 
 to be independent of the control of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Chm-ch in the United States. Amid all these changes the work 
 of God steadily advanced with the rapidljr increasing population 
 of the colony ; and wherever there was a small company of 
 settlers located there was almost sure to be a Methodist chapel, 
 and a Society either in connexion with American or English 
 Missionaries. 
 
 Ultimatelj', however, through the wise and judicious interven- 
 tion of Dr. Alder, who was sent out to represent the Enghsh 
 Missionary Committee and Conference, a union was eflected of 
 the whole body of Methodists in Canada, including ministers and 
 people, with a few inconsiderable exceptions, under a new organi- 
 sation, called the " Canadian Conference in connexion with the 
 British Conference ; " the discipline of which it in the main 
 adopted, being already identical with it in the more important 
 matters of Christian doctrine. After this arrangement the cause 
 was still more prosperous, and the Methodists of Canada have now 
 become the most numerous, powerful and influential body of Chris- 
 tians in the country, numbering /?rf Jnoidrcd andforti/-)h-i' ^linistirs, 
 and fiftij-ftcren tJiousaiii xfvcii liiindred and. sid-ti/-fot(r cliurcJi mem- 
 bers, with a corresponding number of places of worship ; many of 
 which for magnitude, beauty and elegance, equal or surpass om- 
 first-rate chapels in England. Nor has the training of the rising 
 generation been neglected by the Canadian Methodist Conference. 
 Schools, seminaries, colleges and universities have been provided 
 on an ample scale ; and if the reader could but see Methodism as 
 
AMERICA. 
 
 8i 
 
 it exists in Montreal, Toronto, Kingston, Hamilton, London, and 
 other large cities and towns in Canada, lie would be convincuJ 
 that it is not surpassed in any part of the world. 
 
 In no portion of the British empire is greater attention paid to 
 the organization and management of Sabbath-schools, than in the 
 dominion of Canada. Annual "conventions" are held in various 
 parts of the country, to take into consideration the best means of 
 carrying on this important part of Christian labour. On these occa- 
 
 i(OBl']RT nAtKi';s. 
 
 eions the speakers may be heard expatiating in terms of glowing 
 eloquence on the institution as it exists in the " mother country," 
 and on the character and career of the celebrated Robert Eaikes, 
 its honoured founder. From this and other pleasing circumstances 
 which might be mentioned, as the zeal manifested in the circula- 
 tion of the sacred Scriptures, and the genuine Missionary spirit 
 which generally animates professing Christians, we have good 
 reason to anticipate for this part of the western hemisphere still 
 greater religious prosperity in time to come. 
 
 G 
 
82 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Hitherto our notices of Methodism in Canada have been con- 
 fined to the work as it has been carried on among the colonists, 
 and we must now call attention to a few remarks on the aborigines 
 and the efforts which have been made to evangelise them. When 
 the pale-faced strangers first landed on the continent of North 
 America, the country was in many places densely populated by a 
 race of native Indians, divided into various tribes, and speaking 
 different languages. These simple children of the forest generally 
 retired westward, as the European settlers advanced to take poses- 
 sion of their ancient hunting grounds. Great advantage was 
 frequently taken of their ignorance, and when the formality of a 
 bargain was gone through, they were often induced to sell their 
 lands for merely a nominal sum ; Long Island having been pur- 
 chased, it is said, for a pair of spectacles ! In other instances they 
 were driven oft' without ceremony, and left to find a home where 
 they could. At the same time their numbers rapidly decreased ; 
 partly by the wars which were frequently carried on among them- 
 selves or with the colonists, and partly by the introduction of 
 small-pox and other European diseases, and especially bj" the fatal 
 "fire-water,"' in the form of whisky, rum, gin, and brandy, which 
 the whites brought among them. Notwithstanding this unhappy 
 state of things, the true friends of religion and humanity both in 
 England and America, have alwaj'S looked upon the poor Indians 
 with feelings of compassion, and of late years much has been done 
 to promote their social and religious improvement. 
 
 When the scattered remnants of several native tribes were 
 collected and located on lands reserved for them by Govern- 
 ment in Upper Canada, the Wesleyan Missionary Society readily 
 came forward to take their share in the important but difficult 
 work of seeking to raise them in the scale of being. Missionaries 
 were appointed, preaching commenced, schools established, and 
 societies organised, as openings presented themselves, among the 
 various tribes of Indians at their respective locations. But the 
 most important and prosperous stations were formed with the 
 Mohawks on the Grand River, and the Six Nations and other 
 tribes at New Credit, Muncy, St. Clair, Rama, Alnwick, Mud 
 
AMERICA. 83 
 
 Lake, and in a few other localities. At these places a great and 
 good work was effected. Hundreds of poor Indians were savingly 
 converted to God, and taught the arts of civilised life, whilst their 
 children were trained up in the Mission schools ; and, in some 
 instances the Holy Scriptures were translated into their native 
 tongue. It is a rich treat to visit one of those Christian Indian 
 villages, and to behold the wonderful change which has been 
 effected both in the temporal and spiritual condition of the people, 
 by the power of the Gospel. Thoroughly weaned from the wan- 
 dering habits to which they were addicted in their uncivilised state, 
 when they subsisted by hunting and fishing, the natives may now 
 be seen decently clothed, occupying comfortable cottages, culti- 
 vating the ground, and following useful trades which they have 
 been taught by the Missionaries. And if we spend a Sabbath on 
 the Station, and witness the appearance of the congregation, and 
 the fervour of their devotion, we shall be forciblj' reminded of 
 the declaration of the Apostle, that " Godliness is profitable unto 
 all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that 
 which is to come." 
 
 In this humble but important department of Christian labour, 
 the Eev. William Case, the father and founder of the Indian 
 Wesleyan Missions, and other zealous Missionaries were long 
 and usefully engaged. Three of the most prominent of the early- 
 converts were Peter Jones, Peter Jacobs, and John Sundaj'S, 
 5'oung Indian chiefs, who were called of God to preach the Gospel 
 to their fellow-countrymen, and made very useful in winning souls 
 for Christ. They each of them paid a visit to England at difterent 
 times ; and, by their godly simplicity and religious earnestness, 
 they greatly interested the friends of Missions at public meetings 
 and on other occasions, and clearly proved that the red men of the 
 American wilderness have souls as susceptible of Divine influence 
 as those of their pale-faced brethren of Europe. More than one 
 thousand converted Indians are now united in church fellowship 
 on the respective Wesleyan Stations in Canada, with a proportionate 
 number of scholars in the Mission schools ; and it is hoped that 
 in time to come the number will be greatly increased. 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Hudson's Bay Tekeitoky. 
 
 Hudson's Bay was so called in lionour of Captain Henry Hudson, 
 by -whom it was discovered in IGIO ; and the vast territory to 
 which it is the principal entrance, extending one thousand four 
 hundred miles in length, and three hundred and &itj in breadth, 
 was secured to a mercantile company about sixty years afterwards, 
 for the purpose of carrying on trade with the scattered tribes of 
 Indians inhabiting those cold and dreary regions ; a number of 
 forts and stations were established to which the natives annually 
 resort to exchange theii- furs for blankets, arnmunition, and other 
 necessaries. In the course of years, a considerable population, 
 both of half-castes, and aboriginal, was concentrated at those 
 places, the spiritual destitution of which attracted the notice of 
 the Wesleyan Missionary Society; and, in 1840, a Mission was 
 organized for their benefit. The Committee was encouraged to 
 engage in this benevolent enterprise by the liberal oilers of assist- 
 ance which were made to them by the Hudson's Baj' Company. 
 Such was the anxiety of that honourable association for the pro- 
 pagation of Scriptural truth among their agents and servants, as 
 well as among the native Indian tribes within their territoiy, that 
 they agreed to provide for the Missionaries the Wesleyan Com- 
 mittee might send, whether married or single, board and lodging, 
 interpreters, servants, and means of conveyance from place to 
 place, free of expense to the Society. In addition to this generous 
 offer, the Governor and Committee contributed j£100 towards the 
 outfit and passage of the first party of Missionaries. 
 
 With this influential and substantial patronage, and with the 
 promise of continued liberal support, the Mission was commenced, 
 although tho Committee was well aware of the difHcult and ar- 
 duous nature of the undertaking. The first Missionaries to the 
 Hudson's Bay Territory were tho Eovs. Messrs. Baruley, Mason, 
 and Rundle, who embarked at Liverpool for their distant field of 
 labour, in the month of March, 1840. On reaching the place of 
 their destination, they were joined by the Kevs. Messrs. Evans and 
 
AMERICA. 
 
 85 
 
 Hurlburt from Canada, together with Peter Jacobs, Assistant-Mis- 
 sionary, and Henry Steinhaur, schoolmaster and interpreter. The 
 two brethren last named were converted Indians of the Ojibway 
 tribe, whose services it was thought woixld be very useful, from 
 the similarity of their language to that of the natives farther 
 north. The Missionaries arrived in safety at their destination, 
 and were kindly received by the agents of the Honourable Com- 
 pany. They arranged their plans of operation according to their 
 best judgment ; and commenced their labours at Norway House, 
 Lake Winnipeg, Edmonton, Moose Factory, and other places, with 
 pleasing prospects of success. Places of worship were erected, 
 Christian schools established, the Scriptures translated into the 
 native language of the people, and the Gospel of Christ was faith- 
 fully preached to hundreds and thousands of poor Indians, many 
 of whom, it is believed, were iu process of time savingly converted 
 to God. 
 
 The Missionaries by whom this Mission was commenced, and 
 the honoured brethren by whom they were succeeded in after 
 years, frequently prosecuted their pious labours under circum- 
 stances of peculiar privation and trial. They have often had 
 occasion to travel hundreds and even thousands of miles, by land 
 and by water, over ice and snow, encamping night after night on 
 the cold ground, exposed to hardships and dangers unknown to 
 those who remain at home, surrounded by the blessings and com- 
 forts of civihsed life. The Rev. George M'Dougall, the present 
 General Superintendent of the Hudson's Bay Mission, visited 
 Canada in 18G7 ; and before he reached the end of his weary 
 journey, and found himself on the verge of civiUsation once more, 
 he had travelled a distance of one thousand miles, and slept eighty- 
 seven nights on the plains, frequently in the vicinity of hostile 
 Indian tribes. But amid all the perils and discomforts of Mission- 
 ary life in the bleak north-western wilds of the American continent, 
 the Lord has graciously preserved His servants, and a glorious 
 work has been accomplished through their instrumentahty. Not- 
 withstanding the wandering habits of the people and their reluctance 
 to settle down in any fixed locaHty, several Christian villages have 
 
S6 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 been formed at the respective stations of the Society, in the neigh- 
 bourhood of which the ground is cultivated, and the natives are 
 instructed in the various arts of civilised life. And, what is better 
 still, a large number of Indians have been taught to read the 
 Word of God for themselves, and brought to a saving knowledge 
 of the truth as it is in Jesus, sLv Jamdred and ninctij-seven of whom 
 are now united in Church fellowship, under the pastoral care of 
 seven zealous Missionaries. 
 
 This important branch of the foreign work is now under the 
 direction of the Canadian Conference, although still aided by the 
 Wesleyan Missionary Society in England. It has recently been 
 reinforced by the appointment of two additional Missionaries ; and 
 a new station has been formed at Ked Kiver, which promises to be 
 a great blessing to the people of that neighbom-hood. Should the 
 proposed an'angement be carried out for the addition of the ex- 
 tensive territory of the Hudson's Bay Company to the dominion of 
 Canada, it is highly probable that the result will be such an 
 increase of population, by means of emigration, to these north- 
 western regions as will open a wide and extensive field of 
 missionary labour. May a kind and gracious Providence direct 
 and control the future destiny of this important section of the 
 British empire ! 
 
 British Colukbxa. 
 
 Beyond the territory of the Hudson's Bay Company, and bor- 
 dering on the Pacific Ocean, there is an extensive region of North 
 America called British Columbia, which in its soil, climate, and 
 physical aspect resembles other northern parts of the gi-eat con- 
 tinent. This country was colonized in 1858, owing chiefly to the 
 discovery of extensive gold fields in the interior. Vancouver Island 
 in the Pacific, a few miles from the continent was incorporated 
 with it, and was considered the most convenient place for the seat 
 of Government. In common with all new settlements ; British 
 Columbia has had to struggle with numerous difficulties ; but there 
 is reason to hope that in due time they will all be surmounted and 
 
AMERICA. 
 
 the colony will prosper. If the grand theory of a railway on British 
 ground, through Nova Scotia, Canada, and British Columbia, con- 
 necting the Atlantic with the Pacific, and forming a short route to 
 China and the East, should be practically worked out, it is impos- 
 sible to say what would be the destinies of these countries, espe- 
 cially as an ample supply of coal has recently been discovered. In 
 the meantime it is the duty of the Christian Church to extend the 
 blessings of the Gospel as far as possible to the perishing sons of 
 men in all their wanderings. 
 
 As population rapidly flowed into British Columbia from all 
 parts of the world after the gold discoveries, it seemed very de- 
 sirable that something should be done to supply the spiritual wants 
 of the emigrants, as well as to Christianize the aborigines. It 
 was this circumstance that attracted the notice, and excited the 
 sympathy of the Methodist people of Canada, several emigrants 
 having gone from thence to the land of gold beyond the Eocky 
 Mountains. The Canadian Conference at length resolved to 
 organize a Mission to the new colony ; and when the case was 
 laid before the Wesleyan Missionary Committee in London, they 
 generously voted a grant of £500 in aid of the commencement of 
 the enterprise. There was no lack of agents to engage in the 
 arduous and hazardous undertaking. Such was the enthusiasm 
 which prevailed among the Ministers in Canada, that fourteen 
 volunteers presented themselves as willing to go to British 
 Columbia. From these, fom- devoted brethren were selected for 
 the service, namely, the Eevs. Messrs. White, Kobson, and Brown- 
 ing, with the Rev. Dr. Evans at their head as General Super- 
 intendent. 
 
 They set out for their distant fiield of labour in the month of 
 December, 1858, followed by the prayers and best wishes of a 
 large circle of genuine friends and supporters. By the good pro- 
 vidence of God, the Missionaries and their families were pre- 
 served in health and safety during a journey by land and by sea of 
 more than six thousand miles, performed in the winter season, and 
 they arrived at their destination in the spring of 1856. They met 
 with a friendly reception at Victoria, Vancouver's Island, from his 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Excellency Governor Douglas, and the other officers of Government 
 and the people generally, and were kindly allowed the use of the 
 
 IJETHOIIST CHUnCIT, VICTORIA, VANCOUVER'S ISLAND. 
 
 Clourt House for their relifriona services, till more permanent 
 arrangements could be made. In tho course of the following year. 
 
AMERICA. 8g 
 
 a beautiful Methodist church was built in the capital of the colony, 
 at a cost of £2,000, in which Dr. Evans ministered to a respectable 
 and attentive congi-egation, whilst his brethren established them- 
 selves at the most central places on the Fraser River. For some 
 time the Missionaries in the interior preached in the open air ; 
 but ere long places of worship and Ministers' residences were 
 erected at New Westminster, Fort Hope, Nanairno and other 
 settlements ; and Class-meetings, Sunday-schools, and Temperance 
 Societies were established, as opportunities presented themselves, 
 for the benefit of the gold-diggers and other adventurers. If, from 
 the fluctuating state of the population in British Columbia, and 
 other untoward circumstances, the aggregate amount of success 
 has not been so great as the Missionaries desired or their friends 
 anticipated, it is a pleasing fact that their labours have not been in 
 vain in the Lord. Many a poor wandering emigrant has been 
 gathered into the fold of Christ, through the instrumentality of 
 this Mission, whilst something has been done towards Christian- 
 izing the native Indians, who are said to be numerous in some 
 parts of the country. Thus the foundation of a great and good 
 work has been laid which may be followed by important results in 
 time to come. The number of Missionaries employed in the 
 British Columbia District is seren, and one Inmdred and forty-three 
 persons are united in Church fellowship on the respective stations, 
 six of whom are converted Indians. The little one may yet become 
 a thousand, and the small one a strong nation. May the Lord 
 hasten it in His time ! 
 
 Nova Scotia. 
 
 We must now return to the other side of that portion of the 
 American continent which still belongs to the British Crown, and 
 consider the missionary history of several interesting colonies 
 which are situated on the borders of the Atlantic. The first which 
 claims attention is Nova Scotia, concerning which a few pre- 
 liminary remarks may be necessary. This country, including Cape 
 Breton, comprises an extensive peninsula two hundred and thirty- 
 
go HISTORY OF VVESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 live miles long, and about forty-four broad. It has several lakes 
 and a vast number of small rivers. The climate, though healthy, 
 is somewhat severe ; the cold during four months in winter, being 
 sometimes intense, with heavy fogs beclouding the atmosphere. 
 The soil is in many places thin and sterile ; but it contains some 
 tracts of land not inferior to the best portions of New England. 
 Since this part of the American continent was first settled by the 
 French, previous to their- forming any establishment in Canada, it 
 has changed its rulers more than once, and it was not till the 
 Peace of Utrecht that it was finally confirmed to England. From 
 this period a stream of emigration began to flow from the United 
 Kingdom to these western shores, in the course of which we may 
 trace the origin of Wesleyan Methodism. 
 
 The honom-ed name of William Black must ever stand insepa- 
 rably connected with the important event alluded to. Mr. Black 
 was a warm-hearted Yorkshireman, who emigrated, whilst yet a 
 youth, mth his father and family to Nova Scotia, in 1775. They 
 settled at Amherst, where they found a few godly people from 
 England who had preceded them. There being no one to preach 
 the Grospel, these pious emigrants held occasional religious meet- 
 ings among themselves for their mutual edification. Amongst 
 others who attended these services came William Black, who was 
 soon brought to a saving knowledge of the truth. Being a young 
 man of more than ordinary ability, and of remai'kable earnestness 
 and zeal in the cause of God, the new convert was made useful 
 to others from the time that he began to serve the Lord; and ere 
 long he was called to be a preacher of the Gospel to a people who 
 were literally hungering for the bread of life. Bj' his pious, self- 
 denying labours, Mr. Black earned for himself the title of the 
 " Apostle of Methodism in Nova Scotia," and for more than half 
 a centmy he continued to exercise his acceptable and powerful 
 ministry in the eastern provinces of British North America, to the 
 spiritual benefit of vast numbers of the settlers. 
 
 Whilst a good work was going on at Amherst, through the 
 instrumentality of Mr. Black, and others who had been raised up 
 to call sinners to repentance, the population of Nova Scotia, in 
 
AMERICA. 
 
 common with that of other British American provinces, was con~ 
 siderably increased by the arrival of a large number of emigi-ant 
 Loyahsts from the United States, who, on the declaration of inde- 
 pendence, preferred to live anywhere rather than submit to a 
 KepubHcan form of government. The venerable Mr. E. Barry, of 
 Liverpool, N.S., was one of the number, and he has preserved 
 some interesting recoUections of this early period in a valuable 
 manuscript document, which has been placed at our disposal, and 
 from which we are permitted to quote. He says : — " On the 7th 
 and 8th of May, 1783, sixteen sail of ships arrived at Port Kose- 
 way from New York with emigrants, among whom were ten or 
 twelve white members of the Methodist Society, and a few blacks. 
 Soon after we had drawn our town lots, lauded our goods, and 
 pitched our soldiers' tents furnished by Government for our tem- 
 porary accommodation in the woods, we were visited by the Rev. 
 William Black and Captain Dean, of Liverpool. This early visit 
 to our new settlement was truly welcome; but being unexpected, 
 we were not prepared to accommodate our friends as we could 
 have wished. Such as we had, however, we cheerfully placed at 
 their disposal. I resigned my tent and bed for their use and sat 
 up all night outside, with some discomfort, as heavy rain came on. 
 The next day preaching was announced, and there being no house 
 of any kind as yet erected, a table was placed in the street, oppo- 
 site my lot, on which Mr. Black delivered the first sermon that 
 was preached in the settlement. Opposition was offered by some 
 who had dined together and had made too free with the wine ; but 
 the congregation so closely hemmed in the preacher, that no evil 
 was allowed to be done to him, beyond a short interruption." 
 
 After Mr. Black and Captain Dean had returned to Liverpool, 
 the Methodist settlers held their class-meetings and other religious 
 services as best they could ; but, feeling the want of a Gospel 
 ministry, Mr. Barry, who had commenced teaching a school, made 
 application to Mr. Wesley for help. The founder of Methodism 
 replied as follows, dated Epworth, July 8rd, 1784: — "I know 
 your brother well, and was at his house the last time I was at 
 Portsmouth, as probably I shall be again in autumn, before I re- 
 
92 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 tm-n to London. The work of God, among the blacks in your 
 neighbourhood, is a wonderful instance of the power of God, and 
 the little town they have built is, I suppose, the only town of 
 negroes which has been built in America, nay, perhaps in any part 
 of the world, except only in Africa. I doubt not but some of 
 them can read : when, therefore, we send a preacher to Nova 
 Scotia, we will send some books to be distributed among them, 
 and they never need want books while I live. It will be well to 
 give them all the assistance you can in every possible way. We 
 purpose considering fully at the Conference what we can do to 
 help our brethren abroad — not only those that are settled in the 
 southern provinces of America, but those that are in Nova Scotia 
 and Newfoundland also. Indeed, it is an invariable rule with me 
 not to require any one to go over to America ; nay, I scruple even 
 to advise them to it. I shall only propose it at the Conference, 
 and then of those who shall freely offer themselves, we shall select 
 such as we beheve will most adorn the Gospel. In teaching 
 school you have an opportunity of doing much good, if j'ou con- 
 sider that you are called of God to teach those you are entrusted 
 with, not only to read and write, but to fear and serve Him. In- 
 deed, in order to this, you will have need of much courage as well 
 as much prudence and patience ; and it may be long before you 
 see the fruit of your labour; but, in due time, you shall reap if you 
 faint not. I wish 5'ou would, from time to time, send an account 
 of the progress of the work of God, and of anything remarkable 
 that occurs to your affectionate brother, John Wesley." 
 
 Previous to the receipt of this letter, Mr. Barry had succeeded 
 in building a log house, in which he set apart a room for the class- 
 meeting and other religious services ; and to edify his friends and 
 neighbours he read to them Mr. Wesley's sermons when they met 
 together. Concerning these exercises, he says, " Blessed be God 
 wo enjoyed times of refreshing from His divine presence." In 
 the fall of the year another fleet of ships with emigrants arrived 
 from New York, in one of which Mr. John Mann, a Local Preacher 
 and his family came passengers. This was a valuable acquisition 
 to the infant cause at Shelburne ; and Mr. Barry cheerfully gave 
 
AMERICA. gj 
 
 up a part of his log house for the use of Mr. Mann and his family. 
 Before winter improved arrangements were made for the public 
 services. One of the leaders had erected a large building for the 
 purpose of carrying on his business as a coppersmith, which, not 
 being used for this purpose, was converted into a preaching-house, 
 and large congregations assembled to hear the Word_of God. 
 
 In 1784, Mr. Mann having removed to Liverpool, Bishop Asbury, 
 at the request of Mr. Wesley, and in response to the application 
 of Mr. Black, who attended the Conference held at Baltimore, sent 
 two Preachers from the United States to Nova Scotia, namely, the 
 Eevs. Freeborn Garrettson and James 0. Cromwell, who were 
 alternately appointed for Shelburne, and the good cause prospered 
 much under their ministry. Mr. Garrettson was remarkably 
 popular and useful. He commenced preaching in the open air, 
 at a place called " the Cove," a thickly-settled part of the town, 
 where much good was done. He also frequently visited the negro 
 settlement, called Birchtown, alluded to by Mr. Wesley. It was 
 situated about eleven miles from Shelburne ; and contained a con- 
 siderable population of blacks, two hundred of whom had been 
 brought to a saving knowledge of the truth, and were united in 
 Church fellowship. There was a good work among this simple- 
 minded people till a preacher, named Marrant, of their own com- 
 plexion, was sent to minister to them by Lady Huntingdon, who, 
 by a display of gown and bands, and the introduction of strange 
 doctrine, turned their heads, if not their hearts, from the sim- 
 plicity of the Gospel. Most of them were soon afterwards re- 
 moved to Sierra Leone in Western Africa, to which place they 
 carried with them their characteristic peculiarities. Mr. Garrettson 
 also extended his visits to a destitute settlement called Barrington, 
 about twenty miles from Shelburne, where a preaching house was 
 built and a good work commenced. In 1788, a Missionary, named 
 James Wray, was sent from England to Nova Scotia, whose 
 ministry was rendered a great blessing during the short time that 
 he laboured there. He preached alternately at Shelburne, Birch- 
 town, Cape Negro, and Barrington, till he was appointed to the 
 West Indies, where he soon fell a sacrifice to the climate. 
 
94 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 The venerable John Wesley kept up a regular correspondence 
 with the Missionaries and leading friends in Nova Scotia. In his 
 last letter to Mr. Barry, dated London, January 4th, 1790, he 
 says: — "As a town of negroes in America was almost unprece- 
 dented I was struck to hear of a Society there. It is worthy of 
 your particular care. I am glad our Preachers visit them regu- 
 larly. It is no wonder that all religious societies by turns ebb and 
 flow, particularly in an age of revolution ; there must be time 
 before things can settle into order. One great point will be for 
 our Preachers to live in the strictest harmony. Love as brethren. 
 Beware of prejudice against each other. Open your hearts to one 
 another without disguise or reserve. If you unite with one force 
 nothing will stand against you. The world and the devil must fall 
 under your feet." 
 
 Subseq^uently to the appointment of Messrs. Gaii'ettson and 
 Cromwell, already mentioned, several other Preachers were sent 
 from the United States. One of these, the Kev. WUliam Jessop, 
 was made a special blessing both in the Shelbm-ne Circuit and in 
 Halifax, where he took an active part in the erection of the first 
 Wesleyan chapel, as well as in gathering a congregation. During 
 a second period of labom- in Nova Scotia, this zealous Missionary 
 exerted himself beyond his strength, frequently travelling on foot 
 through deep snows between Shelburne and Barrington, until his 
 health entirely failed, when he returned to his native land to die. 
 About this time Mr. James Mann, then keeping a school in Liver- 
 pool, was prevailed upon by Mr. Garrettson to come to his assis- 
 tance. He accordingly gave himself entirely to the work of the 
 ministry, and liecame a popular and useful preacher, especially in 
 the Shelburne Circuit. He frequently expressed his ^^nsb, in the 
 language of the poet. 
 
 My hndy vriWi my plirirp;r> lay domi, 
 And ccaso at onc?c to work and live ;" 
 
 which in his case was literally fulfilled, for after labouring faithfully 
 for many years, on a Christmas day he preached, administered 
 the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, married and baptized several 
 
AMERICA. g5 
 
 persons, tlien complained of a slight pain, and in the afternoon 
 expired in the arms of a friend. The remains of the dear IMis- 
 sionary were drawn on a sledge over deep snow a distance of thirty 
 miles, from Cape Negro to Shelburne, where they were interred in 
 the chapel under the pulpit, the funeral service being performed 
 bythe Eev. R. H. Crane, who was several years afterwards the 
 friend and feUow labourer of the writer, and who presented him 
 with an autograph letter of Mr. Wesley, addressed to Mr. Mann, 
 which he highly values.* 
 
 It would be very agreeable to extend still further records, from 
 documents in our possession and from personal recollection, of 
 interesting incidents connected with the planting of Methodism in 
 Nova Scotia ; but other sections of the great Mission field have 
 equal demands upon our space. It may, therefore, suffice to 
 remark that when Messrs. Garrettson and Cromwell had returned 
 to the United States, the work was mainly dependent upon the 
 zealous and laborious Mr. Black, Messrs. James and John Mann, 
 and other Preachers raised up on the spot, with such Missionaries 
 as could be obtained fi'om England from time to time, through the 
 kind intervention of Mr. Wesley and Dr. Coke. At an early period 
 
 * As this letter of the founder of Metliodism, written precisely two years hctoro 
 his lamented death, is so characteristic, and throws some light on the early history 
 of the Nova Scotia Mission, we here give a copy of it va-hatim : — 
 
 " My deak Brother, " London, Feb. 27, 1789. 
 
 " When I consented to spare three of our Preachers for America, I supposed 
 two of them would have been stationed in the Islands, and one in the North ; but 
 I suppose Dr. Coke found so great a call for Preachers in the South, that he 
 believed it advisable to leave them all there. It is not strange that a work of God, 
 which is lively at fii-st, should afterwards decay. It mmt do so, if those who are 
 partakers of the grace of God do not take care to improve it. For ' from him that 
 hath not, sliall be taken away what he assuredly hath.' We have need to be the 
 more urgent with all who have received the grace of God, that thc-y may not 
 receive it in vain. — I am your affectionate friend and brother, 
 
 ^^ Mr. James Mann. "J- Wesley. 
 
 " March 2nd. 
 
 upg_Aia3^my brother! one just come from Halifax infonns me that they 
 made'objection to James Wray, that he is an Englishman ! American gratitiide, 
 Lord, I appeal to Thee ! " J- W." 
 
gS HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 of its history the Mission was favoured with the labours of the 
 Revs. Messrs. Averd, Pope, Crane, Shenstone, Temple, and other 
 faithful Missionaries who extended the work to Halifax, Liverpool, 
 Yarmouth, Windsor, and other important centres of population, to 
 the great advantage of all classes of the community. In every 
 town and village of importance, and in many rural districts, 
 commodious Wesleyan chapels have been erected, congregations 
 gathered, circuits formed, churches organized, and schools esta- 
 bhshed ; and Methodism has taken deep root among a people, 
 many of whom are poor in their worldly cu'cumstances, but rich 
 in faith and good works. 
 
 In the year 1829 the Missionaries extended their labours to 
 Cape Beeton, an island separated from the peninsula by a narrow 
 channel, and possessing a considerable population. The Eev. 
 Matthew Cranswick was the iirst Missionary appointed to this 
 distant station, and his zealous labours, with those of the excellent 
 ministers who succeeded him, resulted in the establishment of a 
 work of God, which has continued to prosper to the present time, 
 and which in its main features resembles that which is carried on 
 so successfully on the mainland. In various parts of the province 
 gracious revivals of religion have frequently taken place, and 
 multitudes of people have been gathered into the fold of the 
 Eedeemer. In Nova Scotia and Capo Breton we have now_/7/>i/- 
 three Ministers, five tJioiisand four iiuitdred aitd ciijlitij church mem- 
 hers, and /((■« thousand one hundred and thirti/-tlirce scholars in the 
 Sabbath and day schools. 
 
 New Brunswick 
 
 In scenery, soil, climate, and physical aspect. New Brunswick 
 resembles Nova Scotia, of which province it originally' formed a 
 part. It therefore needs no particular description, and we may 
 proceed at once to consider its Missionary history, which we shall 
 find very interesting. The first Wesleyan Missionary sent to New 
 Brunswick, was the Rev. A. J. Bishop, a native of Jersey, who, 
 during the time that he laboured there, was made abundantly 
 
AMERICA. 
 
 97 
 
 useful in winning souls for Christ. He arrived in the city of St. 
 John, the capital of the colony, on the 24th of September, 1791, 
 and was received mth gratitude and joy by a few pious people 
 who had previously gone out from the mother country as emi- 
 grants ; and who earnestly desired a faithful Gospel ministry for 
 their own benefit, and that of their long-neglected neighbours. 
 They soon procured a suitable place for preaching, and the Mis- 
 sionary commenced his labours with an encouraging prospect of 
 success. From the very first a gracious influence attended the 
 preaching of the "Word; and sinners were converted, and believers 
 edified. There is reason to believe that in the short space of six 
 months upwards of two hundred people were brought to a saving 
 knowledge of the truth, and induced to oast in their lot with the 
 people of God. 
 
 Mr. Bishop did not confine his labours, to the city, but visited 
 various settlements on the banks of the St. John's river, at the 
 mouth of which the city stands ; and he soon formed an extensive 
 circuit, round which he itinerated, at stated periods, to the great 
 advantage of a scattered and spiritually destitute population. 
 Everywhere the faithful preaching of the Gospel was attended 
 with soul-saving power ; and the Missionary rejoiced to see the 
 fruit of his laboui-. Several of the new converts were black and 
 coloured persons of African descent, and others were European, 
 settlers, or refugees from the United States. The society in St, 
 John's soon numbered eighty members, and the congregation 
 increased so rapidly, that it was necessary to procure a larger 
 place of worship. Just at that time an unoccupied church was 
 offered for sale, with pulpit, pews, and galleries complete. This 
 was at once purchased by the Methodists, and the good work pro- 
 ceeded in the most delightful manner, " the Lord adding to the 
 church daily such as were saved." 
 
 The success which attended the Wesleyan Mission in New 
 Brunswick, at this early period, rendering assistance very desirable, 
 the zealous and devoted Mr. Black, of Nova Scotia, at the invita- 
 tion of Mr. Bishop, hastened across the Bay of Fundy, on a visit 
 to St. John's, to share in the labours and triumphs of his happy 
 
g8 HISTORY OF WESLEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
 brother, and to supply the pulpit in the city whilst he visited soma 
 of the country stations. This well-meant arrangement was, how- 
 ever, thwarted by the enemy. When far away in the interior, 
 Mr. Bishop heard, with regret, that, in consequence of the inter- 
 ference of some evil-disposed person in authority, a stop had been 
 put to Mr. Black's preaching, because he had not obtained the 
 Governor's license, and that he had been obliged to return to his 
 own station in Nova Scotia before he had rendered the full amount 
 of service which he intended. The lonely Missionary was conse- 
 quently left to pursue his arduous work without any aid beyond 
 such as was raised up on the spot as the result of his ovrn labour. 
 
 Mr. Bishop had scarcely completed two j'ears of happy and 
 successful labour when he was appointed to the Island of Grenada, 
 in the West Indies, in consequence of his knowledge of the French 
 language giving him peculiar adaptation for that station. There 
 he soon finished his course, and entered into the joy of his Lord. 
 In the meantime the good Avork continued to advance in New 
 Brunswick. The Rev. Messrs. Marsden, M'ColI, Crosscombe, 
 Bell, Lewis, and other faithful Missionaries were appointed in 
 succession to this interesting field of laboui- ; and their zealous 
 efforts to bring sinners to Christ, and to extend the interests of 
 the Redeemer's kingdom throughout the province were owned and 
 blessed by the great Head of the Chm-ch. Regular circuits were 
 formed, chapels built, and societies organised, not only in St. 
 John's, but in Fredericton, Sackville, Annapolis, Maramichi, 
 Bathurst, and other towns, villages, hamlets, and rural districts on 
 the banks of the river, and in other parts of the country. Nor 
 has the education of the rising generation been neglected. Sabbath 
 and day schools have been provided in various places, and the 
 Wesleyan Academy, at Sackville, will bear a favour-able com- 
 parison with the superior seminaries of any country. 
 
 Notwithstanding the numerous ditficulties which have been 
 experienced from the rigour of the climate, the comparative 
 poverty of the inhabitants, and the scattered character of the 
 population, it is a pleasing fact, that there are now, in connexion 
 with the Wesleyan church in the Province of New Brunswick, 
 
AMERICA. gg 
 
 forty-six Ministers, four thousand seven hundred and tu'elve church 
 inembers, and four thousand seven hundred and twenty-eight scholars 
 in the Sabbath and day schools. It is, moreover, worthy of 
 notice that the Governor himself, the Hon. L. A. Wilmot, is a 
 zealous Methodist, a Class Leader, Trustee, and Sunday-school 
 Superintendent, — the iirst resident in the colony who has been 
 raised to that high position by the suffrages of the people. 
 
 Peince Edwaed's Island. 
 
 In the southern part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, between 
 New Brunswick and Cape Breton, there appears on the map, a 
 long straggling and irregular shaped tract of land marked " Pbince 
 Edwabd's Island," which next claims our attention. It is said to 
 be sixty miles long, and thirty broad, with a soil comparatively 
 fertile, and watered by numerous rivers. In its cUmate, produc- 
 tions, and population, it resembles other parts of British North 
 America, and was brought under the dominion of England in 1745. 
 In common with the neighbouring provinces, Prince Edward's 
 Island received a considerable accession to its population at the 
 close of the revolutionary war, soon after which the spiritual 
 destitution of the people attracted the attention of the zealous and 
 devoted Dr. Coke ; but a delay of several years occurred before a 
 Wesleyan Missionary could be sent to labour among them. 
 
 The first Missionary appointed to Prince Edward's Island was 
 the Kev. James Bulpit, a zealous English Preacher, well adapted 
 for the foreign work. He embarked at Poole, on the 9th of April, 
 1807, and arrived in Quebec on the 8th of June, having preached 
 eighteen times on board-ship during the passage. The Mis- 
 sionary was detained a month in the capital of Canada; and, 
 finding no minister there at the time, he was usefully employed 
 in preaching, in a large dwelling-house, to a most friendly people. 
 
 At length the way was opened for proceeding to the place of 
 his destination, and on the 20th of July he landed at Mary Har- 
 bour, where he found about fifty people, most of whom were from 
 Jersey, where they had heard the Gospel from the lips of Metho- 
 
 h2 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 (list preachers. These simple-hearted settlers surrounded the 
 Missionary, and welcomed his arrival with tears of joy, whilst he 
 at once arranged to improve the occasion by preaching to them a 
 sermon on the goodness of God. iVIr. Bulpit then proceeded to 
 Charlotte Town, the capital of the island, where he commenced 
 his evangehcal labours under very favourable circumstances. He 
 experienced no kind of opposition, but everj'body appeared dis- 
 posed to favour the enterprise in which he was engaged. The 
 Governor kindly allowed the Missionary the use of the court-house 
 for his services, till more permanent arrangements could be made. 
 The only Episcopalian minister in the country was very friendly ; 
 and, with his family, attended the meetings of the Methodists, his 
 son becoming a member of the first class that was formed for the 
 religious instruction of inquirers. 
 
 Thus was the Missionary encouraged to persevere in the work 
 of the Lord, and the cause gradually advanced and expanded more 
 and more. In the course of a few years, a new chapel and 
 minister's residence were erected by the people at Charlotte 
 Town ; preaching was commenced at Fullerton's Marsh, Murray's 
 Harbour, Cherry Valley, T3'ron River, Bedeque, and other places; 
 and, both in town and country, sinners were savingly converted 
 to God, and prosperous Societies established. At some of these 
 places the faith and patience of the Missionary were at first 
 severelj' tried however, not only by the stolid indifi'erence mani- 
 fested by many of the settlei's to their religious interests, but also 
 by the antinomian sentiments which some of them had imbibed. 
 But in a short time every difiiculty gave way before the per- 
 severing diligence and zealous eft'orts of the servant of God, and 
 the Word of the Lord had " free course, and was glorified." On 
 the removal of Mr. Bulpit to another sphere of labour, he was 
 succeeded by the Rev. Messrs. Hick, Strong, Fishpool, Snowball, 
 and other faithful ministers, who noblj' followed up the good 
 beginning which had been made ; so that, by the blessing of 
 God upon the zealous labours of His servants, the work has been 
 greatly extended, and we have now in Prince Edward's Island 
 iiiiw Ministers, one tltovsand one hundred and sixty-four church 
 
AMERICA. 
 
 members, and one thousand six hundred and Jifieen sclwlars in the 
 Sabbath and day schools. 
 
 Newfoundland. 
 
 The next place to pass under review is Newfoundland, a large 
 island on the east coast of North America, three hundred and fifty 
 miles long and three hundred broad. It was discovered by 
 Sebastian Cabot in 1496 ; but no settlement was formed on it till 
 many years afterwards. After numerous disputes with the French, 
 who first attempted to colonise the country, it was ceded to the 
 English in 1713, and has ever since remained in our possession. 
 The interior of the island is in most places either sterile, moun- 
 tainous, or woody, and very few localities are said to be adapted 
 for agricultural pui-poses. The climate is, moreover, severely 
 cold in winter, the snow frequently covering the ground for 
 several months in succession. The settlements of the British 
 are chiefly confined to the harbours, the country near Plaeentia, 
 and along the bays eastward towards Cape Kace, and thence to 
 Cape Bonavista. 
 
 The principal occupation of the inhabitants of Newfoundland is 
 that of fishing ; and in the season, which begins in May and ends 
 in September, the place is resorted- to by tens of thousands of 
 people from different countries, to catch, dry, and cure the codfish, 
 which is taken in large quantities on the extensive banks to the 
 south-east of the island. Towards the latter part of the last 
 century the spiritual destitution of the scattered inhabitants of the 
 colony and of the visitors during the fishing season, attracted the 
 notice of the friends of Missions in England ; and about the year 
 1765, the Rev. L. Coughlan was ordained and sent out as a 
 Missionary by the " Society for the Propagation of Christian 
 Knowledge," at the recommendation of Mr. Wesley, who had 
 been instrumental in his spiritual enlightenment, and with whom 
 he kept up a friendly correspondence during the seven years that 
 he laboured in the island. Although this devoted servant of Christ 
 was not in connection with the Wesleyan Conference, he avowed 
 
102 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 himself a Methodist, and was made the means of salvation to 
 many precious souls. One of his early converts, Pierre Le Sueur 
 from Jersey, who had settled in Newfoundland, was made the 
 honoured instrument in the hands of God, of conveying the light 
 of Divine truth to his native land, to which he returned a few 
 years afterwards, — an event which led to the introduction of 
 Methodism into the Channel Islands. 
 
 When Mr. Coughlan had gathered into the fold of Christ a 
 number of earnest converts to the faith of the Gospel, and was 
 proceeding in his work with evident tokens of the Divine blessing, 
 a spirit of persecution was evoked which seriously interfered with 
 his usefulness for a time ; but out of all the Lord delivered His 
 servant, and caused the wrath of man to praise Him. At length 
 Mr. Coughlan's health failed, and he returned to England, when, 
 after some unavoidable delay, the vacancy was supplied by the 
 appointment of the Kev. John M' Geary, a regular Methodist 
 Preacher, who was sent out by Mr. Wesley in 1790. On ex- 
 amining the state of the work, the newly appointed Missionary 
 found that it had declined very much since the departure of Mr. 
 Coughlan. Some of the converts had been called to their eternal 
 rest, and others had gone back to the world. Only fifteen mem- 
 bers of Society were still found adhering to their rehgious profes- 
 sion, so that the work had to be re-organised and commenced 
 almost anew. Mr. M' Geary laboured chiefly in Carbonear, which 
 was at that time one of the principal settlements of the colony ; 
 but the results of his efforts were for a while so unsatisfactory 
 that he was seriously thinking of abandoning his station, when he 
 received a friendly visit from the Rev. William Black, from Nova 
 Scotia. This event infused new life into the heart of the lonely 
 Missionary, and was attended with circumstances of the greatest 
 importance to the infant Mission. 
 
 This timely visit of Mr. Black to Newfoundland, in 1791, was 
 not only very encouraging to the Missionary, but it was attended 
 with a gracious revival of religion, in the course of which a 
 number of sinners were savingly converted to God. The zealous 
 stranger preached with soul-saving power at Carbonear, Concep- 
 
AMERICA. 103 
 
 tion Bay, and other settlements. At the place last named it 
 is believed that not less than two hundred persons were brought 
 to a saving knowledge of the truth during his stay ; and the time 
 he spent in the colony on this occasion is said to have been " the 
 most useful and interesting period of his life." Having assisted 
 Mr. M'Geary in re-organizing the Society, securing chmxh pro- 
 perty, and in applying to Mr. Wesley for additional labourers, Mr. 
 Black returned to his own station in Nova Scotia. Concerning 
 his departure, be says, " I think I never had so affecting a parting 
 with any people before. It was hard work to tear myself away 
 from them. I was nearly an hour shaking hands with the mem- 
 bers, some twice and thrice over, and even then we hardly knew 
 how to part ; but I at last rushed from among them, and left them 
 weeping as for an only son." 
 
 From this time the work of God continued to prosper in New- 
 foundland. Additional labourers were sent out from England, 
 regular Circuits formed, new chapels built in various places, and 
 promising Societies organised in St. John's, Harbour Grace, Bona- 
 vista, Conception Bay, and other settlements, in addition to Car- 
 bonear, where the work was first commenced. In many of these 
 places the people were perfectly destitute of the means of religious 
 instruction, till the Missionaries came among them, and the results 
 of their self-denying labours will only be known in the last great 
 day. In process of time, the dreary coast of Labrador was visited 
 by the Missionaries during the summer months from year to year, 
 and many a poor wanderer was pointed to the Saviour, who might 
 otherwise have been left to perish in his sins. The Missionaries 
 who laboured in Newfoundland at this early period, after the re- 
 moval of Mr. M'Geary, were the Kevs. Messrs. Bulpit, Rimington, 
 Ellis, M'Dowell, Lewis, Busby, Hickson, Walsh, Cubitt, Picka- 
 vant. Knight, Haigh, Corlett, Bate, Wilson, Smithies, and others 
 in more recent times. To the zeal and diligence of several of 
 those devoted servants of Christ we can testify from personal 
 knowledge ; and if space permitted, it would be pleasant and 
 profitable to follow them in their zealous and self-denying labours, 
 amid storms and tempests and chilling cold, such as are unknown 
 
104 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 to those who dwell in temperate climes ; to say nothing of other 
 privations and dangers to which they were exposed. It is gratify- 
 ing to be able to add in conclusion that the Lord of the harvest 
 has greatly blessed the united labours of His servants in New- 
 foundland, and that there are now in connection with the Wes- 
 leyan Church in the island, twenty-one Ministers, three thousand 
 two hundred and forty -seven church members, and two thousand seven 
 hundred and forty-five scholars in the Sabbath and day schools 
 
 Beemudas. 
 
 Before we finish our survey of the Mission Stations, which come 
 under the general head of America, we must take a glance at the 
 Bermudas. In their climate, scenery, productions and the cha- 
 racter of the inhabitants, the Bermudas very much resemble some 
 of the West India islands ; but in some other respects they appear 
 more closely allied to America, vsdth the Missions of which they 
 have been for some time connected in their ecclesiastical organisa- 
 tion. Hence the propriety of giving a brief account of them here, 
 in connection with a brief sketch of the origin and progress of the 
 Wesleyan Mission commenced there several years ago. 
 
 The Bermudas are a group of islands, said to be more than three 
 hundred in number; but only five of them are inhabited, the rest 
 being mere rocky islets jutting out from the sea, and separated 
 from each other by the foaming sui-f or narrow channels of water. 
 As may be seen by a reference to the map, they are situated in the 
 wide Atlantic Ocean, more than five hundred miles from Charleston 
 on the American Continent, in latitude 32° north, and longitude 
 64° west. They were discovered by Juan Bermudas, a Spaniard, 
 in 1527 ; but not inhabited till 1G09, when Sir- George Somers was 
 cast away upon them, and they have belonged to Great Britain 
 ever since. The soil is generally fertile, producing sugar, cofl'ee, 
 arrowroot, and vegetables, and fruits of various kinds. They 
 abound in cedar-wood, with which a number of small vessels are 
 built. The population is estimated at ten thousand, one-half of 
 which are whites, and the other black and coloiired persons. 
 
AMERICA. 105 
 
 The first Wesleyan Missionary to the Bermudas was the Eev. 
 John Stephenson, who was sent there by the British Confer- 
 ence, at the recommendation of Dr. Coke, in 1799. The zealous 
 Doctor had received a letter the year before, from an officer on 
 board a man-of-war at that station, respectfully urging him to the 
 measure, in consequence of the sphitual destitution and moral 
 degradation of the inhabitants. Mr. Stephenson had no sooner 
 landed on the shores of the Bermudas, than he proved by painful 
 experience the truth of the accounts which had reached England 
 as to the " moral degradation of the people." From the very 
 first he was bitterly persecuted by the whites, in consequence 
 of the deeply-rooted prejudice which existed among them against 
 all efforts to benefit or elevate the poor slaves, or free persons 
 of colour. The most determined efibrts were made to silence 
 the newly arrived Missionary — efforts which, alas ! succeeded but 
 too well ; for he had not exercised his ministry long when he was 
 apprehended, tried, and condemned, and, by an undue stretch of 
 power on the part of the authorities, sentenced to six months' 
 imprisonment, to be fined £50, and to pay all expenses. At the 
 close of his six months' imprisonment, during which he was gra- 
 ciously supported by the presence of Grod, the Missionary was 
 compelled to leave the colony, and the Mission was relinquished. 
 Thus did the enemies of the cross of Christ triumph for a time 
 over the well-meant efforts of the Wesleyan Missionary Society to 
 carry the glad tidings of salvation to a people that were literally 
 "led captive by the devil at his will;" and who stood in great 
 need of their evangelical labours, although they saw it not. 
 
 After this interruption the Wesleyan Mission to the Bermudas 
 was suspended for about eight years, at the end of which period, 
 the hostility of the people to the Gospel having somewhat abated, 
 the Rev. Joshua Marsden was sent from Nova Scotia to occupy 
 the vacant station. He arrived at the place of his destination in 
 the month of May, 1808, and went on shore a perfect stranger; 
 but he soon found out the only person in the colony who professed 
 to be a Methodist, all the rest who were brought to God during 
 the short period of Mr. Stephenson's ministry having died, re- 
 
io6 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 NEW WESLEYAN CHAPEL, HAMILTON, BERMUDA. 
 
 This beautiful place of worship may serve as a specimen of a number of similar buildings 
 wliich, from year to year, are being erected on our forei^ stations, some in entirely new 
 localities and others in the place of the humble structures which were built in the infancy of 
 the Mission. The architect of the new chapel at Bermuda, as well as that of Honduras, and 
 the " Fletcher Memorial College Buildings," in Switzerland, and some others, was E. Hoole, 
 Esq., of London, eon of Dr. Hoote, the senior Secretary of the AVesleyan Missionary Sucicty; 
 and the designs are a credit to his genius and skill as well as to his benevolence, for he has 
 in Bcvcral instances supplied the plans gratuitously as his contribution to the enterprise. 
 
AMERICA. 
 
 107 
 
 moved, or fallen away. He had, however, a letter of introduction 
 to the Governor, which proved of considerable service to him ; 
 and after some delay and hesitancy on the part of the Chief Judge 
 and Attorney- General, who were consulted by His Excellency as 
 to the bearing of the law on the question, he was permitted to 
 open his commission to the inhabitants, who were stiU to a con- 
 siderable extent destitute of the means of religious instruction. 
 Mr. Marsden was a man of a mild and genial disposition, and a 
 poetical genius withal, and soon gained the good-will of the 
 people. He was, moreover, zealous and earnest in the cause of 
 his Divine Master, and left no means untried to win souls to 
 Christ. From the very beginning the blessing of God rested 
 upon his laboui's, and sinners in considerable numbers were 
 brought to a saving knowledge of the truth. As the work ex- 
 tended from island to island, places of worship were erected in 
 St. George's, Hamilton, Somerset, and other towns and villages ; 
 and the Mission assumed a position of respectability and useful- 
 ness which it has continued to maintain to the present day. Mr. 
 Marsden laboured in the Bermudas with acceptance and success 
 for about four years, and was succeeded by the Eevs. Messrs. 
 Dunbar, Wilson, Rayner, Sutcliife, Dowson, Moore, and others 
 in more recent times, who nobly followed up the good beginning 
 which had been made, and who are still remembered with much 
 affection by some of the old people. Bermuda had, moreover, 
 the honour of giving to Methodism, as the fruit of Missionary 
 labour, the Rev. Edward Frazer, a young man of colour, and 
 himself once a slave, but made free by the truth, and raised 
 to the dignity of the Christian ministry, in which office he has 
 proved a credit to our Church, and been made instrumental in 
 the conversion of many of his sable brethren. 
 
 In the year 1844 we had an opportunity of visiting the beau- 
 tiful islands of Bermuda, and of beholding for ourselves some 
 of the results of the Wesleyan Mission in that country. We 
 preached to large congi-egations in Hamilton and St. George's, 
 and received a very favourable impression of the intelligence and 
 piety of the people. We also went on a British man-of-war in 
 
HISTORY OF IVESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 company with the Rev. V/. E. Slienstone, the resident minister, 
 and met a Methodist claas for the renewal of quarterly tickets. 
 It consisted of eighteen members, whose Christian experience 
 was clear and satisfactory, and whose reputation for dihgence, 
 sobriety, and steady courage, was cheerfully attested by the 
 officers under whom they served. We have now in connexion 
 with our Bermudas Mission, three Missionaries, four hundred and 
 fifty-seven church members, and fifty-eight scholars in the mission 
 schools. 
 
 In fui'ther illustration of the growth and expansion of Methodism 
 in North America, it may be briefly added that, in the year 1855, 
 the late Eev. Dr. Beecham was commissioned by the British Con- 
 ference to proceed to Nova Scotia to make arrangements for the 
 formation of the districts of the Eastern Provinces, including 
 Newfoundland and the Bermudas, into a distinct Connexion. The 
 object of this deputation was carried out in a manner satisfactory 
 to all parties concerned ; and the first Session of the Conference 
 of Eastern British America was held at Halifax, under the able 
 and judicious presidency of the Eev. Doctor, in the month of 
 July. Since this period the good work has continued to prosper, 
 the poorer Circuits and Stations being still aided by grants from 
 the Wesleyan Missionary Committee in London. The total 
 number of Ministers in connexion with this Conference is now 
 one hundred and thirty-two ; and they have under their pastoi'al 
 care fifteen thousand and eight church members, with fourteen 
 thousand six hundred and seventy-ni)ie scholars in the Sabbath 
 and day schools. Viewing these results in connection with the 
 statistics of the Canadian Conference and those of the Methodist 
 Episcopal Church in the United States, we are constrained to 
 thank God for what He has done, through the instrumentality of 
 Wesleyan Missions, on the American continent during the past 
 century, and to pray that still greater results may follow in time 
 to come. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 THE WEST INDIES 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLANDS THE ANTIGUA DISTRICT THE ST. VIN- 
 CENT'S DISTRICT DEMERAEA JAMAICA HONDURAS — THE BAHAMAS 
 
 HATTI. 
 
 THE West India Islands are situated in that part of the Atlantic 
 Ocean which forms itself into a deep and extensive hay be- 
 tween the vast continents of North and South America. They were 
 discovered at difierent times by the enterprising Columbus, towards 
 the close of the fifteenth century ; and were most of them inhabited 
 by savage tribes of natives, whom the Spaniards called " Indians," 
 or " Caribs," evidently of diiferent races or descent. These un- 
 fortunate aborigines were too independent to submit to the slavery 
 which their cruel conquerors would have imposed upon them. 
 They were, moreover, unfitted by nature, and their previous 
 habits of life, to endure that severe toil and drudgery to which 
 they were required to submit. By degrees they were almost 
 entirely extirpated ; rapidly passing away under the cruel treat- 
 ment of their oppressors. Their places were soon supplied by 
 negro slaves, who had been torn from their homes in Africa, and 
 doomed to a life of perpetual toil and hopeless bondage. The 
 mass of the population in the West Indies at present consists 
 of the descendants of these people, now happily made free, and 
 rapidly rising in the scale of being. 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 But if we would have a correct view of the West Indies as a 
 scene of Missionary labour, we must now look at the islands some- 
 what more minutely, and regard not only their locahty and the 
 character of the population, but also their nationality, scenery, 
 and productions. By the fortunes of war and other changes, the 
 islands forming the Archipelago of the West have fallen into the 
 hands of various European powers. At the present time the 
 English colonies are, Jamaica, Antigua, Dominica, Montserrat, 
 Nevis, St. Christopher's, Barbuda, Anguilla, St. Lucia, the Virgin 
 Islands, the Bahamas, Hondm-as, Demerara, Barbadoes, St. Vin- 
 cent's, Grenada, Tobago, and Trinidad. The French islands are, 
 Martinique, Guadaloupe, Marie Galante, and St. Martin's in part. 
 The Spanish colonies are Cuba and Porto Eico. The Dutch have 
 St. Eustatius, Saba, and St. Martin's in part. There are belonging 
 to the Danes, St. Thomas's, St. John's, and St. Croix ; and the 
 Swedes claim St. Bartholomew's ; 'whilst Hayti has become a 
 republic of free blacks, and coloured persons, who cast oif the 
 French yoke in 1803. 
 
 These islands and continental settlements, which usually pass 
 under the general name of the West Indies, possess, in their 
 climate, scenery, soil, and productions, several featui'es in common 
 with each other, whilst at the same time each place has a history 
 of its own, and something peculiar to itself. But it is unnecessary 
 here to enter into minute details with respect to the physical 
 aspect and civil history of the sunny isles of the West, as sufficient 
 on these points for our purpose will turn up in connection with 
 each place as it passes in review before us. We may, therefore, 
 proceed without further preliminary observations, to the main 
 object which we have in view, namely, to trace the rise, progress, 
 and present state of Wesleyan Missions in this interesting field 
 of labom-. 
 
 The Aktigda District. 
 
 The introduction of Methodism to the West Indies may be 
 traced directly to the blessing of God on Mr. Wesley's preaching 
 
THE WEST INDIES. 
 
 in England. That holy and blessed man mentions, in his jom-nal, 
 under the date of the 17th of January, 1758, that he preached at 
 Wandsworth in the house of Nathaniel Gilbert, Esq., a lawyer, 
 and the Speaker of the House of Assembly in Antigua, who was 
 staying there for the benefit of his health. He states also that 
 two of his negro servants and a mulatto were present, and ap- 
 peared much afieoted under the sermon. Mr. Gilbert heard Mr. 
 Wesley preach repeatedly afterwards during his sojom-n in England, 
 and there is reason to believe that both he and some of the mem- 
 bers of his household were brought to a saving knowledge of the 
 truth ; for two of his slaves were baptized by Mr. Wesley, — one 
 of whom he declares to be " the first regenerated African that he 
 had ever seen, — and the planter himself ever afterwards became 
 identified with the despised people of God. 
 
 On his return to Antigua, Mr. Gilbert confessed to his friends 
 and neighbours what a treasure he had found ; and commenced at 
 once to hold meetings for the religious instruction of his own 
 people, and those of the surrounding estates. From his high 
 connexions and position in life, this strange proceeding brought 
 upon this man of God the ridicule and sneers of the ungodly ; 
 but these he regarded not. At first he confined himself in the 
 meetings which he held to the reading of sermons and the singing 
 of hymns ; but he soon found himself doing the work of an 
 evangelist as an exhorter and catechist, and leading classes com- 
 posed of those who were wilhng to flee from the wrath to come. 
 In these exercises he was assisted and encouraged by some mem- 
 bers of his family, who had been made the happy partakers of the 
 like precious faith, and by the founder of Methodism himself, with 
 whom he kept up a constant correspondence. By these pious 
 efforts Mr. Gilbert was made the means of salvation to a con- 
 siderable number of negroes and others ; and he ceased not to 
 labour for the benefit of his fellowmen in every possible way till 
 he was called to his reward in heaven. 
 
 There was no one qualified to take Mr. Gilbert's place when he 
 was removed by death ; but the Society which he had formed was 
 kept from desolation by the faithful labours of two pious negro^ 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 slaves named Mary Alley and Sophia Camijbell. Whether these 
 sable converts were the two domestics whom Mr. Wesley baptized 
 in England, we have been unable to ascertain ; but it is evident 
 that they were unwearied in their efforts to do good, by holding 
 prayer meetings and other religious services among their fellow 
 negroes almost every evening, till the Lord of the harvest provided 
 more efficient help. This was brought about in a manner quite 
 unexpected by the evident interposition of Divine Providence. 
 Additional shipwi'ights being required for his Majesty's service in 
 Antigua, in 1778, John Baxter, a Methodist Local Preacher was 
 sent from the royal dockyard at Chatham. He found the remnants 
 of Mr. Gilbei't's society still kept together by the two pious female 
 leaders already mentioned, and immediately began to preach to 
 them. The results were most encouraging; and to meet the 
 urgent demands for religious instruction, he soon extended his 
 labom-s to various parts of the island, exerting himself to the 
 utmost of his power for the spiritual welfare of the people, whilst 
 at the same time he had to labour at his worldly calling for his 
 daily bread. 
 
 As the work expanded, application was repeatedly made to Mr. 
 Wesley and Dr. Coke for Missionaries for the West Indies, but at 
 that early period Methodism was doing a great Missionar}' work 
 at home and in America, where every available laboui'er was re- 
 quired to assist in reclaiming deeply degraded populations, only 
 just emerging from the darkness of ages. Consequently Mr. 
 Baxter was left to toil alone with his sable charge in the island of 
 Antigua. He had thus laboured with untiring zeal for eight 3-ears, 
 and had under his care a Society of one thousand five hundred 
 and sixty-nine members, all blacks except ten, when help was sent 
 by an interposition of Divine Providence which has scarcely a 
 parallel in the history of Missions. About five o'clock on the 
 morning of Christmas Day, 1786, when the lonely preacher was 
 plodding his way along the streets of St. John's, in order to con- 
 duct Divine service in the rude chapel which he had built chiefly 
 with his own hands, he was imexpoctedly met by a party of 
 strangers, the arrival of whom was destined to mark a new 
 
THE WEST INDIES. 113 
 
 era in tliG religious history of Antigua and of the whole of 
 the West Indies. The principal person in the group, which 
 consisted of four- weather-beaten travellers who had just landed 
 from a half-wrecked vessel in the harbour, was a little clerical- 
 looking gentleman, who inquired for Mr. Baxter, and whose eyes 
 sparkled with joy when he found he was speaking to the man him- 
 self, and understood where he was going at that early hour. This 
 was Dr. Coke, with Messrs. Hammett, Warrenor, and Clarke, 
 three Missionaries, with whom he had embarked at Gravesend for 
 Nova Scotia, just three months before, and who had been thus 
 mysteriously driven by the violence of the tempest to the West 
 Indies under the guidance of Him whom " wind and seas obej'." 
 The Missionaries at once saw the hand of God in this remarkable 
 dispensation of His Providence ; and they went directly to the chapel 
 to render thanks to their heavenly Father for their merciful preser- 
 vation. Dr. Coke immediately ascended the pulpit, and preached 
 with his wonted zeal and energy to a large and attentive congrega- 
 tion. The loving heart of the zealous little Doctor overflowed 
 with emotion as he gazed upon the upturned faces of a thousand 
 negroes, anxiously listening to the Word of life ; and he no doubt 
 felt, as he had never done before, the force of his own favourite 
 text, "Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God." He 
 was, moreover, struck with the neat and cleanly appearance of the 
 congregation, as it clearly showed the beneficial influence of the 
 Gospel in a temporal point of view. 
 
 It was now arranged that Mr. Warrener should continue in 
 Antigua, and that the other brethren should be stationed in those 
 islands where then- labours appeared to be most urgently required ; 
 several of the other West India Colonies having already made 
 earnest applications for Missionaries. During the two weeks that 
 he remained in St. John's, Dr. Coke preached twice a day to 
 crowded congregations, besides two or three times in the country ; 
 and on the 5th of January, 1787, he embarked, in company with 
 Messrs. Baxter, Hammett, and Clarke, on a tour of observa- 
 tion among the islands. They visited in succession Dominica, St. 
 Vincent's, Nevis, St. Christopher's, and St. Eustatius, collecting in- 
 
114 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 formation, and embracing every opportunity which presented itself 
 of preaching to the people. In every island there appeared to be 
 openings for Missionaries, with the exception of the one last named ; 
 but as only two preachers were disengaged, they were stationed in 
 the most important colonies, Mr. Hammett being appointed to 
 St. Christopher's, and Mr. Clarke to St. Vincent's. Having made 
 the best arrangement in his power to meet the present emergency, 
 Dr. Coke embarked for America on the 10th of Februar}', promising 
 that on his return to England he would do his best to send more 
 Missionaries to strengthen the hands of the brethren. 
 
 As the work advanced from year to year, new stations were 
 occupied, and the number of labourers was considerably increased, 
 till almost every colony was brought under the influence of the 
 Gospel. The nature and progress of the enterprise will be best 
 understood by a succinct and systematic account of the respec- 
 tive islands and circuits comprised in the Antigua District. 
 
 Antigua itself is not the most important island in the "West 
 Indies, but it is deserving of prominent and further notice, as the 
 cradle of Methodism in the Antilles, and also because it possesses 
 many features of special interest in a Missionary point of view. 
 It was discovered by Columbus in the com'se of his second voyage, 
 but it was not till the year 1529 that a small French settlement 
 was formed on the island. Three years afterwards it was taken 
 by the English, and formally confirmed to us by treaty in 1668. 
 The land being generally low, the scenery is not so grand and 
 romantic as that of some other islands ; it is, moreover, hable to a 
 scarcity of water, which militates against it as a place of residence. 
 The soil is generally fertile, however, and it is celebrated as a 
 sugar colony. As a Wesleyan Mission station, Antigua has been 
 one of the most prosperous in the West Indies, according to the 
 extent of the population, which is estimated at thirty-eight thou- 
 sand. When additional Missionaries were supphed to occupy the 
 ground, after the favourable commencement already noticed, the 
 work of God greatly prospered, out-stations being ultimately 
 formed at English Harbour, Parham, Bolans, Sion Hill, Freetown, 
 and other places, in addition to the head quarters in St. John's, 
 
THE WEST INDIES. 
 
 "5 
 
 the capital of the colony, where the work commenced. The 
 chapels in some of these places are substantial and elegant build- 
 ings, especially that in St. John's, which was erected in 1844, 
 under the superintendency of the Eev. Jesse Pilcher. The island 
 has recently been divided into two circuits, which unitedly employ 
 five Missionaries, and number one thousand nine hundred and fifty 
 church members, with one thousand one hundred and eight scholars 
 in the Mission Schools. 
 
 Dominica is a romantic, mountainous, rugged island, twenty- 
 nine miles long and sixteen broad, with a population of about 
 twenty-two thousand. The interior of the country is still covered 
 with forests of timber ; but there are many fertile valleys, watered 
 with numerous streams, and well adapted for cultivation. In 
 former years coffee and cotton were cultivated to a considerable 
 extent ; but sugar is now the principal article of produce. As 
 already stated. Dr. Coke called at Dominica in the com'se of his 
 first voyage of observation in 1787, and preached to the people 
 with much acceptance ; but nothing more was done at that period. 
 About two years afterwards he visited the island a second time, 
 accompanied by the Kev. William M'Cornock, whom he left to 
 commence the Mission. The zealous Missionary had only laboured 
 a few months, however, when he was called away by death, being 
 the first Wesleyan Missionary who fell in the West Indies, or in 
 any other part of the foreign field. After this afilictive bereave- 
 ment the infant church was left without a pastor for several years. 
 In 1793 Dr. Coke once more visited Dominica ; and being much 
 affected by the destitute condition of the people, the following 
 year he sent the Eev. John Cook to recommence the Mission. 
 Ml'. Cook was succeeded by Messrs. Dumbleton, Taylor, Bocock, 
 Shipley, and others, several of whom fell a sacrifice to the climate, 
 which is generally admitted to be one of the most unhealthy in 
 the West Indies. But notwithstanding the difficulties arising from 
 this circumstance, and from the prevalence of Popish error, the 
 Mission has been favoured with a cheering measure of prosperity. 
 Chapels have been built and societies formed, not only in Eoseau, 
 the capital of the colony, but also in Lasoye, Prince Eupert's, and 
 
 i2 
 
ii5 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 other villages and rural districts. We have now in Dominica two 
 JiLissioimrics, fice hundred and e'lylitij-three church members, and. Jour 
 hundred, scholars in the Mission schools. 
 
 MoNTSBKRAT is the next island to be noticed. It is only twelve 
 miles long and seven broad, and is said to have received its pre- 
 sent name from its rugged, mountainous aspect. The population 
 was once estimated at fifty thousand, but it has dwindled down 
 in the course of years to about one half that number, chiefly by 
 emigration to Trinidad, Demerara, and other prosperous colonies, 
 whore better prospects of success presented themselves to the 
 inhabitants. Dr. Coke was unable to commence a Mission there 
 when he visited the neighbouring islands ; but he makes mention, 
 in his journal in 1793, of a class of twelve members, who were 
 regularly met by a pious coloured Leader. It was not till the 
 year 1820 that a Mission was regularly organised in Montserrat. 
 The first Missionary was the Eev. John Maddock, who was called 
 away by death in the midst of his labom's a few months after his 
 arrival in the island. He was succeeded by the Kev. Charles 
 Janion and others, who laboured with much success, both in town 
 and country, forming stations and building chapels, at Bethel, 
 Salem, and Cavalla, as well as in Pl3'mouth, the capital of the 
 colonJ^ It is a pleasing fact that although the importance of 
 the Mission has in a measm-e declined with the decrease of popu- 
 lation, Methodism has taken deep root in the countr}', and we 
 have still in the island one Missionanj, four Jiundrcd and fifty- 
 fire churcli members, and four hundred and fiftyfour scholars in 
 the Mission schools. 
 
 Ne'^^s is another beautiful little island, which appears on the 
 approach of the voyager like a conical mountain rising out of 
 the sea. It is only eight miles long and five broad ; but, being 
 well watered and fertile, it was formerly very productive in sugar, 
 ginger, and the usual fruits and provisions of the tropics. It 
 could once boast of a population of thirty thousand ; but by re- 
 verse of circumstances, emigration, and the desolating eflects of 
 cholera in 1853, it has been reduced to less than on€-third that 
 number. Nevis is separated from St. liitt's, at its south-eastern 
 
THE WEST INDIES. 117 
 
 end, by a narrow channel only three miles broad ; and it was 
 originally settled by a party of Englishmen, under Sir Thomas 
 Warner. Dr. Coke first visited this lovely little isle on the 19th 
 of January, 1787 ; and in the course of the following year a 
 Mission station was regularly organised by the Rev. William 
 Hammett, who came from St. Kitt's to preach to the negroes, 
 at the invitation of a Mr. Brazier. This gentleman, together 
 with the Messrs. Nisbett, supported the cause most nobly for 
 many years ; and from the beginning the work was favoured 
 with uninterrupted prosperity. At an early period we find the 
 names of Messrs. Kingston, Brownell, Taylor, Turner, Isham, 
 WooUey, Morgan, Hurst, Mortier, and other worthies associated 
 with this station ; and by the blessing of God upon their earnest 
 labours in succession, the work was finnly established, not only 
 in Charleston, the capital, but also at Gingerland, Combermere, 
 and other places. We have now, in connexion with this station, 
 one Missionarij, one thousand four hundred and twenty-one cliurcJi 
 members, and six hundred and fifty-one scholars in the Mission 
 schools. 
 
 St. Chbistopher's was discovered by Columbus in 1493, and 
 for some reason, not explained, he gave to it his own christian 
 name. The island is of a pecuHar shape, having the form of an 
 outstretched leg. The soil is very fertile, and produces large 
 crops of sugar. The population is estimated at twenty-three 
 thousand. In 1787 the Eev. W. Hammett was left in this island 
 by Dr. Coke, as already mentioned, and he commenced the Mission 
 under the most encouraging circumstances. The Lord of the har- 
 vest greatly blessed the labours of His servant ; and on revisiting 
 the colony in 1789, the zealous Doctor was delighted to find seven 
 hundred members in the Society. Mr. Hammett was succeeded by 
 the Revs. Messrs. Harper, Andrews, Truscott, Brownell, and 
 others ; and this soon became one of the most prosperous and 
 important Missions in the West Indies. Spacious and substantial 
 chapels have been erected and stations fonned, not only in Basse- 
 terre, the capital, but also at Old Road, Sandy Point, Half-way- 
 Tree, and other towns and villages, which give ample employment 
 
ii8 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 to four 2Iissi,oiiaries, who have under their pastoral care tivo thou- 
 sand ciijht hundred and ninety -three church members, with one tliou- 
 sand three hundred and nineteen scholars in the Mission schools. 
 
 St. Eustatius is a pleasant little island, presenting the appear- 
 ance of a conical mountain, with a rugged, rocky summit, and 
 rfently sloping sides, which are adorned with plantations of sugar- 
 cane and yam grounds. Dr. Coke earnestly desired to establish 
 a Mission in this island ; but the attempt was met with the most 
 determined resistance on the part of the Dutch Governor Rennolds, 
 and other civil authorities of the colony. It was not till the year 
 1811 that the preaching of the Missionaries was permitted, when 
 the Rev. M. C. Dixon commenced the Mission under the most 
 favourable circumstances, all opposition having entirely ceased. 
 From the very fii-st the special blessing of God attended the 
 enterprise, sinners being converted under the faithful preaching of 
 the word, and the church built up on the true foundation. The 
 Dutch, having no religious establishment of their own upon the 
 island, now encourage the Wesleyan Mission, and help to support 
 it by an annual grant from the public funds. The station has one 
 Missionary, a,nd two hundred and fifty-five church members, with one 
 hundred and ten scholars in the Mission schools. 
 
 St. Baktholomew's is the only island belonging to Sweden in the 
 West Indies. It has a good harbour, but the soil is comparatively 
 poor and the scenery uninviting. The Wesleyan Mission in this colony 
 was commenced by the Rev. William Turton, in the j'ear 1793, 
 under the most encouraging circumstances. The Governor at first 
 granted the Missionary the use of the national church ; but, as it 
 was not available for evening services, a commodious chapel was 
 erected, and the blessing of God rested upon the labours of His 
 servant. Mr. Turton was succeeded by the Revs. Messrs. Dobson, 
 Whitworth, White, Gilgrass, Felvus, and other zealous Mis- 
 sionaries ; and, notwithstanding the reduction in the population 
 by emigration to other islands, we have still in St. Bartholomew's 
 one Missionary, ninety-five church members, and si.rty-four scholars 
 in the Mission schools. 
 
 St. Martin's is an interesting little island belonging to the Dutch 
 
THE WEST INDIES. iig 
 
 and French conjointly ; bnt the Protestant portion of the population 
 of both colonies is entirely dependent upon the ministrations of the 
 Wesleyan Missionaries for religious instruction. It may be stated, to 
 their credit, that the public functionaries, and the people generally, 
 attend the public worship of God with remarkable regularity ; and 
 of late years both the Emperor of the French and the King of 
 Holland have contributed liberally towards the support of the 
 Wesleyan Ministry in their respective possessions. The Mission 
 was commenced in 1819 by the Eev. Jonathan Rayner, who was 
 called away by death soon after the work was begun. He was 
 succeeded by other zealous Missionaries, however, whose labours 
 were crowned with success. The station has only part of the 
 services of a Missionary, with about three hundred church members 
 under his pastoral care, and two hundred scholars in the Mission 
 schools. 
 
 Anguilla, or Snake Island, so called from its peculiar serpentine 
 form, is thirty miles long and seven broad. It is generally flat, 
 and destitute of mountains or rivers. The soil is deep, but of a 
 chalky nature, and not well adapted for tropical produce, although 
 some sugar and cotton, as well as provisions, are cultivated. The 
 chief staple for exportation is salt, which is manufactured and 
 shipped to America and other places in large quantities. The 
 Gospel was first preached in this island by a converted native, 
 himself the fruit of Missionary labour, and he was afterwards 
 called to the office of the Christian ministry. When the Mission 
 had been regularly organised, a resident Missionary occupied the 
 station ; but of late years, from the smallness of the population 
 and the pressing demands of more important stations, it has shared 
 the labours of a Minister with St. Martin's. There are, however, 
 nsarly four hundred jjerson,? united in church fellowship on the 
 station, with a goodly number of children in the Mission schools. 
 
 ToETOLA is the largest and most important of a grotip called the 
 " Virgin Islands." They are celebrated for the excellency and 
 great variety of the fish which is caught on their shores ; and in 
 some of them mines of copper, black lead, arsenic, and even gold 
 and silver were formerly worked to advantage. The population 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 of Tortola and the adjacent islets was in a fearful state of spiritual 
 darkness when Dr. Coke first landed there in 1789 ; but a wonder- 
 ful change was speedily effected by the regenerating influence of 
 the Gospel. The Rev. William Hammett was charged with the 
 duty of commencing the Mission ; and by the blessing of God 
 upon his labours, many were brought to a saving knowledge of 
 
 METHOD OF GOUl AND SILVER WiSHING. 
 
 the truth. He was succeeded by the Ecvs. Messrs. Owen, M'Kean, 
 Turner, Murdook, Brownell, and others, and the results of then- 
 zealous labours have been very encouraging. Tortola is the head 
 of the circuit, where the ministers reside, and they extend their 
 labours to West End, East End, Spanish Town, and other places, 
 where commodious chapels have been built and Societies formed, 
 aa well as in Road Town, the capital of the colony. Tu-o Mis- 
 
THE WEST INDIES. 
 
 sionaries are employed in this circuit, and they have one thousand 
 six hundred and sixty church members under their pastoral care, 
 with three hundred and two scholars in the Mission schools. 
 
 Since the commencement of Wesleyan Missions in the Antigua 
 District, about eighty-tkree years ago, many interesting and affect- 
 ing incidents have occurred in connection with the work on the 
 respective stations which have now passed under review, on which 
 it might be proiitable briefly to dwell ; but we must hasten to visit 
 other fields of labour which have yet to be surveyed. We cannot 
 take our leave of this District, however, without a brief notice of 
 one of the most afflictive dispensations of Divine Providence that 
 ever occun-ed in connection with the Missionary enterprise. We 
 allude to the loss of the Maria mail-boat. It was in the month of 
 February, 1825, that the Eev. Mr. and Mrs. White, with their 
 three children and a servant ; the Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Truscott, 
 with one child and servant ; and the Eev. Mr. and Mrs. Jones, 
 and the Rev. Messrs. Hillier and Oke, were returning in the Maria 
 mail-boat to Antigua from St. Kitts, where they had been to the 
 Annual District Meeting. They had almost completed their 
 voyage, when they were overtaken by a fearful storm during the 
 night, which drove the vessel upon a reef of rocks, where she was 
 dashed to pieces in a few hours. Some of the party were imme- 
 diately plunged into a watery grave, whilst others survived for a 
 time, and clung to portions of the wreck for two or three days and 
 nights, exposed to indescribable sufferings ; but, ultimately, all on 
 board perished, with the exception of Mrs. Jones, who was spared, 
 as by a miracle, to tell the mournful tale. How dark and mys- 
 terious was the dispensation of Divine Providence by which thir- 
 teen persons, connected with the Mission, besides the captain and 
 the crew of the vessel, were thus suddenly hurried out of time 
 into eternity ! But the Lord, doeth all things well, and " what we 
 know not now, we shall know hereafter." 
 
 The St. Vincent's District. 
 It is with feelings of sincere pleasure that we now call the 
 attention of the reader to the St. Vincent's District. It is not 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 only a section of the Mission field, which possesses many features 
 of peculiar interest, but it was the scene of om- personal labours, 
 and in connection with several of its principal stations we spent 
 foui'teen very happy years, in earnest efforts to instruct and elevate 
 the sable sons and daughters of Ham. Notwithstanding the re- 
 semblance which exists between some of the Windward Islands to 
 
 GEU-GRD AND PALMIST TREES. 
 
 those in the Leeward gi'oup, the best view will be obtained of the 
 nature and claims of the Mission work in this part of the West 
 Indies by taking a glance at each island separately as before. 
 
 St. Vincent's is a rugged, mountainous, and romantic island, 
 rising in the centre, in the form of a cone, to the height of three or 
 
THE WEST INDIES. 123 
 
 four thousand feet above the level of the sea. The interior is still 
 covered with forest trees and brush-wood ; but some of its fertile 
 valleys and the plains along the shores are well cultivated and 
 very productive, being watered by numerous streams. Having 
 been neglected for a length of time dming the early period of West 
 India colonization, this island became the place of refuge, and the 
 principal stronghold of, the oppressed native Indians or Caribs, 
 with whom fearful wars were waged by the colonists for many 
 years. At length they were subdued and scattered, and their 
 place was supplied with negro slaves, only a very small remnant 
 of the aboriginal tribes remaining when we laboured there. The 
 Wesleyan Mission in St. Vincent's was commenced by the Eev. 
 Mr. Clarke, whom Dr. Coke left in the island on the occasion of 
 his first visit, as already stated. He was afterwards joined by the 
 Rev. Messrs. Gamble and Werrill, whilst Mr. Baxter, from Antigua, 
 who had now devoted himself entirely to Missionary work, was 
 appointed to labour among the Caribs at Grand Sable. For some 
 time the work was generally very prosperous, except that among 
 the Caribs, which failed of its object. Then came a storm of per- 
 secution which has seldom been surpassed for violence. One of 
 the Missionaries was imprisoned, the chapels were closed, and 
 the progi-ess of the Gospel was seriously retarded by persecuting 
 enactments passed by the local legislature. An appeal having been 
 made to the British Government, religious liberty was, at length, 
 restored to the land ; and every hindrance being- removed out of 
 the way, the word of the Lord had free course, ran, and was glo- 
 rified. From Kingstown, the capital, the work extended to Layou, 
 Barrouallie, and Chateaubellair to leeward, and to Calliaqua, 
 Calder, Biabou, Union, Georgetown, and other places on the wind- 
 ward part of the island. At all these places commodious chapels 
 were ultimately erected, and prosperous societies formed ; and the 
 whole island became encircled with a chain of Wesleyan Mission 
 Stations, by means of which about one half of the entire popula- 
 tion, estimated at thirty thousand, was brought under religious in- 
 struction. In its best days the St. Vincent's Mission exhibited a 
 grand specimen of the triumphs of the Gospel ; and, although 
 
124 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 many changes have taken place since the era ef emancipation, 
 when ministers of other denominations eagerly pressed into the 
 field, the work having become comparatively pleasant and easy, 
 the three Circuits into which the island is divided still employ six 
 Missionaries, who have three thousand three hundred and twenty-one 
 church members under their pastoral care, with one thousand four 
 hundred and sixteen scholars in the Mission schools. 
 
 Grenada is the next island which claims attention. It has an 
 interesting civil history of its own, into the particulars of which 
 we cannot now enter. From its having originally been a French 
 colony, most of the negro inhabitants formerly spoke a strange 
 patois — a mixture of European and African dialects. They were, 
 moreover, to a considerable extent, under the influence of a curious 
 combination of Popish and Pagan superstitions. These circum- 
 stances rendered it somewhat diflficult to introduce the Gospel 
 among them. The attempt was made, however, in the name and 
 strength of the Lord. The first Wesleyan Missionary appointed 
 to labour in Grenada was the Rev. A. Bishop, a man of untiring 
 zeal and devotedness to his work ; hut his day was short. He 
 had only laboured about six months in the island when he fell 
 a sacrifice to the climate. He was succeeded by the Rev. Messrs. 
 Pattinson, Stm-geon, Dixon, Lill, Shrewsbury, Goy, and others, 
 who were made the honoured instruments in the hands of God in 
 bringing multitudes of sinners to a knowledge of the truth. In 
 process of time the work extended from St. George's, the capital, 
 to Woburn, Constantine, La Bay, and other places, including the 
 island of Carricou. At most of these places chapels were ulti- 
 mately built, societies formed, and schools estabUshed, affording to 
 the people the means of rehgious instruction, of which they must 
 otherwise have remained destitute. Considering the peculiar diflfi- 
 culties of this Mission, the success which has attended the efforts 
 which have been put forth is very gratifying. We have now 
 in Grenada two Missionaries, six Jiuiulred and sixtij-eiiiht church 
 innnhers, and six hundred and nine scholars in the Mission schools. 
 
 Trinidad is a large and fertile island, eighty miles long and 
 thirty broad, bordering on the continent of South America, being 
 
THE WEST INDIES. 125 
 
 only separated by the Gulf of Paria from the Spanish Main. The 
 colony originally belonged to Spain, and from the foreign ele- 
 ment which pervaded the masses of the population, and from the 
 prevalence of Koman Catholicism, it did not p>resent a favourable 
 soil for the propagation of Protestant Christianity at an early 
 period. But of late 3rears a tide of emigration has been flowing 
 from the Windward Islands, which has supplied more favourable 
 materials for Missionary operations, and the result has been, with 
 the Divine blessing, a large ingathering of precious souls into the 
 fold of Christ. The Wesleyan Mission to Trinidad originated in 
 a visit, on his own private affairs, of the Eev. T. Talboys from 
 St. Vincent's, in 1809. Finding a favourable opening for useful- 
 ness, the Missionary preached as he had opportunity during his 
 stay in Port of Spain ; and the results were so satisfactory that an 
 earnest request was made for the continuance of his labom-s. This 
 led to a series of services, which were made a blessing to many ; 
 till, ultimately, the Committee in London sanctioned the arrange- 
 ment, and Mr. Talboys was authorised to remain and organise the 
 Mission. The work had not advanced far when it was retarded 
 for a time by a storm of persecution which bm-st upon the infant 
 station, but by a kind Providence it was overruled for good. Mr. 
 Talboys was succeeded by the P^ev. Messrs. Blackburn and Pool, 
 and all went on well for a time, till, to conciliate the Papists, the 
 Governor thought proper to require all Christian teachers to sign a 
 certain document, binding them not to give utterance to anything 
 which would interfere with the dogmas of Koman Catholicism. 
 This the Wesleyan Missionaries conscientiously refused to do, and 
 the chapel was consequently shut up for twelve months. An 
 appeal to the Imperial Government brought the desired rehef, and 
 when every restriction was removed, the Mission was re-organised, 
 and a substantial chapel built in Port of Spain by the Rev. S. 
 P. WooUey, who was appointed to re-commence the Mission, and 
 who continued to labour there for several years with acceptance 
 and success. On his removal to another station he was succeeded 
 by the Eev. Messrs. Edmondson, Stephenson, Fletcher, Fidler, 
 Wood, Beard, and others, and the work was ultimately extended 
 
126 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
THE WEST INDIES. 127 
 
 to Diego Martin, Carenage, Couva, Claxton's Bay, San Fernando, 
 Woodford Dale, and other places, with much advantage to the 
 people. The success which has been realised on this station is 
 such as to excite to gratitude, and to encourage persevering efl'orts 
 in hope of still greater good. We have now in Trinidad three Mis- 
 sionaries, six liuiidred and sixtij-eight church meinhers, and one 
 hundred and seventy-six scholars in the Mission schools, with a 
 Catechist, who devotes his labours entirely to the CooKe emigrants 
 who have been brought to the island from the East Indies. 
 
 Bakbadoes has sometimes been called " Little England," and in 
 many places it presents to the view of the British traveller scenes 
 which strikingly remind him of his native land. Being to the 
 windward of all the rest, it is generally the first is land thatis seen 
 by persons on board a vessel coming from Europe to the West 
 Indies. It appears above the horizon like a huge turtle floating 
 on the surface of the water. The aspect of the country is not 
 mountainous, like most of the other islands, but gently undulating; 
 and every available acre of land having been brought under culti- 
 vation, it has generally sustained a very large population. It is 
 now estimated at one hundred and thirty thousand. The Wesleyan 
 Mission to Barbadoes was commenced by the Kev. B. Pearce, 
 whom Dr. Coke left there on his first visit in 1788, and who was 
 greatly enoom-aged in his evangeUcal efforts by a few pious soldiers 
 whom he found there, who had been for some time in the habit of 
 holdinc religious meetings for their mutual edification. It was in 
 the hired ro'om of these men that the zealous Doctor preached on 
 the evening of the day on which he arrived, and from the attention 
 of the people the success of the Mission seemed hopeful. Mr. Pearce 
 was succeeded by the Kev. Messrs. Kingston, Lumb, Bishop, Graham, 
 and other devoted Missionaries ; but for several years the cause 
 was less prosperous in Barbadoes than in most of the other islands. 
 At length, however, in 1822, under the earnest ministry of the 
 Rev. W. J. Shrewsbury, there appeared signs of improvement. 
 But no sooner did the work of God begin to revive, than the enemy 
 came in like a flood. A storm of persecution bm'st forth, such as 
 had seldom been witnessed in any country. It culminated m the 
 
I2S HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 eutire demolition of the cliapel and Mission-house in Bridgetown, 
 and the banishment of the Missionary from the island. Dming the 
 dark night which followed these acts of violence and enmity to the 
 Gospel, the timid flock who had lost thcii' shepherd were kept 
 together by the vigilant care and zealous efibrts of Mrs. A. Gill, a 
 pious coloiu-ed female Leader, who was truly a " mother in Israel." 
 In 18-2G the Mission was re-commenced by the Eev. Moses Rayner, 
 who erected a commodious chapel in James-street, on the site of 
 the sanctuary destroyed by the ruthless mob. Henceforth the 
 Mission was carried on in peace ; a tide of almost unparalleled 
 prosperity set in, and Barbadoes ultimately became one of oui' 
 most important stations in the West Indies. Two spacious chapels 
 have been erected in Bridgetown, the capital, and several others in 
 different parts of the country, especially at Speight's Town Provi- 
 dence, Ebenezer, and St. George's, to which place the cause was 
 extended at an early period. In the three Circuits into which the 
 island is now divided, six Missionaries are usefully emploj'ed, and 
 they have tivo thousand six hundred and ninety-four churcJi mem- 
 hers under their pastoral care, with^ico thousand and tn-enty scliolars 
 in the Mission schools. 
 
 ToB.iao is the last station to be noticed in connection with the 
 St. Vincent's district. The island is thirty-thi-ee miles long and 
 nine broad. It is situated within about fifty miles of Trinidad and 
 the Spanish Main, and, on a clear day, the distant blue mountains 
 of the continent can be distinctly seen from Scarborough, the 
 capital. The soil is generally fertile, but with a population of 
 only fom-teen thousand, it is not sm'prising that a considerable 
 portion of the country continues in its original wilderness state, 
 covered with dense jungle and forest trees. Although Tobago is 
 not one of the most important British colonies in the West Indies, 
 it has an interesting missionary history, to which we can but briefly 
 advert. Repeated visits of observation had been made to the 
 island by Missionaries of our Society, when in 1817 arrangements 
 were made for its permanent occupation as a Mission station. 
 The Rev. J. Rayner was the first Wesleyan Missionary appointed 
 to Tobago, but a few months after his arrival his dear wife sick- 
 
THE WEST INDIES. 129 
 
 ened and died, and being left with a little infant he was obliged to 
 remove to another station. Mr. Kayner was succeeded b}' the 
 Rev. Messrs. Smedly, Larcum, Nelson, Stephenson, Powell, Wood, 
 Blackwell, and others, who laboured with varied measures of suc- 
 cess in the service of their Divine Master. But it was during the 
 j'ears immediately succeeding the era of the glorious emancipation 
 that the most remarkable revival of religion was realized on this 
 station, through the instrumentality of the Rev. Messrs. Eanyell, 
 Biokford, and Hurd, who, in succession, had charge of the circuit 
 at that period. In Scarborough, at Mount St. George, Mason 
 Hall, Corn-land, and other places, chapels have been built, societies 
 formed, and schools established, to the unspeakable advantage of 
 multitudes of people who were previously in a state of extreme 
 spiritual destitution. We have now in Tobago two Missioiinries, 
 nine hundvecl and tldrtij-one church members, and five hundred and 
 fifty-five scholars in the Mission schools. 
 
 In connection with our Missionary work in the St. Vincent's 
 District, many interesting incidents have occurred at different 
 times which would require many pages to narrate ; but the one 
 most worthy of notice was a very remarkable interposition of 
 Divine Providence which the writer himself experienced when 
 he and a native were saved, as by a miracle, from impending 
 destruction. It was on the 5th of August, 18^6, when sailing 
 in an open boat, with two negToes, on the placid waters of the 
 Gulf of Paria, which separates the Island of Trinidad from the 
 Spanish Main, that we were overtaken with a fearful thunder- 
 storm. We were on our return from a Missionary visit to the 
 Couva station, when the heavens gathered blackness, the light- 
 ning flashed, and the thunder roared in fearful peals, whilst the 
 sea was lashed into tempestuous waves by the fury of the storm. 
 When the hurricane was at its height, and the foaming billows 
 and the lowering clouds seemed mingled in one confused mass 
 around us, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the electric 
 fluid struck the frail bark in which wo sailed, and shivered it 
 to pieces beneath our feet. One of the men was struck dead 
 in an instant and never moved or breathed again, whilst the 
 
 K 
 
I30 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 other was paralysed, and we all went down together into the 
 mighty deep. By a remarkable providence the survivors, both 
 of whom could swim, regained the wi'eck of the boat when it 
 arose to the surface of the water, to which they clung by a 
 desperate effort, till seen and rescued by a passing sloop some 
 time afterwards when the storm cleared away. After being out 
 at sea another night we were mercifully restored to our homes 
 and friends, who received us with gratitude and joy, as if we 
 had been raised from the dead. But many tears were shed for 
 the " one who was not," and on the following Sabbath the 
 writer endeavoured to improve the affecting event by preaching 
 from the words of the Psalmist, "I will sing of mercy and of 
 judgment: unto Thee, Lord, will I sing." 
 
 On another occasion the writer, with his wife and several 
 brethren, suffered shipwreck in this District, when the Missionary 
 schooner Hadie was dashed to pieces on the coral reef whilst 
 sailing out of Calliaqua harbour in the Island of St. Vincent. 
 In that instance there was much damage and loss of property, as 
 all we had was on board ; but there was no imminent danger to 
 life, a number of boats immediately coming out to take us from 
 the wreck. The next day we procm-ed another vessel, and pro- 
 ceeded on our voyage to the District Meeting, truly thankful to 
 the Almighty for His preserving goodness when "in perils in the 
 sea." 
 
 Dejieeaha. 
 The next section of the Mission field which is to pass under 
 review may require a few brief geographical and historical 
 observations, in order to place the matter in a clear light before 
 the mind of the reader. Demekara has been described as an 
 island in parHamentary speeches, and in popular histories of 
 Methodism ; but this is a mistake which should be Guarded 
 against by all who take an interest in the missionary enterprise. 
 Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice, are British settlements on the 
 continent of South America, and were formerly governed as sepa- 
 rate colonies ; but since the year 1831 they have been united 
 
THE WEST INDIES. 
 
 131 
 
 in one government under the general name of the Province of 
 British Guiana. The name first mentioned, however, is still fre- 
 quently employed by way of accommodation to designate this 
 part of the British Empire, and it is generally called the Colony 
 of Demerara. It is considered to belong to the West Indies, 
 not only from its proximity to the islands so designated, but 
 more especially from its identity with them in climate, popula- 
 tion, and produce. 
 
 The entire province has a line of coast about three hundred 
 miles long, with a width of country not well defined, but extend- 
 ing a considerable distance inland. The soil is uncommonly rich 
 and fertile ; but the general aspect of the country is low and 
 swampy. Indeed, in some places the coast is below the level 
 of the sea ; and, as the tide rises to an unusual height in this 
 part of the world, the land is only kept from inundation by the 
 construction of extensive dykes, with sluices to let the water off 
 when the tide is down. Travelling is rendered very difficult and 
 unpleasant in wet weather by the muddy state of the roads ; but 
 of late years a railway has been constructed to a distance of 
 about thirty miles along the coast, which is a great convenience. 
 
 The city of Georgetown, the capital of the province, occupies 
 an extensive plain in latitude 6° north and longitude 58° 25' west, 
 at the mouth of the river Demerara, from which the colony takes 
 its name. It consists of several wide streets laid out at right 
 angles ; and the dwelling houses generally stand apart from each 
 other in their own garden grounds, which are, in many instances, 
 adorned with flowers and shi'ubs, giving quite a lively and rural 
 aspect to the scene. Most of the buildings are framed of the 
 hard wood of the colony, and when well finished, and neatly 
 painted, they are both handsome and durable. Of late years, 
 however, a few good houses have been built of brick and finished 
 with stucco, the most substantial and elegant of which is the 
 structure known as the " Guiana Public Buildings," which stands 
 in the centre of Georgetown, and would be an ornament to any 
 city in Europe. 
 
 It was not till the year 1815 that the Wesleyan Missionary 
 
 k2 
 
132 HISTORY OF U'ESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Society succeeded in establishing a Mission in Demerara ; a pre- 
 vious attempt, in 1805, having been frustrated b)^ the expulsion of 
 the Missionary, the Kev. J. Hawkshaw, from the colony. Neither 
 was it vithout difficulty aud much opposition that the Eev. T. 
 Talboys commenced the Vi'ork, aided as he was by Messrs. Claxton 
 and Powell, two pious men of colom' who had come from Nevis 
 several j'ears before, and were themselves the fruit of Missionary 
 labour in that island. Mr. Talboys was succeeded by the Kev. 
 John Mortier, a man of quiet zeal and an amiable disposition, who 
 continued to labour in the colony for many j'ears with acceptance 
 and success. On the 1st and 2nd of November, 1821, both the 
 Missionaries then labouring in the colony, the Eev. Messrs. Bellamy 
 and Ames, were cut down by fever in a few hours, and the station 
 was left without a minister, when the Rev. W. J. Shrewsbury has- 
 tened uu\iii iiom Barbadoes, with his vronted promptitude, to fill 
 the vacancy till a supply of men could be sent from England. In 
 process of time opposition began to decline, the Missionaries were 
 favoured to labour with tolerable health and comfort, and the 
 zealous efforts of the Rev. Messrs. Mortier, Cheeswright, Edmond- 
 Bon, Eaj'ner, Vigis, Hornabrook, Ranyell, and others, in succes- 
 sion, were crowned with a cheering measure of success. Two 
 excellent chapels were erected in Georgetown — one at Werken- 
 Rust and the other at Kingston ; and hundreds of sinners were 
 savinglj' convei'ted to God, and gathered into the fold of Christ. 
 A still more remarkable revival of religion was experienced in 
 Georgetown, in 1868, when upwards of one thousand new 
 members were received into church fellowship in the short space 
 of six months. For numbers, respectability, intelligence, and 
 general efficiency, our Mission in Georgetown would compare 
 favourably with that of any other country, and it has been made a 
 great blessing to all -classes of the community. 
 
 When the work was fullj' established in the city, the Mission- 
 aries extended their labours to Mahaica, an ancient village on the 
 west coast, about twenty-five miles from Georgetown, on the 
 banks of a navigable creek, and central to a large number of 
 populous sugar estates. Here a resident minister was ultimatelj' 
 
THE WEST INDIES. 133 
 
 stationed, a commodious chapel erected, and a large number of 
 people united in church fellowship. From this important and 
 central point the work was extended still further down the coast to 
 Mahaicony, Perth, Virginia, Stanleyville, and other places in the 
 Mahaica ciixuit, where religious instruction was much required. 
 At a subsequent period, a Missionary was appointed to Vic- 
 toria and Golden Grove, new villages which were formed soon 
 after the era of the emancipation, about mid-way between 
 Georgetown and Mahaica. These places, together with Friend- 
 ship, Buxton, and Ann's Grove, form an interesting circuit, 
 where a good work has been carried on for several years, among 
 the emancipated slaves who settled there. 
 
 Essequibo is the name given to a circuit formerly known as 
 Abrim Zuil, on what is called the Ai-abian coast, to the west of the 
 Essequibo river. This Mission was commenced by the Eev. R. 
 Hornabrook in the year 1836, and has exerted a very beneficial 
 influence in that part of the country. Out-stations were ultimately 
 estabhshed at Zorg, Queen's Town, Ebenezer, Anna Kegina, 
 Daniel's Town, and more recently in the island of Wakenaam. 
 At some of those places chapels have been built, societies formed, 
 and schools established ; and at others strenuous efforts are being 
 made to supply what is wanted to give permanence to the work. 
 In the wide field which presents itself to view in this part of the 
 colony, there is reason to hope for still greater progress in years to 
 come. 
 
 Berbice is comparatively a new station, having only had the ad- 
 vantage of a resident minister for a few years. Our services were 
 imperatively called for in that place, so remote from our other 
 stations in British Guiana, by the circumstance of a considerable 
 number of our people having removed thither from the Leeward 
 Islands, to say nothing of the dense population in general which 
 required additional means of religious instruction. Several re- 
 spectable persons of Dutch descent having no pastor of their own 
 were, moreover, anxious to have a Weslcyan ministry, and gene- 
 rously oilered the free use of the Dutch Reformed Church and 
 parsonage with substantial pecuniary aid besides, for the support 
 
134 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 of the work. Under these cu'cumstances the Mission was com- 
 menced in 1847, and more fully organised in 1853 ; the Rev. John 
 Wood, jun. being the first Missionary appointed to the station. 
 He was succeeded by the Rev. Messrs. Padgham, Banfield, and 
 Dickson, whose labours were made a great blessing to the people. 
 Out-stations have been formed at Smith Town, Stanley Town, and 
 Cumberland, and a good work is in progress thi'oughout the 
 circuit. 
 
 In addition to the spheres of labour already described, and the 
 various kinds of instrumentality alluded to, a new department of 
 Missionary labour has recently been entered upon in this district, 
 which deserves a passing notice. To supply the lack of agricul- 
 tural labourers occasioned by the emancipation of the negro 
 slaves in 1838, many of whom became mechanics and shopmen, a 
 large number of Coolies have been brought over from the East 
 Indies, from time to time, and for their special benefit a Mission 
 has been formed. The Rev. H. V. P. Bronkhurst, Assistant Mis- 
 sionary, is at present the agent emploj'ed among them. Being 
 himself a native of India, he is able to preach to these poor Hindus 
 the Gospel of Christ in their own language ; and he has already 
 been the honoured instrument in the hands of God in bringing 
 several of them into the fold of Christ. A school has also been 
 established for the instruction of CooUe children, and it is hoped 
 that in future a rich harvest will be reaped from this interesting 
 department of Christian labour. 
 
 A very gratifying measure of success has attended the labours of 
 the Wesleyan Missionary Society on the respective stations in 
 British Guiana. We have now in connection with the Demerara 
 District twelve Missiojiaries, four tJioiiftiDxi two hundred (Did sixty- 
 seven church members, and three thousand ciijht hundred and fifteen 
 scholars in the Mission schools. It is pleasing to be able to add 
 that for many years past the principal stations have been entirely 
 self-supporting, and the people have contributed liberally towards 
 the funds of the parent society to help to send the Gospel to other 
 lands. 
 
THE WEST INDIES. 135 
 
 Jamaica. 
 
 The largest and most important island in the West Indies be- 
 longing to the British crown is Jamaica. It is said to be one 
 hundred and fifty miles long and fifty broad. The general aspect 
 of the country is rugged and mountainous, but it abounds with 
 fertile valleys, and almost every part of it is covered with per- 
 petual verdure. It is, moreover, watered with numerous streams, 
 which flow towards the ocean in every direction, which cuxum- 
 stance seems to justify the name given to it by the aborigines, 
 which signifies in their language, "the Land of Springs." The 
 island was discovered by Columbus in the course of his third 
 voyage to the new world, in 1494 ; but it was not settled by the 
 Spaniards till 1503, soon after which they commenced their cruel 
 work of exterminating the native Indians. In the wars of 1655, 
 the colony was taken by the English, since which time it has con- 
 tinued to be a part of the British empire. For civil and eccle- 
 siastical purposes the island was divided into three counties, 
 Middlesex, Surrey, and Cornwall ; these were again divided into 
 parishes. A church was ultimately erected in every parish; but 
 we are informed on good authority that when there was a priest 
 for every parish, which was not always the case, the church was 
 seldom opened, except on occasions of marriages and funerals. 
 Sunday was the day devoted to the public market and parties of 
 pleasure. It is doubted whether, previous to 1789, the Sabbath 
 ever dawned on Jamaica which witnessed five hundred persons 
 assembled in all the places of worship put together, out of a popu- 
 lation of nearly four hundred thousand. The idea of imparting 
 religious instruction to the negro slaves scarcely seems to have 
 entered into the mind of any one ; and, with few exceptions, all 
 classes were sunk to the deepest depth of moral degi-adation. 
 The Sabbath being the principal market day, the negroes assembled 
 in the towns and villages, for the purposes of petty trade and 
 worldly amusements rather than to worship God. 
 
136 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 When the zealous and devoted Dr. Coke had succeeded in esta- 
 blishing Methodist Missions in several of the smaller islands of the 
 West Indies, he hastened to Jamaica on a tour of observation to 
 sec what could be done for a place and a people such as we have 
 described. 
 
 He lauded at Kingston on the 19th of January, 1789, and 
 preacliud four times in the city during his brief staj', though 
 not without somo opposition and disturbance at two or three of 
 the services which ho held. The noise and interruption proceeded 
 not from the poor negroes, however, but from a few intoxicated 
 white men, who boasted of their respectability, but who were 
 not ashamed to mock the man of God whilst faithfully warning 
 sinners to flee from the wrath to come. These trifles the noble- 
 minded Doctor regarded not ; but proceeded with his work, 
 rejoicing that the common people heard him gladly, and that 
 the v,'ay was being opened for the introduction of the Gospel 
 whore it was very much required. Indeed, with few exceptions, 
 all classes of the community showed him the greatest possible 
 respect. "In no place," he writes, "did I ever receive greater 
 civilities ; four or five families of property having opened to me 
 their houses and evidently their hearts also, and assured me that 
 any missionaries we may send shall be welcome to everything 
 their houses afford." Having delivered his message and made his 
 observations, the pioneer evangelist embarked at Port Ro3'al 
 for America on the 24th of February, and proceeded, -with 
 his wonted alacrity and zeal, to visit other fields of hallowed 
 labour. 
 
 The impression made upon the Doctor's mind bj' this hasty 
 visit appears to have been on the whole, favom-able ; for im- 
 mediately on his return to England he sent out the Rev. William 
 Hammett, as the first missionary to Jamaica. He arrived in the 
 month of August, and his first ciforts to evangelise the people 
 being successful, he was encouraged to purchase and fit up as a place 
 of worship, an old building that was ofl'ered to him for the purpose. 
 In the beginning of the year 1791, the Eov. WiUiam Brazier was 
 sent to assist Mr. Hammett ; and shortly afterwards Dr. Coke 
 
TKE WEST INDIES. 
 
 137 
 
 arrived on his second visit to tlie island, in company with the Eev. 
 T. Worrell, another Missionary. After remaining for a few days 
 at Montego Bay, where they landed, and where the Doctor 
 preached several times, they rode over the mountains to Kingston, 
 a distance of one hundred and twenty miles, and had a fine oppor- 
 tunity of seeing the country, with which they were much pleased. 
 Having inspected the state of the work, and preached several times 
 in the city, Dr. Coke eniharked for America, taking with him Mr. 
 Hammett, to recruit his impaired health in a colder climate. In 
 the month of August Mr. Brazier followed them, having also suffered 
 fi'om the excessive heat. The only remaining Missionary, Mr. 
 Worrell, over exerted himself, was seized with a fever, which 
 haffled medical skill, and died happy in God on the 15th of Novem- 
 ber. Thus early fell the first of a long list of Missionaries, who 
 were called to rest from their labour's in Jamaica, and the Society 
 was left without a pastor. 
 
 The intelligence of this sad bereavement no sooner reached 
 England than help was sent, and about five months afterwards, in 
 the month of Maj', 1792, the hearts of the people were gladdened 
 by the arrival of the Eev. William Fish, who soon succeeded in 
 reorganising the Mission. About the end of the j'ear, Dr. Coke 
 paid his third and last visit to Jamaica ; and after spending a fev/ 
 days, during which he was "in labours more abundant," preaching, 
 travelling, and endeavouring to strengthen the hands of the Mis- 
 sionary, he embarked for England, and Mr. Fish was left to pursue 
 his useful labom-s alone. In after years the Jamaica Mission was 
 strengthened by the appointment of the Eev. Messrs. Alexander, 
 Fowler, Bradnack, Wiggins, Johnston, Shipman, Duncan, and a 
 host of other brave and zealous ministers of Christ, who succes- 
 sively laboured and patiently suffered in the cause of their Divine 
 Master. A cheering measm-e of success attended the Word 
 preached from the very first, and a goodly number of the sable 
 sons and daughters of Ham were brought to a saving knowledge 
 of the truth. 
 
 But we generally find that when God works Satan also makes 
 himself busy. In tracing the history of the Wesleyan Mission in 
 
138 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Jamaica, in the earlier stages of its progress, we find it marked by 
 scenes of persecution such as scarcely have a parallel in any other 
 country. Many of the planters, and the whites generally, were 
 living in a fearful state of immorality and sin, and they no sooner 
 savf that the successful labours of the Missionaries would probably 
 interfere with the gratification of their unbridled passions, than 
 they vented all their vsrath against them. And then there was the 
 vexed question of negro slavery, with which they feared the free 
 promulgation of the Gospel might interfere. These circumstances, 
 in connection with the innate depravity of the human heart and its 
 natural opposition to the truth of God, gave rise to a systematic 
 course of hostility to Missions in Jamaica, which continued for 
 several years, in various forms and with different degrees of 
 violence, which it would be tedious and unprofitable to attempt to 
 detail. Sometimes laws were passed by the local legislatui'e, pro- 
 hibiting the preaching of the Missionaries without a license, which 
 the magistrate might decline to give at pleasui-e. Then for the 
 alleged violation of the law the Missionaries were cast into prison, 
 where they suffered indescribable miseries. Again, they were 
 assailed by ruthless mobs, and insulted in the most shameful 
 manner. Some of the chapels were closed for years together, and 
 others were entirely demolished by the enemies of the Gospel. The 
 faith, and patience, and Christian courage of the Missionaries was 
 often severely tested during these days of darkness ; but the Lord 
 Jehovah was the support and strength of His servants. In due 
 time the dark cloud passed over, persecuting acts were disallowed 
 by the Imperial Government, enemies to the Mission were removed 
 out of the way by the hand of God, and religious liberty was 
 restored to the land. 
 
 Thi'ough all those years of labour and of conflict the cause of 
 God continued to advance in Jamaica, and when every hindrance 
 was removed out of the way of its progress, the Word of the Lord 
 had free course, ran, and was glorified. It is truly delightful to 
 contemplate the success which has attended this important Mission. 
 The good work has spread from Kingston, where it was first com- 
 menced, to Spanish Town, Morant Bay, Grateful Hill, Falmouth, 
 
THE WEST INDIES. 
 
 139 
 
 St. Anil's Bay, Bath, Clarendon, Manchioneal, and other places, 
 far away into the interior of the island. The whole country has 
 been divided into Circuits and Stations, and in every town and 
 village of any consequence, and in many of the rural districts, 
 commodious chapels have been built. Societies formed, and schools 
 established. At different periods gracious revivals of religion 
 have, moreover, been experienced, when multitudes of sinners 
 have been converted, and gathered into the fold of the Eedeemer. 
 
 WESLEYAS MISSION HOUSE, ST. ANN S, JAMAICA. 
 
 The improvement in the social and moral condition of the people 
 is also truly gratifying, and a change has passed over the whole 
 aspect of the population which it is most pleasing to contemplate. 
 Notwithstanding the adverse circumstances with which the Jamaica 
 Mission has had to contend in common with the work in several of 
 the other West India colonies, it is a delightful fact that we have 
 now in connection with our respective Stations in this island, 
 twenty-six Missionaries, fourteen thousand tivo hundred and four 
 
140 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 church mcmhers, and six thousand six hundred and sixty-tico 
 scholars in the Mission schools. 
 
 Honduras. 
 
 Honduras is a British settlement on the southern part of the 
 continent of North America, in the province of Yucatan, which, 
 from its climate, character, and position, is generally classed with 
 the West Indies. The town of Belize, the capital of the colony, is 
 situ.ated in latitude 17° 25' north and longitude 88° 80' west ; and 
 the territory claimed as belonging to the settlement embraces an 
 area of about 62,750 square miles. The sea-coast is generally 
 flat and swampy, and the water along the shore is studded with 
 numerous low and verdant islands. On advancing some distance 
 into the interior, the country rises into lofty mountains, covered 
 with dense forests, interspersed with rivers and lagoons, by means 
 of which access is gained to the valuable timber, especially log- 
 wood and mahogany, of which the principal trade of the settle- 
 ment consists. The population comprises a strange mixtm-e of 
 Em-opeans, Spanish Creoles, Negi'oes, and Indians ; and all classes 
 were in a fearfully degraded state before Christian Missionaries 
 were sent among them. 
 
 The Weslej'an Mission to Honduras was commenced in 1825. 
 The E.ev. Thomas Wilkinson was the first Missionary sent out, 
 and he entered upon his work in the town of Belize, and among 
 the scattered settlements of the wood- cutters on the banks of the 
 rivers, in the true missionary spirit; but in the course of a few 
 months after his arrival he fell a sacrifice to the climate, which is 
 generally admitted to be more trying to the Em-opean constitution 
 than most of the West India islands. The next Missionary to 
 Honduras was the Kev. Thomas Johnston, who was also called to 
 rest from his labours before the close of the first j'ear of his 
 appointment. Other zealous Missionaries followed, who, by the 
 good providence of God, were spared to labour for a longer period, 
 and from whose unwearied efforts the foundation of a good work 
 was laid which has continued to advance with steadiness, if not 
 with rapidity, to the present time. All classes of the community 
 
THE WEST INDIES. 141 
 
 have been benefitted bj' the establishment, and seem grateful for 
 the opportunities which are afi'orded them of Divine worship and 
 religious instruction. 
 
 A substantial Wesleyan chapel was erected at Belize at an early 
 period of the Mission, which a few years ago was destroyed by 
 lire ; but it has since been replaced by a more commodious and 
 elegant structure. Here the congregation is large and respectable, 
 and in 1868 a gracious revival of religion took place, in the course 
 of which many were added to the Lord. Of late years the good 
 work has been extended to Freetown, Kuatan, Corosal, and other 
 places, which have now become important stations. To supply as 
 far as possible the spiritual necessities of all classes of this mixed 
 population, preaching and teaching are carried on in English, 
 Spanish, and Maya. Into the language last named, which is used 
 by a considerable tribe of Indians, portions of the Holy Scriptures 
 and other books have been translated, and it is hoped that access 
 will thus be obtained to native populations which have not yet 
 been brought under the influence of the Uospel. 
 
 In the year 1829 a Mission was attempted to the wandering 
 Indians inhabiting the Mosquito Shore, in Honduras Bay. The 
 Piev. James Pilley was the Missionary appointed to this new and 
 arduous station. He persevered in his zealous efforts for some 
 time ; but the difficulties were so numerous, and the prospect so 
 discouraging, that the undertaking was ultimately relinquished, 
 other openings of a more promising character requiring the atten- 
 tion of the Society. The Honduras Mission was formerly attached 
 to Jamaica, but a few years ago it was organised into a separate 
 District, and it has become an important and interesting portion of 
 the Mission field, having four Missionaries, nine hundred and 
 Ueenty-four church members, and nine hundred and twenty-nine 
 scholars in the Mission schools. 
 
 The Bahamas. 
 
 The Bahamas are a singular group of islands extending in the 
 form of a crescent, a distance of about six hundred miles from 
 the Matanilla reef to Turk's Island. New Providence is the most 
 
142 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 important island of the group, and the seat of government for the 
 whole ; but it is the one named San Salvador, that is celebrated 
 as the land first seen by Columbus, on the 12th of October, 1492, 
 when on his first voyage of discovery to the New World. The 
 Bahamas were then densely peopled by a race of Indians, who 
 were soon shipped oif to work the mines of Mexico and Peru, 
 
 SAN SALVADOR. 
 
 when the Spaniards began their search for gold. In 1629 New 
 Providence was settled by the Enghsh, the natives having become 
 entirely extinct. About twelve years afterwards the Spaniards 
 drove the English settlers from the island, and mm-dered the 
 Governor, besides committing many other acts of cruelty. In 
 1666 the English made another attempt to colonise the Bahamas ; 
 
THE WEST INDIES. 
 
 143 
 
 but the French and Spaniards again expelled them and destroyed 
 their plantations. After many other changes, and the fearful 
 depredations of pirates, the Bahama Islands were finally ceded 
 to the British by treaty in 1783, since which period they have 
 remained in our possession. 
 
 From the favourable character of the climate and other circum- 
 stances, a larger portion of the inhabitants are whites in these 
 islands than in any other of the West India colonies. But, accord- 
 ing to undoubted testimony, all classes were in an awful state of 
 spiritual destitution at the beginning of the present century, when 
 they first attracted the notice of the friends of Missions. The 
 Rev. WiUiam Turton, himself a native of the West Indies, and the 
 fruit of Missionary labour, had the honour of being the first Wes- 
 leyan Missionary appointed to New Providence in the year 1803. 
 He afterwards extended his labours to other islands as openings 
 presented themselves, being assisted in his important enterprise 
 by the Rev. Messrs. Eutledge, Dowson, Ward, Bloor, and others, 
 who were sent out from England at different periods. By the 
 blessing of God upon the persevering efforts of His servants, a 
 great and good work was inaugurated throughout the district. 
 The people listened to the Word preached with gratitude and joy, 
 and it became the means of salvation to many in almost every 
 inhabited island of the group. The work was extended to Eleu- 
 thera, Harbour Island, Abaco, Turks' Island, and other places, 
 each of which became the head of a Circuit and a centre of light and 
 influence to all around. In every island, settlement, town, and 
 village of any consequence chapels were built, societies organised, 
 and schools established ; and a wonderful reformation was effected 
 among all classes of the inhabitants. 
 
 The respective stations in the Bahamas were ultimately formed 
 into a regular Wesleyan District, of which Mr. Turton was the 
 honoured chairman for many years, till he was called to his reward 
 in 1818. The Rev. Messrs. Crofts, Haigh, Whitehouse, Corlett, 
 Cheesbrough, Bleby, and others, were in succession charged with 
 the general superintendency of the work, and a pleasing measure of 
 success has been reahsed. From the scattered character and 
 
144 HISTORY OF WESLEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
 isolated position of many of the inliabitants, not to mention tlieir 
 general poverty, Methodism has proved to be a system admirably 
 adapted to meet the spiritual wants of the Bahamas, and the esta- 
 bliiihment of Wesleyan Missions among them has been attended 
 ■with the most blessed results. When a fearful hurricane swept 
 over the islands in 1867, destroying the dwellings of the people 
 and lajdng waste their sanctuaries, the friends of Missions in 
 England came forward most liberally to their aid, and the waste 
 places of Zion were soon repaired, and the hearts of the humble 
 worshippers filled with gratitude and joy. We have now in con- 
 nection with the Wesleyan Missions in the Bahama District cigJit 
 Missionaries, three tliousand ei(j]it hundred and seventy-two clmrch 
 mcmhers, and tn-o thousand si.v hundred and tivcnty-seren scholeirs in 
 the Mission schools. 
 
 Hayti. 
 
 Hayti is the name now generally given to that portion of the 
 island of St. Domingo or Hispaniola which is occupied by a 
 republic of black and coloured people, who cast off the yoke of 
 slavery and of the French Government together, and declared 
 their independence in 1808. The soil, climate, produce, and 
 general aspect of the country are similar in their main features 
 to other parts of the West Indies ; we may, therefore, confine 
 our remarks chiefly to the inhabitants and the means which have 
 been adopted to promote their moral elevation. This little native 
 commonwealth, exhibiting as it does the capability of the negro 
 race, possesses many points of interest to the genuine philan- 
 thropist ; but we are most concerned in the origin and progress 
 of Christian Missions. 
 
 In the year 1817, the Wesleyan Missionary Society sent out 
 two Missionaries, the Kevs. John Brown and James Catts, to 
 commence a Mission in Hayti. They were kindly received, both 
 by the Government authorities and the people ; and for some time 
 they laboured with acceptance and success. After awhile, how- 
 ever, when their efforts to evangelise the inhabitants were begin- 
 ning to produce a powerful imi^ression, a spirit of persecution was 
 
THE WEST INDIES. 145 
 
 ioxoited by the Romish priests, which resulted in the passing of 
 laws entirely subversive of religious liberty ; and the following 
 year the Missionaries were obliged to leave the country. But 
 although left as sheep without a shepherd, the converted natives 
 would not return to the thraldom of Poperj'. They were insulted 
 and oppressed in every possible manner ; but they endured perse- 
 cution with a patience and steadfastness worthy of the best days 
 of the Chi'istian Church. As they had opportunity they continued 
 to meet together for prayer and praise ; and they kept up a con- 
 stant correspondence with their banished Pastors, informing them 
 of their proceedings, and of the course of public events, indulging 
 the hope that brighter days would dawn upon them. 
 
 At length the way seemed to open for an effort to re-establish 
 the Mission; and in 1835 the Rev. John Tindall was appointed to 
 Hayti, in conjunction with Mr. St. Denis Bauduy, a converted 
 native, who had been, up to this time, instrumental in keeping 
 the people together, and who was now called to the honomable 
 office of assistant Missionary. There being now no longer any 
 violent opposition to Methodism, the work was prosecuted for a 
 time with cheering prospects of success. In the coui'se of the 
 following year the Rev. James Sharracks was sent out to strengthen 
 the hands of the brethren ; but he was soon called away by death. 
 Other zealous Missionaries were appointed from time to time, and 
 their united labours resulted in the conversion of many souls to 
 God, notwithstanding the antagonistic influence constantly exer- 
 cised by the Romish priests and their adherents. As the work 
 grew and expanded, various parts of the country were visited by 
 the Missionaries, and their assistants ; and promising stations were 
 ultimately established in Jeremie, Cayes, Cape Haitien, Levgane, 
 and other towns and villages of the republic, in addition to Port-au- 
 Prince, the capital. 
 
 For many years the Rev. Mark B. Bird has been the honom-ed 
 superintendent of this difficult Mission, and in prosperity and 
 adversity he has clung to his post of duty with a com'age and 
 moral heroism worthy of the highest commendation. In conse- 
 quence of the instability of the Government, the intolerance of 
 
 L 
 
145 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Popery, and the trying eliaracter of the climate, there have often 
 been stations without Missionaries, and the work has been generally 
 prosecuted amid numerous difficulties, and with frequent fluctua- 
 tions. In the month of November, 1869, one half of the city of 
 Port-au-Prince was burnt down, during the prevalence of a civil 
 war. This calamity involved the entire destruction of the Wes- 
 
 WESLEYAN CHAPEL, PORT-AU-PRTXCE, HATTI. 
 
 (Destroyed by fire in 1869.) 
 
 leyan Mission premises, consisting of a substantial chapel, school- 
 house, and minister's residence, which had been erected at an 
 expense of about £4,000. With commendable zeal and diligence 
 the aiilicted members of the church procured a quantity of 
 boards with which they constructed a temporary place of worship ; 
 but the progress of the Mission has been seriously retarded. 
 
THE WEST INDIES. 
 
 147 
 
 Although Hayti was formed into a separate District several years 
 ago, it has, through the adverse circumstances to which we have 
 alluded, once more been reduced to a single station, and we 
 have now in connection with it only one Missionary, two hundred 
 and ten church inemhers, and seventy-two scholars in the Mission 
 school. 
 
 Although we would not attach undue importance to mere sta- 
 tistics, knowing that they cannot always be regarded as a sure 
 index of the state and prospects of the work of God ; yet, taking 
 them for what they are worth, it is pleasing to contemplate, by 
 their light and aid, the progress which has been made in our 
 Mission work in this important part of the great field up to the 
 present time. There are now in connection with the respective 
 Wesleyan circuits and districts in the West Indies eighty-five Mis- 
 sionaries, forty-one thousand six hundred church memhers, and twenty 
 thousand scholars in the Mission schools. But these numbers re- 
 present only a small portion of the good which has been done by 
 the agency of the Wesleyan Missionary Society in the sunny isles 
 of the west. An influence has been exercised, and spiritual results 
 have been achieved, which can never be tabulated on earth, and 
 which will only be fully known in heaven. Happy are those who 
 take any part, be it ever so humble, in labouring to diffuse a know- 
 ledge of salvation among the dark benighted nations of the earth. 
 " They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament ; 
 and they that turn many to righteousness as stars for ever and ever." 
 
 In bringing to a close this brief historical sketch of the origin 
 and progress of Wesleyan Missions in the West Indies, perhaps 
 the reader may be interested by a few observations in reference 
 to the impression produced on the writer's own mind as to the 
 character and claims of the work during the period of his personal 
 labours in that country. We look back with feelings of gratitude 
 and joy to the happy years we spent in the West Indies, from 
 1834 to 1847 inclusive, when the poor negroes were just emerging 
 from their long night of slavery, passing through their transition 
 state of apprenticeship, and entering upon the enjoyment of fuU 
 and unrestricted freedom. Our appointments were to Demerara, 
 
 l2 
 
148 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Barbadoes, St. Vincent'B, Grenada, and Trinidad in succession, 
 and on almost every station, being associated with earnest, zeal- 
 ous, loving colleagues, we were permitted to realise a pleasing 
 measm-e of success. Indeed, in some instances we were favoured 
 with showers of blessing, and large ingatherings of precious souls 
 into the fold of Christ, to say nothing of the gradual improvement 
 of the people in knowledge, civilisation, and social position, which 
 invariably accompanies the reception of the Gospel. At the period 
 to which we refer, much of the attention of the Missionaries had 
 to be given to the building of chapels, the estabhshment of 
 schools, the organisation of friendly societies, and other com- 
 paratively secular works, in addition to the faithful preaching of 
 the Gospel, to prepare for the approaching emancipation. These 
 exercises involved much care and anxiety, as well as physical 
 and mental toil ; but we had an immediate and rich reward in 
 seeing the blessed results of our labours, and in witnessing mani- 
 fold proofs of the affection and gi-atitude of a loving people. 
 
 The most important event which occurred during the period of 
 our personal labours in the West Indies, was the glorious emanci- 
 pation of the negro slaves. We had long waited, and laboui-ed, 
 and praj'ed, in anticipation of the happy daj^ ; but when it came it 
 seemed to take us by surprise, and a mental effort appeared neces- 
 sary to realise the fact that it was even so. The conduct of the 
 people themselves on the occasion, especially those who made a 
 profession of religion, was everything that we could desire. They 
 received the boon of freedom as from heaven. The last night of 
 their bondage found most of them assembled in their respective 
 places of worship on their bended knees before God, holding a 
 solemn watchnight service. And when the clock struck twelve, 
 which was the death knell of slavery, they rose to their feet, and 
 with joyful hearts sung, "Praise God from whom all blessings 
 flow." Then might be seen husbands and wives, parents and 
 children, and friends and relatives, fondl}' embracing each other, 
 and with overflowing hearts and eyes rejoicing that they had lived 
 to see the day of freedom come. It was with strange emotions 
 that they repaired to their homes, and in the domestic circle ti-ied 
 
THE WEST INDIES. 
 
 149 
 
 to realise the fact that they themselves and their children wore 
 their own. 
 
 The heneficial effects of this great and glorious change in the 
 civil condition of the people was at once apparent in their pro- 
 ceedings and circumstances. Being no longer under the control of 
 others, they could go to the house of God on the Sabhath, and at 
 other times without restraint ; and there was, consequent!}-, a 
 large increase in the attendance on public worship. New chapels 
 had now to be erected and old ones enlarged on almost every 
 station ; and it was with difficulty that accommodation could bo 
 provided for the crowds who flocked to the sanctuary. A gracious 
 influence, moreover, attended the preaching of the Word, and every 
 week, if not every day, witnessed numerous accessions to the 
 Church of Christ, and in one circuit where we laboured one thousand 
 new members were received into chm-ch fellowship in the course 
 of twelve months. 
 
 In view of this rapid extension of the work we are aware that 
 the real friends of Missions have been somewhat dubious as to the 
 genuine piety and religious steadfastness of om- West India con- 
 verts. But even in this respect we "should guard against coming 
 to a too hasty conclusion. So far as we have had experience 
 true religion is the same all the world over. The Gospel of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ is the same now as it was in the days of the 
 Apostles: it is "the power of God unto salvation to every one 
 that believeth." When the heart is brought under the renewing 
 influence of Divine grace, the daily walk and conversation will be 
 upright and consistent. With regard to steadiness and persever- 
 ance in the way to heaven, much will depend upon natural tem- 
 perament, previous habits, and the position and circumstances in 
 which professors of religion are placed. Our people in the West 
 Indies are naturally impulsive, lively, and animated. They do 
 everything with hearty earnestness, and from the impulse of the 
 moment, rather than from calm deliberation. Hence it is not sur- 
 prising, when we consider their want of education in former times, 
 and the peculiar temptations to which our converts were often ex- 
 posed, that we should have been occasionally tried by instances of 
 
150 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 religious instability. Our native churches were, moreover, some- 
 times very large, and it was extremely difficult fully to meet the 
 demands for pastoral oversight. We had charge of one circuit 
 with nearly four thousand members, and, although associated with 
 three excellent colleagues, we found it no easy task to overtake 
 the pressing claims of our work in all its departments. But making 
 due allowance for these things, we are deliberately of opinion that, 
 for consistent piety and zeal in the cause of Christ, the members of 
 our chmxhes in the West Indies will compare favourably with 
 those of any other country. And we are quite sure that in some 
 other respects they excel and might be imitated with advantage by 
 their fair sisters and brethren in other lands. 
 
 Our people in the West Indies are remarkable for their affection 
 and respect for their ministers ; and they regard no sacrifice too 
 great to make to promote their comfort, whilst at the same time 
 they cheerfully submit to church discipline when wisely exercised. 
 They, moreover, manifest an ardent love for God's house, the 
 services of which they attend with a punctuality and decoram of 
 manner worthy of the highest commendation. In the higher de- 
 partments of religious experience and Christian benevolence, we 
 have met with instances of devotedness to God, fervour in prayer, 
 zeal in the cause of Christ, and spontaneous liberality, which have 
 excited our admii'ation and made us wish that professing Christians 
 in other lands would " go and do likewise." Whilst listening to 
 the simple and touching testimonies of the people to the regene- 
 rating, sanctifying, and sustaining power of Divine grace, as given 
 in our class-meetings and lovefeasts, wo have often thought that if 
 the friends of Missions at home could sec and hear for themselves, 
 they would be delighted beyond measure, and in time to come be 
 more than ever earnest in their efforts to send the Gospel of Christ 
 to the perishing heathen in every part of the world. We have also 
 seen the religion of our people in the West Indies tested in seasons 
 of persecution, trial, affliction, and in the hour of death ; and we 
 have been led to praise the Lord with a heart overflowing with 
 gratitude for the blessed results of the Missionar}' enterprise among 
 the sable sons and daughters of Ham in the lands of their exile. 
 
THE WEST INDIES. 151 
 
 It has been insinuated, and even asserted, that, however emo- 
 tional and sensitive to rehgious impressions the black and coloured 
 population on our Mission stations may be, the negro race are, 
 mentally, much inferior to every other nation of men ; and that, in 
 fact, they lack those endowments of mind which belong to rational 
 intelligent creatures, being only animals a little above the baboon 
 or gorilla. These sceptical notions, which it was hoped had passed 
 away with a bygone age, have recently been revived by speakers 
 and writers belonging to an association called the " Anthropological 
 Society." In view of our own experience, as stated above, we 
 have never considered such slanderous insinuations deserving of 
 serious notice, insomuch as the characters of the men from whom 
 they emanated seemed to render them perfectly harmless. 
 
 Perhaps the best refutation of the attacks which have been made 
 upon the negro race by the enemies of freedom, was given by a 
 black man himself, who asked permission to speak at one of their 
 own meetings. A gentleman had been expatiating, very learnedly 
 as he thought, on the manifest improbability of the negro belonging 
 to the human family, from the fact of his curly hair, the thickness 
 of his skull, and his shuffling gait, when an inteUigent negro 
 youth, who had come to England to study at one of our colleges, 
 stood up, and, with the permission of the chairman, spoke sub- 
 stantially as follows : " The gentleman who has just addressed the 
 meeting thinks that I and my brethren of the negro race are not 
 men because we have curly hair, our craniums are thick, and we 
 have a shuffling gait when we walk. I have lately been down in 
 Dorsetshire, where I observed the farm labourers have a shuffling 
 gait ; and I thought that my countrymen, who generally walk 
 much better, might be tempted to laugh at them for their awkward- 
 ness, if they saw them ; but I do not think they would doubt their 
 humanity on that account. And as to om- curly hair, I think that 
 need be no disparagement to us, as I have known persons of 
 fairer complexions try to make theirs curl without success. With 
 regard to the thickness of our skulls, I may observe that I suppose 
 that our Almighty and all-wise Creator knew what He was doing 
 when He made us so. Our home is in a very hot and sultry 
 
152 HISTORY OF VVESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 climate, where the fiery rays of the sun have great power, and 
 where the inner region of the cranium no doubt requires such a 
 defence. If, by any mistake in our conformation, we had been 
 made with skulls as thin as the learned gentleman who last spoke, 
 our brains, under the influence of the heat, would perhaps become 
 as thin and addled as his appears to be, judging from the foolish 
 and unphilosophical statement which he has made ; and then it 
 might have been reasonably doubted whether we were men worth 
 listening to." The young negro resumed his seat, amid thunder- 
 ing applause ; and, for once at least, it appeared to be the general 
 opinion that the black was as clever as the white man. 
 
 We may further observe on this subject that the negro children 
 in om- Mission schools display remarkable aptitude for learning ; 
 and we have known a degree of efficiency attained by them, under 
 favourable circumstances, which we have never seen sui'passed in 
 anj' country. We remember an instance in which Lord Harris, 
 the Governor of Trinidad, expressed his admiration and sui-prise 
 at the advanced state of our Mission school in Port of Spain, when 
 he honoured us with a visit ; the specimens of writing, and the 
 exercises in a,rithmetio, grammar, geography and historjr were very 
 creditable ; and all the pupils were black or colom'ed children. 
 Whilst the people generally, in ever)' position in life, display an 
 average share of good, sound, common sense, we occasionally meet 
 with remarkable instances of native genius and mental superiorit)'. 
 In the West Indies we can point to Christian ministers, physicians, 
 lawyers, magistrates, legislators, philosophers, mechanics, of African 
 descent, who perform their respective duties with as much effi- 
 ciency and dignity as persons of any other race, although some of 
 them have had but slender means of raising themselves to their 
 priisout honourable position. 
 
 Nor are there wanting among the lower classes instances of wit 
 and humour which are frequently very amusing. On one occasion 
 a Missionary's wife, ^vho had just arrived from England, was talk- 
 ing with our negro servant girl, and wishing to tease her, said of 
 something which she held in her hand, "0, it will do very well! 
 it is only for black people." Matty looked up, and said to the 
 
THE WEST INDIES. 153 
 
 white lady, " No, ma'am, anything will not do for black people, 
 because black and white are all the same." " How do you know 
 that black and white are all the same?" asked the Missionary's 
 wife. " Because," answered the negro girl, " I read in my Testa- 
 ment that ' God hath made of one blood all nations of men to 
 dwell on all the face of the earth.' " " Then," remarked Mrs. 
 
 D , " do you think the blood of white people and the blood of 
 
 black people is the same?" "Yes," responded Matty, "the 
 blood is the same ; it is only the skin that is different." Holding 
 out a jDenknife, which she happened to have in her hand, Mrs. 
 
 D said, playfully, " Do you really think so ? Let us each cut 
 
 a finger and see ! " " Yes, ma'am," archly replied Matty, " if you 
 will cut yours first!" This was a climax which the stranger 
 hardly expected ; and, highly amused at such a display of negro 
 wit, she came running to relate to us the little incident. 
 
 After many years of varied experience and extensive observa- 
 tion, we are disposed to look with favom- on the natural abilities 
 and general character of the people of the West Indies as a whole. 
 We are aware that the enemies of freedom, and of the negro race, 
 have sometimes pronounced the experiment of emancipation to be 
 a failure ; but this onlj displays an amount of ignorance at which 
 we may well afford to smile. Let anyone who was personally 
 cognisant of the degradation, the wi'etchedness, and the miseries 
 of slavery, inspect the villages, dwellings, dross, and entire social 
 condition of the rm-al population of the West Indies at the present 
 time, and especially let them worship with the natives in some of 
 their beautiful chapels, and mark their appearance and demeanour 
 in the house of God, and they will be convinced that emancipation 
 is not a failure, but a grand success, and an unspeakable blessing. 
 
 Many reasons might bo assigned for the depression of the com- 
 mercial and religious interest of the West Indies, over which we 
 have had to mourn for some time past, without reflecting upon 
 emancipation. Some of these reasons, if fairly examined, would 
 point in a direction the very opposite ; but we forbear. Planters 
 and merchants, and legislators are learning wisdom ; and the 
 labouring classes in the " sunny isles of the west" have brighter 
 
154 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 prospects, both temporal and spiritual, than they have had in 
 former years. Already the clouds are dispersing, and the light 
 of prosperity is beginning to shine forth. The deeply-rooted 
 prejudices of a bygone age are rapidly passing away. Man is no 
 longer regarded with reference to his complexion ; but according 
 to his moral worth and intellectual endowments. Many of the 
 sable sons of Ham have been elevated to positions of respectability 
 and honour, by their persevering efforts, combined with the benign 
 influence of Christian missions ; and the population of the West 
 Indies generally is rapidly improving, notwithstanding the numerous 
 difiiculties which in times past have tended to impede its progress. 
 In the present state and future prospects of the work in this in- 
 teresting part of the mission field we see cause for gratitude and 
 joy. Agricultural and commercial affaii's look more hopeful; 
 and showers of blessing are descending on the heritage of the 
 Lord. Let the friends of religion, of freedom, and of the negro 
 race, liberally and zealously sustain this department of the Mis- 
 sionary enterprise a little longer, and they will secm-e for the West 
 Indies, a bright, a happy, and a prosperous future. 
 
 
CHAPTEE IV. 
 WESTERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAEACTEB OP THE COUNTRY HABITS OP THE PEOPLE SIEKEA LEONE 
 
 THE GAMBIA THE GOLD COAST. 
 
 r I IHAT part of the Mission field widch is next to pass under 
 -L review is possessed of more than ordinary interest to the 
 Christian philanthropist and the friends of freedom, as the original 
 home of countless multitudes of people who have, from time to 
 time, been dragged into hopeless slavery in distant lands. With a 
 view to a clear understanding of the nature and results of the 
 efforts made at different periods to counteract the evils which have 
 so long oppressed the negro race, and to elevate them in the scale 
 of being, we may first call attention to the position and character 
 of the country in which the people live, and the circumstances in 
 which they were found when they first attracted the notice of 
 Europeans. 
 
 The term Western Africa is generally appHed to that part of the 
 vast continent which hes between the Great Desert on the north, 
 the Equator on the south, the Atlantic on the west, and the river 
 Niger on the east ; embracing the regions of the Senegal, Gambia, 
 Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and the island of Fernando Po. 
 When we consider the great extent of this portion of the globe, 
 embracing, as it does, not less than a million square miles, we are 
 
155 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 not surprised to find that the topographical aspect and general 
 appearance of different looahtLes vary considerably. In some 
 places we meet with arid, sandy deserts, where not a blade of 
 grass or a drop of water is to be found for scores of miles, and 
 where caravans of merchants and their slaves suffer much from 
 various causes, but chiefly from thirst. Again we meet with ex- 
 tensive tracts of fertile land, teeming with vegetation, and abound- 
 ing with extensive forests of valuable timber. These more 
 favourable districts are generally situated on the banks of the 
 numerous rivers and tributary creeks, with which the country 
 abounds. They sometimes present the appearance of verdant 
 grassy plains, having a gently undulating surface, reminding one of 
 an English park or meadow, with here and there a beautiful hill 
 or rocky towering mountain of considerable altitude. With the 
 exception of Cape Verd, however, the neighbourhood of Sierra 
 Leone, the Cameroons, and a few other localities, the land on the 
 coast is generallj^ level. It is not till we proceed a considerable 
 distance into the interior that we meet with elevations worthy of 
 the name of mountains. The districts bordering on the rivers, 
 creeks, and lagoons are, moreover, frequently low and swampy, 
 and covered with a dense jungle of mangroves which strike their 
 numerous roots into the muddy soil and derive nourishment from 
 the rising and falling tidal waves. The respective settlements in 
 those places are consequently unhealthy for all classes of people, 
 but especially for Europeans. Formerly the chief productions of 
 the country were slaves, gold, ivory, and beeswax ; but since 
 the suppression of the slave trade, palm oil has become the most 
 important and valuable item of export. 
 
 The idea has been entertained by some that the extreme un- 
 healthiness of the climate of Western Africa is owing mainly to 
 the excessive heat that generally prevails. This is a misappre- 
 hension, however, and the matter requires a little explanation. 
 The air is certainly very hot, espeeiall)^ at that season of the year 
 when the land breeze prevails, and the luinnatlan winds blow 
 across the extensive sandy deserts in the interior ; but it is not to 
 this circumstance that we attribute its unheal thiness. It may 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. 
 
 157 
 
 rather be ascribed to the impure state of the atmosphere occasioned 
 by the exhahitions from the numerous swamps which everywhere 
 abound in the lowlands, especially in the vicinity of the rivers 
 and creeks. For nine months in the year we have no rain ; but 
 during the remaining three months it pours down. Then the 
 rivers overflow their banks, the surrounding country becomes inun- 
 dated ; and, when the rains are over, large bodies of water remain 
 in the swampy regions, to stagnate beneath the fiery rays of a 
 
 THE MAN8E0VE TKBE. 
 
 tropical sun. These being in many places impregnated with large 
 masses of animal and vegetable matter in a state of putrefaction, 
 the fatal marsh miasma is generated ; and, being borne across the 
 country on the wings of the wind, it carries with it the seeds of a 
 pecuhar type of fever which is always attended with danger, and 
 frequently with death. As the land becomes more generally cleared 
 
158 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 and cultivated in the neighbourhood of the European settlements 
 and Mission stations, it is hoped that the climate will become 
 more healthy. Indeed, it is pleasing to observe that of late years 
 some improvement has taken place in this respect. 
 
 But, however interesting the physical aspect and general 
 character of the country may appear, in a Missionary point of 
 view, the habits and condition of the people are still more so. To 
 these we now invite the attention of the reader. The coast dis- 
 tricts of Western Africa are inhabited by numerous tribes of 
 natives, speaking different languages or dialects ; but they all 
 belong to the negro race. Those which are best known to 
 Europeans are the Mandingoes, Jolloffs, Foolas, Moors, Fellatas, 
 Yarribans, Ashantis, Fantis, and Dahomans. Whilst these, with 
 several minor tribes which might be mentioned, have their own 
 peculiarities, they possess many features of character in common 
 v\'ith each other, a few remarks upon which may serve to give a 
 sufficiently correct idea of the whole negro race in their own 
 country. 
 
 The negroes of Western Africa, especially those who have never 
 been subject to slavery, are generally tall and athletic in person, 
 with woolly hair, and of complexion varying somewhat from a 
 shining jet black to a dark bronze colour. Their clothing is next 
 to nothing while you.ng and when engaged in the ordinarj^ avoca- 
 tions of life ; but on state occasions the men dress in long robes, 
 wide trousers, turbans, and sandals ; and the women envelope 
 themselves in oblong cloths of native manufacture called pangs, 
 with a head-dress of handkerchiefs, so folded as to assume the 
 shape of a sugar-loaf. They are all fond of ornaments, and wear 
 numerous ear-rings, bracelets, anklets, and greegrees, with strings 
 of beads round their necks and waists. They live in huts formed 
 of clay or wattled work of bamboo canes, of different forms, ac- 
 cording to circumstances or the fashion of their respective tribes. 
 Some are square and tolerably comfortable, according to Em-opean 
 ideas ; but most of them are built of a circular shape, very much 
 resembhng the form of a bee-hive, with a low entrance, and with- 
 out any windows. Their furniture consists of a large iron pot, in 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. 
 
 159 
 
 which they cook their food, a wooden bowl or two, a mortar and 
 pestle, in which they beat their cus-cus, and a few mats, of which 
 they make their beds when they go to sleep. For food they make 
 use of rice and native corn, which they grow in large quantities, 
 and prepare in various ways, according to their respective tastes, 
 with the addition of other vegetables, or sour milk occasionally for 
 a change. Animal food is but seldom used by the natives gene- 
 rally. Their wants are very few, and easily supplied ; so that in 
 their uncivilised state they live an indolent kind of life, taking 
 little thought 'for the morrow. 
 
 The form of government adopted by the native tribes of Western 
 Africa is almost invariably despotic ; for, although they recognise 
 certain laws and usages, and have pompous pleadings, in cases of 
 litigation, on the hentang, or under the palaver tree, it is well known 
 that the will of the king or chief is the real law by which the 
 matter must be ultimately decided. The entire population was, 
 no doubt, originally Pagan, but now a rude kind of Mohammedanism 
 is professed by a portion of many of the tribes, especially the 
 Mandingoes and Jolloffs. But, whatever distinction may exist 
 nominally, there is but little difference to be observed between 
 them. They are all intensely superstitious, and the Mohammedan 
 (jreegree and the Pagan fetish are scarcely to be distinguished from 
 each other, either in their mode of preparation or in the idolatrous 
 regard which is paid to them. If possible, the Pagan portion of 
 the population is even more degraded than the Mohammedan, for 
 they pay homage to little wooden images, to serpents, crocodiles, 
 monkeys, and other animals ; to the spirits of their deceased chiefs, 
 and even to the devil himself. 
 
 To persons who live in a land of Gospel light and liberty it may 
 seem strange that any portion of the human family should be so 
 degraded as to pay Divine homage to creeping reptiles and wicked 
 spirits ; but it is, nevertheless, a fact. Having no Bibles and no 
 Christian teachers, the people ai-e destitute of the true knowledge 
 of God ; and, to allay the feelings of fear and dread of which they 
 are frequently the subjects, they have recourse to these super- 
 stitious practices, of which we who go out as Missionaries are often 
 
i6o 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 the mournful 'witnesses. The natives of Western Africa are trained 
 to the most servile subjection to their chiefs. Whilst they live 
 they pay them the most profound deference and respect ; and after 
 death they believe their departed spirits return to the earth and 
 dwell in these serpents and crocodiles, which they worship. Con- 
 sequently in some instances they feed them and take care of them 
 like domestic animals, and ofi'er sacrifices to them in times of 
 trouble. At a place on the coas^ called Dix Cove, a few years 
 
 JU-JU-HOUSE, OE TEMPLE OF SCULLS. 
 
 ago, a huge crocodile constantly received Divine honours. It was 
 kept in a large pond near the fort, and any person going on shore 
 there might have had a sight of it, at the expense of a white fowl 
 and a bottle of rum. The heathen priest, or fetish-man, took the 
 fowl and spirits, and proceeded to the pond, making a pecuHar 
 •whistling noise with his mouth, on which the crocodile came forth 
 and received the fowl as his share of the present, whilst the priest 
 appropriated the Hquor to himself. On one occasion two gentle- 
 men were exposed to considerable risk on paj'ing a visit to this 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. i6i 
 
 place ; for the fowl having escaped from the fetish-man into the 
 bush, the crocodile made towards them, and pursued them so 
 closely in their flight that, had not a dog crossed their path, on 
 which the animal made his repast, one of them would most pro- 
 bably have fallen a victim to his rapacity. The natives, moreover, 
 believe in the existence of a great wicked spirit who controls all 
 the rest, whom they worship, and to whom they ofl'er sacrifices to 
 appease his v\Tath, and, as they saj', to cultivate friendship with 
 him that he may do them no harm. Thus all the homage of the 
 heathen, to whatever object it is paid, is the result of fear and 
 dread, and not of love or ati'ection for their deities ; and the dis- 
 gusting forms which their worship assumes remind us of the 
 Apostle's description of the heathens of his time: "Professing 
 themselves to be wise they became fools, and changed the glory 
 of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible 
 man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things." 
 
 The moral degradation of the people is further illustrated by the 
 prevalence of war, slavery, and human sacrifices, to which our 
 references must necessarily be very brief, although some districts 
 have been almost depopulated thereby. These vices are inti- 
 mately associated, and the fearful extent to which thej' have pre- 
 vailed in Western Africa reflects no credit upon Em'ope, with its 
 high pretensions to civilization. We are free to admit that a mild 
 kind of domestic slavery may have existed in that country from 
 ancient times ; but the slave trade, properly so called, with all its 
 atrocities, is the ofispring of the white man's cupidity, and would 
 never have existed if European nations had not embarked in it. 
 To supply the sugar plantations in the West Indies with labourers, 
 when the poor hapless aborigines had nearly all been swept av.'ay 
 by the cruel treatment of their oppressors, vessels were sent to the 
 Western Coast of Africa to transport the unsuspecting negroes to a 
 land of hopeless bondage. Sometimes they were purchased from 
 the petty chiefs for a few trinkets, and at other times they were 
 kidnapped and carried off by stealth. At length the demand 
 created a constant supply of slaves from the interior, to obtain 
 which a strange kind of warfare was organised, which had for its 
 
 M 
 
i62 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 special object the capturing and enslaving of the natives. The 
 slave-hunters would attack a peaceful village in the dead of the 
 night, set fire to the huts, and capture or kill the hapless people as 
 they attempted to escape from the flames. All that were thus 
 taken were marched off to the coast like cattle driven to the 
 market. Thus were hundreds of thousands of poor negroes every 
 year dragged from their homes and doomed to a life of perpetual 
 bondage, till at length England interposed, reHnquished the traffic 
 herself, and laboured hard to induce other nations to do the same. 
 Already France, Holland, and the United States have followed the 
 noble example ; and it is to be hoped that, ere long, Spain, Portugal, 
 and the Brazils will follow, and that slavery will cease throughout 
 the whole world. Then may we hope, with the blessing of God 
 upon the efforts put forth to promote legitimate commerce and 
 Chiistian civilisation, Africa will be regenerated, and take her 
 place among the enlightened nations of the earth. 
 
 But perhaps the most revolting featui'e in the character of the 
 native tribes of Africa is their delight in human sacrifices. And 
 this is intimately associated with the crimes ah'eady mentioned, 
 inasmuch as captives or criminals are generally the victims 
 immolated. On the death of a chief or other distinguished 
 person of rank, it is customary in many places to decapitate a 
 considerable number of slaves and to drench the grave with 
 human gore. This is done from a strange notion that their- 
 demon gods delight in blood, and that the spirits of those 
 who are thus put to death will attend the departed chiefs and 
 minister to them in another world. Thus the number of 
 victims offered at the funeral is in proportion to the dignity and 
 rank of the deceased, and frequently amounts to several hundreds, 
 or even thousands. The prevalence of this abominable practice 
 has of late years been cheeked somewhat by the proximity of 
 mission stations to some of the principal scenes of superstition 
 and blood, but it is believed that hundreds and thousands of 
 natives are thus immolated every year. So true is it that the 
 dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty. 
 Most of the superstitious rites and ceremonies of the negroes 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. 
 
 163 
 
 ^4 jt^e^OBi-Xx 
 
 METHOD OF COLLECTISS COCOA-NUTS ASD PALM WIXE. 
 M 2 
 
i64 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 are celebrated under the influence of intoxicating drink, v/hich 
 tliey use to an extent almost incredible. Ar-dent spirits, or the 
 "fire water" of the white man, has been most frequently called 
 into requisition on these occasions of late years. But when this 
 pernicious liquid fails, palm wine is made use of, which is a 
 powerful intoxicant when it has passed through the process of 
 fermentation. This is collected in the most ingenious manner by 
 perforating the palm tree near the top, when the juice flows freely 
 into calabashes prepared for the purpose of receiving it ; and every 
 morning the natives may be seen ascending the trees by means 
 of hoops to bring down the precious treasure. On occasions of 
 festivity, and especially at funerals, scenes of revelry and de- 
 bauchery are witnessed which defy description, and which are 
 little less than " hell upon earth." 
 
 It is with a measure of relief to our feelings that we now 
 turn aside from these revolting scenes, to consider the means 
 which have been employed to promote the elevation and 
 civilisation of the native tribes of Western Africa, so fearfully 
 depraved, and the results which have followed the philanthropic 
 efforts of the friends of the negro race on their behalf, especially 
 so far as the Wesleyan Missionary Society is concerned. 
 
 SIEEEA LEONE. 
 
 The first British settlement formed on the Western Coast of 
 Africa, the avowed objects of which were the suppression of 
 the slave trade, the encom-agement of legitimate commerce, and 
 the moral and religious improvement of the natives, received the 
 name of Sieeka Leone, from a river so called, on the southern 
 bank of which the first town, appropriately named Freetown, 
 was built, in latitude 8° 80' north, and longitude 10° 11' west. 
 To this place a large number of slaves captured by British men- 
 of-war have been brought from time to time, for the purpose 
 of setthng them upon lands set apart for their use, so that 
 the population consists chiefly of liberated Africans, brought 
 from diil'erent parts of the continent, and speaking different 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. 165 
 
 languages or dialects. The entire population of the colony in 
 estimated at fifty thousand, occupying a number of villages 
 scattered over an extensive tract of country, vrhich has been 
 secured for them by the British Government. These people 
 soon become industrious, learn to speak broken English, and 
 attend to the instructions given them, and a good work has 
 been carried on among them by several Christian agencies for 
 many years, and the results are on the whole very encouraging. 
 The capacity of the negro race to receive instruction, and the 
 perfect adaptation of the Gospel to meet their case, and to 
 raise them in the scale of being, have been proved beyond the 
 possibility of successful contradiction. It only requires that 
 the grand remedy for the woes of Africa be applied on a scale 
 commensurate with the wants of this vast continent, and there 
 can be no question as to the final issue. 
 
 As early as the year 1769, the venerable Dr. Coke, the 
 father of Methodist Missions, devised a scheme for the 
 civilisation of the Foolas, in the neighbourhood of Sierra 
 Leone. This undertaking, which originated in motives so 
 purely benevolent, proved an entire failure, chiefly from want 
 of adaptation in the agents employed, and perhaps partly from 
 the mistaken views which were entertained at that early period 
 on what may be called the true philosophy of Christian 
 civilisation. The persons sent forth by the good Doctor on 
 this important mission were a company of mechanics, with a 
 surgeon at their head, who were intended to teach the 
 wandering Foolas the arts of civilised life. On arriving in 
 the colony they became discontented, and were soon dispersed. 
 Some died of fever, others absconded, and the rest returned 
 home, without having ever reached the scene of their intended 
 labours in the interior of the country. 
 
 This experiment, together with other similar failures, led the 
 friends of missions to see that mere plans of secular civilisation 
 were not likely to prepare the way for the introduction of the 
 Gospel to barbarous native tribes, as had been supposed. Christian 
 people in England at length became convinced that the faithful 
 
i66 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 preaching of the truth itself, together with the estahliehment 
 of schools for the training up of the rising generation in the 
 knowledge and love of God, were the surest means of promoting 
 genuine civilisation among the heathen, whilst at the same time 
 they have a tendency at once to prepare the people for another 
 world. Hence it is pleasing to observe that the next effort that 
 was made by the Wesleyan Missionary Society for the benefit of 
 Western Africa was based upon the true evangelical foundation, 
 the excellence of which has since been proved on an ample scale. 
 In the year 1811, the Rev. George Warren and three school 
 teachers were sent out to Sierra Leone for the purpose of preaching 
 the Gospel and of training the rising generation in the way they 
 should go. They opened their commission under the most 
 promising circumstances, and were favoured by the great Head 
 of the Church with almost immediate fruit of their labours. On 
 the arrival of this, the first real missionary party of Wesleyan 
 labourers in the colony, on the 12th of November, they found 
 about a hundred persons who were in the habit of meeting together 
 for religious worship, and who called themselves Methodists. 
 These were chiefly free blacks from Nova Scotia, who had received 
 the Gospel at the hands of the missionaries there, and who had 
 thus brought with them to the land of their forefathers a know- 
 ledge of the good news of salvation. They had already built a 
 chapel, in which they held their meetings for exhortation and 
 prayer, and, wishing to be favoured with a regular Gospel 
 ministry, they had written repeatedly to England for a missionary, 
 and now they rejoiced to see the fulfilment of then- desires.* The 
 
 Of this party of free negroes from Nova Scotia, eleven hundred in number, 
 Tvlio landed at Sierra Leone from fifteen vessels on the 28th of March, 1792, only 
 three now remain, and they are far advanced in years. Of those who have passed 
 away several lived to a good old age. As specimens of African longevity the 
 following may be quoted from a list of recent deaths : Moses Newman, aged 82, 
 PLosbe Bragger, 87, Peggy Macauley, 92, Abraham Newman, 93, Ann Edmonds, 
 10.3, Mimey Johnson, 10b. The names of these and other pious settlers from 
 America are deservedly held in grateful remembrance by the Methodist people of 
 Sierra Leone ; for, notwithstanding some eccentricities of character, they gave 
 strength and permanence to the cause of Christian truth on that part of the 
 benighted coast of Africa, at an early period of the Mission. 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. 167 
 
 ministry of Mr. Warren was gi'eatly blessed to the good of these 
 simple-hearted people, and to that of many others also, for the 
 afflictions through which the liberated Africans had passed, in 
 being torn away from their homes into slavery, before they were 
 rescued from their oppressors by British cruisers, seemed to have 
 humbled their minds and prepared them in some degree for the 
 reception of the Gospel. The missionary career of Mr. Warren, 
 so auspiciously begun, was of short duration, however. He was 
 suddenly stricken with fever, and finished his com'se of useful 
 labour on the 23rd of July, 1812, about eight months after his 
 arrival in the colony, being the first of a large number of Wesleyan 
 Missionaries who have fallen a sacrifice to the climate of Western 
 Africa. 
 
 A gloomy period of more than two years elapsed before a suitable 
 missionary was found for the vacant station. At length the Rev. 
 William Davies and his wife were sent out, and they arrived 
 safely at Sierra Leone on the 13th of February, 1815. The 
 following rainy season was very unhealthy, and among those who 
 were carried off by fever was the Captain of the Wilding, the 
 vessel by which Mr. and Mrs. Davis had sailed to Africa ; but 
 the missionary and his wife passed through their " seasoning 
 fever" favourably, and pm'sued their useful labours for some time 
 with gratitude and joy. Towards the close of the year, however, 
 they were both prostrated by fever at the same time ; and on the 
 15th of December, ten months after she arrived in the colony, 
 Mrs. Davis breathed her last. On the morning of the day on 
 which she expired, Mr. Davis, being ill himself, " crawled to see 
 her," and was much affected by the change which had passed upon 
 her once rosy but now emaciated frame. In answer to the ques- 
 tion, " Is Jesus precious ?" she, with a faint voice and a gentle 
 pressure of the hand, said, "Yes, yes!" soon after which 
 her redeemed and sanctified spirit passed away, to be for ever 
 with the Lord. This was the first of a long hst of female 
 labourers who have fallen in Western Africa, and the touching 
 and appropriate motto on her tombstone is, "Not lost, but gone 
 
 BEFORE !" 
 
i6S HISTORY OF WESLEY AM MISSIONS. 
 
 The lonely and bereaved Missionary, on recovering from his 
 illness, was soon at his post of duty, endeavouring to point the 
 sable sons and daughters of Ham to the "Lamb of God that 
 taketh away the sins of the world;" and the blessing of the 
 Almighty rested upon his labours. Mr. Davis was spared to 
 prosecute his beloved work with success during the following 
 year, and on the 26th of December, 1816, he had the pleasure of 
 receiving the Rev. Samuel and Mrs. Brown, who were sent out by 
 the parent society to his aid, or to relieve him if necessary. Mrs. 
 Brown had only lived in Africa seven months and two days when 
 she also was cut down by fever in the prime of hfe, on the 28th 
 of July, 1817. The two Missionaries, thus bereaved, toiled on to- 
 gether in the work of their Divine Master, encouraged by His 
 presence and blessing till the end of the year ; but repeated 
 attacks of fever rendered it necessary for Mr. Davis to embark for 
 England, and Mr. Brown was ultimately left entirely alone on 
 the station. 
 
 The next reinforcement of labourers consisted of the Rev. 
 Messrs. Baker and GiUison, two single young men, who were sent 
 out to relieve Mr. Brown, who, in consequence of the failure of 
 health and the loss of his Avife, needed a change. The new 
 missionaries landed in Sierra Leone on the morning of February 
 the 14th, 1819. It was the holy Sabbath day, and they proceeded 
 at once from the ship to the chapel, where they opened their com- 
 mission without delay, one of them preaching in the morning and 
 the other in the evening, to crowded and delighted congregations. 
 Mr. Brown embarked for England soon afterwards ; but before his 
 departure he thus gives expression to his feelings in a letter to 
 the Missionary Committee, alluding to the success which had 
 attended his labours, one hundred new members having been 
 added to the society during the year : — " I have sown in tears but 
 now we reap in joy. Thank God ! this is an ample recompense 
 for every sigh, every tear, every shaking ague, every burning fever, 
 every bereavement, and every restless and sleepless night I have 
 had to endure since I came to Africa. This makes me very re- 
 luctant to leave. I feel willing to spend and be spent for tho 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. 169 
 
 welfare of the Chmxh and for the honour of my adorable Ke- 
 deemer.""' 
 
 The brethren Baker and Gillison had not laboured together long 
 before they realised the truth of that saying of the Master, "Then 
 two shall be in the field : the one shall be taken and the other 
 left." Mr. Gillison had only been in Africa about six months 
 when he fell a sacrifice to the climate. He died happy in the 
 Lord, on the 10th of August, 1819. Mr. Baker was himself ill 
 at the time, but as soon as he was a little better he preached the 
 funeral sermon of his dear departed brother, and then proceeded 
 with his work in the name and strength of the Lord. In the course 
 of the following year a gracious outpouring of the Holy Spirit 
 was experienced in Sierra Leone ; and as the result of the revival, 
 upwards of two hundred new members were added to the society, 
 making the total number at that time four hundred and seventy. In 
 reference to the genuineness of this work Mr. Baker says, "I do not 
 hesitate to say of nearly all those who have been added, I have no 
 more doubt of their conversion than I have of my own. The work 
 has produced a general reformation." 
 
 In the latter part of 1820 the Eev. John and Mrs. Huddleston 
 embarked for Sierra Leone and landed safely in Freetown on the 
 8th of November. They were much pleased with the cordial 
 reception which they received, as well as with the prosperous 
 state of the mission. Early in the following year they were 
 joined by the Eev. George Lane, on whose arrival from England 
 Mr. Baker proceeded to St. Mary's, on the Kiver Gambia, to take 
 part in the commencement of a new mission there, according to the 
 appointment of Conference. Messrs. Huddleston and Lane had 
 laboured together in harmony and love for a few months -when 
 
 * This noble-minded and zealous Missionaiy afterwards laboured in the West 
 Indies, and in England for nearly forty years : and in the evening of life, when he 
 had retired as a supei-numerary, he felt it upon his heart to revisit the scenes of 
 his early labours and sufferings, and in 1857 he actually went out to Sierra Leone 
 of his own accord. There he spent three years, assisting the Missionaries in their 
 work as liis strength would permit ; and then returned to Liverpool, where he died 
 in peace, on the .5th of October, 1861— a noble instance of true devotedness to the 
 great missionary enterprise. 
 
170 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 the latter was also called to the Gambia to supply the place of a 
 deceased Missionary. He returned to Sierra Leone, however, in 
 the course of the following year, but never fully recovered from 
 the effects of an attack of fever which he had at St. Mary's. He 
 died in peace at Freetown on the 16th of April, 1823. The loss 
 of Mr. Lane was severely felt by Mr. and Mrs. Huddleston, 
 as well as by the members of the society and other friends ; but, 
 painful as this bereavement was, it was soon followed by another 
 mysterious dispensation of Divine Providence equally trying. 
 Scarcely had three months passed away when Mr. Huddleston 
 himself was called to his reward in heaven. He died of yellow 
 fever, on the 20th of July, 182.3, having laboured successfully in 
 Western Africa for nearly three years, with little interruption from 
 sickness till the time that he was attacked with the fatal malady. 
 Mrs. Huddleston embarked for England soon after the death of her 
 husband, and the members of the Wesleyan Society at Sierra 
 Leone were once more left without a pastor. 
 
 No sooner was it known in England, however, that Missionaries 
 were required for Western Africa than two devoted servants of 
 God, the Eev. Messrs. Piggot and Harte, voluntarily offered them- 
 selves for the post of danger and of honour which had become 
 vacant by the death of Mr. Huddleston. The new Missionaries 
 landed at Sierra Leone on the 19th of March, 1824, where they 
 were received as the angels of God, and commenced their evan- 
 gelical labours in excellent health and spirits. But, although 
 strongly attached to each other, they were destined in the order of 
 Divine Providence soon to be separated. Mr. Harte sickened and 
 died of the "country fever" on the 18th of December, after a 
 sojourn in Africa of only nine months, and his bereaved colleague 
 was left to proceed with his work alone. 
 
 On the 20th of May, 1826, the Puev. Samuel and Mrs. Dawson 
 landed at Sierra Leone on their way to the Gambia, their appointed 
 station ; but before an opportunity offered for proceeding to that 
 place they were both seized with the African fever, and Mrs. 
 Dawson died on the 1st of August, only two months and five days 
 after their arrival. Mr. Dawson himself was mercifully raised 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. 
 
 171 
 
 from the brink of the grave, and after labouring at Sierra Leone 
 for some time he proceeded to his station at the Gambia with a 
 heavy heart, but fully resolved to spend and be spent in the service 
 of God. He was accompanied by his friend Mr. Piggot, who now 
 returned to England by that route, having been relieved by the 
 arrival at Sierra Leone of the Eev. Messrs. Corn-ties and May, on 
 the 28th of November, 1826. 
 
 These two brethren pursued their beloved work for about two 
 j'ears without much interruption from sickness, preaching the 
 Gospel of Christ in the respective towns and villages of the colony 
 with great success. The term of their appointment having at 
 length expired, the Eev. Messrs. Munro and Peck were sent out to 
 relieve them, and the hope was entertained that they would reach 
 England in safety, and be long spared to labour in other parts of 
 the mission field. But, alas ! it was otherwise ordained by Him 
 whose wisdom is unsearchable and whose ways are past finding 
 out. The two new Missionaries arrived at Sierra Leone on the 
 IGth of November, 1828, and the first intelligence which they 
 received from the pilot before they landed was that Mr. May had 
 died of fever on the 4th of October, whilst in the midst of the pre- 
 parations for his expected voyage to England. Mr. Courties had 
 been also frequently prostrated by fever ; and when he embarked 
 for Europe he was so weak that his newly-arrived brethren had to 
 support him to the boat which was to convey him to the ship. The 
 captain seemed confident, however, that he would rally when he 
 got out to sea. But it was not so. The poor Missionary became 
 weaker and weaker, and finished his course three days after the 
 vessel left the coast of Africa. His body was committed to a 
 watery grave in " sure and certain hope of a glorious resurrection 
 to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ," in the last great 
 day, when the "sea shall give up the dead that are therein." The 
 Lord, no doubt, in mercy took His servant from the evil to come, 
 for the ship in which he had embarked never reached her destined 
 port, but was totally wrecked six days after his death, when every- 
 thing on board was lost, the captain and crew saving their lives 
 with great difficulty. 
 
172 HISTORY OF WESLEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
 From the apparent adaptation of Messrs. Munro and Peck to the 
 work in which they were engaged, it was hoped that they might 
 endure the climate, and be spared for many years to come ; but 
 they were both of them cut down by an epidemic fever before they 
 had been eight months in the country. Mr. Peck died on the 3rd 
 and Mr. Munro on the 8th of July, 1829. The intelhgence of this 
 afflicting and mysterious dispensation of Divine Providence was 
 communicated to the committee in London by the missionaries of 
 the Church Society, who paid the kindest attention to their 
 brethren of the Wesleyan Mission in their last illness and in their 
 dying hom's. The Methodist Societies and congregations in Sierra 
 Leone were thus once more left without a missionary to minister 
 to them the word of life. 
 
 The sudden and unexpected removal of Messrs. Munro and Peck 
 so soon after the lamented deaths of Messrs. May and Corn-ties 
 produced a deep and gloomy impression, not only upon the minds 
 of their personal friends and relatives, but upon the minds of the 
 friends of missions in general. Some went so far as to question 
 the propriety of continuing to send Em-opean missionaries to a 
 country so unfriendly to health. It is a pleasing fact, however, 
 that although the committee sent to Western Africa only such 
 young men as freely offered their services, thej' had never long to 
 wait for volunteers to fill up the vacancies which so frequentlj' 
 occurred. No sooner had the intelligence reached England of the 
 painful bereavement which the SieiTa Leone Mission had suffered 
 than a personal friend of the late Mr. Peck nobl)' offered himself 
 as his successor. This was the Kev. John Keightley, who 
 embarked for Africa before the end of the j-ear, and who landed at 
 Freetown on the 27th of January, 1830. On the 18th of March in 
 the following year he was joined by the Rev. WilUam Ritchie. 
 Those honoured and devoted Missionaries laboured successfully at 
 Sierra Leone for upwards of two years, and they both lived to 
 return home and to serve the Church efficiently in the West Indies 
 and in England for many years afterwards. 
 
 Before leaving Sierra Leone in the early part of 1833, Mr. 
 Ritchie had the pleasure of receiving the Rev. Edward Maer, who 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. 173 
 
 had been sent out to relieve him ; and towards the close of the 
 same year Mr. Maer was joined by the Rev. Isaac Clarke. These 
 two brethren laboured together very earnestly and successfully for 
 a while, extending their visits to several villages which had not 
 been reached by former Missionaries. Their laboiu-s were soon 
 interrupted, however; for Mr. Clarke, whose lungs were supposed 
 to be affected before he left homo, never recovered from the effect 
 of his seasoning fever, but died in peace of pulmonary consumption, 
 on the 4:th of November, 1834, about twelve months after he 
 arrived in the colony. The Rev. Benjamin Crosby had embarked 
 for Africa before the intelligence of Mr. Clarke's death had reached 
 England, and on his arrival in Sierra Leone he united with Mr. 
 Maer in the work of the mission with all his heart. These two 
 faithful Ministers of Christ did good service in Western Africa, but 
 they never saw their native land again. Mr. Maer, having con- 
 tinued at Sierra Leone longer than the appointed time, embarked 
 for England on a visit, fully intending to return to the coast when 
 his health was restored; but he died at sea three days after leaving 
 the shores of Africa, on the 27th of March, 1887, and Mr. Crosby 
 finished his course of useful labour at Sierra Leone on the 24th of 
 the following month. 
 
 In the meantime, the Rev. William Sanders was sent out to 
 strengthen the mission. He ari-ived in Freetown on the 4th of 
 December, 1835 ; and, having labom'ed with success for more than 
 two years, he was spared to return to England early in 1888, and 
 to be afterwards usefully employed in the home work. The Rev. 
 James and Mrs. Patterson were also sent out in the following year, 
 and landed in Sierra Leone on the 10th of October, 1836 ; but Mr. 
 Patterson was cut down by fever on the 21st of May, 1837, before 
 he had been in the colony eight months, and his bereaved widow 
 soon afterwards returned to England. This year was remarkably 
 unhealthy on the whole line of coast, the yellow fever being very 
 prevalent, and the Wesleyan Missionary Society lost by death on 
 their respective stations six missionaries, and two excellent wives 
 of missionaries, in less than six months. 
 
 But notwithstanding the arduous and hazardous nature of the 
 
174 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 enterprise, there was no lack of labourers. Before Mr. Sanders 
 left Sierra Leone he had the pleasure of receiving the Rev. Thomas 
 and Mrs. Dove and the Rev. Henry Badger, who arrived at Free- 
 town on the 19th of November, 1837. Mr. and Mrs. Dove had 
 previously spent three years at the Gambia, and were considered 
 in some measure inured to the cUmate ; but, notwithstanding 
 this advantage, Mrs. Dove was cut down by fever on the 7th of 
 June, 1840. Messrs. Dove and Badger continued to prosecute 
 their useful labours for four years, and were spared to retui-n to 
 England together in the month of May, 1842, other brethren 
 having been sent out to relieve them. This interval, however, had 
 not been a period of uninterrupted health to the Mission families. 
 The Rev. Thomas Edwards, who arrived at Sierra Leone on the 
 15th of December, 1838, had been brought to the verge of the 
 grave by illness, and obliged to return to England in June, 1840. 
 The Rev. Henry Fleet, who landed in Freetown on the 7th of 
 January, 1839, finished his course on the 30th of May following, 
 having lost his beloved wife by death on board the ship three days 
 before he reached the shores of Africa. The Rev. Da-^-id Jehu, 
 who arrived at Sierra Leone on the 23rd of December, 1839, had 
 been called away by death on the 2nd of July, 1840. Thus 
 severely was the mission afflicted from year to year at this early 
 period of its history. 
 
 It is pleasing, however, to observe that some assistance was at 
 length afforded by native assistant Missionaries, who were raised up 
 to take a part in the work, and that for several years after the date 
 last mentioned the European missionaries and their families endured 
 the climate with less sufl'ering from sickness and bereavement than 
 formerly. The Rev. Messrs. Raston and Annear arrived at Sierra 
 Leone in January, 1842, and both were mercifully spared to return 
 to England for a season, Mr. Annear in May, 1843, and Mr. Raston 
 iu February, 1845. The Rev. WiUiam A. and Mrs. Quick, and the 
 Rev. Richard Amos, went out in February, 1843, and the entire 
 party were spared to return home in due time, Mr. and Mrs. Quick 
 in May, 1844, and Mr. Amos in September, 1845. The Rev. 
 Messrs. Dove and Badger, with their excellent wives, went out 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. 175 
 
 again to Sierra Leone, where they arrived in July, 1843. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Dove were spared to return to England in May, 1846, Mr. 
 Dove having been connected with the Missions in Western Africa 
 for nearly thirteen years. Mrs. Badger was called away by death 
 on the 28th of January, 1844 ; but Mr. Badger continued his 
 useful labours some time longer, notwithstanding his painful 
 bereavement, and was favoured to return to England in May, 
 1848. On the 1st of December, 1845, the Mission at Sierra Leone 
 was reinforced by the arrival of the Rev. Thomas and Mrs. Piaston 
 and the Eev. Messrs. Wayte and Griffiths, after a perilous passage 
 from England. Mrs. Easton was cut down by fever on the 27th 
 of December, after a residence in Africa of only twenty-six days, 
 and Mr. Wayte finished his course a few weeks afterwards, on the 
 16th of January, 1846. Mi-. Easton returned to England in 
 March, 1847, and Mr. Griffiths followed him in the month of 
 September in the same year, having been relieved by the arrival 
 of other Missionaries. On the 7th of December, 1846, the Rev. 
 Eichard and Mrs. Wrench and the Eev. John Lewis arrived at 
 Sierra Leone ; but Mr. and Mrs. Wrench returned home in June, 
 1847, on account of the failure of their health. Mr. Lewis con- 
 tinued his useful labours for more than three years, and was spared 
 to return to England in May, 1850. 
 
 Li the com'se of our brief and hasty sketch of the numerous 
 bereavements and changes to which the Sierra Leone Mission was 
 subject on account of the trying nature of the climate, it is pleasing 
 to note a few instances of remarkable preservation and devotedness 
 to the work. In illustration of this, we may cite the case of Mr. 
 Easton, who, with Mrs. Easton and Messrs. Hart and Purslow, 
 landed in Freetown for the third time on the 8th of December, 
 1847. Mr. Purslow's race was soon run, however. He died 
 triumphantly happy in God, on the 2nd of October, 1848 ; but the 
 rest of the party were spared to return to England, after fulfilling 
 their appointed period of service in Western Africa. In 1849 the 
 Eev. Walter P. Garry, a native of the West Indies, having finished 
 his studies in the Richmond College, was sent out as a missionary 
 to Sierra Leone, where he laboured successfully for three years. 
 
175 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 "with tolerable health and comfort, before he returned to his own 
 country. 
 
 The next party sent out to Sierra Leone consisted of the Rev. 
 James and Mrs. Edney, and Messrs. Gilbert and Fletcher, towards 
 the close of 1850, all of whom were spared to labour for several 
 years, and on their return were appointed to stations in the West 
 Indies, where Mr. and Mrs. Edney had previously been usefully 
 emploj'ed. For a few years, about this period, the sickness and 
 mortality among the Missionaries on the Western Coast of Africa 
 was much less than formerly. Several native ministers had, more- 
 over, been raised up, who rendered efficient service by labouring 
 among their fellow-countrymen on some of the stations, so that 
 fewer European Missionaries were required. In 1852 the Rev. 
 Lionel D. Reay was appointed to Sierra Leone, and in 1854 he 
 V7as joined by the Rev. Messrs. Teal and Dillon, all of whom were 
 spared to return to England after labouring in Africa for more than 
 three years. This was not the case, however, with the Rev. 
 William Barrowclough, who died of fever at Freetown on the ord 
 of April, 1856, three months after his arrival on the coast. 
 
 In 1857 the Rev. John and Mrs. Weatherston were appointed 
 to Sierra Leone ; but Mrs. Weatherston soon sank under the inflir- 
 enee of the climate, and her bereaved husband afterwards returned 
 home. The Rev. Messrs. Champness and Coe were sent out in 
 the interim towards the end of 1858, and were both spared to 
 return to their native land. In 1859 the Re^•. John and Mrs. 
 Bridgart, who had laboured for several years with much acceptance 
 and success at the Gambia, proceeded, b_y direction of the Com- 
 mittee, from that station to Sierra Leone. There they were soon 
 joined by the Rev. James J. and Mrs. Wray and Mr. Hulbert, 
 from England, and thus the mission was once 'more efficiently 
 reinforced. But this noble band of labourers wore soon broken by 
 sickness and death. Mrs. Bridgart and Mr. Hulbert were both 
 removed after short periods of illness to their eternal rest, whilst 
 Mr. and Mrs. Wray were obliged to return to England on account of 
 the failure of their health. Mr. Bridgart also embarked for Europe 
 after his painful bereavement ; but his health and constitution 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. 177 
 
 were so completely shattered by -what he had passed through on 
 the coast, that he sank before the voyage was completed, and he 
 never saw his native land again. The number of labom-ers were 
 thus reduced when the Eev. Messrs. Berry and Blanchard arrived 
 in Sierra Leone, in the month of January, 1860, both of whom were 
 spared to return to England in due time. These excellent brethren 
 were joined by the Eev. James W. Berrie on the 10th of Novem- 
 ber, 1861, who returned home in 1805, the Rev. Joseph Hall 
 having gone out in the interim to strengthen the mission. The 
 brother last named was also favoured to return in safety to his 
 native land, and to be usefully employed in the home work. 
 
 The Sierra Leone District having been left without a General 
 Superintendent for several years, since the removal of the Eev. 
 James Edney, the vacancy was filled in 1864 by the appointment 
 of the Eev. Benjamin Tregaskis, who nobly volunteered his ser- 
 vices for Western Africa, after labouring in the West Indies for 
 nearly thirty years. Under the judicious direction of this devoted 
 missionary the work is now carried on by the Eev. Messrs. Waite 
 and Fletcher, from England, and six native Ministers — namely, the 
 Rev. Messrs. Knight, Maude, King, Marke, Thorpe, and May — who 
 have been raised up on the spot as the fruit of missionary labours, 
 and trained for this holy service chiefly in the colony. 
 
 This brief historical sketch of the Sierra Leone Mission has been 
 hitherto confined chiefly to a mournful record of the numerous 
 bereavements and afflictions which have tended to retard the 
 progress of the work of God, with the hope of engaging the 
 sympathy and the prayers of the reader on behalf of those who 
 are so frequently exposed to danger fi-om the pestilence that 
 walketh in darkness. But it must be remembered that there is 
 a brighter side to the subject. Many devoted missionaries, and 
 the heroic wives of missionaries, have fallen a sacrifice to the 
 climate, it is true ; but they have not laboured in vain, nor spent 
 their strength for naught. Important circuits and out-stations 
 have been formed, congregations gathered, schools established, 
 and churches organised, not only in Freetown, the capital of the 
 colony, but also in Gloucester, Regent, Wellington, Kissy, York, 
 
 N 
 
lyS HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Kent, Russell, Wilberforce, Hamilton, and other villages. In 
 connection with these stations we have now nine Missionaries, 
 four thousand nine hundred and fifty-two church members, and three 
 thousand one hundred and seventy four scholars in the Mission 
 schools. For the training of native agents there is also a seminary 
 of a higher character, which may with propriety be designated a 
 Theological Institution, at King Tom's Point, near Freetown, which 
 bids fair to be an important auxiliary to the good work. In view 
 of these encouraging results of missionary labour' at Sierra Leone, 
 notwithstanding the difficulties with which we have had to contend, 
 we may well " Thank God, and take coui'age." 
 
 The Gambia. 
 
 The next Mission which was established by the Wesleyan Mis- 
 sionary Society on the Western Coast of Africa was on the River 
 Gambia ; and it is with feelings of peculiar interest that the writer 
 calls attention to this station, inasmuch as it was the scene of his 
 earliest missionary labours nearly forty years ago. Many of the 
 observations which have been made with reference to the chai'acter 
 of the country, scenery, climate, productions, and the habits of the 
 people will apply to this part of the coast in common with the 
 rest. Our description of the place as introductory to the history 
 of the Mission will therefore be necessarily brief. 
 
 The Gambia is one of the noblest rivers of Africa, and may be 
 fairly classed with the Niger and the Senegal with regard to the 
 facilities which it affords for direct and easy access to the interior 
 of the country. It varies in width from thi-ee miles to one, and it 
 is navigable for small vessels to a distance of five hundred miles 
 from the sea. It takes its rise in the northern extremity of the 
 Kong Mountains, and after watering a beautiful and fertile country, 
 through which it winds its serpentine course for about a thousand 
 miles, it empties itself into the Atlantic Ocean to the south of Cape 
 Verd, in latitude 13' 30' north, and longitude 15° 0' west. The 
 principal nati-s e tribes occupying this part of the continent are the 
 Jolloffs, Mandingoes, and Foolas, some of whom remain in their 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. 179 
 
 original Pagan state, whilst others have embraced the religious 
 dogmas of the False Prophet. A number of liberated Africans of 
 various tribes have, however, of late years been located on the 
 different settlements of the Gambia, so that the population has 
 now become of a very mixed character. Previous to the introduc- 
 tion of the Gospel among them all classes were deeply degraded 
 and totally destitute of the true knowledge of God. 
 
 In the year 1816, an Enghsh settlement was formed on the 
 Island of St. Mary, near the mouth of the river, on the same 
 principle as that at Sierra Leone, for the suppression of the slave 
 trade and the encouragement of legitimate commerce. The 
 principal town was called Bathurst, after a noble earl of that 
 name, and, being chiefly built on the margin of the water, it 
 presented a beautiful appearance from the shipping in the harbour. 
 Nothing was done, however, for the religious instruction of the 
 people till 1821, when the Wesleyan Missionary Society com- 
 menced its labours. The first Missionary sent out from England 
 was the Rev. John Morgan, who was soon afterwards joined by the 
 Rev. John Baker, from Sierra Leone. The two zealous pioneers 
 were somewhat perplexed as to which Would be the best locality 
 to commence their labours. At length they fixed upon a place 
 called Mandanaree, on the mainland, in the kingdom of Combo, 
 about eight miles from the British settlement at St. Mary's. In 
 the true missionary spirit, they commenced to fell the trees and 
 clear the ground which they had obtained from the native chief, 
 and to build a rude house in which to reside, with a large room 
 for their religious services. This they accomplished in a few 
 weeks with the help of the natives, but they soon discovered to 
 their soitow that they had selected a very unhealthj' place for 
 the station, as they wei'e both attacked with fever at au early 
 period of their labours. The natives, moreover, who were of the 
 Mandingo tribe, and rigid Mahommedans, would not attend to their 
 instructions, and they were very much discouraged. The diffi- 
 culties with which they had to contend, from the character of the 
 climate and the indifterence of the people, were so numerous 
 that at length they resolved to remove from Mandanaree to T-' 
 
 N 2 
 
 M 0. 
 
i8o HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Marj''s, where they could obtain medical aid in sickness, and 
 where the people appeared more willing to attend to their 
 ministrations. Here the missionaries had occasionally preached 
 ever since their arrival in the country, and from this time forward 
 St. Mary's became the head-quarters of the Gambia Mission. 
 
 The advantages of this change of station were soon manifest, 
 and from the very first the blessing of God rested upon the labom-s 
 of the missionaries at St. Mary's. Several of the natives were 
 brought to a saving knowledge of the truth at an early period 
 through the faithful preaching of the Gospel. These were chiefly 
 of the Jolloff tribe, who had come with the English merchants 
 from the island of Goree, and an interesting class of hopeful 
 converts was soon formed, whilst at the same time a school 
 was established for the instruction of the children. Before the 
 end of the first year, however, the health of Mr. Baker having 
 completely failed, he removed to the West Indies by direction 
 of the Missionary Committee, and the Rev. William Bell was 
 sent out from England to take his place. He arrived at St. 
 Mary's on the 28th of January, 1822, but although he appeared 
 well adapted for the work his course was soon run. He was cut 
 down by fever on the 15th of March, forty-six daj'S after his 
 arrival, the first of a long list of devoted labourers who have 
 since fallen a sacrifice to the climate, in connection with the 
 Gambia Mission. 
 
 Mr. Morgan was thus once more left at St. Mary's alone, and he 
 toiled on as best he could till the brethren at Sierra Leone, being 
 aware of his circumstances, sent the Eev. George Lane to his 
 assistance. This arrangement, though well meant, was not of 
 much advantage to the Gambia station, as the amiable j'oung 
 missionary was soon entirely disabled from active duty by afiiic- 
 tion, and was obliged to return to Sierra Leone, where he shortly 
 afterwards rested from his labours as alrcad)' mentioned. On 
 hearing of the loss which the Mission at the Gambia had sustained, 
 the Committee sent out the Rev. Robert and Mrs. Hawkins, who 
 arrived at St. Mary's on the 14th of April, 1824. The Mission was 
 now put on a more permanent footing, a substantial stone building 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. 
 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 being erected for its use, with a large room for the school and 
 religious services on the ground floor, and accommodation for the 
 residence of the mission family above. In the early part of the 
 year 1825, Mr. Morgan, having had reiseated attacks of fever which 
 incapacitated him for further service, embarked for England; and 
 as soon as Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins had passed through their 
 "seasoning," they proceeded very happily with their work, and 
 the blessing of God rested upon their labours. The girls in the 
 mission school had now the advantage of being instnicted by a 
 white lady, a privilege which they highly appreciated, and it was a 
 novel and beautiful sight to see the missionary's wife surrounded 
 by her African school girls, receiving their first lessons in reading 
 and sewing. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins did good ser^dce for the Mission at the 
 Gambia, and were spared to return to England in the month of 
 May, 1827, having been relieved by the Eev. Samuel Dawson, who 
 had just lost his wife at Sierra Leone, as already stated. Mr. 
 Dawson laboured under considerable disadvantage in consequence 
 of his painful bereavement, there being now no one to attend to the 
 girls in the mission school, and to exercise that influence among 
 the people which belongs peculiarty to the missionary's wife. He 
 did his best, however, under the circumstances, and was spared to 
 return home in the latter part of the year 1828, having been 
 relieved by the arrival, on the 18th of November, of the Eev. 
 Eiohard and Mrs. Marshall. The station being once more favoured 
 with the zealous efforts and genial influence of a Christian lady, as 
 well as with the ministrations of a missionary apparently well 
 adapted for the work, a cheering measure of prosperity was realised 
 both in the school and the higher departments of spiritual labour. 
 But, like many others engaged in the same blessed work, these 
 devoted servants of Christ soon finished their course of useful 
 labour. After toiling successfully for about a year and nine months, 
 Mr. Marshall was suddenly cut down by malignant fever on the 
 19th of August, 18S0. Two days after her afflictive bereavement 
 Mrs. Marshall embarked for England with her infant son and an 
 African nurse. She arrived in Bristol in a state of gi-eat mental 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. 183 
 
 and bodily suffering, and being seized with convulsions, she 
 expired about forty-eight hours after she landed, and before she 
 had an opportunity of seeing any of her relatives or friends, who 
 resided in the north. Thus was the Gambia station left Avithout a 
 missionary, and the settlement without a minister of any denomi- 
 noiion. 
 
 It was at this eventful period of its history that the writer became 
 personally connected with this interesting mission. When the 
 African nurse arrived at the Mission House in London with the 
 orphan child of the late Mr. and Mrs. Marshall, they were at once 
 surrounded by a number of missionary candidates, who listened 
 with feelings of deep emotion to the tale of sorrow which the necro 
 girl related of her country, and the sad bereavement which the 
 Mission had been called to experience. Feeling his heart strangely 
 drawn towards Western Africa under these circumstances, the 
 v/riter was induced to make that voluntary offer of his services 
 which the Committee required, and being forthwith appointed to 
 the Gambia, he and his dear wife embarked for Africa early in the 
 year 1881, to occupy the vacant station. We arrived at St, Mary's 
 on Thursday, the 10th of March, where we met with a most cor- 
 dial and affectionate reception from the few native converts who 
 had been gathered into the fold of Christ through the instrumen- 
 tality of our devoted predecessors, and commenced our labours 
 with cheering hopes of success. Everything was very strange at 
 first, but we soon became accustomed to the place and the people, 
 and we were very happy in our work. Immediately after our 
 arrival we directed our attention to the reorganisation of the mis- 
 sion school, which had been given up since the death of Mr. and 
 Mrs. Marshall, and we soon had a large number of negro children 
 under instruction. In this important department of Christian 
 labour we were very much encouraged, being favom-ed to see a 
 goodly number of our pupils brought under the influence of religion 
 as well as advanced to a respectable position as to general know- 
 ledge. At the same time a gracious influence frequently rested 
 upon the congregations, both at our English and native services, 
 and through the faithful preaching of the Gospel we had reason to 
 
iS4 HISTORY OF WESLEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
 believe that many were brought to a saving knowledge of the 
 truth. 
 
 Among om- early native converts at the Gambia were two or 
 three intelligent young men who were called of God to point their 
 foUow-couutrymen to the Saviour of sinners. This circumstance 
 encouraged us to entertain the hope that we might be able, with 
 God's blessing, to make an aggressive movement on the dark be- 
 nighted interior, and plant the standard of the cross in the regions 
 beyond. Although the writer was the only missionary or minister 
 of any denomination in the country, and his wife the only Em'o- 
 pean female, an attempt was made in the name and strength of the 
 Lord to extend the Mission to the upper regions of the Gambia. 
 Before the commencement of the rainy season we embarked on om- 
 first voyage up the mighty river. We sailed in a small sloop, and 
 called at numerous native towns and villages on either hand, with 
 the hope of being able to shed a few rays of heavenly light on the 
 surrounding gloom, through our intercourse with the natives. 
 After about a week spent in ascending the river we reached 
 Macarthy's Island, the place of our destination. There we spent 
 two Sabbaths and the intervening days in preaching, teaching, 
 visiting, and collecting information with a view to future opera- 
 tions ; and such was the impression made upon the minds of the 
 people, many of whom had never before heard the glad tidings of 
 salvation, that they entreated us to remain and instruct them still 
 further in the things belonging to their peace. Indeed they were 
 unwiUing that we should leave them till we promised, if spared, to 
 visit them again, and, if possible, establish a mission station for 
 their benefit. We then returned to St. Mary's, and were thankful 
 to find that all had gone on well during our absence. 
 
 We did not forget our promise to the poor neglected people in 
 the interior, but soon afterwards a circumstance occm-red which 
 delayed its fulfilment for a length of time. This was the break- 
 ing out of war between a powerful tribe of Mandingoes and 
 the British settlement where we lived, into the particulars of 
 which we need not here enter, although it seriously affected our 
 mission work. The war raged for five months, dming which the 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. 183 
 
 usual intercourse with the interior was interrupted, and travelling 
 became impracticable. As soon as peace was restored to the land, 
 however, and the country was once more open, we commenced 
 our second voyage up the Gambia. On this occasion we took 
 with UB a native teacher, and the requisite materials for the 
 commencement of a mission station on a humble scale. On 
 reaching Macarthy's Island, we were received by the people with 
 the liveliest demonstrations of gratitude and joy, and commenced 
 operations at once. We secured a piece of land and erected the 
 first Christian sanctuary and school-house ever built in that 
 country. We then collected a number of little wild naked 
 children together, partially clothed them, as best we could, and 
 attempted to organise the first mission school. It was an 
 experiment somewhat novel and amusing, but by patience and 
 perseverance we succeeded better than we expected. AVe then 
 returned to our own station at St. Mary's, leaving a native 
 teacher in charge of the infant work at Macarthy's. 
 
 After the lapse of twelve months we paid a third visit to the 
 interior, having repeatedly heard in the interim from the native 
 teacher of the progress of the good work. On om- arrival at 
 Macarthy's Island on this occasion, we witnessed a scene which 
 more than compensated for all the toil and privations through 
 which we had been called to pass in om- efforts to commence this 
 station. We had not only the pleasure of preaching to a congre- 
 gation of devout worshippers, much improved in their personal 
 appearance by the civilising influence of the Gospel, but we had 
 the satisfaction of finding that several had been brought to a 
 saving knowledge of the truth. The mission school also exhibited 
 evident proofs of progress. A number of children, who twelve 
 months before did not know one letter from another, could now 
 read easy lessons from the New Testament. Several children 
 and adults were received into the Church by baptism, whilst parties 
 were united in holy matrimony who had but recently been 
 recovered from heathen darkness, and the Sacrament of the Lord's 
 Supper was administered to a goodly number of devout com- 
 municants. Altogether it was a glorious sight, and we returned 
 
i86 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 to St. Mary's truly thankful to God that we had been permitted 
 to commence a station in the far-distant interior of Africa, which 
 thenceforward proved to be a centre of light and holy influence 
 to the surrounding country. 
 
 In the meantime the good work at St. Mary's was favoured 
 with a cheering measure of prosperity. But being at length much 
 broken in health by repeated attacks of fever, and the period of 
 our appointment having been fulfilled, the writer and his dear wife 
 were glad to welcome to the shores of Africa the parties sent out 
 to relieve them, and they returned to their native land truly 
 grateful to Almighty God for His preserving goodness in that land 
 of sickness and of death ; and having both been spared for so 
 many years since to labour in other parts of the mission field, 
 whilst so many have fallen, it will be no matter of sm-prise to the 
 reader that we should now look back on the scenes of our earlier 
 labours with gratitude and joj% and continue to watch the progress 
 of the Mission at the Gambia with feelings of peculiar interest. 
 
 Some time before we left St. Marj^'s, we had the pleasure 
 of receiving, on the 23rd of Ajjiil, 1888, the Rev. William and 
 Mrs. Fox, and the Rev. Thomas and Mrs. Dove, a noble band of 
 zealous and devoted labourers. Mr. and Mrs. Fox were sent out 
 to take our place at St. Mary's, and Mr. and Mrs. Dove were 
 appointed to the new station at Macarthy's, where it was hoped 
 that the wandering tribe of Foolas might be induced to settle 
 and be brought under the influence of the Gospel, as well as the 
 Mandingoes and liberated Africans, some of whom had already 
 been converted to the truth of Christianitj'. 
 
 From this period the Gambia ]\Iission branched out into two 
 important divisions, each of which has a separate history of some- 
 what mournful interest, although sometimes linked together by 
 dint of circumstances. To prevent confusion, we shall first trace 
 the coixrse of events at the new station at Macarthy's Island, and 
 then return to consider the progress of the work at St. Mary's. 
 
 Soon after his arrival at Macarthy's, Mr. Dove commenced the 
 erection of a substantial stone building, to answer the double pur- 
 pose of a mission-house and chapel ; and subsequently other 
 
VrESTERN AFRICA. 
 
 187 
 
 I §; 
 
 '2 3 ft 
 
i88 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 buildings were added for the educational department of the work, 
 towards the cost of which a benevolent gentleman in England con- 
 tributed the noble sum of £1,000. After laboming successfully for 
 about three years, Mr. and Mrs. Dove embarked for Europe, and 
 were succeeded at Macarthy's by Mr. Fox, who now returned to 
 the Gambia after a short visit to England for the benefit of his 
 health, accompanied by the Rev. R. M. MacBriar, whose special 
 mission was to reduce the Mandingo and Foola languages to 
 a grammatical form, and, if possible, to translate portions of 
 Scripture into those tongues. Mr. MacBriar found the cKmate of 
 Western Africa very unfavourable to literary pursuits, and soon 
 returned to England, taking with him an intelligent native, by 
 whose assistance he compiled and published a Mandingo gi-ammar 
 and a translation of a portion of the New Testament. In the 
 meantime, Mr. Fox addressed himself to the general work of the 
 Mission with his wonted zeal and energy, and, having left his wife 
 in England on account of the delicate state of her health, and 
 having moreover been joined in November, 1887, by the Rev. 
 William and Mrs. Swallow, who were sent out to reinforce the 
 Mission, he felt at liberty to take several interesting jommeys of 
 observation into the more remote interior, with the hope of 
 extending the work still farther in that direction. 
 
 But, strong and robust as was the health of Mr. Fox generally, 
 his arduous labours and the trying natui-e of the cHmate of the 
 Gambia at length made a serious impression upon it, and he found 
 it necessary to return to England in the month of June, 1839. In 
 the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Swallow removed to St. Mary's, and 
 were succeeded at Macarthy's Island by the Rev. W. S. F. and 
 Mrs. Moss, who arrived on the 30th of November, 18S8. In less 
 than two months afterwards, however, on the 22nd of Januai'y, 
 1839, Mrs. Moss was cut down by fever, and her bereaved husband 
 ere long removed to St. Mary's, and in the foUomng year returned 
 to England. The vacancy thus occasioned was supplied by the 
 appointment of the Rev. William and Mrs. James, who arrived at 
 Macarthy's Island in the month of May, 1840. But the labom-s 
 of this amiable and worthy couple were soon terminated ; for Mr. 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. iSg 
 
 James fell a sacrifice to the climate on the 1st of July, before ho 
 had been three months on the station, and his bereaved widov/ 
 embarked for England a few weeks afterwards, having received 
 substantial tokens of sympathy from the missionaries and other 
 European gentlemen at St. Mary's. 
 
 The next missionary to Macarthy's Island was the Eev. William 
 Swallow, who nobly returned to the Gambia with Mrs. Swallov/, 
 after a visit to England for the benefit of their health, and arrived 
 at their destination in January, 1841. These devoted servants of 
 Christ bore up under the influence of the climate with commend- 
 able courage and perseverance ; but they suffered much from afflic- 
 tion, and were obliged repeatedly to seek relief by temporary visits 
 to Cape Verd Islands and Goree. At length they were bereaved 
 of a dear child ; and on the 28th of January, 1843, Mrs. Swallow 
 was called to rest from her toils and sufferings, and to enter into 
 the joy of her Lord. Her bereaved husband soon afterwards em- 
 barked for England, with his own health much shattered by 
 repeated attacks of fever, the Rev. Samuel Symons having been 
 sent out to reinforce the Mission, and especially to superintend the 
 educational department of the work. Mr. Symons had laboured 
 for two years with acceptance and success, when he also fell a 
 sacrifice to the climate on the 20th of January, 1844. In con- 
 sequence of the sickness and mortality with which the mission 
 famihes were visited, the Rev. Benjamin Chapman having been 
 obliged to return to England on account ,of severe illness, the Rev. 
 George Parsonson was left alone for some time, the only European 
 missionary at the Gambia, and was obliged to leave his own station 
 at Macarthy's and come down the river to take the superinten- 
 dency of the work at St. Mary's. The vacancy at Macarthy's 
 Island was filled by the appointment of the Rev. Robert Lean, in 
 1847 ; but in less than four months after his arrival he was called 
 to rest from his labom'S. He died very happy in God on the 23rd 
 of March, 1848. 
 
 Since this period it has been deemed advisable to supply the 
 station at Macarthy's with native ministers, to act under the direc- 
 tion of the European missionary at St. Mary's. These have been 
 
I go HISTORY OF WESLEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
 brought chiefly from Sierra Leone, where they had been favoured 
 with special training for the work ; and, by their piety, zeal, and 
 intelligence, they have given general satisfaction, and been made 
 very useful. The Eevs. Joseph May, Charles Knight, Philip Wil- 
 son, James Hero and York F. Clement, themselves the fruit of 
 missionary labour, and some of them originally rescued from the 
 horrors of slavery, have in succession occupied this station, and a 
 great and good work has been carried on from year to year. The 
 benevolent intention to benefit the Foola tribe especially, by the 
 Mission at Macarthy's Island, has not been realised to any gi'eat 
 extent ; but hundreds, if not thousands, of liberated Africans settled 
 there, and a few Mandingoes have been brought to a saving know- 
 lodge of the truth through its instrumentality, many of whom have 
 safely passed to a brighter and a better world above, whilst others 
 who still survive exemplify the beauty of religion by a holy walk 
 and conversation. Much has also been done, notwithstanding 
 many hindrances, in the promotion of education and civilisation, 
 and all classes of the population have realised the manifold bless- 
 ings of Christianity. We have now in connection with the Macar- 
 thy's Island station one Missionary, one hundred and forty-nine chureh 
 members, and one liundred and thirty-o)ie scholars in the Mission 
 schools. 
 
 We must now return to the principal station at St. Mary's, and 
 trace the com'se of events subsequent to the date last mentioned. 
 Cheering as was the success of the Mission dm-ing the period of 
 the writer's personal connection with it, the progi'ess of the good 
 work was still more remarkable in after years. It is a melancholy 
 fact, however, that the history of this station is marked b}' similar 
 affecting vicissitudes to those which have characterised our other 
 Missions in Western Africa. During Mr. and Mrs. Fox's first 
 period of service at St. Mary's, the congregations so far in- 
 creased as to render necessary the erection of a new chapel at 
 Bathurst, the principal town on the island, after the opening 
 of which, in July, 1835, they embarked for England, having been 
 relieved by the arrival, a few months before, of the Rev. Henry 
 and Mrs. Wilkinson. In the j'ear 18S7, a fearful epidemic visited 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. igi 
 
 the country in the form of yellow fever, and swept off one half of 
 the European population. One of those who fell at an early 
 period of this awful visitation was the devoted missionary Mr. 
 Wilkinson. He died happy in God on the 24th of August, having 
 preached on the previous Sabbath from that striking text, " So 
 teach us to number our days as to apply our hearts unto 
 wisdom." 
 
 The Eev. Thomas Wall was immediately sent from England to 
 supply the vacancy thus occasioned at St. Mary's. He arrived on 
 the 26th of November, but, like that of many others, his course 
 was soon run. He was cut down by fever on the 24th of August, 
 1838, and the station was for a time supplied by Mr. and Mrs. 
 Swallow, from Macarthy's ; but they had already suffered so much 
 from fever that they were obliged soon afterwards to retm'n to 
 England. The next missionary appointed to St. Mary's was the 
 Eev. J. E. Peard, who, with Mrs. Peard, embarked for the Gambia 
 on the 2Srd of November, 1838. This devoted couple were 
 destined in the order of Providence never to set their feet on 
 mission ground, for the Columbine, in which they sailed — the same 
 vessel in which the writer and his wife returned from Western 
 Africa a few years before — was overtaken by a severe storm in the 
 English Channel, and driven upon the Chesil Bank, near Wey- 
 mouth, where she became a total wreck, and every person on 
 board perished in the waves. The bodies of the dear missionary 
 and his vnfe were washed on shore some time afterwards, and 
 buried in the Portland chapel yard, where a neat stone was erected 
 to their memory, on which the writer has since gazed with feelings 
 of moui'nful interest. 
 
 The Rev. James and Mrs. Parkinson were sent out to the 
 Gambia towards the close of the same year. They arrived at 
 St. Mary's on the 13th of September, 1838 ; but before they had 
 been nine months in the colony they were both cut down by 
 fever, under circumstances peculiarly painful and affecting. Mr. 
 Parkinson finished his brief but active course of service on the 
 8th of September, 1839 ; and his dear wife followed him to the 
 better country fom- days afterwards, having never been made 
 
HISTORY OF VVESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 acquainted with her sad bereavement, for fear the painful intelli- 
 gence would be more than she could bear. A tender infant was 
 left, which was sent to England soon afterwards, with the hope 
 that its life might be saved ; but it died on the passage, and so 
 escaped from a world of sin and suffering to join the society of its 
 sanctified parents in heaven. 
 
 The Eev. William Fox now retui'ned to the Gambia after a visit 
 to England, accompanied by Mrs. Fox and their little son, as well 
 as by the Rev. William English. The missionarj- last named soon 
 afterwards proceeded to the West Indies by order of the Com- 
 mittee, in consequence of the failure of his health and other 
 untoward circumstances ; and ere long his colleague was called to 
 pass through the deep waters of affliction and bereavement. On 
 the 17th of September, 1840, Mrs. Fox sank under a severe attack 
 of malignant fever, four days after giving birth to a daughter, their 
 infant son having been called away by death only a week before. 
 Thus was the poor missionary left a lonely widower, with the care 
 of a new-born infant on his hands. The little orphan was sent to 
 England soon afterwards, in charge of Mr. Moss, who was obliged 
 to retm-n home early in the year 1841, having himself been 
 bereaved of his beloved partner at Maearthy's Island. Mr. Fox 
 nobly continued at his post of duty some time longer, and only 
 returned to England finally in the mouth of May, 1843, after 
 spending ten years in connection with the Gambia Mission. 
 
 The next missionaries appointed to the Gambia were the Eevs. 
 Mathew Godman and George Parsonson, who arrived there on 
 the 5th of May, 1848. Mr. Parsonson proceeded at once to 
 Maearthy's Island, according to appointment, and Mr. Godman 
 took charge of the station at St. Mary's, where he laboured suc- 
 cessfully for nearly three years, and was spared to return to 
 England with his afflicted wife, who passed away to her reward 
 in heaven soon after they landed on the shores of their native 
 country. In the meantime the Society suifcred a great loss by the 
 death of Mr. Lynn, a trained teacher, who had gone out to take 
 charge of the Mission School at Bathurst. Mr. Parsonson being 
 now the only missionary remaining at the Gambia, as already 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. 193 
 
 mentioned, came down to St. Mary's till the arrival of the Rev. 
 Messrs. Meadows and Lean on the 8th of December, 1847, when 
 he also embarked for England, Mrs. Parsonson having been 
 obliged to retm-n some time before in consequence of illness. 
 
 Notwithstanding these repeated interruptions, the good work 
 continued to advance among the people, and the respective 
 stations on the Gambia appearing to require the supervision of a 
 Missionary of some standing and experience, the Rev. Henry 
 Badger was appointed as General Superintendent of the District. 
 He arrived at St. Mary's from Sierra Leone, with Mrs. Badger, on 
 the 21st of February, 1849, and was joined, the following year, 
 by the Rev. Mr. Hirst from England. Mr. Badger having lost his 
 devoted wife by death, retuimed home towards the close of 1852 ; 
 and Mr. Meadows, who now returned from a visit to Em-ope, was 
 appointed his successor as General Superintendent at the Con- 
 ference of the following year. This zealous Missionary was soon 
 afterwards joined by the Rev. John Bridgart, who was sent out 
 to fill a vacancy, and the two brethren were permitted to labour 
 together for some time, with little interruption from sickness, and 
 with a pleasing measure of success. At length the health of 
 Mr. Meadows gave way under the trying influence of the climate, 
 and he returned to England in 1856. The Rev. A. J. Gurney was 
 now sent out to supply the vacancy, and he arrived at St. Mary's 
 in the month of November the same year. In a short time after- 
 wards, Mr. Bridgart was compelled by sickness to embark for 
 Europe ; but having recruited his health, he retui-ned to the 
 Gambia with Mrs. Bridgart in November, 1857. The Rev. R. 
 Cooper had arrived at St. Mary's somewhat earlier to supply the 
 place of Mr. Gurney, who was removed to the Gold Coast, to fill 
 an important vacancy there. The next Missionary sent from 
 England was the Rev. J. H. Peet, who was appointed to succeed 
 Mr. Bridgart on his removal to Sierra Leone in December, 1859. 
 
 For several years about this period the Missionaries were 
 favoured to prosecute their useful labours with less interruption 
 from sickness than formerly, till Mr. Cooper was suddenly smitten 
 with fever, and finished his course on the 18th of August, 1859. 
 
394 HISTORY OF WESLEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
 For some time Mr. Peet continued to labour alone at St. Mary's, 
 till the arrival of the Eev. E. Daw, who was sent out to his 
 assistance in the month of November, 1800. Both of these brethren 
 were spared to retm-n to England, after completing their allotted 
 period of service at the Gambia ; and the next Missionary ap- 
 pointed to St. Mar)''s was the Rev. Ai-thur A. Southerns, who was 
 sent out in the year 18G2, and who was also favoui'ed to retm'n 
 home after labouring efficiently for two years, being relieved by 
 the Kev. V. Tyas in 1864. Mr. Tyas endured the cHmate much 
 better than many others, and being assisted by the Eev. Y. F. 
 Clement, native assistant Missionary, he continued at his post 
 of duty for more than four years, and did not return to England 
 till 1869, when he was succeeded by the Eev. Henry J. Quilter, 
 who embarked for St. Mary's on the 24th of October. 
 
 Although our observations in this brief historical sketch have 
 been confined chiefly to the afflictions and bereavements which the 
 Missionaries and their families have been called to experience in 
 this trying climate, that the reader may fully comprehend the 
 claims which they have upon his sympathy and praj'ers, it is a 
 pleasing fact that during all those years of trial a blessed work was 
 in progress at St. Mary's. From the head quarters of the Mission 
 at Bathurst the light of Divine truth went forth to Soldier's 
 Town, dollar Town, Melville, and other villages on the small 
 island of St. Mary ; and also to Barra Point, and other places on 
 the mainland, where out-stations were formed, chapels built, and 
 schools established. We have now in connection -with our station at 
 St. Mary's tiro Misswnaries,five hundred and nine cKnirh members, 
 and/o»r hundred and eiyhtij-nine scJiolars in the Mission schools. 
 
 The Gold Coast. 
 That part of Western Africa called Guinea and the Gold Coast 
 is situated to the eastward of the Gambia and Sierra Leone, and 
 stretches away towards the Bight of Benin. In its general 
 features, appearance, chmate, and productions, the country is very 
 similar to other parts of the extensive Western Coast, and there- 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. 
 
 195 
 
 fore needs no particular description here. With regard to the 
 population, it may be sufficient to observe that it is to a consider- 
 able extent of the same mixed character as that which is found to 
 prevail in other localities. It consists of a vast number of petty 
 kingdoms or tribes, who live with a kind of independent govern- 
 ment under their respective kings or chiefs. The principal of 
 these are the Ashantis, Fantis, Dahomans, and Yarabans, all of 
 whom are avowed pagans, Mahomedanism having made little 
 impression upon this part of the vast continent. 
 
 It was not till a comparatively recent period that the Wesleyan 
 Missionary Society was able to commence its labours on the Gold 
 Coast, and the early history of the Mission was so clearly marked 
 by the special providence of God that it is worthj' of particular 
 notice. A few native youths had learned to read the Bible at the 
 Government school at Cape Coast Castle, the principal English 
 settlement in those parts, and their minds became so deeply 
 impressed with the contents of the Sacred Volume that thej' formed 
 themselves into a little society for the more careful reading and 
 study of the Holy Scriptures. As their supply of the precious 
 volume was very limited, they agreed to send to England for a 
 number of copies of the New Testament. They accordingly made 
 their case known to Captain Potter, the master of a merchant 
 vessel from Bristol, who happened to be there in the year 1834. 
 The heart of this noble-minded Christian man was so interested in 
 favour of these intelligent African youths, that, on his return to 
 England, he not only secured the necessary suppl}' of the Scriptures, 
 but he also called at the Wesleyan Mission House in London, and 
 generously offered to take out a Missionary to Cape Coast, free of 
 expense to the Society, engaging, at the same time, to bring him 
 home again, if the attempt to introduce the Gospel to this part of 
 the Coast of Africa should prove a failure. 
 
 Believing that Divine Providence was opening the way before 
 them, the Committee readily accepted this generous offer, and the 
 Eev. Joseph Dunwell was appointed to commence the Mission on 
 the Gold Coast. He sailed with Captain Potter on his retmm to 
 Africa, and landed in safety at Cape Coast Castle on the 1st of 
 
 o 2 
 
igS HISTORY OF WESLEYAN AIISSIONS. 
 
 January, 1835. The zealous young Missionary was received witl, 
 marked kindness by His Excellency Governor M'Lean, and witli 
 feelings of rapture by the native youths who were so anxious to be 
 more fully instructed in a knowledge of God's Holy Word. He 
 opened his commission to preach the Gospel in Africa under the 
 most encouraging circumstances ; and both at Cape Coast, and in 
 other parts of Guinea which he visited, his laboui's were attended 
 with evident tokens of the Divine presence and blessing. His 
 career of useful labour, like that of many others on this pestilen- 
 tial coast, was, however, very short. He was attacked with fever 
 of such a malignant type that it baffled the power of medical skill, 
 and he died in peace on the 24th of June, before he had been six 
 months in the country, — the first of a long list who fell in the 
 holy conflict here also. 
 
 Some time after the lamented death of llr. Dunwell, two other 
 Missionaries and their wives, the Kev. George 0. and Mrs. 
 Wrig'.ey, and the Rev. Peter and Mrs. Harrop, were sent out by 
 the Committee to occupy the vacant station ; the party first named 
 arriving at Cape Coast on the 15th of September, 1886, and the 
 others on the 15th of January, 1837. Thej' commenced their 
 work in good health and spirits, and laboured with much success 
 during the short time they were permitted to live ; but, within the 
 short space of fifteen months, the whole of this noble band were 
 numbered with the silent dead, ha^dng been cut down by fever in 
 rapid succession. Indeed, both Mr. and Mrs. Harrop died in 
 about three weeks after their- arrival. They finished then- course 
 and were called to their reward in the following order: — Mrs. 
 Harrop on the 5th of Februar}', IMr. Harrop and Mrs. Wrigle}' on 
 the 8th of February, and Mr. Wrigley on the 16th of November, 
 1837. We may imagine the feelings of the poor afflicted and 
 iiereaved Missionary, Mr. Wrigley, the last survivor of the four, 
 when he was called to close the eyes of his beloved wife and those 
 of his dear colleague in the same hour, and that within three daj's 
 of the death of the first victim of the fatal malady with which they 
 wore seized. In writing to the Missionary Committee shortlj' 
 afterwards, he says, "Life, indeed, in my circumstances, Las no 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. 197 
 
 charms ; nor could I support myBelf beneath the weight of such a 
 stroke, were it not for the hope of ere long joining the glorified 
 spirit of my devoted partner, and, in the meantime, of following 
 up those victories of the Cross of our Immanuel, which together 
 we have been enabled to achieve to His glory, since we arrived on 
 these inhospitable shores." This hope of meeting in heaven the 
 glorified spirits of the dear departed was soon realised ; but the 
 members of the infant church in the wilderness were once more 
 left as " sheep having no shepherd." 
 
 The next Missionary sent out to the Gold Coast was the 
 Eev. T. B. Freeman, who arrived at Cape Coast Castle, with his 
 devoted and newly married wife, on the 8rd of January, 1888. 
 The com-se of Mrs. Freeman was soon run however. She was 
 seized with fever soon after she landed, and died on the 20th of 
 February, within seven weeks of her arrival. On the 13th of 
 January, 1840, the Kev. Josiah and Mrs. Mycock, and the Kev. 
 Robert Brooking, arrived at Cape Coast to reinforce the Mission, 
 and to enable Mr. Freeman to visit England. This party were all 
 mercifully spared to return home after fulfilling different periods of 
 service in Africa. Early in the year 1841, Mr. Freeman with 
 Mrs. Freeman (second) returned to the Gold Coast, accompanied 
 by the Eev. Thompson and Mrs. Hesk, and the Eev. Samuel A. 
 and Mrs. Shipman, and the Eev. Messrs. Watson, Thackuray and 
 "Walden. They arrived at Cape Coast Castle on the 1st of 
 February, and entered upon their work in good spirits. This was 
 a large and valuable accession to the number of labourers in the 
 Gold Coast District, but the ranks were soom thinned again by 
 sickness and death. Mrs. Freeman died on the 25th of August 
 following, and Mrs. Hesk three days afterwards. Two of the 
 brethren of the party were also called to rest from their labours 
 soon after their arrival, Mr. Thackm-ay on the 4th of May, and 
 Mr. Walden on the 29th of July. Thus four out of the nine died 
 within seven months of the date of their landing on the shores of 
 Africa; and the fifth, Mr. Shipman, finished his com-se on the 
 22nd of February, 1843, after labouring with success for two 
 years. Mr. Hesk and Mrs. Shipman returned to England almost 
 
igS HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 immediately after their respective bereavements, and Mr. Watson 
 was also spared to return home after fulfilling his appointed period 
 of service in Western Africa. 
 
 In the month of January, 1842, the Mission on the Gold Coast 
 was reinforced by the arrival from England of the Rev. William 
 Allen, who was spared to return home after labom-ing efficiently 
 for more than two years. This was not the case, however, with 
 the Rev. Messrs. Wyatt and Rowlands, who arrived a few weeks 
 afterwards. Mr. Wyatt fell a sacrifice to the climate on the 6th of 
 April, when he had only been about three months in the country, 
 and Mr. Rowlands was called away by death on the 10th of July, 
 after a residence of about six months. The next Mission party 
 sent out to Cape Coast consisted of the Rev. Benjamin and Mrs. 
 Watkins, and the Rev. George Chapman, who reached their desti- 
 nation on the 23rd of January, 1843. Mrs. Watkins only lived 
 thirty-nine days after her arrival, being called away on the 1st of 
 March, after a short but painful illness. About thirteen months 
 afterwards she was followed to the better country by her beloved 
 husband, who finished his short course of useful labour on the 7th 
 of February, 1844. Mr. Chapman was spared to return to Eng- 
 land, and was afterwards usefully emplo5'ed for many years as a 
 Missionarj' in Southern Africa. 
 
 These painful bereavements rendered a fresh supply of Mission- 
 aries necessary, and the Rev. Samuel and Mrs. Annear, who had 
 previously laboured at Sierra Leone, and the Revs. John Martin 
 and Timothy T. Greaves were next sent out. The)' arrived at 
 Cape Coast on the 12th of December, 1843. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Annear and Mr. Martin were spared to return home in due time, 
 and favoured to render useful service in other parts of the Lord's 
 vineyard ; but Mr. Greaves fell a sacrifice to the climate on the 
 14th of July, 1844, about seven months after his arrival. On the 
 20th of March, 1844, the Rev. Robert Brooking landed at Cape 
 Coast the second time, accompanied by Mrs. Brooking. They 
 were both mercifully spared to return to England in due time, and 
 v.-ere afterwards usefully employed in Canada and in the Hudson's 
 Bay Territory. 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. igg 
 
 On the 23rd of June, 1845, the Kev. T. B. Freeman returned to 
 the Goht Coast for the third time, accompanied by the Rev. Henry 
 Wharton, a native of the "West Indies, and himself the fruit of 
 Missionary labour. Mr. Wharton had been brought to a saving 
 knowledge of the truth, and trained for the Christian ministry on 
 one of the stations occupied by the writer, and he was much 
 delighted when his pupil and colleague nobly offered himself as a 
 Missionary to the land of his forefathers. Being well adapted for 
 the work, both mentally and physically, this zealous servant of the 
 Lord has fully justified the anticipations of his friends in his 
 appointment to Western Africa, where he has labom-ed success- 
 fuUj' for more than twenty-five j'ears. About this time also 
 several native assistant Missionaries were raised up in the Gold 
 Coast District to take a part in the good work. These accessions 
 to the ranks of earnest labourers in this interesting but trying part 
 of the Lord's vineyard were hailed with gratitude and joy by the 
 friends of Missions, inasmuch as they exhibited fruit of the most 
 desirable kind, and at the same time gave ground of hope that m 
 future there would consequently be less exposure of European life 
 in carrying on the work. 
 
 It was still necessary, however, to send a considerable number 
 of Missionaries from England to supply the various stations which 
 had been commenced in different parts of the country, and on the 
 30th of December, 184:5, the Rev. WiUiam AHen arrived at Cape 
 Coast, for the second time, accompanied by Mrs. Allen and the 
 Rev. Messrs. Findlay and Addison. These were all spared to 
 retm-n to England after labouring successfully for two or three 
 years, with the exception of Mr. Findlay, who was cut down bj' 
 fever in the midst of his useful labours on the 10th of March, 1846, 
 about eight months after his arrival. The next party of Mission- 
 aries sent out consisted of the Revs. John Thomas, John Harrop, 
 and Charles HiUiard, who arrived at Cape Coast Castle on the 7th 
 of January, 1847. They proceeded to their respective stations, 
 and after fulfilhng their appointed period of service in Western 
 Africa, they were all spared to return to England, and were after- 
 wards usefully employed in other parts of the Lord's vineyard. 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 In the month of March, 1849, the Kev. F. Hart arrived at Cape 
 Coast, and towards the close of the following year he was joined 
 b)- the Kev. Messrs. Gardener and Kichards. Messrs. Hart and 
 lUchards were obliged to return to England at an early period on 
 account of the failure of their health ; but Mr. Gardener continued 
 to labour on different stations in the Gold Coast District, with 
 great acceptance and eflftcienc)', for the long period of nine years, 
 and after his return to England he was usefully employed in the 
 home work. 
 
 In consequence of the increased number of native agents em- 
 ployed, and some improvement in the sanitary condition of the 
 country, no additional Missionaries were required for some time 
 after the date last mentioned, till, in 1856, the Eev. William and 
 Mrs. West were sent out to take the general oversight of the work. 
 These devoted servants of Christ had previously labom'ed for 
 several j'ears in the West Indies, and were well adapted for the 
 work in Western Africa. They landed at Cape Coast on the 18th 
 of November, and in the following year they were joined by the 
 Eev. Alexander J. Gurney, from the Gambia. In the interim, the 
 circumstances of the Gold Coast District appearing to require such 
 a measure, the Missionary Committee in London sent out the Eev. 
 Daniel West, as a special deputation, to examine into the state of 
 the work; and, had he lived to report, in person, the result of his 
 observations, the benefit to the Mission in future would, no doubt, 
 have been considerable ; but, in the order of Divine Providence, 
 he was not permitted to see his native land again. He was seized 
 with mahgnant fever, and died at the Gambia, where he had called 
 on his homeward passage on the 24th of February, 1867. 
 
 The next Missionary sent out to Cape Coast was the Eev. W. H. 
 Milward, in the year 1859 ; but he was soon obliged to return to 
 England on account of the failure of his health. Mr. and Mrs. 
 West and Mr. Gurney also returned the same year, having more 
 than completed the term of their appointment. After these depar- 
 tures there was not one European Missionary remaining in the 
 Gold Coast District. The labourers on all the stations were 
 natives of Western Africa, themselves the fruits of our Missions 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. 
 
 planted there, with the exception of Mr. Wharton from the West 
 Indies, who was charged with the management of the financial 
 and other important matters connected with the general super- 
 vision of the work till the return of Mr. West the following year. 
 
 But pleasing as was the circumstance just mentioned in some 
 respects, experience soon proved that, if the work was to be effi- 
 ciently prosecuted, a supply of European Missionaries must be 
 immediately provided. Hence, towards the close of the year 18C0, 
 the Rev. Thomas and Mrs. Champness, who had previously 
 laboured at Sierra Leone, and the Rev. Messrs. Morris and Sharp, 
 were sent out to the Gold Coast District. Mr. Morris was soon 
 obliged to retm-n to England, however, and was succeeded by the 
 Rev. Alfred Taylor, who arrived at Cape Coast on the 18th of 
 January, 1862, accompanied by the Rev. William West, who now 
 went out to Western Africa as General Superintendent for the second 
 time. In the year 1863 the Gold Coast District was fm-ther rein- 
 forced by the appointment of the Rev. Messrs. Davies, Gardiner, 
 and Sykes, Mr. Champness having been obhged to return home on 
 account of the failure of his health and the loss of his beloved wife, 
 who died at Abbeokuta a few months before. Mr. Sykes was 
 spared to return to England, after a long and honom-able period of 
 service in Western Africa, and has since been usefully employed 
 in the home work. 
 
 The number of Missionaries in this part of the wide field having 
 been reduced by the return to England of Messrs. Gardiner, Taylor, 
 and Sharp, the Rev. Messrs. Richmond, Robinson, and Cuthbert, 
 were sent out in 1864 ; but Mr. Cuthbert was cut down by fever 
 at Lagos soon after his arrival. Messrs. Richmond and Robinson 
 both suffered much from fever, but they were spared to return to 
 England, with their health much shattered, after a short period of 
 service on the coast. The Mission also suffered a serious loss about 
 this time in the death of the Rev. Edward Bickersteth, an excel- 
 lent and useful native minister. In 1866 Messrs. Taylor and Sharp, 
 with their excellent wives, and the Rev. M. Grimmer returned to 
 the coast, and for awhile resumed their beloved work, till sickness 
 again compelled them to leave the coast. In 1868 the Rev. W. 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 West visited England once more ; and during his stay in this 
 country the writer had some very pleasant Christian intercourse 
 with him as a worthy Missionary brother. As no suitable minister 
 could be found to take his place as General Superintendent, Mr. 
 West nobly volunteered to go out to the Gold Coast once more. 
 Ho sailed on the 24th of January, 1869, accompanied by the Rev. 
 Thomas R. Picott ; the Eev. Joseph Rhodes having embarked for 
 Lagos a few weeks before. Notwithstanding his wlhngness still 
 further to serve the Mission cause in Western Africa, the debih- 
 tated state of Mr. West's health obliged him to retm-n to England 
 after the lapse of a few months ; and on the 24th of October, the 
 Rev. Matthew and Mrs. Grimmer embarked for Cape Coast, and 
 the Rev. Thomas P. Spencer for Lagos. Mr. Grimmer, having 
 previously laboured in the Gold Coast District with acceptance 
 and success, now returned to Western Africa as Mr. West's suc- 
 cessor in the general superintendencj-, with the advantage of con- 
 siderable Missionary experience, and an acquaintance with the 
 peculiarity of the climate, by which he was more full)' adapted 
 for his important position. 
 
 We have thus endeavoured to present the reader with a brief 
 and consecutive account of the Gold Coast Mission, with special 
 reference to the numerous bereavements and afflictions which 
 have, from time to time, been experienced, after the plan adopted 
 in treating of the work in other parts of Western Africa. A 
 clearer view may thus be obtained of the manifold difficulties 
 which attend the enterprise arising from the unhealth)^ character 
 of the climate, to say nothing of those which spring from the 
 heathen darkness and superstition which everj'where prevail. It 
 is earnestly hoped that this will lead to an increase of sj-mpath}- 
 and a larger amount of practical interest in the Missionaries and 
 their work. At the same time, it is with sincere gratitude to 
 Almighty God that we are able to record the pleasing fact that, 
 amid all these difficulties, a blessed work has been in progress 
 from 3'ear to year in the Gold Coast District. Liiportant circuits 
 and out-stations have been formed not only at Cape Coast Town, 
 the head-quarters of the Mission, but at Dix Cove, Elmina, 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. 203. 
 
 e 
 
 Anam.abu, Domonasi, James Town (Akrali), Winnibah, Lagos, 
 Badagiy, Whydah, Abbeokuta, and other places along the coast 
 and far away into the interior. For some time Kumasi, the 
 blood-stained capital of Ashanti, was occupied by the Mission- 
 aries, and the Gospel was faithfully preached to the King and his 
 people, who delight in human sacrifices ; and it is hoped that cr 
 long the wars which have kept the country in a state of constant 
 commotion will cease, and a way be opened for the proclamation of 
 the Gospel of peace throughout the length and breadth of the land. 
 At all these stations Christian congregations have been gathered, 
 places of worship erected. Mission schools established, and a large 
 amount of real spiritual good effected in the conversion of souls to 
 God, to say nothing of the temporal advantages of civilisation 
 and social improvement which invariably follow the introduction 
 of Christianity. In connection with the Gold Coast District the 
 Wesleyan Missionary Society has now twelve Missionaries, six of 
 whom are native Africans, two tJiouscmd one hundred and twenty- 
 four church memhcrs, and one thousand three hundred and fifty-eiyht 
 scholars in the Mission schools. 
 
 Before we take leave of our important Missions on the western 
 coast of Africa, we may with propriety glance at their aggregate 
 result, not forgetting the peculiar circumstance under which they 
 have been prosecuted from the unhealthy character of the climate. 
 In the course of fifty j'ears sixty-thi-ee Weslej'an Missionaries, and 
 the wives of Missionaries, have fallen a sacrifice to the climate 
 on our different stations in Western Africa, or have died at sea 
 when proceeding to or from their respective appointments ; and yet 
 there is no lack of labourers. As one falls another, being baptized 
 with the true Missionary spu-it, volunteers to occupy his place, 
 and so the good work is still carried on. Knowing the interest 
 that is generally felt in such matters, we have dwelt more particu- 
 larly upon the bereavements and afflictions which the Missionaries 
 and their families have experienced than we should otherwise have 
 done ; and we consider those who thus go forth, with their lives 
 in their hands, are worthy of the sympathy, the prayers, and the 
 support of the friends of the Missions. At the same time, we wish 
 
20^ 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
WESTERN AFRICA. 205 
 
 it to be distinctly remembered that, in Western Africa, the work 
 itself, irrespective of the hazardous nature of the climate, is of a 
 most interesting character. The people are so simple-hearted, 
 confiding, and affectionate, that they are easily led to the Saviour ; 
 and through God's blessing upon the faithful preaching of the 
 Gospel, tens of thousands have been gathered into the fold of Chiist, 
 many of whom have landed in a brighter and better world above, 
 whilst others are pressing on in the way to Zion. It is a pleasing 
 sight to behold the change which has passed upon the natives, 
 both males and females, in their appearance, dress, and manners, 
 since they received the Gospel. Formerly they appeared in public 
 almost in a state of nudity, without shame, and presented to the 
 view of the Missionary a spectacle of the most revolting character; 
 but now they are sensitive in their feelings, and appear in the 
 house of God on the Sabbath and other occasions, neatly clothed 
 in the native style, with an occasional mixtui'e of European fashion. 
 Nor are the direct spiritual results of the Mission less remark- 
 able and gratifying, a rich blessing having attended the faithful 
 preaching of the Word. We have now on om- respective stations, 
 on the Western Coast of Africa, ticenty-four Missionaries, and 
 about eight thousand church members, and four thousand scholars 
 receiving instruction in the Mission schools. 
 
 We cannot close this chapter more appropriately than in the 
 language of the Eev. Melville B. Cox, the first Methodist Mis- 
 sionai-y sent from America to the Coast of Africa. He landed at 
 the Gambia duiing the residence of the writer there, in 1832, 
 spent a few weeks with us very pleasantly, proceeded to Liberia, 
 and in about thr-ee months he sickened and died. Before he left 
 his native shores he said to a friend, "I go to that land of sick- 
 ness and death; but if I die, you must come and write my 
 epitaph." It was asked, " What shall I write ?" " Write," said 
 the devoted Missionary, " Though a thousand fail, let not 
 Africa be forgotten ! " 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 HISTOBIOAl NOTICES NATIVE TEIBES CAPE OF GOOD HOPE DISTHICT 
 
 GBAHAm's town DISTRICT QUEEN'S TOWN DISTFJCT EECHUANA 
 
 DISTEICT NATAL DISTRICT. 
 
 SOUTHEEN AFRICA may be said to comprise the whole of 
 that portion of the gi-eat continent which hes to the south of 
 the equator. It is bounded on the east by the Indian Ocean, on 
 the west by the Atlantic, on the north by the unexplored regions 
 of the interior, and on the south by the stormj' waters of the ocean 
 which wash the immediate shores of the Cape of Good Hope. In 
 a country of such vast extent, being about two thousand miles in 
 length and nearly the same in breadth, we necessarily find great 
 diversity of scenery, soil, and climate. There are some striking 
 featui'es, however, which appear to apply prettj' generally to the 
 ■whole of this extensive and interesting portion of the globe. 
 Everything which presents itself to our view^ on the continent of 
 Africa is on a grand and gigantic scale. There is nothing little or 
 insignificant in the topography of the country. Every scene in 
 nature corresponds wdth the magnitude of the vast continent on 
 which it is found. The mountains general!}' rise to a high altitude, 
 and frequently stretch away in apparently interminable chains as 
 far as the eye can reach, till they are lost in the dim distance. 
 The valleys, the rivers, the lakes, and the deserts are equally 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 207 
 
 imposing in their general aspect. Although Southern Africa 
 abounds with large tracts of desert, rocky, barren land entirely 
 unfit for cultivation, and afi'ording but scanty pasturage for 
 domestic cattle or wild animals in the most favourable seasons, 
 there are here and there fertile valleys with a productive soil 
 which would amply repay the labour of the husbandman. The 
 produce of the country consists of timber, corn, wool, wine, aloes, 
 dried fruits, hides, horns, skins, tallow, ivory, ostrich feathers, 
 copper ore, and diamonds, for exportation, besides the ordinary 
 necessaries of life for home consumption. On the whole, the 
 climate is said to be healthjr, although the heat during the summer 
 months is somewhat oppressive to Europeans. 
 
 The discovery of Southern Africa is by general consent awarded 
 to Bartholomew Diaz, a native of Portugal, who flourished in the 
 latter part of the fom'teenth century. The enterprising navigator 
 having been commissioned by his sovereign, John II., to seek for a 
 maritime passage to India, embarked on his perilous voyage in the 
 year 1486. After tracing upwards of two thousand miles of the 
 unknown western coast of the great continent, he proceeded south- 
 ward till he came in sight of the bold promontory, since designated 
 " Table Mountain," which is the terminating point of Africa in 
 that du-ection. Here he was overtaken by a violent tempest, 
 which for the time obstructed his further progress ; and, having 
 named the peninsula which he had discovered " The Cape of 
 Storms," he returned to his own country, supposing he had 
 reached the utmost practical limits of navigation in the southern 
 hemisphere. The King of Portugal, however, was more sanguine 
 in his views ; and, anticipating still fm'ther success, he changed 
 the name of the great southern promontory discovered by Diaz to 
 that of " The Cape of Good Hope." He, moreover, commissioned 
 the navigator to proceed on a second voyage of discovery with a 
 view to explore the unknown regions beyond ; but on this occasion 
 Diaz met with still greater disasters, and ultimately perished in a 
 storm, and found a watery grave not far from the place where he 
 was obliged to relinquish his first enterprise. 
 
 About ten years afterwards, the celebrated navigator Gama was 
 
2o8 HISTORY OF WESLEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
 employed in the service of his enterprising sovereign, Emanuel II., 
 when he succeeded in doubhng the Cape ; and, on his return, 
 reported the result to the king, who immediately despatched other 
 ships for the purpose of examining more minutely a place which 
 appeared to be of great importance in its relation to India. On 
 reaching the Cape the vessels anchored in Table Bay, near Kobin 
 Island, and the sailors lowered their boats and went on shore, 
 where they found a barren country, inhabited b}' wandering tribes 
 of Hottentots, who were living in a state of extreme barbarism. 
 
 Although the Cape of Good Hope was thus discovered by the 
 Portuguese, it does not appear that they established any permanent 
 settlement there, but merely used it as a convenient place of call 
 and refreshment for their ships, when on their way to and from 
 India. It seems also to have been used by the English for the 
 same pui-pose, inscriptions, evidently by our countrymen, having 
 been found on trees and rocks with the respective dates of 1604, 
 1620 and 1622. The Dutch were wiser in their generation ; and 
 in the year 1652, they took formal possession of this part of 
 Southern Africa, and formed a settlement where Cape Town now 
 stands, with a strong fortress, called "The Castle," to secure 
 themselves against the attacks of the savage natives. In 1795, 
 when the powers of Europe were at war with each other, the Cape 
 of Good Hope was captured by the British under Sir James Craig ; 
 and in the month of Maj', 1797, Lord Macartney arrived from 
 England to take charge of the Government. In 1802, the colony 
 was restored to the Dutch at the Peace of Amiens ; but on the 
 breaking out of war again in 1806, it was retaken by the English, 
 under Sir David Baird. Since this period it has continued in our 
 possession, and the colony has gi-adually advanced to its present 
 state of prosperity. 
 
 If we would obtain a correct view of Southern Africa as a iield 
 of Missionary labour, we should make om-sclves acquainted with 
 the map of the country and carefully trace its various divisions, 
 mountains, rivers, and the localities of important places. There 
 we should see the relative position of the Cape Colony, British 
 Kafl'raria, the Colony of Natal, the Orange Free State, the Trans- 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 2og 
 
 vaal Eepublic, Kaffirland, Griqualand, Basntuland, Zululand, Bush- 
 manland, Namaqualand, Damaraland, and Ovampoland. In addi- 
 tion to these countries which have been explored and described by 
 Missionaries and travellers, there are other and extensive regions, 
 stretching away into the vast interior of the continent, which are 
 as yet comparatively unknown ; but to which it is hoped the Gospel 
 of Christ will be ultimately carried by the messengers of the 
 churches. 
 
 That portion of the gi^eat continent now under review, and 
 which is known by the general name of Southern Africa, is in- 
 habited by people of various nations and tribes, of different shades 
 of complexion, and speaking a great variety of languages or dia- 
 lects. Some of these may be regarded as aborigines, properly so- 
 called ; whilst many more have come from distant regions, settled 
 in the country, and adopted it as their home. Perhaps the Hotten- 
 tots have the best claim to the title of original inhabitants. They 
 were a numerous race of people when the country first became 
 known to Europeans ; and, although their number has greatly de- 
 creased of late years, by amalgamation with other tribes and other- 
 wise, those who still remain, especially the poor despised Bushmen, 
 have strong claims upon our sympathy and benevolence, as they are 
 a people deeply degraded by vice and oppression. When we hear 
 or read of Namaquas, Korannas, Griquas, and other coloured or 
 mixed races of people in Southern Africa, we must bear in mind 
 that they are all of Hottentot descent. The Kaffirs are a bold, 
 daring, independent, and warlike people, never having been en- 
 slaved and oppressed like the poor Hottentots. They are supposed 
 to have come originally from the north, and to have driven the 
 comparatively weak and timid aborigines towards the Cape. They 
 live in different tribes under the government of separate chiefs 
 and are known as the Amakossas, Amampondas, Amazulus, &c 
 The Bechuanas, Damaras, and other tribes, although speaking dif 
 ferent languages, must all be referred, in our opinion, to a Kaffir 
 origin. There are also a number of Negroes, properly so-called 
 living in Southern Africa. Most of these have been brought origi- 
 nally from the eastern or western coasts, where they were rescued 
 
 p 
 
HISTORY OF ]VESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 from slave ships by British cruisers. They are known by the 
 general name of Liberated Africans, and are a useful and indus- 
 trious class of labourers. There is also in the colony a consider- 
 able population of IiLiJaij.t, — the descendants of slaves brought by 
 the Dutch settlers from Java many years ago, — who are generally 
 a quiet and industrious class of mechanics, shopkeepers, and 
 domestic servants, notwithstanding their rigid Mohammedanism. 
 In addition to these various tribes and classes of men, we have in 
 Southern Africa the usual variety of European colonists, as Dutch, 
 English, Scotch, Irish, French, German, and others. 
 
 For many j'ears after the commencement of Em'opean colonisa- 
 tion in Southern Africa little or nothing was done for the spiritual 
 benefit of the people. The Dutch gave great prominence to the 
 forms of religion among themselves, as colonists ; but the natives, 
 or heathens, as they always called them, were regarded as out- 
 casts from God's covenant, and were enslaved and severely 
 oppressed in various ways, not being allowed even to enter theii' 
 places of worship. It was not till a comparatively recent period 
 that the Dutch Reformed Church awoke up to a recognition of the 
 spiritual claims of the aborigines, and of colom-ed people in 
 general. Although they are still too frequently excluded from 
 their regular sanctuaries, of late years Missions and schools have 
 been established for their benefit in several places. The Moravians 
 had the honour of being first in the field as l^Iissionaries to the 
 Hottentots and Kaffirs. Their first station in Southern Africa 
 was commenced at Genadendal by the Rev. George Schmidt, who 
 went out in 1737 ; and they have now seven or eight other similar 
 establishments in different parts of the countr}', which have served 
 as so many asylums for the oppressed in times of trouble, as well 
 as places of rehgious instruction for the poor neglected natives. 
 
 The London Missionary Society also commenced its labom-s in 
 Southern Africa at an early period. The eccentric, but zealous 
 Dr. Vanderkemp, their first Missionary, wont out in 1799 ; but it 
 was not till several years afterwards that he and his colleagues 
 gained a permanent footing in the country by the estabhshment of 
 their first station at Bethelsdorp., near Algoa Bay, and by the 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 introduction of the Gospel to other locaHties. The agents of this 
 respectable and useful Society now occupy a considerable number 
 of stations both within and beyond the colonial boundary, and 
 their labours have been attended with a cheering measure of 
 success. In this wide field of Christian enterprise the Church of 
 England, the Church of Scotland, the Dutch Keformed Church, 
 and the Ehenish, Berlin, Hamburg, and French Protestant Mis- 
 sionary Societies also employ a number of zealous labourers ; and, 
 as a general rule, the Missionaries of the respective institutions 
 labour together in much harmony and love, there being no occa- 
 sion for jealousy, as there is ample room and abundant work for 
 all. We now call the attention of the reader to the origin and 
 progress of Wesleyan Missions in this part of the world, classifying 
 them according to the ecclesiastical arrangements of the chm-ch to 
 which they belong. 
 
 Cape of Good Hope Disteict. 
 
 It was not until the year 1814 that the Wesleyan Missionary 
 Society was in a position to take its share in the evangelisation of 
 Southern Africa, when the Rev. John M'Kenny was sent out as 
 the first Missionary. He arrived, with Mrs. M'Kenny, in Cape 
 Town on the 7th of August ; but, such was the jealousj^ of the 
 Government authorities at that early period, that the Missionaiy 
 was not allowed to open his commission, or to preach in the 
 colony although he produced credentials of the most satisfactory 
 character. All that he could do, under the circumstances, was to 
 hold private meetings for conversation and prayer, with a lew 
 pious soldiers and others who had hailed his arrival with gratitude 
 and joy, and patiently to await the result of his representations to 
 the Missionary Committee in London. Before the difficulties m 
 the way of the estabhshment of the Mission could be removed, 
 Mr. M'Kenny was instructed to proceed to Ceylon, where he was 
 afterwards made very useful in the service of his Divine Master. 
 
 The Society in England was not disposed, however, to relinquish 
 its efforts for tlie spiritual welfare of the degraded tribes of 
 
 p2 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 I'J'i/i-^i III],, tA 
 '* I » ; 'I 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 213 
 
 Southern Africa in consequence of the comparative failui-e of its 
 first experiment, and next appointed the Rev. Barnabas Shaw to 
 attempt the commencement of a Wesleyan Mission in the Cape 
 Colony. He landed in Cape Town, with Mrs. Shaw, on the 14th 
 of April, 1815 ; but, on presenting his credentials to the Governor, 
 he met with no better success than his predecessor. His Excel- 
 lency declined to give the Missionary permission to preach in 
 Cape Town, on the gi-ound that the Enghsh and Dutch colonists 
 were provided with ministers, whilst the owners of slaves were 
 un-nalling to have them rehgiously instructed. But Mr. Shaw was 
 of too ardent a temperament to brook delay, and he ventured to 
 take the matter into his own hand. He naively says, " Having 
 been refused the sanction of the Governor, I was resolved what 
 to do, and commenced without it on the following Sabbath. My 
 congregations at first were chiefly composed of pious soldiers ; and 
 it was in a room hired by them that I first preached Christ and 
 Him crucified in South Africa." 
 
 Although it would appear that the Government authorities took 
 no notice for the time being of this infringement of their regula- 
 tions, yet the spirit of prejudice against Missionary efforts pre- 
 vailed among the colonists to such an extent, that Mr. Shaw was 
 much discouraged, as he saw little prospect of good in Cape Town. 
 Under these circumstances he longed for an opening to preach the 
 Gospel to the heathen in the far distant interior, where he might 
 labour to win souls for Christ without being subject to the annoy- 
 ances and hinderanoes which he experienced in the colony. At 
 length an opportunity was afforded of engaging in an enterprise on 
 which his heart had long been fixed. The Rev. Mr. Schmelen, of 
 the London Society, arrived in Cape Town from Great Namaqua- 
 land on a visit, and he made such representations of the openings 
 for Blissionary labour- in that country, that Mr. and Mrs. Shaw re- 
 solved to accompany him on his return, according to his kind invi- 
 tation. A waggon and a span of oxen, with stores, and all other 
 requisites, were accordingly purchased, and every other necessary 
 preparation for their long journey was made ; and on the 6th of 
 September, 1815, the Missionaries, with their families and atten- 
 
214 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 dants, took their departure, being accompanied for some distance 
 by a few friends from Cape Town. 
 
 The Missionary party had pursued their toilsome journey for 
 nearly a month, and had crossed the Elephant River, when, on the 
 4th of October, by a remarliable providence, Mr. Shaw found an 
 opening for a suitable sphere of labour. He actually met with the 
 cliief of Little Namaqualand, accompanied by fom- men, on his 
 way to Cape Town, to seeli for a Christian teacher, being aware of 
 the advantages which other tribes had realised by the reception of 
 the Gospel. Having heard his affecting storj^, and being deeply 
 impressed with the fact that the finger of God was pointing in the 
 direction in which he ought to go, the Missionary agreed to accom- 
 pany the chief to his mountain home, and to take up his abode 
 with him and his people, whilst Mr. Schmelen continued his 
 journey to his own station in Great Namaqualand. About three 
 weeks afterwards, on the 23rd, IMr. and Mrs. Shaw, with the chief 
 and his partj', reached Lily Fountain, on Khamiesberg, the prin- 
 cipal home of the tribe of Little Namaquas ; and the foundation 
 of an interesting Mission was laid, which, from that day to this, 
 has continued to exercise a most beneficial influence on all around. 
 
 As the waggon ascended the mountain, and long before it 
 reached the chief's "great place," the Missionary was met by a 
 party of more than twenty natives, mounted on oxen, and riding 
 at full gallop. They had heard the good news, and came to 
 welcome their teacher to the countr)^, and especially to have a 
 "good look" at Juffroiiw, the Missionary's wife, whom they 
 surveyed with feelings of reverence and awe, never having seen 
 a real white lady before. On reaching the end of their journey, 
 and outspanning for the night, a council was hold by the chief and 
 his head men respecting the arrival of the Missionary, when they 
 all entreated Mr. and Mrs. Shaw to remain with them, promising 
 to assist in every possible way in the establishment of the Mission. 
 The Missionary, therefore, immediatelj' opened his commission by 
 proclaiming to the wondering natives, the glad tidings of salvation 
 in the open air, and by teaching both old and young, as he had 
 opportunity, the elements of religion, and the use of letters, by 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 215 
 
 means of which they might ultimatel}^ be able to read for them- 
 selves the Book of God. It was trying work, and required much 
 patience ; but labour, prayer, faith, perseverance, were eventually 
 rewarded with, a pleasing measure of success. Not only did a 
 number of children and young people learn to read with tolerable 
 facility, but the hearts of several were brought under the influence 
 of Divine grace, and a native church was formed of living, faith- 
 ful members, who were a credit to theii' religious profession. At 
 the same time the civilising influences of Christianity were brought 
 to bear upon the people ; and, from year to year, their temporal 
 condition was materially improved, so that they experienced the 
 truth of the Apostle's declaration, " Godliness is profitable unto 
 all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that 
 which is to come." 
 
 Whilst the Missionary was thus endeavouring to instruct the 
 people, he had to labour hard at intervals to build a house to live 
 in, and a humble sanctuary for the public worship of Jehovah. 
 In the accomplishment of these undertakings many difficulties had 
 to be overcome. The people, although willing to assist, had never 
 been accustomed to continuous labour, and some ludicrous scenes 
 were witnessed in the progress of the work. When the buildings 
 were ready for the roofs, no trees fit for timber could be found 
 within a day's journey of the station ; but when they arrived at 
 the place, the Missionary produced for the first time his cross-cut 
 saw, himself working at one end and a Namaqua at the other, 
 great was the joy of the people on beholding the result ; and they 
 could scarcely be restrained from cutting more timber than was 
 required, from their deUght to witness the performance of the 
 instrument as one tree after another fell to the ground. 
 
 Nor were their dehght and surprise the less on seeing the first 
 plough set to work, which the Missionary had made chiefly with 
 his own hands. The old chief stood upon a hill for some time in 
 mute astonishment. At length he called to his councillors, at a 
 short distance, saying, "Come and see this strange thing which 
 Mynheer has brought. Look how it tears up the ground with its 
 ii-on mouth ! If it goes on so all the day, it will do more work 
 
2i6 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 than ten wives ! " Hitherto the work of tilling the ground had 
 been left to the women and slaves ; but the introduction of the 
 Gospel into the country was destined to mark a new era in agri- 
 cultural pursuits as well as in the moral condition of the people. 
 Mr. Shaw had taken with him to Africa a few garden seeds, the 
 rapid growth of which amused the natives very much ; liut when 
 they saw the use to which the lettuce and other salads were appro- 
 priated, they laughed heartily, saying, " If the Missionary and his 
 wife can eat grass, they need never starve!" These and many 
 other amusing incidents the writer has often heard Mr. Shaw 
 relate with characteristic humour when associated with him in 
 Missionary labom's in the same country in after years. 
 
 The friends of Missions in England were delighted to hear of 
 the success which attended these efforts to estabhsh the first Wes- 
 leyan station in Southern Africa. There was, moreover, a charm 
 about Mr. Shaw's simple and touching communications as they 
 appeared in the " Missionary Notices," from month to month, 
 which had a powerful tendency to awaken and sustain a deep and 
 lively interest in the Missionary enterprise. At that early period, 
 the claims of the Friendly and Fiji Islands, and other interesting 
 fields of Missionary labour which have since occupied such a pro- 
 minent place in the pubUc mind, had scarcely been heard of, and 
 the attention of the British chmxhes was, to a considerable ex- 
 tent, fixed on Africa. Hence the peculiar interest with which 
 intelligence from the newly- established Mission was received ; and 
 the names of Barnabas Shaw and his Namaqua station became 
 household words in many a Methodist family in the United 
 Kingdom, who cheerfully contributed of their substance to sup- 
 port the work, as the Lord had prospered them. 
 
 When the Mission was fully organised, Mr. Shaw required 
 assistance, and the Rev. Edward Edwards was sent out from 
 England to join him. He arrrived in Cape Town in the early 
 pai-t of 1818, and, as there was no waggon to convey him and his 
 baggage to the scene of his future labom's, he performed the 
 journey to Khamiesberg, a distance of nearly fom- hundred miles, 
 on horseback — a feat which gave good promise that he was made 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 217 
 
 of the true Missionary metal, which was amply verified in after 
 j'ears.* Arrangements were now made for the extension to 
 various out-stations in the Underveldt and in Bushmanland, as 
 well as for repeated visits to Cape Town for supplies, which 
 appear to have been unavoidable at that early period. In the 
 month of July, 1819, the Mission in Namaqualand was further 
 reinforced by the arrival at Khamiesberg of the Rev. John and 
 Mrs. Archbell, who soon afterwards proceeded to a place called 
 Eeed Fountain, to commence a new station. This enterprise not 
 answering the expectation of the Missionaries, Mr. Ai'chbell made 
 an experimental journey of several hundred miles to the north- 
 ward, travelling through Great Namaqualand, and part of Damara- 
 land to Walvich Bay. Mr. Shaw also paid a visit to his friend, 
 Mr. Schmelen, at Bethany, in Great Namaqualand ; and, although 
 the way did not open at that time for the establishment of per- 
 manent stations in those remote regions, much valuable informa- 
 tion was collected in reference to a part of the continent hitherto 
 unexplored by Europeans. 
 
 Before we advert further to other scenes of Missionary labour in 
 Southern Africa, it may be best to trace the subsequent history of 
 the iii'st station that was established at Lily Fountain on Khamies- 
 berg. Under the judicious management of the Eev. Messrs. 
 Edwards, Haddy, Jackson, Bailie, Parsonson and Godman, in 
 succession, after the removal of Mr. Shaw, the good work con- 
 tinued to prosper in all its departments, notwithstanding numerous 
 difficulties which have tended to impede its progi'ess. When the 
 
 * The Eev. E. Edwards was spared to labour aa a Missionai-y in Southern Africa 
 for upwards of half a century ; and, by his amiable disposition, simple piety, and 
 untiring zeal, he not only did good service in the cause of his Divine Master, but 
 endeared himself to his ministerial brethren and the people generally. During 
 ten happy years the writer was associated with hun in Missionary labours, and 
 always found him the same cautious, humble, and devoted servant of Christ. In 
 1367 a religious service was held at Stelleubosch, where Mr. Edwards had laboured 
 the longest, to celebrate the jubilee of his arrival in Africa, when a touching 
 address and testimonial were presented to him, by his brethren, and flock. On the 
 6th of April in the following year, he finished his course with joy at Mowbray, 
 amid the lamentations of many who had profited by his ministry, in the seventy- 
 siith year of his age. 
 
2i8 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 old chief died it was thought desirable not to appoint a successor, 
 but to let the government of the tribe devolve upon a number of 
 councillors, especially as the institution lands were now included 
 within the colonial boundary, and the people consequentlj' amen- 
 able to British law. The community consists of about one thou- 
 sand persons, occupying a large tract of land reserved for their use 
 by the Colonial Government, some portions of which they cultivate, 
 whilst the rest is left for the pasturage of their cat'de. This terri- 
 tory was secured to the people through the intervention of the 
 writer in 1855, by a regular diagi-am and grant signed by the 
 Governor General, Sir George Cathcart. From the peculiarity of 
 the climate,' the whole body of the people with their- stock have to 
 remove from their mountain home into the lowlands, called the 
 Underveldt, during the winter months. In these temporary emi- 
 grations they are accompanied b}^ the Missionary and his family, 
 who take up their abode for the time being at a secondary station, 
 called Bethel, where a rude dwelling-house and chapel have been 
 erected for then- accommodation. In times of drought the people 
 are moreover widely dispersed, to find gi-ass and water for their 
 stock, on which they mainly depend for subsistence ; and, when the 
 crops fail, they are frequently hard pressed for want of food for 
 themselves, and fodder for then- cattle. 
 
 When the Mission was first commenced, scarceh' any of the 
 natives understood either Dutch or English, and the Missionary 
 had to preach through the medium of an interpreter ; but now all 
 the services are conducted in the Dutch language, which is gene- 
 rally understood both by old and young, whilst a few are gradually 
 becoming acquainted with English. Such have been some of the 
 drawbacks to the progress of rehgious knowledge and civilisation. 
 Considerable advancement has, nevertheless, been made, and the 
 Little Namaquas belonging to Lily Fountain Missionary Institution 
 afford a fine specimen of the benefits conferred b)' Christianity on 
 the natives of Southern Africa. With this fact the writer was 
 deeply impressed on two occasions when he visited the station, 
 during the time that he was in charge of the Cape of Good Hope 
 District, nearly forty years after the commencement of the work 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 219 
 
 by the venerable Barnabas Shaw. A brief acootint of these visits 
 may form an appropriate sequel to that of this interesting 
 Mission already given. 
 
 The fii'st visit of the vyriter to Little Namaqualand was in the 
 month of July, 18.53, in company with his friend Mr. James Morris. 
 After a toilsome journej' through the wilderness, we arrived at 
 Bethel on Friday, the 14th, and were glad to find that the resident 
 Missionary, the Kev. J. A. Bailie, and the people of the station had 
 already removed to the Underveldt for the winter months. Satur- 
 day was spent in conversing with It. Bailie and a few of the 
 head men on various matters pertaining to the religious and 
 temporal interests of the institution, the result of which was 
 very satisfactory. Towards evening a number of natives arrived 
 at the station from distant places, some in waggons, and others on 
 horseback, to pay their respects to " oud Mynheer," as they were 
 pleased to call the general superintendent, and to be ready for the 
 services of the Sabbath. At an early hour on Sunday morning 
 we were awoke by the singing of the natives, who had already 
 assembled in the adjoining chapel to hold their usual prayer- 
 meeting. We immediately arose, and joined them in their devo- 
 tions. The prayers were oflered partly in Dutch and partly in 
 Namaqua ; and, although we could not understand all that was 
 said, their supplications were apparently so fervent and so sincere, 
 that we felt it good to be there. At ten o'clock the writer preached 
 to an attentive congi'egation of about two hundred Namaquas, Mr. 
 Bailie kindly interpreting. There was an evident manifestation 
 of Divine influence, and it was a season long to be remembered. 
 
 At the close of this service the writer read to the congregation a 
 beautiful, simple, and afi'eotionate letter, of which he was the 
 bearer, from their old friend and minister, the venerable Barnabas 
 Shaw. The following is the substance in a free translation : " My 
 dear friends, many years have passed since I was at Khamiesberg. 
 In this time many of my friends have been removed ; and I hope 
 they rest with Christ in heaven. You and I are following them, 
 and I hope to get safe home. Let us continue to watch and pray, 
 and so shall we obtain help and support from our Saviour and 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Eedeemer. It will be thirty-seven years on the fourth of next 
 October since I met the chief, old Gert Links, old Adam, Jan 
 Willem, and Peter Links, near Kimhoogte, Elephant's Kiver. 
 How good and gracious the Lord has been to us all these years ! 
 ' What shall we render unto the Lord for all His benefits ? ' Let 
 us give om- hearts more fully to Jesus Christ, and cleave to Him. 
 He will never leave us. He will never forsake us. You old 
 people, walk uprightly before the young ones, and pray for them 
 continually. You young men and women, hearken to the aged, 
 and help them in all things. But I must conclude by praying 
 that ' the grace of om- Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, 
 and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost may be with you all.' I 
 hope to see many men, women, and children of Namaqualand in 
 heaven." 
 
 When this letter was handed to old Gert Links in the name and 
 on behalf of the rest of the people, with the charge to read it to 
 them again and again, tears stood in his eyes ; and, with a heart 
 evidently full of emotion, the old man uttered a sentence or two, 
 which, when translated, were in substance as follows : — " Yes, 
 sir, we do not forget our old teachers ; but we love them still. 
 When Mr. Shaw first came among us with the Gospel, he brought 
 us a treasm-e more precious than gold." In the evening we held 
 a service in English for the benefit of the Mission family, and on the 
 following day resumed our jom'ney to visit the still more remote 
 stations beyond the great Orange River. On our retm-n to the 
 Cape we passed over I^liamiesberg ; but being in the depth of 
 winter everything wore a cheerless aspect. We were overtaken 
 by a snow-storm on the top of the mountain, in which we lost 
 one of our horses and were glad to escape to the plains below 
 on our homeward journey, where we found a milder climate. 
 
 The second visit of the writer to Khamiesberg was in the month 
 of October, 1855, and under more favourable cu'cumstances for 
 thoroughly examining the state of the institution. The Missionary 
 and the people at Lily Fountain, the principal station, had just 
 completed the erection of a beautiful new chapel, to the open- 
 ing services of which they had cordially invited their General 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 Superintendent. This commodious sanctuary, capable of accommo- 
 dating six hundred people, built of stone, in the Gothic style of 
 architecture, had cost about £1,000, and yet it had been erected 
 by the united efforts and contributions of the people, without any 
 foreign aid, with the exception of the gift of the pulpit by a few 
 friends in Cape Town. It is a striking monument of the genius, 
 zeal, and liberality of both the Missionary and his flock, as well as 
 a tangible proof of the progress of religion and civilisation among 
 a people whom the Gospel has raised from a state of the deepest 
 moral degi'adation. The new chapel was filled with a congi'ega- 
 tion of deeply attentive and well-dressed natives, and at the first 
 of the opening services the collection amounted to £16 4s. Od., 
 although money is but little used in that country. One hundred 
 and eighty -four peisoris were found united in church fellowship, and 
 three hundred scholars were attending the Mission schools. In a 
 meeting which was afterwards held for Christian counsel, some of 
 the aged members bore honourable testimony to the regenerating 
 power of Divine grace, as realised in their own experience, as 
 well as to the beneficial effects of the Gospel generally on the 
 whole community. Abundant evidences also appeared of material 
 progress and improvement in the temporal affairs of the people. 
 About seven hundred acres of land had been brought under culti- 
 vation, and the natives belonging to the institution owned about 
 one hundred ploughs, thirty waggons, two thousand five himdred 
 horned cattle, fom- hundred horses, and seven thousand sheep and 
 goats. The good work of civilisation and rehgious instruction has 
 also been extended to Norap, Kaauewgoed Vlekte, Eoodebergs 
 Kloof, and other out-stations, with much advantage to the people. 
 Before we leave the western coast of Southern Africa we must 
 briefly notice the labours of the Wesleyan Missionary Society in 
 the more remote regions of Great Namaqualand, beyond the 
 Orange Eiver. The agents of the London Missionary Society 
 having been withdrawn from that part of the continent, the 
 country was left without any means of religious instruction for 
 several years, and war and tumult prevailed in every part of the 
 land. Notwithstanding the unsettled state of the native tribes, 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 accounts were brought to Khamiesberg at dilfercnt times, tbat, in 
 some places, the people were willing to receive Missionaries, and 
 our brethren there were anxious to extend to them the blessings of 
 the Gospel ; but, for awhile, the means were wanting. 
 
 At length, in the year 1825, the way for the extension of the 
 work to Great Namaqualand seemed to open. The Kev. William 
 Threlfall, who had just arrived at lihamiesberg for the benefit of 
 his health, after an unsuccessful attempt to establish a Mission at 
 Delagoa Bay, offered to take a journey of observation ; and about 
 the end of June he left Lily Fountain, -with the permission of his 
 Superintendent, Rev. B. Shaw, accompanied by Jacob Links and 
 Johannes Jager, two native teachers. They were mounted on 
 oxen, after the fashion of the country, and travelled without 
 molestation till they had got two or three daj's' journey beyond 
 the Orange Eiver. At this point they came in contact with trouble- 
 some wandering tribes of Bushmen. Although they had with 
 them a few goods for barter, they suffered much for want of food, 
 the people being imfriendly and unwilling to supply them. They 
 obtained a guide at a certain Bushman village ; but he and his 
 companions formed a plot for the destruction of the whole Mission 
 party, that they might take possession of their eti'ects. The fol- 
 lowing night, while Mr. Threlfall and his companions were sleep- 
 ing under a bush, as usual, without the sHghtest apprehension of 
 danger, their foes camo upon them, and murdered them in cold 
 blood. And, although the principal culprit was afterwards appre- 
 hended, tried, condemned, and executed for his crime, the sad 
 disaster cast a gloom over the Mission cause, and put an end, for 
 the time being, to any further attempts to estabUsh a Mission 
 to the north of the Orange River. 
 
 On the 11th of August, 182G, however, the chief of the tribe 
 called Bundlezwarts, with ten of his people, arrived at the Mission 
 Station at Khamiesberg from the Warm Bath, having com3 to 
 request that a Missionary might be sent to his country ; but the 
 Rev. R. Haddy being alone on the institution at the time, was 
 unable to comply with his request. The chief afterwards visited 
 Cape Town with the same object in view; but, the Missionaries 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 223 
 
 being few in number, he was obliged to wait a little longer without 
 a teacher. 
 
 At length, in the year 1832, the way f3eemed to open once more, 
 and the Rev. E. Cook was appointed to commence the new Mission 
 in Great Namaqualand. He took up his residence with the Bim- 
 dlezwarts at the Warm Bath, now called " Nisbett Bath," in 
 honour of Josiah Nisbett, Esq., of the Madras Civil Service, by 
 whose benevolent contributions the Mission was materially aided 
 in its commencement. Mr. Cook laboured with success for several 
 years in Great Namaqualand, and at length died in his travelling 
 waggon, happy in God, on the banks of the Orange River, on the 
 7th of March, 1843, when on his way to the Cape for the benefit 
 of his health. The work so aiispiciously begun by this devoted 
 Missionary was nobly carried on by the Rev. Messrs. Ridsdale, 
 Baihe, Tindall, Ridgill, Thomas, and Priestley, who were ap- 
 pointed to labour there in succession ; and at different periods 
 gracious revivals of religion were experienced, hundreds of poor 
 sinners being gathered into the fold of Christ, and made happy in 
 the pardoning love of God. 
 
 It must be admitted, however, that the work was, on the whole, 
 very fluctuating, owing chiefly to the migratory habits of the 
 people, rendered necessaiy by the frequent occurrence of droughts 
 and the sterile character of the country over which they roam to 
 find pasturage for their cattle, and the impossibility of cultivating 
 any portion of the soil for their subsistence. Supplies of corn for 
 the use of the Mission families had to be brought from Khamies- 
 berg, a distance of two hundred miles. These circumstances have 
 always been a great drawback to the progress of the work of God, 
 and have materially retarded the advancement of religious instruc- 
 tion and civihsation among the people in this part of the Mission 
 field. 
 
 In addition to the work among the Bundlezwarts at Nisbett 
 Bath, a station was established at Bleijdeverwacht,— afterwards 
 called Hoole's Fountain, in honour of our senior Missionary Secre- 
 tary,— for the benefit of Africaner's tribe. This place is beau- 
 tifully situated, the village being on the margin of a perio- 
 
224 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 dical river, and surrounded by bold and romantic scenery. Al- 
 though seventy-five miles distant from the principal station, 
 Hoole's Fountain was for many years regularly visited by the 
 Missionaries with good effect for the spiritual interests of the 
 people, till a large number of them removed to Damaraland along 
 with their chief Jonker, when the population was considerably 
 reduced, and the station rendered less important. 
 
 In the year 1853, when on a tour of inspection to ascertain the 
 state of all the interior stations in the Cape of Good Hope District, 
 the writer crossed the Orange Eiver and proceeded to Nisbett 
 Bath, where he found the Kev. Joseph Tindall and his gifted son 
 usefully employed in the work of the Mission. There had been 
 a long drought in the country, and the people were scattered in 
 various directions to find grass for their cattle, and consequently 
 the station appeared to great disadvantage. A tolerable congrega- 
 tion assembled, however, on the Sabbath, and marked attention 
 was paid to the word preached. Although not so far advanced in 
 civilisation and religious knowledge as the people at Khamiesberg, 
 the condition of the natives clearly showed how much they had 
 been benefited by the reception of the Gospel, and it presented a 
 striking contrast to that of those who were still involved in 
 heathen darkness. Accompanied by the Eev. Henry Tindall and 
 Mr. James Morris, the writer visited Hoole's Fountain, and 
 although one hundred men and ten waggons had just left the 
 station on their annual hunting expedition to supply themselves 
 with meat for the winter season, we had a considerable gatheiing 
 of people at our religious services, especially of old men, women, 
 and children. 
 
 A meeting which was hold with the people of Hoole's Fountain 
 on this occasion, at their encanipmout in the open field, will never 
 be forgotten. The natives assembled after sunset around the 
 evening camp-fire, which was constantly supphed -^-ith bundles 
 of faggots that had been collected during the day for the purpose 
 by the school children. We had singing, prayer, and speakmg, in 
 three different languages, that all might understand. As the blaze 
 of the fire, which was kept up to give light rather than warmth, 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 225 
 
226 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 occasionally cast its lurid glare on the sable countenances of the 
 people by which it was encircled, now radiant with Christian 
 intelligence and joy, it was almost impossible to refrain from 
 expressions of gratitude to God for what the Gospel had done for 
 them. This feeling was further enhanced by the noble testimony 
 of some of the old men, as to the great change which had taken 
 place since the Missionaries came among them, before which the 
 different tribes often met in deadly conflict not far from the 
 place where we were assembled ; but now they were united 
 in Christian harmony, love, and peace. We found in connec- 
 tion with our stations in Great Namaqualand tuv Imndred and 
 Jifty-nine church memhcrs, and about four hundred scholars at- 
 tending the Mission schools during the most favom-able seasons 
 of the year. 
 
 But we cannot quit this interesting country without a passing 
 glance at a still more distant field of labour. When Jonker 
 Africaner had removed from Bleijdeverwacht to Damaraland, with 
 a number of his people, and desired the services of a Missionary, 
 the way seemed to open for the introduction of the Gospel to the 
 regions beyond ; and in 1842, Mr. Cook paid his first visit to that 
 country. This led to the appointment, some time afterwards, of 
 the Eev. Messrs. Haddy and Tindall, who established stations at 
 places which they called Concordiaville, Elephant Fountain, and 
 Wesley Vale ; and they laboured for some time -with pleasing 
 prospects of success. Afterwards, however, they had reason to 
 be discouraged by the restless, wandering and warlike propensities 
 of the people, and the difliculties connected with obtaining supplies 
 of stores from the colony for the support of themselves and their 
 families. In the meantime a number of German Missionaries 
 connected with the Rhenish Society had established themselves 
 in various places in Great Namaqualand and Damaraland ; and it 
 was ultimately thought best to withdraw our men and transfer 
 our Stations on the South Western coast of Africa beyond the 
 Orange River to the Germans ; who, having few Missions else- 
 where, seemed in a better position than our Society to supply 
 thorn with an adequate amount of labour. Whilst this arrange- 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 227 
 
 ment might convey to the minds of some the idea of entire failm-e 
 in this department of Missionary enterprise, we view it in quite 
 another light, and sincerely trust that it will one day appear 
 that the labour spent on those remote regions of Southern Africa 
 by the Wesleyan Missionary Society was not in vain in the 
 Lord. 
 
 We must now call the attention of the reader to the progress of 
 the work in the capital of the Cape Colony. Although the first 
 Wesleyan Missionaries to Southern Africa found ample scope for 
 their labours in Namaqualand, when prohibited from exercising 
 their vocation in Cape Town, and had reason to acknowledge the 
 providence of God in all their ways, they did not lose sight of the 
 claims of the metropolis, or relinquish the hope that they might 
 some day be able to form a Station there as the basis of operation 
 for the extension of the work in other directions. When the 
 brethren in the interior had occasion to visit Cape Town for 
 supplies, they gladly availed themselves of every opportunity of 
 doing good ; and by their counsels and prayers the few persons 
 who claimed to belong to the Wesleyan body were kept united in 
 heart and affection, in hope of better days to come. 
 
 At length, in the early part of 1820, former prejudices having ia 
 a measure passed away, the Eev. E. Edwards proceeded from 
 Namaqualand to Cape Town, to attempt the commencement of a 
 Mission Station, by direction of his superintendent, the Eev. 
 Barnabas Shaw. Wishing to commence on a sure footing, Mr. 
 Edwards waited on his Honom- the acting Governor, who cheer- 
 fully gave the necessary permission to preach and instruct the 
 slave population of the town and neighbourhood. The first ser- 
 vices were held in an upper room in Plein-street ; but after a few 
 weeks, the congregation having greatly increased, a large unoccu- 
 pied wine store in Barrack-street was hired and fitted up with 
 pulpit, pews, and benches as a place of worship, and the work of 
 the Mission was regularly inaugurated. 
 
 In this humble sanctuary the Gospel was faithfully preached, 
 both in Dutch and English, and the Missionary frequently visited 
 the slaves under Table Mountain, where they were accustomed to 
 
 q2 
 
228 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 assemble together for the purpose of dancing and other amuse- 
 ments ; some of whom were persuaded to attend the chapel and 
 Sunday-school. Soon after the opening of this, the iirst Methodist 
 place of worship in Cape Town, the Rev. William Shaw arrived in 
 Simon's Bay, in the emigrant ship "Aurora," on his way to the 
 Eastern Province. He went on shore and hastened to Cape Town, 
 where he arrived just in time to preach his first sermon in Africa, 
 from that beautiful text, "Who, when he came, and had seen the 
 grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose 
 of heart they would cleave unto the Lord " (Acts xi. 23). On the 
 following day Mr. Edwards accompanied Mr. Shaw on board his 
 ship, when he was introduced to his excellent wife ; and, having' 
 commended them to the providence and gi'ace of God, he returned 
 to his interesting sphere of labour. 
 
 Mr. Edwards was succeeded in Cape Town by Sir. B. Shaw, 
 who was soon afterwards joined by the Rev. T. L. Hodgson from 
 England. More suitable premises were now purchased and iitted 
 up as a permanent place of worship, the old wine store having 
 become too small for the congregation ; and the work was carried 
 on upon a scale more in accordance with the importance of the 
 Station than was practicable in the first humble beginning. In 
 1830, the former places of worship, each of which had answered 
 its purpose for the time being, were superseded by the present 
 commodious Chapel in Burg-street, where an English congrega- 
 tion assembles for Divine worship every Sabbath and on week 
 evenings, which, for respectabilitjr, intelligence, and devout atten- 
 tion to the Word preached, would compare favoui'ably with our 
 average town congregations at home. 
 
 Seven years afterwards a new chapel was erected for the native 
 congregations in Sydney-street under the most auspicious circum- 
 stances. At the opening services the Rev. Messrs. Barnabas Shaw 
 and William Shaw * both preached to large and attentive congre- 
 
 • The Eevs. Biirnabas Shaw and William Shaw were not brothers, as erroneously 
 stated in some books published in America and elsewhere. They had no natural 
 relationship, but were simply two highly honoured pioneer Wesleyan Mission- 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 229 
 
 gations, the honoured Missionary last-named having again called 
 at the Cape when on his way from England (where he had been on 
 a visit) to his own station in the Eastern Province. In 1857, 
 whilst the writer was labouring in Cape Town, a third chapel was 
 erected in Hope- street, on the south side of the city, and nearly a 
 mile distant from either of the others. These places of worship 
 are generally well attended, and in connection with each there is a 
 prosperous Sunday-school, as well as another in Loop-street ; the 
 whole being formed into a " "Union," which is worked with exem- 
 plary zeal and diligence by the friends of education in the Cape 
 Town Circuits. At Sydney-street and Hope-street we have also 
 excellent day-schools connected with our Mission, which provide 
 religious and secular instruction to many who would otherwise be 
 destitute of them. And yet there is room for expansion and 
 aggression in Cape Town, with its population of thirty thousand, 
 one-fifth of whom are rigid Mohammedans. 
 
 We must now leave the city, and take a tour into the country, 
 that we may see what is going on at our respective Mission 
 stations in the rural districts. About four miles from Cape Town 
 stand the beautiful suburban villages of Mowbray and Eondebosch, 
 with their dwellings scattered along each side of the road, at a 
 considerable distance from each other, embowered in trees, gardens, 
 and vineyards. The neat little gothic Wesleyan chapel which may 
 be seen a short distance from the road to the right was built by 
 the late Rev. T. L. Hodgson, in the year 1845, and has been made 
 a great blessing both to the English and native poptdation. Here 
 
 aries in Southern Africa, for several years contemporary with each other, — the 
 scene of Barnabas Shaw's labours being the Cape of Good Hope, and Namaqua- 
 laud, to the westward ; and that of William Shaw, Kaiirland, and the south- 
 eastern coast of the vast continent. The writer was for several years happily 
 associated with Barnabas Shaw in the Mission field, and can therefore testify to 
 his many excellent qnalities. After labouring for more than forty years in the 
 cause which bo so dearly loved, he died, in the faith and hope of the Gospel, at 
 Eondebosch on the 21st of January, 1857. William Shaw, having returned to 
 England and entered the home work, was elected President of the Conference in 
 1867, and is still spared to witness the prosperity of Mission stations which he 
 planted fifty years ago in the days of his youthful vigour. 
 
23° HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 also a Mission day-school is in active operation. This station is 
 endeared to the writer as the scene of his personal labour's and 
 residence for several years. Two miles fm'ther we come to Claie- 
 mont, a scattered village in many respects similar to Rondebosoh, 
 where the Wesleyan chapel may be seen to the left. It was buUt 
 in the year 1859, on a lot of land generously presented to the 
 Society by J. A. Stegman, Esq., with a view chiefly to benefit a 
 large native Mohammedan population concentrated in that neigh- 
 bourhood. Whether we proceed by the railway, or by the com- 
 mon road, we pass Newlands, a scattered rural hamlet to the right 
 under the spur of Table Mountain. A neat little chapel was erected 
 there in 1858, after we had preached in the open air under some 
 oak trees for about three years, and been favoured to see some 
 fruit to our labours. 
 
 The beautiful village of Wynberg, so celebrated as a sanatorium 
 for visitors from India and other places, is eight miles from Cape 
 Town. The elegant Wesleyan chapel built in the Italian style of 
 architectm-e, with its tower complete, was the munificent gift to 
 the Society of J. M. Maynard, Esq., and was erected in 1851. 
 Two miles further we come to Diep River, an important out-station 
 of the Wynberg Circuit. The commodious chapel on the right 
 near to the road was erected by the Rev. R. Haddy in 1840, to 
 meet the wants of a considerable, though somewhat scattered, native 
 population residing on the surrounding flats, to whom the preaching 
 and the instruction imparted in the day-school have been made a 
 great blessing. 
 
 Proceeding along the public road we soon come in sight of the 
 sea at the head of False Bay, having crossed the entire peninsula ; 
 and passing through the villages of Muzenburgh and Kalk Bay, 
 where the Missionaries have occasionally preached, but where no 
 permanent stations have been established, we see in the distance 
 Simon's Town, with the Wesleyan chapel standing on a hill above 
 most of the dwelling-houses, with its modest spire pointing towards 
 heaven, to which the Gospel preached there has been the means of 
 leading many a poor wanderer. This Station is twenty-two miles 
 from the city, and, with Elsey's River over the hills, as an out- 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 231 
 
 post, forms an important and interesting sphere of Missionary 
 labour-. There are a number of English residents at Simon's 
 Town connected with her Majesty's naval dock-yard, and in other 
 official positions, besides the native population, who have been 
 largely benefitted by our Mission, and who, according to their 
 ability, ai-e liberal supporters of the cause. 
 
 WESLEYAN CHAPEL, WYNBEItG, CAPE OF flOOB HOPE. 
 Presented to the Society by James ilortirmr Jlagnafd, Esq. in 1851. 
 
 Stellenbosch is another picturesque village situated in a fertile 
 valley about twenty-eight miles from Cape Town by railway, or by 
 the common road in another direction. The Wesleyan Missionaries 
 extended their labours to this neighbourhood several years ago ; 
 
232 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 and in 1840 the present commodious chapel was erected, chiefly 
 for the accommodation of the large poptdation of colom-ed people 
 labouring on the adjacent farms and vineyards, who flocked to 
 hear the Word of God ; and many of whom have been gathered 
 into the fold of Christ through the instrumentality of this Society. 
 An important out-station has been established at Kaithby, which, 
 together with a little village called Sandfleet, makes the Stellen- 
 bosch circuit a useful and interesting sphere of Missionary labour. 
 Two day-schools are in active operation, and provide religious and 
 secular instruction to a large number of native children who would 
 otherwise be uncared for. 
 
 The next place which claims our notice is Somerset (West), a 
 pleasant spot on the high road from Cape Town to the eastern 
 frontier, at a distance of thirty-one miles from the city. The 
 good work was commenced there in 1834, when an old wine- 
 store was purchased and converted into a school-room and place 
 of worship. In 1861 this humble sanctuary was superseded 
 by the present elegant and commodious chapel, the erection of 
 which, amid many difficulties, reflects great credit on the untiring 
 zeal and energy of the Eev. Eichard Eidgill, who was for many 
 years the resident Missionary there. Neat little chapels have also 
 been erected at the out-stations of Terrington Grove and the 
 Strand, both of which are included in the Somerset (West) circuit, 
 and have exercised a very beneficial influence on the surrounding 
 neighbourhood. The supply of these places with a stated Gospel 
 Ministry, and the efficient conducting of the three Mission day- 
 schools connected with them, afford ample employment for the 
 Missionary and his teachers. 
 
 Eobertson is comparatively a new station, situated in a central 
 position in the midst of a dense population, about one hundred 
 miles from Cape Town. It was commenced by the Eev. Henry 
 Tmdall in 1859, by whose zealous efforts a large congi-egation has 
 been collected, a prosperous native church formed, and an elegant 
 new chapel erected. Important out-stations have been established 
 at the villages of Lady Gray, Montague, and Newmanville, which, 
 together with Eobertson, form an extensive and interesting circuit. 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 233 
 
 'pllj1illl!l!!li!llilii!!i'ii!]S^ 
 
=34 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Two Mission day-schools are also in active operation for the train- 
 ing up of the rising generation. The Missionary is ably assisted in 
 supplying the respective stations with the means of grace, and in 
 carrying on the good work by a few devoted local preachers and 
 native teachers, and through their united and zealous efforts many 
 precious souls have been won for Christ. A promising commence- 
 ment was also made at Swellendam, an ancient colonial town still 
 more distant from the capital ; but after the work had been carried 
 on with encouraging results for a few years, the chapel and Mission 
 premises were destroyed by fire. This happened at a time when 
 the state of the Society's funds did not wan-ant the re-erection of 
 the buildings, and the Station was relinquished, much to the disap- 
 pointment of the people, and the regret both of the Kev. William 
 Barber, the resident Missionary, and the Eev. Samuel Hardey, the 
 writer's worthy successor as General Superintendent of the Cape of 
 Good Hope District. 
 
 Before we proceed to explore other parts of Southern Africa, 
 and to trace the leading events of their Missionary history, the 
 writer may be permitted to say, that he looks back with heartfelt 
 gratitude to God on the ten years which he spent in connection 
 with Mission work at the Cape of Good Hope. From the com- 
 mencement of the enterprise Methodism has had to contend w-ith 
 many difficulties in this part of the wide field, owing to the igno- 
 rance and prejudice of the people in times past. The Dutch portion 
 of the population, which largely preponderates in the western 
 province, have never been very favom'able to the cause of Missions, 
 and in some instances, in former years, have manifested open 
 hostility to it. The work has, nevertheless, taken deep root, and 
 on some of the stations it has advanced to a pleasing state of pros- 
 perity. Of late years the cause has been crippled by embarrassing 
 measm-es of retrenchment, rendered necessary, it is said, by the 
 state of the Society's funds ; but if the liberality of British Chris- 
 tians will enable the Missionary Committee to sustain the work in 
 a state of tolerable efiiciency a little longer, we have no doubt but 
 it will prosper more and more, and ere long become entirely self- 
 supporting. Our people at the Cape of Good Hope are proverbially 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 235 
 
 large-hearted and liberal; contributing to the Mission Fund, besides 
 ■what they give for local objects, about £500 a year. The spiritual 
 results of the Mission are, moreover, such as to excite in our 
 hearts the liveliest feelings of gratitude and praise to God. In con- 
 nection with the respective stations in the Cape of Good Hope Dis- 
 trict we have now nine Missionaries, one thousand three hundred 
 and three Church members, and two thousand three hundred and 
 eleven scholars in the Mission schools. 
 
 Graham's Town District. 
 
 Methodism was introduced into the Eastern Province of the 
 Cape Colony under more favourable circumstances than those we 
 have already had to notice, inasmuch as it formed a considerable 
 element in the original settlement of the country. In the year 
 1820, a plan having been formed by the British Government to 
 send out about four thousand emigrants, to occupy a large tract of 
 country called Albany to the north of Algoa Bay, the Rev. William 
 Shaw, with Mrs. Shaw, embarked with a party of Wesleyans, Mr. 
 Shaw having been appointed as their chaplain or minister, accord- 
 ing to previous arrangements. On arriving at the land of their 
 adoption, and during the .first portion of their African experience, 
 the British settlers had many difficulties to contend with, arising 
 chiefly from unpropitious seasons, the failure of their crops, and 
 the labour and exposure which invariably attend the first efforts of 
 the emigrant to break up the fallow ground and establish a home 
 for himself and his family in the wilderness. In all their trials 
 and privations the people found their faithful pastor ready to 
 sympathise with them, and to aid them in every way to the 
 utmost of his power, whilst he was ever intent on supplying their 
 souls with the " bread of life." Thus were the first two or 
 three years of Mr. Shaw's ministerial hfe in Southern Africa 
 spent in itinerating, visiting, and preaching to the settlers at 
 their respective locations in Upper and Lower Albany, pretty 
 much after the style of a Methodist travelling preacher in 
 
236 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 England in olden times ; and he was favoured to realise a pleasing 
 measure of success. 
 
 From the first arrival of Mr. Shaw and his party of Wesleyan 
 emigrants on the shores of Africa, the miserable and degraded 
 state of the natives with whom they came in contact, both Kaffirs 
 and Hottentots, attracted their notice and excited their sympathy. 
 Nor did they fail to exert themselves to promote their spiiitual 
 and social welfare as they had opportunity. But, at the same 
 time, the religious interest of the colonists occupied a large portion 
 of the time and attention of the minister who came out with them, 
 and who was located in their midst. And here it may be necessary 
 to offer a remark on the principle adopted by the Wesleyan Mis- 
 sionary Society in carrying on their Colonial and Foreign Missions. 
 Whilst other religious associations think it best to confine their 
 attention to the aborigines of the countries where they labour, our 
 Missionaries invariably seek to promote the welfare of all classes of 
 the community, irrespective of language, complexion, or condition ; 
 and they are especially careful not to neglect their fellow-country- 
 men whom they find in foreign lands, knowing that when they are 
 brought to a saving knowledge of the truth, they generally prove 
 both able and willing to render important aid in extending the 
 Gospel to the degraded native tribes around them. This is the 
 principle which has been acted upon from the beginning in Southern 
 Africa, and, indeed, on all our foreign stations. Hence has arisen 
 the mixed character of our work in many places ; for, although we 
 endeavour to classify and arrange our labours as much as possible 
 in distinct compartments, it often occurs that the same Missionary 
 has to minister and teach in two or three different languages. The 
 carrying out of the principle here indicated, and the unavoidable 
 ntermingling of different departments of our work on the same 
 station, renders it almost impossible to discuss the colonial and 
 native branches of our Mission separately ; but we shall do our 
 best to present the reader with a clear and intelligible view of 
 what is being done by the agency of the Wesleyan Missionary 
 Society for the benefit of the community generally in South Eastern 
 Africa, commencing with the Colonial circuits. 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 237 
 
 Graham's Town itself first claims our attention, as it is the 
 capital of the Eastern Province and the head of the District. From 
 an inconsiderable village it has, in the course of half a century, 
 risen to the position of an important colonial city, with a popula- 
 tion of about ten thousand, and contains buildings and mercantile 
 establishments which reflect much credit on the zeal and energy of 
 the British settlers and their descendants, by whom it is chiefly 
 inhabited. The first Methodist sermon ever heard in Graham's 
 Town was preached by the Eev. W. Shaw, in the house of Serjeant 
 Major Lucas, who, together with a few other pious military men, 
 who had been savingly converted to God in Cape Town, gave the 
 Missionary a hearty welcome, and aided him in his important work 
 to the utmost of their power. The preaching room having soon 
 become too small for the congregation, on the 5th of December, 
 1821, the foundation-stone of the first chapel was laid, and the 
 building was completed in due time, notvidthstanding numerous 
 and pressing difficulties. Such was the progress of the good work 
 that in the course of a few years this humble structure was first 
 enlarged, and then succeeded by the erection of the second chapel. 
 In 1850 the third Wesleyan sanctuary was built in Graham's 
 Town, and received the name of " Commemoration Chapel," in 
 memory of the arrival of the first British settlers. This is said 
 to be the most elegant place of worship in the colony, and it is 
 attended by an English congregation of remarkable zeal, intelli- 
 gence, and respectability. At the same time an important work is 
 carried on among the natives, who assemble in the old chapel, 
 which is now entirely appropriated to their use, and to whom the 
 Missionaries preach in two different languages. Out-stations have 
 also been formed at West-hill, Fort England, and other places in 
 the Graham's Town circuits, and the results have been very 
 encouraging. Mission schools have likewise been established for 
 the religious and general instruction of the children of all classes 
 of the community. 
 
 Salem also became an important Station at an early period, the 
 foundation stone of the first chapel having been laid there on the 
 1st of January, 1822. When the sanctuary was finished it was a 
 
238 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 great convenience and comfort to the settlers, who were located in 
 considerable numbers in this neighbourhood, and it became the 
 spiritual birthplace of many precious souls. A large and pros- 
 perous educational estabhshment was conducted for many years 
 in connection with our Mission at Salem, which, together with the 
 
 WESLETAN MISSION STATION, FARilEEFIELD, SOUTHERN AFItlCA. 
 
 neighbouring native institution at Farmerfield, afforded ample 
 scope for the labours of the Missionaries and teachers who were 
 stationed there from time to time. At the village of Bathurst, and 
 among the farms and scattered hamlets of Lower Albany, Metho- 
 dism was early planted, and chapels erected for the benefit of both 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 239 
 
 Europeans and natives ; and the work has continued to grow and 
 expand from year to year to the present time. Fort Beaufort, 
 Seymour, and Alice, unitedly, form an important circuit ; but the 
 work has fluctuated according to circumstances, the repeated Kaffir 
 wars having proved a serious hindrance to its stability in former 
 times. 
 
 Heald Town, so called in honour of the respected senior 
 treasurer of the Wesleyan Missionary Society, has for many years 
 been an important station. From its central position it was 
 selected as the best locality for a native industrial school, which 
 was established and conducted for some time under the auspices 
 of Government. The object of this institution was to train a 
 number of native youths in a knowledge of religion and of the 
 arts of civilised life ; and so long as the experiment was continued 
 the results were satisfactory. But when the Government grant 
 was withdrawn the spacious buildings which had been erected 
 were converted into an institution for the higher object of training 
 native Teachers and Missionaries. In its new character, the 
 establishment bids fair to prove a gi-eat blessing to the stations 
 generally, as it has been formed for the pm-pose of p)reparing 
 native agents for the whole District. Whilst the students are 
 diligently pursuing their studies during the greatest portion 
 of each day, both they and the Missionaries under whose 
 care they are placed are usefully employed, as they have oppor- 
 tunity, in preaching the Gospel, and in other pastoral duties 
 among the native Fingoes, a large number of whom are located 
 in the neighbourhood. Dm-ing the usual vacations they visit 
 distant stations in small parties to hold special meetings, and 
 gracious revivals of religion have sometimes resulted from their 
 zealous labours. 
 
 As the work of the Mission was gi-adually extended to the places 
 already named, and to others which have yet to pass under review, 
 the necessity of more labourers to cultivate the ever-widening 
 field was keenly felt. For some time the noble pioneer Mis- 
 sionary, Mr. Shaw, was aided by a number of zealous local 
 preachers, some of whom had come from England, and others 
 
240 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 had been raised up on the spot. But these worthy Christian 
 brethren had to attend to their respective secular caUings ; 
 and in the course of time, with the exception of two or three 
 who gave themselves wholly to the work, they became widely 
 scattered through the colony, to provide homes for themselves 
 and families. Hence the gi-atitude and joy which were expe- 
 rienced on the arrival of Missionaries from England. Mr. Shaw 
 was first joined by the Rev. Messrs. Kay, Threlfall, and 
 Young ; and a few years afterwards by the Eev. Messrs. Palmer, 
 Boyce, Cameron, J. Edwards, W. J. Davis, and others; and 
 the work rapidly extended to various parts of the Eastern 
 Province, as well as to Kaffirland. It would be a very pleasant 
 task to enter more minutely into the history of this important 
 and interesting Mission ; but the claims of other sections of the 
 wide field upon our space necessarily confine us to a brief outline 
 of the progress of the work, and a hasty glance at the principal 
 stations. 
 
 Port Elizabeth, formerly known as Algoa Bay, is worthy of 
 special notice. No other town in Southern Africa has risen more 
 rapidly than this ; and, being the principal seaport of the province, 
 it now rivals, if it does not surpass, Graham's Town itself, both as 
 to population and importance. On the arrival of the British settlers 
 in 1820, it was a mere landing-place or fishing village, hemmed 
 in by barren sand hills ; but now it presents the appearance 
 of a respectable and well-built town of eight thousand inha- 
 bitants. At an early period Divine ser\'ice was conducted in a 
 large room fitted up for the purpose ; but in the year 1840, a 
 substantial Wesle)'an chapel was erected for the use of the 
 settlers ; and more recently still, a place of worship was provided 
 for the accommodation of sailors in the harbom- as well as for 
 the natives generally, who were for a long time neglected by 
 our Missionaries at the Bay, in consequence of a real or alleged 
 compact with another religious body that they were to take care 
 of them. As the Fingoes collected there in large numbers for 
 the sake of employment among the shipping in the harbour, it 
 was found that there was ample work for all ; and our Society 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 241 
 
 now takes its proper position, both in the English and native 
 departments of Christian laboui-, with great advantage to all classes 
 of the community. 
 
 At a distance of about eight miles from Port Elizabeth, stands 
 the pleasant rural village of Uitenhage, with its gardens, orchards, 
 and vineyards. We have long had a station there ; and, although 
 the population is comparatively small, it has recently been favoured 
 with a resident Missionary, as a sphere of usefulness seems to pre- 
 sent itself among the natives employed at the large wool-washing 
 establishments in the neighbourhood. Higher up in the country 
 we have important stations at Cradock, Somerset (East), Peddle, 
 and Newton Dale. In connection with some of these places exten- 
 sive cii'ouits have been formed, in which the Missionaries itinerate 
 among the isolated farms and villages, preach to settlers and natives 
 as they have opportunity, superintend the schools which have been 
 established, and exert themselves in every possible way for the 
 benefit of a scattered population, who are, in many instances, 
 entirely dependent on them for religions instruction. The journeys 
 taken by these laborious servants of God sometimes extend to a 
 distance of scores or even hundreds of miles, involving an absence 
 from their homes and families of several days or weeks, and much 
 danger and personal discomfort in crossing rivers, deserts, and 
 mountains, in the prosecution of their noble enterprise. They 
 are worthy of the sympathy, the prayers, and the support of 
 all Christian people who stay at home and are happily exempt 
 from the privations and trials to which the Missionaries are 
 exposed. 
 
 IviNG William's Town is the capital of British Kaffraria, an 
 extensive territory, which has been recently annexed to the Cape 
 Colony, and East London is the seaport. At both these places 
 we have interesting stations ; and, although the work has been 
 repeatedly interrupted by Kaffir wars, it has now arrived at a 
 pleasing state of prosperity, the land having for several years 
 past enjoyed the blessings of peace. A commodious chapel was 
 erected a few years ago at King William's Town, which is attended 
 by an intelligent and respectable congregation of colonists, whilst 
 
242 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 the spiritual interests of the natives residing in the neighbour- 
 hood are duly attended to. A school chapel has also been 
 recently built at the German village ; and the out- station of 
 Berkley is regularly visited by the Missionary and his assist- 
 ants. The Mission schools at these places are said to be in 
 healthy and vigorous operation, and the aspect of the work 
 generally, in British Kaffraria, is of the most hopeful and en- 
 com'aging character. 
 
 Mount Coke and the native station of Annshaw are also included 
 in the Graham's Town District, although geogi-aphically related to 
 Kaffirland. The place first named has been selected as the most 
 suitable locality for the Mission press, as it is central to all our 
 stations in South Eastern Africa. From this important printing 
 establishment, so long and so ably superintended by the Rev. 
 J. W. Appleyard, have issued countless numbers of school books, 
 portions of Scripture, and other publications in EngHsh, Dutch, 
 Kaifir, and the Susutu languages, to the gi-eat advantage of the 
 work in all its departments. The Annshaw Circuit is very 
 populous and extensive. It comprises sixty villages and eighty 
 preaching places ; and at the respective stations and outposts 
 one hundred and two class meetings are held every week. In 
 connection with the respective Circuits and Stations of the 
 Graham's Town District there are now twenty-four Missionaries, 
 four thousand eight hundred and nine Church memhers and five 
 thousand and eleven scholars in the Mission schools. 
 
 Queen's Town Disteict. 
 
 The Mission Stations comprised in the Queen's Town District 
 are chiefly in Kaffirland ; and, with the exception of Queen's Town 
 itself, where a number of Em-opeans reside, as in other colonial 
 towns, the work is carried on among the natives entirely, and is 
 not of that mixed character which we have described as necessary 
 where British settlers are located in considerable numbers. That 
 a correct view may be obtained of the nature and extent of this 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 243 
 
 work, we shall now endeavour to give a brief but connected narra- 
 tive of the origin, progress, and present state of our Mission in 
 Kaffirland. 
 
 Although the Kev. William Shaw went out to South Eastern 
 Africa with a party of British settlers, many of whom professed to 
 be Wesleyans, and was appointed to labour specially for their 
 benefit, we are not surprised that the degraded state of the native 
 tribes in the neighbourhood of their locations soon attracted his 
 attention, and excited his sympathy ; for every true minister of the 
 Gospel is necessarily inspired by the missionary spirit. At an 
 early period Mr. Shaw formed the noble design of attempting to 
 introduce the Gospel into Kaffirland, so soon as the necessary help 
 should arrive from home, and, if possible, to form a chain of 
 stations to connect the Cape Colony with Natal. The Mission in 
 Albany having at length been reinforced by the arrival from Eng- 
 land of the Rev. S. Kay, Mr. Shaw left the station in charge of his 
 colleague, and removed to Kaffirland with his family in the month 
 of November, 1823. Having fixed upon a suitable locality for a 
 Mission village in the territory of the paramount chief Gaika, and 
 near to the residence of a subordinate chief named Pato, he pro- 
 ceeded to establish the first station, which was called Wesleyville, 
 in honour of the founder of Methodism. Many changes have taken 
 place since this humble commencement of the good work ; but 
 Wesleyville has continued to be a centre of light and influence 
 amid the sm'rounding darkness, and has no doubt been the spiritual 
 birth-place of many precious souls. 
 
 In the year 1825 the second station in Kaffirland was formed by 
 Mr. Kay, who proceeded up the country, on the arrival of another 
 supply of Missionaries from England. The new establishment 
 received the appropriate name of Mount Coke, in honour of the 
 father of Methodist Missions. This station has also had to 
 pass through various vicissitudes, and to be removed to a better 
 site, the first place selected having proved unsuitable for the 
 purposes of the Mission. At an early period it rose to a pleasing 
 state of prosperity under the judicious management of the Eev. 
 Samuel Young; and after it had been desolated by a Kaffir 
 
 k2 
 
244 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 245 
 
 war, it was re-commenced by the Eev. William Impey. The 
 accompanying engraving gives an accm-ate view of its appearance 
 in 1854. 
 
 The third Wesleyan Mission station in Kaffirland was commenced 
 in 1827, with the chief Hintza and his tribe, by the Eev. W. J. 
 Shrewsbury. The establishment was called Butterworth, in memory 
 of an honoured Treasurer of the Society, long since called to his 
 reward in heaven. This station has been repeatedly destroj'ed in 
 successive Kaffir wars ; but it has always been rebuilt afterwards, 
 sometimes at the expense of the Kaffirs themselves, and has proved 
 a great blessing to the people. Since the land has enjoyed the 
 blessings of peace, the work has expanded into several branches, 
 and a number of interesting out-stations have been formed which 
 unitedly constitute an important native circuit. This extensive 
 sphere of labour comprises thirty-four preaching places, and gives 
 ample employment to the Missionary and eleven local preachers, 
 who have been raised up by the providence and grace of God to 
 take a part in the work. 
 
 In 1829 another step in advance was taken in the commencement, 
 by the Kev. William Shepstone, of the fourth Kaffir station, called 
 Morley, in honour of a respected General Secretary of the Society. 
 This Mission was established for the special benefit of a somewhat 
 remarkable tribe of people under a chief called Dapa. From their 
 comparatively light complexion and sharp features, as well as from 
 the traditions preserved among them, they appear to have descended 
 from a number of Europeans cast away upon the shores of Kaffir- 
 land many years before. A circumstance so remarkable did not 
 come to light without exciting much interest and inquiry at the 
 time ; but it was never cleared up in all its details, and in some of 
 its particulars it remains involved in considerable mystery up to 
 the present period. After the most careful research, however, there 
 appeared to be little doubt but that the mother of the chief Dapa 
 was a white woman, probably one of the few survivors of the ship 
 " Grosvenor," from India, which was wrecked on the coast in the 
 year 1745. She was said to have rejoiced in the name of Betsy ; 
 but of what country she was a native could never be ascertained. 
 
246 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 The chief was wont to boast of his relation to the white men, and 
 was kind to the Missionaries. 
 
 In the estabhshment of the station with this singular people 
 Mr. Shepstone was assisted by JIi-. Eobinson, a pious young Eng- 
 lishman, who was unfortunately killed by the sudden fall of a tree 
 which he was felling for timber for the Mission buildings. This 
 afflictive incident cast a gloom over the undertaking for a length of 
 time ; but it was ultimately brought to a satisfactory issue, and the 
 labours of the Missionaries were made a great blessing to this large 
 tribe of people. In 1865 it was found necessary to remove this 
 station to another site, the former place having proved very 
 unhealthy. New Morley is situated on an elevated ridge in the 
 centre of a fertile valley, with a splendid prospect in every direc- 
 tion ; and, what is better still, it is a home for the oppressed and 
 afflicted, and a centre of evangelical light to thousands of once 
 degraded natives, many of whom have aheady been brought to a 
 saving knowledge of the truth through its instrumentality. 
 
 The fifth Mission station in Kaffirland was commenced in the 
 year 1830, by the Eev. Richard Haddy, and was called Clarke- 
 bury, in honour of the learned divine and commentator. It is a 
 remarkable circumstance that the only two . European labourers 
 who have fallen by the hands of native marauders in this country 
 were both of them connected with this station. The first was Mr. 
 Eawlins, an assistant, who was killed by a horde of Fitcani, near 
 Clarkebury, and the other was the Eev. J. S. Thomas, who was 
 stabbed by a party of Kaffirs who were making an attack on the 
 cattle ki-aal. Notwithstanding these and other adverse circum- 
 stances which for a time tended to impede the progress of 
 the good work at this station, it has gi-adually advanced to a 
 pleasing state of prosperity. Several important out- stations have 
 also been formed in various directions ; and at twenty different 
 places in this circuit the Gospel is faithfully preached by the 
 Missionaries and their assistants in the native language of the 
 people. 
 
 The sixth Kaffir station was established about the same time as 
 Clarkebury, in the country of the Amampondos, under the great 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 247 
 
 chief Faku, by the Eev. W. B. Boyce, who had just arrived from 
 England, and who, with his devoted wife, is still held in affectionate 
 remembrance by a few of the old people in Kaffirland. He gave it 
 the name of Buntingville, in honom- of a distinguished minister of 
 the Methodist connexion, and one of the founders of the Wesleyan 
 Missionary Society, whose memory will never be suffered to die. 
 Although this station is the most remote and isolated of any 
 on the list, it is the only one that has never been desolated by 
 war ; all the rest which we have named have been laid waste at 
 one time or another, and some of them repeatedly. The site 
 of Buntingville has been changed to secure agricultural and 
 other advantages, but it continues to answer the purposes of its 
 first formation, and has proved a great blessing to the surrounding 
 country. 
 
 Two other interesting stations have grown out of Buntingville, 
 one of which is called Shawbury, in honour of the General 
 Superintendent for the time being, whose memory is still kept 
 green in the land of his earliest labours ; and the other received 
 the name of Palmerton in affectionate remembrance of a beloved 
 Missionary who was called to his reward in heaven many years 
 ago. These are situated on the borders of the colony of Natal, 
 and thus complete the " chain of stations" on which the zealous 
 pioneer Missionary set his heart when he first penetrated the wilds 
 of Kaffirland. The Chiistian traveller may now prosecute his 
 journey from Graham's Town to Natal in safety, and receive a 
 welcome greeting and the rites of hospitality at many a smiling 
 Mission station in the wilderness through which he is obliged to 
 pass, which was not the case in former times. << 
 
 On returning from our extensive but hasty Missionary tour 
 along the line of stations which were first formed in Kaffirland, it 
 would be very pleasant if we had the opportunity of doing so, to 
 turn aside, and look upon the devoted brethren who occupy other 
 stations further inland, which in com-se of time have grown out of 
 those already named, — as Osborn and Mount Arthur, so called in 
 honour of two highly-esteemed General Secretaries of the Society ; 
 and Lesseyton, Queenstown, Kamastone, and some others of more 
 
248 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 recent origin. At the place last named we should probably find 
 the venerable William Shepstone, once the pioneer Missionary in 
 the most remote part of Kaffirland, and now the honoured General 
 Superintendent of the District, and who is still spared to water 
 the good seed of the kingdom which he and others sowed in early 
 life. It is the less necessary to enter into minute particulars with 
 reference to these stations, inasmuch as they closely resemble 
 those already described both in their general character and modes 
 of action for the good of the people. We may with projpriety close 
 this brief account of our Missions in Kaffirland with a few remarks 
 on the habits and superstitions of the natives. 
 
 The Kaffirs have, properly speaking, no religious system of their 
 own, and consequently no forms of worship, except in some 
 instances, when a vague and indefinite homage is paid to the 
 memory of departed chiefs and heroes, whose spirits they think stiU 
 live. They are, moreover, extremely superstitious. They believe 
 in lucky and unlucky days, and in the power of witchcraft. These 
 vain delusions are fostered and kept alive by the craft and in- 
 genuity of a certain class of men known as witch-doctors and 
 rain-makers. 
 
 All misfortunes, diseases, and deaths among men and cattle are 
 attributed to the influence of witchcraft. When any untoward cir- 
 cumstance occurs to persons of rank, the first question asked is, 
 "Who is the witch?" And as the person implicated is always 
 liable to have his property confiscated, or, in Kafiir phrase, to be 
 " eaten up," the wily doctor is sure to fix upon some one possessed 
 of wealth. At the command of the chief a summons is issued to 
 the suspecteS parties, a grand meeting is convened, and various 
 rites and ceremonies are performed vnth. a view to " smell out" 
 the culprit. When the declaration is made by the ■ndtch-doctor 
 implicating some one present, the unhappy victim is at once seized 
 and subjected to the most revolting cruelty, to make him or her 
 confess the crime, and divulge all the particulars as to where the 
 bewitching matter has been concealed, &c. Sometimes the sus- 
 pected witch is bound with cords, besmeared with grease, and 
 placed upon an ant-hill, to be tormented by the insects ; at other 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 249 
 
250 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 times hot stones are applied to the feet and other sensitive parts 
 of the body, producing the most excruciating pain, and thousands 
 have been put to death by burning at the stake, strangulation, and 
 in various other ways, under this appalling system of superstition. 
 So true is it that "the dark places of the earth are full of the 
 habitations of cruelty." Scores of well authenticated instances 
 which have come under the personal notice of the Missionaries 
 might be given in illustration of the degraded condition of 
 the poor Kafiirs, but it is more pleasant to dwell upon the 
 all-sufScient remedy provided in the glorious Gospel of the 
 blessed God. 
 
 Every Mission station in Kaffirland is an asylum for the oppressed 
 and afflicted, as well as a school of Christ, in which may be 
 learned the lessons of His love ; and every Missionary is a friend 
 of the persecuted outcast. Often has the life of the poor doomed 
 victim been spared at the intercession of the man of God ; and 
 many a time has the homeless fugitive found shelter in the " city 
 of refuge." It is a pleasing fact that Christian schools for the in- 
 struction of the rising generation have been established in connec- 
 tion with each station, where many have been taught to read the 
 Word of God for themselves. And it is still more pleasing to con- 
 template that a large number of precious immortal souls have been 
 won to Christ by the faithful preaching of His Gospel. This has been 
 the case more or less from the beginning, but in the year 1866 a 
 religious revival occurred on a scale which had never before been 
 witnessed, and which it is believed resulted in the salvation of 
 thousands of poor heathens. This, we trust, is only the precursor 
 of still greater good, as the machinery of our Mission work on 
 every station is in active operation, and both Ministers and people 
 appear to be labouring for and expecting spiritual prosperity. 
 There are now in connection with the Queen's Town District 
 twelve musionaries, two thousand seven hundred and sixty Church 
 members, and one thousand nine hundred and sixty-eight scholars in 
 the Mission schools. 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 251 
 
 Beohtjana Disteict. 
 
 Far away in the interior of Southern Africa, between Kaffraria 
 and Namaqualand, is situated the Bechuana Countby, which is 
 inhabited by an interesting people, for whom something has been 
 done by the Wesleyan Missionary Society with a view to raise 
 them from the state of moral degradation in which they were 
 found when they first attracted the notice of Europeans. 
 
 It was in the year 1822 that the first attempt was made to plant 
 the standard of the Cross in that distant region ; and, although it 
 partly failed in the commencement, in consequence of the sickness 
 of the Missionaries and the unsettled state of the country, it was 
 afterwards renewed with more favourable results. As soon as the 
 health of the Kev. S. Broadbent was, in a measure, re-established, 
 he nobly offered to return to the scone of his former labours, and 
 the Rev. T. L. Hodgson proceeded from Cape Town to accompany 
 him. They were afterwards joined by the Rev. J. Archbell, and, 
 for a time, by the Ptev. E. Edwards also. These devoted servants 
 of Christ explored the country in various directions, but especially 
 to the eastward, with the hope of finding a suitable locality for a 
 permanent station. At length Messrs. Hodgson and Broadbent, after 
 having been repeatedly thwarted in their plans by the prevailing 
 wars among the natives, were enabled to commence a promising 
 station at a place called Makwasse, in the upper region of the Vaal 
 Eiver, with the Baralong tribe of Bechuanas. It was not long, 
 however, before the Missionaries and their people were driven 
 away and scattered in various directions by a powerful and hostile 
 tribe called the Matabele, who made war upon the country from 
 the north. But as soon as an opportunity was afforded they 
 rallied again, and finally settled at a place called Thaba Unchu, 
 to the north of the Orange River. Here the Baralongs, with a 
 few remnants of other scattered tribes who joined them from time 
 to time, have become a comparatively prosperous and happy people, 
 through the instrumentality of the faithful Missionaries who have 
 laboured among them for many years. In connection with this 
 
252 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Btation a large chapel has been erected, and a town has gi-adually 
 grown up, which now contains a population of ten thousand, — • 
 probably the largest assemblage of natives in one spot in any 
 part of Southern Africa, affording, together with Plaatberg and 
 other stations in the neighbom-hood, a fine field of Missionaiy 
 labour. 
 
 In addition to the places already named, where a good work has 
 been carried on for many years among the Korannas, Newlanders, 
 Baralongs, and other tribes of Bechuanas, several other stations 
 have been formed in this district for the religious instruction of 
 mixed populations of different tribes and languages. One of these 
 is Colesberg, a prosperous little town with a mixed population of 
 English, Dutch, and coloured people, for whose benefit the Mis- 
 sionary iDreaches in two or thi'ee different languages. We have 
 there a good English chapel, with a respectable congi-egation ; but 
 a new place of worship for the natives is much required. Meetings 
 are held in several houses in the town, and earnest efforts are 
 made to extend the blessings of the Gospel to the natives on 
 the surrounding farms, of whom there are about one thousand 
 within a moderate distance. 
 
 Burgher's Dorp in many respects resembles Colesberg. The 
 English congregation has not yet got a chapel, however, and the 
 Missionary is obhged to preach to them in the public school-room. 
 The services are generally well attended, and there is a prospect 
 of still greater good. By the help of several native preachers who 
 have been raised up in this neighbom-hood, as the fruit of Missionary 
 labour, eight services are conducted every Sabbath in the town 
 and at the neighbouring farms and villages. "Wittebergen, or the 
 " White Mountains," is a purely native station, having a dense 
 population of Fingoes settled on a tract of land reserved for their 
 use by the colonial government. To these and to a number of 
 Basutus located in the same neighbourhood, the Missionary and his 
 assistants faithfully preach the Gospel in their own tongues re- 
 spectively, itinerating among the surrounding kraals with the most 
 pleasing results. Bensonville, so called in memory of a celebrated 
 Methodist commentator and divine, differs little in its general 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 253 
 
 features from the station last named. In addition to the principal 
 chapel there are six other preaching places, where services are held 
 in the Dutch, Sisutu, and Kaffir languages ; and it is hoped that 
 the result of these zealoufs efforts, in connection with the instruc- 
 tion given in the Mission schools, will be to raise the people to a 
 higher state of civilisation, as well as to secure the salvation of 
 many souls, a considerable number of native converts having 
 already been brought into the fold of Christ. 
 
 ■We have also an interesting station at Bloemfontein, the capital 
 of the Dutch republic known as the Orange Free State. This is a 
 town of considerable importance, with a mixed population of Dutch, 
 English, and natives. To meet the wants of these a Missionary 
 was appointed to labour there a few years ago, and a promising 
 commencement has been made. In 1867 a commodious new 
 chapel was erected, to seat two hundi-ed persons, at a cost of 
 dBl,200, nearly the whole of which was raised on the spot. The 
 native chapel is said to be well attended, and the work is pro- 
 gressing in a satisfactory manner. Fauresmith is another similar 
 town in the Free State. Encouraged by the Government autho- 
 rities, who have rendered substantial assistance, a Wesleyan Mis- 
 sionary has been stationed there also ; and although the number 
 of chm-ch members is at present small, three English and ten 
 native services are held weekly, which cannot fail to be productive 
 of much spiritual good to the people. For some time past the 
 work has been retarded by the unsettled state of the country, con- 
 sequent upon the war which has existed between the Free State 
 and the Basutos ; but, as peace is once more restored to the land, 
 it is hoped that the work of evangelisation will proceed without 
 interruption among all classes of people. 
 
 "We have now in connection with the Bechuana District eight 
 Missionaries, one thousand and thirty-one Church members, and one 
 thousand eight hundred and eighty-six scholars in the Mission 
 schools. 
 
254 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Natal District. 
 
 The next step in advance in the establishment of Wesleyan 
 Missions in Southern Africa was to the territory of Natai, on the 
 eastern coast of the peninsula, and the most distant of the British 
 possessions in that direction, now organised into a regular colony. 
 Successful Missions having been established with the Amampondos 
 in Kaffirland, on the south, and with the Bechuanas and Korannas, 
 in Basutoland, on the West, it is not curprising that the Mission- 
 aries should have felt a strong desire to extend the blessings of the 
 Gospel to the numerous and powerful tribe called the Amazulu, 
 inhabiting the Natal territory and the country northward. 
 
 Difficulties connected with the state of the society's funds, and 
 the prevalence of war in the interior, for sometime retarded the 
 commencement of the work, however, and it was not until the 
 year 1841 that a beginning was made. By this time, a party of 
 English traders had settled at Port Natal, and were proceeding, in 
 their way, to inaugurate a system of colonisation. Almost simul- 
 taneously with this movement, a powerful body of Dutch emigi'ants 
 entered the upper part of the country from the westward, and laid 
 claim to the whole land, by right of conquest. The English, the 
 Dutch, and the native populations were consequently thrown into 
 a state of great excitement, and a serious collision appeared in- 
 evitable, when the Grovernor of the Cape Colon}' sent a detachment 
 of British troops to preserve order in the country. The mihtary 
 expedition marched overland through Kafifiraria to Natal, and were 
 accompanied by the Rev. J. Ai-chbell as a messenger of peace, and 
 the first Christian Missionary to that distant region. 
 
 It would be foreign to oiu- purpose to enter into a narrative of 
 the exciting incidents which occurred before the country was per- 
 manently settled by the English, and a regular form of colonial 
 government established. It may be sufficient to say that the 
 Missionary found ample emplo}'TQent in preaching to the English, 
 Dutch, and native inhabitants, the glorious Gospel of the blessed 
 God, and was ragardod by the people as the " friend of all, and 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 255 
 
 the enemy of none," till peace and harmony were restored to the 
 land, when permanent Mission stations were established in different 
 places, as openings presented themselves. To meet the pressing 
 demands for religious instruction in the new colony, reinforcements 
 of Missionaries were sent, from time to time, from the Cape, in- 
 cluding the Kev. Messrs. Allison, Holden, Davis, Pearse, Cameron, 
 and others. These were joined or succeeded by the Rev. Messrs. 
 Spensely, Gaskin, Blencowe, Piloher, and other zealous labourers 
 from England ; and it is a pleasing fact that two devoted young 
 Missionaries, the Rev. Messrs. J. Jackson, junr., and J. R. 
 Cameron, the sons of Wesleyan Ministers, have been raised up in 
 the colony to take a part in the good work. By the united and 
 zealous efforts of these honoured and devoted servants of God, 
 aided by a noble band of local preachers and native teachers, a 
 number of important stations have been established. 
 
 At Durban, which is situated at Port Natal, where the work 
 was first commenced, a commodious Chapel was erected in the 
 year 1858, in which a respectable, and intelligent congregation 
 regularly assembles for Divine worship. A goodly number of 
 the colonists have been united in chmxh fellowship, and are 
 zealously engaged in the service of God. The native department 
 of the work, which is carried on in the old chapel and school- 
 room, is also said to be in a prosperous state. Several interesting 
 out-stations have been formed, and religious services are regularly 
 held in five chapels and eighteen other preaching places in the 
 circuit, with very encouraging results, a gracious revival of rehgion 
 having been recently experienced. 
 
 Maritzburg is the capital of the colony, and is situated about 
 ninety miles inland from the Port. Our Mission work is of a 
 mixed character here also, and is carried on in the same way 
 as at Durban. The new English chapel which was erected a few 
 years ago, is an ornament to the town, and is attended by a large 
 and respectable congregation. The Gospel is also faithfully 
 preached to the natives in their own tongue, both in the town and 
 at the neighbouring locations ; and a goodly number have been 
 gathered into the fold of Christ. From Maritzburg, the work 
 
2s5 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 has been extended to York, George Town, Prospect, Malton, 
 Foxliill, Camperdown, Moor Eiver, and other places, situated at 
 distances varying from five to fifty-five miles from the capital. 
 In this extensive circuit, the Missionaries and their assistants 
 travel and labour with a self-denyiag zeal and earnestness worthy 
 of the highest commendation. 
 
 Ladysmith is situated in the stUl more remote interior of 
 the country, and is central to a large but widely scattered 
 population of English settlers, who would be left entirely destitute 
 of the means of grace, if they had not the services of our Mission- 
 ary. In five small towns or villages in this circuit, preaching has 
 been established ; and at six other places, chiefly isolated farms, 
 small congregations have been collected, and the people cheerfully 
 come from ten to forty miles to hear a Gospel sermon. The 
 results of these widely extended labours, it is hoped, will be seen 
 after many days. 
 
 At Verulam and Umhali, the work is earned on both in English 
 and in Kaffir; whilst at Edendale, Kwangubeni, Indaleni, and 
 Inanda, it is conducted chiefly for the benefit of the natives. It 
 is unnecessary to enter into a minute description of each of these 
 stations, as they very much resemble each other, and some of 
 those also which have been abeady described, and the modes of 
 operation are similar at every place. Divine service is conducted 
 and the Gospel faithfully preached in the vernacular language of 
 the people, and Mission schools are estabhshed for the training of 
 the rising generation. It is gi-atifying to be able to state that 
 a pleasing measm-e of success has attended the labours of the 
 Missionaries and their assistants, notwithstanding the difficulties 
 with which they have had to contend, partly from the injm-ious 
 influence of Dr. Colenso's teaching, and partly from the deeply 
 degraded state of the natives, which are said to number upwards 
 of one hundred thousand in the colony. 
 
 We must not omit to notice, however briefly, another branch of 
 Missionary labour in Natal, which, although differing in its nature 
 from that which has been already described, has nevertheless 
 some peculiar featui-es of interest. We allude to our Mission to 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 257 
 
 the Indian coolies settled there. To meet the alleged demand for 
 continuous labour on the sugar, coffee, and other estates, several 
 shiploads of coolies were imported to the colony a few years ago, 
 to the number of 6,500. These were collected from almost every 
 town of our Indian empire, and spoke no fewer than ten different 
 languages. To provide in some measure for the religious instruc- 
 tion of this mixed multitude of foreigners, the Eev. Ealph Stott, 
 a returned Missionary from India, was appointed to labour among 
 them in 1861. He has since been joined by his son, the Eev. S. 
 H. Stott, as it was thought there was an ample field of labour 
 for two Missionaries. They are constantly engaged in itinerating 
 among the estates where the coolies are located, preaching to 
 them in their own tongues Christ and Him crucified at eighty 
 different places, the extremes of which are one hundred miles 
 apart. This work is only in its infancy, but the fruit which has 
 aheady appeared warrants the hope of a richer harvest in time 
 to come. 
 
 But whilst our Mission work in Natal is of the mixed character 
 we have described, it must be remembered that its prime object 
 is the evangelisation of the native Zulus, a tribe of Kaffirs, in 
 their natural state savage and warlike, but remarkably shrewd and 
 observant. A few years ago a party of them were taken to 
 
 England by a Mr. C for the purpose of public exhibition in 
 
 their war dances and other savage exploits. If the experiment 
 failed to remunerate the silly projector of the enterprise, it gave 
 the party of natives an opportunity of seeing and forming their 
 opinion of the " white man's country," of which they were not 
 slow to avail themselves. When the survivors returned to Natal, 
 — for we are sorry to state that some of them died in this strange 
 land, — they were immediately surrounded by crowds of their 
 countrymen asking for news from the other side of the " great 
 salt water." A set time having been appointed for a hearing 
 in the presence of the chief of the tribe to which they belonged, 
 and a large concourse being assembled to hear what their friends 
 had seen in England, a young man of their company stood up to 
 speak on behalf of himself and his companions. The fol- 
 
 s 
 
258 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 lowing is a literal translation of the principal points in hia 
 address, which may perhaps be interesting to the reader. 
 After telling of the voyage, and how frightened and sea-sick 
 they were on board the ship, he said: — 
 
 " In the third moon we saw England. Then we were told we 
 were in the mouth of a river, and soon after that London was 
 before us. Those who knew London saw it ; our eyes, however, 
 saw nothing but a cloud of smoke, then houses, and presently 
 poles standing out of the water, like reeds in a marsh, and these 
 were the mast of the London ships. We went in among them, 
 and our ship stood still, and we found ourselves in London, the 
 great place of the Enghsh. The place is very large. We never 
 saw the end of it. We tried hard to find it, but we could not. 
 We ascended a high building like a pole (the Monument), to see 
 where it ended, but our sight was filled with houses and streets 
 and people. We heard that many people born and grown old 
 there never saw the end of it, and we said, ' If such is the case, 
 why should we, who are strangers, look for it ? ' We gave it 
 up. The people are so many that they tread on one another. 
 All day and night the streets are crowded. We thought that 
 some great thing had happened, and said, ' Let us wait till the 
 people have passed on,' but they never did pass. The sm-face 
 of the earth is too small for the people, and some live under 
 the earth, and even under the water (alluding to the shops in 
 the Thames Tunnel). 
 
 " When we left London, we travelled in a fine waggon drawn 
 by another waggon, but how I never could understand. I could 
 only make out that the fii'st waggon is like a large kettle on 
 wheels, full of water, with a fire under it to make it boil. But 
 before it boils other waggons loaded are tied on behind it, for 
 the moment it does boil it runs away on its own road, and if 
 it were to boil without the waggons being fastened to it I do 
 not know where it would go to. We saw a number of oxen, but 
 the oxen in England do not draw the waggons, but they ride in 
 them, and are drawn along all altogether by the big thing with 
 the boiling water in it. We saw many other strange things 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 259 
 
 more than we can tell you of. We saw men ascend into the 
 skies, and go higher than the eagle. The men did not go up 
 
 5f£i^^sms52^l 
 
 FOUR OF THE WIVES OF SANDILLI, A KAFFIR CniEF. 
 
 with wings, but in a basket. The basket was tied to a large 
 round bag, filled with smoke. It looked like a large calabash, 
 with the mouth downwards, and the basket hung beneath. In 
 
 s2 
 
26o HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 this two people sat, and when the bag was let go it went up 
 with them. I looked at it till my eyes were tired, and it became 
 smaller than a bird. They took up sand with them and poured 
 it on the people beneath, and some fell on us. We likewise saw 
 dogs carrying letters, and monkeys firing off guns. We saw a 
 horse dancing to a drum, and when he had finished, he made 
 a bow to the people who were looking at him. We saw elephants, 
 sea-cows, tigers, and crocodiles living in houses, and snakes 
 handled by human hands. We saw men standing on their heads 
 and walking on their hands for money, and we paid our own 
 money to see them do it." After a minute and intelligent account 
 of an interview with the Queen with which they were honoured, 
 and a description of her palace, guards, and equipage, the young 
 Kaffir concluded his address amid loud applause and clapping of 
 hands. The young people were delighted, but the old men were 
 somewhat incredulous, and shook their heads in mute astonishment, 
 declaring that they could believe almost everything that their 
 countryman had said, except the account which he had given 
 of oxen riding in waggons instead of drawing them. 
 
 Such are the people among whom we labour in South-Eastem 
 Africa. They are not deficient in mental capacity ; but in their 
 natural state both men and women are deeply degraded, and it is a 
 pleasing fact that many of them have been brought to a saving 
 knowledge of the truth. We have now in the Natal District 
 seventeen Missionaries, one thousand Jive Inmdred and eighty-one 
 Church members, and one thousand five hundred and sixty-seven 
 scholars in the Mission schools. 
 
 Before we take our leave of this interesting sphere of Missionary 
 labour, we may just glance at the aggregate statistical results of 
 the past half centm-y, so far as they can be tabulated. We have 
 now in connection with our respective stations and districts in 
 Southern Africa seventy Missionaries preaching the Gospel in the 
 vernacular tongues of the people to whom they minister ; eleven 
 thousand five Itundred and ticenty-four Church members, of diiferent 
 nations and tribes of people ; and twelve thousand three Jiundred 
 and forty-three scholars receiving instruction in the Mission schools. 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 261 
 
 It is a pleasing fact, moreover, that tlie Holy Scriptures, hymn- 
 books, catechisms, and other religious publications have been 
 translated into five or six different languages, by the Missionaries, 
 for the use of the natives. Some of these languages had never 
 been written when the Missionaries undertook the arduous task of 
 reducing them to a grammatical form. To the Kev. W. B. Boyce, 
 now one of the General Secretaries of the Wesleyan Missionary 
 Society, belongs the honour of compiling the first Kaffir Grammar, 
 and of unravelling the intricacies of one of the most difiicult lan- 
 guages of Southern Africa. By his unwearied and successful 
 efforts, and those of other zealous Missionaries, the way has been 
 in a measure prepared for the noble band of laboui-ers who have 
 succeeded them in this interesting field of Missionary enterprise. 
 May the success of the future be not only as the past, but much 
 more abundant. 
 
CHAPTEE VI. 
 AUSTRALIA. 
 
 PRELIMINAEY OBSERVATIONS NEW SOUTH WALES QUEENSLAND VIC- 
 TORIA SOUTH AUSTRALIA WESTERN AUSTRALIA TASMANIA. 
 
 AUSTRALIA has justly been described as the largest island in 
 the world, being nearly equal in extent to the whole of 
 Europe. It is estimated at two thousand four hundred miles in 
 length and twelve hundred in breadth. Notwithstanding the rapid 
 advance of colonial enterprise, and the numerous extensive journeys 
 which have been taken of late years, the interior of the country still 
 remains, to a considerable extent, unexplored. So far as it has 
 come under the notice of Europeans, the land in many places 
 appears admirably adapted for grazing purposes, and extensive 
 sheep-walks and cattle-farms have been established in various 
 districts. Where agricultural experiments have been tried, the soil 
 has been found capable of producing grain, provisions, and fruits 
 of different kinds, with the usual variety of articles which generally 
 flourish in semi-tropical countries. The principal items of export 
 are wool, hides, tallow, and of late years, gold. The climate, 
 although very warm during the summer months, is said to be, 
 on the whole, healthy and well adapted to the constitution of 
 Europeans. 
 
 It is generally admitted that this great island continent, if so it 
 may be designated, was discovered by the Portuguese in the early 
 
AUSTRALIA. 263 
 
 part of the sixteenth century ; but the first regular exploration of 
 its shores was on its western coast, by a Dutch navigator, named 
 Dirk Harto, in the year 1616. It was again visited by the Dutch 
 three or four years afterwards, when the coast about Swan Eiver 
 was discovered. The southern coast was explored by the Dutch 
 in 1627, as were also the northern shores at a later period, when 
 an order was issued by the States'-General that the territory should 
 be called " New Holland." The whole of the eastern coast was 
 discovered by our countryman. Captain Cook, in 1770, and was 
 called by him " New South Wales." Both these names are now, 
 however, merged in the general designation of " Australia," or the 
 " South Land," with which we may conveniently class the island 
 of Tasmania, which was discovered about the same time. As 
 colonisation advanced, Australia was divided into separate pro- 
 vinces or colonies, which divisions, with their respective civU and 
 Methodistic ecclesiastical organisations, will more clearly appear as 
 we proceed. 
 
 The first British settlement in the Southern hemisphere was 
 formed in New South Wales, towards the close of the last century, 
 on the separation of the North- American provinces from England. 
 It was estabhshed for the avowed purpose of " ridding the mother 
 country, from time to time, of the yearly increasing number of 
 prisoners, who were accumulating in the jails, of affording a prop«r 
 place for the punishment of criminals, and of forming a free colony 
 out of the materials which the reformed prisoners would supply, in 
 addition to the families of free emigrants who might be induced to 
 settle in that country." With these objects in view, the British 
 Government fitted out a small fleet, with two years' provisions on 
 board, for upwards of one thousand persons, who embarked for the 
 new colony, seven hundred and fifty of whom were convicts. This 
 fleet sailed into Port Jackson under the command of Captain 
 Phillip, the Governor, on the 26th of June, 1788. As soon as they 
 had landed, the emigrants, both bond and free, were busily em- 
 ployed in felling the forest trees, and clearing the ground along the 
 margin of the bay and up the slopes, on which the splendid town 
 of Sydney now stands. There they pitched their tents and 
 
264. 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 organised the first English colony in the Southern World, which 
 has an interesting general history of its own into the minute par- 
 ticulars of which we cannot now enter. Neither must we make 
 any observations at present on the convict system, so intimately 
 connected with the origin of the settlement, as we wish to pass on 
 
 i 
 
 
 L\.\« 
 
 *• 
 
 y^M,^ y^~it4--^ 
 
 1^ 
 
 i.j 
 
 ^ 'SKPsiVk 
 
 
 
 kJ^itfT^^ 
 
 f^^m 
 
 NATIYE CONTESTS. 
 
 as quickly as possible to the main object which we have in view 
 — the history of the Missionary enterjjrise for the benefit of the 
 Aborigines and the settlers. But to prepare the way for this, it is 
 necessary to take a hasty glance at the progress of events for some 
 time after the arrival of the English fleet in Port Jackson. 
 
AUSTRALIA. 265 
 
 The pale-faced strangers had not been long on shore when tho 
 dark and savage natives came down upon them in a considerable 
 body, and assumed quite a warlike attitude, as if they intended to 
 drive them from their hunting-grounds back again into the sea, 
 from which they appeared so strangely to have emerged. Hostil- 
 ities at once commenced ; but in return for a shower of arrows, 
 the natives received a volley of musket-balls, the mysterious eifects 
 of which sent them scampering off into the depth of the forest, 
 from which they were afterwards seen to venture only occasionally, 
 and that in small straggling parties. On fm-ther investigation, 
 however, it was found that the Aborigines were by no means 
 numerous, considering the extent of the country ; that they 
 wandered about from one encampment to another without any 
 certain dwelling-place, and that they were the most degraded 
 specimens of humanity that had ever been found in any country. 
 We are sorry to be obliged to admit that the natives of Australia 
 have often met with unkind and even cruel treatment at the hands 
 of the settlers, that their number has been gradually decreasing 
 from year to year, and that very little has been done to promote 
 their civilisation. The decrease in the number of the Aborigines 
 became more perceptible when they became addicted to the use 
 of ardent spirits, introduced among them by the European 
 settlers, and when they had learned the use of firearms, which they 
 freely employed in the destruction of each other. Perhaps it 
 ought to be stated also that bitter disappointment, if not entire 
 failm-e, has been the result of the few well-meant efforts which 
 have been made by the Wesleyans, Moravians, and others to 
 reclaim and Christianise these poor outcasts, so that the Mis- 
 sionary enterprise in Australia has been conducted chiefly for the 
 benefit of European settlers and their descendants, both bond and 
 free. 
 
 But notwithstanding this circumstance, from the character and 
 influence of the convict system, and the demoralised state of aU 
 classes of the community for a length of time after the commence- 
 ment of the new colony, there was a loud call and an imperative 
 necessity for evangelical labour. We shall now proceed to relate 
 
cCG HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 under what circumstances the Wesleyan Missionary Society was 
 induced to enter this important field of labour, and what have been 
 the character and results of its operations in different parts of 
 Australia, taking a view of each colony or province separately. 
 
 New South Waies. 
 
 In connection with the convict stations and free settlements 
 which were first established in New South Wales, two or three 
 Episcopal chaplains and a few schoolmasters were appointed by 
 Government to attend to the religious instruction of the people ; 
 but, as the population increased, these were found to be quite in- 
 BufBcient to meet the spiritual necessities of the community. Two 
 of the early teachers thus employed, namely Messrs. Bowden and 
 Hosking, had been Wesleyan schoolmasters in London, and feeHng 
 the want of the means of grace to which they had been accustomed 
 at home, they organised a Methodist class, the first meeting of 
 which was held in Sydney on the 6th of March, 1812. There 
 were present the two schoolmasters already mentioned and their 
 wives, two senior girls from the school, two soldiers, and four other 
 persons, making twelve in aU. Such was the humble beginning of 
 Methodism in Australia. " Who hath despised the day of small 
 things ?" But these few disciples of Christ were not satisfied with 
 merely endeavouring to secure the salvation of their own souls ; 
 they felt deeply concerned for the spiritual welfare of others ; and, 
 believing that Methodism, as a system, was well adapted to meet 
 the wants of the people, they wrote to England earnestly request- 
 ing that a Wesleyan minister might be sent out to them. 
 
 A brief extract from this communication, which was published 
 in the Methodist Magazine at the time, may serve to throw some 
 light on the state of society in Australia at that period. They say : 
 " There are probably twenty thousand souls in this colony of New 
 South Wales, natives of the British Isles and their descendants. 
 From the description of persons sent here much good cannot be 
 expected. The higher ranks of these, who were formerly convicts, 
 are, in general, either entirely occupied in amassing wealth or 
 
AUSTRALIA. 267 
 
 rioting in sensuality. The lower orders are indeed the filth and 
 offsoouring of the earth in point of wickedness. Long accustomed 
 to idleness and wickedness of every kind, here they indulge their 
 vicious inchnations without a blush. Drunkenness, adultery. 
 Sabbath breaking, and blasphemy, are no longer considered as 
 indecencies. All those ties of moral order, and feelings of pro- 
 priety, which bind society together, are not only relaxed, but 
 almost extinct. This is the general character of the convicts, 
 high and low ; and, excepting the civil and military departments 
 of Government, there is no other difference than that which 
 wealth naturally creates in the means which it affords for greater 
 indulgence in vice. ... At first there was but one family of 
 Wesleyans, now we have nineteen persons meeting in class. We 
 call upon you in our own behalf; leave us not forsaken in ttis 
 benighted land. We call upon you in behalf of our children ; let 
 them not be left to perish for lack of knowledge. We call upon 
 you in behalf of those who have neither opportunity nor inclina- 
 tion to speak for themselves ; leave them not in their blood. We 
 call upon you in the name of the outcasts of society, landing daily 
 on our shores ; administer to them that Word which may make 
 their exile a blessing. Send us that Gospel which you have re- 
 ceived of the Lord to preach to every creature. Send amongst us 
 one of yourselves, and many shall rise up and call you blessed." 
 
 The Committee in London regarded this appeal as the call of 
 Providence ; and, although the funds of the Society were hardly 
 adequate to such an undertaking, in view of the claims of existing 
 Missions, they nevertheless began to look out for a suitable Mis- 
 sionary, with the hope that their friends would stand by them and 
 provide the necessary funds for the support of the enterprise. 
 They had not long to wait ; for whenever God has a work to do. 
 He is sure to find suitable instruments to do it. The person who 
 was raised up by Divine providence as the pioneer Missionary to 
 the Southern World was the Kev. Samuel Leigh, a man wonderfully 
 adapted both by nature and grace for the important work to which 
 he was called, as we shall see in the course of our narrative. He 
 was endowed with a robust constitution, a cheerful disposition, and 
 
268 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 remarkable energy of character. Mi-. Leigh had been designed for 
 another sphere of labour, and had left his native home in Stafford- 
 shire, taken an affectionate leave of an aged mother and a dying 
 sister, whom he was never to see again in this world, and came up 
 to London at the call of the Committee for embarkation ; but no 
 sooner did the emergency of the case require a change in his 
 destination, than he cheerfully submitted to the new appointment. 
 
 Mr. Leigh embarked for Australia in the ship " Hebe," on the 
 28th of February, 1815, and after a tedious and stormy passage of 
 more than five months, he arrived at Sydney in safety on the 10th 
 of August. Immediately on his landing, ]\Ii-. Leigh proceeded to 
 the residence of one of the parties who had so earnestly requested 
 the appointment of a Wesleyan Missionary ; but, although there 
 was no lack of courtesy, his reception was not of that hearty and 
 enthusiastic character which has sometimes marked the arrival of 
 a messenger of mercy in a foreign land. Fears were expressed as 
 to the legal difficulties which might exist with regard to the exercise 
 of his ministry in the colony of New South Wales. And on look- 
 ing over the Missionary's baggage, the gentleman who received him 
 said, "It does not appear that you have brought any household 
 fui'uiture : in our application to the Committtee we particularly 
 requested them to send furniture for a Jioiise." " The Committee 
 understood you," said Mr. Leigh, " to apply for furniture for a 
 horse, and I have brought a second-hand military saddle and bridle 
 complete, and all other requisites." From the indistinctness of the 
 handwriting, the Missionary Secretaries had substituted the word 
 "horse" for house; hence the ludicrous mistake, which is only 
 one of many we have known to occur from the vrant of clear and 
 legible writing on the part of those who have to transact important 
 public business. 
 
 On the day after his arrival Mr. Leigh waited on his Excellency 
 the Governor, to pay his respects, according to custom, and to 
 show his credentials. Here again he met with a rebuff; and it 
 was not till after a lengthened conversation, in the course of which 
 the object and aim of the Missionary were clearly set forth, that 
 the objections of his Excellency were overcome. At length he 
 
AUSTRALIA. 269 
 
 said, "If those be your objects, they are certainly of the first 
 importance ; and if you will endeavour to compass them by the 
 means you have now specified, I cannot but wish you all the 
 success which you can reasonably expect or desire. Call at the 
 Surveyor-General's office, present my compliments, and say, that 
 I wish him to aftbrd you every facility in his power in travelling 
 from one township to another." At the close of this interview, 
 the Governor advanced towards Mr. Leigh, and shook hands with 
 him in the most cordial and friendly manner. 
 
 With his feelings somewhat relieved by the favourable turn 
 which his affairs had taken, the Missionary returned to his humble 
 lodgings to render thanks to his Heavenly Father, and to consider 
 what steps it would be best to take next in order to succeed in 
 the benevolent object which he had in view. His prospects were 
 still far from bright, and it is doubtful whether a Mission was ever 
 commenced in any part of the world under more discouraging 
 circumstances than that to our own unfortunate countrymen and 
 their descendants in Australia. With few exceptions the colony 
 of New South Wales was a vast community of convicts, vdth 
 wandering tribes of savage natives on its borders ; and the graphic 
 description which the Apostle Paul gives of the Gentiles of his 
 time has been aptly quoted as illustrative of the character of 
 these miserable outcasts : — " Being filled with all unrighteousness, 
 fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness ; full of envy, 
 murder, debate, deceit, malignity ; whisperers, backbiters, haters 
 of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, dis- 
 obedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, 
 without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful." The free 
 settlers and squatters were widely scattered over a large section 
 of the country, and being entirely destitute of the means of re- 
 ligious instruction, their moral condition was only a few degrees 
 above that of the convict population. Up to the time of the arrival 
 of the first Wesleyan Missionary in the country, the Government 
 had been busily occupied in erecting jails, barracks, and other 
 public buildings necessary for the civil, military, and convict 
 estabhshments ; but very little had been done for the religious 
 
270 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 and moral improvement of the people. In fact, the whole aspect 
 of affairs, the state of society, the mode of government, the dis- 
 cipline adopted in the management of the convicts, and the 
 temper and spirit of everything and everybody appeared cold, 
 cruel, and repulsive in the extreme, and the Missionary felt that 
 he had indeed come to a strange place. But, in view of aU these 
 things, he was not disposed to yield to discouragement. 
 
 Having secured the countenance and protection of the Colonial 
 Government, Mr. Leigh began to arrange his plans for a vigorous 
 and systematic attack upon the mass of ignorance and immorality 
 by which he was surrounded. In the true spirit of the " early 
 Methodist Preachers," he mapped out for himself an extensive 
 circuit, in which to itinerate, for the purpose of making known to 
 all classes of the community the good news of salvation. Begin- 
 ning at Sydney, the capital of the colony, where he fixed his head- 
 quarters, and took care to make strong his basis of operations, he ex- 
 tended his labours to Paramatta, Windsor, Liverpool, Castlereagh, 
 Prospect, Concord, Bulkham Hills, Castle Hill, Kissing Point, and 
 other places. And, notwithstanding the unpromising aspect of affairs 
 at first, and the numerous difficulties which had to be encountered, 
 the Missionary was favoured to witness a measure of success far 
 beyond his most sanguine expectations. Never was the wonderful 
 transforming power of the Gospel more gloriously displayed than 
 in the incidents connected with the early history of our Australian 
 Mission. Men who had dispised parental authority at home, who 
 had disregarded truth and honesty, who had passed through the 
 discipline of the prison and the treadmill, and finished their 
 convict life in the chain gang, trembled like Felix under the 
 faithful preaching of the Gospel, gave their heai'ts to God, became 
 consistent members of the Church of Christ, and exemplified the 
 beauty of religion by a holy walk and conversation. It would be 
 a pleasing and interesting task, if time and space permitted, to 
 follow the enterprising Missionary, Mr. Leigh, and his feUow- 
 labourers and successors, in their sufferings, toils, and triumphs, 
 as detailed in their communications to the Society at home from year 
 to year. We shall have frequent occasion to mark the wonder- 
 
AUSTRALIA. 271 
 
 ful providence and grace of God, and the rapid and extensive 
 progress of the good work in the colony of New South Wales ; 
 but all we can do at present is to give a few leading facts illustra- 
 tive of the character and results of the Mission. 
 
 On his aa-rival in the colony, Mr. Leigh found that the few 
 Wesleyans who had sent to England for a Missionary had hii-ed a 
 house for their meetings in a low depraved part of Sydney, known 
 as "The Kocks." Having removed the partition walls of the 
 building, and fitted up the interior as a place of worship, he 
 commenced his labours by preaching in this place every Sunday 
 morning at six o'clock, and also at the same hour in the evening, 
 to a strange motley congregation of emigrants, soldiers, and 
 convicts. He hkewise re-organised a Sabbath-school, the estab- 
 lishment of which had been attempted before his arrival, and paid 
 special attention to the instruction of the rising generation, the 
 children of the settlers being in danger of gi-ovsdng up in the 
 practice of every vice from the evil examples which were daily 
 set before them. In both these departments of Christian labour 
 the Missionary was favom-ed with a cheering measure of success, 
 and some of his earliest converts, together with two or three who 
 had been previously brought to a saving knowledge of the truth, 
 became valuable fellow-labourers in the work of the Lord. 
 
 One of the principal of these devoted men who rendered such 
 important aid in the commencement of the Mission is worthy of 
 special notice : this was Sergeant James Scott, who was con- 
 verted to God, and joined the Wesleyan Church in the West 
 Indies. The 46th Eegiment, to which he belonged, had been 
 ordered some time before to proceed to New South Wales, where 
 he distinguished himself by the able and conscientious discharge 
 of his duties as a non-commissioned of&cer. Having fulfilled his 
 appointed period of service, he retired from the army, settled in 
 Sydney, and became a zealous local preacher, and in other 
 respects a valuable helper of the first Missionary appointed to 
 labour there. With a view to bring the influence of the Gospel 
 to bear upon other parts of the town besides the notorious district 
 called " The Eooks," where the work was commenced, Mr. Scott 
 
272 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 opened his own lioufse for preaching ; and, in the ardour of his 
 zoal, he purchased a property in Prince-street, part of which was 
 fitted up as a Mission-house for the residence of the minister, and 
 the other appropriated as the site of a new chapel when the 
 enlargement of the work should require additional accommodation. 
 The place of worship ultimately erected on this site was built at 
 the sole expense of this devoted servant of the Lord. 
 
 When the cause was well-established in the capital of the 
 colony, Mr. Leigh turned his attention to the country districts. 
 His first journey into the interior was attended with some incidents 
 which are worthy of record. He mounted his horse and set off on 
 a tour of observation to the Castlereagh settlement. At the close of 
 the first day's ride, he called at the house of a settler, to whom he 
 had a letter of introduction, and respectfully solicited accommoda- 
 tion for himself and his horse for the night ; but, to his surprise, 
 he met with a rude repulse, and was told of a person named 
 John Lees, who lived about two miles further on, who would 
 probably entertain him. He rode along with a heavy heart, and 
 on arriving at the wooden hut of the said John Lees, he knocked 
 at the door with the end of his whip, and called out, " Will you 
 receive a Wesleyan Missionary?" The door opened, and out 
 came a little, stiff, ruddy lad, who laid hold of the bridle with 
 one hand, and the stirrup with the other, and said, " Get off, sir. 
 My father will be glad to see you." 
 
 Mr. Leigh dismounted and entered the hut. He was astonished 
 to find a number of persons sittmg round a three-legged table in 
 the most orderly manner. Directing the attention of the stranger 
 to some books that lay on the table, old Mr. Lees said, "We were 
 just going to have family worship. Perhaps you will have the 
 goodness to take that duty off my hands." " With pleasure," said 
 Mr. Leigh ; and, taking up the Bible, he opened it at Isaiah xxxv : 
 ' ' The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them ; 
 and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose." Here he 
 was obHged to pause and allow the tears to flow, until he could 
 again command the power of utterance. He then proceeded with 
 the second verse : "It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even 
 
AUSTRALIA. ■ 27 
 
 with joy and singing : the glorjr of Lebanon shall be given unto 
 it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon ; they shall see the glory 
 of the Lord, and the excellency of our God." But he could pro- 
 ceed no further. Five minutes before he had felt himself a 
 stranger in a strange land, enclosed in the woods of Australia 
 at a late hour, and without a home ; now he was in Bethel ; while 
 the verses which he had read opened to his view the moral re- 
 novation of the world. He was quite overcome, as were also 
 the people ; and their united prayers were presented in broken 
 accents, but with sincere gratitude, to God for His goodness. 
 When they rose from their knees, the farmer crossed the floor, and 
 seizing Mr. Leigh's hand, gave him a hearty greeting, saying, 
 " We have been praying for three years that God would send us 
 a Missionary ; and now you are come, we are right glad to see 
 you. We had not even heard of your arrival in the colony." 
 After supper they retired to rest exclaiming, " We have seen 
 strange things to-day ! " 
 
 The history of John Lees, as related by himself afterwards, is a 
 very remarkable one. He was formerly a soldier in the British 
 Army, and, after the corps to which he belonged was disbanded, 
 the Government granted him a small allotment of land, with some 
 other aid, to commence the settler's life. He married and soon had 
 a rising family. After a few years of hard work, several acres of 
 tall trees were felled by his own axe, and the timber burnt off. 
 His live stock increased, and he began to thrive. But his former 
 propensity for strong drink, checked for a while by industry, again 
 developed itself and grew upon him, till he bore all the marks of 
 a reckless, confirmed drunkard. To satisfy his constant craving 
 for the drink, one useful article went after another, till part of his 
 land, and all his live stock, were gone excejit one ing, now fat and 
 ready for the knife. The unhappy man was contemplating the 
 sale of his last pig, to pay off a debt which he had contracted for 
 spirituous liquors, when a circumstance occurred which changed the 
 whole course of his future life, and perhaps affected his destiny 
 in the world to come. 
 
 While in bed one night, and in a sound sleep, the mind of John 
 
 T 
 
274 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Lees wandered to his usual place of coiiviviality. In his dream he 
 thought he wag in the act of grasping the spirit bottle to fill 
 another glass, when, to his terror, he observed a snake rising out 
 of the bottle with expanded jaws, and striking its fangs in aU 
 directions ; its deadly eye, flashing fire, was fixed upon him, and 
 occasioned a convulsive horror which awoke him. He thanked 
 God that it was only a dream ; yet the impression it made upon his 
 mind could never be obliterated. He regarded the whole scene 
 as indicating the inseparable connection between intemperance and 
 suffering and death. The more he reflected upon it, the more deeply 
 was he convinced of his guilt and danger. He relinquished his 
 drinking habits forthwith, sought and obtained the pardoning 
 mercy of God, and became a new man in Christ Jesus. Hence- 
 forth he was a consistent Christian, prospered in business, received 
 the Missionaries into his house, was made instrumental in the con- 
 version of several of his neighbours, and, when a congregation was 
 gathered, of his own accord, and at his own expense, he built a 
 little chapel, and generously presented it to the Society, free from 
 debt. This little Wesleyan sanctuary, the first that was ever built 
 in the colony of New South Wales, was dedicated to the service of 
 God by Mr. Leigh, on the 7th October, 1817, when he preached 
 from that appropriate text, " The Lord hath done great things for 
 us, whereof we are glad." 
 
 But to return to Mr. Leigh and his first tour into the interior of 
 New South Wales, we may observe that on the following morning, 
 having commended the household to God in prayer, he mounted 
 his horse to resume his journey. As no guide could be procured, 
 Mr. Lees directed the Missionary, as well as he could, saying, "If 
 Providence has brought you across the sea to this country to con- 
 vert men, you may depend upon it you will not be left to perish in 
 the woods of Australia. You will have a difiicult journey, I can 
 tell you, for the bush is close, and the distance cannot be less 
 than forty miles. I will show you the direction in which the place 
 lies to which you are going. Put your trust in God, and make the 
 best of your way to it." The Missionary soon found that there 
 was no exaggeration in the settler's statement either as to the length 
 
AUSTRALIA. 275 
 
 or the difficulty of the journey. He carried a good axe, and was 
 frequently obliged to alight and cut a passage for himself and his 
 horse through the closely compacted underwood. 
 
 Whilst the horse on which Mr. Leigh was mounted was 
 forcing his head and shoulders through the dense coppice that 
 obstructed his progress, he suddenly started, and falling back 
 almost on his haunches, stood trembling, as if he would drop upon 
 the ground. His rider struck him, but he would not move. He 
 then descended from the saddle, and took the bridle in his hand to 
 lead him forward. Turning his eye to the right, he observed the 
 foliage moving, and heard a rustling noise. Instantly a large 
 snake, nine or ten feet long, made his appearance, and deliberately 
 crossed the path in front of the Missioniary and his horse, within 
 a few feet of the spot where they stood. In passing, it threw off 
 an effluvia which induced sickness and vomiting. The bite of the 
 snake would no doubt have proved fatal to man or horse in a few 
 hours, but providentially it evinced no disposition to molest them. 
 Mr. Leigh continued his journey, and shaping his course by the 
 descending sun, and marking the trees along the whole line of hia 
 progress, for his own safety in case of being lost, and for the 
 guidance of others who might follow, he reached the settlement to 
 which he was going at a late hour, much fatigued, but thankful to 
 God for His preserving goodness. Having accomplished the object 
 of his visit, he was favoured to return home in peace and safety. 
 
 The next journey of the enterprising Missionary was to Para- 
 matta, a rising town and convict establishment, about fifteen miles 
 from Sydney. Here he became acquainted with the Eev. Samuel 
 Marsden, the senior of the four chaplains appointed by Govern- 
 ment to minister to the troops and convicts, a man of sterling worth 
 and genuine piety, whose name is honourably identified with the 
 early history of Missions in the Southern World. In early life, Mr. 
 Marsden had himself been a member of the Wesleyan Society in 
 the town of Leeds, his native place ; and he still cherished a 
 kindly feeling towards a body of people to whom he acknowledged 
 himself much indebted. Hence the clergyman gave the Missionary 
 a cordial welcome to his station, where there was ample work for 
 
 T 2 
 
 T Z 
 
276 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 fill. One of Mr. Leigh's first converts at Paramatta was a John 
 
 W , a convict, whose change of character attracted the notice 
 
 of all who knew him, and whose subsequent history is worthy of a 
 passing remark. On obtaining his freedom, John commenced 
 running a hght one-horse cart between Paramatta and Sydney, for 
 the conveyance of passengers and parcels ; and such were his 
 steadiness and perseverance, that his humble vehicle soon gave 
 place to a four-horse stage-coach, the first of the kind ever used in 
 Australia. This conveyance John drove for many years, strictly 
 prohibiting all swearing and profane conversation among his pas- 
 sengers ; and such was his success that he acquhed considerable 
 property, brought up a large family in respectability and comfort, 
 and in his old age he had the pleasm-e of seeing one of his sons 
 called to the ministry of that Gospel which had been made the 
 power of God to his own salvation. 
 
 . Mr. Leigh also formed an out-station at Windsor, where he 
 rented a rude shed, in which he preached for a length of time, till 
 the cause was well established, when a neat little chapel was 
 erected. Other places were visited as opportunities presented 
 themselves : and wherever the Missionary went, he was favoured 
 to see a measm-e of prosperity which gladdened his heart, and 
 encouraged him to go forward in the name of the Lord. Mr. Leigh 
 had soon a regularly organised circuit of one hundred and fifty 
 miles in extent, which occupied him ten days to travel ; and in 
 order to give to each place a sermon, even at long intervals, he was 
 only able to spend about fourteen days in the city each month before 
 he mounted his horse, and was off again. 
 
 As the good work thus expanded in New South Wales, the need 
 of additional labourers was keenly felt ; and an earnest appeal was 
 made to the Committee in England for the required assistance. 
 But it was not till the Conference of 1817 that the Society was in 
 circumstances to make arrangements for reinforcing the Mission. 
 Towards the end of that year, however, the Eev. Walter Lawry 
 embarked for the Southern World, and by the good providence of 
 God, he lauded in safety at Sydney on the 1st of May, 1818. 
 When the now Missionary arrived, Mr. Leigh was out in the 
 
AUSTRALIA. 
 
 =77 
 
 circuit, but on his return to the city on the following day, great 
 ■was his joy on being favoured to welcome a fellow-labourer to the 
 shores of New South Wales. A larger amount of ministerial labour 
 was now given to the principal stations, whilst at the same time 
 the Gospel was conveyed to several new places, which could not 
 be reached when there was only one Missionary in the colony. 
 
 Two or three years afterwards, the Mission was still further 
 strengthened by the appointment of the Rev. Messrs. Carvosso, 
 Walker, Horton, and others ; and as the population of the colony 
 increased by the constant flow of emigration to its shores, the work 
 was both consolidated and extended, to the great advantage of all 
 classes of the community. The reflex influence of Methodism, in 
 this as in other countries, was very observable, so that when Mr. 
 Leigh visited England at a subsequent period, he could triumph- 
 antly exclaim, " When I commenced my Missionary work in 
 Australia, there were only four clergymen of the Church of Eng- 
 land, and very few communicants ; now there are ninety-three 
 thousand, one hundred and thirty-seven persons in connection with 
 that Church ! Then there was no Presbyterian minister in the 
 colony; now the members of the Church of Scotland number 
 eighteen thousand, one hundred and fifty-six ! Then there were 
 only fourteen accredited Wesleyans ; now there are above ten 
 thousand, and nearly as many children receiving instruction in the 
 day and Sunday-schools ! May we not say, in the language of 
 admiration and gratitude, " What hath God wrought?" 
 
 From the very commencement of the work in the manner we 
 have described, the entire course of the Wesleyan Mission to 
 Australia has been one of steady progress and advancement. 
 This was strikingly illustrated by the various addresses which 
 were delivered in connection with the Jubilee services which were 
 held at Sydney, in the month of November 1864, after the lapse 
 of fifty years since the arrival of the first Missionary. These 
 services commenced with an appropriate sermon by the Eev. 
 Stephen Eabone, who took for his text Eccles. vii. 13. Early 
 the following morning, a prayer-meeting was held, and at nine 
 o'clock nearly five hundred persons sat down to breakfast 
 
278 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 together. Then followed a public meeting, at which Mr. T. W. 
 Bowden, a descendant of one of the first Methodists in the 
 colony, presided. The chairman apologised for the absence of 
 Mr. Hosking, the son of the gentleman who took an active part 
 in the commencement of the Mission, and then proceeded to 
 relate how he remembered Mr. Leigh as an inmate at his father's 
 house when he was a boy, and how he used to mount his horse, 
 called " Old Traveller," and set off on his extensive circuit round 
 the colony. He also gave an interesting account of the building 
 first used as a Wesleyan place of worship at the corner of Essex 
 and Gloucester-streets, now occupied by a shoemaker, and of the 
 erection of the first new chapel in Sydney, in Prince-street, at 
 the sole expense of Mr. James Scott, a sergeant in the 46th 
 regiment, as already mentioned. He further related that, when 
 this became too small for the congregation, the chapel in 
 Macquarie-street, now occupied by the Unitarians, was built. 
 Again there was a lack of room, when the still more commodious 
 chapel in York-street, in which' they were assembled, was erected. 
 Other gentlemen and ministers also addressed the meeting in 
 strains of gratitude to God for the prosperous state of the work, 
 and a collection was made, when about £4,000 was given, or 
 promised, towards the Jubilee Fund. This sum was afterwards 
 increased to £12,000, for the purpose of founding a Wesleyan 
 College, and for the relief of Church property. 
 
 With reference to this branch of Methodism in Australia, it is 
 only necessary to add that, as the work expanded, a number of 
 new circuits were organised in various parts of the colony of New 
 South Wales, and that ultimately these were classified in four 
 divisions, denominated the Sydney, the Bathurst, the Maitland, 
 and the Goulburn Districts, which unitedly number sixty-two 
 ministers, five thousand Church members, and eleven thousand six 
 hundred and seven scholars in the Sabbath and day-schools. 
 
 Queensland. 
 
 On referring to the map, it will be seen that the north-eastern 
 portion of Australia is now called Queensland. This extensive 
 
AUSTRALIA. 279 
 
 territory was formerly regarded as belonging to New South Wales ; 
 but a few years ago it was formed into a separate and independent 
 colony, and as such its Missionary history claims a distinct and 
 special record. A few brief observations on the coarse of events 
 which led to this issue, will naturally conduct us to the main 
 object we have in view. 
 
 Such was the spirit of agricultural and mercantile enterprise 
 which animated the early settlers in New South Wales, that long 
 before there was any lack of room in the old colony, individuals 
 were seen pushing their way up the eastern coast of New Holland. 
 On passing Point Danger, a large estuary was found sixty miles 
 long and twenty broad, dotted with a number of beautiful little 
 islands, and receiving the waters of five navigable rivers of con- 
 siderable magnitude. This extensive sheet of water received the 
 name of Morton Bay ; and the land along the shores, and on the 
 banks of the rivers, being found well adapted for agricultural pur- 
 poses, it became the centre of a new settlement. The first trading 
 establishment or town that was built was called Brisbane, being 
 situated at the mouth of a river of that name, and is now the 
 capital of the colony and the seat of government. Other towns 
 and villages rapidly arose as the population increased, as Ipswich, 
 Warwick, Maryborough, Kockhampton, &e. 
 
 Further exploration brought to light a number of beautiful har- 
 bours still further north, with extensive downs and alluvial plains 
 in the interior, which pointed out the country as peculiarly adapted 
 for colonisation. Arrangements were accordingly made with the 
 Imperial Government to carry out this object, and a charters was 
 granted in 1859, when Queensland became a separate colony. 
 The principal agents in this important measure displayed the most 
 laudable energy in pushing forward their favourite enterprise, and 
 an emigration scheme was set on foot which brought a rapid influx 
 of population from the mother- country, — too rapid, in fact : hence 
 the collapse and serious embairassment which have followed. But 
 events such as these are not uncommon in a rising colony, and 
 Queensland, which now comprises a territory four times as large 
 as England, with a fine soil and a healthy climate, and a popula- 
 
28o HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 tion of 107,427 persons will, no doubt, in due time surmount the 
 financial difficulties with which she is at present contending, and 
 be favoured to realise a grand and prosperous future. 
 
 Among the early emigrants to Morton Bay were a few pious 
 Wesleyans, who did not allow the toils and anxieties incident to 
 the commencement of colonial life, to quench the spark of Divine 
 grace, which glowed in their hearts, but who met together for 
 Chi'istian counsel and worship as they had opportunity. These, 
 and a few others, earnestly desu-ed the ministrations and pastoral 
 care of a Wesleyan Missionary. In consequence of the paucity of 
 ministers, and other circumstances, some time elapsed before this 
 laudable desire could be met. At first a Catechist was appointed 
 to Morton Bay, to instruct the people and conduct public worship 
 on the Lord's-day. Afterwards a supernumerary minister took up 
 his residence among them, and gladly performed such service as 
 his declining strength would permit. At length arrangements were 
 made to occupy the place as a regular station. The first Missionary 
 appointed to Queensland was the Eev. John Watsford, who com- 
 menced his labours in the Brisbane Circuit in 1850. A chapel 
 had been erected in the town previous to his arrival, and such was 
 the anxiety of the people to hear the Word of God, that its 
 enlargement soon became necessary. The members of the Society 
 increased in number during the fu-st year to seventy-two, and they 
 were said to "manifest their love to the Lord Jesus by the feeling 
 of peace and love prevalent among them, by their upright deport- 
 ment before the people of the world, by their zeal in seeking the 
 conversion of sinners, and by their liberal contributions towards 
 the support of the Gospel." 
 
 The subsequent history of the Mission was, in its main features, 
 similar to that of the work in other new colonies. In exery 
 rising country there are peculiar temptations, trials and 
 difficulties, which affect the Christian life of the individual 
 member, as well as the onward march of the Chmxh in its 
 collective capacity. Everything connected with commercial and 
 agricultural pursuits in such a place is liable to fluctuate, and 
 the extremes of either prosperity or adversity are neither of 
 
AUSTRALIA. 281 
 
 them favourable to religious progress. It is pleasant to be able to 
 state, however, that the cause of God in Queensland has continued 
 steadily to advance from the beginning, and that it bids fair to 
 surmount every difiiculty, and to prosper more and more in time 
 to come. 
 
 l\Ir. Watsford was succeeded by the Eev. Messrs. Millard, 
 Piddington, Fidler, Curnow, Fletcher, Beazley, and others, and 
 by their united and persevering efforts, the good work was 
 extended to various parts of the province, several years before it 
 became an independent colony, and it prospered still more 
 afterwards. Several new circuits having been formed in localities 
 remote from each other, to which ministers were appointed as 
 openings presented themselves, they were organised into a 
 regular Wesleyan district, in the year 18G3, under the pastoral 
 care of the Eev. Joseph H. Fletcher. In 1868 the Rev. Isaac 
 Harding was appointed to the charge of the Queenstown district, 
 and cheerfully travelled a distance of two thousand miles with 
 his famUy from his former station in New Zealand, to enter upon 
 his new sphere of labour. The writer had the pleasure of 
 becoming acquainted with Mr. Harding at the Cape of Good 
 Hope, where he was detained for some time when on his way to 
 Australia in 1854, and from his known energy of character there 
 is no doubt but the work will be still further extended and 
 consolidated under his zealous and judicious superintendence. 
 The immediate and pressing want of Methodism in this new and 
 rising country is financial aid towards the support of the work in 
 the present depressed state of the commercial interests of the 
 colony. For this the chairman earnestly pleaded at the Conference 
 held in Sydney, in January 1869, when it was unanimously 
 resolved that a collection should be made in every chapel in the 
 course of the year on behalf of the Home Mission Fund of 
 Queensland. It is hoped that a liberal response will be made 
 from those parts of the Connexion which are comparatively free 
 from such painful embarrassment. 
 
 The work in this part of Australia is still in its infancy, and the 
 impediments to its progi'ess are great and numerous. It is matter 
 
282 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 of gratitude, however, that a good beginning has been made. We 
 have now in connection with the Queensland district, nine ministers, 
 four hundred and twenty Church members, and one thousand, four 
 hundred and sixty-one scholars in the Sabbath and day-schools. 
 
 ViCTOHU. 
 
 The colony of Victoria, formerly designated Australia Felix, is 
 situated on the southern point of the great island continent, and 
 immediately opposite to Tasmania, or Van Dieman's Land. It 
 was originally included within the boundary of the colony of New 
 South Wales, and only became a separate settlement in 1838. 
 Previous to that period the country had been visited by a few 
 individual adventurers, who, charmed with the splendid prospects 
 which everywhere presented themselves to view, and attracted by 
 the facilities which it afforded for agricultural pursuits, had taken 
 possession of a few choice places as " squatters." When the first 
 party of British colonists entered the splendid bay of Port Phillip, 
 which is only two miles wide at the entrance, but afterwards 
 spreads out to the breadth of from twenty to sixty miles, they were 
 at once impressed with the numerous advantages of the locality. 
 They went on shore at the head of the bay, at a place now known 
 as Williamstown, but soon proceeded to a more elevated situation 
 on the banks of the Yarra, where they fixed their headquarters, 
 abo<ut two miles inland, where the splendid city of Melbourne now 
 stands. In 1838, nothing was to be seen there but a cluster of 
 rude huts, embowered in forest trees, presenting the appearance 
 of an Indian village. Two wooden houses served the parpose of 
 inns for the settlers who visited the place, and a small square frame 
 building, with an old ship's bell suspended from a tree, was used as 
 a place of worship by different denominations ; whilst two or 
 three so-called shops formed emporiums for the sale of every 
 description of useful articles. How great is the change which has 
 taken place in the short space of thirty years ! Now the voyager 
 on entering Port Phillip, has his attention arrested by the appear- 
 ance of hundreds of vessels at anchor, from all parts of the world, 
 
AUSTRALIA. 283 
 
 engaged in an extensive and prosperous commerce : and on pro- 
 ceeding to Melbourne, he beholds a magnificent city, which bids 
 fair to rival, if not to surpass, some of the splendid capitals of 
 Europe. 
 
 When the first settlers arrived in this part of Australia, they 
 found the country inhabited by scattered tribes of wandering 
 natives, in every respect similar to those which had been met with 
 in other places. When a party of these came down to the settle- 
 ment on one occasion, there appeared among them a man in many 
 respects different from the rest. Although nearly in a state of 
 nudity, and assuming a savage aspect, he was evidently of lighter 
 complexion, and had sharper features, than the rest of his sable 
 companions. On full investigation, this strange-looking wild man 
 of the woods proved to be an European, who had lived for many 
 years among the Aborigines, and whose history is equal to any 
 romance that was ever written. The leading particulars of this 
 strange incident may be interesting to the reader, as they have an 
 immediate bearing upon the Missionary enterprise, and the com- 
 mencement of our work in that part of Australia. 
 
 The name of this man was William Buckley. He was a native 
 of England, and formerly a soldier in the British Army. For 
 some misdemeanour he was transported, with many others, to a 
 penal settlement for seven years. The vessel in which the con- 
 victs were sent out touched at Port Phillip, it being intended, if 
 circumstances were favourable, to form a convict establishment 
 there. Those in command, however, considered the place unsuit- 
 able, and relinquished their design ; they consequently proceeded 
 in search of a more favourable jDlace, and ultimately fixed upon 
 Hobart Town, Van Dieman's Land. During the temporary dis- 
 embarkation of the prisoners at Port Phillip, Buckley, with some 
 others, absconded, and after a fruitless search for the missing 
 convicts, the vessel sailed, and the fugitives were left in the 
 country. From the information given by Buckley himself, it 
 appears that he and his associates wandered together in the bush 
 for a short time, and then parted ; and from that period, he 
 never saw or heard anything of his former companions. When 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Buckley, who was a tall man, six feet six inches high, was first 
 discovered by the natives, they manifested considerable surprise at 
 the appearance of the gigantic pale-faced wanderer in the woods ; 
 but they treated him with kindness, and S3'mpathisiiig with him 
 in his forlorn condition, provided him with food, such as they 
 had. They moreover furnished him with skins for clothing, till he 
 became accustomed to their savage mode of life. Having roamed 
 about with these dark children of the forest for a considerable 
 time, the Englishman abandoned all hope of getting away from the 
 country ; and at length allied himself to a tribe by marriage, 
 according to native custom, and assimilated himself to their habits 
 and mode of living. In this state he had continued for thii'ty-two 
 years, and had completely forgotten his own native tongue, when he 
 was discovered by the early European settlers. He gladly embraced 
 the first opportunity of joining his countrymen ; and, having 
 abandoned his uncivilised mode of life, soon recovered a knowledge 
 of the English language, and became useful both to the settlers 
 and to the Missionaries in their intercourse with the Aborigines. 
 
 The Wesleyan Missionary Society having, from the commence- 
 ment of their labours in Australia, cherished an earnest desu-e 
 to attempt to Christianise the Aboriginal inhabitants when the 
 way should open, regarded this as a favourable opportunity. 
 The Committee in London, therefore, instructed the Eev. Joseph 
 Orton, on his appointment to Tasmania, to collect and communicate 
 to them all the information he could obtain as to the number 
 and condition of the native tribes, and the most likely means of 
 elevating them in the scale of being. With a view to fulfil this 
 commission, Mr. Orton paid a visit to Port Phillip in the year 1836, 
 and one of the first persons to whom he was introduced was the 
 said William Buckley, who, together with other parties on whose 
 testimony he could rely, communicated much valuable information. 
 From these persons he learned that the number of natives within 
 the distance of sixty miles on either hand of Port Phillip amounted 
 to about one thousand ; that they wandered about in small parties 
 without any settled dwelling place, subsisting upon roots and such 
 game, chiefly kangaroos and opossums, as they could procure 
 
AUSTRALIA. 285 
 
 in hunting ; and that their moral condition was one of extreme 
 degradation. Mr. Orton, moreover, held several meetings with 
 a number of natives who were collected together for the purpose, 
 their old compeer, Buckley, acting as interpreter. Such were the 
 impressions made upon the mind of the Missionary by this tour 
 of observation, and the favourable character of the report sent 
 home upon the subject, that in the course of the following year 
 two Missionaries, the Eevs. Benjamin Hurst and Francis Tuck- 
 field, were appointed to commence a mission among the Aborigines 
 in the neighbourhood of Port PhiUip. 
 
 As it was considered desirable to induce as many of the natives 
 as possible to settle in one place, where they might be taught the 
 arts of civilised life, and attend to religious instruction, Mr. Orton 
 went to Sydney to lay the case before the Governor, and to 
 obtain a grant of land for a native institution. The locality fixed 
 upon for the station was on the river Barwann, about thirty miles 
 from the township of Geelong. On the 12th of August, 1838, 
 Mr. Tuokfield reported the safe arrival of himself and Mrs. 
 Tuckfield at Melbourne, and they immediately entered on their 
 new sphere of labour by holding meetings with the natives as 
 they had opportunity. In the following year Mr. Tuckfield was 
 joined by his colleague, Mr. Hurst, and, after some delay, they 
 were put in possession of the land granted by Government, and 
 removed to their wilderness home with a number of Aborigines. 
 
 The Missionaries had now to direct then- attention to a variety 
 of secular affahs, whilst at the same time they attended to the 
 spiritual interest of the people. With the help of the natives 
 they erected two wooden houses as residences for the Mission 
 families, besides a number of necessary outbuildings. They also 
 felled the trees, and brought under cultivation a considerable 
 quantity of land for the support of themselves and the people. 
 A flock of sheep and a herd of cattle were raised by degrees, and 
 a measure of temporal prosperity was reahsed, in connection with 
 the institution, which was truly gi-atifying. Nor were the efforts 
 of the Missionaries to promote the spiritual welfare of the people 
 destitute of results. A Mission-school was established and 
 
285 HISTORY OP^ WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 religious services regularly held with as many of the natives 
 as could be induced to attach themselves to the station. Although 
 the people were extremely ignorant and deeply degraded, having 
 scarcely any idea of a Supreme Being, or of a future state of 
 existence, they were not found wanting in capacity to receive 
 instruction. Some of the children made considerable progress 
 in reading, writing, and arithmetic, and the Missionaries were at 
 times encouraged to hope that they would ultimately succeed in 
 raising some of the tribes at least from the social and moral 
 degradation in which they were involved. 
 
 On the whole, however, but little permanent impression was 
 made on the native mind by the labom-s of the Missionaries. The 
 difficulties with which they had to contend, from their imperfect 
 knowledge of the language, the unconquerable propensity of the 
 people to wander away from the institution, and the adverse 
 influence of some wicked and unprincipled settlers in the 
 neighbom-hood, were insurmountable ; and the Missionaries, who 
 were undoubtedly men of God, and entirely devoted to their 
 work, were doomed to see the people of their charge indifferent 
 to their instructions, and frequently deserting the station, to 
 resume their former savage mode of living in the bush. And 
 this was not all. By means of the petty wars, which were so 
 prevalent among the native tribes, and the diseases which were 
 introduced among them by the depraved whites of the convict 
 class, the people were gi-adually wasting away and becoming 
 fewer every year. 
 
 Under these circumstances, the Missionaries were convinced 
 that unless the institution could be removed further into the 
 interior, beyond the influeuce of the settlers, and the number of 
 labourers greatly increased, the evangelisation of the degraded 
 Aborigines of Australia would be a hopeless task. Having laboured 
 among them with but little fruit for several years, Mr. Tuckfield 
 took an extensive journey of two hundred miles in search of a 
 more suitable site for a Mission-station. After great privation 
 and exposure he found, as he thought, an eligible place on the 
 river Murray, and, with a measure of zeal and perseverance, 
 
AUSTRALIA. 2S7 
 
 worthy of more ample sucoess, he was ready to prosecute his 
 difficult enterprise on a new plan, when, in view of all the 
 cu'cumstances of the case, the Missionary Committee resolved, 
 in 1848, after ten years of almost fruitless efforts, to relinquish 
 the undertaking, and turn their attention to more promising fields 
 of labour. 
 
 From the first arrival of the Missionaries at Port Phillip in 1838, 
 they were deeply impressed with the necessity and importance of 
 something being done to meet the spiritual wants of their fellow- 
 countrymen who had already settled in the township of Melbourne 
 to the number of about three thousand, and they embraced every 
 opportunity of preaching to them, whilst engaged in preparing for 
 their proper work among the natives. As some of the colonists 
 had been connected with the Wesleyan Church, as members or 
 hearers in their native land, and others were beginning to see 
 the importance of the " one thing needful," they were not satisfied 
 with this precarious and irregular supply of a Gospel ministry, 
 but earnestly requested that they might be favoured with the 
 stated services of a Missionary. This reasonable demand was at 
 length met by the appointment, in 1841, of the Eev. Samuel 
 Wilkinson to the Melbourne circuit. From this period the work 
 of God rapidly advanced among the British settlers. A com- 
 modious chapel, to seat six hundred persons, was immediately 
 built in the ca;pital, at an expense of £8,000. To meet this 
 heavy outlay the sum of £1,500 was raised by private subscrip- 
 tion, and £1,000 and a suitable site for the building were gener- 
 ously granted by the local government. Two small chapels were 
 also erected at William's Town and New Town, and the sum of 
 £300 was subscribed towards the erection of a chapel at Geelong, 
 a rising town about fifty miles from Melbourne. And what was 
 still more pleasing, a rich spiritual blessing attended the preach- 
 ing of the Word, and several enquirers were gathered into the fold 
 of Christ, so that at the end of the first year, one hundred and 
 fifty-two persons were reported to be united in Church fellow- 
 ship in the Melbourne circuit, which, in fact, at that time embraced 
 the whole colony of Victoria. 
 
288 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 From year to year the work of God in Melbourne, and the 
 other circuits which were successively formed in different parts 
 of the colony, steadily advanced, and the accounts which were 
 sent to the parent society from time to time were of a very 
 pleasing character. From the very commencement of the Mission 
 Melbourne was a self-supporting circuit, and in a short time it 
 was able to render important financial aid to the dependent 
 stations at a distance. But rapid as was the progress of the work 
 in this part of Australia in the early years of its history, it was 
 still more so from 1852, when the discovery of extensive gold- 
 fields in BaUarat, Forest Creek, Bendigo, and other parts of the 
 province brought such a large and rapid influx of population from 
 almost every part of the world. It was a time of great excite- 
 ment, and the numerous temptations to sin in various forms would 
 no doubt have been still more appalling in their results if the 
 . Wesleyan Missionaries, and other Christian ministers, had not 
 used their utmost exertions to stem the torrent of iniquity, and 
 provide the means of grace for the vast multitudes of people which 
 were soon congregated at " the diggings." 
 
 One of the most useful institutions which was called into exist- 
 ence by this influx of population to Melbourne, was the " Wesleyan 
 Emigrant's Home," which was erected at an expense of £3,500, 
 towards which the colonial government voted a grant of £1,000, 
 from a deep conviction of the philanthropic character of the under- 
 taking. This establishment was designed for the temporary 
 accommodation of Wesleyans and others on their first arrival 
 in the colony ; and by means of the religious services which 
 were held in connection with it, and the excellent management 
 of Mr. and Mrs. Courtney, formerly members of the writer's 
 congregation at the Cape of Good Hope, who were placed at 
 its head, it proved a source of both temporal comfort and spiritual 
 blessing to many a poor homeless emigrant. A large tent chapel 
 was also pitched on the banks of the Yarra, on the outskirts of 
 an extensive encampment called Canvastown, near Melbourne, 
 and much spiritual good resulted from the services which were 
 held there. 
 
AUSTRALIA. 
 
 When the Wesleyan ministers nobly moved forward to the 
 gold-diggings, and erected rough slab chapels in which to preacl 
 the Gospel, they sought the spiritual benefit of all classes of the 
 community without distinction, and, at an early period of their 
 labours, their attention was attracted to a large number of Chinese 
 emigrants, who had found their way to the land of gold. But 
 from the difficult and peculiar character of their language, little 
 could have been done for these people had it not been for the 
 instrumentality of one of their own number, who was provi- 
 dentially raised up for this particular work. This was a man 
 named Leong-on-Tong, who, having been brought to a saving 
 knowledge of the truth himself, laboured under the direction of 
 the Missionaries at the diggings with unwearied diligence for the 
 conversion of his fellow-countrymen. The Lord blessed him with 
 much success, and he was made the honoured instrument of 
 winning many souls to Christ. The Chinese converts thus 
 gathered into the fold of the Kedeemer were united m chui'ch- 
 . fellowship, and from time to time their number was increased. 
 
 On Sunday the 7th of June, 1868, an interesting service was 
 held in connection with the Victoria Chinese Mission, when six 
 more converts were presented for baptism. On this occasion 
 Leono-on-Tong, their zealous teacher, made a noble speech. In 
 the course of his address he said, " I have found some sheep 
 which were going astray in the wilderness, and I wish you to 
 rejoice with me and the angels in heaven. Their hearts were 
 dark and hard ; but God has shined into their hearts. They have 
 sorrowed for their sins, and beheved in Jesus ; and now they are 
 forgiven," &c. After the baptismal service, at which there was a 
 large attendance of all classes, the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper 
 was administered, when sixteen Christian Chinese joined their 
 English brethren in commemorating the Saviour's dying love. In 
 consequence of the increasing importance of this Mission to the 
 large population of " Celestials " at the gold diggings, in 1867, 
 the Rev. J. Caldwell, a European Missionary, was appointed to 
 it ; and it was hoped that still greater success would be reahsed 
 in' time to come. But a temporary check has been put upon the 
 
 u 
 
ago HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 work by a painful dispensation of Divine providence. Mr. Cald- 
 well proceeded to China to learn the language and prepare for his 
 important enterprise ; but, before he had been there long, he was 
 unfortunately drowned while bathing in the river near Canton, on 
 the 8th of September, 1868. This melancholy event has cast a 
 gloom over the Chinese Mission in Victoria for the time being ; 
 but it is hoped that the Conference may yet set apart another 
 Missionary for this important work. 
 
 In bringing to a close our brief and hasty sketch of the rise and 
 progress of Methodism in Victoria, it is pleasant to be able to state 
 that the good work is still advancing in a very satisfactory manner. 
 The city of Melbourne has been divided into four circuits, in all of 
 which beautiful and commodious places of worship have been 
 erected ; and a seminary of learning has recently been established, 
 called " Wesley College," which promises to be a great blessing to 
 the colony. The work has been gradually extended to Brighton, 
 Berwick, Williamstown, Geelong, Portland, Ballarat, Hamilton, 
 and many other places, where prosperous circuits have been 
 formed, chapels built, and schools established. The colony has 
 aheady been divided into three Methodist Districts, and the 
 foundation of a great and glorious work has been laid, which it 
 is believed will in time to come bring glory to God in the salvation 
 of men on a larger scale than has yet been realised. We have 
 now in connection with the Melbourne, Geelong, and Castlemain 
 Districts in the colony of Victoria, sixty-three ministers, ten thou- 
 sand seven hundred and twentij-sevcn Church members, and twenty- 
 five thousand scholars in the Sabbath and day-schools. 
 
 But there is no sunshine without a shadow. In the midst of a 
 cheering measure of spiritual prosperity, several events in con- 
 nection with the history of Methodism in Victoria have recently 
 occurred of a very afflictive character. On the 10th of January, 
 1866, the Rev. D. J. Draper and his excellent wife lost their lives 
 by the foundering of the steam-ship London, in the Bay of 
 Biscay, when on their passage to Melbourne ; on the 8th of 
 September, 1868, the Rev. J. Caldwell, of Victoria, was drowned 
 near Canton ; on the 14th of May, 1869, the Rov. William Hill 
 
AUSTRALIA. 
 
 291 
 
 ^-^sf'f 
 
 u2 
 
 D 53 
 
292 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 was murdered at Melbourne by a prisoner whilst visiting him in hia 
 cell in the prison : and these painful incidents were followed by 
 intelligence of the somewhat sudden death of the Eev. Benjamin 
 Field, from England, which occm-red at Melbourne, where he had 
 been labouring for some time with acceptance and success, on the 
 1st of September, 1869. These are so many calls to survivors to 
 " work while it is day, for the night cometh when no man can 
 work." 
 
 South Australia. 
 
 The colony of South Australia differs in many respects from 
 those parts of Australia which have already passed under review. 
 It comprises an extensive block of land, estimated at 800,000 
 square miles, being more than double the dimensions of Great 
 Britain and Ireland. Much of this vast area has scarcely been yet 
 explored, however, and many years must elapse before it can be 
 fully occupied. The land in many parts of the country is said to 
 be remarkably fertile, and easily brought under cultivation, being 
 free from forest trees and fern roots, and ready for the plough. 
 The country is far from mountainous in its aspect ; but presents 
 to the view a gently indulating surface, which redeems it from 
 that flat monotony that would otherwise prevail. Large crops of 
 wheat have been raised, from year to year ; and, after suppljdng 
 the home market, sufficient produce has remained to allow of the 
 export of a considerable quantity to the neighbouring colonies. 
 This portion of Australia is, moreover, possessed of considerable 
 mineral wealth, extensive copper mines having for many years 
 been worked to great advantage in the interior. 
 
 The capital of the colony is Adelaide, a considerable town with 
 wide streets intersecting each other at right angles, and adorned 
 with many excellent buildings. The town is situated about seven 
 miles from the port, at the head of the Gulf St. Vincent ; but it is 
 reached with comparative ease by means of a recently-constructed 
 railway. In the vicinity of the capital there are several villages 
 rejoicing in the names of Kensington, Islington, Walkerville, 
 
AUSTRALIA. 293 
 
 Hindmarsh, Bowden, Prospect, and Thebarton. Further up the 
 country there are numerous rising townships ; and farms are 
 rapidly increasing in number with the influx of population. 
 
 It was by means of a remarkable dispensation of Divine Provi- 
 dence that the way was opened for the commencement of the first 
 Mission-station in South Australia. Among the early emigrants 
 to that rising colony there were a few earnest Wesleyan Methodists 
 who united themselves in Christian fellowship, and met together 
 at stated periods for Divine worship and mutual edification in the 
 land of their adoption. To carry out their purposes more fully, 
 and, if possible, to benefit their fellow colonists, they had built a 
 small chapel, and were earnestly desiring the services of a regular 
 Minister, when their wishes were m.et in a manner they little ex- 
 pected. This was by the shipwreck of a Wesleyan Missionary on 
 then- coast when on his passage from Tasmania to Swan Eiver, in 
 the year 1837. This incident is worthy of record as illustrative of 
 the ever-watchful providence of God, and of the trials and dangers 
 to which the Missionaries are often exposed in the prosecution of 
 then- important work. 
 
 The Eev. William Longbottom, with his wife and child, em- 
 barked at Hobart Town, for his appointed Station in Western 
 Australia in a small vessel called the Fanny, about the middle 
 of June. Soon after leaving the port, a fresh gale sprang up, 
 which continued with increasing violence for several days. The 
 storm had somewhat abated, but the sea was still running high, 
 when about midnight on the 21st, the vessel struck on a coast 
 unknown to the captain. The boat was immediately carried away 
 by the violence of the surf, and it was with difficulty that they 
 held on to the vessel; the sea breaking over them every minute, 
 until the captain and seamen, with great exertion, succeeded in 
 passing a rope from the ship to the shore, by means of which all 
 lives were saved, though not without imminent peril to that of 
 Mrs. Longbottom, who was under water for some time. After the 
 shipwrecked party were landed, they suffered much for want of 
 fire, till the second day, when some friendly natives, who ventured 
 to approach them, supplied this want. 
 
294 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 The passengers and seamen of the ill-fated Fanny had been 
 for more than a fortnight in these forlorn circumstances, not 
 knowing in which direction to proceed, when, they were joined 
 by the captain and crew of the Elizabeth another vessel that 
 had been wrecked about a hundred miles to the eastward ; but 
 who had preserved their chart, and who informed the Missionary 
 and his party that they were about fifty miles distant from 
 Encounter Bay, a whaling station in South Australia. To this 
 station the two captains and a few of the men at once proceeded ; 
 and after some delay a boat arrived for the remaining sufferers, or 
 rather met them, for they had already set out, leaving behind them 
 the property they had saved from the wreck, in despair of receiv- 
 ing the promised aid, having already been forty-five days in the 
 bush. The boat carried them part of the way ; they had then a 
 fatiguing walk of twenty miles before they reached the whaling 
 station, where they were received with great kindness by the 
 residents. From thence they proceeded by sea to Adelaide, where 
 the shipwrecked Missionary and his wife met with a most cordial 
 reception from the members of the Methodist Society, sixty in 
 number, and other colonists who gladly rendered all the assistance 
 in their power to the whole of the sufferers. 
 
 No sooner had Mr. Longbottom in a measure recovered fi'om 
 the effects of his shipwreck, than he commenced preaching to the 
 people at Adelaide, and the httle chapel was crowded with atten- 
 tive hearers of the Word of God. Being deeply impressed with 
 the remarkable Providence by which a Missionary had been so 
 unexpectedly brought to their shores, the people were unwilling 
 to part with him, and united in an earnest request to the Com- 
 mittee in London for the continuance of his labours among them. 
 This request was ultimately granted, and another Missionary was 
 appointed to Swan Eiver. On being authoritatively designated to 
 the interesting sphere of labour on which he had been so strangely 
 cast by the interposition of Him whom "winds and seas obey," 
 Mr. Longbottom addressed himself with becoming zeal and dili- 
 gence to the important duties of his office, and the blessing of 
 the great Head of the Church attended his laboui-s. The little 
 
AUSTRALIA. 
 
 295 
 
 sanctuary which he found on his arrival soon became too small 
 for the increasing numbers who flocked to hear the Gospel, and it 
 Was ere long superseded by the erection of a more commodious 
 place of worship in Gawler-street. 
 
 As the good work expanded, other chapels were subsequently 
 built in Pier-street, Franklin-street, and Kermode-street, as well 
 as at Bowden, Walkerville, Brigton, Thebarton, Kersbrook, and 
 other villages in the neighbourhood of the capital, into which the 
 Gospel was ultimately introduced. Nor were the labours of tho 
 Missionary, and the noble band of local preachers who were raised 
 up to assist him, confined to the vicinity of Adelaide. A circuit 
 was soon formed one hundred miles long and thirty broad, and 
 comprising a large number of out-stations, where the Gospel was 
 faithfully preached as opportunities presented themselves, and 
 multitudes of perishing sinners were gathered into the fold of the 
 Eedeemer. On his removal to Tasmania, after an acceptable and 
 useful term of service, Mi\ Longbottom was succeeded by the Eev. 
 Messrs. Eggleston, Weatherston, Draper, and others ; and, not- 
 withstanding occasional hindrances from the depression of trade, 
 and other circumstances, the good work continued to advance in 
 all its departments. 
 
 In the commencement of the Wesleyan Mission to South Austra- 
 lia, the Society had special reference to the evangelisation of the 
 Aborigines, as well as the spiritual benefit of the European settlers, 
 and native schools were established and continued for some time 
 in the neighbourhood of the capital, under the patronage of the 
 Government, but the same diificulties which had been experienced 
 in other places, prevented the success of the enterprise. After per- 
 severing for some time with but little fruit, owing chiefly to the rest- 
 less wandering habits of the natives, the undertaking was relin- 
 quished, and the Missionaries directed their attention more entirely 
 to the spread of the Gospel among the colonists, who were rapidly 
 increasing in number and pushing their way to distant parts of the 
 country. 
 
 The subsequent history of the Mission was characterised by 
 almost uninterrupted progress and success, the existing chapels, both 
 
296 HISTORY OF WES LEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
 in the city and in the rm-al districts, being enlarged, and new ones ' 
 erected in various places to accommodate the rapidly increasing 
 congregations. The number of ministers was also increased by 
 arrivals from England, and by the raising up of faithful labourers 
 in the colony to occupy the new stations and circuits, which were 
 formed in various parts of the land. The result of this aggressive 
 movement has far exceeded the most sanguine expectations of both 
 Missionaries and people at an early period of its history. We 
 have now, in connection with the South Australian District, twenty- < 
 Jive ministers, five thousand and forty-Jive Church members, and 
 nine thousand eight hundred and seven scholars in the Sabbath and 
 day-schools. 
 
 Western Australia. 
 
 The colony of Western Australia is situated at the head of Eng 
 George's Sound, and the interior of the country is reached by 
 ascending Swan River, on the banks of which, Perth, the capital, 
 stands at a distance of about three himdred miles from the sea. 
 The British settlement at this place was commenced in 1829, 
 under circumstances of peculiar discouragement. The first party 
 of emigrants were landed on the beach at the mouth of the river 
 in mid-winter, in the neighbourhood of bare Hmestone rock, the 
 country around being devoid of agricultural or pastoral capabilities, 
 and inhabited only by wandering tribes of savage natives. 
 
 The process of debarkation was scarcely completed, when 
 several of the ships were dashed to pieces on the shore, which was 
 crowded with a heterogeneous mass of human beings, — families 
 with infant children, ladies, officers, soldiers, sailors, and farmers ; 
 while horses, cows, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry, ploughs, piano- 
 fortes, casks, furniture, bedding, and tools lay heaped together 
 and drenched with rain. The confusion was complete ; the 
 leaders of the enterprise were equally at a loss with the settlers 
 to know how to proceed or what to advise. Several left the 
 country in utter disgust by the first opportunity which presented 
 itself; and we have heard some of them, who afterwards settled at 
 
AUSTRALIA. 297 
 
 the Cape of Good Hope, relate the story of their sufferings in the 
 most pathetic manner. Others, however, ultimately pushed their 
 way up the country, took possession of the lands assigned them, 
 and, after encountering many diiliculties, succeeded pretty well. 
 Although the land in general, in this part of the Southern World, is 
 not quite so fertile as in some other localities, the climate is 
 acknowledged to be very salubrious, and the country is not subject 
 to the droughts which prevail on the eastern coast. There are 
 extensive forests of excellent timber in the interior, with intervals 
 of excellent grazing ground for cattle, which, together with the 
 mineral wealth which has recently been brought to light, promise 
 for this small but rising colony a prosperous future. 
 
 We now call the attention of the reader to the means employed 
 to promote the religious welfare of the British settlers, and the 
 scattered tribes of Aborigines. Besides the appointment of a 
 chaplain and schoolmaster to attend to the convict establishment 
 which was soon formed, and the civil and military departments of 
 Government, little or nothing had been done to supply the spiritual 
 wants of the people, when, in 1888, the Wesleyan Missionary 
 Society responded to an earnest request which was made for the 
 appointment of a Missionary. The Bev. W. Longbottom was 
 designated for the service, but suffering shipwreck, as already 
 mentioned, he was authorised to settle at Adelaide, where he had 
 been driven by stress of circumstances ; and his place was supplied 
 at Swan Eiver, in the course of the following year, by the appoint- 
 ment of the Eev. John Smithies. On his arrival at Perth, Mr. 
 Smithies was received with the liveliest demonstrations of gratitude 
 and joy, by a few Methodist settlers who had already commenced 
 to hold little meetings for their mutual edification. For the long 
 period of sixteen years did this devoted Missionary continue to 
 labour in the colony, during the first half of which it was his lot to 
 minister to the same people without any colleague, amid difficulties 
 and trials which might have discouraged a man of less firmness 
 and energy of character. But although this zealous servant of God 
 was left so long to toil alone, yet in another sense he was not 
 alone, for the Master was with him, and if he was unable to do 
 
298 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 mucli in the way of extending the work, his labours were blessed 
 to those whom he was able to reach, and the church was built up 
 and edified by his instructive ministry. 
 
 As in the establishment of Missions in other places, so in the 
 commencement of the work at Swan Eiver, the Society had special 
 reference to the welfare of the natives, who were found wandering 
 about the country in small scattered tribes, the same as in other 
 parts of the land. On the appointment of the first Missionary to 
 Western Australia, he was instructed to pay particular attention to 
 the Aborigines ; and there can be no doubt but he discharged bis 
 duty faithfully in this respect, whilst at the same time he neglected 
 no opportunity of preaching to his fellow-countrymen "the 
 glorious Gospel of the blessed God." Failing in his efforts to 
 impress or reclaim the adult natives from their wild and wandering 
 habits, Mr. Smithies at length directed his chief attention to the 
 children. Some of these were already in the service of the colon- 
 ists, and several others, to the number of about forty, were placed 
 by their parents, who occasionally visited the town, under the care 
 of a Missionary and a teacher whom he hired to attend to them. 
 These juveniles were found quite capable of receiving instruction, 
 and being fed, clothed, and trained in the Mission school, for some 
 time they made fair progress in learning. 
 
 In his report of this department of the work, for the year 1846, 
 the Missionary says: — "The natives learn reading, writing, and 
 arithmetic, and some have made considerable proficiency." Men- 
 tion is also made of a public examination, at which His Excellency 
 the Governor was present, and who was so pleased ^Yith. the result 
 that with his own hand he gave presents to six native youths, who 
 had acquitted themselves remarkably well, in answering questions 
 from the Catechism, as well as in other exercises, which included 
 the singing of hymns both in English and in their O'OTI tongue. 
 And, what was more encouraging still, some of these poor 
 miserable outcasts were brought under the gracious and saving 
 influence of the Gospel. On one occasion as many as eighteen 
 native youths were received into the Christian Church by the 
 initiatory sacrament of baptism, at a public service, which excited 
 
AUSTRALIA. 
 
 299 
 
 great interest ; and with regard to most of these, there was good 
 reason to beheve that they had not only obtained an intelhgent 
 knowledge of Christianity, but that a genuine work of grace had 
 commenced in their hearts. 
 
 The cheering measure of success which at first attended the 
 efforts that were made to train and evangelise a few of the children 
 of the natives of Western Australia renders it the more painful to 
 relate the sequel of the story, and to acknowledge that, after all, 
 the scheme resulted in bitter disappointment. After the native 
 schools had been in operation for a few years, and some progress 
 had been made in training the children, and after several hopeful 
 conversions had taken place, and some happy deaths had been 
 
 THE DYING AUSTKALIAN. 
 
 witnessed, it was found necessary to relinquish the undertaking. 
 This was owing chiefly to the evil influence which the heathen 
 parents exercised over their children. At first they seemed well 
 pleased with the notice taken of their little ones by their European 
 benefactors, and frequently came to see them in the school, and m 
 their comfortable homes ; but at length they decoyed them away 
 into the bush with such frequency, that the efforts of the Mission- 
 ary and teacher to promote their social and moral improvement 
 were completely paralysed. In the meantime it became evident 
 
300 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 that tte number of the Aborigines was rapidly decreasing here 
 also, as in other parts of Austraha, by means of the destructive 
 influence of strong drink and the diseases which were introduced 
 among them by immoral settlers and debased convicts. 
 
 Thus thwarted in their humane and philanthropic eiforts to 
 evangelise the degraded natives of Western Australia, the Mis- 
 sionary and his assistants had no alternative but to direct their 
 attention henceforth to the European settlers, who, in consequence 
 of the demoralising influence of the convict system, and other evils 
 which might be mentioned, were in danger of becoming as thoroughly 
 heathen in the land of their adoption, as the miserable natives 
 whose hunting-grounds they were appropriating for their own use. 
 In this important department of Chiistian labour there has not been 
 the same amount of success realised here as in most of the other 
 Australian colonies. Hitherto various circumstances have militated 
 against the rapid progress of the work. Not only is the European 
 population of the colony comparatively small, amounting to only 
 six or seven thousand, but the convict system was longer continued 
 and its baneful influence more powerfully felt than in most other 
 places. The number of Missionaries employed m this part of the 
 wide field has, moreover, always been very hmited. For many 
 years Mr. Smithies was left entirely alone, as already stated, and his 
 services were necessarily confined chiefly to Perth, the capital of the 
 colony. When he was afterward joined or succeeded by the Rev. 
 Messrs. Lowe, Hardey, Simpson, Traylin, Lawrance, and others, 
 the work was extended to York, Fremantle, Champion-bay, and 
 other towns, villages, and hamlets, where chapels were built and 
 societies formed, with much advantage to a scattered and neglected 
 population. StiU it maybe said, "The harvest is great and the 
 labourers are few." We have now in the Western Australia Dis- 
 trict four ministers, one hundred and sevenlij -three Church members, 
 and five hundred and forty-four scholars in the Sabbath and day- 
 schools. 
 
AUSTRALIA. 301 
 
 Tasmania. 
 
 Tasmania, or Van Diemen's Land, is a large island off the 
 souljliern coast of Australia, from wMcli it is separated by an arm 
 of the sea called Bass' Straits, which is about two hundred miles 
 wide. The land is generally high, diversified with moderate hills 
 and broad valleys, which are well wooded and watered, and ad- 
 mirably adapted for agricultural and grazing purposes. In the 
 year 1804 a British settlement was established on the south-east 
 side of the island, at the mouth of the river Derwent, where Hobart 
 Town, the capital of the colony, was built. The chief object of 
 the Government was to provide suitable convict establishments to 
 which criminals might be transported from the mother country. 
 This system was carried on for many years, and gave a moral 
 character to the colony which presented a strong claim for Mis- 
 sionary labour. 
 
 The introduction of Methodism into Tasmania was attended by 
 circumstances which clearly show the superintending and over- 
 ruUng providence of God. The Rev. Benjamin Carvosso, having 
 been appointed as a Missionary to New South Wales to assist the 
 Rev. Samuel Leigh, was on his passage to that distant country, 
 when in the month of April, 1820, the vessel in which he sailed 
 put into the Derwent, to land part of her cargo and passengers at 
 Hobart Town. On going on shore the Missionary found the people 
 almost entirely destitute of the means of grace, and by far the 
 greater part of them living in open violation of the laws of God, 
 doing evil, "only evil, and that continually." Mr. Carvosso's 
 spirit was greatly moved by what he saw around him ; and, wish- 
 ing to improve the opportunity by speaking a word in the name of 
 his Divine Master, he took his stand on the steps of a small build- 
 ing then used as a court-house, with his devoted mfe by his side 
 to lead the singing, and in the open air preached the first Methodist 
 sermon ever heard in Tasmania. 
 
 These services were repeated at intervals till the vessel sailed 
 for Sydney, when the Missionary and his wife reluctantly took 
 
502 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 their leave of Hobart Town, cherishing the hope that some good 
 had been done during their brief stay, and that Divine Providence 
 would open the way for the establishment of a Mission-station 
 there. The impression thus made upon the minds of the people 
 was deepened by a similar visit from the Kev. Ealph Mansfield 
 some time afterwards, and the need of something being done for 
 Hobart Town seemed so urgent, that in the interim Mr. Carvosso 
 wrote to the Missionary Committee in London, giving a description 
 of the colony and of the spiritual destitution of the people, and 
 urging the appointment of a Missionary to Tasmania as soon as 
 practicable. 
 
 The Society readily responded to the call ; but, before a suitable 
 Missionary could be sent out, some time elapsed ; and, during the 
 interval, God in His providence was carrying on His work by other 
 instrumentality. A few pious soldiers belonging to the forty-eighth 
 regiment, who had been brought to a saving knowledge of the 
 truth in New South Wales, arrived at Hobart Town. No sooner 
 were these devoted servants of God settled in their barracks than 
 they were painfully impressed with the wickedness that prevailed 
 in the place ; and, earnestly desiring to do good to others, as well 
 as to make progress in religion themselves, they obtained the uso 
 of a room in the tovm, and began to hold meetings for prayer and 
 exhortation. The meetings of the praying soldiers soon excited 
 attention, and many of the tovraspeople found their way to- the 
 humble sanctuary, some of whom were convinced of sin, and 
 brought to a saving knowledge of the Redeemer. At this Satan 
 began to rage, and a spirit of persecution was evoked, which 
 threatened to destroy the infant cause. A number of persons of 
 the "baser sort" assembled around the cottage at the hour of 
 prayer, and by loud and boisterous shouting, throwing stones at 
 the door, and breaking the windows, attempted to daunt the humble 
 worshippers and put a stop to the meetings. In this they were 
 mistaken ; for the more they opposed the more mightily grew the 
 Word of God and prevailed. Tidings of these wicked proceedings 
 soon reached the ears of the Lieutenant-Governor ; the persecutors 
 were silenced and peace restored ; and, from that time to the pre- 
 
AUSTRALIA. 303 
 
 sent, no attempt at open opposition to the Gospel has been made in 
 Hobart Town. 
 
 In 1821 the first Methodist class was formed in Tasmania, and 
 before the end of the year the Eev. WilUam Horton arrived from 
 England to occupy the station as the first Missionary. The mem- 
 bers of Society received him with open arms and grateful hearts, 
 and he commenced his labom'S under the most favourable circum- 
 stances. No sooner was Hobart Town favoured with the stated 
 services of a Wesleyan minister, than crowds of people flocked to 
 hear the Word of God. The weather-board building used as a 
 chapel soon became too small for the congregation. It was then 
 enlarged, but the accommodation being still insufficient, it was 
 resolved to attempt the erection of a commodious new chapel. A 
 piece of land, in a suitable situation in Melville-street, was gene- 
 rously presented to the Society as a site for the building, by David 
 Lord, Esq., and the foundation was laid in 1822. Numerous 
 difficulties, however, arose, and long delays occurred, from various 
 causes, which hindered the progress of the work, so that the edifice 
 was not ready for dedication to the service of Jehovah tiU the 12th 
 of February, 1826. 
 
 By this time the Eev. B. Carvosso, who first preached in the 
 street of Hobart Town, from the steps of the Coui't House, had 
 retm-ned from New South Wales, to -become the pastor of the 
 people who had been gathered into the fold of Christ in the in- 
 terim ; and he had the high gratification of conducting the first 
 public service which was held in the new and beautiful sanctuary. 
 For five years subsequently did Mr. Carvosso minister within its 
 walls to deeply attentive and increasing congregations, and the 
 Church was built up and edified. 
 
 As openings presented themselves, the good work was extended 
 to difi'erent parts of the island ; and the Mission was reinforced by 
 the appointment of the Eev. Messrs. Schofield, Hutchinson, Tm-ner, 
 Manton, Butters, and others. By the united efforts of these 
 faithful servants of God, and other Missionaries by whom they 
 were joined or succeeded, the work was gradually extended from 
 Hobart Town to Campbell Town, Launceston, Lonford, Westbuiy, 
 
304 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
AUSTRALIA. 
 
 305 
 
 Deloraine, Mercy, Stanley, and Franklin, wliicli ultimately became 
 the centres of circuits, embracing a number of minor stations, 
 ■where commodious chapels were erected, and where the people 
 were regularly supplied with the faithful ministry of the Word of 
 God, as preached by the Missionaries and the noble band of local 
 preachers, who were raised up to assist them in the good work. 
 Thus was every part of the island visited by the Missionaries or 
 their assistants, and the community generally was permeated with 
 the leaven of Christianity in the form of Methodism. Schools 
 were, moreover, established in various places, and at Eoss, a semi- 
 nary of a superior character was erected, called Horton College, 
 with a view to afford education of a higher class to those who 
 require it, and to supersede the necessity of our people sending 
 their sons to England. 
 
 This brief sketch of the origin and progress of Wesleyan Missions 
 in Tasmania would be very incomplete without a more distinct 
 reference to the efforts which were made for the benefit of the 
 convicts sent thither, and the native inhabitants of the country. 
 So long as the transportation of criminals to Van Diemen's Land 
 continued this unhappy class of persons received the special atten- 
 tion of our Missionaries at their respective locations ; and the 
 Government were so sensible of the value of their services that 
 they made considerable financial grants to aid the Society in carry- 
 ing on the work. The principal convict stations were at Macquarie 
 Harbour and Port Arthur, in connection with which the Kev. Messrs. 
 Schofield, Butters, Manton, and others laboui'ed for several years, 
 and not without manifold tokens of the presence and blessing of 
 God. Many of the poor convicts were led, by the faithful preaching 
 of the Missionaries, to repent of their sins and to embrace the 
 offers of that mercy in the land of their exile which they had 
 despised and rejected in their own country. Macquarie Harbour 
 was a penal settlement to which convicts of the most abandoned 
 character were banished, when they were found incorrigible at the 
 ordinary stations in New South Wales and other places. There 
 the Missionaries were brought into contact with some of the vilest 
 specimens of humanity which could be found on the face of the 
 
 X 
 
306 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 earth ; and it is a pleasing fact that some of these even were 
 brought under the subduing and renewing power of Divine grace. 
 A few remarkable instances occun-ed of the conversion of convicts 
 when under the sentence of death for crimes of the greatest atrocity, 
 committed after their transportation. And so evident was the 
 work of grace on the hearts of these miserable outcasts that they 
 were enabled, in some instances, to praise the Lord for His par- 
 doning mercy, and to express their unwavering confidence in the 
 Redeemer, as they were accompanied to the fatal spot by the 
 Missionary. So true is it that the Gospel of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ is still " the power of God unto salvation to everyone that 
 believeth." * 
 
 With regard to the Aborigines of the island, of whom compara- 
 tively few were found when the country was first discovered, we 
 have but a very brief and gloomy account to give. We regret to 
 state that they continued gradually to decrease in number till at 
 length they became entirely extinct. The " last man " of the race 
 was present at a public entertainment at the Government House in 
 1865, and it is beheved that he has since then gone the way of all 
 flesh. Several years ago the miserable remnants of the Aborigines 
 of Tasmania were collected in a settlement provided for them by 
 Government on the southern coast of the island. They were 
 placed under the care of a medical gentleman, who paid every 
 
 * One of the first Missionaries to these miserable exiles, many of TThom had been 
 twice transported, was the late EeT. J. A. Manton, a personal friend of the writer. 
 He reached the scene of his adventurous Mission in the month of May, 1832, and 
 laboured for several years with remarkable success, although his life was frequently 
 placed in jeopardy. The following honourable testimony to the importance and 
 usefulness of this Mission was borne by Mr. James Backhouse, a member of the 
 Society of Friends, who visited the settlement, and spent seventeen days among 
 the convicts soon after the commencement of the work: — " We attended several of 
 their religious opportunities to our comfort, and had liberty to labour in them ; 
 and had free access to the prisoners at all times. We have often seen the den of 
 thieves become a house of prayer ! for among those who have been turned from 
 darkness to light, some were desperate hardened thieves. We hoard one of the 
 reformed convicts twice address his fellow-prisoners in exhortation to receive the 
 doctrines of the Gospel, and to forsake their evil ways ; and once he prayed for 
 them in one of our religious assemblies, much to our comfort." 
 
AUSTRALIA. 307 
 
 attention to their comfort, and, as far as they were capable and 
 ■willing to receive it, religious instruction was given by the Mis- 
 sionaries ; but the result was very discouraging, and they gradually 
 wasted away in the presence of their pale-faced brethren, as it is 
 apprehended the entire native population will do in every part of 
 Australia. 
 
 The state of Methodism in Tasmania is reported to be thriving 
 and prosperous. At the time of the general rush to the gold- 
 fields of Victoria in 1852, a large number of colonists went 
 thither from various parts of the island, and for two or three 
 years afterwards the congregations were seriously diminished in 
 consequence, and the progress of work was retarded. But many 
 of the emigrants ultimately returned to their former homes, some 
 disappointed, and others with increased means of supporting the 
 cause of God, and the work has been gradually progressing ever 
 since. We have now, in connection with the Tasmania District, 
 fifteen ministers, one thousand five hundred and seventtj-three Church 
 members, and three thousand and thirty scholars in the Sabbath and 
 day-schools. 
 
 By the blessing of God upon the preaching of the Missionaries 
 and the rapid increase of population by means of emigration, the 
 progress and expansion of the work in the Australian colonies was 
 so remarkable, that the Committee in London was led seriously 
 to consider by what means Methodism should be still further 
 advanced and consolidated, and the respective stations be made 
 self-supporting, that the funds of the Society might henceforth be 
 available for the extension of the Missions in strictly heathen 
 countries. In order to initiate the measures which were con- 
 sidered necessary for the accomplishment of this object, in 1845 
 the Kev. W. B. Boyce was appointed General Superintendent of 
 the Missions in Australia and Van Diemen's Land. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Boyce had rendered good service to the Society in Southern Africa 
 for thirteen years previously, and their appointment to New South 
 Wales was made a blessing to that country. 
 
 On arriving at his new sphere of labour, Mr. Boyce addressed 
 himself to his arduous duties with a zeal and earnestness truly 
 
 x2 
 
3o8 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 characteristic, and, having gained the esteem and confidence of his 
 brethren, and of the people generally, with their aid and co-operation 
 a financial system was inaugm'ated which prepared the way, a few 
 years afterwards, for the organisation of an affiliated Conference. 
 This grand measure was consummated in 1852, on the visit to the 
 " Southern World " of the Rev. Robert Young, as a deputation from 
 the British Conference. Mr. Young left England towards the close 
 of the year, and having called at the Cape of Good Hope, where 
 the writer had the pleasure of his company for a few days, in the 
 month of March, 1853, he proceeded to Swan River, Adelaide, 
 Melbourne, Sydney, Tasmania, New Zealand, the Friendly and 
 Fiji Islands, and returned home in April, 1854, visiting India and 
 Egjrpt on his way. In the year 1860 the Rev. Dr. Jobson was 
 appointed to visit Austraha, as a deputation from the British Con- 
 ference, and performed his mission to the entire satisfaction of his 
 brethren. Both of these eminent ministers published interesting 
 narratives of their travels and observations, to which we have 
 pleasure in referring for much valuable information on this im- 
 portant part of the Mission field. 
 
 The Austrahan Conference has taken under its management the 
 Society's important Missions in the South Seas, and there are now, 
 in connection with the respective circuits and districts included 
 within its ample bounds, two hundred and eiyliUj-ninc ministers, fifty 
 thousand six hundred and seventy-four Church members, and ninety- 
 eight thousand three hundred and forty-three scholars in the Sabbath 
 and day-schools. 
 
CHAPTEE VII. 
 NEW ZEALAND. 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY FIRST ATTEMPTS AT CIVILISATION 
 
 COMMENCEMENT OP WESLEYAN MISSION THE WANGAROA STATION 
 
 SUSPENSION OP THE MISSION RE-ESTABLISHMENT OP THE WORK 
 
 ■ COLONISATION ULTIMATE SUCCESS. 
 
 NEW ZEALAND is the name given to a group of islands in 
 the Pacific Ocean, situated about fourteen hundred miles 
 south-east of Sydney, in New South Wales. The principal of 
 these are three in number, two larger and one smaller, distin- 
 guished as the Northern, the Middle, and the Southern Islands. 
 The superficial area of the whole is said to be one-fifth larger 
 than that of Great Britain. The climate is described as generally 
 healthy, and not very dissimilar to that of England, although it 
 is, perhaps, on the whole, somewhat warmer and more humid. 
 The interior of the respective islands exhibits great diversity of 
 surface and scenery, the mountains, in some instances, rising to 
 an altitude of nine thousand feet. From these elevated regions, 
 numerous streams descend to the sea in various directions. The 
 extensive forests which cover the mountain slopes, and the 
 deep ravines which intersect the country, contain some excellent 
 timber, and when the ground is cleared of these and of the fern 
 roots which prevail in many places, it proves very fertile, and 
 v?ell adapted for almost all kinds of Em-opean produce, when 
 
310 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 well cultivated. The islands possess several good harbours, and, 
 on the vphole, the country is well adapted for agricultural and 
 commercial enterprise. 
 
 New Zealand was first discovered by the Dutch navigator 
 Tasman, in 1642, when he traced the eastern coast to a 
 considerable distance, but being attacked by the . natives as 
 soon as his ship came to anchor, he was obliged to depart 
 without going on shore. From this period the islands remained 
 unknown to Europeans till 1770, when they were circumnavigated 
 by our enterprising countryman. Captain Cook, who passed thi'ough 
 the channel which separates the two principal ones, to which he 
 gave his own name. New Zealand henceforth became a place of 
 occasional resort for South Sea whalers, but no permanent 
 European settlement was formed in the country till the com- 
 mencement of philanthropic operations for the civilisation of 
 the Aborigines in 1814. Subsequently numerous adventurers 
 settled in the islands, and in 1840 they were organised into a 
 regular British colony. The influx of European emigrants has since 
 been very large, and New Zealand bids fair to become one of 
 the most prosperous countries in the Southern World. 
 
 When first discovered, the Aboriginal inhabitants, called Maories, 
 were remarkable for their warlike, savage, and cruel character, and 
 it soon became well-known that they were addicted to the revolt- 
 ing habit of cannabaHsm, and that they generally feasted on the 
 bodies of their enemies slain in battle. Some appalling instances 
 of their savage manners, customs, and superstitions will come 
 under our notice as we proceed. It will, therefore, be unnecessary 
 to enlarge further on the general character of the country and the 
 natives, and we may address om-selves at once to the duty of 
 tracing the progress and the results of the efforts which have been 
 made to promote their social and moral improvement. 
 
 FiEST Attempts at Civilisation. 
 
 Any historical sketch of Christian labour for the benefit of New 
 Zealand, by whatever denomination, without a distinct and 
 
NEW ZEALAND. 
 
 3" 
 
 honourable recognition of the services of the Eev. Samuel Marsden, 
 the senior chaplain of the colony of New South Wales, who may 
 be justly regarded as the father and founder of the enterprise, 
 must be very imperfect. Soon after his arrival in Australia, Mr. 
 Marsden was struck with the appearance and manners of individual 
 natives of New Zealand, who were occasionally brought over to 
 Sydney in vessels which visited the islands, and induced some of 
 them, especially a young chief named Duaterra, to live with him 
 for some time, and thus gained their confidence and esteem, as 
 their friend and benefactor. 
 
 Having made the necessary preparations, on the 19th November, 
 1814, Mr. Marsden, in accordance with a long cherished desire to 
 benefit the natives, embarked for New Zealand in a small sloop 
 called the Active, with a company of European settlers, consisting 
 of Messrs. Hall, King, and Kendall, and their families. These 
 were not Missionaries, properly speaking, but laymen employed in 
 connection with the Church Missionary Society, intended to teach 
 the natives the aits of civilised life, and thus, according to the mis- 
 taken notions of the age, to prepare the way for the introduction 
 of -the Gospel. One was a schoolmaster, another a carpenter, and 
 a third a shoemaker. They were also accompanied by the chief 
 Duaterra, and two or three other natives, who were returning 
 home from a long visit to Sydney, delighted with the prospect of 
 their fellow-countrymen being taught some of the wonderful things 
 that they had witnessed in the land of the white men. 
 
 Mr. Marsden and his party on board the Active had a favom-able 
 passage, and landed in safety at the Bay of Islands on the 22d of 
 December, and on the following Sabbath, which was Christmas-day, 
 Divine Service was celebrated for the first time in New Zealand. 
 Duaterra had made a reading desk of an old canoe, and prepared 
 seats for the Europeans with some planks which had been brought to 
 the ground for the purpose, after the style of what he had witnessed 
 in the colony. The whole population of the neighbourhood 
 assembled on the occasion, the warriors being marched rank and 
 file into the enclosure, whilst all who could be spared from the 
 ship were landed to join in the service. The chiefs were dressed 
 
312 HISTORY OF WESLEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
 in regimentals, which had been presented to them by the Governor 
 of New South Wales, with their swords by their sides, while the 
 savages stuck their spears in the turf as they squatted in a circle 
 on the ground. Mr. Marsden conducted the worship with great 
 solemnity, Duaterra acting as interpreter in a very impressive 
 manner. At the close of the service about three hundred natives 
 surrounded the Minister and commenced their war dance, shouting 
 and yelling in a most awful manner, in testimony of their joy on 
 the auspicious occasion. 
 
 The impression produced by the religious services of the first 
 Sabbath in New Zealand, « appeared so favourable that it was 
 deemed safe and necessary to proceed at once to procure timber 
 and erect suitable buildings for the families of the settlers. On 
 witnessing these proceedings, Duaterra became much excited, and 
 exclaimed, with an air of triumph, "New Zealand will be a gi'eat 
 country in two years ! I will export grain to Port Jackson, in ex- 
 change for spades, axes, hoes, tea, and sugar." The grand object 
 of his life, which he had studied for years during his residence in 
 New South Wales, appeared to him on the eve of being realised. 
 Under this impression he made arrangements for an extensive cul- 
 tivation of the ground, and formed a plan for building a new town 
 vsdth regular streets, after the European mode, in a beautiful situa- 
 tion which commanded a view of the harbour and the adjacent 
 country. Mr. Marsden accompanied the young chief to select a 
 suitable site for the church, that everything might be satisfactorily 
 arranged before his departure. 
 
 Thus pleasing was the prospect of success in these first philan- 
 thropic efforts for the benefit of New Zealand, when a dark cloud 
 settled upon the scene and retarded the work for an indefinite 
 period. This was the sickness and death of the young chief 
 Duaterra, who had been under training by Mr. Marsden for several 
 years with special reference to this enterprise. The chaplain's 
 term of absence having expired, the Active was unmoored and 
 sailed for Port Jackson ; and Duaterra died four days after the 
 departure of his friend from New Zealand. 
 
 The death of the friendly young chief was a severe blow to the 
 
NEW ZEALAND. 313 
 
 infant settlement ; and we regret to state that it did not meet with 
 the success that was anticipated. The undertaking was arranged 
 and entered upon with the purest motives by the philanthropic 
 Mr. Marsden, in the interest of the Church Missionary Society ; 
 but the principle upon which it was based was erroneous. Past 
 experience clearly proves that the real permanent elevation of a 
 people cannot be effected by merely teaching them the arts of 
 civilised life. It can only be expected as the result of establishing 
 Christian schools in connection with the faithful preaching of the 
 Gospel of Christ. In fact, a pui'ely heathen people care little 
 about arts and science till they are brought under the ameliorating 
 influence of Christianity. 
 
 It was for want of clear views of the necessity and importance 
 of the Gospel, as the best pioneer and companion of civilisation, 
 that the secular Mission to New Zealand failed to accomplish much 
 good, rather than to the death of the young chief, although that 
 was no doubt felt to be a great calamity. The settlers undoubtedly 
 did the best they could under the peculiar circumstances in which 
 they were placed. The carpenter, with his edged tools, was re- 
 garded by the natives as a man of considerable importance ; but 
 the shoemaker and schoolmaster were lightly esteemed by the 
 people. These wild men of the woods were delighted to see the 
 trees fall by the application of the axe and saw ; but nothing could 
 convince them of the wisdom or necessity of confining their feet in 
 cases made of leather ; and the idea of sitting down all day to 
 learn the letters of a book was, in their estimation, perfectly ridi- 
 culous, especially as their fathers had done very well without such 
 punishment. The settlers being professing Christians, they held 
 religious meetings for their own edification, and with the hope of 
 benefiting the natives also ; but not being allowed to preach, 
 their services attracted but little notice ; and year after year passed 
 away without much impression being made on the minds of the 
 people. 
 
 In 1818, when the experiment of civilisation had been tried 
 between three and four years, Mr. Marsden prevailed upon Mr. 
 Leigh of the Wesleyan Missionary Society, to take a trip to New 
 
314 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Zealand for tlie double purpose of recruiting his health and of 
 inquiring into the state of the settlement. Soon after the arrival 
 of the Rev. Walter Lawry to take part in the work of the Mission 
 in New South Wales, Mr. Leigh, therefore, embarked for New 
 Zealand, where he arrived in safety after a long and stormy 
 passage. He was received by the settlers with much cordiality, 
 and there is reason to believe that his wise counsels and prayers 
 were made a blessing to them. Some little misunderstandings 
 which had arisen between their families were happily removed 
 by the Missionary's friendly iniluence, and much useful informa- 
 tion was collected both with reference to the country and the 
 people. 
 
 During the few weeks which Mr. Leigh spent in New Zealand 
 on this occasion, several striking incidents occurred which j)ain- 
 fuUy impressed his mind with a sickening sense of the cruelty and 
 moral degradation of the natives, and of the great necessity of 
 something more being done to effect their evangehsation. On the 
 Sabbath after his arrival, he went out to a vUlage near the settle- 
 ment to converse with the people. As he entered it, he was 
 sui'prised to see twelve ghastly tattooed heads of men, arranged in 
 a row on the right-hand side of the path. He felt shocked at this 
 appalling proof that he was indeed in the "region of the shadow 
 of death." He sent for the Chief, and said to him, " I did not 
 expect to witness so revolting a spectacle in your village. Why 
 have you placed these heads here?" He replied, with an air of 
 contempt, " Because I expected you to buy them ! " " Buy them ! " 
 exclaimed the Missionary, " I buy spars, pigs, and flax, when I 
 want them, but not the heads of men." 
 
 On coming to a hut, much superior in appearance to those 
 around it, Mr. Leigh stooped down ; and, on looking in, saw a 
 little child lying naked between two large stones. He crept in 
 on his hands and knees, the entrance being low, and wrapping the 
 infant in his pocket-handkerchief, brought it out. Several persons 
 havuig observed him, raised the cry, " The white man has gone into 
 the Queen's hut!" The people were soon in motion; and the 
 Queen herself arriving, demanded to know what business he had 
 
NEW ZEALAND. 315 
 
 there. Holding up the child, he said, " I went in to save the life 
 of this infant : why was it left alone naked on the floor of the 
 hut?" The Queen replied, "I was planting potatoes, and could 
 not attend to it. But I do not regret it ; for your handkerchief, 
 having touched my piccaninny, is forfeited, it is my property." 
 Under the circumstances, he judged it prudent to let her have it. 
 
 He then went into the plantations and expostulated with such of 
 the people as he found working on the Lord's-day. They declared 
 that their gods were good for nothing, as they did not give them a 
 Sabbath, or they might have been favoured with a day of rest like 
 the white people. The Missionary visited six of the nearest 
 villages in succession, assembled the people, and inquired whether 
 they were wilhng to receive instruction. They generally replied 
 in the affirmative, and assured him that if the white teachers would 
 come regularly, they would stay at home themselves, and bring 
 their children to be taught. He consequently formed them into a 
 kind of circuit, and made a plan of visitation to which the lay 
 Missionaries attached their names, and engaged to hold religious 
 services in each village every Lord's-day. 
 
 Having finished his torn- of observation, Mr. Leigh returned to 
 New South Wales ; and some time afterwards he embarked for 
 England, fully resolved to recommend New Zealand to the Wesleyan 
 Missionary Society as a promising field of labour. 
 
 Commencement of Wesleyan Mission. 
 
 When Mr. Leigh first laid before the Committee in London his 
 proposal for the commencement of a Mission to the cannibals of 
 New Zealand, there appeared to be Httle hope of success, as the 
 Society was at that time labouring under a debt of i£10,000. 
 Whilst musing upon the subject, it occm-red to the Missionary that, 
 by a forcible appeal to the friends of Missions in different parts of 
 England, he might, perhaps, obtain contributions of goods of various 
 kinds, which, in New Zealand, would be more valuable than money 
 itself. His proposal thus to provide the means to accomplish an 
 object on which his large and loving heart was firmly fixed, having 
 
3i6 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 met with the sanction of the Committee and the Conference, Mr, 
 Leigh held a number of meetings in the manufacturing districts for the 
 purpose of setting before the Methodist people the necessities and 
 requirements of the enterprise. His powerful and pathetic appeals 
 were responded to in the most liberal manner, and in the course 
 of a few months such a number of packages of merchandise were 
 forwarded to London for the new Mission to New Zealand that it 
 was with difficulty that storeroom could be found for them till the 
 ship was ready to receive them on board. These packages con- 
 sisted of ploughs, spades, saws, axes, grates, pots, kettles, fish- 
 hooks, and other descriptions of ironmongery from Sheffield and 
 Birmingham, and prints, calicoes, and wearing apparel, with a 
 variety of other useful articles, from Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, 
 and other places. The liberality of the friends of Missions was 
 unbounded, so that the Society felt warranted in making arrange- 
 ments for the commencement of the New Zealand Mission without 
 further delay, especially as Mr. Leigh had already offered his per- 
 sonal services for the work. 
 
 In the meantime there arrived in London a distinguished New 
 Zealand Chief named 'Hongi, together with Waikato, a chieftain of 
 minor importance, his travelling companion. These two intelligent 
 natives had come to England with Mr. Kendall, of the Church 
 Missionary Society, and were regarded with much interest during 
 their stay, especially by Mr. Leigh, who had known them in their 
 ovm country. As the Chm'ch Missionary Society were about to 
 place their settlement in New Zealand on a better footing, by 
 appointing regular Christian Ministers to preach the Gospel to the 
 people, it was no doubt thought that the appearance in England 
 of these Maori Chiefs would give a new impetus to the work. The 
 account which they themselves gave of the object of their coming 
 to the white man's countrj' was amusingly characteristic. " They 
 had come," they said, " to see the king, the multitude of his people, 
 what they were all doing, and the goodness of the land. They 
 wished to remain in England one month, and then retm-n home. 
 They desired to take back with them one hundred men ; miners 
 to search for iron, blacksmiths, cai-penters, and Missionanes, to 
 
NEW ZEALAND. 
 
 317 
 
 teach, tliem arts and religion in tlieir own tongue. They were 
 anxious to have twenty British soldiers, and three officers to keep 
 the soldiers in order. They would protect them and grant them 
 plenty of land. These are the words of 'Hongi and Waikato." 
 
 In some of these things they were gratified, but not in others. 
 His Majesty King George IV. admitted them to an audience, 
 showed them the armoury in the palace, and made them several 
 costly presents. The chiefs lost no time in honouring Mr. Leigh 
 with a visit. After a mutual interchange of salutations and 
 enquiries, 'Hongi said, " As I have not been quite at home since I 
 came to this land, I will stay with you while I remain in England." 
 Mr. Leigh, knowing that in a few months the lifting up of the 
 spear of 'Hongi would be equivalent to a declaration of life or death 
 to himself and family, thought it prudent to accept of this pro- 
 ferred mark of respect, with as good a grace as possible. As the 
 chief could not be induced to He on a bed, the Missionary was 
 obliged to place his mattrass on the floor, and sleep beside him. 
 
 Wishing to please and conciliate the two New Zealand chiefs as 
 much as possible, as well as to encourage their laudable taste for 
 the mechanical arts, the Wesleyan Missionary Society made them 
 each a present of a chest of carpenters' tools. After they had exam- 
 ined, with evident satisfaction, the contents of the chests, they were 
 told that the Committee would have pleasm-e in adding any other 
 article that would be acceptable to them. " Then," said 'Hongi, 
 "add, if you please, a dress for my wife." When this, with 
 several other articles of female attire, was provided, he seemed 
 pleased and satisfied. The Maories were delighted with the 
 various sights which they witnessed in England ; but it was soon 
 found that the change of climate and the difference in the mode of 
 living were exercising an unfavourable influence on the state of 
 their health. They consequently accepted the offer of a passage 
 in the Government ship Sjyoke, then about to sail, and returned to 
 their own country by way of New South Wales. 
 
 The necessary preparations for the commencement of the Wes- 
 leyan Mission to New Zealand having been made, Mr. and Mrs. 
 Leigh, together with Mr. and Mrs. Horton, and Mr. Walker, sailed 
 
3i8 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 from Gravesend in the ship Brixton, on the 28th of April, 1821. 
 They were favoured with a pleasant passage, and on the 8th of 
 August they reached Tasmania, where Mr. and Mrs. Horton re- 
 mained to organise a Mission in that island, whilst the rest of the 
 party proceeded to New South Wales. On reaching Sydney, Mr. 
 Leigh was concerned to hear that a native war had broken out in 
 New Zealand, and desolated that part of the country where he in- 
 tended to commence Missionary operations. Perhaps this circum- 
 stance led him to spend a longer time in the colony than he would 
 otherwise have done. The delay, however, was advantageous in 
 many respects, as it afforded an opportunity of repeated consulta- 
 tions with his friend Mr. Marsden, who had spent several months 
 in New Zealand during his absence, and was therefore weU ac- 
 quainted with the state of the country. 
 
 At length, notwithstanding the persuasions of his brethren to 
 wait a little longer, Mr. Leigh preached his farewell sermon at 
 Sydney, and on the last day of the year, he embarked with his 
 heroic wife for their new sphere of labour. After an agi-eeable 
 run, it was announced from the mast-head that New Zealand was 
 in sight. " When I stepped upon deck," said Mr. Leigh, many 
 years afterwards, " and looked toward the shore, and then at my 
 dear wife, and reflected upon the probable consequences of our 
 landing, I felt as if divested of all spiritual strength. We were 
 running in upon a nation of ferocious bloodthirsty heathens, where 
 there was no power to protect, and while the country was con- 
 vulsed with war. Never shall I forget the agony of mind I en- 
 dured, until reflection brought me to feel that I was surrounded by 
 the Divine perfections, and that a hair could not fall from our 
 heads without the concurrence of God." They sailed into the Bay 
 of Islands on the 22d of February, 1822, where they met with a 
 most cordial reception from their friends of the Church Mission, as 
 also from several of the natives who had become acquainted with 
 Mr. Leigh on the occasion of his former visit. These expressed 
 their gratitude and joy at the arrival of the "white teacher," and 
 hastened to salute him by rubbing noses, according to the native 
 custom. 
 
NEW ZEALAND. 319 
 
 The Missionary and his wife were thankful thus to arrive at 
 their appointed sphere of labour in safety, and to receive such a 
 hearty welcome both from the natives and the agents of the Church 
 Missionary Society. It is a pleasing fact that there was at that 
 early period no feelings of jealousy or spirit of rivalry between 
 them and their Wesleyan brethi'en. There had ever been the 
 most cordial feeling of Christian kindness and friendship between 
 the Kev. S. Marsden, the father of the Church Mission in New 
 Zealand, and the "Wesleyan Missionaries in the colony, and Mr. 
 Leigh's former visit had been of essential service to tho infant 
 cause. The Church Missionary Committee in London had, me. 
 over, duly acknowledged their obligation to their Wesleyan brother, 
 and earnestly sought his counsel with regard to their future opera- 
 tions. It was probably in consequence of this that the Eev. J. 
 Butler, a regularly ordained Minister, was appointed to New 
 Zealand, that the work might henceforth be carried on, in con- 
 formity with the true evangelical principles which Mr. Leigh 
 thought so essential to success. The field was wide enough for 
 the operations of both Societies ; and, as the Wesleyans had 
 entered it with the perfect knowledge and sanction of their friends 
 of the Church of England, it was their intention to commence their 
 labours in another part of the country, among the more remote of 
 the tribes on the banks of Kiver Thames and at Mercury Bay, 
 and to work at a suflficient distance from the existing station of 
 the Chm-ch Mission at the Bay of Islands. Everything seems to 
 have been wisely arranged ; but it is painful to record that the 
 plans of the Missionaries were upset, and the prospect of the futui-e 
 involved in the deepest gloom by a desolating war, which for several 
 years swept over the land like a mighty torrent. And that which 
 made it more appalling was the fact that the principal author and 
 instigator of the sad calamity was the chief 'Hongi, who had re- 
 ceived such marked attention and kindness on his visit to England 
 a short time before. 
 
 The leading particulars of this melancholy occurrence were 
 briefly as follows : — On the return of 'Hongi and Waikato from 
 England, they called at Sydney, where they spent a short time 
 
32b HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 under the hospitable roof of their old friend the Eev. S. Marsden. 
 Here they met with Hanaki and another chief from New Zealand, 
 who had taken their passage to London, that they also might "see 
 the land of the white men." . 'Hongi, in describing his visit to the 
 country of " great muskets and big ships," dwelt with significant 
 emphasis on the grandeur of King George, and the splendour of 
 the military spectacles he had witnessed. He had marked the 
 unwillingness of the King and his people, however, to supply him 
 with muskets and gunpowder. Of the intelligence, industry, and 
 religion of the English people he had taken but little notice. Mr. 
 Marsden, perceiving that the bosom of 'Hongi was fired with ambi- 
 tion, and that the insight he had obtained of the wealth and power 
 of Great Britain had only increased his desire for distinction and 
 blood, endeavoured to persuade Hanaki and his companion to give 
 up, for the present, their intended voyage to England and return 
 to their own country with 'Hongi and Waikato ; to this they agreed, 
 when they heard of the unfavourable influence of the climate, and 
 of the difficulty of procuring muskets and powder. 
 
 'Hongi gave to the other chiefs an intelligent and interesting 
 account of his interviews with the Committees of the Church and 
 Wesleyan Missionary Societies, and told them that Mr. Leigh 
 might be expected in a few weeks to commence a Mission in New 
 Zealand. After some discussion they agreed to recommend the 
 establishment of the Mission in the neighbourhood of the Eiver 
 Thames and Mercury Bay, under the immediate protection of 
 Hanaki and the other chief, his companion. While Hanaki was 
 expressing his satisfaction with this arrangement, 'Hongi said 
 abruptly, "Before that can be done, I have a small affair to settle 
 with my friend Hanaki. Dm-ing my absence I understand one of 
 my people has been killed by the River Thames tribes, and I must 
 have satisfaction." Then tm-ning to Hanaki, he said, with a dis- 
 torted countenance and a contemptuous sneer, " Go home with 
 all speed, and put your jm in the best posture of defence, for aa 
 soon as I can get my people together I shall fight you." After 
 this unpleasant occurrence the hostile chiefs, ate at the same table, 
 slept under the same roof, united in the worship of God, and sailed 
 
NEW ZEALAND. 321 
 
 to New Zealand in the same vessel, and it was hoped that friendly 
 counsels would prevail ; but it was not so. 
 
 During the voyage homeward every means were employed by 
 Hanaki, consistent with his own dignity, to move 'Hongi from his 
 hostile purpose and secure peace ; but the haughty chieftain was 
 implacable. On reaching the Bay of Islands, Hanaki and his 
 friends hastened home to rouse the population of their respective 
 districts to be ready to resist the threatened attack of the invader ; 
 while 'Hongi, at the head of three thousand warriors, lost no time 
 in entering their territories. The opposing armies met like two 
 whirlwinds moving in opposite directions, and the event of the 
 conflict was for some time doubtful. At length 'Hongi, who had 
 th? best supply of muskets, and who displayed superior skill in 
 strategy, prevailed, and the destruction and carnage which fol- 
 lowed were awful beyond description. On perceiving his enemy 
 fall mortally wounded, 'Hongi immediately sprung forward, and, 
 with characteristic cruelty, scooped out his eyes with his English 
 knife, and instantly swallowed them ! and then, holding his hands 
 to Hanaki's throat, into which he had plunged his knife, and from 
 which the blood was flowing copiously, drank as much of the warm 
 fluid as they could hold, with savage ferocity exulting in his victory. 
 About one thousand of Hanaki's warriors fell in battle, three hun- 
 dred of whom were roasted and eaten on the field by the troops of 
 'Hongi. When Mr. Leigh met with 'Hongi afterwards, and re- 
 monstrated with him on the atrocities perpetrated during his 
 campaign against the tribes of the Eiver Thames, the savage chief 
 only smiled and remarked, " We must observe the customs of our 
 country : the blood of Hanaki was sweet ! " 
 
 We refrain from entering into further detail with reference to the 
 scenes of cruelty and blood which characterised this fearful out- 
 break. To show the impression which a slight glance at them 
 produced on the mind of a stranger, we may remark that, shortly 
 after the first battle, a vessel, with the Rev. John Wilhams, of the 
 London Society, on board, entered the Bay of Islands ; and when 
 writing home to his father, he says, " Large canoes are returning 
 from the war in every direction. The day before yesterday several 
 
 Y 
 
322 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 passed us ; one or two of wliicli had a man's head stuck on the 
 front and stern, and several prisoners thoy had taken in the war 
 were on board. One of our seamen went on shore, and saw ten 
 heads of warriors, all preserved, brought from the field of battle. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Leigh, of the Wesleyan Society, are here. When 
 they have acquired the language, they will he a blessing to the 
 people." 
 
 The circumstances of the Missionaries were rendered still more 
 trying at this period by the irritation, jealousy, and reserve of 
 'Hongi, who was now the paramount chief over an extensive ter- 
 ritorj'. Believing that the extreme difficulty which he experienced 
 in obtaining muskets and powder was owing to the influence of the 
 white teachers, he began to treat them with indifference and con- 
 tempt. In this he was imitated by the natives generally, who 
 refused to work for the Missionaries unless they were paid with 
 muskets and powder. They, moreover, entered the Mission pre- 
 mises when they pleased, and took away what thej' liked ; till Mr. 
 Leigh was compelled to complain to the chief of the continued 
 depredations of his people. After this there was a slight improve- 
 ment in the conduct of the natives. But it was not long before 
 'Hongi again placed himself at the head of his army and went forth 
 to battle, scouring the country in everj' du-ection. With scarcely 
 any intermission these desolating wars continued for five years, 
 till the very tribes whose evangelization the Wesleyan Missionary 
 Society earnestly sought to promote, were either slain or scattered 
 in various directions. 
 
 And yet, in connection with this dark and gloomy page in the 
 history of the New Zealand Mission, we have a striking instance of 
 that overruling Providence by which good is frequently brought 
 out of evil. During his numerous conquests, 'Hongi gathered up 
 the scattered fragments of many tribes, and sent them as slaves to 
 the Bay of Islands. This was regarded at the time as a public 
 calamity. It turned out, however, to be otherwise. The captives 
 had been brought from various (juarters to the only place in the 
 country where Christian truth was shining amid surrounding dark- 
 ness. They shared in the light ; they attended the Mission 
 
NEW ZEALAND. 323 
 
 schools and other means of grace ; they learned to read and 
 write ; and some of them had firmly fixed in their minds the essen- 
 tial truths of the Gospel. After a time the rugged character of the 
 chiefs and people in the Bay of Islands began to soften down 
 under the continued influence of Christianity ; these slaves were 
 liberated, and permitted to return to their respective districts and 
 friends. Some went to East Cape, others to Kawia on the west 
 coast. A few advanced down the Wanganui Eiver to its mouth. 
 Several removed to Cook's Straits, where their tribes had located 
 themselves ; and it is a pleasing fact, that wherever they went, 
 these returning captives spread abroad the leaven of Christian 
 truth, and, by their simple account of what they had seen and 
 heard at the station of the white teachers, created a desire for re- 
 ligious instruction in regions where the Missionaries had never 
 been. The result of this was afterwards seen in the chcmnstanco 
 of messengers coming a distance of five hundred miles to the Bay 
 of Islands to ask for teachers. 
 
 The Wangaeoa Station. 
 
 The door being effectually closed, for the present, in the direc- 
 tion of the Kiver Thames and Mercury Bay, by the proceedings of 
 the ferocious 'Hongi ; while the war was still raging in those 
 regions, Mr. Leigh began to seek in other parts of the country for 
 a suitable site for a Mission-station. He first paid a visit to a 
 place called Ho-do-do, which had been recommended by 'Hongi, 
 and where he had a sister residing who was anxious to have the 
 white teachers near her. But this locality appearing, on inspec- 
 tion, ineligible for the purpose, the Missionary turned his attention 
 to Wangaroa, which, after numerous adventures, ultimately became 
 the headquarters of the Weslej'an Mission in New Zealand for 
 several years. A brief reference to a few of these adventures may 
 serve to illustrate some of the trials and difiiculties of Mission hfe 
 in heathen lands. 
 
 Being informed that several populous villages were situated near 
 the harbour- of Wangaroa, and that Europeans might visit them 
 
 y2 
 
32^ HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 without much personal risk, Mr. Leigh hired a boat and iive 
 natives, and left home for the purpose of examining that part of 
 the country. For some time they had a moderate breeze ; but, as 
 night approached, a storm came on which drove them out to sea. 
 The native sailors yielded to despondency, lay down in the bottom 
 of the canoe, and left the Missionary to manage the sail as best he 
 could. After being tossed about till almost midnight, the moon 
 arose, and land was distinctly seen in the distance. They bore 
 down upon it and found themselves near the harbour- of Wangaroa. 
 They were compelled by stress of weather to enter and seek pro- 
 tection at the hands of the barbarous natives. Some time before 
 a ship had caUed at this place to rescue the survivors of the mas- 
 sacre of the crew and passengers of the ship Boijd ; but it is 
 believed that Mr. Leigh was the first European who had landed 
 and placed himself in the power of these cannibals since the occui'- 
 rence of that sad event. 
 
 As the night was far advanced, and the people were asleep, Mr. 
 Leigh's natives fired ofl' their muskets to let them know that 
 strangers had arrived, and that they were armed. The savages 
 were aroused from their slumbers, and, seizing their arms, came 
 out to defend themselves and take vengeance on the invaders. The 
 Missionary sought an interview with the chief, who was present ; 
 he informed him of their stormy passage, and begged that a hut 
 might be appropriated for himself and his boatmen for the night. 
 This was readily granted, and they crept into it with hearts 
 uphfted in gratitude and praise, and tried to compose themselves 
 to sleep. They were kept awake most of the night, however, by 
 the clamour of the natives outside the hut ; and after breakfast and 
 prayer next morning, the tumult of the people increased to such 
 a degree that the Missionary became apprehensive that a hostile 
 attack was about to be made upon him and his party. As personal 
 resistance would have been perfectly useless, Mr. Leigh wisely 
 sought to divert their attention by expressing his admiration of 
 their beautiful country. He asked the chief, whose name was 
 Tara, but whom the sailors called George, if he would step into the 
 boat with him, as he was anxious to see a little more of their 
 
NEW ZEALAND. 325 
 
 spacious harbour. Ho consented ; and, after sailing a short dis- 
 tance, they passed the hulk of a ship deeply imbedded in the sand. 
 It was the remains of the Boijd, which was captured and 
 destroyed by the natives in 1809 ; and, pointing to the wreck with 
 his finger, the chief gave the following ungarnished account of the 
 tragic deed : — 
 
 "This is all that remains of the ship Boijd ; the Captain no 
 good. Myself and another met him at Port Jackson. He told us 
 he was going to our country for spars, and he wished us to accom- 
 pany him and assist him in getting good ones. He was very kind 
 at first ; but after we had been a few days at sea, he insisted on 
 our working with the sailors. We refused to work, and told him 
 that we were chiefs. He did not believe us, and ordered us to be 
 flogged. I told him that on our arriving in New Zealand we 
 should convince him that wc were chiefs. We conducted the ship 
 to Wangaroa ; and on landing I told my father, who was principal 
 chief, of the disgrace to which we had been subjected by Captain 
 Thompson. He and the other chiefs resolved to have satisfaction ; 
 but, as there were seventy-four Europeans and five natives on 
 board, armed with great guns and muskets, we could not at first 
 see how it could be successfully demanded. At last it was sug- 
 gested to request the Captain to go on shore and select his own 
 timber. He manned three boats, which I piloted up the river 
 Kaio, until out of sight of the ship. I then led the captain and his 
 people into the woods, where I detained him until the tide turned, 
 and left the boats dry upon the bank. While Captain Thompson 
 was looking up at a lofty spar, and admiring its beauty, I cut him 
 down with my tomahawk. The other natives who were with me 
 struck the other Europeans at the same instant, so that all fell 
 without being able to make the slightest resistance. They were 
 well armed ; but no one had time either to fire his musket or draw 
 his sabre. We carried the bodies to the boats, and took them to 
 the village, where they were roasted and eaten. We continued 
 our course down the river, until we came within sight of the ship. 
 At a given signal, which the natives on board well understood, they 
 rose up and murdered the remaining portion of the crew and pas- 
 
326 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 sengerg, excej^t five, who escaped into the rigging, and were not 
 killed until the following morning ; and two chikben, who, on 
 seeing the blood flow on the deck, became quite frantic, and who, 
 before they could be caught, touched a chief, were made sacred by 
 the touch, and could not be killed. In plundering the ship, my 
 father set fire to the gunpowder, which exploded and killed himself 
 and many others. The ship was thus set on fire and bm-ned down, 
 as you see, to the water's edge." Having been repeatedly to 
 Sydney, this chief could speak tolerable English, and entered into 
 these details without the least emotion. 
 
 After sailing about the harbour for some time, the Missionary 
 and the chief landed, and walked towards the village. Mr. Leigh 
 desired his men, who refused to leave the boat, to keep near the 
 shore, and to pull quickly in when he should give the signal. The 
 villagers came down in considerable numbers ; and, from their 
 fierce, tumultuous, and ferocious appearance, the Missionary 
 expected nothing less than personal violence ; and, finding it im- 
 possible to reason with them, he began to move towards the beach. 
 On observing this, the natives closed in upon him in a compact 
 bodj', and almost surrounded him, flomishing then- spears and clubs 
 in a most threatening manner. The chief, who had hitherto been 
 so friendly, looked on with apparent indifference, and declined to 
 interfere. Believing the crisis to have arrived, Mr. Leigh cried 
 out, " Stand back ! I have fish-hooks ;" and taking out of his 
 pocket a handful of these coveted articles, he threw them over 
 their heads. They were taken by surprise ; and while they tmrned 
 round and scrambled for the fish-hooks, he ran towards the beach, 
 and succeeded in getting into the boat. With a thankful heart for 
 this merciful deliverance, he stood out to sea, and reached the Bay 
 of Islands in safety. 
 
 Having sought in various directions for a suitable site for a 
 Mission-station without success, the thoughts of Mr. Leigh turned 
 again to Wangaroa, as the place which appeared, on the whole, the 
 most eligible, notwithstanding the coarse treatment which he 
 received on the occasion of his first visit. Before deciding on a 
 matter of such importance, he wished to examine more carefully 
 
NEW ZEALAND. 327 
 
 the harbour, the river, and the adjacent country. A favourable 
 opportunity for doing so occurred soon afterwards by the return of 
 the ship St. Michael from the Friendly Islands, to which place 
 she had just taken the first Wcsleyan Missionary. Accordingly, 
 Mr. Leigh embarked on his second visit to Wangaroa, on the morn- 
 ing of the 5th, 1823, accompanied by Mrs. Leigh and Messrs. 
 Butler, Shepherd, and Hall of the Church Missionary Society, who 
 manifested a laudable desire to assist their Wesleyan brother to the 
 utmost of their power in his important enterprise. The distance 
 being only about thirty miles from the Bay of Islands, they reached 
 Wangaroa in the afternoon, and were much struck with the grand 
 and romantic scenery at the entrance of the harbour. The water 
 is deep close to the land, and, although the opening is narrow, 
 when once entered, it is one of the finest harbours in the world. 
 The interior is lined with lofty hills, richly wooded ; and the site 
 of the pa, or fortress of the natives, is an insulated rock, thi-ee 
 hundred feet high, with almost perpendicular sides, and before the 
 use of firearms must have been impregnable. 
 
 At an early hour of the morning of the 6th, the " St. Michael " 
 was surroimded by native canoes filled with men, women, and 
 children. Mr. Leigh and his friends, nevertheless, landed without 
 fear, and proceeded up the river in a boat to the residence of the 
 principal chief. When the Missionary stepped from the boat, 
 on reaching the village, he was gi'eeted by a number of natives, 
 who cried out, " Haere mai! liaere inai!" "Come hither! 
 come hither!" This is the usual salutation, and when once 
 uttered, the stranger has nothing to fear. On looking at Mr. 
 Leigh very earnestly, several of them recognised him, and ex- 
 claimed, "This is the white man who gave us the fish-hooks." 
 After a short interview, the chief returned with the Mission party 
 to the ship in the harbour, and as they sailed down the river, he 
 very humorously apologised for mixing the English with the 
 Maori language in his conversation, observing, " Since I left the 
 sea, my English has left me, and gone into the bush ; but now that 
 you are come into the country, it will soon return to me again." 
 On Sunday, the 8th, Mr. Leigh conducted the first public religious 
 
328 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 service ever held in this part of New Zealand, preaching from the 
 appropriate text, " Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between 
 Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, 
 Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." 
 
 Early on Monday morning Mr. Leigh and his friends manned a 
 boat and proceeded up the river again, with a view to select a 
 suitable site for a Mission-station. At length they came to a beau- 
 tiful and fertile valley, in which dwelt the chief George, and Tepui, 
 his brother, which they considered the most eligible place for a 
 settlement, and to which they gave the name of Wesleydale. It 
 was about seven miles from the mouth of the river, thirty-five 
 miles north-west of the Bay of Islands, and twenty miles from 
 Keri-Keri, the nearest station of the Church Missionary Society. 
 Several native villages, containing a considerable population, were 
 situated in this valley, and other small tribes were accessible at a 
 short distance among the hills, so that this appeared to be a pro- 
 mising field of Missionary labour. 
 
 In order to provide a shelter for a few nights, on the evening of 
 the 10th the Missionary and his friends proceeded to erect a booth 
 with the branches of trees, a short distance from the side of the 
 river. As the work proceeded, the natives were heard to remark 
 that, in the event of a heavy fall of rain, it would be in danger of 
 being swept away. Of this no notice was taken at the time. 
 They had not long retired to rest, however, when "the rain 
 descended, the winds blew, and the floods came," and swept their 
 booth, together with several boxes, containing carpenters' tools and 
 stores, which had been landed from the ship, into the river and 
 down to the sea. The Mission party saved their lives by escaping 
 at midnight to higher ground ; but they suffered much during that 
 dreary and inclement night. This misfortune suggested the neces- 
 sity of shifting their position ; and having obtained their canvas 
 tent from the ship, they ascended to a more elevated situation and 
 pitched it in the name of the Lord. 
 
 On the following day the foundation of a building was laid of 
 suificient dimensions to serve the purpose of a dwelling-house, store- 
 room, and chapel. It was formed of posts planted in the ground, 
 
NEW ZEALAND. 
 
 329 
 
 and the roof was thatched with grass. Calico was used instead of 
 glass for the windows ; and for want of boards, it remained with- 
 out doors for several months. When this frail habitation was sufii- 
 ciently advanced to be occupied by the Mission family, they 
 removed from their canvas tent, and took possession of it with 
 thankful hearts ; and Captain Beveridge, who had no confidence 
 in the natives, weighed anchor, and the St. Michael took her 
 departure, calling at the Bay of Islands to land the members of 
 the Church Mission, who now returned to their own station. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Leigh felt their loneliness when their friends had 
 
 NATIVE lUSSION-HOnSB AND OHAPEL. 
 
 left them, but they addressed themselves to their important work 
 with zeal and diligence, notwithstanding numerous diificulties 
 arising from the wild and savage character of the people among 
 whom their lot was cast. Even while engaged in cooking their 
 food, which had to be done in the open air, they were liable to be 
 plundered of their victuals. Never having seen boiling water 
 before, the natives would sometimes plunge their hands into the 
 pot as it simmered on the fire, with the intention of helping them- 
 selves to the meat; but, feeling the scalding heat, they would -with- 
 draw them suddenly, exclaiming, " The water has bitten our hands ! " 
 While the Missionary dressed their wounds with ointment, he tried 
 to convince them that, in all their dealings with the white men, 
 
330 HISTORY OF WESLEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
 they would find "honesty the best policy." This seemed to have 
 little efi'cct, however ; for, aftenvards, they used sharp-pointed 
 sticks, which, with great dexterity, they thrust into the pot, and 
 frequently succeeded in emptying it of the pork, fish, or other con- 
 tents, thus leaving the Mission family without a morsel of dinner. 
 Still, with much that was trying and depressing, there were blended 
 cii'cumstances of encouragement. Eeligious services were held 
 daily, morning, noon, and night, to which the natives were freely 
 admitted, some of whom seemed disposed to attend to what they 
 heard. Some progress was made, moreover, in teaching the chil- 
 di'en to read; and it was believed that everything would have gone 
 on well, if it had not been for the war spirit that was abroad. 
 But at the very time that Mr. Leigh was attempting to establish the 
 first Wesleyan station at Wangaroa, 'Hongi and his warriors were 
 lajdng waste the country at no great distance from the place. 
 
 For a length of time scarcely a day passed without alarming 
 reports being brought to the station. These were sometimes true 
 and sometimes false ; but, in either case, they served to keep up a 
 state of continual escitement. Nor were there wanting instances 
 of actual attack and threatened violence. One case may serve as 
 a specimen.' On the IGth of July, the Mission family at Wesley- 
 dale were alarmed by the unexpected arrival of a war party from 
 the Baj' of Islands. They no sooner landed than the Wangaroa 
 tribes flew to arms, and mustered their forces in front of the 
 Mission premises. They commenced the war-dance, and became 
 so excited, that in a few minutes they were prepared to advance to 
 victory or death. Mr. Leigh went down and saluted the invaders, 
 and spent two hours in earnest conversation with them. While 
 thus engaged, the chief Tepui imprudently advanced and challenged 
 them to the combat. At the request of the Missionarj', the Bay of 
 Islanders took no notice of this challenge. The chief George 
 disapproved of the conduct of Tepui, and remonstrated with him. 
 Hence ensued a scene of tumult and excitement which baffles 
 description. The Missionary was thi-own down, and with difficulty 
 got into the house with his wife and Luke, his native servant. 
 They barricaded the door, and, supposing they had but a few 
 
NEW ZEALAND. 331 
 
 moments to live, knelt down and commended their souls to God in 
 prayer. After repeated assaults, the attacking party were unable 
 to force the door, and so, by the good providence of God, the 
 Mission family were, for the present, preserved from harm. 
 Towards evening the Bay of Islands' chief desired an interview 
 with Tepui, when, after mutual explanations, they became friends, 
 and ratified the agreement by the exchange of muskets. There 
 was much noise and clamour around the station during the night ; 
 but the next day, after the Missionary had distributed a box of 
 axes among the warriors as a peace offering, they quietly withdi'ew 
 and returned home. 
 
 Notwithstanding frequent interruptions of this kind, at intervals 
 between the alarms from wars and rumours of wars, the Missionary 
 and his wife nobly persevered in the elementary work of the 
 station. This consisted in studying the language, teaching the 
 children to read and write, cultivating the ground, inculcating 
 habits of industry and cleanliness ; and, as far as they were able, 
 explaining to the people the important truths of the Gospel. 
 Many ludicrous and amusing scenes occurred in the course of these 
 early attempts to instruct the natives in the arts of civilised life. 
 Such was Mrs. Leigh's first efibrt to teach New Zealand girls to 
 sew. When the white lady exhibited a small needle and handed 
 it round among her pupils, that they might examine it for them- 
 selves, thej^were astonished. They expressed their surprise at the 
 beauty of its polish and the sharpness of its point, which "bit 
 them" as often as they touched it. Their wonder was increased 
 when they saw a thread put through the eye of the needle. They 
 were told that the artisan who made the needle had struck a hole 
 in one end of it for the very purpose of receiving the thread. That 
 so small a hole could be made in iron exceeded their belief, until, 
 by taking hold of the thread at both ends, and moving the needle 
 backwards and forwards, they had ocular demonstration of the fact. 
 The needle being returned to Mrs. Leigh, she made a knot at one 
 end of the thi'ead, and began to sew a piece of calico. A needle 
 was then threaded and given to each of the girls, with instruction 
 to imitate the teacher. After a few abortive efforts, they were all 
 
332 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 in confusion. One complained that the thread would not stay in 
 the cloth ; another said she could not pull the needle through. 
 The cause was soon ascertained ; the one had not knotted the end 
 of the thread, while the other had tied her thread to the end of the 
 needle, instead of putting it through the eye. It was necessary to 
 show them where the knot was to be made, and how to make it. 
 Awkward as this first attempt may appear, and ignorant as th6se 
 heathen children evidently were of the use of the British needle 
 and scissors, it is a pleasing fact that in a few months, under the 
 judicious teaching of the Missionary's wife, they could cut out and 
 make articles of clothing for themselves and their relatives. 
 
 It would be an interesting exercise to dwell at length on many 
 incidents, some pleasing and others painful, which continued to 
 mark the early history of the Wangaroa station ; but we must 
 hasten onward to give a brief outline of the principal events which 
 afterwards occurred. Towards the close of 1828, Mr. Leigh's fail- 
 ing health rendered it necessary for him to remove with his wife 
 to New South Wales ; but the Eev. Nathaniel and IMi's. Turner, 
 and the Eev. William White, having previously arrived from 
 England to strengthen the Mission, the work was carried on as 
 usual. These devoted servants of the Lord were also assisted in 
 their work by Messrs. Hobbs and Stack, two zealous young colo- 
 nists from New South Wales, who commenced their career in con- 
 nection with the Mission as artizans, but who were ultimately 
 called to the higher work of the Christian ministry. 
 
 In the course of the following year, the station at Wangaroa 
 was favoured with a visit from Messrs. T3Teman and Bennett, the 
 honom-ed deputation of the London Missionary Society to their 
 important Missions in the South Sea Islands, in the ship Endeavour. 
 These Christian gentlemen were most favourably impressed with 
 what they saw of their Wesleyan brethren and their work in New 
 Zealand ; and in a letter which they afterwards addressed to the 
 the Wesleyan Missionary Committee in London, they gave an 
 encouraging account of the progress and prospects of the station. 
 Concerning the agents employed, they said : " Though the time we 
 spent with your friends at Wangaroa was short, it was to om'selves 
 
NEW ZEALAND. 333 
 
 truly pleasant and highly interesting, and animated us with a 
 lively hope that God is about to do some great thing for the people 
 among whom they dwell. We formed a high opinion of the 
 good sense and missionary talents of the Bev. Mr. Turner and his 
 coadjutor in office, the Rev. Mr. White, and also of Mrs. Turner. 
 They appear to us well chosen for such an undertaking. We also 
 think highly of their two young fellow-labourers, Messrs. Hobbs 
 and Stack, who seem to be pious and dihgent young men, of 
 ingenious minds, and well adapted for usefulness in various ways. 
 Most of your friends were doing well at the language, and appear 
 to us to have made considerable progress. They appear to have 
 established themselves in the good opinions of the natives, and 
 have made some progress in removing their pagan superstitions, 
 and in gaining their attention to the truths of the Gospel. We 
 confidently anticipate their ultimate success." 
 
 We regret to add that on returning from Wesleydale to their 
 ship in the harbour of Wangaroa, Messrs. Tyreman and Bennett 
 were in danger of falling a prey to the cruel natives. In their 
 absence the savages had surrounded the Endeavour, and crowded 
 the deck in such numbers that they had become quite uncon- 
 trollable, demanding or taking possession of everything they saw. 
 When the deputation came on board, the infuriated mob began to 
 handle them very roughly, and would probably have proceeded to 
 acts of violence, and taken possession of the ship, had not Mr. 
 White and the chief George come down the river just in time to 
 restore order and clear the decks before their departure to the Bay 
 of Islands. 
 
 Suspension of the Missiok. 
 
 We have now to advert to a crisis in the history of the Wesleyan 
 Mission to New Zealand which is truly painful to contemplate, 
 and which tried the faith and patience of the Missionaries to the 
 utmost. When considerable progress had been made in prepara- 
 tory work at the Wangaroa station, buildings erected, land brought 
 under cultivation, two school-chapels built in native villages at a 
 
334 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 distance, and a hopeful impression made on the minds of some of 
 the people, there arose a dark and gloomy cloud which entirely 
 obscured the prospect of success in which the Missionaries had 
 been wont to indulge, and involved the Mission family in per- 
 plexity and trouble. From day to day the darkness increased, 
 till at length it culminated in a tempestuous outbui'st of hostile 
 violence, which obliged the servants of the Lord to flee for safety, 
 and the work was for a time suspended. A few particulars in 
 reference to this painful event may be interesting to the reader. 
 
 In the year 182G an English biig, called the Mercury, was 
 taken and plundered by the natives of the Bay of Islands ; and, 
 although it was afterwards rescued from the savages, and con- 
 ducted out to sea by two of the Missionaries, who restored it to 
 its rightful owners, the circumstance created much excitement in 
 the country, inasmuch as revenge, or a demand for " satisfaction," 
 as they called it, was expected from the Europeans. The excite- 
 ment in the neighbourhood of Wangaroa was increased by the 
 sickness and death of the chief George, who was understood to 
 have requested the people of his tribe to attack the Mission-station 
 as soon as he was no more, in utu, or payment, for the death of 
 his father in connection with the destruction of the Boyd. These 
 sources of uneasiness made the wicked natives very overbearing 
 in their conduct. They broke over the Mission fence, and com- 
 mitted numerous petty depredations on the property ; and, on 
 being admonished, they proceeded to acts of violence against Mr. 
 Turner and his assistants, assaulting them with spears, and would, 
 no doubt, have killed them, had they not been restrained by an 
 invisible power in answer to prayer. 
 
 The Missionaries of the Church Society, hearing of their troubles 
 manifested the liveliest sympathy with their Wesleyan brethren; 
 and, with true Christian love, the licv. Messrs. Williams and 
 Kemp came over and urged that at least Mrs. Turner and the 
 children should be removed to one of their settlements for a 
 season. They were removed accordingly overland to Keri-Keri, 
 where they received the kindest attention ; but nothing could 
 induce Mr. Turner and his fellow-laboui'crs to leave the station, 
 
NEW ZEALAND. 335 
 
 as they hoped the storm would blow over. For several days their 
 circumstances were most critical. At length, on the death of the 
 chief George, there came a party of natives to make an attack on 
 the station, to demand satisfaction for the loss of the chief's father, 
 and other real or imaginary injuries inflicted by Europeans several 
 years before. After some consultation among themselves, how- 
 ever, they agreed to accept the blood of a bird as sufficient com- 
 pensation. One of the party then jumped over into the Mission 
 premises, bore off a duck, killed it, and so far all was over in 
 respect to this matter. Mrs. Turner and the children now returned 
 to Wangaroa, and it was hoped that all would be well ; but it was 
 not long before still worse troubles arose from another quarter. 
 
 The redoubtable chief 'Hongi, who had for several years been 
 carrying on a devastating war in a distant part of the country, was 
 suddenly prompted to invade the Valley of Wangaroa. On the 
 4th of January, 1827, whilst the Mission family was engaged in 
 domestic worship, they received intelligence of the approach of 
 the hostile chief and his warriors. The two tribes of natives in- 
 habiting Wesleydale, among whom the Missionaries laboured, were 
 thrown into a state of great excitement, and many of them, under 
 the direction of the chief Tepui, seized ^their arms, and dropped 
 down the river in their war canoes, to repel the anticipated attack. 
 The Missionaries and their dependents were utterly defenceless, 
 but endeavoured to put their trust in God. On the 9th, the 
 assistant, Mr. Stack, was dispatched with a letter to the Church 
 brethren at Keri-Keri, to request counsel and aid, but before he 
 could return the crisis came. Early on the morning of the 10th, 
 a party of natives were descried by the servant approaching the 
 station. The Missionaries had hardly time to put on their clothes, 
 when twenty savages, armed with muskets, spears, and hatchets, 
 entered the Mission grounds, and were proceeding towards the 
 house. It was demanded of them what they wanted. Oro, the 
 chief, said, " We arc come to make a fight. Your chief has fled ; 
 your people have left the place; you will be stripped of all your 
 property before noon; therefore, instantly be gone!" At the 
 same time he gave instructions to his warriors to commence the 
 
335 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 work of spoilation. They fired several guns at a signal, and others 
 came to join them. The work of destruction and rohbery having 
 begun with merciless fury, Mr. Turner began to prepare for quit- 
 ting the station. At six o'clock in the morning, when all hope of 
 remaining in safety was gone, the sorrowful and affrighted house- 
 hold began to move off, saving scarcely anything from the wreck 
 but the clothes they wore, and a change or two for the children. 
 The company, apart from the native youths who clung to their 
 teachers, consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Turner, their three children 
 (the youngest of whom was an infant five weeks old), Luke Wade, 
 the assistant and his wife, Mr. Hobbs, and Miss Davis, a young 
 lady of the Church settlement who had come to spend a few weeks 
 on a visit. 
 
 With the hope of reaching in safety the nearest Church Mission- 
 station, which was twenty miles distant, they set off in that direc- 
 tion. As they went on, they were met by one of their own prin- 
 cipal men, and also by a friendly chief from the Bay of Islands. 
 To the latter, Mr. Turner made his appeal for help and protection, 
 to which he immediately responded, and all the gToup moved on 
 under his guidance. They had to cross the river repeatedly, and 
 on tm-ning a sharp bend in the channel, all at once they came upon 
 a formidable party of fighting natives, armed with muskets and 
 bayonets. The chief at their head caught a glance at the Mission- 
 aries, and loudly called upon his men to stop. He invited Mr. 
 Turner and the rest of his party to sit down ; and then came with 
 several of his principal men to rub noses with the fugitives, in 
 token of friendship and goodwill. On being made acquainted with 
 the circumstances of the Mission party, the chiefs kindly protected 
 them till the band of warriors had passed on, and thus they escaped 
 another danger. The travellers now left the river and plunged 
 into the woods, where they soon afterwards met with Mr. Stack 
 returning from Keri-Kcri, accompanied by Mr. Clarke and a few 
 of the Mission youths. The boys were immediately despatched to 
 the station for chairs on which to carry the exhausted females the 
 rest of the journey. They were next met by another party of 
 friends, consisting of Messrs. Williams, Davis, and Eiohey, and a 
 
NEW ZEALAND. 337 
 
 dozen natives from Paihia, another Church Mission-station. From 
 these excellent persons, and at Keri-Keri, where they soon arrived, 
 the Wesleyan Mission party received every mark of sympathy and 
 kindness that genuine Chiistian brotherly love could suggest. 
 After refreshment and a temporary rest, Mr. Turner and his party 
 removed, on the 17th of January, to the Paihia settlement, where 
 they remained till the captain of the ship Eosanna, hearing of their 
 disasters, kindly oifered them a passage to Sydney ; and thus they 
 removed to the colony, and the work in New Zealand was for a 
 while relinguished. 
 
 Adverting briefly to the deserted station at Wangaroa, we may 
 just mention that the war party who made the first attack were 
 proceeding with their work of destruction and plunder, when they 
 were pounced upon and driven off by a band of warriors from 
 Hokianga. What the fijrst invaders had left these utterly demo- 
 lished or carried away with them, burning the Mission-house and 
 barn, with the crop of wheat, and killing the stock in the most 
 wanton manner. They even dug up the body of Mr. Turner's 
 infant, which had been recently buried, for the sake of the blanket 
 in which it had been wrapped when interred, and left the station a 
 complete ruin. 
 
 As to the terrible 'Hongi, whose wan-iors were the first to attack 
 the peaceful station at Wesleydale, his days were numbered. 
 Accompanied by his principal wife, Keri, who, though now blind, 
 sustained him even in war by her presence and counsel, he went 
 to his last conflict with a strong determination to conquer or die. 
 Early in the day a fatal shot from the enemy struck 'Hongi, and he 
 fell to the ground. He was carried from the field shattered and 
 helpless, and although he lingered for some time, he never re- 
 covered. At length the end of New Zealand's greatest warrior drew 
 near, and we regret to state that there appeared no signs of repent- 
 ance in his last moments, although he had heard the Gospel faith- 
 fully preached both in England and in his own country. But 
 "the ruling passion" was strong to the last. Just before he 
 died, 'Hongi called for his gunpowder, muskets, and coat of mail, 
 presented to him by George IV., which he bequeathed to his sons. 
 
 z 
 
338 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 He then exhorted his followers to be valiant, telling them that this 
 was all the utu, or " satisfaction," that he desired. After he had 
 several times uttered the words, " Eia toa, Ida toa," "Be courage- 
 ous, be courageous," he breathed his last. The usual barbaric 
 honom-s of haranguing, crying, cutting, dancing, and firing of 
 muskets were accorded on the occasion of his funeral ; but, to the 
 surprise of every one, the event passed off without the occurrence 
 of those scenes of cruelty and blood which were wont to mark the 
 death of great chiefs, for all seemed to feel that the greatest enemy 
 to peace in New Zealand had been called away. 
 
 The Ee-esta3lishment of the Woek. 
 
 The chief Patuone, who kindly interposed on behaK of Mr. 
 Turner and his family, and shielded them from native violence, as 
 they fled from Wangaroa, seems never to have been easy at the 
 removal of the Wesleyan Missionaries. The sad disaster evidently 
 gave him the greatest concern, and towards the end of the year 
 1827, even before 'Hongi's death, he earnestly invited them to 
 return. For this they held themselves in readiness, as they only 
 regarded the suspension of the Mission as a temporary measure 
 till the storm which drove them from their station had passed over. 
 Hence it appears, that early in 1828 Mr. Stack and Mr. and Sirs. 
 Hobbs, with their assistants, returned to New Zealand ; Mr. and 
 Mrs. Turner having embarked for the Friendly Islands, to which 
 field of labour they had been appointed in the interim. The work 
 of the Mission was resumed ; not at Wangaroa, however, where 
 the natives still appeared in a very unsettled state, but at a place 
 called Mangungu, on the Eiver Hokianga, on the western coast of 
 the principal island. The place fixed upon by the Missionaries as 
 the site of the new station was about forty miles distant from the 
 scene of their former labours, and fifty miles overland from the Bay 
 of Islands. The district contained a population of about four thou- 
 sand natives, living in villages easily reached by boats, as they 
 were situated near to the banks of a navigable river. Most of these 
 people were subject to the friendly chief Patuone, whose protection 
 
NEW ZEALAND. 339 
 
 and aid were promised to the Missionaries ; the land was fertile, 
 and everything seemed favourable for a permanent establishment. 
 
 The Missionaries addressed themselves with commendable zeal 
 and diligence to the preparatory work of clearing and cultivating 
 the ground which they had purchased for a station, and of erecting 
 suitable buildings, whilst at the same time they neglected no oppor- 
 tunity of instructing the people in the things pertaining to their 
 eternal welfare. In the secular part of their work they succeeded 
 very well, and they were soon supplied with most of the neces- 
 saries, if not many of the comforts of life. But for a length of 
 time the result of their spiritual labours was very discouraging. 
 They had much to endure, not only from the carelessness and 
 apathy of the people, but from their impertinence and rudeness, to 
 say nothing of the shocking scenes of superstition, cruelty, and 
 blood, which they were obliged almost constantly to witness. 
 Sometimes, after an earnest and faithful discourse delivered by one 
 of the Missionaries, the people would boisterously inquire, " What 
 food do they eat in that world about which you have been speak- 
 ing ? How do they see ? How do they hear ? What is their 
 employment ? If a brave man die, how will he exercise his 
 bravery ? Are there no guns ? no people to fight with ?" &c. 
 
 It was not till the early part of 1831, when the Missionaries had 
 toiled for nearly ten years, that their hearts were gladdened by 
 the appearance of fruit. About that period, however, there was a 
 general waking up among the natives to a sense of the reahty and 
 importance of eternal things. The children and young people 
 attached to the station manifested increased earnestness to learn to 
 read and write, and to become acquainted with the contents of the 
 Bible and Catechism, whilst their parents and friends, in some 
 instances, gladly became their pupils. The same spirit of inquiry 
 was observed in the distant villages, which were visited at stated 
 periods by the Missionaries; and they were surprised and gratified, 
 on their retm-n after a considerable interval, to find that their 
 scholars had not only made considerable progress themselves, but 
 that they had been busily engaged in teaching others. Both boys 
 and girls were in the habit of walking through the woods a dis- 
 
 z2 
 
34° 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 tance of many miles to school ; and, when a broad river intersected 
 their path, they would fearlessly plunge into the stream, and swim, 
 across with their books and scanty garments upon their heads, and 
 hasten on to be in time for their much-loved lessons. Thus the 
 progress made in elementary learning was remarkably rapid, and 
 the demand for books, slates, pencils, and other school requisites, 
 could not be met till additional supplies were sent from England. 
 When the Missionaries became weU acquainted with the native 
 
 NEW ZEAliANB SOHOLAES CEOSSIKG THE KI^'EE TO SCHOOL. 
 
 language, much of their time was occupied in writing out lesson- 
 books for the use of their pupils, till, in after years, a printing press 
 was sent out, when translations of portions of the Scriptures and 
 other books in the Maori tongue were rapidly multiplied, and soon 
 came into common use. Nor were the higher departments of Mis- 
 sionary labom- less encouraging. The public services were well 
 attended, and the natives listened to the Word preached as persons 
 bent on receiving instruction. A gracious influence, moreover, 
 
NEW ZEALAND. 341 
 
 frequently rested upon the congregation, and the Gospel became 
 the power of God unto the salvation of multitudes of sincere 
 enquirers. 
 
 The first genuine convert at the commencement of this move- 
 ment was a youth named Hika, who, at his own request, had 
 accompanied the Missionaries to New South Wales, when they 
 were driven from Wangaroa, and who returned "with, them when 
 they came to settle at Mangungu. This young disciple was 
 brought to a saving knowledge of the truth in his last illness ; and 
 having been baptized into the Christian Church, and received the 
 Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, he died happy in God, and was 
 taken to heaven as the first-fruits of a glorious harvest, to be 
 gathered from the once unpromising field of New Zealand. Others 
 were afterwards gathered into the fold of the Eedeemer, and 
 a Christian Church was formed, which, as it extended and in- 
 creased, became an unspeakable blessing to the land. A general 
 desire having been manifested in various places for religious 
 instruction, the Missionaries itinerated extensively ; but, notwith- 
 Btanding their utmost efforts, they were unable to meet the in- 
 creasing demands made upon them, and they earnestly desired the 
 eociety at home to send out more labom-ers. 
 
 In response to this request, in 1834, the Eev. John Whiteley * 
 was sent out to New Zealand, and he was soon afterwards followed 
 
 * This devoted Missionary had laboured with exemplary zeal and diligence in 
 New Zealand for the long period of thirty-six years, when he met his death in a 
 manner truly painful to contemplate. On the 13th of April, 1869, he left his home, 
 as usual, to preach at Pukearuhe, near the White Cliffs, and other places, on the 
 following day, which was the Sabbath. It was a time of war, but Mr. Whiteley 
 was unwilling to neglect his appointments. He had proceeded nearly to the end 
 of his journey, when he encountered a party of hostile natives. They desu-ed him 
 to return, but he declined to do so, thinking, perhaps, that his presence might 
 prevent the shedding of blood. Whereupon they shot first his horse and then 
 himself, and immediately departed. On Monday morning the dead body of the 
 Missionary was found lying near that of his horse, pierced with five bullets, but 
 not otherwise mutilated. A whole family of Europeans was murdered in that 
 neighbourhood on the same day, and when the intelligence of the massacre reached 
 tie nearest settlement, it was the cause of universal sorrow aud mourning among 
 the people. 
 
342 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 by the Eev. James Wallis. These devoted servants of Christ, with 
 their heroic wives, were subsequently joined or succeeded by the 
 Eev. Messrs. Woon, Turton, BuUer, and others, whose united 
 labours were greatly owned and blessed of God to the conversion 
 of sinners, and the building up of the Chmxh of Christ. New 
 stations were soon formed at Waipa, on the Waikato Eiver, Wan- 
 gungu, Taranaki, Waiuku, Kaipara, and other places ; and, in the 
 erection of chapels, schools, and other buildings, the converted 
 natives came forward to assist the Missionaries with a readiness 
 which called forth their highest commendations. In the following 
 year, after the commencement of the great awakening, sixteen 
 intelligent young men were reported as being employed as 
 assistants to the Missionaries in teaching, exhorting, and preach- 
 ing, and the blessed work advanced in the most delightful manner. 
 Mr. Hobbs having removed to the Friendly Islands, to strengthen 
 the Mission there, in 1886, Mr. Tui-ner was re-appoiated to New 
 Zealand, and he rejoiced exceedingly on beholding the wonderful 
 change which had taken place since the time when he was obhged 
 to flee with his wife and family from Wangaroa. 
 
 But whilst the heart of the Missionary was gladdened by the 
 prosperity of the work, he had many trials and afflictions to pass 
 through, one of which was the total destruction of the Mission 
 house at Wangungu, in which he resided, by fii'e. On the evening 
 of Saturday, the 18th of August, 1888, Mr. Tm-ner and his family 
 retired to rest as usual ; but before they did so, a large log of wood 
 was placed on the fire to keep it bui-ning, in case anything should 
 be wanted during the night for Mrs. Tui-ner, who was suffering 
 from a long-continued illness. About two o'clock on Sunday morn- 
 ing the Missionary was awakened by a roaring noise, Hke that of 
 fire. He instantly arose and went to the room which he had left 
 some hours before, and found it full of smoke and flame. He 
 attempted to enter, but could not for some time. At length he got 
 through a window, and roused the settlement ; but before water 
 could be obtained, the fire had penetrated the roof of the house, 
 which was of pine, covered with thatch, and all hope of saving the 
 building was taken away. The Mission bell was rung, and the 
 
NEW ZEALAND. 343 
 
 natives were soon on the spot, and laboured hard to secure what- 
 ever could be saved from the devouring element. The afflicted 
 Mrs. Turner had to escape in her night-dress; and, in her endea- 
 vours to save the children, who were in an adjoining room, sus- 
 tained a great shock, especially by falling down in the hurry, and 
 being severely bruised. One of the 'children had also a narrow 
 escape; but, through the kind providence of God, no lives were 
 lost, nor were the flames permitted to desolate the adjoining build- 
 ings. Much valuable property in furniture, books, and other 
 articles was destroyed, however, and the loss to the Mission was 
 estimated at d6600. Temporary accommodation was provided for 
 Mr. Turner's family by the kindness of his colleagues, till the 
 Mission-house could be re-built, and the zealous Missionary and 
 his afflicted partner held on their way, being sustained by the 
 mercy and goodness of God. 
 
 Colonisation. 
 
 The Missionaries had prosecuted their important work among the 
 Aborigines of New Zealand for several years with a cheering mea- 
 sure of success, when an event occm'red which was destined in the 
 order of Divine Providence to produce a great change in the country 
 and in the character of their labours — that was the commence- 
 ment of a system of European colonisation. From a very early 
 period white men had occasionally settled among the natives of the 
 different islands ; but before the Aborigines were brought under 
 the civilising influence of Christianity none would venture on such 
 a step, except persons of desperate character, such as escaped 
 convicts or depraved seamen who absconded from the ships which 
 visited those shores, and many of these were sacrificed by the 
 savage cannibal inhabitants. In proportion as the Missions became 
 influential and effective, however, the natives were willing to admit 
 the settlement among them of trading adventurers, who by barter- 
 ing British manufactured goods for articles of produce, such as 
 timber, flax, and provisions, were disposed to carry on commerce 
 in the country. 
 
344 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 This led to the influx of a number of Europeans, who generally 
 settled around the shores of the principal harbours ; but especially 
 in the neighbourhood of the Bay of Islands, where whalers and 
 other vessels frequently anchored for refreshment. This part of 
 the population was awfully corrupt ; and, by the introduction of 
 ardent spirits among the natives, — by their contempt of all moral 
 restraint in the absence of all settled law, — their introduction of 
 thoughtless native females to ungodly ship's crews, and their 
 
 WHALEFISHINO. 
 
 fomenting of jealousies among native chiefs, they produced a misery 
 little less than that of heathenism itself, and seriously impeded the 
 labours of the Missionaries. These circumstances led first to the 
 appointment of a British Consul to the country, and then to the 
 adoption of a system of colonisation by what was called the " New 
 Zealand Land Company." These arrangements were followed, in 
 1839, by an honom-able treaty securing the cession of New Zealand 
 to Her Majesty Queen Victoria, with a view to the settlement of a 
 
NEW ZEALAND. 345 
 
 regular government ; for the principal chiefs, being convinced of 
 the inability of the Maori nation to govern the land efficiently, now 
 sought the aid and protection of Great Britain. 
 
 For some time the Directors of the Wesleyan and Church Mis- 
 sionary Societies used their utmost efforts, by means of memorials 
 and personal interviews with Government authorities, to prevent 
 the plan for the colonisation of New Zealand being carried into 
 effect, from an apprehension that it would be ruinous to the cause 
 of Missions among the natives. At length, however, they were 
 led to acquiesce in the measure, being convinced, perhaps, that the 
 regular establishment of British law in any form would be better 
 than the irregular and irresponsible settlement of the country by 
 Europeans, which was rapidly progressing, despite the remon- 
 strances of the Missionaries, and especially as advantage was 
 frequently taken of the ignorance of the natives by wily settlers, 
 who were attempting to buy up the land for a mere trifle. 
 
 To meet the emergency as best they could, the Wesleyan Mis- 
 sionary Society sent out a large reinforcement of labourers, con- 
 sisting of the Eevs. J. H. Bumby, Samuel Ironside, Charles Creed, 
 and John Warren, together with the Kev. John Waterhouse as 
 General Superintendent of the Missions in the South Seas, and the 
 Kev. John Eggleston for Tasmania. This noble band of Mission- 
 aries, with their families, embarked at Gravesend, on board the 
 ship James, on the 28th of September, 1838, and those who 
 were destined for New Zealand arrived there on the 9th of March, 
 1839. Arrangements were now made for the extension and con- 
 solidation of the work, by the erection of additional chapels and 
 the formation of new circuits, with a view to make provision for 
 the rapidly-increasing European population in the respective towns 
 and villages which were rising in every direction, whilst at the 
 same time the spiritual wants of the natives were not neglected. 
 
 The Kev. J. H. Bumby, who had previously laboured success- 
 fully for several years in the home work, had only been in New 
 Zealand about fifteen months when he was suddenly called to his 
 reward in heaven by a most mysterious dispensation of Divine 
 Providence. He was crossing an arm of the sea, known as the 
 
346 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Bay of Thames, on his homeward journey, after an absence of two 
 or three weeks sx^ent in visiting several distant stations. The 
 weather was remarkably fine, as he sailed along in a large canoe, 
 in company with eighteen natives. No danger was apprehended 
 from any som-ce, when one of the men stood up to set the sail, 
 with a view to accelerate their progress, a gentle breeze having 
 just sprung up. At the same moment several of the other natives 
 rose from their seats, with eager haste to assist, and the canoe, 
 being deeply laden, was upset, and the whole party submerged in 
 the mighty deep. It was a moment of intense consternation ; but 
 as soon as the natives had recovered themselves a httle, — for most 
 of them were excellent swimmers, — they made a strenuous effort 
 not only to save then- own lives, but also that of their beloved 
 Missionary. They soon succeeded in righting the canoe, and in 
 getting Mr. Bumby, who was unable to swim, into it; but when 
 partly baled out, and while hope was entertained of success, the 
 frail vessel was upset again, by the rushing towards it of several of 
 the men who were struggling in the water. Again they got the 
 drowning Missionary lifted on the canoe, capsized as it was, and 
 again he was washed off by the waves. As there was no other 
 vessel in sight, all hope of dehverance was now taken away ; and 
 the devoted Missionary and twelve natives sank to rise no more, 
 only six escaping to the shore to carry to their friends the news 
 of the sad disaster. This melancholy event occurred on Friday, 
 the 26th of June, 1840, and when the intelligence was conveyed 
 to the Mission-station of Mangungu it produced a scene of lamen- 
 tation, mom-ning, and woe, never to be forgotten by those who 
 witnessed it. 
 
 Ultimate Success. 
 
 With the iniiux of Em-opean emigrants to the colony of New 
 Zealand, and the excitement invariably connected with settUng in 
 a now country, numerous difficulties arose to impede the progress 
 of the work of God, most of which were of a character different 
 from those which had been previously experienced. The Mis- 
 
NEW ZEALAND. 347 
 
 sionaries had no longer to contend with the grosBer forms of 
 heathenism which so frequently appalled them when they first com- 
 menced then- labours. Cannibalism and open idolatry had almost 
 entirely ceased in every part of the country, and a large proportion 
 of the natives had been brought under the influence of Christianity, 
 and could read and write as well as the pale-faced strangers. But 
 with the advent of the white men came the common use of ardent 
 spirits, and the prevalence of intemperate habits among all classes, 
 to say nothing of other revolting forms of sin. Then followed a 
 manifestation of worldliness, avarice, ambition, and contention to 
 which the natives had previously but few temptations. 
 
 Numerous and serious difficulties also arose between the Abo- 
 rigines and the colonists with reference to the " land question." 
 It was laid down as a fundamental principle by the Government 
 arrangements for colonising New Zealand, that land must be 
 fairly bought and honestly paid for ; but it frequently happened 
 that contending chiefs laid claim to the same tract of country, and 
 it sometimes turned out that the wrong party had sold -a block of 
 land and received payment for it, whilst the real owner clamoured 
 for his rights. After the Colonial Government had taken the 
 matter into their own hands, the quarrels about land became so 
 serious as to result in open war, and the sacrifice of many lives, 
 both of natives and Europeans, to say nothing of the destruction 
 of valuable property. Indeed, a state of warfare has been kept up 
 between a small party of hostile natives and the colonists from year 
 to year, with scarcely any intermission, to the present time, into the 
 particulars of which it would be foreign to our purpose to enter. 
 
 All these things were unfavourable to the progress of religion ; 
 but perhaps the greatest trial which the Wesleyan Missionaries 
 were called to experience at this period was the unexpected mani- 
 festation of a spirit of intolerance and exclusivism on the part of 
 the Episcopalian Church of the colony. The utmost harmony 
 existed between the agents of the two great societies, who had 
 been so long and so successfully engaged in seeldng to evangelise 
 New Zealand, till the arrival of the Rev. Dr. Sehvyn, in 1842, as 
 the first bishop of the English Church. This distinguished digni- 
 
348 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 tary being a person of great energy of character, and avowedly of 
 " High Church " principles, he had not been long in the colony 
 before he began to teach the doctrines of baptismal regeneration 
 and apostolical succession, as they were held by the Puseyite party 
 in England. This he might have done to his heart's content, if he 
 had only confined his attention to his own people, and to that 
 which immediately concerned him ; but he so far forgot the 
 claims of Christian charity, that he went out of his way to attack 
 the unoffending Wesleyan Missionaries, by attempting to cast dis- 
 credit upon their ministerial authority and character by denying 
 the validity of their pastoral acts, because they had not been epis- 
 copally ordained. These, and kindred doctrines, as propagated by 
 the bishop and his adherents among the semi-civilised natives, 
 had the effect of inflating the minds of such as had been baptized 
 by the Church Missionaries, and of causing them to look with feel- 
 ings of contempt upon their Wesleyan brethren. 
 
 Clandestine efforts were, moreover, made to induce some of the 
 people in the south to separate themselves, on these grounds, 
 from connection with the Wesleyans, and such as were weak 
 enough to be thus led away, were re-baptized, and admitted into 
 what was called the true Church. These proceedings were for a 
 long time a source of pain and grief to the Missionaries. At 
 length the Kev. H. H. Turton, of the Taranaki station, deemed it 
 his duty to address a spirited and yet most Christian remonstrance 
 to Dr. Selwyn on the subject, in three able letters which were 
 some time afterwards published in the local papers. There was no 
 great amount of sympathy with this exclusivism, however, in the 
 colony generally ; and ultimately the Bishop acquired juster views 
 of the Wesleyan cause, and these ill-judged and devisive proceed- 
 ings were gradually abated, not, however, without weakening that 
 blessed bond of attachment and respect which had formerly united 
 the agents of both Societies. 
 
 When access to the native population had been rendered prac- 
 ticable and safe by the united labours of the Wesleyan and Church 
 Missionaries for several years, a Eoman Catholic bishop and a 
 number of priests landed in New Zealand, and attempted to prose- 
 
NEW ZEALAND. 349 
 
 lyte the simple-minded people to their corrupt system of religion. 
 The pompous display and gaudy processions by which their reli- 
 gious ceremonies were accompanied, as a matter of course drew a 
 few followers, but no lasting impression was made upon the minds 
 of the native population generally. The Maoris, as a nation, had 
 by this time become too well informed to be drawn away in any 
 considerable numbers by the follies of Popery. The Mission press 
 had happily been at work for several years before the arrival of 
 the Romish priests, and a large proportion of the natives were able 
 to read for themselves the numerous translations of elementary 
 books and portions of the Scriptures in the Maori language, which 
 were extensively circulated among them. The British and Foreign 
 Bible Society having, morover, completed a large edition of the 
 Maori New Testament in 1842, generously sent out to the Wesleyan 
 Missionaries in New Zealand a supply of ten thousand copies, 
 which were received with acclamations of joy at the respective 
 stations, and helped, in no small degree, to counteract the per- 
 nicious errors of Popery, and to build up the people in the faith 
 and knowledge of the Gospel. 
 
 Notwithstanding these and other impediments to the progress of 
 the work, by the blessing of God upon the labours of His servants, 
 the cause of truth and righteousness ultimately triumphed. When 
 the Maoris were led to see the sin and folly of that system of 
 idolatry and superstition in which they had been so long involved, 
 and were fahly brought under the influence of Christianity, the 
 desire which they manifested for religious instruction was very 
 remarkable. The Mission schools were crowded, not only with 
 children, but also with adults, all anxious to acquire a knowledge 
 of letters. Their books became their companions wherever they 
 went. Those who made the most progress in learning at school, 
 taught the rest at home, in the field, and by the wayside ; and 
 when the Kev. Robert Young visited New Zealand as a deputation 
 from the British Conference in 1853, he found that three-fourths of 
 the adult population could read, and two-thirds could wi-ite their 
 own language correctly — a proportion, perhaps, not surpassed in 
 any part of the civilised world. And although the people did not 
 
350 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 show the [same desire to imitate their teachers in their dress, 
 hahitations, furniture, and mechanical arts, yet they did, to some 
 extent, adopt civilised habits, and were largely benefited, both 
 temporally and spiritually, by the reception of the Gospel. 
 
 There were, among the civilised Maories, some remarkable 
 instances of mental superiority, and of intelligent natives, who 
 elevated themselves in the social scale, built handsome dwelHngs, 
 furnished them respectably after the European style, and carried 
 on business successfully as farmers, merchants, or Government 
 officers. Nor was there wanting du'ect spiritual fruit of the most 
 encom-aging kind, as the result of the united labours of the Mis- 
 sionaries. At one period, on thirteen stations, the Wesleyan 
 Missionaries reported three thousand two hundred and fifty-nine 
 converted natives, united in Church fellowship ; and four thousand 
 children in the Mission schools. At social meetings, when oppor- 
 tunities were afforded to the native members to relate their rehgious 
 experience, they frequently bore testimony to the regenerating and 
 sanctifying power of Divine grace upon their souls, in a manner 
 which excited feelings of the liveliest gratitude in the hearts of 
 those who had been the means of their conversion to God. 
 
 In view of the cheering prospects which characterised the early 
 history of the Missionary enterprise in New Zealand, it is with 
 sorrowful feelings that we record the fact of the gradual decrease 
 in numbers of the Maori race. Similar results have followed 
 European emigration to other countries ; and yet we see no 
 reason why this need be the case, if proper precautions were 
 used to guard the natives against the evils to which they are 
 exposed when they come in contact with their pale-faced brethi'en. 
 Unfortunately, thoughtless and unprincipled white men often 
 introduce the use of ardent spirits and tobacco to the Aborigines 
 of the countries where they settle, to say nothing about certain 
 diseases almost as destructive of human life in their influence, to 
 which the natives were previously strangers. Something may, 
 however, in all fairness, be placed to the account of the people's 
 own folly and imprudence in this matter : as early and unequal 
 marriages, marriages with kindred, the remains of polygamy, 
 
NEW ZEALAND. 351 
 
 improper treatment of infants, unwholesome food, and insufficient 
 clothing, &c. When the natives become still better informed, 
 and more fully Christianised, some of these hindrances to health 
 and increase may, perhaps, be removed, and the permanency of the 
 race be secured in a state of civilisation, if Europeans do their 
 duty to their fellowmen. According to the latest accounts, the 
 European population of New Zealand is estimated at two hundred 
 and twenty-five thousand, whilst that of the Maoris scarcely 
 exceeds forty thousand. 
 
 Since the colonisation of the country, the Missionary work in 
 New Zealand has undergone an entire change in its character, as 
 already intimated. From the removal of the people to different 
 localities, the scattering of the tribes by war, as well as the 
 decrease of the Aboriginal population already alluded to, the native 
 department of the Mission is much more circumscribed than 
 formerly, and fewer Chmxh members are now reported. Yet we 
 have some noble specimens of native Christians connected with 
 our respective stations ; and their spiritual interests and the 
 education of their children are carefully attended to. Among the 
 colonists, however, the work has greatly prospered, and many of 
 the British emigrants, in that far-off country, can rejoice in the 
 enjoyment of religious privileges equal to those with which they 
 were favoured in their own highly-favoured land. Commodious 
 and substantial chapels have been erected in the principal colonial 
 towns and villages ; common schools and seminaries of learning 
 have been established, for the education of the rising generation 
 of all classes; and, by the judicious arrangements of the Australian 
 Conference, with which the work is now incorporated, we have 
 reason to anticipate a prosperous future for Methodism in New 
 Zealand. The Islands are divided into three separate Districts, 
 ■which comprise about thirty-two j^nncipal stations or circuits. 
 In connection with these, foi'ty -three ordained ministers are usefully 
 employed, with two thousand Jive hundred and eighty-seven Church 
 members under their pastoral care, and Jive thousand scholars 
 attending the Sabbath and day-schools. 
 
CHAPTEE VIII. 
 THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 
 
 THE COUNTEY AND INHABITANTS A MISSION OF CIVILISATION WES- 
 
 LEYAN MISSION COMMENCED MISSIONARIES SENT FROM ENGLAND 
 
 PKOGEESS OF THE WOEK IN TONGA— MISSION TO HAABAI MISSION 
 
 TO TAVAU GEEAT REVIVAL MISCELLANEOUS INCIDENTS SAMOA. 
 
 ry^HE Friendly Islands are situated in the South Pacific Ocean, 
 J- the centre being in latitude 21° south, and longitude 18° 
 west. The entire group is said to consist of nearly two hundred 
 islands, from forty to fifty of which only are inhabited. The 
 principal of these are Tonga or Tongatabu, A^avau, Nomuka, Eua, 
 and the Haabais. They were first discovered by the great Dutch 
 navigator, Tasman, in 1643, and in 1773 they were visited by our 
 celebrated countryman. Captain Cook, who gave them their pre- 
 sent name, from the real or supposed friendhness of the inhabi- 
 tants, as compared with the savages of other groups with whom 
 he came in contact. Like most of the other islands in the South 
 Seas, they are of coral formation, and are supposed to have 
 emerged from the ocean at a remote period, as the result of the 
 industry of myriads of little insects which are constantly at work 
 beneath the waves. Although the soil is but thinly spread over 
 the coral rocks, it is, nevertheless, remarkably fertile, and produces 
 the cocoa-nuts, bread-fruit, plantain, banana, sugar-cane, and yams, 
 besides pumpkins, pine-apples, pepper, oranges, melons, and 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 357 
 
 various other kinds of vegetables and fruits peculiar to tlie country. 
 The climate, although warm, is said to be healthy, and the scenery 
 is described as peculiarly grand and romantic, some of the hills 
 being covered with forest trees, and others exhibiting evident 
 signs of volcanic action. 
 
 It is believed that the Aborigines of the Friendly Islands, in 
 common with the natives of other groups in the Pacific, originally 
 came from the mainland of Asia. Their appearance, their lan- 
 guage, and many of their customs, are regarded as justifying this 
 view of their origin. At what period, and under what circum- 
 stances, these beautifully sunny islands were first inhabited, it 
 is now impossible to say, as, when first discovered, the people 
 had no written language or monumental records of any kind to 
 chronicle their history. There are, however, in the appearance of 
 crowded burying-places, in stories handed down from father to 
 son, and in occasional traces of arts once known, but now lost, 
 indications that many generations have succeeded each other since 
 the Asiatic strangers first arrived on these shores. Tradition says 
 that the population of the entire group was once immense, but it 
 is now estimated at about thirty thousand. 
 
 With regard to their social and moral condition, it is quite clear 
 that the inhabitants were awfully degraded, and fearfully sunk in 
 depravity and sin, when they first came under the notice of Euro- 
 peans. They were called Friendly Islanders, it is true, by those 
 who paid a hasty and transient visit to their shores, and fabulous 
 accounts of their innocence and happiness were freely circulated in 
 Europe at an early period ; but when Christian Missionaries came 
 to live among them, and to witness their conduct from month to 
 month and from year to year, their real state and character 
 became more correctly and more fully known. It turned out that 
 these Friendly Islanders were almost constantly at war among 
 themselves, that they were cannibals, polygamists, and idolaters, 
 and that they stood in need of the Gospel as much as any people 
 whoever lived on the face of the earth. There were, nevertheless, 
 traits of character and incidental peculiarities in these people, some 
 of which will appear as we proceed, that seem to betoken a higher 
 
 A A 
 
354 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 state of civilisation, at some remote period of time, from wHch 
 they had degenerated — thus forcibly showing how man, when 
 left to himself, may deteriorate in his condition ; but, without the 
 true knowledge of God, he can never raise himself in the scale 
 of being. 
 
 A Mission of Civilisation. 
 
 It is to be feared that the impression made upon the minds of 
 the Friendly Islanders by the first white men with whom they 
 came in contact would not be very favom-able. In connection 
 with the visits of the ships of Tasman and Cook, some events 
 occuiTed of a very exceptional character. And when escaped 
 convicts or Em'opean seamen of depraved and dissolute habits 
 occasionally landed on their shores, and took up their abode in 
 the islands, the natives had still more objectionable specimens 
 of people from a Chi'istian country. These wicked men not 
 only descended to the level of the savages in their dress and 
 mode of life, without making any efforts to improve them, but 
 they actually taught them deeds of daring and of sin which they 
 had never known before. But we refrain from entering into a 
 description of scenes of cruelty and of blood in which our country- 
 men were the chief actors, and proceed to notice events of a more 
 pleasing character. At length the time came when the Friendly 
 Islanders were to behold better specimens of white men ; for a 
 Mission was planned in England, by a truly philanthi-opic people, 
 for the special pm-pose of seeking to promote their civilisation, 
 concerning which a few particulars may prove interesting. 
 
 When the London Missionary Society was organised in the year 
 1795, it was arranged that their first enterprise should be a 
 Mission to the South Seas, a part of the world which -n-as then 
 attracting considerable attention by reason of the wonderful dis- 
 coveries of Captain Cook, which had just been made known to the 
 public. After considerable dela}', a ship called the /'?(//' was pur- 
 chased and fitted out for the voyage, and thirty persons were 
 engaged as Missionaries. Only four of these, however, were 
 ordained Ministers ; the rest were mechanics or tradesmen, in- 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 355 
 
 tended to teach the natives the arts of civilised life, as intro- 
 ductory to the Gospel, according to the erroneous notion generally 
 entertained in those days. The Duff, with her noble band of 
 Missionaries, sailed from London on the 10th of August, 1796, 
 and after a favourable passage, she reached Tahiti towards the 
 close of the year. Here the four ordained Ministers, and fourteen 
 of the other brethren, were landed, and the ship proceeded to the 
 Friendly Islands, for which group ten artizans were allotted, 
 namely, Messrs. Shelley, Kelso, Wilkinson, Bowell, Harper, 
 Buchanan, Cooper, Nobbs, Veeson, and Gaulton. They were 
 put on shore at Tonga, on the 12th of April, 1797, and two days 
 afterwards the Duff proceeded on her voyage to convey the 
 remaining passengers to the Marquesas Islands, according to pre- 
 vious arrangement. 
 
 The persons engaged in this Mission of civilisation were generally 
 young men of good sense and decided piety. Their trades and 
 professions were various. There was a carpenter, a bricklayer, a 
 cabinetmaker, a weaver, a tailor, a shoemaker, a hatter, and a cloth 
 manufacturer ; and it was intended that they should instruct the 
 natives in every art with which they were acquainted. Nor was 
 religious instruction to be neglected : but, so far as we are 
 acquainted with their plan of proceeding, this was to be a 
 secondary matter at the commencement, and to remain in the 
 back-ground, from the mistaken notion that secular knowledge 
 would prepare the way for communications of a purely spiritual 
 character. The strangers were kindly received by the chiefs and 
 people of Tonga, not so much, perhaps, from regard to the object of 
 their Mission, as from the hope that they might become possessed 
 of some of the goods they had brought with them ; for the 
 Missionaries were well supphcd with various articles of mer- 
 chandise, iron, edged tools, fish hooks, and other commodities 
 which were highly prized by the natives. 
 
 A portion of land having been set apart for their use, the Mis- 
 sionaries soon began to turn it to good account. 'They stubbed up 
 old bread-fruit trees, and prepared the ground for garden seeds ; 
 they planted peas, beans, and turnips ; they made an enclosure for 
 
 AA 2 
 
356 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 their pigs ; they tried to make a forge for working iron, and moulds 
 for bricks. These attempts to form a comfortable settlement in- 
 terested the natives, who flocked around them in considerable num- 
 bers, and were at times exceedingly troublesome, asking numerous 
 questions and examining their tools with evident surprise and delight. 
 But, of all their possessions, none seemed to excite their wonder so 
 much as a cuckoo-clock. Its motion and striking were caused, 
 they fancied, by a spirit who lived in it. They gave it the name 
 of " Akau lea," or "speaking wood." They dared not touch it, 
 and they thought that if they stole anything, the bird-spiiit would 
 detect them. This superstitious fear was not without its use 
 among a people who were addicted to theft, and who coveted 
 almost everything they saw. Gifts of provisions were brought in 
 large quantities to the Missionaries, who in return made many 
 useful presents to the chiefs. The first Sabbath after they arrived, 
 the Missionaries held a prayer-meeting in the morning, and in the 
 afternoon Mr. Buchanan preached to his brethren. Thus every- 
 thing at fij'st seemed promising ; but, after a short time, insur- 
 mountable difficulties presented themselves, and the result was the 
 ■entire failure of the enterprise. 
 
 The first and greatest trial the Missionaries had to experience 
 was from the unprincipled conduct of two dissolute Europeans, 
 Ambler and Connelly, whom they found at Tonga on their arrival. 
 These runaway sailors had been on the island about thirteen 
 months, and having become tolerably familiar with the native 
 language, they might have rendered good service to the Mis- 
 sionaries as interpreters, and in other ways ; but instead of helping, 
 they hindered them by their pernicious influence and example, and 
 by various false and slanderous statements which they made to 
 tho chiefs as to the object of the strangers in coming to the 
 country. The next trouble that overtook the Missionaries was 
 the defection of one of their own number. George Veeson first 
 absented himself from the prayer-meetings, then shunned the 
 society of his brethren altogether, and soon afterwards they found 
 him dressed like the heathen, and joining them in all their wicked 
 practices. They mom-ned over their- fallen brother, and did all 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 357 
 
 in their power to recover him from the snare of the devil. But 
 all their efforts were in vain. The fact was he had attached him- 
 self to a heathen woman, who lived with him as his wife, and he 
 was ultimately excluded from the society of the faithful as an 
 incorrigible transgressor. 
 
 Mr. Nobbs, whose health had failed, had left the island with the 
 Duff ■when she called on her return voyage, so that only eight of 
 the brethren now remained to attempt the civilisation of a barbarous 
 race of people. These unwisely separated themselves into three 
 bands, and probably fared the worse in consequence, when the 
 country soon afterwards became involved in war between the 
 native tribes. Ultimately the Mission premises were plundered 
 and destroyed by the savages, three of the Missionaries were 
 cruelly murdered, and the rest only escaped by getting on board 
 a ship bound for Port Jackson, which called at Tonga just at the 
 time they were exposed to the most imminent danger. Thus was 
 the first Mission to the Friendly Isles relinquished after nearly 
 three years of fruitless labour, exposure, and peril. 
 
 Wesleyax Mission Com:\ienced. 
 
 Twenty-two years had elapsed since the surviving agents of the 
 London Missionary Society had escaped from Tonga, when cir- 
 cumstances transpired which caused the thoughts of British 
 Christians to turn once more to the Friendly Islands. After 
 a long and gloomy night of toil, the Missions established in the 
 Society and Marquesas gi'oups had begun to bear fruit, and the 
 hope was entertained that the Friendly Isles also might, perhaps, 
 now be disposed to receive the Gospel, after what they had 
 suffered by the desolating wars which had laid waste their country. 
 On this occasion the honour was reserved for the Wcsleyan Mis- 
 sionary Society to attempt to evangelise a people who had 
 disappointed the anticipations of their benefactors. Before any 
 arrangement could be made for sending a Missionary from Eng- 
 land, the Eev. Walter Lawry, then stationed in New South Wales, 
 was induced to undertake a voyage to the Friendly Islands as an 
 
358 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 experiment, preparatory to tlie establishment of a permanent 
 Mission. Consequently he and his family sailed from Sydney in 
 the ship St. Miehael, in the month of June, 1822. He had with 
 him two pious and active Em-opean colonists, George Lily, a 
 carpenter, and Charles Tindal, a blacksmith. The Governor of 
 New South Wales favoured the enterprise, and furnished the 
 Missionary with cattle and sheep from the Government stock of 
 the colony. 
 
 On the 16th of August the vessel anchored before Tonga. 
 Among the hundreds of natives who, as usual, came off from 
 the shore in their canoes, was an Englishman named William 
 Singleton, who had lived sixteen years on the island, being 
 one of the survivors of the ill-fated ship Port an. Prince, whose 
 crew had been massacred in 1806. He had become a thorough 
 Tonga man in his manners and language, but his conduct was 
 not so abandoned as had been that of Ambler and his companion, 
 and he became very useful to the Missionary as an interpreter and 
 in various other ways, ultimately joining the Chui'ch and dj'ing in 
 the faith and hope of the Gospel. 
 
 A few days after he landed, Mr. Lawry requested an interview 
 with the principal chiefs, that he might state to them the object 
 of his mission, for it was his determination to avow at once that 
 he came not to trade or merely to teach them useful arts, but to 
 preach the Gospel and to instruct them in the knowledge of the 
 true and living God. His request was readily complied with, 
 and he was conducted to a house of respectable appearance, the 
 lofty roof of which was supported by pillars, and the floor covered 
 with mats. Seven chiefs met him, and a vast crowd of people 
 formed themselves in a circle outside. He spoke of the good will 
 of the people of England in seeking to promote their welfare, of 
 his own design in coming to their country, and asked many 
 questions with a view to ascertain whether they were willing 
 to receive instruction. Tho chiefs expressed themselves as being 
 well pleased with what thoy had heard, promised to treat the 
 Missionary and his companions kindly, and to send " thousands " 
 of children to tho Mission-school. They gave presents to Mr. 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 359 
 
 Lawiy, and even stripped oif their garments and handed them 
 to him, which is one of the highest marks of Tongan courtesy. 
 The principal chief of the island, named Palu, was very desirous 
 that the Missionary should settle near him, and assured him of 
 his protection and aid. For two or three months the kindness 
 of the natives, and their readiness to receive instruction, raised 
 Mr. Lawry's hope of success, and he wrote home for more Mission- 
 aries, a surgeon, a printer, teachers, books, and articles for barter. 
 At the same time he held regular religious services with the 
 people, both on Sabbaths and week-days, and instructed them in 
 the best manner he could, Singleton acting as his interpreter. 
 
 Shortly after the departure of the St. Michael, however, in the 
 month of November, things began to wear a different aspect. The 
 characteristic fickleness and superstition of the people were again 
 manifested. At the Kava-ring speeches were made against the 
 new-comers, and it was suggested that they were spies, who in- 
 tended to conquer the land. " See," said one, " these people are 
 always praying to their God, as the other Missionaries who came 
 here, and what was the consequence of their praying ? Why, the 
 war broke out and all the old chiefs were killed." Another told 
 his dream, how in the night the spirit of an old chief had returned 
 to the earth, seen the fence of the new Mission premises, and said 
 in gi'eat wi'ath, "The white people will pray you all dead." These 
 conferences influenced the conduct of the people in the most 
 injurious manner. They became boisterous and insolent, and 
 sometimes seized on articles of property belonging to the Mission, 
 and carried them off without ceremony. Whilst these things were 
 going on, Palu, the principal chief, was away, carrying on war 
 with the people of Eua. On his return he expressed his dis- 
 pleasure at what had happened, and punished the offenders 
 severely. The support of the Chief tended to allay the fears 
 of the Missionary for the time being ; but when in the most 
 friendly mood, the natives were very rude, forcing their way into 
 the Mission-house, and even into Mrs. Lawry's bed-room, as early 
 as six o'clock in the morning, on the most trifling occasion. 
 Earnest efforts were, nevertheless, made to instruct the people in 
 
36o HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 a knowledge of Divine things ; but, from his imperfect acquaintance 
 with the language, and their total ignorance of such things, the 
 Missionary found it extremely difficult to convey to their minds 
 any distinct ideas of sacred truth. 
 
 Notwithstanding the disadvantages under which Mr. Lawiy 
 laboured, there were occasions when he had reason to hope that 
 good impressions were made on the minds of some. For instance, 
 one day, when he was telling Palu that the eye of Jehovah was 
 upon him and upon all men in all places and at all times, the Chief 
 seemed greatly astonished. The Missionary took advantage of the 
 momentary impression to say, " When I can speak more of j'our 
 language, I will tell you greater things than these ; " and the 
 promise was received with evident pleasure. On another occasion 
 the Missionary walked into a village, where he met with several 
 of the more intelligent natives with whom he entered into con- 
 versation. He spoke to them of the true God, and of his wonder- 
 ful works in days of old ; how he healed the sick, and raised the 
 dead ; and that he loved all men in every land, even the people of 
 Tonga ; and that he was come to the countrj' on purpose to tell 
 them of these things. The people seemed much interested in 
 the truths thus simply spoken. 
 
 It is to be regretted that a Mission, in many respects so hope- 
 fully commenced, should have been relinquished oven for a time ; 
 but so it was. After labouring about fourteen months in Tonga, 
 visiting the powerful Chief Ata, building a Mission-house and 
 blacksmith's shop, and cultivating and fencing in a largo piece of 
 ground, Mr. Lawry embarked with his family for Now South 
 Wales, the delicate state of Mrs. Lawry's health appearing to 
 render this step necessary. The two artizans, Lilley and Tindall, 
 remained in Tonga, and being pious men, the)' were willing to 
 teach the people to the best of their ability ; but after the Mis- 
 sionary was gone, the Chief Palu treated them very imkindly, and 
 threatened to kill them. In the meantime three native teachers 
 were sent to Vavau from Tahiti, by the agents of the London 
 Missionary Society. Unhappily, the heathen influences by which 
 they were surrounded proved too strong for the j'oung converts, 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 
 
 361 
 
 and they failed to win over the people to the adoption of Chris- 
 tianity, as their brethren had done in some other islands. 
 
 Missionaries sent from England. 
 
 On receiving the report of Mr. Lawry, as to the condition and 
 claims of the Friendly Islanders, the Wesleyan Missionary Com- 
 mittee in London were anxious to supply them with a Gospel minis- 
 
 JJANUEKUL'S LANiJI-NQ. 
 
 try, and permanently to carry on the work of evangelisation among 
 them ; but the work was delayed by various hindrances for up- 
 wards of two years. It was not till the month of June, 1826, that 
 the Eevs. John Thomas and John Hutchinson, and their wives, 
 who had been appointed to this service, arrived at Tonga. The 
 vessel which conveyed the Missionaries approached the island in 
 the midst of a heavy storm, and it was found impossible to land at 
 the old Mission-station. A few days of suspense and uncertainty 
 
362 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 passed by, and then good anchorage was found in an adjacent bay. 
 Before this, however, the Missionaries had gone on shore in a 
 boat, and obtained an interview with Charles Tindall, one of the 
 mechanics left on the island by Mr. Lawi-y. From him they 
 learned that it would not be safe to place themselves under the 
 protection of Palu, as he had not kept faith with Mr. Lawry, but 
 had ill-treated the young men who were left with him. They, 
 therefore, sought for an interview with the great Chief Ata, living 
 at Hihifo, who gave them a most friendly reception. He conducted 
 the strangers into his house, and placed them upon a mat. Scores 
 of natives gathered around and listened with marked attention, 
 while Mr. Thomas explained their object in coming to their country. 
 He told them it was not because Tonga was better than England, 
 or that they wished to join in their wars, or to carry on trade, but 
 because they desired to teach them the Law of God, and other 
 good things. He then asked whether the Chief was willing for 
 them to settle in the island, and whether he would permit them to 
 conduct their own religious worship ; whether they would send 
 their children to school to be taught, give land for Mission pre- 
 mises, and 'protect the persons and property of the Missionaries. 
 Much pleasure was expressed both by the Chief and his people 
 with what they heard ; full promises were made of protection and 
 assistance, and a beautiful plot of ground, with a fine sea breeze 
 sweeping over it, was at once allotted to their use. 
 
 But the fairest promises of the heathen are not to be depended 
 upon. Within a week or two after their arrival, the Missionaries 
 were convinced that their property was more coveted than their 
 teaching. The Chief Ata, in particular, was very difficult to deal 
 with. There was no knowing when he was pleased, or how to 
 please him. On the 13th of July he was present at morning wor- 
 ship, and within a month of that time he withdrew his protection 
 from the Missionaries altogether, allowing men, and even boys, to 
 rob and insult them with impunity, and declared that he would 
 burn down their houses. Every possible hindrance was thi'own in 
 tho way of their benevolent design, and they had reason to fear 
 for their personal safety. The Chief, moreover, called his people 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 363 
 
 together, spoke contemptuously of tlie God of the Christians, and 
 forbade them to go to His worship on pain of death. But, not- 
 withstanding this threat, the rehgions services were continued, 
 and many of the natives ventured to attend them. The wily Ata 
 then set men to watch the gates of the sanctuary, and sometimes 
 even watched them himself, on the Lord's-day, to prevent the 
 people from going in, and some poor little children were actually 
 chased away when they attempted to enter. The wife of the Chief 
 having imbibed the spirit of her husband, took away from Mrs. 
 Hutchinson a few young women whom she was teaching to sew 
 and read. Difficulties were also thrown in the way of the Mis- 
 sionaries buying anything from the natives for the supply of their 
 wants ; and yet, all this time, the Chief called himself their friend, 
 and went to the Mission-house to eat or beg almost every day. 
 
 Amid all these difficulties, the Missionaries continued earnestly 
 to labour and fervently to pray for grace to enable them to bear 
 up under their peculiar trials ; and early in the following year, 
 1827, they were favoured to witness some improvement in the 
 temper and spirit of both chiefs and people. They were also 
 encouraged by seeing a number of people come from Nukualofa 
 from Sabbath to Sabbath, to attend their services, the exhortations 
 of two native converts from Tahiti having tended to arouse the 
 people there to a concern for religion. About the same time 
 Tubou, the Chief of Nukualofa, having become convinced of the 
 folly of idolatry, gave up his gods, and built a chapel for Christian 
 worship, the first instance of the kind which had occurred in the 
 Friendly Islands. And although this was only an outward and 
 nominal change, and did not, it was feared, proceed from a saving 
 work of grace on the heart, it was, nevertheless, regarded as a 
 hopeful sign of better days to come. Tubou was severely tried in 
 his profession of Chiistianity. He resisted the threats of many 
 of the other chiefs ; but at length they overcame him by persua- 
 sion. They promised to make him paramount chief or king of all 
 the islands in the group, if he would abandon the new religion. 
 This temptation was too strong for him, and he promised to give 
 up praying to Jehovah for the present. He, nevertheless, per- 
 
354 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 mitted the inferior chiefs and common people to do as they 
 pleased, and the services were still largely attended. 
 
 As there now seemed to be a more general disposition on the 
 part of the Friendly Islanders to receive instruction, an earnest 
 request was forwarded to England for more Missionaries to be 
 sent out. This call was promptly responded to, and in the early 
 part of 1828 the hearts of the brethren were gladdened by the 
 arrival at Tonga of the Eevs. Nathaniel Tm-ner and WilUam 
 Cross, with their excellent wives, who commenced their labours 
 at Nukualofa, whilst Messrs. Thomas and Hutchinson continued 
 at Hihifo. Schools were now established at both stations, which 
 were soon attended by hundreds of children, who were taught 
 chiefly from manuscript translations ; but who made rapid pro- 
 gress in learning to read, as well as in committing to memory 
 hymns, prayers, and lessons from Scripture. In the meantime 
 the Sabbath congregations continued to improve, and they had 
 frequently as many as two hundred natives joining with them in 
 the public worship of God. Open opposition to the labours of the 
 Missionaries in Tonga for a time almost entirely disappeared ; and 
 they were enabled to devote themselves fully to preaching, teach- 
 ing, and translating, and acquiring a more perfect knowledge of 
 the language. Although they were " in labours more abundant," 
 they found it difficult to keep up with their work, especiallj' as 
 urgent calls for their services soon began to come in from other 
 islands of the group. 
 
 For some time the Missionaries were so fully engaged that they 
 were unable to extend their labours beyond the limits of Tonga. 
 But the longer they were obliged to delay the work of extension 
 for want of men, the louder and more frequent were the calls from 
 every part of the group, for the confidence of the people was every- 
 where beginning to be shaken in their false gods. Finau, the Chief 
 of Vavau, got an Englishman to write a letter for him to the Mis- 
 sionaries in Tonga, in which he says : — " I am so glad to hear that 
 you are teaching my friend Tubou to know the Great God. I hope 
 you will be so kind as to send to Port Jackson for some Missionaries 
 to come to my island to teach me and my people. I am tired of 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 365 
 
 my spirit-gods : they tell me so many lies, I am sick of them. I 
 have had no sleep, being so uneasy for fear the Missionaries will 
 be so long in getting here. My island will turn to the Great God, 
 because I am the only chief on the Island ; I have no one to 
 control me ; when I turn, they will turn. To be sm-e, I did try to 
 take a ship, but I am sorry for it ; there will be no more of that. 
 Be so good as to go as quick about the Missionaries as time will 
 allow." 
 
 The King of Haabai, who afterwards became the celebrated 
 King George of the whole of the Friendly Islands, went even 
 farther than this. He visited Tonga in person, begged earnestly 
 for a Missionary, and did his best to persuade one of those already 
 there to accompany him on his return. Although the brethren 
 were unable at that time to comply with his request, they were 
 pleased to hear, some time afterwards, that he had taken a solemn 
 oath to oast away his lying spirits and turn to Jehovah ; and that 
 he had begun to observe the Christian Sabbath, by ceasing from 
 work and from amusement. It afterwards transpired that when 
 the King of Haabai could not procure a Missionary, he actually 
 employed an English sailor to read prayers in a house which was 
 used as a chapel on Sundays. 
 
 At Mua, the chief and his people spontaneously abandoned their 
 idols, and built a neat Christian place of worship, in anticipation 
 of a Missionary ; and when a ship called there, and had no teacher 
 on board, they were bitterly disappointed. These remarkable 
 indications of the wilhngness of the people to receive the Gospel 
 induced the Missionaries at Tonga to unite in a very earnest re- 
 quest to the Committee in London to send out a reinforcement of 
 labourers. This request was readily responded to ; but, from the 
 great distance, and the difficulty of finding suitable men for the 
 work, a length of time elapsed before they reached their destina- 
 tion. In the meantime the cause of God advanced on all the 
 stations. Places of worship were erected, schools estabhshed, the 
 Gospel faithfully preached; and multitudes of people were 
 reclaimed from the worship of dumb idols, and gathered into 
 the fold of the Kedeemer. 
 
366 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Peogkess of the Woke in Tonga. 
 The evident change which was rapidly taking place in the views 
 and feelings of the natives of Tonga, as manifested in their readi- 
 ness to give up their idol-gods and embrace a nominal Christianity, 
 was very gratifying to the Missionaries ; but the gi-eat object of 
 their Mission being to turn the people from darkness to light, 
 and from the power of Satan unto God, they were anxious to 
 witness more directly spiritual results. They knew that this out- 
 ward change might result in part from the intelligence which was 
 constantly coming to hand that other gi-oups had relinf[uished 
 their foolish and superstitious customs, and were learning to read ; 
 and partly from the direct influence of Divine truth upon their 
 minds as the result of their instructions : but still they were not 
 satisfied, from an apprehension that the people were resting in the 
 mere external forms of the new religion. They met together for 
 consultation and prayer, for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit ; 
 and after they had been about two years in the country, they were 
 permitted to reap the first-fruits of their laboui'. 
 
 The first genuine convert to Christianity in the Friendly Islands 
 was a youth named Lolohia, who resided at Hihifo, the station 
 occupied by the Kov. John Thomas. From a child he was afflicted 
 with a scrofulous disease, common in the Islands, and its ravages 
 had made him an object of pity ; but his countenance was fine, 
 and his disposition mild and cheerful. Before Mr. Thomas came 
 to Tonga, Lolohia had been staying with an elder brother at 
 Vavau, where both their minds were much impressed b}' a few 
 words about Jehovah, spoken by an English sailor who lived on 
 that island. When they heard the same words advanced with still 
 greater earnestness by the Missionar}', their hearts yielded ; they 
 gave up their Tonga spirit-gods, and determined that the Lord 
 should be their God. They wore the first scholars in the Mission- 
 school, and, being young men of rank and importance, from their 
 mother having become the wife of the Chief Ata, their coming 
 influenced others, and a considerable number of native j'ouths 
 were soon brought under instruction. Lolohia showed strong 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 367 
 
 attachment to God's house and ministers, and when he was unable 
 to walk to the school and chapel, on account of his affliction, he 
 got the other boys to carry him there as best they could, which was 
 sometimes in a kind of wheelbarrow constructed for the purpose. 
 
 In all the trials through which the Missionaries had to pass, in 
 consequence of the strange conduct of Ata, the chief, and other 
 adverse circumstances, poor Lolohia was their fast and sympathis- 
 ing friend, declaring that if they were obliged to leave the island, he 
 would go with them wherever they went. As his views of Christ 
 and His atoning work became clearer, his faith increased, and he 
 was sweetly assured of his personal interest in the Saviour, and 
 could rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. He was then at 
 his own request baptised in the name of the Father, the Son, and 
 the Holy Ghost ; his mother and Ata offering no objection. For 
 some time before his death, Lolohia was the head and guardian 
 of a company of praying youths who lived near to him, and who 
 often united in singing the praises of God and in supplicating at 
 the Throne of Grace, in the room of the invahd. He bore his long 
 afaiction with perfect patience and resignation ; and when the end 
 drew near, and preparations were being made to remove him to a 
 small house near the burying-ground, he said, "Yes; let us go." 
 And when Mr. Thomas called to see him, he received him with a 
 smile, and said, " My love to you ; " " let us pray ;" and with the 
 language of praj^er on his lips, his redeemed spirit passed away to 
 be " forever with the Lord," the first fruit of a glorious harvest 
 from the Friendly Islands. 
 
 From this period the Missionaries were encom-aged by evidences 
 of a deeper spiritual work of grace among the people. Several of 
 the young men who had been associated with Lolohia at Hihifo 
 experienced a saving change of heart, and became active workers 
 in the cause of Christ ; and at Nukualofa, where Messrs. Turner 
 and Cross continued to labour, several were brought into a state of 
 acceptance with God through Christ. In the month of June, 
 1829, upwards of sixty natives were reported as meeting in class 
 on this station, and the number of sincere inquirers after salva- 
 tion was increasing every week. People came from distant parts 
 
358 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 of the island to hoar preaching, and tho congregations on the 
 Sabbath-day became so crowded that it was necessary to enlarge 
 the chapel. Among the early converts was the wife of the Chief 
 and other distinguished persons whose example influenced many 
 others to embrace tho loin, as they called the Christian rehgion. 
 " All Nukualofa seemed moved. Learning to read, coming to 
 class, being baptised, and going to heaven, were the principal 
 subjects of conversation." About this time the King himself 
 began to meet in class, and his voice was heard in the prayer- 
 meetings. Christian marriages were now introduced, the Sabbath- 
 day was kept holy, family worship was generally observed, and 
 the whole deportment of the people showed that a genuine work 
 of grace had taken place in the hearts of many. 
 
 Whilst this blessed work was going on at Nukualofa and in the 
 neighbouring villages, the cause was less prosperous at Hihifo in 
 consequence of the continued opposition of the Chief Ata. In 
 fact, the opposition was so strong, and the hindrances to the 
 progress of the work so numerous, that Mr. Thomas resolved to 
 leave the place and go to the Haabai Islands, where the Chief was 
 so anxious to have a Missionary, Mr. Hutchinson having pre- 
 viously embarked for New South Wales. Before this new enter- 
 prise was entered upon, it was thought deshable to wait for 
 instructions from home ; and, in the meantime, the prospect being 
 so gloomy at Hihifo, Mr. Thomas joined his brethren at Nukualofa, 
 which now became the principal station in Tonga. 
 
 The Missionaries having now more completely mastered the 
 native language, preached the Gospel with tho demonstrations of 
 the Spirit, and with power ; every week that passed witnessed 
 new accessions to the Church, and multitudes beUeved and were 
 baptized, as many as eighty-four being sometimes added to the 
 number of professing Christians in one day. Monthly Missionary 
 prayer-meetings were now commenced, at which accounts were 
 given of what God was doing in other parts of tho world ; and at 
 the first love-feast held in Tonga, one hundred and fifty members 
 were present, and forty-six spoke, in a very simple and affecting 
 manner, of their conversion from heathenism to Christianity. 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 369 
 
 But the most remarkable event of this early period was the 
 baptism of the paramount Chief or King Tubou, which took place 
 on the 18th of January, 1830. He stood up in the chapel before 
 the pulpit, with his wife and children by his side, in the presence 
 of a large congregation, as proof of his having abandoned his Toga 
 gods, and embraced the true religion. He assured the Mission- 
 aries and his people, that he had cast away everything that he 
 knew to he sinful, and that Jehovah was his God, and Jesus 
 Christ his only Saviour, and that he made an offering of himself, 
 his wife, and his children that day to the Lord, that He might 
 dispose of him and his as He thought good. He exhorted his 
 people to attend to the things of God, and to follow his example in 
 being baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. He then turned 
 round, kneeled down, and the sacred ordinance was administered 
 by Mr. Turner, amid the silent prayers and half-subdued emotion 
 of a vast concourse of people. The King chose the name of Josiah; 
 and having been himself thus dedicated to God, he presented his 
 four children for baptism, so that the whole of the royal family 
 were now received into the Church of Christ. 
 
 Mission to Haabai. 
 
 During the time that Mr. Thomas was detained at Nukualofa, a re- 
 markable incident occurred which clearly shows the superintending 
 providence of God in the affairs of the Missionary enterprise. 
 Whilst waiting anxiously for communications from home, not 
 daring to add to the financial burden of the Society by further out- 
 lay without the explicit permission of the Committee, a small box 
 or packet was washed on shore and brought to Mr. Turner. It 
 wss found to contain a letter which set the minds of the Mission- 
 aries at rest, inasmuch as it authorised the commencement of a 
 Mission in the Haabai group without further delay. The vessel 
 that bore that letter, a schooner from Sydney, had foundered at 
 sea, and all on board were lost. It is said that neither the vessel 
 nor crew, nor any of the goods with which she had been freighted, 
 were ever seen or heard of again. That letter alone, the mes- 
 
 B B 
 
37° HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 senger of mercy to a people waiting for the law of tlie Lord, 
 guided by Him "whom winds and sea obey," escaped the general 
 wreck, and was oast on shore at the right place, and at the right 
 time, to relieve the minds of the Missionaries. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Thomas immediately embarked for their new spher& 
 of labour, and arrived at Lifuka, one of the Haabai islands, after a 
 stormy and dangerous passage, on the 80th of January, 1830. 
 
 A native teacher named Peter had previously been sent to this 
 gi'oup, to instruct the people as best he could in the truths of the 
 Gospel with which he himself had but recently become acquainted. 
 Mr. Thomas was glad to find that the labour's of this humble but 
 earnest p)ioneer evangelist had not been in vain. Out of eighteen 
 inhabited islands, all but three had embraced Christianity. Many 
 houses, formerly sacred to idol gods, were either used as common 
 dwellings, or set apart for the worship of Jehovah. The King took 
 five of his principal idols and hung them up by the neck in one of 
 these houses, in order that the people might see that they were 
 " all dead." All classes of the community were anxious to learn 
 to read and write, as well as to worship God in spirit and in truth ; 
 and the work was becoming too much for poor Peter when the 
 first English Missionary opportunely arrived. 
 
 But notwithstanding this promising beginning, there was still a 
 great work for the Missionaiy to do. The people were utterly 
 ignorant and requii'ed instruction. All that they knew was that 
 they were wrong, and that there was one among them who could 
 set them right. On the day after his arrival, which was the holy 
 Sabbath, Mr. Thomas preached to a congregation of about three 
 hundred natives, in a large building which had been set apart 
 for the public worship of God. From that day forward the con- 
 gregations rapidly increased, and a gracious influence attended 
 the preaching of the Word. In the com-se of the following week 
 Mission- schools were opened, which were soon attended by up- 
 wards of two hundred male and female pupils, all anxious to 
 learn to read the Word of God. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas, 
 and their assistant Peter, were constantly engaged in teaching the 
 crowds of people who flocked together to receive instruction. 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 371 
 
 To meet the ever-increasing demands on tlie time and attention 
 of one Missionary would have been a truly herculean task, even 
 if the usual aid of books and school requisites had been available, 
 but in a country where letters were previously unknown, and 
 where every book had to be written out with the pen of the 
 teacher, the difficulty and labour were increased tenfold. Still 
 the Missionary toiled on, preaching, teaching, and translating from 
 day to day as the Lord gave him strength, and his labom- was not 
 in vain. Hundreds of children and young people soon learned to 
 read and write their own language with fluency, native teachers 
 were raised up to take a part in the good work, and the Mission 
 prospered in all its interests. 
 
 There was, moreover, much cause for gratitude to God on 
 account of direct spiritual results of the preached Gospel which 
 were witnessed. Day by day not only young people, but also old 
 and resolute heathens, were found yielding to the power of Divine 
 truth, and many became Christians not in name only but in heart 
 and in life. The decision and firmness of the Chief, King George, 
 were of great use to the Missionary. In his communications to 
 the society at home, Mr. Thomas spoke of him as " most hearty 
 in the cause of Christ, and longing to see idolatry banished from 
 all the islands." Before a year had passed awnj, one hundred 
 and fifty converted natives had been united in Church fellowship, 
 the Chief himself being one of the number; and a large chapel 
 had been erected, at the opening of which between two and three 
 thousand people were present, the King and his people, from the 
 infant of days to the old and grey-headed, all bowing before 
 Jehovah in humble adoration. Here, as in Tonga, the testimony 
 of some of the new converts was very pleasing. One of the 
 natives, the day after his baptism, said that his mind was very 
 happy ; that yesterday was a good Sabbath to him, and he was 
 so happy when he lay down at night that he could not sleep. He 
 added that he loved God very much, and hated the devil and all 
 his works. 
 
 Considering the arduous nature of his work, it is not surprising 
 that the health of Mr. Thomas should have failed after he had 
 
 bb2 
 
372 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 laboured in Haabai some time alone. On his partial recovery from 
 a severe attack of illness in the spring of 1831, he was joined by 
 the Rev. Peter Turner, who had recently arrived at Tonga from 
 England, accompanied by the Rev. Messrs. Watkin and Woon. 
 This was a valuable acquisition to the Station ; and, through the 
 united labours of these zealous and devoted servants of God, many 
 were gathered into the fold of Christ, the church was built up, and 
 the important work of education still further advanced among the 
 people. With the aid of a noble band of native teachers, who were 
 raised up in the Mission-schools, the good work was ultimately 
 extended to most of the inhabited islands of the group, where 
 chapels were built, congregations gathered, and promising societies 
 organised. And, what is still more pleasing, the members of the 
 native churches were generally remarkable for their consistent 
 piety and godly conversation. The Sabbath was everywhere kept 
 with the strictest sanctity, whilst prayer and praise ascended from 
 almost every house, if not from every heart. 
 
 Mission to Vavau. 
 
 At an early period of the Wesleyan Mission to the Friendly 
 Islands, Finau, the Chief or Iving of Vavau, had made application 
 for a Missionary, professing to give up his idols, and praying to 
 Jehovah as already stated. When he found he could not be sup- 
 plied with a teacher, he turned again to his folly and superstition, 
 and even became a persecutor of such of his people as embraced 
 the lotu. Mr. Thomas had frequently conversed with Finau, and 
 entertained the hope that he might, by and by, be favom-ed with 
 an opportunity of carrying the glad tidings of salvation to the 
 people of Vavau. As in many other instances, however, so in 
 this, native converts were honoured to be the pioneer evangelists 
 to their island neighbours. In April 1881, King George of 
 Haabai visited Vavau with twenty four sail of canoes. He and 
 his people went on worldly business ; but their hearts were warm 
 with their first love in the service of God, and they were bent on 
 doing spiritual good to the utmost of their power. Peter, their 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 373 
 
 own faithful Christian teacher, was with them. He carried a letter 
 and a present to the chief from Messrs. Thomas and Turner, and 
 their prayers followed the expedition. Finau opened his mind 
 fully to his brother chief, and made many objections to the great 
 change proposed. 
 
 The King of Haabai, finding difficulties in the way, wrote down 
 the substance of Finau's remarks, and travelled back to Mr. 
 Thomas at Lifuka for advice. On again reaching Vavau, he was 
 able to promise a Missionary for that place in the com-se of a few 
 months, if the chief renounced his idol worship, and turned to the 
 true and living God. Many of Finau's doubts and scruples were 
 now removed, and his royal guest pleaded so effectually with him 
 that at last he exclaimed, " Well, I will ; and I will spend the 
 next Sabbath with you in worshipping your God." Two of his 
 wives, as well as himself, many of his servants, another influential 
 chief, and his sister Halaevu, and many more, joined the Christians 
 from Haabai in prayer and songs of praise on the following 
 Sunday. 
 
 The native Christians from Haabai remained some time at 
 Vavau, with a view to confirm and establish the work so auspi- 
 ciously commenced, and there was every token of sincerity in the 
 Chief and his people. On the Monday morning after the memorable 
 Sabbath, when they first publicly bowed themselves before the 
 Lord, the Chief gave orders that seven of the principal idols should 
 be brought out and placed in a row. He then addressed them in 
 this manner: — " I have brought you here to prove you; and I 
 tell you beforehand what I am about to do, that you may be with- 
 out excuse." Then, commencing with the first, he said, " If you 
 are a god, run away, or you shall be burned in the fire which I 
 have prepared !" The god made no attempt to escape. He then 
 spoke to the next in the same way, and so on till he came to the 
 last. As none of them ran, the King gave orders that all the sacred 
 houses should be set on fire. His commands were promptly 
 obeyed, and eighteen temples with their gods were burned to 
 ashes. The weather was damp, and it took three days to com- 
 plete the work of destruction. 
 
374 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Many of the people joined in this work with all their hearts, yet 
 hundreds were grievously troubled at what they considered the 
 King's impious conduct, and sat trembling and silent to watch the 
 result, looking for nothing less than some awful calamity. As no 
 harm happened to the doers of the daring deed, they came to the 
 conclusion that their gods must be liars, after all, and they, too, 
 joined the praying people. Whilst they remained, the whole time 
 of the visitors was taken up with teaching the new disciples. All 
 ordinary work was laid aside, and the constant cry was, " We can 
 do our work when you are gone ; let us learn to serve God while 
 you are here." And company after company, athirst for the water 
 of life, resorted to the Christians to receive instruction. One of 
 these said afterwards, " I was four nights and did not sleep. I 
 was talking with the people, reading, praying, and smging all the 
 time." 
 
 Two native teachers were immediately sent to Vavau, and at the 
 following district meeting of the Missionaries, it was arranged that 
 Mr. Cross should proceed to Vavau, and that Mr. Watkin should 
 join Mr. P. Turner, at Haabai, while Mr. Thomas should retm-n to 
 Tonga. Mr. N. Tm-ner had been compelled, by failing health, to 
 leave the islands ; and Mi'. Thomas being now the senior Mis- 
 sionary, his presence at the principal station was desirable. 
 According to this arrangement Mr. and Mrs. Cross embarked for 
 their new sphere of labour ; but on their passage they were over- 
 taken by a mysterious dispensation of Divine providence. They 
 suffered shipwreck, on which occasion the Missionary narrowly 
 escaped with his life, whilst his beloved wife, and a number of 
 those who sailed with him, perished in the waves. A few par- 
 ticulars concerning this mournful event may prove interesting to 
 the reader. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Cross left Nukualofa for Vavau, on Satm-day, the 
 7th of January, 1832, after having waited several days for a 
 favourable wind. A largo canoe had been lent to them by the 
 Chief, Josiah Tubou ; and they set sail early in the morning, after 
 an affectionate parting with the natives, with whom they had Hved 
 and laboured for four years. Besides the Missionary, his wife, 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 375 
 
 and about seventy natives, all Mr. Cross's books and other per- 
 sonal property were on board, and a large supply of Mission goods, 
 for the purpose of barter, and for the erection of buildings for 
 the new station. The voyage was long, and they proposed staying 
 at Nomnka that evening, and spending the Sabbath there. For a 
 few hours the wind continued fair and moderate, though there was 
 a heavy swell on the sea. Afterwards, as the wind grew stronger, 
 the swell increased, and, about noon, the yard broke, and then 
 the mast. The large sail was instantly taken in, and a very 
 small one set. Towards evening the storm increased, and all on 
 board felt themselves to be in perilous cii-cumstances. The sailors 
 looked out anxiously for land, hoping that they were not far from 
 Nomuka. No land appeared in sight, however, and the frail 
 canoe was driven hither and thither till the break of day. About 
 an hour after sunrise, the weary and alarmed travellers descried 
 land. Not a man on board knew where they were. Some said 
 they had got back to Tonga ; others that they were nearing Fiji ; 
 but, reaching the land about noon, they found it was a small un- 
 inhabited island called Hunga Tonga. 
 
 The shore was steep and rocky, and the swell of the sea so 
 great, that they found it impossible to land ; and after consultation 
 they resolved to try to return to Tonga. The mast, part of the 
 yard, and all else that could be spared, were cast into the sea to 
 lighten the canoe, and hopes were entertained that she would get 
 back in safety. They now partook of some refreshment, which 
 they much needed, as Mr. Cross had eaten nothing for thirty 
 hours, and Mrs. Cross, who was in a delicate state of health, had 
 tasted nothing but a httle cocoa-nut milk. Towards sunset the 
 little isle of Atata, near Tonga, appeared in sight. They hoped to 
 reach it in a very short time, to spend the night there, and to get 
 back the next morning to Nukualofa, only seven miles off. But, 
 when within two or three miles of Atata, the wind changed from 
 north to east, and blew a perfect gale. The men took in the sails 
 with all speed ; but almost before they could get to their paddles, 
 the canoe struck upon a reef, and began to break up. To add to 
 the horror of the moment, they were in darkness, the moon having 
 
376 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 just gone down. One of the natives exclaimed, " Missa Kolosi, ke 
 maluhi ho tau lotu hike tua, Iw kuo tail mate." '• Mr. Cross, be 
 strong our minds towards God, for we are all dead." There -was a 
 short pause, in which they endeavoured to commit their bodies 
 and their spirits into the hands of God, and then all were washed 
 off the canoe into the sea, and the canoe was dashed to pieces. 
 
 Ml'. Cross held his wife with his right arm, and they rose and 
 sank repeatedly. With his left hand he caught a broken piece of 
 the canoe that floated past, and resting on this, they took breath 
 occasionally. Mrs. Cross uttered no word of complaint or fear ; 
 but, from time to time, she called on the Lord for help. A few 
 more seconds and the buffetings of the waves conquered her feeble 
 frame, and her spirit escaped to that place where all is joy, and 
 calm, and peace. Mr. Cross's faithful arm still clasped the lifeless 
 body of his beloved wife, till with the help of a native he got 
 himself and his precious burden lifted on to some boards that 
 were floating about. The shipwrecked Missionary, with a number 
 of the natives, ultimately drifted on a small raft, which they 
 managed to form, to an uninhabited island, called Tekeloke ; but 
 on landing they found that the body of Mrs. Cross had been 
 washed away. It was recovered, however, a few days afterwards, 
 and received Chi'istian bm-ial. Besides the Missionaries' wife, 
 fourteen men, one woman and five children, were lost on this 
 melancholy occasion, and no portion of goods were saved from 
 the wreck. The survivors were rescued from the lonely island on 
 which they had been driven by the arrival of a canoe from Tonga ; 
 and when the sad disaster became generally known, many hearts 
 were filled with sorrow. 
 
 Notwithstanding this distressing bereavement, the zealous and 
 devoted Missionary, Mr. Cross, had no sooner followed the remains 
 of his dear wife to the grave than he embarked a second time for 
 Vavau. He arrived in safety ; and, although he felt his loneliness, 
 ho addressed himself to his important duties with characteristic 
 earnestness, and his labours were made a great blessing to the 
 people. In after years, the Revs. P. Turner, J. Thomas, T. 
 West, G. Kevern, and other zealous and devoted Missionaries, were 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 377 
 
 stationed at Vavau ; and by the blessing of God upon their un- 
 wearied exertions, and those of the noble band of native teachers 
 who were raised up, a wonderful change was effected in the entire 
 group. Idol worship Avas totally abandoned, commodious chapels 
 erected, native churches organised, schools established ; and, what 
 is best of all, there is reason to believe that thousands of sinners 
 wore brought to a saving knowledge of the truth by the faithful 
 preaching of the Gospel. In the course of three months twelve 
 hundred natives began to meet in a class, most of whom, it is 
 believed, were sincere seekers of salvation. And at the opening 
 of a new chapel, which would seat eight hundred persons, three 
 thousand natives came together to take part in the services, which 
 were necessarily held in the open air. From this time forward the 
 wort in Vavau and the neighbouring islands continued to prosper, 
 and the same blessed change followed the introduction of Chris- 
 tianity that had been witnessed in other places. 
 
 The progress of the Mission at Vavau and in all the Friendly 
 Islands was greatly aided by the arrival of a printing-press from 
 England, in charge of the Rev. W. Woon, who was practically 
 acquainted with its management, and who soon set it to work. 
 Great were the surprise and joy of the natives of Tonga when 
 they saw with what rapidity and neatness copies of school-books 
 and other publications could be multiplied by the mysterious 
 machine which had been brought from the white man's country. 
 The printing office was besieged for several days by crowds of 
 people, anxious to get a glance at the press in motion, and to 
 receive the sheets as they were at first distributed among them to 
 gratify their curiosity. In the course of nine months seventeen 
 thousand copies of books of diflerent kinds were printed ; and the 
 supplj'' of paper brought from England was nearly exhausted. 
 The progress of the people in education advanced with a rapidity 
 proportioned to the increased facilities aflbrded for learning by the 
 circulation of printed books. 
 
 The extension of the work throughout the islands had for a 
 length of time demanded an additional supply of labourers ; and 
 towards the close of the year 1883, the Mission was reinforced by 
 
378 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 the arrival from England of the Kev. Messrs. Charles Tucker and 
 David Cargill, with their excellent wives. The testimony of Mr. 
 Tucker as to his first impressions of the work at Tonga is worthy 
 of notice. Writing to the Committee in London he says, " We 
 have abundant cause for devout thanksgiving and praise to the 
 God of all grace for the good He is doing among this interesting 
 people. The ordinances of His house are generally seasons of 
 refreshing; and the people give evidence, by their regular and 
 prayerful attendance on all the means of grace, that they love the 
 habitation of God's house, and the place where His honour 
 dwelleth. Their upright walk and conversation evince the change 
 wi-ought in them. I never saw the Sabbath kept so holy as here ; 
 and I never heard half so much singing and praying in any part 
 of the world before. To God alone be all the praise, for He alone 
 the work hath wrought." 
 
 In marking the course of public events in connection with the 
 introduction of the Gospel to the Friendly Islands, we can scarcely 
 fail to notice the frequent interposition of the special providence 
 of God. In 1833, Finau, the King of Vavau, died ; and it was 
 his dying request that King George, of Haabai, should be his suc- 
 cessor in the Government. This request was agreeable to all 
 parties concerned, and, accordingly, George became the supreme 
 ruler over the united kingdoms of Haabai and Vavau. To those 
 was afterwards added the dominion of Tonga, so that George ulti- 
 mately became the king of the whole of the Friendly Islands — a 
 circumstance which proved highly favourable to the development 
 and establishment of Christianity, as he was a man of superior 
 judgment and abiUty, and of unwavering religious principle. The 
 most formidable difficulty with which King George and the Mis- 
 sionaries had to contend, after the people had generallj' declared 
 for the lolii, was the determined opposition and hostilit}' of a few 
 minor chiefs and people who resolved, at all hazards, to adhere to 
 their former superstition, and reject the Gospel. Most of these 
 resided in a remote part of Tonga, and were encouraged in their 
 hostile attitude to the teaching of the Missionaries, and the right- 
 ful authority of the IvLng, by the heathen priests, and also by some 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 379 
 
 wicked and abandoned Europeans who liad settled among them. 
 More than once these enemies of the truth were prompted to acts 
 of violence and of blood ; but the Christian forbearance of the 
 King and his loyal subjects, and the pacific influence of the 
 Missionaries, ultimately overcame every difficulty, and disarmed 
 all opposition; so that, in a few years, the whole group of Friendly 
 Islands became, at least nominally. Christian. 
 
 Great Ke^tval. 
 
 We have now the pleasure of calling the attention of the reader 
 to a remarkable religious movement which took place in the 
 Friendly Islands at an early period of the Mission, which, in its 
 character and results, has but few parallels in the history of the 
 Christian Church. This great revival had its origin in the deep 
 convictions, united prayers, and earnest eflorts of the Missionaries 
 and a few of their devoted people, who saw the danger of settling 
 down into a mere profession of religion, when they had abandoned 
 their idols, embraced the lotu, and who earnestly desired a richer 
 baptism of the spirit. It commenced in the Island of Vavau, 
 where Messrs. Turner and Cargill, and a little band of faithful 
 leaders, had agreed together to enter into their closets every day at 
 noon, to plead with God for this " one thing." Their prayers were 
 soon and suddenly answered. A native local preacher was preach- 
 ing at a village called Utui, on Tuesday, the 23rd of July, 1834, 
 on Christ's compassion towards Jerusalem, when the word came 
 with power to the hearts of the whole congregation. All con- 
 fessed themselves to be sinners; and many were so deeply affected, 
 that they cried aloud in the agony of their souls. They were 
 unwilling to leave the place without a blessing, and actually 
 remained together most of the night, seeking the pardoning mercy 
 of God in Christ Jesus; and many, before morning, found peace in 
 believing. 
 
 On the following Sabbath, at another village, similar results 
 followed the ordinary services of the day. Five hundred persons, 
 
38o HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 the whole of the inhabitants of the place, from the least to the 
 greatest, joined in earnestly seeking salvation. Those who had 
 been praying for the outpouring of the Spirit and the conversion 
 of souls were amazed. They had asked largely ; but God had 
 given them more than they had asked or hoped to witness ; and 
 yet they were to " see greater things than these." The work 
 spread from village to village, and from island to island, till 
 the whole of the people seemed to be moved by one common 
 impulse. In a single day, during this remarkable movement, there 
 is reason to believe that more than one thousand persons were 
 truly converted to God. The change was not now from dumb 
 idols merely, but from sin to holiness, and from "the power of 
 Satan unto God." Such was the general spirit of inquiry, and 
 such the pressing claims of those whose hearts were set on obtain- 
 ing a present salvation, that it was found necessary to give up the 
 school for a w'eek or two, and to hold six prayer-meetings every 
 day. As soon as the Missionaries or the native teachers began 
 to speak, the people were melted into tears, and multitudes fell 
 upon their faces, " calling upon the name of the Lord," loud cries 
 for mercy being frequently intermingled with the joyful acclama- 
 tions of those who had found pardon. The whole island bowed 
 before the power of God ; and the society in Yavau soon increased 
 to three thousand and sixty-sis. members, of which number as 
 many as two thousand two hundred and sixty-two were the fruit 
 of this extraordinary visitation from on high. 
 
 It is a delightful fact that King George and the Queen, who 
 were then staying at Yavau, were among those who experienced 
 a saving change of heart on this memorable occasion. They had 
 long before renounced idolatry and embraced the worship of 
 Jehovah, but they had not till now experienced a sense of the 
 pardoning mercy of God through the atoning blood of Christ. 
 When this blessed out-pouring of the spirit was given, the King 
 and the Queen joined hundreds of their people in penitent con- 
 fessions of sin, humbly kneeling with them to weep and pray for 
 forgiveness. It was not, however, in the throng that they found 
 the blessing which they earnestly sought. Having failed to 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 381 
 
 realise the comfort thej' desired at the pubhc prayer-meeting, they 
 retired to their own house and continued together in fervent sup- 
 pUcation till midnight, when they were enabled to believe to the 
 salvation of their souls, and to rejoice in a sense of the Divine 
 favour. Many prayers had been offered up by their people for 
 the royal penitents, and now, when the happy crisis had come, 
 and they had found peace with God, through our Lord Jesus 
 Christ, the good news spread with amazing rapidity, and sincere 
 songs of praise ascended to heaven from thousands of loyal and 
 joyful hearts. King George himself immediately wrote to his 
 Missionary, the Eev. J. Watkin, in Haabai, tolling him " how 
 great things Jesus had done for him." 
 
 Before the good news of what had taken place at Vavau reached 
 Lifuka, the principal island of the Haabai group, the congregations 
 there had been visited with tokens of good, and several persons 
 had been made the happy partakers of the saving grace of God. 
 On the 9th of August, the religious services were attended with 
 a special manifestation of the Divine presence and blessing. In 
 answer to the united prayers of the Missionaries and leaders, the 
 spirit of conviction was given abundantly. The people were 
 assembled in the large chapel, where four or five hundred men, 
 women, and children " were pricked in their hearts," and began 
 to cry, "men and brethren, what shall we do?" Some wept 
 aloud, others smote upon their breasts like the publican, and 
 breathed forth his humble plea, " God be merciful to me a 
 sinner." The Missionaries went from one penitent to another, 
 pointing their guilty and anxious spirits to "the Lamb of God 
 that taketh away the sin of the world," praying with them and 
 teaching them how to pray. About one hundred that night laid 
 hold on Christ as their Saviour, and found " redemption through 
 His blood, the forgiveness of their sins, according to the riches 
 of His grace." Many who were still under conviction went home 
 with sorrowful hearts; not to sleep, however, but to spend the 
 night in wrestling with the angel of the covenant, like Jacob in 
 earnest prayer and faith, and, like him, they prevailed, for the 
 Lord blessed them there." The next morning, at dawn of light, 
 
3S2 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 the chapel and chapel-yard were crowded with people all in 
 earnest about the salvation of their souls. 
 
 " As soon as the service began," says Mr. Tucker, " the cries 
 of the people began. They were melted into tears on every hand, 
 and many of them cried aloud by reason of the disquietude of 
 their souls. 0, what a solemn but joyful sight ! One thousand 
 or more bowed before the Lord, weeping at the feet of Jesus, 
 and praying in an agony of soul. I never saw such distress, I 
 never heard such cries for mercy, or such confession of sin before. 
 These things were universal from the greatest chiefs in the land 
 to the meanest of the people. The Lord heard the sighing of the 
 prisoners, he bound up many a broken-hearted sinner in that meet- 
 ing, and proclaimed liberty to many a captive. We were filled 
 with wonder and gratitude, and lost in praise, on -witnessing the 
 Lord making bare his arm so gloriously in the sight of the heathen. 
 We met again about nine o'clock, and had a similar scene ; 
 hundreds wept aloud, and many trembled from head to foot, as 
 though they were about to be judged at the bar of God. We 
 were engaged the whole day in this blessed work. I attended 
 five services, and saw hundreds of precious souls made happy 
 by a sense of a Saviour's love. There never was such a Sabbath 
 in Haabai before ; it was indeed one of the days of the Son of 
 Man. Many will remember it with pleasure throughout eternity, 
 as the day of their adoption into the heavenly familj^. During the 
 following week, the concern of the people was so great that they 
 laid aside their work. We bad service twice every day but once, 
 and the chapel was always full. It was a week of Sabbaths and 
 of much prayer and praise. Not a day or a night passed but 
 several were disburthened of their load of guilt and sin, by 
 believing with their hearts unto righteousness." 
 
 Nor were there wanting satisfactory evidences of the genuine- 
 ness of this remarkable work of gi-ace. On the 2ith of August, 
 a society-meeting was held at Lifuka, when one thousand persons 
 were present ; and many gave a clear and satisfactory account of 
 their conversion to God. At the same time the temper and spirit, 
 the walk and conversion, of the new converts waa moat exemplary. 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 383 
 
 The Missionaries testify that the reahty of the change which they 
 had experienced was not so apparent in their raptiu-ous joy as in 
 the deep implantation in their minds of all Christian graces. They 
 manifested in an eminent degree the " mind which was in Christ 
 Jesus ;" and what was said of Stephen, was especially true of the 
 leaders and local preachers, " They were full of faith and of the 
 Holy Ghost." This hlessed work was not confined to the island of 
 Lifuka ; but speedily extended to the whole Haabai group. Mr. 
 Tucker visited a small island at a short distance, where he found 
 all the adult inhabitants, not one excepted, meeting in class ; and 
 after administering the ordinance of baptism to forty-nine persons, 
 he regarded the whole population as members of the Chi-istian 
 Church. During the preceding fortnight, four hundred and fifty 
 of these had been made happy in the pardoning love of God. At 
 the little island of Foa, two-thirds of the inhabitants witnessed 
 the same " good confession," and rejoiced in the same salvation. 
 Other out-stations shared in the same general blessing ; and it was 
 estimated that more than two thousand conversions took place at 
 the Haabai Islands alone in the course of two or three weeks. 
 
 At length the revival reached Tonga also. On the 6th of 
 October a canoe arrived at Nukualofa from Lifuka, having on 
 board a local preacher named Joel Maples. He gave the people 
 an account of the wonderful work which had been going on in 
 Vavau and Haabai, and earnestly exhorted them all to flee to 
 Christ, the only refuge for poor sinners. At a prayer-meeting 
 held the same day in the chapel, a gracious influence descended 
 upon the congregation, and many became deeply affected by a 
 painful conviction of their sin and danger. From^that day the 
 Christian natives assembled more frequently for prayer, and Mr. 
 Thomas persuaded the chief to set apart a day for special supplica- 
 tion for a richer baptism of the spirit. At the time appointed the 
 people assembled together in expectation of a blessing, and the 
 gpirit of prayer was poured out upon them in a very remarkable 
 manner. All present engaged in earnest pleading with God, while 
 many, unable to restraia the feelings, wept aloud. The people 
 also held prayer-meetings in their own houses; and on some 
 
384 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 nights the village of Nukualofa was heard to ring for hours 
 together with the voice of prayer and praise ; several emerging 
 out of darkness into the marvellous light of the Gospel. The 
 number brought to a saving knowledge of the truth was not so 
 great, however, in Tonga, as in some of the other islands ; but 
 they were sufficient to gladden the hearts of the Missionaries, and 
 to inspire them with hope for better days to come. 
 
 Considering the comparative ignorance of the people, and the 
 shortness of the time which had elapsed since they had abandoned 
 the worship of dumb idols, it would not have been surprising if 
 many of the new converts had afterwards fallen away. It is a 
 pleasing fact, however, that this was not the case. There were 
 but few backsliders, most of the people continuing steadfast to 
 their religious profession, " growing in grace and in the knowledge 
 of the Lord Jesus Christ." They, moreover, made rapid progress 
 in learning to read and write, and in general civilisation, building 
 better houses, and paying more attention to the cultivation of the 
 ground, and to the comforts of domestic life. The females 
 especially manifested a desire to adopt European modes of di'ess. 
 Hitherto their garments had been made of native cloth called tapa, 
 manufactured from the bark of a tree; but now there was a general 
 demand for calico and prints. Mrs. Tucker taught her school-girls 
 to plait straw and make bonnets ; and great were the astonishment 
 and joy of the people, one fine Sunday morning, when twelve of 
 the female class-leaders appeared at chapel in new straw bonnets. 
 More would have been done in this waj', but the print and caUco 
 ran short, and so did the needles and thread ; andHhis department 
 of the work was somewhat retarded till supplies arrived from 
 England. 
 
 From this period the history of the stations at Vavau and the 
 Haabai Islands was that of regularly organised churches, the 
 whole of the population professing Christianity ; but in Tonga a 
 war between truth and error had still to be waged, as a powerful 
 party clung to the heathenish superstitions of their forefathers. 
 It would be a pleasing task, if space permitted, to trace in detail 
 the succeeding events which occurred in connection with the 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 385 
 
 Friendly Island Mission, from the period when idolatry was 
 generally abolished to the present time ; but they would be found 
 very similar to those of other stations where Christianity has 
 become dominant. All that appears necessary, therefore, is a 
 brief notice of a few miscellaneous incidents of more than ordinary 
 interest, and which are characteristic of the nature of the work in 
 this important section of the Slission-field. 
 
 Miscellaneous Incidents. 
 The most remarkable events connected with the early history 
 of the Friendly Island Mission were the conversion and subsequent 
 career of King George and his noble Queen Charlotte. We have 
 already mentioned how they were brought to an experimental 
 knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, in the great revival, when 
 on a visit to Yavau ; and a glance at their steady, consistent, and 
 upright course of conduct afterwards may serve to show the value 
 of their iniluence and efforts to promote the interests of the cause 
 of God. Soon after his conversion and return to Haabai, the King 
 liberated all his slaves, and made known his views with regard to 
 Christian liberty throughout his dominions. He had long taken a 
 part in teaching such of his subjects as were less informed than 
 himself; but now he gave himself up to close study, and was, 
 before long, prepared to pass his examination as a local preacher. 
 He entered upon his new duties with fervent zeal and intelligent 
 views of his responsibility to God and His Church ; and laboured 
 with unwearied diligence to win souls to Christ. It was a 
 pleasing sight to the Missionaries and then- faithful people to 
 see the royal preacher starting off in his canoe, on a Sabbath 
 morning, to fulfil his appointment at a distant island ; and still 
 more pleasing to hear the song of praise wafted across the placid 
 waters, ascending to heaven from the pious sailors and their 
 zealous chief, as they glided along on their errand of mercy. At 
 the same time Queen Charlotte was an earnest and devoted class- 
 leader, and diUgently emploj'ed her gifts for the benefit of her 
 own sex. Thus was the promise of Jehovah to His Church, by 
 the mouth of His Holy Prophet, literally fulfilled. "And kings 
 
3S5 HISTORY OF WESLEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
 shall be thy nursing fathers, and queens thy nursing mothers, and 
 thou shalt know that I am the Lord." 
 
 Soon after his conversion. King George built a beautiful new 
 chapel at Lifuka, the capital of Haabai, where he then resided. 
 It was the largest and most elegant building that had ever been 
 erected in the Friendly Islands, measuring one hundred and ten 
 feet in length by forty-five feet in width. All the chiefs from the 
 neighbouring islands met together to help forward the work, 
 attended by about one thousand of their people. Most of the 
 chiefs and head men were engaged in plaiting sinnet, a kind of 
 ornamental cordage with which the timbers were bound together, 
 whilst the common people were employed in the heavier kinds of 
 labour. The large body of people thus drawn together to build 
 the temple of the Lord, worked hard during the day, happy in 
 each others' society ; and at night, instead of emplojdng them- 
 selves in sin and folly, the}' were constantly engaged in attending 
 meetings for prayer and praise. The building was completed in 
 the short space of two months. It was beautifully ornamented in 
 the interior, and the communion rails were made out of the carved 
 shafts of spears, with two large obsolete war- clubs at the bottom 
 of the pulpit stairs, to remind the people of the happy change 
 which had been brought about by the Gospel of peace and salva- 
 tion. 
 
 The new chapel was formally opened for the pubhc worship of 
 God on the 9th of September, 18S5, when not more than one-half 
 of the congregated thousands could gain admittance within the 
 precincts of the beautiful sanctuary. The King preached in the 
 morning, and Mr. Tucker, the Missionary, in the afternoon. 
 During the first prayer hundreds of the people were in tears, in- 
 cluding the Missionary himself, who wept for joy at what his ej'es 
 saw, and his ears heard, of the goodness of God. Marked atten- 
 tion was paid while the roj'al preacher expounded Solomon's 
 prayer at the dedication of the temple, and a gracious influence 
 rested upon the congregation. At the close of this memorable 
 service, Mr. Tucker baptized twenty adults ; and he could now 
 say that in the whole of the Haabai group there only remained 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 387 
 
 one grown person unbaptized, and that was a poor man detained 
 at home by sickness. Thus might it be said, almost without a 
 figure, that " a nation was born in a day." 
 
 When the first attempt was made to introduce Popery into the 
 islands, the King displayed great fij'mness and sagacity. On return- 
 ing from the District Meeting in the month of October, 1837, Mr. 
 Thomas was told that more Missionaries had arrived. His joy at 
 the pleasing intelligence, however, was but temporary, for he soon 
 found that the new Missionaries were a Eoman Catholic Bishop 
 and his companions, sent out by a Missionary institution in France, 
 These gentlemen had already had an interview with the King, who 
 was at that time residing at Vavau, and had asked permission to 
 leave two or three of their party on the island. The King asked 
 for what purpose they came, adding, " I and my people have all 
 tm-ned to God." His lordship told the King that his own religion 
 was the old and true faith, and that the religion taught by the 
 Methodist Missionaries was one that had lately sprung up. The 
 King said, " We know but one God, and Jesus Christ our Lord, to 
 whom we have all tirrned." He then advised the Bishop to wait 
 till the return of the Missionaries from Lifuka. The Bishop, with 
 five ethers, three of whom were priests, accordingly waited upon 
 Mr. Thomas and his colleague, who observed that the matter must 
 bo settled between themselves and the King ; that King George, 
 and not the Missionaries, governed the islands. The Bishop stated, 
 both to the Missionaries and the King, that he only wished to leave 
 the priests at the Friendly Islands for two or three months to learn 
 the language. The King saw through the artifice at once, and 
 doubting whether they would learn much of the language in bo 
 short a time, asked in reply, " If they are to go away in two or 
 three months, why cannot you as well take them away in the ship 
 ' that brought them ?" On being pressed to consent, the Iving said, 
 " It is not my mind that they should stay." On the departure of 
 the Romish Bishop and his companions, the Wesleyan Missionaries 
 advised them to go where the people were still heathens, and not 
 to trouble those islands which were aheady evangehsed. 
 . Soon after he had embraced Christianity, King George turned 
 
 co2 
 
388 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 his attention to the civil and social improvement of his people, as 
 well as to their instruction in the principles of the.nevr religion. 
 Ho found that numerous and great evils arose from the subordinate 
 chiefs and private persons taking the law into their own hands ; 
 and wishing that impartial justice should be dealt out to the poor 
 as well as to the rich, to the servant as well as to the master, in 
 1839 he determined to give a written code of laws for the guidance 
 of all classes. He appointed four of his chiefs as judges and 
 magistrates, each of whom was to sit once a month, to hear and 
 decide all cases of complaint that might be brought before them. 
 When completed, the new code of laws was publicly read by the 
 Iving to the assembled thousands of his people, and a copy given to 
 each governing chief, with which all appeared well satisfied. From 
 time to time these laws were modified and improved to meet the 
 necessities of every case which might arise. The entire code is 
 a remarkable document. The preamble commences thus : — " I, 
 George, make known this my mind to the chiefs of the different 
 islands, and to all my people. May you be very happy ! It is of 
 the God of heaven and earth that I have been appointed to speak 
 to you. Ha is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He doeth what- 
 soever He pleaseth. He lifteth up one and putteth down another. 
 He is righteous in all His works. We are all the work of His 
 hands and the sheep of His pasture ; and His will toward us is that 
 we should be happy. Therefore it is that I make known to you 
 all, to the chiefs, and governers, and people, as well as to the 
 different strangers and foreigners that live with me, the laws by 
 which the land shall be governed." Then follow the laws on a 
 great variety of subjects, divided into forty-eight sections. 
 
 The people generally submitted to the new laws with cheerful 
 readiness. The only exception was in that part of Tonga which 
 remained heathen, after the entire population of the other portions 
 of the Friendly Islands had embraced Christianity. So inveterate 
 were some of the chiefs and people of Hihifo and Boa against the 
 new religion and the authority of the King, that first in 1837, and 
 again in 1840, they declared war against the Christians. In this 
 course of rcbcUiou it is beheved that the heathen were instigated 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 389 
 
 by tlio emissaries of Kome, who had at length got a footing in 
 Tonga. All possible means were adopted by King George and 
 Josiah Tnbou to conciliate the enemy and to preserve the peace ; 
 but their united effoxtswere in vain. At length, when the measure 
 became inevitable, King George took the field at the head of a 
 select band of his faithful subjects, with the hope of constraining 
 the heathen to submit to the laws of the land. But the spirit in 
 which this war was waged,- so far as. the Christian natives and their 
 sovereign were concerned, is worthy of special notice, as it clearly 
 shows the ameliorating influence of the Gospel. Previous to the 
 final attack on the heathen fortress of Hihifo, in 1840, in haran- 
 guing his men, King George said : " Our late war with the 
 heathen, three years ago, was by the mercy of God a victorious 
 one. But though we got the victory, in some things we went 
 astray. We fought not as Christians should fight. Our object was 
 not to save, but to destroy. But you all now present hear me, 
 that we do not so fight again. If, as may be expected, the 
 enemy should come out of their fortress to-morrow morning, let 
 every man endeavour to seize and save his man, but not one to 
 shoot or strike, but in case of life or death." 
 
 Before daylight, the King and his army were in possession of 
 the fortress, and the rebels were secured. Five hundred men 
 thus came into the power of the Christians, all of whom King 
 George pardoned, and not a single life was taken. This strange 
 clemency on the part of the King was such a thing as had never 
 been known in the Friendly Islands before, and made a deep im- 
 pression on the mmds of the heathen in favour of the loin. With 
 a dignity peculiarly his own. King George took his seat under the 
 shade of a tree, and had the prisoners brought one by one before 
 him, to receive their sentence ; but when each trembling captive 
 expected to be put to death, according to the foi'mer mode of 
 Tongan warfare, he heard the voice of the sovereign say, "Live," 
 and passed on. It was only the ringleaders in the rebellion tha^ 
 were banished to Haabai and Yavau, to prevent them fi'om again 
 stirring up the people. 
 
 There were still a few turbulent petty chiefs and their people 
 
390 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAISr MISSIONS. 
 
 bigher up the country, at a place called Bea, who held out against 
 the authority of the King, and who had cruelly murdered several 
 small parties of native Christians who had occasion to visit the 
 neighbourhood, and who refused to fight. It was not till the 
 arrival of the Eev. John Waterhouse, General Superintendent of 
 Wesleyan Missions in the South Seas, in 1841, that a permanent 
 compact was made between the contending parties. Mr. Water- 
 house had come from England some time before, in the Missionary 
 
 NAIIVH CHRISTIANS liEFUSING TO FIGHT. 
 
 ship Triton, with the Eevs. Francis Wilson and George Kevem, to 
 strengthen the Mission. On visiting Tonga, to inspect the state 
 of the work on the occasion alluded to, the General Superintendent 
 was requested by King George and the Chief Josiah Tubou, to use 
 his influence to effect a reconciliation between them and their 
 heathen enemies. This he did with pleasure, and proceeded at 
 once to visit the Mua, or heathen fortress, with Mr. Tucker aa 
 bis companion. 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 391 
 
 Fatu, tlie principal hostile chief, treated his visitors with the 
 utmost politeness, listened attentively to the arguments used by 
 Mr. Waterhouse, and expressed his readiness to act according to 
 his wishes. But, being urged to go to Josiah and seek for pardon, 
 he put his arm round the Missionary, and said: " You are my son. 
 I want peace ; but I am ashamed and afraid to go to Tubou. If he 
 will visit me with you, I will humble myself." This was a grand 
 point gained ; and Messrs. Waterhouse and Tucker returned to 
 King George and Josiah Tubou, and reported the result of their 
 visit to the heathen fortress. Some doubts were entertained as to 
 the sincerity of Fatu ; but the Christian chiefs were at length 
 induced to accompany the Missionaries to the Mua, where Fatu 
 asked pardon, and was forgiven. The reconciliation was consum- 
 mated by a large feast, consisting of several pigs, roasted whole, 
 two large sharks, forty baskets of yams, and sundry other articles. 
 After this, the work of evangelisation was carried on with renewed 
 vigour in every part of the island, and several heathen chiefs and 
 their people were brought under the power of Christian truth. 
 
 For several years the Missions in the Friendly Islands were 
 dependent for their supplies on the precarious and uncertain visits 
 of trading vessels from the Australian Colonies, or on the occasional 
 charter of boats to convey goods to the respective stations. As 
 the work extended, this method of supplying the Missionaries and 
 their famiUes with such articles as must necessarily be imported, 
 was found to be both inconvenient and expensive, the brethren 
 and their dependents being often left for weeks and months with- 
 out some of the necessaries of life, after a high rate of freight had 
 been paid, through the delay which occurred in sending supphes. 
 It was, therefore, resolved, after mature deUberation, to provide a 
 vessel on purpose for this service ; and the brigantine Triton was 
 purchased and fitted out under the direction of John Irving, Esq., 
 of Bristol, for a four years' voyage among the islands. She sailed 
 from England on the 14th of September, 1839, with a full cargo 
 and twenty-six passengers, chiefly Missionaries and their famihes, 
 who were appointed to diflerent stations in Southern Africa, New 
 Zealand, the Friendly Islands, and Fiji. The plan of employing a 
 
392 HISTORY OF WESLEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
 Missionary ship to make periodical visits to the respective islands, 
 to convey the General Superintendent when on his tours of inspec- 
 tion, and to remove the brethren and their families to their new 
 appointments, as well as to convey the necessary stores to the 
 diiferent stations, answered admirably ; and the Triton did good 
 service for more than four years by the able management of 
 Captain Buck, her skilful commander. The only fault that was 
 found with this first Wesleyan Missionary ship was that she was 
 rather too small to meet the requirements of the ever- expanding 
 work of Methodism in the South Seas ; and she was consequently 
 sold and succeeded by a more commodious vessel, which was 
 appropriately called the Jolm Wesley. 
 
 The new Missionary vessel was a fine brig of two hundred and 
 fifty tons burden. She was built, by Messrs. White and Sons, of 
 Cowes, and launched in the presence of a large concourse of 
 spectators, on the 28rd of September, 1846. She sailed from 
 Southampton on the 21st of November, under the command of 
 Captain Buck, with the Kevs. John Malvern and James Ford, and 
 their wives and families on board, together with a full cargo, a 
 considerable portion of which consis-ted of articles contributed by 
 the friends of Missions for the respective stations. On reaching 
 her destination, the John Wesley was found well adapted for her 
 intended purpose, and for several years rendered good service to 
 the Mission. Her periodical visits to the different stations were 
 occasions of great joy to the Missionaries and their people, and 
 proved a great comfort to the Mission families, as well as a 
 saving to the Society's funds. 
 
 In 1851, it was found necessary for the Wesley to return to 
 England for repairs, and to be furnished with tanks to receive the 
 cocoa-nut oil which the natives were beginning to contribute in 
 considerable quantities to the Mission Fund. She set sail a second 
 time for the Southern World on the 25th of September, with the 
 Rev. John Polglase and two trained teachers, Messrs. John 
 Binner and William CoUis, with their wives on board. The John 
 Wesley continued her faithful services among the South Sea Islands 
 till the 18th of November, when she was wrecked on the Tau 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 393 
 
 Keef, Haabai, not through any mismanagement in the navigation, 
 but from the tumultuous waves of the sea caused by a violent shock 
 of earthc[uak6 which occurred. There were on board at the time 
 the Eev. Messrs. Davis, Lee, Baker, and Dyson, together with Mr. 
 and Mrs. Moss, proceeding to the annual district meeting, which 
 was to be held at Nukualofa ; but through a kind and gracious 
 Providence, no lives were lost, the vessel being lifted by a tre- 
 mendous wave inside the reef, and left -on the retiring, of the sea 
 in three feet of water. In consequence of this remarkable circum- 
 stance, most of the cargo was also saved ; - and although the 
 Mission brig was a complete .wreck, there, was abundant cause 
 for gratitude to God for His preserving goodness. 
 
 The South- Sea Islands could not long be left without a 
 Missionary ship, a second John Wedey was, therefore, immediately 
 built and fitted out. under the able superintendence of the late 
 J. J. Lidgett, Esq. She weighed anchor at Gravesand, on the 
 18th of .May, 1867, and proceeded on her long voyage, xjommended 
 to the protection of the God of Missions by the fervent prayers of 
 several ministers and friends who assembled on the occasion. 
 The new Missionary ship arrived at Adelaide in safety on the 
 5th of September ; and although the passage out was said to be 
 not so auspicious as that of her predecessor, it is satisfactory to 
 know that since she has reached her, destination she has fully 
 answered the-jp-urpose for which she. was built, and promises to be 
 a great blessing to the Mission. 
 
 In the year 1853 the Rev. Eobert Young was deputed by the 
 British Conference to visit Australia and the Mission-stations 
 in the South Sea, and it may be interesting to glance at his im- 
 pressions of the state of the work in the Friendly Islands. From 
 the interesting narrative which Mr. Young published of his travels, 
 it appears that he arrived at Tonga on the 21st of October, in the 
 John Wesley. On approaching Nukualofa, the principal town, 
 whilst standing on the deck ,of the vessel, he counted twenty 
 verdant islands which studded the bosom of the placid waters, 
 presenting a scene of loveliness which he greatly admired. But 
 the beauty of the natural scenery was surpassed by the moral 
 
394 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 grandeur which he witnessed when he landed and saw for himself 
 the wonderful change which the Gospel had produced upon a 
 people who had but recently emerged from the darkness of 
 paganism. Mr. Young was accompanied by Mr. N. Turner, who 
 . was no sooner recognised as their old friend and Minister by the 
 crowds of natives who flocked to the beach to receive them, than 
 they expressed their pleasiu-e at his arrival in the most emphatic 
 manner. On reaching the Mission-house — a structure of posts, 
 reeds, and native cloth — the visitors met with a hearty reception 
 from Mr. and Mrs. Adams, and Mr. and Mrs. Amos, and were 
 plentifully regaled with bananas, cocoa-nut milk, and other 
 dainties of tropical growth. 
 
 Having rested for awhile, they went to pay their respects to the 
 King. They found him attired in native costume, occupying a mat 
 on the iloor ; but when the deputation was introduced by Mr. 
 Adams, his Majesty arose, shook hands cordially, and, having 
 ofl'ered Mr. Young a chair in the most gentlemanly manner, 
 resumed his squatting position. King George is described as a 
 fine manly person, possessing powerful muscle, and exhibiting 
 an intelligent, thoughtful, benevolent countenance. His smile was 
 fascinating, and his whole bearing that of dignified meekness. 
 The young prince, a most interesting boy of nine j'ears of age, 
 was introduced ; but the Queen, being engaged, could not be seen.. 
 After examining the scattered town of Nukualofa, embowered in 
 groves of cocoa-nut, banana, and bread-fruit trees, and meeting 
 with many hearty congratulations from the natives, Mr. Young 
 and his companions returned to the Mission-houso to dinner. 
 Ample provision had been made for the entertainment of the 
 strangers in a humble way ; but the establishment could fm'nish 
 only one spoon for the use of the whole party. By way of 
 apology, Mrs. Amos said, that in the mormng they had several 
 more, but the servants being so determined to rub them bright, as 
 a compliment to their visitors, had broken them all but one, and 
 that was much injured. 
 
 On the following day Mr. Young walked to the chapel, which 
 stands on the only elevated ground in the town, and commands a 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 395 
 
 fine view of the harbour. By order of the King some scores of 
 men, women, and children, were engaged in cleaning and putting 
 the sanctuary in order for the services of the morrow, that the 
 deputation might see the station to the best advantage. The 
 Sabbath which Mr. Young spent at Tonga was a day long to be 
 remembered. At half-past five in the morning the chapel-bell was 
 rung to call the people to the prayer-meeting, and in a few minutes 
 about three hundred persons assembled together. The whole of 
 the exercises were characterised by much fervour and animation ; 
 but none prayed with greater power and unction than the King 
 and Queen, whose devout pleadings made a most favom'able im- 
 pression on the mind of the distinguished visitor. At eight o'clock 
 the Sunday-school commenced ; and the children, in addition to 
 other exercises, were examined in the Conference Catechism with 
 very satisfactory results. At nine o'clock, the chapel-bell was 
 heard again, and in every part of the to'wn the beating of the 
 native drum also announced the hour for the commencement of 
 the public worship of God. 
 
 The people repaired with jo}'ful hearts to their beloved Mount 
 Zion and the chapel, which was without pews or benches, but 
 with its floor neatly matted to seat six or seven hundred persons 
 was much crowded. After the reading of the liturgy in 
 the native language by one of the Missionaries, Mr. Young 
 preached, and Mr. Amos interpreted. At the close of the sermon 
 several of the members, among whom were the King and Queen, 
 engaged in fervent prayer for God's blessing upon the Word. At 
 two o'clock in the afternoon, the school re-assembled, and thirteen 
 classes were seen squatted on the floor, in so many circles around 
 their respective teachers. The principal class was taught by the 
 Queen, who takes a lively interest in the rising generation. At 
 three o'clock the public worship again commenced, when the tribes 
 of the Lord once more crowded His sanctuary. On this occasion 
 Mr. Turner preached to the people in their own language, and 
 many tears were shed when he feelingly referred to the wonder- 
 ful change which had taken place in their condition since the time 
 when he commenced his laboui-s among them in the days of their 
 
395 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 heathen darkness. Such was the impres.sion made upon the mind 
 of Mr. Young hy the services of the first Sabbath that he spent 
 in the Friendly Islands, that he declared it to be "a day of light, 
 and power, and glory, . never ; to be forgotten in time or in 
 eternity." 
 
 Most of the following week was occupied hy the deputation in 
 examining the Mission-schools, conferring with the Missionaries 
 on the state of the work, and in visiting places of peculiar interest; 
 and on the 28th, highly gratified ■\^'ith what he had seen at Tonga, 
 he embarked on board the- JoJin Wesleij for Vavau, where he 
 arrived on the following morning, accompanied by King George, 
 who embraced the. opportunity of visiting Australia. 
 
 The Sabbath which Mr. Young spent in Yavau was equally 
 memorable with the one in Tonga. In fact the exercises were in 
 every respect similar. There was the same crowding of the sanc- 
 tuary with attentive hearers of the Word preached, the same mani- 
 festation of deep feeling at the public services, and the same 
 earnestness in the Sabbath-school. Some interesting meetings 
 were held during the following two or three days,, at which both 
 King George and many of the other .Christian natives spoke with 
 pathos and power of what they had experienced of the mei'cy and 
 goodness of-God. -. The Mission-schools were also examined with 
 very satisfactory results, a large number of children having learned 
 to read and .write with considerable fluency, and to answer the 
 questions put to them ia.-the most ready and intelhgent manner. 
 The state of the Mission i-eflected much credit upon the Rev. 
 Messrs. Daniel and Miller, the resident Missionaries, and upon the 
 staff of native teachers and preachers by whom they were assisted 
 in their important work. 
 
 On the 8rd of November, Mr. Young and King George took 
 their departure in the Jolin Wesley for Fiji and Australia. On 
 sailing down the placid waters of the Vavau harbour, and launching 
 out into the Pacific Ocean, they passed in sight of thu'ty beautiful 
 verdant islands. In closing this brief account of the visit of the 
 deputation to the Friendly Islands, we may observe that Mr. 
 Young was much pleased with what he saw of the results of the 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 
 
 397 
 
 Gospel in all their varied forms ; but with nothing was he more 
 delighted than with the conduct, spirit, and bearing of King 
 George. In taking leave of his royal companion in travel, at the 
 termination of their voyage, he says, " I had now spent several 
 weeks in the company of the King, and during that period I had not 
 observed an act. contrary to the strictest Christian propriety, nor had 
 
 TEAININO SCHOOL AT NHKUAIOFA. 
 
 I heard a foolish word from his lips. In all my intercourse with 
 him, I was deeply impressed with his mental power and his genuine 
 piety, and felt persuaded that had he possessed European advan- 
 tages he would have been one of the greatest men of the age." 
 
 At all the Mission-stations in the Friendly Islands special atten- 
 tion is paid to the educational department of the work. For several 
 years past, an excellent training school has been conducted at 
 
398 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Nukualofa, a view of which is here given. From this institution 
 a number of efiicient native teachers have gone forth to different 
 parts of the district, to instruct the rising generation. We are 
 happy to be able to state that this establishment has recently 
 developed into a seminary of a higher class, and will henceforth 
 be known as Tubou College, a name given to it in honour of 
 King George Tubou, the distinguished ruler of the whole group of 
 Friendly Islands. Additional buildings have been erected to 
 accommodate eighty students, who are being trained as native 
 teachers and ministers, vrith marked success by the able Missionary, 
 the Eev. James E. Moulton. The first class of students consists 
 of twelve, whose curriculum of study embraces algebra, history, 
 arithmetic, astronomy, chemistry, Euclid, geography, mensuration, 
 solids, trigonometry, Scripture history, and theology. 
 
 Some remarkable instances of native genius have, from time to 
 time, been noticed. So recently as the 21st of January, 1869, 
 two native Missionaries, David Kata and Barnabas Ahongalu, from 
 Tonga, were introduced to the Wesleyan Conference assembled at 
 Sydnej^ when, in answer to the welcome given to them by their 
 European brethren, David responded as follows (the Secretary 
 acting as interpreter) : — " I thank the Lord for the welfare of this 
 meeting, and the health of the ministers and chiefs who are assem- 
 bled. I am thankful to witness the assembly that rules om- Church 
 in these seas, but more especially for this great love by which we 
 two are recognised in the presence of this meeting. We had no 
 expectation of being introduced ; but thought om- place would be 
 outside : therefore we feel much the love of this meeting to two 
 colom'ed men, and can say, with Peter, ' Now I know that God is 
 no respecter of persons.' Besides, I thank this meeting for its 
 love to the islands of the seas, which were without God in the 
 world — the islands from which we come." 
 
 Among the fruits of genuine religion in the Friendly Islanders, 
 their Christian benevolence is worthy of a passing notice. Of 
 course some allowance must be made for a semi-civilised people, 
 in countries where money, as a circulating medium for com- 
 merce, is almost unknown, and where receiving, and not giving, 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 399 
 
 has long been the order of the day. Hence we find that 
 but httle was done towards the support of the Gospel at an 
 early period of the Mission. But when the work became more 
 fully established, and the doctrines of Christian obligation 
 and responsibihty were better understood, the Missionaries in- 
 structed the natives in the duty of supporting the cause of God 
 with good effect. Missionary meetings were everywhere held, 
 and noble speeches were made by chiefs, ministers, and people. 
 It is now a pleasing sight to see men, women, and children bring 
 their " offerings of love," as they call their contributions, march- 
 ing in order, as they sing some beautiful native hymn. These offer- 
 ings consist chiefly of articles of produce of various kinds, which are 
 sold for the benefit of the Mission Fund. The amount thus con- 
 tributed has increased from year to year, and the following extract 
 from the report presented to the Annual Missionary meeting, held 
 at Sydney on the 25th of January, 1869, will show what was 
 done the previous year : — " The amount raised at the Missionary 
 meetings in the Friendly Islands was upwards of ^61,100; and we 
 have just received by the John Wesley, contributions in oil to the 
 amount of £1,200, making a total of £2,800 from this district for 
 the past year." The Superintendent of the Vavau Circuit writes 
 as follows : " The sum of £487 has been contributed at our Mis- 
 sionary meetings, which is an average of 4s. 7d. per member, and 
 of nearly Is. lid. each for the entire population. Such a spirit of 
 Christian liberality as this is worthy of being imitated in every 
 land. "* 
 
 * Remarkable as this may appear, whilst tliis sheet is passiug through the press, 
 intelligence comes to hand of still larger manifestations of Christian liberality on 
 the part of the natives, the proceeds of "which cover the entire expenses of the 
 Mission for the past year. Thus the Friendly Island Mission has become self- 
 fiupporting in an incredibly short space of time, and bids fair to take an active part 
 in evangelising the "regions beyond." And what is better still, another gracious 
 revival of religion has recently taken place in the Haabai group, in the course of 
 TP"hich " eight hundred souls joined the Church, enrolled themselves as members 
 of Christ's flock, and gave evidence of their desire to flee from the wrath to come." 
 It is now confidently announced that there is not one heathen remaining in any oj 
 t/ie FHendly Islands, 
 
400 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Samoa. 
 
 In the early part of the year 1835, the Missionaries in the 
 Friendly Islands, having been repeatedly solicited to do so, decided 
 to commence a Mission at Samoa, or the Navigator's Islands, and 
 the Rev. Peter Turner was chosen for that purpose. He wae to 
 call at an island called Niua on his way, and remain there a few 
 weeks to teach the people, who had hitherto been under the 
 instruction of native teachers frcm Vavau. Mr. and Mrs. Tui'ner, 
 accompanied by a few Christian natives, embarked for their new 
 sphere of labour in a small vessel built by a sailor at Fiji. They 
 had a stormy passage, and for seven days and nights their frail 
 bark was tossed about by contrary winds, much to the discomfort 
 and even personal danger of the passengers. At length, by the 
 good providence of God, they sighted Niua, and after great diffi- 
 culty and considerable peril, owing to the stormy weather and 
 heavy surf, they effected a landing, and were received vsath grati- 
 tude and j 03' by a people who were longing to be taught the way 
 of God more perfectly. Mr. Tucker was induced, contrary to his 
 intentions, to prolong his stay at this little island for several 
 months, during which a blessed work was carried on. The King 
 and Queen, with many others, were brought to a saving know- 
 ledge of the truth, two new chapels were erected, the schools 
 reorganised, and everything put in train for future operations. 
 The King himself, having become an acceptable local preacher, 
 and other native teachers having been raised np, Mr. and MrSi- 
 Turner took an affectionate leave of the people on this interesting 
 station, and continued their voyage to the Navigator's Islands, 
 according to their original intention. 
 
 The Missionary landed at Manono in the month of June, and 
 met with a very hearty welcome ; some of the people being 
 acquainted with him and his work from the constant communi- 
 cation kept up between the natives of the Friendly Islands and the 
 Navigator's group. Mr. Turner had studied the Samoan language 
 at Tonga and at Niua, and was in part prepared to enter upon his 
 
THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 401 
 
 labours. Such was the success which attended these early efforts 
 to make known the glad tidings of salvation in these distant islands 
 of the Pacific, that hundreds and thousands of the simple-minded 
 natives embraced the lotu. Mr. Turner's encouraging accounts of 
 the work of God among this people induced the Missionaries in the 
 Friendly Islands to send the Eev. Matthew Wilson to assist him. 
 About this time, the London Missionary Society commenced a 
 Mission there, the Eev. Mr. Piatt having landed in the month 
 of August 1835, about two months after the arrival of Mr. Turner. 
 Native teachers from Eorotonga, belonging to that Society, had, 
 however, been labouring there for some time previously. This 
 real or apparent clashing of interests and efi'orts was the cause of 
 some unpleasant complication between the authorities and agents 
 of the two great societies, the merits of which it is not our province 
 to discuss. However desirable it may be, in general, distinctly to 
 define the sphere of labour occupied by different religious bodies 
 in foreign lands, circumstances may occur where a population is 
 large to call for the efforts of more than one denomination of 
 Christians, as at home. This appears to have been the case at 
 Samoa in the estimation of those who have had the management 
 of the work ; and, notwithstanding some hindrances to the pro- 
 gress of the Gospel, both societies report their Missions to be in 
 successful operation. 
 
 The Wesleyan Mission-stations in Samoa, in common with those 
 of the other islands in the South Seas, have for several years past 
 been carried on under the direction of the Australian Conference, 
 who have formed the islands of the group into a separate district, 
 extending the work to Upolu, Savan, and other places. In the 
 respective Wesleyan Circuits of Samoa, /owr European Missionaries, 
 and twelve native teachers and catechists, are employed, and about 
 eight hundred members are reported as united in Church fellowship, 
 with a proportionate number of scholars in the Mission-schools. 
 
 In conclusion, we may briefly state that in their general character 
 and conduct, strict observance of the Sabbath, attention to the 
 means of grace, and other Christian virtues, the converted natives 
 of the Friendly Islands are truly exemplary and worthy of being 
 
402 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS, 
 
 imitated by professors of religion in other lands. They are, more- 
 over, remarkable for their love for God's Word and private and 
 family prayer. When the sun has gone down, and the labours of 
 the day are finished, every household is assembled for evening 
 worship ; and in every town and village of the group, the hymn of 
 praise may be heard ascending to heaven in connection with fervent 
 prayer and the devotional reading of the sacred Scriptures. The 
 regularity and seriousness with which these and other Christian 
 duties are performed by this simple-hearted people has often 
 arrested the attention of strangers, and excited their admiration 
 and gratitude in view of the wonderful change which has passed 
 upon these islands since they were brought under the influence of 
 the Gospel. We have now in the Friendly Islands and Samoa 
 districts twenty-three Missionaries, one hundred and seventy-seven 
 chapels, eight thousand two hundred and sixty-two Church members 
 and seven thousand two hundred and one scholars in the Mission- 
 schools. For these results of Missionary labour, all circumstances 
 being considered, we may well "thank God and take corn-age." 
 
 HBATHBN CIILELIV. 
 
 CHHISTIAN HOPB. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 THE FIJI ISLANDS. 
 
 THE ISLANDS DESCRIBED OHABAOTEE OF THE PEOPLE COMMENCEMENT 
 
 OP MISSIONABY LABOURS THE LAKEMBA CIRCUIT THE KEWA, VIWA, 
 
 AND BAU CIRCUITS SOMOSOMO SUCCESS IN SUNDRY PLACES MIS- 
 CELLANEOUS INCIDENTS EOTUMAH. 
 
 THE Fiji Islands are situated in the Pacific Ocean, about three 
 hundred and sixty miles north-west of the Friendly group, 
 with their centre in latitude 17° south, and longitude 178° east. 
 They are said to be one hundred and forty in number, about eighty 
 of which are inhabited. The rest are mere rocky islets, which are 
 occasionally resorted to by the natives for the purpose of fishing, 
 and taking beche-de-mer. The principal islands in the group are 
 two of considerable magnitude — Viti-levu (" Great Fiji "), which 
 is eighty-five miles long and fifty broad ; and Vanua-levu (" Great 
 Land "), which is ninety-five miles by thirty. The scenery in the 
 larger islands, which are generally mountainous, is described as 
 varied and interesting, and the soil, in many places, is rich 
 and productive. The climate being warm and somewhat humid, 
 tropical vegetation is rich and luxuriant, and presents to the view 
 beautiful landscapes of ever-living green. The cocoa-nut, yam, 
 taro, orange, banana, and other vegetables and fruits described as 
 plentiful in the Friendly Islands, are also common in the Fijian 
 
 dd2 
 
404 HISTORY OF WESLEYAM MISSIONS. 
 
 group, and the land in some localities is well adapted for the cul- 
 tivation of sugar, cotton, and coffee. 
 
 More than two hundred years ago some of these islands were 
 discovered by the celebrated Dutch navigator Tasman ; but after 
 his voyage of exploration in the Pacific Ocean in 1643, they appear 
 to have remained unnoticed tiU the temporary visits of our country- 
 men, Captains Cook, Bligh, and Wilson, towards the close of the 
 last century. About the year 1806, Fiji began to be visited by 
 traders for the pui-pose of procuring sandal-wood, to burn before 
 Chinese idols, and beche-de-mer, to gratify the palates of Chinese 
 epicures. It was from the men engaged in this traffic that the 
 first items 6f rehable information were received in Europe con- 
 cerning the islands and their inhabitants, which was so long 
 desiderated in our national maps and gazeteers. Since this 
 period, exploring expeditions have been sent out both from 
 England and America, by which part of the Fiji group, in common 
 with other islands of the Pacific, has been carefully surveyed, and 
 accurately laid down on carefully-prepared charts, for the guidance 
 of the mariner, rendering navigation much less dangerous than 
 formerly. 
 
 Soon after the commencement of the present century, a number 
 of European convicts escaped from New South Wales and settled 
 among the natives at Bau and Kewa ; but these desperadoes added 
 nothing to the existing knowledge of the islands or the people. 
 They were esteemed by the native chiefs principally on account of 
 their knowledge of the use of firearms, and the aid which they ren- 
 dered in carrying on the wars which then raged throughout the 
 entire group. Being desperately wicked and abandoned in their 
 moral character, these renegade convicts presented to the natives 
 of Fiji a very unfavourable specimen of white men. Instead of 
 trying to enlighten and benefit the heathen by their superior 
 knowledge, they adopted all their superstitious practices, and most 
 of them came to a premature end by their sin and folly. The last 
 survivor of this party was an Irishman named Connor, who, in 
 1840, was despised and shunned by all classes of respectable 
 people, both native and European, because of the savage and 
 
THE Fiyi ISLANDS. 403 
 
 inhuman propensities in wliicli he indulged, notwithstanding the 
 progress of civilisation in the land. 
 
 Chaeaotee of the People. 
 
 In common with that of the natives of other groups of islands in 
 the vast Pacific Ocean, the origin of the people of Fiji is involved 
 in profound mystery. Both in complexion and in physical con- 
 formation they bear a greater resemblance to the Negroes of Africa 
 than to the Malays of the Eastern Archipelago, from whom other 
 tribes of Polynesia are supposed to have descended ; but no one 
 can tell at what period the islands were first inhabited, or whence 
 the people came. After a considerable reduction by native wars 
 and other causes, the population of the Fiji Islands is now sup- 
 posed to amount to about one hundred and fifty thousand. In 
 some features of their character these people resemble the Friendly 
 Islanders and the Maories of New Zealand ; but in others they 
 present a marked difference. In personal appearance they are stout 
 and robust, and care little about clothing, except on state occa- 
 sions, when they paint their bodies, and pay special attention to 
 the dressing of the hair, that they may be up to the fashion, as 
 may be seen in the accompanying engraving. The Fijians are 
 remarkably observant, shrewd, and sagacious ; and they possess 
 some mental qualities which, when brought under the civilising 
 influences of the Gospel, raise them in our estimation as men and 
 Christians. But when they first attracted the attention of Euro- 
 peans, and before they became acquainted with the truths of Chris- 
 tianity, they were, perhaps, the most deeply degraded race of 
 human beings that had ever been met with in any of the South 
 Sea Islands. They were superstitious, cruel, and revengeful in 
 the extreme, and addicted to war and bloodshed, in connection 
 with which they often committed deeds of savage barbarity, a 
 description of which would not be fit for the ears of civilised 
 Christian people. 
 
 But the most appalling and disgusting feature in the character 
 of the Fijians was their propensity to cannibahsm. For a length 
 of time Christian people in England seemed unwilling to believe 
 
406 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 ,Mr0t?^% 
 
 -SING IN FIJI. 
 
THE FIJI ISLANDS. 407 
 
 that human beings could be found anywhere so deeply degraded 
 as literally to devour each other ; but undeniable facts have been 
 brought to light which prove that it is even so. Instances of a 
 most shocking and revolting character have been known to occur 
 in New Zealand and other islands, but Fiji has earned for itself 
 the greatest notoriety for this abomination. At what period, and 
 under what circumstances, cannibalism began to prevail in this 
 part of the world it is impossible to say. Some have charitably 
 supposed that the first instance might have occurred from stress of 
 hunger when a party of natives were cast away at sea, or exposed 
 to famine on shore. It is more likely, we think, to have had its 
 origin in the cruelties of war, as it is a well-known fact that some 
 heathen people, not habitually addicted to cannibalism, occasionally 
 drink the blood of their enemies slain in battle, and feast upon 
 their flesh, from feelings of revenge, and with the hope of thereby 
 imbibing the courage and prowess of their fallen foes. But, how- 
 ever it may have originated, it is an appalling fact that cannibalism 
 at length became fearfully prevalent in Fiji, and there are abundant 
 proofs that the natives actually acquired a relish for human flesh. 
 Indeed, it assumed, in a sense, the character of a religious insti- 
 tution ; for at the building of a house, the launching of a new 
 canoe, and on many other public occasions, it was customary to 
 shed abundance of human blood to propitiate then- demon gods 
 and to render the enterprise successful. Then, also, the ovens were 
 heated, the bodies of the victims cooked, and the assembled mul- 
 titude feasted on the flesh of their fellow-men, proving the truth 
 of the Scripture declaration that " the dark places of the earth are 
 full of the habitations of cruelty." 
 
 An examination of the religious system of the natives of Fiji is 
 attended with considerable difiiculty. Their traditional mythology 
 is exceedingly dark, vague, and perplexing. Each island has its 
 own gods, each locality its own superstitions, and almost each 
 individual his own modification of both. Yet amidst this confusion, 
 there may be traced certain main tracks of behef which are common 
 to the people generally. A confused idea of Deity, and a belief in 
 the existence of an invisible superhuman power, controUing all 
 
4o8 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 earthly things, are entertained by all classes ; but no direct homage 
 appears to be offered to the Creator of all things. Superstitious 
 reverence is paid to various objects, animate and inanimate, as 
 rivers, mountains, stones, trees, serpents, lizards, and other rep- 
 tiles, under the vague impression that the spirits of departed chiefs, 
 which appear to be their principal gods, return to the earth and 
 take up their abode in them. To the honour of these multi- 
 farious divinities, or halou, to which various attributes and offices 
 are ascribed, they build sacred houses or temples, called bures. 
 
 
 BUBE, OE HEATHEN TEMPLE IN YOt. 
 
 Nearly every town and village has one such, erected over the grave 
 of a deceased chief, or in some other notable locality ; not kept 
 exclusively as a place of worship, but occasionally used as a council 
 chamber, and for other purposes. 
 
 The people do not assemble, however, at these sacred shrines to 
 offer sacrifices and prayers at stated periods, after the manner of 
 the heathen in some countries, but at very in-egular intervals, as 
 on the death of a chief, the breaking out of war, or the occurrence 
 of some other national calamity. Then they call upon their gods 
 with savage shouts and furious yells ; with tearing of the hair, and 
 
THE FIJI ISLANDS, 409 
 
 cutting the flesh ; and not unfrequently with the offering of human 
 sacrifices ; for their kalou, or divinities, are supposed to delight in 
 human blood. The temples are placed in charge of heathen priests, 
 who are the objects of special awe and fear, and who subsist chiefly 
 on the presents which they receive from their deluded votaries. 
 There are, moreover, witches and wizards, who are supposed to 
 have the power to detect crime and to cure diseases ; and the 
 manner in which they exercise their vocation, and deceive the 
 people, is similar to that practised by the Kafiir witch-doctors in 
 Southern Africa. The natives of Fiji regard the future or spiritual 
 world as being in all respects like the present state of existence, 
 where people will rally round their chiefs, and engage in their 
 favourite pursuits of hunting, fishing, war, sensuality, and crime. 
 Hence the feelings of indifi'erence with which they regard human 
 life. Suicide is fearfully common. For the most trifling cause, a 
 native will cast himself headlong over a precipice, or from the top 
 of a cocoa-nut tree ; and young and sprightly widows will insist 
 upon being strangled on the death of their husbands, to rejoin them 
 in the spirit land. 
 
 As might be expected, the morals of the Fijians are on a par with 
 their rehgion. The people are abandoned to almost every con- 
 ceivable heathen vice. Cannibalism, war, polygamy, adultery, 
 murder, suicide, deception, fraud, theft, and many other crimes 
 which cannot be named, are described as prevalent among the 
 natives. It is, moreover, worthy of notice that the most glaring 
 Bins are committed by the natives without any apparent sense of 
 shame ; and it was a length of time before the Missionaries could 
 get the people to perceive the difference between the sin of theft 
 and the disgrace connected with being detected in the commission 
 of the crime. A somewhat ludicrous instance of this ocomTed 
 shortly after the arrival of the first Missionaries, which we may 
 relate as an illustration of the strange want of moral sensibility to 
 which we have alluded. 
 
 At Bau a man one day jumped over the fence and went deli- 
 berately into the verandah of the Mission-house to steal a blanket. 
 Being detected in the act, he immediately dropped his spoil and 
 
410 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 made his escape, not, however, before a passer-by recognised him, 
 and gave his name. The Missionary at once complained to the 
 Chief, vyho expressed his indignation, and declared he would kill 
 the thief. It was now found necessary to plead for the life of the 
 offender. The Chief yielded the point at last, saying, "Let us 
 understand each other. You dislike being robbed, but you do not 
 want the thief to be killed. Very well. I will only threaten to put 
 him to death. Whatever I say or do, you must not be alarmed, as 
 I shall only frighten him." The Chief then sent for the parents and 
 uncle of the young man, and told them of the theft. " Not," said 
 he, " that stealing is anything new among us ; but it is new to do it 
 so carelessly as to be found out. Your son has disgraced us, and 
 he must die." The relatives at once consented to his death. As 
 soon as the criminal was found, he was sent to the Chief, who thus 
 addressed him : " You are a thief; a thief discovered in the very 
 act of stealing. I am a thief; my father was a thief; my grand- 
 father was a thief ; but were we ever found out ? Through yom- bad 
 management you have discovered to the Missionary that we steal 
 from him. You must die. Your father, and mother, and uncle have 
 given their consent. However, as the Missionary has interceded for 
 you, I am willing to offer you terms, by compliance with which you 
 may save your life. You may either cut twenty fathoms of fire- 
 wood for my wife, or furnish me with six pigs, or be strangled. 
 Take your choice." After some deliberation the youth replied, 
 " To cut twenty fathoms of firewood, sir, is very difficult, and 
 would cause me great fatigue, I must, therefore, decline that. To 
 furnish six pigs is not in my power, as I ha% e not five friends who 
 would each give me a pig to add to mme to save my life. To die 
 is the easiest ; so you will please strangle me." " Oh, very well," 
 said the Chief, " then you shall be strangled." So the man was 
 cleansed, oiled, and attired in the usual way ; the friends were 
 kissed, the knot wag adjusted, and the cord was about to be pulled. 
 At that moment the Chief again oflered life to the culprit, but the 
 offer was rejected with scorn. " Strangle me," said the infatuated 
 youth. " I shall never give up stealing unless you strangle me. I 
 wish to die." Oh! so you ims/t to die?" inquired the Chief. 
 
THE Fiyi ISLANDS. 411 
 
 " Yes, sir, I do," was the reply. " Then you shall not be 
 strangled," exclaimed the now indignant Chief; "but j'ou shall 
 live, and you shall give up stealing as a punishment. Mind you 
 are not caught again, or I will make you uncomfortable." And so 
 ended the matter. The young man was not " caught " stealing 
 again — for twelve months ; when he was once more seized in the 
 very act, on the same premises. Such is a specimen of the morals 
 of the people of Fiji. 
 
 CoMirENOEMENT OF MiSSIONAEY LaEOUKS. 
 
 We now proceed to consider the means which have been em- 
 ployed to raise the natives of Fiji from the moral degradation in 
 which they were involved. From an early period there had been 
 occasional intercourse between the Friendly Islands, Tahiti, and 
 Fiji ; and when the lotu began to prevail in the places first named, 
 the warlike Fijians must have been aware of the wonderful change 
 that was taking place in several of the islands of the Pacific. Yet 
 it does not appear that they manifested the same desire for Chris- 
 tian teachers as was sometimes evinced by other tribes. They 
 were too deeply degraded to see the advantages of Chi-istianity ; 
 and when some converted natives of other islands found their way 
 to their shores, and declared what the Lord had done for them 
 and their countrymen, they were slow of heart to believe the good 
 news. 
 
 When the Wesleyan Mission was firmly established in the 
 Friendly Islands, however, the Missionaries made arrangements 
 to carry out a long cherished wish to try to do something for poor 
 degraded Fiji ; and at the District Meeting which was held at 
 Lifuka, in December 1834, the Eev. Messrs. Cross and Cargill 
 were set apart for the important enterprise. A vessel was expected 
 from Australia to bring supplies, and to remove the Missionaries 
 and their families to their respective spheres of labour about the 
 end of March 1835 ; but it did not arrive till the beginning of 
 October. Consequently the commencement of the Fiji Mission 
 was delayed much longer than was at first expected. On Tuesday, 
 
412 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS 
 
 the 8th of October, however, everything being ready, the Mis- 
 sionaries and their famihes embarked on board a small schooner, 
 called the Blackbird, for the scene of their future labours in the 
 Fiji Islands. Connected with the Mission party were several 
 converted Friendly Islanders in the capacity of domestics and 
 assistants, and also a few Fijians, who were returning to their 
 own country. After many friendly adieus, and affecting partings, 
 and earnest prayers for the blessing of God on the undertaking, 
 the vessel weighed anchor, and stood out to sea towards the place 
 of her destination. 
 
 On the evening of the Sabbath, after their departure from Vavau, 
 the Missionaries got sight of Lakemba, the principal of the wind- 
 ward group of the Fiji Islands ; but as the captain of the schooner 
 had no correct chart of the coast or harbour, and had never seen 
 the island before, he wisely shortened saU, and tacked about 
 during the night. Early on Monday morning, the vessel was off 
 the south-east part of Lakemba. As seen from the deck of the 
 schooner, the island appeared to be sm'rounded by a continuous 
 coral reef. The sea was comparatively calm ; but the roar and 
 foam of the billows, as they broke upon the reef, were terrific, and 
 gave forth unmistakeable notes of warning ; the space inside this 
 barrier seemed capable of affording shelter for the vessel ; but no 
 passage to the harbour could be discovered. The Fijians who 
 accompanied the Missionaries, pointed to a place where they said 
 there was an opening in the reef, through which a canoe could 
 pass. The captain, however, prudently resolved not to attempt 
 to bring the vessel to anchor, until the size of the entrance, and 
 the character of the harbour, could be a,scertained, and if possible, 
 the disposition of the natives known. In these circumstances 
 Messrs. Cross and Cargill deemed it advisable to make an attempt 
 to land in the schooner's boat, and to seek to obtain an interview 
 with the King. 
 
 The boat was accordingly lowered, and intrusted to the care of 
 the chief mate. Leaving their families on board, the Missionaries, 
 with hearts uplifted to God in prayer, stepped into the boat, and 
 steered for that part of the reef to which the natives had pointed, 
 
THE FIJI ISLANDS. 413 
 
 and where they assured them there was a passage into the harbour. 
 Their account was found to be correct ; but the entrance was so 
 narrow that, although a small vessel might pass through, it could 
 not tack about in it, and must, therefore, be entirely dependent upon 
 a fair wind. As they approached the beach, they saw a number of 
 natives running hither and thither, in apparent confusion ; and 
 when they drew near to the landing-place, about two hundred 
 armed men took their station at no great distance from them, in a 
 somewhat suspicious attitude. The appearance of this motley group 
 of naked savages was by no means prepossessing, as with painted 
 faces and hideous looks they grasped their muskets, spears, and 
 clubs, and watched every movement of the strangers. As they 
 stepped on shore, the Missionaries expressed their love to the 
 natives in their own language, a little of which they had aheady 
 learned ; but they received no response to their friendly saluta- 
 tions, and felt somewhat perplexed to know how to proceed. They 
 were at length relieved from their difficulty, on being informed 
 that the King was waiting to see them, and to ascertain the object 
 of their visit to his country. 
 
 The Missionaries, therefore, proceeded to the King's house, which 
 stood in Tambou, a large fortified place, and the principal town of 
 the island, about a mile from the shore. The town was not large, 
 but surrounded by a strong wall, with a reed fence on the top, and 
 provided with numerous apertures, through which the defenders 
 of the fortress might discharge their arrows and muskets, and keep 
 off and annoy the enemy. The whole place was surrounded by a 
 moat, eighty or a hundred yards wide, and was altogether a strong 
 place of defence. The King's house was a large substantial build- 
 ing, at least a hundred feet long and nearly forty wide, without 
 any partitions, and serving as kitchen, dining-room, and sleeping- 
 room for the whole of the royal family. On being introduced to 
 Tui Nayau, the King of Lakemba and neighbouring islands, in the 
 presence of his chiefs and counsellors, the Missionaries made 
 known the object of their visit, and were welcomed by the simul- 
 taneous clapping of the hands of all the natives present. The 
 King asked many questions, and finally pledged himself to grant 
 
414 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 to the Missionaries a piece of ground to live on ; to erect houses 
 for them ; to protect them and their families and property from 
 molestation, and to listen to their instruction. In the meantime 
 he oiFered them the use of one of his large houses within the fortress 
 for their immediate use. This they respectfully declined, fearing the 
 situation would be too confined, and expressed a preference for a 
 large canoe-shed which stood on the beach, which was readily 
 granted to them. With grateful hearts for the favourable recep- 
 tion they had met with, the Missionaries hastened on board the 
 schooner to relieve the anxiety of their wives and famihes, by in- 
 forming them of this encouraging prospect of success. 
 
 All on board were delighted with the good news, and on the 
 afternoon of the same day the Mission families went on shore and 
 took possession of the canoe-shed on the beach, the use of which 
 had been granted for their accommodation by the King. The build- 
 ing was at least a hundred feet long, forty wide, and thirty high, and 
 open at both ends. Such was the spacious but rude bedroom in 
 whicli the Mission party spent their first night in Fiji, spreading their 
 mattrasses on the deck of a large canoe, which still retained its 
 place under the shed. Before they retired to rest, however, they 
 were surrounded by hundreds of curious natives, all anxious to 
 have a good look at the pale-faced strangers, and especially at the 
 white ladies and children, having never been favoured with such a 
 sight before. After a restless night, occasioned by the stings of 
 myriads of mosquitos, which infested the shed in which they 
 attempted to sleep, the Mission party arose early in the morning 
 of the following day, and addressed themselves to the various 
 duties which devolved upon them ; the first and most important 
 business was to select a suitable place for a Mission-station. They 
 pitched upon what they considered an eligible site in a valley 
 called Buthainambua, in the vicinity of the chief town of Lakemba. 
 The King granted them the ground without any hesitation, and 
 with apparent cheerfulness ; and promised to erect upon it, with 
 all possible despatch, a temporary house for each family. 
 
 In the meantime the captain of the Blackbird providentially suc- 
 ceeded in working his vessel through the narrow channel in the 
 
THE FIJI ISLANDS. 415 
 
 reef, and brought here safely to anchor in the harbour on the 
 south side of the island. This was a necessary, but hazardous 
 undertaking, owing to the dangerous character of the navigation, 
 and the well-known determination of the natives to pounce upon 
 both ship and cargo, and claim them as their own, in case any 
 vessel should be so unfortunate as to touch the rocks on approach- 
 ing their shores. Knowing the discomfort and privation to which 
 the Mission families had been exposed in their vain attempt to 
 sleep in the canoe-shed, the captain of the schooner kindly invited 
 them all to come on board his vessel again, till then- temporary 
 houses were erected on the site selected for the Mission-station. 
 In their peculiar circumstances this was a judicious arrangement. 
 The Missionaries were well aware that the apparent cordial recep- 
 tion that had been given to them by the King and people of La- 
 kemba was to be attributed, not to their desu-e for religious 
 instruction, but to the hope which they entertained that they would 
 derive temporal benefit from their coming, and that they would 
 soon become possessed of the goods which they had brought for 
 presents and for barter. They were, therefore, obliged to proceed 
 with extreme caution, knowing that they had to deal with a de- 
 signing, cruel, and treacherous people. There were instances fresh 
 in the recollection of everybody illustrative of this, an entire ship's 
 crew having been cut off, and the vessel seized, by the unstable 
 and crafty natives not long before, which suggested the necessity 
 of constant vigilance, prayer, and faith on the part of the brethren. 
 The Missionaries left their families on board, and frequently 
 went on shore themselves to hasten foi'wai'd the work, and after 
 three days the two temporary houses promised by the King were 
 finished. The whole of the Mission party now landed, and took 
 possession of the frail dwellings provided for them. The materials 
 of which the houses were made were the leaves of the cocoa-nut 
 tree, plaited together, and laid one upon another on posts planted 
 in the ground. They were only of small dimensions, and without 
 any partitions ; but by a little contrivance, a portion of each was 
 screened off with native cloth for a sleeping apartment, whilst 
 another corner was set apart as a store-room, and so the estabhsh- 
 
4i6 HISTORY OF THE WES LEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
 ment was made tolerably comfortable. During the day, scores of 
 natives, prompted by curiosity, surrounded tbe house to gaze at 
 the strangers ; and when they could not obtain a view of them 
 through the doors or the windows, they occasionally hfted up the 
 thatch of the roof, and thrust in their heads to see what was going 
 on inside. It, moreover, required constant watchfulness on the 
 part of every member of the Mission families to prevent pilfering, 
 for the covetous natives took a fancy to everything they saw. 
 
 On the tenth day after her arrival, the Blackbird, having landed 
 the last of the stores, weighed anchor and took her departure, 
 leaving the Missionaries and their families strangers in a strange 
 land of heathen darkness. Had their enterprise been of a worldly 
 nature, they might have felt sad and sorrowful at the thought of 
 being left entirely at the mercy of cruel savages, without any 
 means of escape, whatever might happen ; but they were engaged 
 in a heavenly undertaking, and could put their trust in God, being 
 happy in their work. There was, moreover, much to be done in 
 connection with their new establishment, both of a temporal and 
 spiritual nature, which constantly occupied their time and atten- 
 tion. The ground about the Mission premises had to be cleared of 
 the reeds and bushes with which it was thickly covered. Eoads 
 had to be made, fences put up, and out-houses erected. From 
 sunrise to sunset each day, all were engaged in useful employ- 
 ments ; and everything that was done was regarded as preparatory 
 or subservient to the great object of the Mission — the instruction 
 of the people in the knowledge and worship of the true and living 
 God, and of His Son Jesus Christ. 
 
 From the time of their first landing on the shores of Lakemba, 
 the Missionarips neglected no opportunity which presented itself 
 of speaking a word to the natives for their spiritual good ; and as 
 soon as they were somewhat settled in their temporary dwellings, 
 they set about the work of religious instruction in a systematic 
 manner, with becoming earnestness. Even the Missionaries' wives 
 and their Christian domestics, who had come with them from the 
 Friendly Islands, were unwearied in their efforts to impress on 
 the dark benighted Fijians the superior advantages of the lotu. 
 
THE FIJI ISLANDS. 417 
 
 On the first Sabbath that the Missionariea spent in Lakemba, 
 public worship was celebrated with due solemnity, the King him- 
 self being present, and a congregation of natives numbering one 
 hundred and fifty. The service was held in the open air, and the 
 people listened with deep attention, whilst Mr. Cross expounded 
 the first chapter of the Book of Genesis, and set forth the wonder- 
 ful power of the Almighty, as displayed in the creation of all things. 
 
 The first Missionaries to Fiji had one great advantage over most 
 of their pioneer brethren in other lands. They were able to com- 
 mence their labours in the language in which they had been wont 
 to minister, the way having been prepared by Divine Providence. 
 For several years previously the natives of Tonga had resorted in 
 considerable numbers to the Fiji Islands, for the purpose of com- 
 merce, and especially to procure canoes, mats, earthen pots, clubs, 
 spears, and other articles for which the country was celebrated ; 
 and a few had become permanently settled in Lakemba, and other 
 islands, where they had formed matrimonial alliances, and adopted 
 the country as their home. This intercourse between the two 
 countries had been the means of difi'using a knowledge of the 
 Tongan dialect in Fiji to a considerable extent, and it was in this 
 language that the Missionaries commenced to preach to the people. 
 Indeed one half the congregation on the first Sabbath consisted of 
 Tongans, and the other of Fijians, and all seemed to understand 
 the word spoken, which was a great advantage to all parties. 
 
 Some of the Friendly Islanders who had thus settled in Fiji 
 were nominal Christians, having heard the Gospel and abandoned 
 their idols before they left their own country ; but, like many 
 nominal Christians in other lands, most of them were strangers to 
 the nature of experimental religion, having degenerated in their 
 moral character since they left their homes. By the blessing of 
 God upon the labours of the Missionaries, however, a saving work 
 of grace soon commenced in Lakemba, which resulted in the con- 
 version of a large number of the resident Tongans, both nominally 
 Christians and Pagans, as well as in that of a few native Fijians. 
 On the 81st of October, nineteen days after the arrival of the 
 Missionaries, a Tongan Chief, named Naufahu, and about fifty of 
 
 E E 
 
4i8 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 his people, who had hitherto been avowed Pagans, joined the 
 ranks of professing Christians by forsaking their idols and bowing 
 before Jehovah for the first time. When this Chief, and other 
 persons of influence, had embraced Christianity, hopes were enter- 
 tained that Tui Nayau, the reigning king of the country, would do 
 the same ; but, notwithstanding his confessed convictions of the 
 truth of the Gospel, he still procrastinated, assigning as a reason 
 that, if he then renounced Paganism, he would incur the disj)leasure 
 of his subordinate chiefs, and perhaps involve himself in war with 
 neighboming powers. In the meantime the Missionaries were 
 diligent in their studies to acquire a competent knowledge of the 
 Fijian language, that they might more efi'ectually gain access to 
 the masses of the people, whilst they carefully attended to the 
 Mission-schools which they had established, and to the higher 
 duties of preaching the Gospel. 
 
 The Lakejiba Cikcuit. 
 
 Although Lakemba is not the largest island in the group, nor by 
 any means the most important place in Fiji, it was, nevertheless, 
 singularly fitted for the introduction of Christianity to the countrjr, 
 through the instrumentality of Missionaries from Tonga, from the 
 circumstances already mentioned. It is, moreover, central to a 
 number of others, with a considerable population, known as the 
 Windward Islands, and which unitedly form a petty kingdom, with 
 the seat of Government at Lakemba. These were, in the com-se 
 of time, formed into an extensive and important Wesleyan Circuit, 
 with numerous schools and out-stations under the care of native 
 teachers, many of whom had been savingly converted to God at 
 an early period of the Mission. The Em'opean Missionaries 
 itinerate among the smaller islands and out-stations at stated 
 periods, or as opportunities are available, to administer the ordi- 
 nances of religion, and to direct and encourage the native teachers 
 in their important work. It would bo a very pleasant exercise to 
 trace tho origin and progress of these scattered stations in all their 
 details, and to dwell on tho various incidents, some serious and 
 
THE Fiyi ISLANDS. 419 
 
 some ludicrous, which marked the commencement and course of 
 the work ; but we n,re obhged to limit our observations to the 
 leading historical facts of the Mission. 
 
 The course of events at Lakemba, where the Missionaries com- 
 menced their labours in the manner aheady described, was for 
 some time very checkered. They had no cause to complain of 
 want of attention to their instructions, either on the part of the 
 resident Tongans or the native Fijians, nor yet of the lack of fruit ; 
 but they had to encounter numerous petty trials and difficulties in 
 the prosecution of their holy enterprise. In the first place, they 
 found it difficult to procure food for themselves and their depen- 
 dants. All the pigs on the island had been tabu, or prohibited, for 
 more than twelve months, in consec[uence of the death of a chief, 
 and none might be sold or eaten. The goods intended for barter 
 at this station had been all landed at Tonga, and the Missionaries 
 .in Fiji were left almost destitute. Then came a destructive hurri- 
 cane, which laid waste the whole country, blowing down most of 
 the dwelling-houses, and doing much damage to the fruit-trees and 
 provision grounds. Food now became scarcer than ever, whilst 
 the Mission families were left for a time without a shelter, their 
 frail houses having been levelled with the ground. These dis- 
 comforts did not discourage them so much as the advantage which 
 the heathen priests attempted to take of passing events, with a 
 view to damage Christianity by representing the hurricane and 
 other calamities as resulting from the anger of their gods at the 
 presence of the Missionaries. 
 
 But the efforts which were thus made to work on the super- 
 stitious fears of the people were rendered futile by the increasing 
 light which was being shed on their minds by the preaching of the 
 Gospel. In ansAver to the wily insinuations of the priests that the 
 storm had been sent by the tutelar god of Lakemba, because he 
 was angry at the introduction of Christianity, the King, who was 
 still a heathen, shrewdly remarked, "If the Missionaries be the 
 objects of his resentment, why does ho punish us who have not 
 abandoned his service ?" Receiving no satisfactory reply, and not 
 being able to reconcile the conduct with the declaration of the sup- 
 
 £ E 2 
 
420 [HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 posed deity, his sable majesty took the liberty of saying that he 
 must be " either a fool or a liar." Thus were the heathen priests 
 set at nought by their own people, and the Missionaries con- 
 tinued to labour with considerable success. Other and more per- 
 manent dwelhngs having been provided for the Mission families, 
 chiefly by the personal labours of the Missionaries themselves, a 
 rude native chapel was constructed from the materials of the 
 demolished houses, which did good service for three years, when 
 it was succeeded by a more substantial and appropriate place of 
 worship. 
 
 The year 1836 opened upon the Mission to Fiji with cheering 
 prospects. The public services at Lakemba were well attended, 
 the schools prospered, and there were some pleasing instances of 
 conversion to God on the principal station. On the 20th of March 
 thirty-two adults and twenty-three children were pubhcly baptized 
 by Messrs. Cross and Cargill, whilst several other inquirers re- 
 mained under instruction as candidates ; and on Christmas Day 
 they administered the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to eighty 
 devout communicants. Thus was a native Christian Church esta- 
 blished in Lakemba, which continued to advance in numbers and ia 
 intelligence from year to year, whilst the Missionaries turned their 
 attention to the neighbouring islands, in many of which the precious 
 name of Jesus had never yet been heard, although the inhabitants 
 of others had become imperfectly acquainted with the Gospel 
 through the instrumentality of converted natives who had visited 
 their shores. 
 
 The first place visited was an island called Oneata, where two 
 native teachers from Tahiti had landed some time before, and had 
 succeeded in imparting to several of the people a knowledge of the 
 tnie and living God. These wished to be taken under the care of 
 the Missionaries, and Mr. Cross embarked to pay them a visit on 
 the morning of the 12th of February, 183G. Ho arrived at Oneata 
 early in the afternoon, and waited on the Chief, by whom he was 
 received in the kindest manner possible. Ho found a chapel 
 already erected, which would contain about one hundred people, 
 in which he preached in the evening to a crowded congi-egation, 
 
THE Fiyi ISLANDS. 421 
 
 as many assembling round the outside as were able to get in. 
 According to the earnest wish of the Chief and his people, this 
 island was adopted as an out-station of the Lakemba circuit ; and 
 as the Tahitan teachers had failed to learn the Fijian language, 
 or to teach any of the people to read, a more efficient agent was 
 appointed, a Mission-school commenced, and the cause continued 
 to prosper. 
 
 This is one of many instances which might be given of con- 
 verted natives being honoured of God as the pioneers of the 
 regular Missionary, and as the instruments of introducing the 
 Gospel to dark benighted heathen tribes of their fellow-country- 
 men. Indeed, the Lord Himself appears to have prepared the 
 way for the spread of His truth. In some cases the natives cast 
 away their idols and began to worship Jehovah, without the inter- 
 vention of teachers of any kind. A striking instance of this kind 
 came under the notice of the Missionaries at an early period in 
 connection with the remarkable manner in which Christianity was 
 introduced into Ono, an island about one hundred and forty miles 
 from Lakemba. A Chief of Oneata, named Takai, had visited 
 Tonga and Tahiti before Missionaries arrived in Fiji, and had 
 been much impressed with what he saw and heard there. On his 
 return he had an interview with Wai, the Chief of Ono, whom he 
 persuaded to abandon his false gods, and to begin to worship the 
 Grod who had recently been made known in Tonga. According to 
 the advice of his friend, Wai now commenced to be what he called 
 " a Christian," by keeping part of the Sabbath-day holy, and by 
 attending to his worldly affairs on the other part. A few of his 
 people joined him in this partial profession of the new religion. 
 They had learned that prayer was acceptable to the true God ; but 
 it appears they did not know that it was lawful to offer it on behalf 
 of themselves ; they therefore engaged one of the heathen priests 
 to pray for them, with the strange idea that the saoredness of his 
 character would ensure success. The priest, willing to oblige the 
 Chief and his countrymen, or afraid to refuse, engaged to be their 
 chaplain, and offered a prayer for them in some such language as 
 ihis : '-Lord, bless these Thy people ; keep them from all evil. 
 
422 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN AMISSIONS. 
 
 They woreliip Thee. I turn my back on Thee for the present, and 
 worship another god : but do Thou bless these Thy people." 
 
 Although the priest prayed for the people of Ono in the best 
 manner he was able, yet they were not satisfied, and determined 
 to send one of their number to the Friendly Islands, to request 
 help from the Missionaries there. An English vessel bound for 
 Tonga lying off Ono at the time, a passage for the messenger was 
 speedily obtained in her. When the vessel reached her destina- 
 tion, the Rev. Messrs. Cross and Cargill had already proceeded to 
 Lakemba, and the inquirer after teachers was directed to them. 
 During the absence of the messenger the Ono people continued to 
 worship God according to the light which they possessed, until some 
 Tonga Christians, who were drifted to their island when voyaging 
 to their own country, taught them the way of God more perfectly. 
 Among those who were so unexpectedly, but so providentially, 
 cast upon the shores of Ono at this important crisis, was a native 
 teacher named Josiah, who remained for some time^ instructing 
 the people. He was soon able to report to the Missionaries at 
 Lakemba the conversion of forty Fijians to the faith of the Gospel, 
 and that they had built a chapel which would contain one hundred 
 persons, in which they regularly assembled for Divine worship 
 From this time Ono was taken under the care of the Missionaries 
 and visited at stated periods, or as opportunities'prcsented them 
 selves, in common with other islands. On his first visit to Ono 
 in 1840, the Rev. James Calvert baptized two hundred and thii-ty 
 three persons, and married sixty-six couples. Many gave clear 
 evidence that they had been baptized with the Holy Ghost, and 
 were living according to the Gospel. This has since become an 
 important and prosperous station under the care of a native Mis- 
 sionary, who is assisted by several catochists, local preachers, and 
 schoolmasters. 
 
 Some of the native teachers whose labom-s were thus blessed in 
 the conversion of their fellow-countrymen, were very remarkable 
 persons, both in their character and historj'. Manj^ pages might 
 be filled with interesting sketches relating to them, but the follow- 
 ing may be taken as a specimen : — Joshua Mateinauiu, a native of 
 
THE Fiyi ISLANDS. 423 
 
 Lakemba, and related to a family of note, was a young man of 
 sucli natural ability that, wMle in his heathen state, he was taken to 
 the Friendly Islands by Fuki, a Tongan chief, to teach the people 
 a Fijian dance called the wesi. In the order of Divine Providence, 
 however, he was never permitted to aocomphsh his purpose. 
 Before he had time to assemble the heathens together for the 
 dance, he came under the power of the Gospel, and was brought 
 to a saving knowledge of the truth. He often expressed his 
 gratitude afterwards, that instead of being allowed to teach the 
 Tongans the heathen dances and songs of Fiji, the Missionaries 
 taught him to sing the songs of Zion. After his conversion he 
 was employed as a local preacher, and accompanied Messrs. 
 Cross and CarglU on their Mission to his native land, where he 
 was made very useful in winning souls for Christ. 
 
 Through the instrumentality of this and other active and intelli- 
 gent native teachers, both Tongan and Fijian, whom God in His 
 providence raised up, combined with the zealous co-operation and 
 able superintendence of the European Missionaries, the glad 
 tidings of salvation were made known to seven of the towns and 
 villages of Lakemba, and among the respective islands of the 
 windward group. In addition to Oneata and Ono, already men- 
 tioned, a good work was commenced in Atoa, Ongea, A^ulanga, 
 Namuka, Mothe, Komo, and Kambra. Schools were everywhere 
 established, and both old and young learned to read with a 
 rapidity truly astonishing, all regarding this art as inseparably 
 connected with the lotu. There are now connected with the 
 Lakemba Circuit upwards of twenty islands, or out-stations, in 
 charge of native Missionaries and teachers, in addition to those 
 in the immediate vicinity of the capital of the kingdom, where a 
 printing- oflBce and a training institution were ultimately established, 
 and where two English Missionaries reside to siiperintend and 
 direct the work in all its departments. 
 
 The Eewa, Viv/a, and Bau CiECxnTS. 
 From the commencement of their labours the Missionaries did 
 not regard Lakemba as the most important place in Fiji ; but 
 
424 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 they justly looked upon it as the key to the central and larger 
 islands of the group, and as the most appropriate locality for the 
 first station, in consequence of the number of semi-civilised 
 Tongans who had settled there, and to whom they could preach 
 the Gospel in their own tongue. Hence as soon as they had got 
 the station into tolerable working order, the two brethren arranged 
 to separate, and attempt the extension of the work. The im- 
 portant task of endeavouring to break up new ground devolved 
 upon Mr. Cross, as the senior Missionary; and on the 28th of 
 December, 1837, he embarked with his family for Ban in the 
 " Jess," a small vessel, belonging to Chevalier Dillon. 
 
 Bau is a small island two miles in circumference, and within a 
 few hundred yards of the mainland of Viti-Levu, or Great Fiji, to 
 which it is joined by a flat reef, which at low water is nearly dry, 
 and at high water fordable. The island rises somewhat abruptly 
 out of the sea, and is of a conical shape ; and being neaily 
 covered with the dwelling-houses and tall temples which composed 
 the large town which bears the same name, it forms oao of the 
 most striking objects to be found in the varied scenery of Fiji, as 
 may be inferred from the illustration. It is most inconveniently 
 situated for everything except defence ; but being a strong fortress 
 and the most populous town in the group, it has for a long time 
 been regarded as the capital of Fiji, and the centre of political 
 power. Yiwa is another small island, not more than two miles 
 from Bau, and also near to the mainland, and a place of consider- 
 able importance. Rewa is a large town on an island in close 
 proximity to the mainland to the South of Bau, at a distance of 
 about twenty miles by water, and ten by land, and for population 
 and influence ranks next to the metropolis. These three populous 
 native towns have become the heads or centres of extensive Mis- 
 fjionary circuits, and from their geographical position and historical 
 associations they are so linked together that we may most con- 
 veniently regard them unitedl)-, in glancing at the history of their 
 evangelization. 
 
 Mr. Cross embarked for the capital under the impression that if 
 the paramount Chief or King of Fiji and his people could be in- 
 
THE FIJI ISLANDS. 
 
 425 
 
425 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 duced to abandon their idols, the minor chieftains of the land, with 
 their respective clans, might, perhaps, follow their example, and so 
 the whole group would ere long come under the power of Chris- 
 tianity. This view was no doubt correct, but the hope grounded 
 upon it was too sanguine. After visiting Moala, the vessel an- 
 chored at Kiuva, a town about midway between Bau and Eewa ; 
 and the Missionary obtained an interview with Seru, the son of 
 Tanoa, the King of Bau, the result of which convinced him that it 
 Vi^ould be imprudent to attempt the establishment of a Mission- 
 station at the capital at that time. The counti-y was only just 
 recovering from the shock of a seven years' war, in which Tanoa 
 had been deposed, and driven into exile ; one of his sons had been 
 killed, and the reins of government seized by a few daring and 
 powerful chiefs. Seru had remained at Bau during the whole time, 
 for vv'hioh reason he received the name of Thakombau, that is, 
 "Bau is bad; " and, although a mere j'outh, he so far outwitted 
 the rebel chiefs as completely to effect their destruction, and pre- 
 pare the way for his father's return to power. This remarkable 
 young chief was oarrjdng on his warlike work at the time that Mr. 
 Cross arrived. In answer to the request of the Missionary for 
 permission to take up his residence at Bau, Seru said, " It will be 
 most agreeable to me, if you think well to do so ; but I will not 
 hide it from you that I am now engaged in war, and cannot attend 
 to youi- instructions, or even assure your safety." 
 
 Under these circumstances Mr. Cross at once turned his atten- 
 tion to Eewa, the second place in Fiji in rank and influence. 
 The Missionary landed at the place last named, on the 8th of 
 January, 1838, and was received in the most friendly manner by 
 the King, Tuindrcketche, who promised to protect him and his 
 property, and to aUow any of his people to embrace Christianity 
 who wished to do so. Notwithstanding this favourable com- 
 mencement of the work at Eewa, the cause was very weak and 
 feeble for some time. On the first Sabbath after his arrival, Mr. 
 Cross preached to a congregation of twelve persons, three of whom 
 hid come with him from Lakcmba, whilst some of the others had 
 been induced to renounce heathenism by a Tongan Chief who had 
 
THE FIJI ISLANDS. 427 
 
 Visited Eewa some time before. As there were several Europeans 
 residing in the town, the Missionary proposed holding Divine ser- 
 vice in English for their beneiit ; but only two came : so indif- 
 ferent were his countrymen to the great and glorious privilege of 
 hearing the Gospel in their own tongue in a strange land ; but 
 perhaps this may be partly accounted for from the fact of their 
 being, to a great extent, under French influence, for the Chevalier 
 sent his boat to Rewa to trade, notwithstanding it was the 
 Sabbath. 
 
 But discouraging as wore the circumstances of Mr. Cross and 
 his family at the commencement of the Rewa Mission, they were 
 rendered more so by a severe attack of illness by which the lonely 
 Missionary was now visited, and by which he was prevented from 
 ministering to the people during the six following Sabbaths. This 
 attack of fever was, no doubt, induced by the unwholesome and 
 uncomfortable dwelling which had been provided for the Mission 
 family. It was a house containing but one room, built on low, 
 damp ground, and almost surrounded by stagnant water, from 
 which the effluvia emitted in rainy weather was almost unbearable. 
 When Mrs. Cross was nearly exhausted with watching and atten- 
 tion to her afflicted husband, she was cheered and assisted by the 
 arrival of a white man, an American, named David Whippy, from 
 Ovalau, an island about fifty miles from Rewa. This kind-hearted 
 man rendered considerable help to Mrs. Cross during the night 
 watches, and the invahd was, through mercy, soon raised from 
 a bed of sickness. He continued in such a state of weakness, 
 however, that it was thought that his removal to a colder climate 
 would be necessary to save his life. 
 
 Happily, about this time arrangements were made for the rein- 
 forcement of the Mission. The circulation of a powerful and 
 pathetic appeal to the Christian people of England on behalf of 
 poor cannibal Fiji, written by the Rev. James Watkin, produced 
 such an effect that the Society felt warranted in sending out the 
 Revs. John Hunt, T. J. Jaggar, and James Calvert, with their 
 wives, in April 1838, and towards the close of the year they 
 landed safely at Lakemba, with a printing-press and materials for 
 
428 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 printing and binding books, &o. Fiji was now made a separate 
 District, of wbich the Eev. David Cargill, M.A., was appointed 
 chairman. At the first district meeting, which was held shortly 
 after the arrival of the Mission party from England, it was resolved 
 not to attempt the commencement of any now station till the 
 brethren from home had acquired some knowledge of the lan- 
 guage ; but to strengthen the existing Missions. The most press- 
 ing business was to relieve Mr. Cross, who, on account of the 
 shattered state of his health and constitution, had received per- 
 mission to remove with his family to Australia. Mr. Hunt was, 
 therefore, appointed to Rewa to take the place of the invalid 
 Missionary ; but when he got there, he found Mr. Cross much 
 better, who, feeling unwilling to leave his young brother alone, a 
 stranger to the language and to the people, nobly volunteered to 
 forego the privilege of visiting the Colony, that he might labour on 
 a little longer in a cause which was so dear to his heart. The 
 King having provided a more convenient and suitable house for the 
 Mission families, they lived and laboured together with com- 
 parative comfort, and with a cheering measure of success. 
 
 Schools were now formed for the instruction of the rising 
 generation, and preaching was commenced at several towns and 
 villages in the neighbourhood of Kewa. The Missionaries also 
 visited Viwa once a fortnight, frequently calling at Bau to converse 
 with the King and his Chiefs, with the hope of preparing the way 
 for the introduction of the Gospel to the heathen metropolis. It 
 was not without repeated instances of opposition and persecution 
 on the part of the pagan priests and people, sometimes encouraged 
 by those in power, that these zealous labours were at first prose- 
 cuted ; but the Lord greatl)' blessed the efforts of His servants, 
 and in a short time one hundred and forty natives avowed them- 
 selves the worshippers of Jehovah. As the work advanced, and 
 as the Missionaries gained a more perfect knowledge of the lan- 
 guage, the country, and the people, it became more and more 
 apparent, from its central position with reference to the population 
 generally, that Kewa must necessarily become one of the most 
 important stations in Fiji. In view of this fact, it appeared neces- 
 
THE FIJI ISLANDS. 429 
 
 sary to make some new arrangements for the more efficient prose- 
 cution of the Mission ; and for this purpose a special district 
 meeting was convened at Eewa, the Rev. Messrs. Cargill and 
 Calvert having come from Lakemba for the purpose of conferring 
 ■with their brethren. 
 
 At this meeting, which was held in the month of May 1839, it 
 ■was resolved to remove the printing-press from Lakemba to Eewa, 
 and to attempt, by the commencement of new stations, an aggres- 
 sive movement on the mass of heathenism which pervaded the 
 land, especiall}' as the new Missionaries were making satisfactory 
 progress in the language, and other brethren were expected shortly 
 from the Friendly Islands. In July the Rev. Messrs. Lyth and 
 Spinney arrived from Tonga ; and from their acknowledged ability, 
 zeal, and experience the most sanguine expectations v/ere enter- 
 tained with reference to their appointment to Fiji. These were 
 fully realised with regard to Mr. Lyth, who served the Mission 
 ■well for many years, especially in connection with the efficient 
 training of young men as native teachers, and in the medical 
 treatment of the afflicted ; but poor Mr. Spinney's health entirely 
 failed, and he was obliged to remove to Sydney, where he died, 
 happy in God, on the 10th of February, 1840. 
 
 After the reinforcement of the Mission the boundaries of the 
 Eewa Circuit were extended by the addition of a number of out- 
 Btations, to which native teachers were appointed ; and subse- 
 quently, after a desolating war had laid waste the country for 
 several years, both Viwa and Bau were occupied by resident Mis- 
 sionaries, and became the centres of important circuits. Thus 
 was Christian truth, from the pulpit, the schools, and the press, 
 brought to bear, with powerful effect, upon a dense mass of 
 heathen people, thousands of whom wore induced to relinquish 
 their barbarous habits, and to turn from the worship of dumb idoJs 
 to serve the true and living God. Many and fierce were the con- 
 flicts which the Missionaries had to encounter from the prevalence 
 of cannibalism, war, and superstilion ; and appalling were the 
 scenes of cruelty and of crime which they were compelled to 
 witness ; but the Gospel of Christ was aggressive in its onward 
 
430 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 march, and proved to be " the power of God " to the salvation of 
 many precious souls. Perhaps there never was such a struggle 
 between light and darkness, truth and error, Christ and Belial, as 
 that which took place in the coizrso of the Fiji Mission, before 
 Bau, the stronghold of heathenism, yielded to the lotu. But the 
 Missionaries, having obtained a firm footing at Piewa and Viwa, 
 persevered, and pushed forward their noble enterprise with a 
 moral heroism deserving the highest commendation ; and they had 
 their reward in the complete victory with which their efforts were 
 crowned at last. 
 
 Various circumstances combined to keep the Missionaries out of 
 the capital for several years after they had succeeded in intro- 
 ducing the Gospel to other places in Fiji. This was the place 
 where there was the largest number of heathen temples, and where 
 the priests exercised the greatest power over both King and people. 
 The country was, moreover, almost constantly embroiled in war, 
 first with Eewa, and then with Somosomo, and afterwards with 
 other places. It was to Bau that the bodies of the victims were 
 brought by scores and hundreds, when the savage warriors had 
 vanquished their enemies, or succeeded in surprising a party of 
 unoffending natives, when they wanted to make a cannibal feast 
 for the entertainment of their visitors. There human blood was 
 made to flow most copiously in honour of the demon-gods of Fiji, 
 and there the ovens were kept constantly ready for the disgusting 
 festivals and midnight orgies of a people led captive by the devil 
 at his will. But pc.-haps the greatest hindrance to the reception 
 of the Gospel at Ban was the inconsistent vacillating conduct ol 
 the ruling powers. The old King Tanoa continued in his heathen 
 state to the last, notwithstanding the manj' warnings which he 
 received; and at his death in 1852 five women were strangled to 
 accompany him into the spirit world, in the face of the most 
 faithful remonstrances of the IMissionaries. Thakombu, his son 
 and successor, was convinced of the truth of Christianity long 
 before he }iclded to its influence ; and it was only after he had 
 suffered numerous reverses and afflictions that he at length bowed 
 his knee to Jehovah. But when he did turn to God, Thakombau 
 
THE Fiyi ISLANDS. 431 
 
 began at once to use his powerful influence in favour of the truth ; 
 and great was the '^triumph of Christianity in Bau, and in other 
 parts of Fiji, when he yielded to the power of the Gospel. 
 
 SOMOSOMC. 
 
 One of the places fixed upon for a r.ew slation when the Mis- 
 sionaries in Fiji foimd themselves in ciioumctances to extend the 
 sphere of their operations was Somosomo, a large and important 
 town situated in Taviune, an island off the south-east point of 
 Vanau Levu, or Great Land. Tuithakau, the Ejng, accompanied 
 by his two sons, and some hundreds of his people, had visited 
 Lakemba soon after the arrival of the first Mitsionaries, and, 
 being favourably impressed with all that thoy saw at the Mission 
 station, especially with the knives, hatchets, iron pots, and other 
 ■useful articles which the white strangers had Irought with them, 
 he earnestly pleaded for Christian teachers. The wily monarch 
 urged his plea by a reference to the fact of his superior pov.'er and 
 influence, as compared with the King of Lakemba, alleging that, 
 if he embraced the Iota, all Fiji would do the same. At that time 
 it was not in the power of the Missionaries to commence a station 
 at Somosomo ; but, at length, the number of Missionaries being 
 increased, they made arrangements to do so. They knew that this 
 was pre-eminently, next to Bau, the stronghold of heathenism, a 
 den of iniquity, a very hell upon earth ; but with a firm reliance 
 on the God of Missions, and the promised protection and patronage 
 of the King, they hoped to overcome every difficulty. This 
 promised protection and patronage proved, however, as in some 
 other cases, false and deceitful, the King's motives being entirely 
 selfish and ambitious ; and the attempt which was -made to intro- 
 duce Christianity into Somosomo presents to our view one of the 
 darkest chapters in the history of the Fiji Mission. It is now oirr 
 painful duty to tell the mournful story, at least so much of it as is 
 fit for civilised ears, for some of the abominations of the savage 
 cannibal natives had better sink into oblivion. 
 
 It was in the month of July 1839, that Mr. Hunt removed from 
 
432 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Eewa, and accompanied by Mr. Lyth, went to Somosomo. When 
 they landed thoy met with no welcome greeting, as in some other 
 places ; but every one seemed to regard them with perfect in- 
 difference. An old house belonging to the King was given up for 
 the use of the two families, it is true, but beyond this little notice 
 was taken of them. This cold reception was trying enough to the 
 Missionaries and their devoted wives ; but severer troubles 
 awaited them. They saw around them, in every directioD, 
 abundant proof that they had come to a land of superstition, 
 cruelty, and blood. When they had got all their goods landed, 
 and before the vessel in which they came had taken her departure, 
 tidings reached Somosomo that Ra Mbithi, the King's son, had been 
 lost at sea, with all who sailed with him ; and that several women 
 were set apart to be strangled. The Missionaries, therefore, began 
 their work by pleading for the lives of these wretched victims. 
 All that they could do was to get the execution delayed till further 
 search had been made for the missing canoe. This proving fruit- 
 less, sixteen women were forthwith strangled in honour of the 
 young chief and his companions, and the bodies were buried within 
 a few yards of the house occupied by the Mission families. 
 
 When the Missionaries had toiled on for about six months, in 
 the face of every kind of opposition and insult to which the}' could 
 possibly be exposed, Mr. Hunt makes this touching record in his 
 Journal, under the date of February 7th, 1840 : — " Last Monday 
 afternoon, as soon as our class meeting was over, a report came 
 that some dead men were being brought here from Lauthala. The 
 report was so new, and so indeflmte, that at first we did not know 
 what to make of it. Almost before we had time to think, the men 
 were laid on the ground before ovu- house, and the chiefs, and 
 priests, and people met to divide them to be eaten. They brought 
 eleven to our settlement, and it is not certain how many have been 
 killed, but some say two or throo hundred, others not more than 
 thirty. Their crime appears to bo that of killing one man ; and 
 when the man that did it came to beg pardon, the chief required 
 this massacre to be made as a recompense. The principal chief 
 was killed and given to tbo great Ndeugei of Somosomo. I saw 
 
THE Fiyi ISLANDS. 433 
 
 Mm after he was cut up and laid upon the fire to be cooked for the 
 cannibal God of Somosomo. Oh ! shame to human nature !" But 
 wo forbear. This is only a specimen of what the ]\Iissionaries and 
 their families had to endure at this trying period ; and it is 
 believed that the full amount of their sufferings will never be 
 known in this world. 
 
 Whilst these appalUug scenes were being enacted, Divine 
 service was held by the Missionaries every Sabbath and at other 
 times, and occasionally a considerable number of people would 
 collect together to hoar the Word of God ; but these were chiefly 
 strangers from a distance, as the King strictly prohibited any 
 of the inhabitants of the place becoming Christians, or attending 
 the services. Fierce persecution and open violence were moreover 
 hrought to bear on the Missionaries, and the few Avho ventured to 
 attend upon their instructions. One day the King's son, club in 
 hand, came in fury to kill Mr. Lyth, who had refused to purchase 
 part of a melon from the King's favourite wife. Mr. Lyth escaped 
 to his bedroom, and Mr. Hunt held the angry chief in conversation 
 till his rage had cooled down. Every day^the position of tho 
 Missionaries and their families became more trying and more 
 dangerous, and they were perplexed to know what was best to be 
 done. 
 
 Early in ISiO Commodore Wilkes, with two ships of the United 
 States Exploring Expedition, visited Somosomo, and expressed 
 great sympathy with tho sufferers, placing at their disposal one of 
 the vessels, if they chose to remove with their efi'ects, and go (0 
 any other part of Fiji. The great kindness of the United States 
 officers was highly valued by the Missionaries, but their work was 
 begun, and they were resolved not to leave it till they had made 
 farther trial. Soon afterwards the Kev. John Waterhouse, the 
 General Superintendent of the South Sea Missions, visited the 
 station, where he found Mrs. Hunt very poorly, while her husband 
 was away at Rewa, whither he had gone to afford brotherly sym- 
 pathy to Mr. Cargill, whose excellent wife had just died. In the 
 meantime there were occasional instances of spiritual good re- 
 sulting from the labours of the Missionaries, which excited a 
 
 F F 
 
434 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 glea. 
 
 m of hope for the futui-e, but in general the darkness and 
 gloom in the prospect seemed to preponderate. 
 
 The health of the Mission famihes continuing to sutler from the 
 confined and unsuitable dwcUing which they occupied in the centre 
 of the town, tliej succeeded at length in erecting two tolerable 
 houses in a more open and airj' situation by the sea-shore, and 
 they were beginning to entertain hopes of the ultimate success of 
 the Mission, when several untovrard circumstances occm'red to 
 blight their p)rospeots. They first heard of the lamented death 
 of the Rev. John Waterhouse in Australia ; and then of the serious 
 
 GRAVE OF TUE r.ET. "^V. CUOfS. 
 
 illness of Mr. Cross, at Yiwa. Hoping to save the life of such 
 a beloved and valuable labourer, the Missionaries promptly made 
 arrangements for the removal of Mr. Cross to Somosomo, where he 
 might have the advantage of Mr. Lyth's medical skill, which had 
 been very successful in other cases. This arrangement was 
 carried out, and Mr. Hunt went to take charge of the Yiwa station, 
 on the departure of his suffering brother. But the fatigue of 
 removal, and the want of efficient servants, added to the exhaustion 
 caused by the disease, proved too much for Mr. Cross, and in 
 spite of Mr. Lyth's dihgent attention, he died oh the 15th October, 
 
THE FIJI ISLANDS. 435 
 
 1842. A native house was built over the grave of the devoted 
 Missionarjr, and beneath the same roof in this land of strangers were 
 interred the remains of two or three little children, who were re- 
 moved to a better country, while their bereaved and afflicted parents 
 were striving to plant the standard of the Cross in dark benighted 
 Somosomo. 
 
 We need not further dwell on the long and gloomy night of 
 hope deferred which brooded over the Missionaries and their 
 work in cruel blood-thirsty Somosomo, but hasten to relate the 
 mournful sequel. After labouring under the most tr}'ing and 
 discom-aging ch'oumstances, and suffering to an extent, onl)' known 
 to God, for eight years, with no improvement in their prospects, 
 the Missionaries began to entertain serious thoughts of relinquish- 
 ing the Somosomo station, that they might spend their strength in 
 more promising parts of Fiji. At the district meeting of 18-17, it 
 was, accordinglj', resolved to abandon this comparatively barren 
 field, and to enter some of the openings which were presenting 
 themselves in other places. When the removal was once decided 
 upon, it required the greatest care in carrying it into eflcct. The 
 Missionaries, therefore, began to prepare in the most silent and 
 quiet manner, so as not to arouse the anger and cupidity of the 
 natives. They packed up all their goods, unscrewed the windows 
 and doors of their houses, and got everything ready for embarka- 
 tion. According to previous arrangement the Triton anchored off 
 Somosomo on the 28th September ; and, with the aid of two 
 of their brethren, who came from Lakemba for the purpose, every 
 thing was got on board as well as could be expected. Of course 
 pilfering took place to a considerable extent ; but when they had 
 secured all they could possibly remove, the Missionaries were glad 
 to weigh anchor and leave a place which had given them so little 
 satisfaction. 
 
 A few j'ears afterwards the notorious persecutor, Tuikilakila, 
 King of Somosomo, died a violent death, and his dominions were 
 plunged into a civil war. Some of the most active opposers of the 
 Mission were killed, and others had to flee for their lives. " Yerily 
 there is a God that judgeth in the earth." Somosomo, after many 
 
 FF 2 
 
436 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 vicissitudes, is again to have a Missionary. May the jDeople now 
 knoYf and improve the day of their gracious visitation ! 
 
 Success in Su.n'dey Place.?. 
 
 About twenty miles from Viwa, to the northward, there is a very 
 important island called Ovalau. Its central position, with a good 
 harbour and anchorage, has made it the chief place of resort for 
 such ships as visit the group. The principal entrance, through the 
 reef which almost surrounds the island, is on the east side, opposite 
 Levuka, the capital, or chief town. This is the place where most 
 of the foreigners who have, from time to time, settled in Fiji have 
 fixed their residence. These white men from America, England, 
 Ireland, Scotland, and other countries, have generally connected 
 tliemselvcs with native women, and have families of coloured 
 children. They employ themselves in building boats, making 
 chests, planting provisions, and trading with the natives. Several 
 of the principal meu of the settlement own small vessels, in which 
 they cruise about and make short trading voyages to the different 
 islands of the group. 
 
 At an early period of their labours in Fiji, the Missionaries saw 
 and felt that in time to come these American and Em'opeau settlers 
 and their descendants would necessarily exercise a powerful influ- 
 ence upon the country for good or evil, and thcj' were anxious to 
 promote their spiritual welfare to the utmost of thcu' power. 
 Before any arrangement could be made by the brethren for the 
 benefit of their fellow-countrymen, so peculiarly circumstanced, 
 and as early as the month of May 1839, Messrs. Cargill and 
 Calvert were unoxpeotedlj' cast upon the shores of Ovalau. They 
 were proceeding in a small vessel on a visit to Ono and P^ewa, 
 when they were driven out of their course by contrary winds, and 
 anchored off the town of Levuka. Puring the fortnight that they 
 were detained there, the Missionaries were cordially received by 
 the white residents and natives in the neighbourhood of the settle- 
 ments, to whom they preached repeatedly, especially on the 
 Sabbath ; and an earnest desire was expressed by all parties for 
 
THE FIJI ISLANDS. 437 
 
 tlieir continued services ; but when the wind became favourable, 
 they were obliged to weigh anchor, and proceed on their voyage. 
 
 A Mission-station being deemed indispensable for the settlement, 
 in 1840, a piece of ground was purchased of the King of Levuka, 
 and generously presented to the Wesleyan Missionary Society, by 
 Mr. W. E. Waldren, Parser of the United States Exploring Expe- 
 dition ; and in the follov^'ing year Mr. Cross took two native 
 teachers to instruct the children of the settlers, and to hold re- 
 ligious services for the benefit of their fellow-countrymen. It was 
 the intention of the Missionary to visit the station occasionally till 
 more ample arrangements could be made to supply the spiritual 
 necessities of the people ; but his failing health prevented him 
 from carrying out his purpose to the extent he desired. 
 
 On the arrival of Mr. Hunt at Viwa, in 1842, he felt it his duty 
 to pay special attention to the whites and their families at Levuka ; 
 and on his frequent visits he preached to them in English, and 
 found them quite willing to receive instruction, and to alter their 
 mode of hfe, which had hitherto been fearfully depraved. The 
 settlers now began to observe the Sabbath, to wear better clothes, 
 and to procure shoes for their feet, that they might not descend 
 below the level of the degraded natives, which they were in danger 
 of doing. Several of them became lawfullj^ married, and such was 
 the general reformation, that they bid fair to become an industrious, 
 thriving, community. And, what is better still, a few gave their 
 hearts to God, who were formed into a class, and taken under the 
 pastoral care of the Missionary, whilst some of their sons were 
 taken to Viwa for special instruction and training, with the hope 
 that they might be made useful in time to come. 
 
 For some time after this favourable commencement, the good 
 work was retarded by the prevalence of war and other difficulties, 
 into the particulars of which we cannot now enter. But when the 
 country became more settled, the Missionaries resumed their visits, 
 and ultimately Ovalau became an important station, with a resident 
 Em-opean Missionary and an Enghsh schoolmaster. When Mr. 
 Calvert visited Levuka, in 1819, he had good congregations, and 
 was pleased to find that the wives and children of the settlers 
 
438 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 especially had made considerable progress in learning to read. 
 When a chapel had been erected, and the station was fully occu- 
 pied, more ample provision was made for the religious instruction, 
 both of the white settlers and their families, and the native popu- 
 lation of the island. 
 
 Among others, a mountaineer chief of high rank, living at a 
 town in the interior called Lovoni, became nominally Christian, 
 and desired Paul Yea, a Tongan teacher, who was residing at a 
 village on the coast, to become his instructor. In urging Paul to 
 go, the chief promised to feed him well ; and, as an inducement, 
 waving his hand round towards the towns belonging to Lovoni, 
 promised him plenty of snakes, saying, "All these parts are subject 
 to us, and the people will bring you and me plenty of snakes to 
 oat with our vegetables." Paul intimated that the promise was 
 not likely to entice him from the coast, as he did not desire such 
 diet. "Ah! " said the chief, " they are excellent food; superior 
 to pork, or fish, or fowls." Notwithstanding the difficulties arising 
 from the strange mode of living of these wild mountaineers, as 
 illustrated by this incident, and other peculiarities of the country, 
 the lotii prevailed in various parts of Ovalau, places of worship 
 were erected and schools estabhshed in several towns and villages, 
 and numbers were gathered into the fold of the Redeemer. The 
 good work has recently been extended to Thakaundrovi, and other 
 neighbouring islands, which, unitedl}', will form an important and 
 extensive circuit. 
 
 To the south of Yiti-Lovu, at a distance of about one hundred 
 miles, there is an important island called Kandavu, which, together 
 with a small grorrp of islets in its imuxediate vicinity, forms an 
 interesting Missionar)' circuit. Soon after the Piewa station had 
 been coiiimenced, this place attracted the notice of the brethren, 
 and two native teachers wore sent over as the pioneers of Chris- 
 tianity. These Inmible messengers of the churches were received 
 with much cordiality, from an impression which had gone forth 
 that the hilii. was designed universally to prevail, and the people 
 showed a remarkable readiness to attend to their instruction. On 
 one occasion a deputation was sent from a town a long wajr oti' to 
 
THE FIJI ISLANDS. 439 
 
 the capital, where the teachers lived, hogging that instruction might 
 be given to their people also. One of the teachers accompanied 
 the messengers on their return, and met the priests of the town, 
 who acknowledged their conviction of the falseness of their own 
 religion, and desired to be more fully informed about the Jotii. 
 They were so pleased with what they heard, that they requested 
 the teachers to visit them frequently ; but this being impossible, 
 in consequence of the distance and their numerous engagements, 
 the people of that place determined to remove and settle near to 
 the capital, that they might enjoy the benefit of religious instruc- 
 tion. At this town, the chief and people, with the permission of 
 the King of Eewa, to whom it was subject, became Christians ; 
 and there was a cheering prospect of still greater success, when it 
 was sadly blighted by the breaking out of a cruel and bloody war. 
 This resulted in the withdrawal of the teachers, and the station 
 was for a time relinquished. 
 
 For several years the country continued in a very unsettled 
 state. Kandavu being so intimately connected with Eewa, it 
 necessarily shared in the commotion resulting from the long- 
 continued war between that place and Bau. It was not till the 
 arrival of King George, of the Friendly Islands, at Fiji, in 1863, 
 that a better understanding was established among the people, and 
 a measure of peace V\''as restored to the country. The royal visitor 
 went to Kandavu with his fleet of canoes, and both there and at 
 every other island whore he called, he used his powerful influence 
 for the promotion of peace and the spread of Ckristianity. So 
 soon as the way was once more open, native teachers were again 
 sent to Kandavu. The Missionaries also visited the islands them- 
 selves, and were much pleased with the favourable prospects which 
 they beheld in every direction for the spread of the Gospel. When 
 writing to a friend in England, Mr. Moore saj-s, "I have been all 
 round Kandavu on foot, and I am surprised at the work of God. 
 You would be astonished to hear many pray who have only just 
 begun to serve the Lord." Ultimately the station was occupied 
 by a European Missionary, with a statf of eight efticient native 
 assistants, to labour in the respective towns and villages of the 
 
44° HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 group. A theological institution was, moreover, established there 
 for the purpose of training native agents for the whole district, 
 and a cheering measure of success was realised in every depart- 
 ment of the work. 
 
 We must now turn our attention to the larger islands of Fiji, 
 With respect to Viti Levu, we may regard the Rewa, Yiwa, and 
 Bau stations as immediately connected with it, and as bearing 
 directl}^ on its vast population, all three being in close proximity 
 to it. A considerable number of places, regarded as continental 
 towns and villages, were, moreover, included in the three circuits 
 which we have mentioned, and were occupied by native teachers 
 at an early period, and visited by the Missionaries as occasion 
 required. At the same time there are thousands of people in the 
 interior, and on the distant shores of the mainland, who have not 
 }'et been brought under the influence of Christianit}-. These will, 
 it is hoped, be visited and instructed as opportunities are afl'orded, 
 and as the means at the disposal of the Missionaries and their 
 agents will permit. 
 
 The other large and populous island, called Y.^xua Levu, attracted 
 the attention of the Missionaries at an early period ; but their 
 arduous duties on the stations which they already occupied for 
 some time prevented them from doing anything effectual for the 
 spiritual benefit of the inhabitants. At length, about the year 
 1843, the heathen Chief of Bua, the principal town of the "' sandal- 
 wood district," on the western point of the island, procm'ed a 
 native teacher from Viwa, to instruct a friend of his who had 
 renounced idolatry in favour of the lotii. This teacher, and others 
 who were afterwards sent to his aid, laboured under the direct 
 sanction of the Bua Chief, and were favoured with such en- 
 couraging success that, although the district had been unsettled 
 liy war, the converts amounted, in ISi;"!, to three hundred. 
 Presently this fair prospect was darkened by a sudden change in 
 the views and conduct of the Chief, who, on the con\ersion of one 
 of his relatives, became a violent persecutor of the Christians. 
 Thus the good work was retarded for some time. In 1847 the- 
 Chief of Bua died, and three of his wives were strangled in eon- 
 
THE Fiyi ISLANDS. 44, 
 
 nection with his funeral. Tho refusal of the native Christians to 
 take part in these appalling superstitious rites subjected them to 
 the still heavier displeasure of the sons of the deceased, who were 
 now in power, and they were annoyed in various ways till the 
 appointment of a regular Missionary to take charge of the station. 
 
 When the Somosomo station was given up, as already stated, 
 this was one of the new spheres of labour entered upon, as more 
 likely to repay the labours of tho Missionaries. In anticipation of 
 the new arrangement, Mr. Hunt had caused a house to be built in 
 a village called Tiliva, where most of the native Christians lived ; 
 and on the 8rd of November, 1847, the Rev. Thomas Williams 
 arrived from Somosomo to occupy the station. In a letter which 
 he soon afterwards addressed to the Missionary Secretaries in 
 London, Mr. Williams gives the following account of the locality 
 of the station, and the commencement of his labours : — " With the 
 locality of this new station I am much pleased. It is embosomed 
 in tropical luxuriance, and on the edge of a good river, and two 
 miles from the sea. The village of which my house forms a part 
 is Christian ; that on the opposite bank of the river is heathen. 
 My congregation on Sundaj' last numbered about one hundred and 
 twenty souls, most of whom were seriously attentive. The phj-- 
 sical appearance of this people is far below that of the Fijians 
 among whom I have laboured previously ; but there appears a 
 willingness to be taught, and to make my way as pleasant as they 
 can. The mind which produces these dispositions is of more 
 vv'orth than a noble exterior. Several small places at a distance of 
 from three to ten miles are open to me, at three of which we have 
 a few Church members." 
 
 For some time the aspect of the work was pleasant and en- 
 couraging. The Christian village of Tiliva, v/here the Missionary 
 resided, was separated from the heathen town of Bua by a river ; 
 and, being inhabited chiefly by lutii people, who had congregated 
 there from various parts of the country at the close of a desolating 
 war, it was a place of refuge, where the ordinances of religion were 
 highly prized. The regular attendance of the converted natives 
 on the means of grace, after all the sufferings which they had 
 
442 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 passed through, was a source of great comfort to the Missionary. 
 Soon after his arrival he was favoured with a visit from the Eev. 
 Walter Lawry, the successor of Mr. Waterhouse as General Super- 
 intendent of the Missions, when the people had their school-feast, 
 sang hymns, repeated various portions of Scripture, and presented 
 ofi'erings of sandal-wood, mats, and oil, as marts of respect to their 
 distinguished visitor, and of their love for the cause in vv'hich he 
 was engaged. 
 
 At an early period of the Mission a few remarkable cases of 
 conversions occurred, and two or three of the native converts 
 died happy in the pardoning love of God, and gave pleasing testi- 
 mony in their latest moments of their blessed hope of heaven. 
 When the new station was in a measure established, the Mis- 
 sionary felt at liberty to visit several places at a distance, where a 
 few native Christians were settled, and where there seemed to be 
 openings for the introduction of the Gospel among a people who 
 were still, to a large extent, heathen. In the course of the first 
 journe}', he came to a village called Nai Vakasinga, the chief of 
 which gave him and his people a cordial welcome. After a frugal 
 supper they were conducted to the heathen temple, or god-house, 
 to lodge, where they found several old cannibals in possession. 
 Among these strange occupants the Missionary, wearj' with travel, 
 stretched himself upon the floor, and tried to compose himself to 
 sleep. " On the following morning," he writes, " we conducted a 
 short service among oiu- heathen bed-fellows, and then set off to 
 our canoe." 
 
 Notwithstanding numerous hindrances, arising from occasional 
 wars and rumours of war, and the hostihty of heathen priests, and 
 others, the cause of God continued to advance in this new and 
 interesting sphere of labour. When the Bua Circuit had been 
 formed about three years, and Mr. Williams had been joined by 
 the Rev. AVilliam Moore, in 1852, the Missionaries were able to 
 report the opening of six new preaching-places and the erection of 
 three substantial chapels. The principal of these, which adorned 
 the hcadijuarters of tlic Mission, was acknowledged to be the best 
 place of worship in the entire gTOup. Mr. Williams, who appears 
 
THE FIJI ISLANDS. 
 
 443 
 
444 HISTORY OF WESLEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
 to have been a skilful meobanic as well as a faithful preacher of 
 the Gospel, also erected for himself a commodious dwelling-house, 
 and arranged everything about the station in a manner likely to 
 impress the natives with a favourable view of the manifold bles- 
 sings of Christianity, as may be seen from the aocompanj'ing 
 engraving. And, what is better still, about three hundred native 
 converts bad been received into the church by baptism, many of 
 whom gave satisfactory evidence of a change of heart. 
 
 About this time the newly arrived Missionary built a temporary 
 house on the other side of the river, and took up his residence 
 near the heathen town of Bua, that he might bring his labours to 
 bear more directly upon the pagan chief and his people. This 
 was a bold step on the part of Mr. Moore, especially as Mr. 
 Williams was obliged soon afterwards to remove to Australia, on 
 account of failing health, and this large circuit was again left to 
 the care of one minister. The arrangement, however, resulted in 
 a wider difitision of Christian truth ; and, in subsequent years, 
 by the blessing of God upon the zealous labom-s of Messrs. Mal- 
 vern, Wilson, and others, who were appointed to this station in 
 su.-cession after the removal of Mr. Moore, the work has now 
 spread over an extensive district on the mainland, and to the Yasawa 
 Islands, where out-stations have been formed ; and it is carried on, 
 with a prospect of still greater success, by two European Mission- 
 aries and four native Ministers whom God has raised up to take 
 part in this noble enterprise. 
 
 Another important station was afterwards formed on the 
 southern coast of Vanua Levu at a place called Naudi, and it has 
 been maintained, amid similar scenes of opposition, from the 
 horrible cruelties of heathen superstition and war to those which 
 were witnessed at Bua. The pioneer evangelist in this instance 
 was a devoted native teacher named Joel Bulu ; and whilst the 
 cause was in its infancj', the place was occasionally visited by the 
 llev. John Hunt and others from A'iwa, under whose direction a 
 Mission house was erected in a village where most of the native 
 Christians had taken up their residence. In 1847 the station had 
 become so important that it was found necessary to make more 
 
THE FIJI ISLANDS. 445 
 
 adequate provision to meet the increasing demands wliicli were 
 made for religious instruction by a people just emerging from the 
 darkness of heathenism ; and the Eov. John Watsford, who had 
 been labouring at Viwa, and the Rev. James Ford, who had just 
 arrived from England, were sent to occupy it. 
 
 The newly arrived Missionaries found their people occupying a 
 very unfavourable position in a low, swampy place, by the side of 
 a creek, hemmed in by dense forests of mangroves, and infested 
 with swarms of mosquitoes. To the inconveniences and discom- 
 forts incident to such a localitj', the Mission families were obliged, 
 for a time, to submit, as native houses had been erected for them 
 there, and there the lutii people were settled. The brethren had 
 scarcely commenced their labours, however, when the country was 
 visited b)^ one of those desolating hurricanes to which many of the 
 South Sea Islands are so liable. Their dwelhngs were almost 
 entirely demolished, the village was inundated, and they had to 
 make their escape with their wives and children, as best they 
 could, wading through deep water to a more elevated position. 
 There they waited till the fury of the tempest had abated, and the 
 waters began to subside, when they returned to the station and 
 witnessed an appalling scene of destruction. Fm-uiture, books, 
 and wearing apparel were either entirely destroyed or seriously 
 damaged ; and, what was worse still, Mr. Watsford's little 
 daughter caught such a severe cold from the exposure, that she 
 sickened and died about two weeks afterwards, and was buried in 
 a land of strangers. 
 
 The Mission-village was now removed to a more elevated and 
 healthy locality, and the Missionaries rebuilt their frail dwellings, 
 and proceeded with their work as usual. But their troubles were 
 not yet ended. The health of Mr. and Mrs. Ford so completely failed, 
 that they were obliged to return to England when they had been 
 only about a year in Fiji ; and Mr. Watsford being removed to 
 Lakemba, the new station at Nandi was occupied, in 1848, by the 
 Rev. David Hazlewood, and a few zealous native teachers. B}' 
 the blessing of God upon their united labours the work prospered, 
 schools being established, and preaching commenced at out- 
 
446 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 stations in various directions, especially at a place called Solevu, 
 where a number of white settlers had taken up their residence, 
 and also at Nandundu, a village about fifty miles fm-ther up the 
 coast. Mr. Hazlewood had not been long on the Nandi station, 
 when he was plunged into deep distress by domestic affliction and 
 bereavement. On the 7th of February, 1849, he lost a sweet little 
 girl, who was cut down after a short but severe illness, and before 
 the end of the month, he was called to follow to the grave, in a 
 strange land, the remains of his beloved wife, who died suddenly 
 three days after giving birth to an infant. The lonelj^ and 
 afflicted Missionary was visited by his friend and brother, Mr. 
 Williams, from Bua ; and all the Mission families in Fiji sincerely 
 sympathised with him, and his three motherless children, in the 
 great loss which they had sustained. 
 
 On the removal of Mr. Hazlewood to Australia, he was succeeded 
 at Nandi by the Eev. Messrs. Moore, Polgiase, Malvern, Water- 
 house, Fordham, and others, who prosecuted the work amid 
 various trials and difficulties resulting from personal and domestic 
 affliction, the prevalence of war and cannibalism, and the hostility 
 to the Gospel naturally arising from heathenish superstition in a 
 pagan land. But notwithstanding every obstacle, Christianity 
 continued to advance ; schools being estabUshed and chapels built 
 in various directions, whilst a goodly number of sinners were 
 brought to a saving knowledge of the truth ; and it is hoped that 
 the lotu will ultimately prevail throughout the length and breadth 
 of Venua Levu, as well as in every other part of Fiji. 
 
 Miscellaneous Incidents. 
 
 It is a pleasing sight to see dark benighted heathens, by hundreds 
 and thousands, casting away their idols, and bowing down in 
 humble worship before the Great Jehovah ; and it is still more 
 delightful to behold indubitable evidences of a genuine saving 
 work of grace upon the heart. In the history of the Fiji Mission 
 there were some remarkable instances of the outpouring of the Holy 
 Spirit in answer to prayer. If the revivals of religion were not so 
 
THE FIJI ISLANDS. 447 
 
 extensive as tbosc whioli occurred iu tlie Friendly Islands, they 
 were not less marked in their character as the real work of God. 
 In the month of Octohcr 1845, at Vi\va cspeciall)-, a gracious 
 influence descended upon the people, when assembled together for 
 the purpose of seeking a fresh baptism of the Spirit. Concerning 
 one of these meetings, Mr. Hunt wrote soon afterwards as follows : — 
 " Nothing was heard but weeping and praying. Many cried aloud 
 for mercy, and not in vain. The merciful God heard their cries, 
 and blessed them with pardon and peace. This was the com- 
 mencement of a series of meetings which were held every daj', and 
 sometimes many times a day, not onlj^ in the chapel, but in almost 
 every house in the town. A penitent meeting was held bj^ almost 
 every familj' night and morning ; in some instances nearly the 
 whole family were crying for mercy, with one heart and with one 
 voice. Business, sleep, and food were almost entirely laid aside. 
 We were at length almost obliged to force some of the new 
 converts to take something for the sustenance of the body. I think 
 about 'seventy persons were converted during the first five days 
 of the revival. Some of the cases were the most remarkable 
 I have ever seen, heard of, or read of; yet only such as one might 
 expect the conversion of such dreadful murderers and cannibals 
 would be. The work has spread throughout the circuit. I think 
 every place, more or less, has been blessed. ' The people that 
 sat in darkness have seen a great light.'" Many remarkable con- 
 versions also occurred, from time to time, when there v/as no par- 
 ticular excitement, as those of King Thakombau, the Chief Varini, 
 and others, who became eminently useful in promoting the spread 
 of the Gospel. The religious experience of the native converts, 
 as given in the class-meetings and love-feasts, and on other occa- 
 sions is described as generally satisfactory, and sometimes affecting 
 beyond measure. 
 
 A brief tribute of respect to the memory of the Kev. John Hunt, 
 
 the eminent Missionary to Fiji, may with propriety be placed on 
 
 ■ record here. His short but useful Hfe is a study for young men, 
 
 fraught with important and admonitory lessons. He was born at 
 
 Balderton, near Newark, on the the 13th of June, 1812, and in 
 
448 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 tjixrly life ho gave his heart to God. Soon after his conversion, he 
 was called to preach the Grospel to his foUow-countrymen. When 
 he had acted as a local preacher for some time, he offered himself, 
 and was accepted, as a candidate for the Missionary work, and 
 placed as a student in the Theological Institution at Hoxton, where 
 he remained nearly three 3'oars, a pattern of attention, diligence, 
 and Christian consistency, to the admiration of all with whom he 
 had to do. Mr. Hunt was appointed as a Missionary to Fiji in 
 1838, and he arrived at the scene of his future lahom's at the 
 commencement of the following year. For nearly ten years ho 
 was " in labours more abundant," crowding the services of a long 
 life into a comparatively short period. He speedily acquired a 
 knowledge of the Fijian language, and was incessantly engaged in 
 preaching, translating the Scriptures, composing theological and 
 other works, training native teachers, and laying himself out in 
 every possible way for the advancement of the cause of Christ in 
 the islands of Fiji, to which he was devotedly attached. Mr. Hunt 
 was a man of singular intellectual energ}' ; of a piety which 
 breathed the purest love to God and charit}' to man ; of a 
 patience which accumulated trials and difficulties failed to move ; 
 and of a " calmly fervent zeal " which in sickness and in health, 
 in strength and in weakness, was always in pursuit of its one great 
 object — the salvation of souls. Worn out with incessant toil, he 
 was at length seized with a severe illness from which he never 
 recovered. His death admirably corresponded with his life. 
 " You see a bright prospect before }"0u," said Mr. Lyth. He 
 replied, " I see nothing but Jesus." On another occasion, 
 Mr. Calvert read for him the seventieth chapter of St. John's 
 Gospel, and engaged in prayer. Towards the close Mr. Hunt 
 began to weep. At length he cried out, ''Lord, bless Fiji! Lord, 
 save Fiji ! Thou knowest my soul has loved Fiji." Again he said, 
 with great vehemence, "0, let me pray once more for Fiji! 
 Ijord, for Christ's sake, bless Fiji ! save Fiji ! save Thy servants ! 
 save Thy people! save the heathen in Fiji!" The dying 
 Missionary then became more composed, and after taking an 
 affectionate leave of his family and brethren, and repeatedly 
 
THE Fiyi ISLANDS. 449 
 
 expressing his unwavering coniidonce in the atonement of the 
 Redeemer, he slept in Jesus, on the the 4th of Xovemhcr, 1848, at 
 the early ago of thirty-seven. 
 
 Although the names of hut few Missionaries have Leon hrought 
 BO prominently before the public as that of John Hunt, from his 
 being cut down in the midst of his usefulness, and other circum- 
 stances, there have been many excellent humble labourers in the 
 Mission-field who have been er[uallj' devoted to their work, of whom 
 little has been heard at a distance ; but they will have their reward 
 in heaven. Yea, and a goodly number of zealous, holy, self- 
 denying Christian women, too, have been engaged in the enter- 
 prise to whom the cause of Missions is indebted to an extent that 
 manv are not aware of. In illustration of this, one instance of 
 female heroism may be given as a specimen of numerous cases 
 which have come under our notice, but which were never brought 
 to light before the vforld. 
 
 Mrs. Calvert and Mrs. Lyth were left alone with their children 
 nl Viwa whilst their husbands were gone to the District Meeting, 
 when a report was brought one day that fourteen women were to 
 he killed and cooked on the morrow. What could be done ? The 
 Missionaries had often interceded, with more or less success, for 
 human life. Would it be of any use for their delicate wives to 
 exert their influence to save the lives of their daxk heathen sisters ? 
 They resolved to try. A canoe was immediatel}' procured, and 
 the two ladies, with a fevv' natives, jumped into it. As they pro- 
 ceeded, poling over the fat, a distance of two miles, they drew 
 near to the blood-stained capital of Fiji, and heard, with trembling 
 hearts, the wild din of the savage cannibals grow louder and 
 louder with the dismal sound of the death-drum, and horrid 
 shrieks at intervals told that the dreadful work of murder 
 was begun. Nothing daunted, the noble-minded Englishwomen 
 urged on the boatmen to increase their speed. At length they 
 reached the beach, and, on jumping on shore, they met a lutii 
 chief, who dared to join them, saying, "Make haste! some arc 
 dead; but some are alive!" Guarded by an unseen power, the 
 Missionaries' vrives passed through the savage throng unhurt. 
 
 G G 
 
45° HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 They pressed forward to the house of the old King Tanoa, the 
 entrance to which was strictly forbidden to women. With a 
 whale's tooth as a present in each hand, they urged their plea 
 that the remaining lives might be spared at the footstool of his 
 sable majesty. The old man was startled at the audacity of the 
 fair intruders. His hearing was dull, and the ladies raised their 
 voices higher and yet higher in pleading for mercy. When the 
 King fully understood the nature of then- request, he said : " Those 
 who are dead, are dead ; but those who are stUl alive shall live." 
 At that word a messenger was immediately sent to stop the work 
 of murder, and he soon retm-ned to say that five of the women 
 were still alive, the rest of the fourteen having been killed. Having 
 faithfully executed their mission of mercy, the Missionaries' wives 
 returned to their homes with mingled feelings of gratitude and 
 sorrow, and with renewed resolutions never to neglect an oxspor- 
 tunity of doing good. 
 
 The watchful care of Divine Providence over the Missionaries 
 and theu' families whilst exposed to numerous dangers in foreign 
 lands, has, for many years, been very remarkable ; but, in a few 
 instances, a melancholy loss of precious lives in the service of the 
 Lord has been permitted by infinite wisdom. A most afflicting 
 case of this kind occurred in Fiji a few years ago, when the Kev. 
 Thomas Baker and his companions were murdered in the interior 
 of Yiti Levu, a brief account of which may interest the reader. 
 
 The station occupied by Mr. Baker was Davuilevu, in the Kewa 
 Circuit, about twelve miles from the mouth of the river ; but, 
 several native teachers having been appointed to interior stations 
 among tribes who had recently abandoned their idols and embraced 
 the lotu, it was thought desirable to pay them a visit of in- 
 spection. With this object in view, Mr. Baker left home, accom- 
 panied by a few native youths, on Satm-day, July 13th, and 
 ascended the river in his boat to a place called Natoaika, where 
 he preached on the Sabbath. The following week was spent in 
 visiting various out-stations and scattered tribes higher up the 
 country, with which he had been more or less acquainted before. 
 When he reached Dawarau, Mr. Baker seems to have resolved upon 
 
THE FIJI ISLANDS. 451 
 
 attempting to cross the country to the northern coast, an object 
 which he had long secretly cherished, as he wished to penetrate to 
 the interior regions, with the hope of inducing other tribes to 
 embrace the lotu. From this place he wrote a letter to his wife, 
 stating his intention, and the probability of his returning home by 
 sea. On proceeding forward, Mr. Baker and his party, which now 
 consisted of a native Missionary, two teachers, and six young men 
 from the training institution, came in contact with a tribe of savage 
 heathens at a place called Navosa, the chief of which plotted their 
 destruction. They were allowed the use of a hut to lodge in on 
 Saturday night ; and, having cooked their supper and united in 
 their evening devotions, they retired to rest. But the noise and 
 confusion which was kept up outside made sleep impossible, and 
 from what they heard they had reason to believe that mischief 
 was intended. This circumstance hastened their departm-e from 
 the town next morning ; but they had not proceeded more than 
 a hundred yards, when they were attacked by a band of armed men, 
 with the chief at their head, and were all murdered in cold blood, 
 with the exception of two of their j'oung men, who escaped as by 
 miracle, and fled with all possible speed .'"o communicate the mourn- 
 ful intelligence of the sad disaster. 
 
 Eeference having already been made to the visit of the Rev. 
 Robert Young to several stations of the Wesleyan Missionary 
 Society in the South Seas, we are glad to be able to give a brief 
 notice of his impressions of the work in the Fiji Islands. When 
 on their passage, in the Jvlm Wcsli'ij, from the Friendly Islands to 
 Australia, Mr. Young, King George, and Mr. N. Tui-ner reached 
 Lakemba on Sunday morning, the Gth of November, 1853, and 
 immediately went on shore, where they were received by a group 
 of half-naked savages. On ascertaining who the strangers were, 
 the countenances of the men on the beach brightened, however, 
 and they escorted them to the chapel, where the people, to the 
 number of about four hundred, were assembled at the morning 
 service. The Rev. John Polglase was the officiating minister 
 and, although he had only been in Fiji a short time, he preached 
 in the native language with considerable fluency. At the close of 
 
 aG2 
 
452 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 the service Mr. Young and his companions proceeded to the 
 Mission-house, where tliey were introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Lyth, 
 and also to Mr. and Mrs. Binner, who had been obliged, in con- 
 sequence of war, to leave their station at Ovalau. In the afternoon 
 a fellowship meeting was held, at which many of the native con- 
 verts spoke with much clearness of their personal religious expe- 
 rience, and of the blessed change which the Gospel had produced 
 in the country. Two or three of the following days were spent 
 by Mr. Young in examining Mr. Lyth's theological class and the 
 Mission-schools under the able superintendence of Mr. CoUis, a 
 trained teacher from England ; and the result was very satisfactory. 
 On Wednesday, King George preached, much to the edification of the 
 people ; and, in connection with the service, the Rev. J. Polglase 
 was united in marriage to Miss Mary Fletcher, the daughter of the 
 Eev. Joseph Fletcher, of Taunton. 
 
 On Saturday, the 12th, Mr. Young embarked with his com- 
 panions, and some of the Missionaries, for Viwa. The Sabbath 
 was spent on the sea, and the Mission-party held Divine Service. 
 On the following day they entered the harbom- of Viwa, where 
 they received a hearty welcome from the P^ev. Messrs. Calvert 
 and Waterhouse. The next few daj'S were spent by Mr. Y'oung 
 in business with the Missionaries, religious services with the 
 natives, examining the schools, and in a visit to Ban, where he 
 had an interview with the far-famed King Thakombau, and wit- 
 nessed many scenes of peculiar interest. He also visited, with 
 solemn feelings, the grave of the devoted John Hunt ; and, on 
 embarking for Sydney, on Friday, the 18th, he expressed his 
 admiration of the zeal, courage, and perseverance of the Mis- 
 sionaries, as well as his gratitude to God for what he had wit- 
 nessed of the triumphs of Christianity on the respective stations 
 of the Fiji District. 
 
 Many valuable testimonies to the usefulness and importance of 
 our Missions in Fiji, from parties entirely unconnected with the 
 Society, have appeared at different times ; but the most recent 
 is from the pen of the Rev. J. B. Smythe, a pious clergyman of 
 the Church of England, who was chaplain on board H.M.S. Brisk, 
 
THE Fiyi ISLANDS. 453 
 
 ■when she visited Fiji in the month of November 1867, to inquire 
 into the circumstances connected with the murder of the Rev. T. 
 Baker and his companions. Writing to the Rev. Stephen Rabone, 
 General Secretary of the Australian Missionarj' Society, Mr. Smythe 
 sa5-s : — " I cannot refrain from recording my high appreciation of 
 the great and good work which the Missionaries are accomplishing 
 in Fiji ; and which must be apparent to every unprejudiced and 
 Christian man visiting these Islands. It is, indeed, a rare pleasm'e 
 to attend the native services ; to see a large and flourishing con- 
 gregation imbued with the spirit of devotion and godly reverence ; 
 to hear heartfelt praise to God ; to observe their fervour in prayer, 
 and their love for their Bibles. Never was I so much impressed 
 with the power of Divine truth as when I stood in the midst of a 
 native congregation at Bau, of over seven hundred ; the King 
 seated in a dignified manner in an armchair, with his large Bible 
 before him ; the Queen, the finest specimen, as regards flesh and 
 bones, ' of the human face divine ' that I ever saw, in a con- 
 spicuous place among the women ; and heard the Gospel preached 
 by a native minister, and the accents of their praise ascending on 
 high, like the voice of many waters. The church is a large native 
 building, capable of holding one thousand persons, and displays 
 great ingenuity in its stylo of architecture. It is situated within 
 a few yards of the ruins of an old heathen temple, where human 
 sacrifices were wont to be offered to the gods previous to their 
 being cooked and eaten. The ovens which were used for this 
 revolting purpose of cooking the victims are still to be seen, filled 
 with earth, and quite close to the church. 
 
 ' ' I was well repaid for my visit to the Richmond Native Insti- 
 tution, on the island of Kandavu. The clean and airy school- 
 room, the tidy little houses of the students, and the beautiful 
 order in which the grounds are kept, delight the eye of the visitor. 
 When we entered the institution, a well-defined au- of satisfaction 
 gleamed in the faces of forty-five fine-looking yoimg men ; and, as 
 we proceeded to ascertain their mental attainments, slates and 
 paper were quickly placed before them, and the examination passed 
 off in a manner alike creditable to themselves and their energetic 
 
454 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 teacher. This institution is clearly the hope of Fiji, for native 
 teachers must be largely employed ; therefore a constant number 
 of not less than a hundred should be kept under instruction." 
 
 The introduction of the Gospel to the Fiji Islands is eflecting an 
 entire revolution in the condition, views, and habits of the natives, 
 who are rapidly becoming at least nominal Christians.* From the 
 
 FPi HT or iTi^L r\ rir i hctn i nfr E 
 
 * In the year 18G9, the Eev. Messrs. Ealioue and T\'aikius visited the -ivliole uf 
 the "Wesleyan Missions in tlie Sontli Seas, as a deputation from tlie Australian 
 Conference, and tlieir report of the state of the "srort and the advancement of the 
 natives in religious knowledge and general civilisation is most encoiu-aging. Of 
 Fiji they say: "Almost all things exceeded our expectations. The islands, their 
 size, beauty, and fertility. The people, if not in their personal appeai-ance, cer- 
 tainly in their behaviour. They are the politest Polynesians we saw — the French- 
 men of the South Sea Islands. Gentle in their movements and low in the tones 
 of their voices, you vrould think that they could not be violent ; but they can bo 
 so on occasions, as h8.s been shown through the whole of then- Imown histoiy. It 
 would be a good thing if the British Govomment would assume the protectorate of 
 these islands, in compliance with a request made by the native chiefs."' 'SVe learn 
 from other sources that Em'opean emigrants are Hocking to Fiji by hundreds, and 
 that the cultivation of cotton and other articles of export is being carried on very 
 extensively. For much additional interesting information the reader is referred to 
 an excelleut work recently published by the Eev. James Calvert, entitled, Fiji and 
 Ihe Fijian.^. 
 
THE Fiyi ISLANDS. 455 
 
 instructions of the Missionaries, and the increasing number of 
 European and American settlers who are flocking to their shores, 
 they are obtaining a linowlodge of arts, science, civilised ideas, and 
 useful animals of which they were previously ignorant. When the 
 Eev. Mr. Hazlewood imported a pair of horses in 1851, the natives 
 on the Nandi station were quite alarmed, and fled in terror from 
 the presence of the strange-looking creatures, having never seen 
 such animals before, but now farming stock is becoming common. 
 The principal thing now to be feared is the influence of that 
 irregular emigration and colonisation which is rapidly taking place 
 in Fiji. It is questionable whether the rule of King Thakombau, 
 with all the aid he can command, will be equal to the emergency. 
 One thing is quite clear, the Missions, which have been the 
 principal means of producing the wonderful change which has 
 been experienced, must be vigorously prosecuted and liberally 
 sustained, that the great work of evangelisation so auspiciously 
 begun may issue in its intended results. 
 
 EOTUMAH. 
 
 Kotamah is a solitary island of the Pacific, situated at a distance 
 of about three hundred miles to the north of Fiji, in latitude 
 12° 30' south, and longitude 177° 10' east. It is fifteen miles 
 long, and varies in breadth from two to seven miles. The island 
 is evidently of volcanic formation, and its surface is covered with 
 scoria, or ashes, among which lies a scanty but productive soil, 
 well adapted to the growth of cocoa-nuts, bananas, yams, and the 
 usual variety of vegetables and fruits found within the tropics. 
 The inhabitants, who are estimated at about four thousand in 
 number, are of smaller stature than the Fijians, and are difterent 
 in many of their customs as well as in their language. When the}' 
 first attracted the notice of Europeans, these people were deeply 
 debased, although, perhaps, not so cruel, bloodthirsty, and warlike 
 as their nearest neighbours. They encumbered themselves with 
 very little clothing, but tattooed their persons with curious devices, 
 
456 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 and besmeared their skins with a thick coat of turmeric and cocoa- 
 nut oil, which they used so plentifully that not only their scanty 
 wrapper of native cloth, but their mats and houses, and even 
 the trees on the roadside, were bedaubed with the rich yellow 
 compound, rubbed off from time to time from the bodies of 
 the people. 
 
 For a long time the Missionaries in the Friondl)' and Fiji 
 Islands were anxious to do something for the degraded inhabitants 
 of Kotumah ; but their hands were so full, and the distance was 
 so great, that they were unable to commence a Mission-station 
 among them, although it was known that they were quite willing 
 to receive instruction. At length, in the 3'ear 1841, three Tongan 
 native teachers were taken by Mr. Waterhousc to instruct the 
 people, and a good work was commenced which has continued to 
 advance from that time to the present. The native teachers fi'om 
 Tonga soon obtained some knowledge of the Rotumah language, 
 and laboured successfullj' ; but after a while it was found that 
 Fijians could more readily learn, and more perfectly pronounce, 
 this peculiar dialect, from its affinity, in some respects, with their 
 own. From this and other circumstances, arrangements were 
 ultimately made for connecting the Rotumah station with the Fiji 
 District, from whence it was supplied with native teachers, till 
 several were raised up on the spot to take a part in the good 
 work. 
 
 But however excellent native teachers may be, they require the 
 constant supervision of European Missionaries ; and, from the 
 isolated position of this station, it could seldom be visited. This 
 lack of ministerial oversight soon began to be more painfull}' felt 
 from the circumstance of the Romish Missionaries having gained s, 
 footing in the island. At length the case became so urgent that it 
 was arranged that an English Wesleyan Missiouarj- should occupy 
 the station, with a suitable stall' of native assistants. From this 
 lime the work of evangelisation rapidly advanced. Additional 
 places of worship were erected, schools established, and portions 
 of Scripture were translated ; which, to a considerable extent, 
 counteracted the baneful influence of Popery, and raised the people 
 
THE FIJI ISLANDS. 457 
 
 to a position wliioh they had never occupied before. Idolatry has 
 waned in RotiTmah, and more than half the native population has 
 been brought under the benign influence of Christianity. The 
 Rev. W. Fletcher, B.A., has been on this lovely island five years, 
 and has laboured most diligently, and -with great success, in every 
 department of the work. He has cflected a translation of the 
 entire New Testament, which he has carefully revised and pre- 
 pared for the press ; and the British and Foreign Bible Society 
 has generously sent out paper and binding materials to Sydney, 
 where Mr. Fletcher will pass the work through the press, and pre- 
 pare the boon for circulation among the people. 
 
 The last account published by the authority of the Australian 
 Conference, under whose direction the whole of the Wesleyan 
 Missions in the South Seas have been placed, are of a very 
 enoom'aging character. There are now employed in the Fiji 
 Islands and Rotumah thirteen European and J'ortij-four native Mis- 
 sionaries, with upwards of tirentij-firc tlioiisand Church memheis and 
 probationers under their pastoral care, whilst over fifty -one thousand 
 scltolars are receiving instruction in the Mission-schools. Of 
 subordinate agents mention is made in the Report of 1 English 
 schoolmaster, 839 catechists, 494 local preachers, 2,260 class- 
 leaders ; with 105,947 attendants on public worship in 472 chapels 
 and 391 other preaching places. 
 
 Special attention is also given to the training of native agents to 
 enable them to take an efficient and larger share in the great work 
 of evangelising their fellow-oountrj'men. Besides the training 
 institutions at the head-quarters of each circuit, for several j'ears 
 past an able Missionary has been entireljr devoted to this impor- 
 tant branch of the work at the Theological Institution at Kandavu, 
 where between forty and fifty of the choicest young men, selected 
 from all parts of Fiji, are receiving instruction of a higher class ; 
 and those who have gone forth from this institution have proved 
 its value. 
 
 Considering the deeply degraded state of the people, when the 
 Missionaries first arrived at Fiji, thirty-four years ago, and the 
 numerous difficulties with which they have had to contend in the 
 
458 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS 
 
 prosecution of their arduous enterprise, the results of their labours 
 are truly astonishing ; and they should excite in our hearts feelings 
 of sincere gi-atitude to Almighty God for what has been already 
 achieved by the power of His Gospel, whilst they encourage us to 
 renewed efforts for the accomplishment of what still remains to be 
 done before the whole of the people can be said to be won for 
 Christ. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 INDIA. 
 
 THE COUNTEY AND THE PEOPLE COMMENCEMENT OP WESLEYAN 
 
 MISSION — CEYLON MADEAS BANGALOBE CALCUTTA LUCKNOW. 
 
 WE have now to call the attention of the reader to the origin 
 and progress of the Missionary enterprise in a country and 
 among a people different in many respects from those which have 
 hitherto passed under review. In the East we meet with heathen 
 temples and systems of idolatry and superstitions which bear upon 
 their front evident marks of hoary antiquity, and which are not so 
 easily overthrown. We will not anticipate, however, but proceed 
 at once, according to the plan adopted in other cases, to take a 
 glance at the country and its inhabitants, as preparatory to a brief 
 account of the means employed for their evangelisation. 
 
 India, or Hindustan, as it was formerly called, is a large and 
 important portion of the British Empire, situated in Asia, having 
 Persia and Arabia on the west, and China and Burmah on the east, 
 with the Himalaya Mountains on the north, and the Indian Ocean 
 on the south. In a country of such vast extent, comprising an 
 area of one million three hundred thousand square miles, we are 
 not sm-prised to find almost every variety of climate and scenery ; 
 but from its position, chiefly within the tropics, the heat in many 
 places is oppressive during the greatest part of the year, and it is 
 only in a few mountainous districts that a cool and bracing air is 
 
450 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 generally to lie found. Hence the climate of India has ijroved 
 trying to the European constitution, and only a few Englishmen, 
 who go out early in life, become so acclimatised as to endure 
 a residence there for many years without a change. The general 
 aspect of the country presents to the view towering mountains, 
 dense jungles, and extensive verdant plains, which are almost 
 inundated at certain seasons, and which are thereby rendered very 
 productive, especially in paddy, or rice — an article on which the 
 natives chiefly subsist. In addition to the provisions grown for 
 home consumption, various articles of produce are cultivated in 
 India for exportation ; among which may be mentioned hemp, 
 cotton, tobacco, sugar, cofl'ee, rice, spices and drugs of various 
 kinds, and numerous other commodities, to the use of which we 
 have been so long accustomed in England, that we now regard 
 Ihcm as included among the common necessaries of life. 
 
 The island of Ceylon, which is two hundred and seventy-one 
 miles in length, and one hundred and thirty-seven in breadth, and is 
 separated from the mainland by Palk's Straits, diiiers in some 
 respects from Continental India. The central portions of the 
 island form a vast mountain plain, enclosed on all sides by rugged 
 heights, with a broad belt of low land stretching round its exterior 
 border, reaching thence to the sea. The celebrated mountain 
 called Adam's Peak, is a conspicuous object from almost every 
 point of view, as it rises to the height of 7,120 feet above the level 
 of the sea, and it is associated, iu the minds of the natives, with 
 many curious traditions. Ceylon abounds with extensive forests 
 and vast tracts of fertile land, on which most of the articles already 
 mentioned are cultivated, especially cofi'ee, spices, aud some other 
 important items of export. 
 
 In turniug our attention to the inhabitants of India, we are 
 somewhat perplexed as to the best course to pursue. It is no easy 
 task to give an intelligible aud succinct account of a population 
 amounting to one hundred and seventy millions, comprising nations 
 and tribes of such diversity of character, language, and religion, as 
 are found in our vast Indian Empire. It may bo sufficient for our 
 present pui'pose to state that the entire population of Continental 
 
INDIA. 
 
 461 
 
462 HISTORY OF WESLEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
 India and Ceylon are chiefly Hindus and Mohammedans, with a 
 few Pareees or fire-worshippers. But if we were going into a 
 minute analysis, which is not necessary, we should have to sub- 
 divide these two grand classes of religionists, and describe each 
 portion separately. The Mohammedans originally came from 
 Ai'abia, and at an early period received the Spanish name of 
 Moors, which has ever since been appHed to them. Being shrewd, 
 designing, fanatical and powerful, they became the dominant race, 
 both in Ceylon and on the Continent, previous to the advent 
 of the Europeans, and they ruled the poor timid Aborigines with a 
 rod of iron. Their religious system needs no description here, as 
 it is the same in every part of the world where it prevails. It is 
 only necessary to say that, wherever the Moors succeeded in 
 establishing their authority, they required all, by the powerful 
 arguments of fii'e and sword, to submit to the dogmas of the false 
 prophet. 
 
 The Hindus, or original natives of India, whether professedly 
 Buddhist or Brahmins, are Pagans, and consequently idolaters. 
 They build splendid temples to the honour of their numerous gods, 
 in which are set up idols of gold, silver, brass, wood, and stone, 
 frequently of the most hideous and repulsive form. To these idol 
 shrines are brought offerings of food, fruit, and flowers ; and 
 although the gods cannot appropriate the offerings, the priests in 
 attendance, who live in ease and indolence, can : and thus the 
 simple people are deceived. Nothing can be more afiecting than 
 to see Hindu parents with their children coming to the temple to 
 present their sacrifices to dumb idols, and thus training up the 
 rising generation to worship gods made by the hands of men. But 
 it is on the occasion of their great festivals, when the peojple con- 
 gregate to the number of tens of thousands, that the sin and folly 
 of these miserable idolaters are most apparent. Then may be 
 heard the wild and frantic shouts of the multitude as they drag 
 along the car of Juggernaut, crushing beneath its ponderous wheels 
 the wretched victims devoted to destruction, to propitiate their 
 blood-thirsty deities. Then may be seen devotees with iron hooks 
 thrust through their flesh, swinging in the air amid the deafening 
 
INDIA. 
 
 463 
 
 plaudits of the maddened throng, who regard the act as highly 
 meritorious. And so deluded are these poor heathens, that mothers 
 may often be seen casting their sickly children into the sacred 
 waters of the Ganges, to be devoured by the crocodiles, not so 
 much perhaps with a view to be relieved from attending to them. 
 
 
 
 ^.v ^'*?^, 
 
 THE YOUKa IDOLATEIl. 
 
 as to appease the anger of their cruel gods, to whose displeasure 
 thej' attribute all the afflictions which come upon them. 
 
 Such a state of things is sufficient to awaken in the breast of 
 every true Christian the tenderest emotions of S5'mpathy and 
 sorrow. But, although more than three hundred years have 
 
454 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 elapsed sIdco the Hindus first came in contact with, the pale-faced 
 strangers from the West, comparatively little has yet been done 
 to bring them to a saving knowledge of the truth. When the 
 Portuguese arrived in Ceylon in the beginning of the sixteenth 
 century, and established their rule over a considerable part of the 
 island, they zealously propagated Roman Catholicism ; but this did 
 little good, as, in its pompous ceremonies, picture-worship, and 
 moral influence, it was not much better than the Paganism which 
 they found pervading the land. This first race of settlers in Cej'lon 
 was superseded by the Dutch in 155G, when a certain kind of Piefor- 
 mation was introduced among the natives. As an inducement to 
 embrace Lutheranism, in preference to Piornan Catholicism or 
 Paganism, offices under Government were offered only to such as 
 were baptized into the national faith. This well-meant, but 
 mistaken policy, brought hosts of nominal Christians within the 
 pale of the Church, and to attend the commodious places of 
 worship which were everywhere erected; but it did little for 
 the cause of true religion, as it is well known that many of 
 these professed converts never rehnquished their idolatrous 
 rites and ceremonies, but were, in fact, the most accomplished 
 hypocrites. 
 
 When, at a later period, nearly the whole of Continental India 
 and Ceylon were brought under British rule, a brighter day dawned 
 upon the oouutrj'than it had ever seen before. With all its faults, 
 our Government of India has been merciful, mild, and benign, 
 compared with that of its Mohammedan i-ulcrs, who previously 
 swayed the sceptre ; and it has been more likely to benefit the 
 people than the partial and temporaiy rule of other European 
 powers which it has in a great measure superseded. At the same 
 time it must bo confessed that for man)' years the British East India 
 Company discouraged every eftbrt that was made to evangelise the 
 Hindus, and even prohibited Christian Missionaries from settling 
 in the country so long as it was in their power to do so. In the 
 midst of numerous difficulties and discouragements, however, the 
 Church, Scottish, London, Baptist, American, Wesleyan, and 
 other Missionary Societies, have done something towards spreading 
 
INDIA . 465 
 
 the light of the Gospel among the dark, benighted, teeming millions 
 of India. We now proceed to trace the origin and progress of one 
 important branch of this glorious work. 
 
 Commencement of Wesleyan Mission. 
 
 The Wesleyan Mission to India, the history of which is so dis- 
 tinctly marked by the providence and grace of God, originated 
 with the venerable Dr. Coke, who has been appropriately styled 
 the " Father of Methodist Missions." The zealous Doctor had 
 already crossed the Atlantic eighteen times ; planted Missions, and 
 laboured indefatigably to establish the Word of God in America 
 and in the West Indies ; and worked hard for Ireland, to say 
 nothing of his literary toils and travels in England. And now, in the 
 evening of life, at the age of sixty-six, when most men would 
 have thought of taking a little rest, he conceived the noble idea of 
 inaugurating a Methodist Mission to India. In view of his 
 advanced age, and the risk to health and life which his residence 
 in the torrid zone would involve, many of his friends tried to 
 dissuade him from his purpose ; but so firmly was he convinced of 
 a Divine call, and so fully was his heart set upon the project, that 
 in writing to one of them, he gave expression to the following 
 noble sentiments : — " I am now dead to Europe, and alive to 
 India. God Himself has said to me, ' Go to Ceylon.' I am so 
 fully convinced of the will of God, that methinks I had rather be 
 set naked on the coast of Ceylon, without clothes, and without 
 a friend, than not go there." 
 
 At the Wesleyan Conference of 1813, which assembled in 
 Liverpool in the month of August, Dr. Coke brought forward his 
 proposal for a Mission to India. The certain costliness of the 
 undertaking, and the many difficulties attending it, appeared so 
 formidable that the ministers spent a whole Jay in discussing the 
 question. The matter being still undecided when the session 
 closed, the Doctor repaired to his lodgings with a heavy heart. 
 The Rev. B. Clough, who accompanied him, afterwards testified 
 that he shed a profusion of tears as they walked along the street, 
 
 H H 
 
465 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 on reference being made to the opposition of some of his hrsthren 
 to his cherished project. The next morning, when the Conference 
 assembled, the Doctor was absent, and on calKng at his lodging, 
 Mr. Cloiigh was admitted to his chamber, and he perceived at once 
 that his venerable friend had passed a night without repose. In 
 fact the man of God intimated to his visitor that he had spent 
 much of it on the floor in prayer for India. 
 
 When the Conference met again, the debate on the Indian 
 Mission was resumed; and Dr. Coke, being now in his place, at 
 the proper time arose, and told his brethren all that was in his 
 heart, in an address so clear, and with an appeal so convincing, that 
 every difficulty seemed to disappear. He detailed the Providential 
 circumstances which had led him to desire the establishment of the 
 Mission ; the favom-able disposition which some men in power 
 had manifested towards it ; the grand duty of preaching the 
 Gospel of the Grace of God to the perishing millions of the East; 
 and then, making the offer of himself, and mentioning the profl'ered 
 services of the Ministers who had consented to " brave with him 
 the dangers of the enterprise," he added boldly and generousl}', 
 that " if the Connexion could not furnish the means, he would gladlj' 
 defray the expenses necessary to the outfit and commencement of 
 the work himself, to the extent of six thousand pounds." Awed 
 into acquiescence by so splendid an example of devotion and 
 generosity, his brethren in the Conference at once gave their 
 consent, and Dr. Coke and six young Ministers — namely, the Eevs. 
 William Ault, James Lynch, George Erskine, William M. Harvard, 
 Thomas Squance, and Benjamin Clough — were at once appointed 
 to proceed on a Mission to the East Indies. 
 
 From the moment that the Conference gave its sanction to the 
 enterprise. Dr. Coke and his companions were busily employed in 
 preparing for their embarkation. Some attention had to be paid 
 to the languages spoken in the East, while at the same time suitable 
 outfits of books and wearing apparel had to be provided. On the 
 zealous little Doctor himself devolved a large amount of care and 
 responsibility connected with stores, passages, and other matters. 
 As it was found impracticable for the whole Mission-party to sail 
 
INDIA. 467 
 
 in the same ship, passages were engaged for Dr. Coke, Mr. Clough, 
 and Mr. and Mrs. Harvard, on board the Cahalca ; and for Messrs. 
 Lynch, Erskine, and Squanoe, and Mr. and Mrs. Ault, in the Lady 
 Melcille. It being war time, it was arranged for these vessels to 
 sail in convoy ; and every necessary preparation being completed, 
 Dr. Coke and his companions proceeded to Portsmouth in tho 
 month of December to join their respective ships. There they had 
 to wait some time, but they were not idle. Some very interesting 
 religious services were held during the period of their detention. 
 Dr. Coke preached his last sermon in England in St. Peter's 
 Chapel, Portsea, from his favourite text, " Ethiopia shall soon 
 stretch out her hands unto God." And when the Mission-party 
 were all together afterwards, ho exclaimed with delight, "Here we 
 all are before God, six Missionaries and two dear sisters, now 
 embarked in the most glorious work in the world. Glory be 
 ascribed to His blessed name, that He has given you to be my 
 companions and assistants in carrying the Gospel to the poor 
 Asiatics ; and that He has not suffered parents, nor brothers, nor 
 sisters, nor dearest friends, to stop any of you from going with me 
 to India." 
 
 A signal having at length been given that the fleet was about to 
 weigh anchor, Dr. Coke and his party met at Mr. Keets', where 
 they spent a short time in singing and prayer. Having thus com- 
 mended each other to God, they proceeded to embark on board 
 their respective ships on the 29th December. On the following 
 morning, the last day in the year 1813, the beautiful panorama 
 of the Isle of Wight, and the grand sights which Portsmouth, with 
 its towers and spires, its ramparts and battle-ships, presented in 
 time of war, had vanished from their sight, and the fleet was on its 
 way down the English Channel. When tolerably settled on board, 
 and somewhat recovered from sea-sickness, the Missionaries com- 
 menced a systematic course of study, to prepare themselves more 
 fully for their great work ; and they also held religious services at 
 stated periods, for their own benefit and that of their fellow- 
 passengers. 
 
 On the 10th of February, 1814, an event occui'red which cast a 
 
 II H 2 
 
468 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
INDIA. 469 
 
 gloom over tlie Mission-party. It was knoAvn that Mrs. Ault was 
 ill, and that she had been unable to sit np ever since she came on 
 board ; but on the morning of that day the Union Jack was soon 
 flying half-mast high on board the Lady Mch-ille, and it was soon 
 announced by signal that the dear suflercr had passed away to her 
 eternal rest. The whole fleet joined in the token of mourning, and 
 the same evening her remains were committed to the mighty deep, 
 with a solemn religious service, in hope of a glorious resurrection 
 to eternal life. But this was only a prelude to a still heavier trial 
 which awaited the Mission-party. Whilst several of the brethren 
 had been sick and confined to their cabins, Dr. Coke was generally 
 pretty well, active, and cheerful, although some of the passengers 
 thought that he had, for a few daj-s past, looked more pale than 
 usual. After their usual devotional exercises, he retired to his 
 cabin one night slightly indisposed, accompanied by Mr. Clough, 
 who was wont to see that his venerable friend had everything that 
 was necessary. Before lying down, the Doctor requested to have 
 some medicine brought from the chest, which he intended to take 
 that night. This was done, and various little arrangements made 
 for his comfort. Mr. Clough then requested permission to watch 
 at his side all night ; but Dr. Coke thanked him, and said this was 
 not necessary, as he hoped ho should be better in the morning. 
 This was the last time that his gentle voice was heard on earth. 
 At half-past five o'clock next morning, the 8rd of May, the faithful 
 attendant, as usual, stood at the Doctor's cabin door, and knocked. 
 He listened in vain for the accustomed acknowledgment. At length, 
 moving the latch, ho noiselessly entered the room, and petrified with 
 surprise and awe, beheld the form of the venerable man of God 
 stretched lifeless on the floor. 
 
 After recovering in a measure from the shock which this melan- 
 eholy spectacle had given him, the man hastened to communicate 
 the discovery to Captain Birch, who, startled and perturbed by the 
 intelligence, sent in the first place for Mr. Clough, and made him 
 acquainted with what had come to pass. Endeavouring to master 
 his own agitation, Mr. Clough proceeded to break the news to his 
 colleague and the other brethren on board the Ladij Melville, which 
 
470 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 was still in company. It would be in vain to attempt to describe 
 the feelings of intense sorrow and anguish which this mysterious 
 dispensation of Divine Providence produced on the minds of those 
 most immediately concerned. It is distressing to dwell on such a 
 painful subject. It may be sufficient to saj', that Captain Birch, 
 having expressed a decided opinion that it would not be prudent 
 to attempt to preserve the remains of the dear departed servant of 
 the Lord till the ship reached her destined port, arrangements 
 were at once made for the funeral at sea ; and in the evening, 
 amid the sighs and tears of the Missionaries, the passengers, and 
 the sailors, and with the usual solemn reHgious service, the body 
 cf Dr. Colie was committed to the mighty deep in latitude 2^ 29' 
 south, and longitude 59° 29' east, "in sure and certain hope of a 
 glorious resurrection to eternal life," in that day when the last 
 trumpet shall sound and ' ' the sea shall give up the dead that are 
 therein." 
 
 Believing that this afHictive dispensation of Divine Providence, 
 however dark and mysterious, was intended for some wise and 
 good purpose, the Missionaries endeavoured meekly to bow in 
 humble submission to the will of God, and resolved, in the name 
 and strength of their Divine Master, to do their best to fulfil their 
 important Mission to India. On the 21st of May both ships 
 arrived at Bombay; and as soon as they had cast anchor, Messrs. 
 Harvard and Clough went on board the Lachj MdviUc to consult 
 with the other brethren as to the steps it would be necessary to 
 take in their peculiar position. It was now discovered that Dr. 
 Coke had left no letters or papers authorising anyone to draw 
 money or transact any business on his account or that of the Mis- 
 sionary Society, in whose service they were engaged. The Mis- 
 sionaries felt themselves to be in a dilemma ; but, implicitly 
 relying on the good providence of God, they brought their case 
 before their Heavenly Father in fervent prayer, and He prepared 
 their way before them. Captain Birch, whose kindness and 
 sympathy for the young evangeUsts had been uniform and con- 
 stant from the beginning, and especially in the time of their trial, 
 generously offered to represent the case to Thomas Money, Esq., 
 
INDIA. 
 
 471 
 
 a respectable merchant in Bombay, to wbom Dr. Coke had a letter 
 of introduction. Such was the effect of this representation that 
 ■when Mr. Harvard, at the request of his brethren, went on shore 
 and presented the said letter to the Indian merchant, he declared 
 his readiness to advance any amount of cash the Missionaries might 
 
 
 require, on behalf of the Committee in London, and to render 
 them any service in his power. 
 
 After spending about a month in Bombay, the Missionaries 
 embarked for Ceylon, the place of their destination, on the 20th of 
 June, with the exception of Mr. and Mrs. Harvard, who remained 
 some time longer on account of family circumstances. On reaching 
 
472 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Point de Galle, after a pleasant passage of nine days, tlie brethren 
 met with a most cordial reception from Lord and Lady Moles- 
 worth, His Excellency General Brownrigg the Governor, and 
 other friends whom they had never seen before, but who took a 
 lively interest in their welfare in consequence of letters which 
 they had received from Mr. Money and others ; so that they were 
 unexpectedly welcomed to the country by persons of station and 
 iulluence who were in a position to render them essential service. 
 
 Ceylon. 
 
 But thankful as the Missionaries were for the friendship and 
 hospitality of such distinguished personages as Governor Brown- 
 rigg and Lord and Lady Molesworth, and others, — for the Govern- 
 ment House being placed at their disposal as a temporary resi- 
 dence, and for the use of the chui'ch at Galle on the first Sabbath 
 after their arrival in Ceylon, — they would not have been satisfied 
 without suitable openings for the commencement of their proper 
 Missionary work among the natives. It was not long, however, 
 before their highest wishes were gratified. The Government 
 authorities named several places in the island where ministers 
 of the Gospel were much required, as well as schools for the 
 training of native children. It was also intimated that in aid of 
 the educational department of the work financial grants would 
 willingly be made from Government funds. 
 
 After mature deliberation, it was decided to commence stations, 
 in the first place, at Colombo, Galle, and Matura, in the south, 
 among a native population speaking the Singhalese language and 
 at Jaffna and Batticaloa, in the north, where the Tamil language 
 was in common use. Then came the important question of how 
 the preachers should be stationed. This might have been a com- 
 paratively easy matter under ordinary circumstances ; but this 
 band of zealous young Missionaries had lost their father and their 
 head, and were left without Bishop, President, Chairman, or 
 Superintendent. They seem, however, to have been inspired by 
 a sincere desire to do the work of the Lord anj'wherc and every- 
 
INDIA. 
 
 473 
 
474 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Yviierc, as He might seem fit to appoint. They foresaw that those 
 Missionaries who might occupy stations where they must neces- 
 sarily learn the Singhalese language would never be able to inter- 
 change with brethren who had acquired a knowledge of Tamil. 
 This consideration seemed to enhance the importance of the ques- 
 tion, and made them more earnest in prayer for Divine direction. 
 At length they agreed to fix the appointments by ballot, when it 
 was arranged for Mr. Clough to be stationed at Galle, Mr. Erskine 
 at Matura, Mr. Ault at Batticaloa, and Messrs. Lynch and Squance 
 at Jafiha, whilst Mr. Harvard was to occupy Colombo on his arrival 
 from Bombay. All appeared perfectly satisfied vnth the arrange- 
 ment. Not a mm'mining word was heard, and it is believed that 
 not a thought or feeling was experienced contrary to perfect 
 acquiescence. 
 
 In taking a brief survey of the respective Mission-stations which 
 were established in Ceylon, the first place which demands om* 
 attention is Colombo, inasmuch as it is the maritime capital of the 
 island, and the head of the Wesleyan South, or Singhalese, Dis- 
 trict. The town is situated on the west coast, and is built more 
 in the European style than most other garrison towns in India. 
 It is remarkable for a very strong fort, upwards of a mile in cir- 
 cumference, which stands on the extremity of the peninsula, the 
 sides of which are washed by the waves of the Indian Ocean. A 
 striking and picturesque object which arrests the attention of the 
 visitor is a curiously-constructed bridge of boats, over which he 
 has to pass on entering the town. 
 
 The population of the cantonment has been estimated at fifty 
 thousand, and comprises persons of diflerent casts and shades of 
 character, speaking the Singhalese and Portuguese languages. 
 The Kev. W. M. Harvard, the first Missionary who was appointed 
 to this interesting sphere of labour, arrived at Colombo in the 
 month of March 1815, and entered upon his work in the true 
 Missionary spirit. He found a valuable assistant in Mr. A. 
 Armour, a zealous and devoted Christian gentleman who had 
 formerly belonged to the British Army, but who had now retired 
 from military service, and was engaged as Government school- 
 
INDIA . 
 
 475 
 
 teacher. Mr. Armour had heen a member of the Weslej'an Metho- 
 dist Society in early Hfe ; and, having retained his first love, and 
 laboured to be useful according to his ability in the land of his 
 adoption, he hailed with feelings of gratitude and joy the arrival 
 of a Wesleyau Missionary, and offered him his cordial co- 
 operation. 
 
 Mr. Harvard, being a man of considerable mental ability, sound 
 good sense, and gentlemanly manners, was admirably adapted for 
 his position, and he soon won the confidence and goodwill of all 
 classes of the community. His first concern was to make himself 
 more fully acquainted with the languages in which he would have 
 to minister ; but, in the meantime, he frequently preached and 
 held other religious services in English, both for the benefit of 
 soldiers and civilians. It was not long, however, before he was 
 able to proclaim the glad tidings of salvation both to Singhalese 
 and Portuguese congi'egations in their own tongues ; and the Word 
 preached came with convincing power to the hearts of some of his 
 hearers. Before the end of the year he formed a class of fifteen 
 members ; and thus the foundation of a native church vras laid in 
 Colombo, which has continued to prosper from that day to this. In 
 his evangelical labom's Mr. Harvard was efficiently aided, not only 
 by his countryman, Mr. Armour, already mentioned, but also by 
 several intelligent native young men who were raised up on the 
 station as the fruit of Missionarj' labour. 
 
 Christian schools were also organised for the training of the 
 rising generation ; and, in the com-se of the following year, a neat 
 and commodious chapel was erected, towards the cost of Avliich 
 the inhabitants of all classes contributed liberally. A printing 
 press was also imported and set up, for the purpose of multipljdng 
 copies of portions of the Scriptures and school-books, which were 
 soon translated into the native language, and which were urgently 
 needed as the schools began to make an impression on the popu- 
 lation. The superintendence of the printing-office and the edu- 
 cational department of the work at Colombo involved so much 
 labour and responsibility that Mr. Harvard found it necessary to 
 apply for help, and Mr. Clough was instructed to join him. A 
 
475 HISTORY OF WESLEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
 Hinglialoso grammar and dictionary were now compiled and put 
 to press, and tlie good work expanded and prospered in all its 
 departments — literary, educational, and evangelical. The Colombo 
 station has been served by many able and devoted Missionaries 
 since tbe holy men who have been mentioned passed away to 
 tlisir heavonl)' rest, and a goodly number of native ministers have, 
 from time to time, been raised up to take a part in the good work. 
 The city has recently been divided into two circuits, the South 
 (Colpetty) and the North (the Pettah). These, with their head- 
 quarters, out-statious, and schools are now worked on an extensive 
 scale, and will, no doubt, in the future, as in the past, be produc- 
 tive of much spiritual good to the people. 
 
 At Galle the Dutch church was placed at the service of Mr. 
 dough, for the time being, and he commenced his labours among 
 a dense but mixed population with characteristic zeal and dili- 
 gence. Till he acquired the languages of the people among whom 
 bis lot was cast, he preached in English to the military and other 
 European residents, who, in man)^ instances, received the Word 
 with gratitude and joy. At the same time attention was paid to 
 the rising generation, and Christian schools were established at 
 this as at other stations, the Missionary communicating with the 
 people, in the commencement, through the medium of an inter- 
 preter. But Mr. Clough's superior mental ability and indomitable 
 perseverance soon enabled him to conquer the difficulties of the 
 principal languages of the people, and he began to make known 
 the truths of the Gospel both in Dutch and Singhalese. The 
 blessing of God attended these early efforts, and in a short time 
 a class was formed of twentj' hopeful converts. This number was 
 afterwards largely increased, and ultimately commodious chapels 
 were built and schools established, not only in the town of Galle, 
 but also in a number of ircighboirring villages, which were formed 
 into an extensive circuit. When Mr. Clough removed to Colombo 
 to assist Mr. Harvard, the station of Galle was worthilj- occupied 
 by the Rev. John M'Kcnny, from the Cape of Good Hope. Under 
 the judicious superintendence of this devoted Missionary, and that 
 of other zealous servants of God ■who were appointed to labour 
 
INDIA. 477 
 
 there from time to time, the station has advanced in importance 
 and usefulness, and been made a great blessing to the people of all 
 classes. 
 
 Proceeding sonthward we come to Matm-a, where Mr. Erskino 
 commenced his evangelical labours under very favourable circum- 
 stances. His reception by the people and mode of proceeding 
 were very similar to those of his brethren on other stations. His 
 time was fully occupied in studying the native languages, establish- 
 ing Mission-schools, and in preaching the Gospel, as he had oppor- 
 tunity, to both soldiers and civilians in English, and to the natives, 
 first through the medium of nn interpreter, and afterwards in the 
 vernacular tongue. On his removal to another station in the north, 
 Mr. Erskino was succeeded in Matura by the Kev. John Callaway, 
 who was sent out from England to strengthen the Mission. Other 
 zealous Missionaries laboured from time to time in this interesting 
 part of the wide field, and, by the blessing of God upon their per- 
 severing efforts, a considerable number of hopeful converts were 
 gathered into the fold of Christ, some of whom were called to 
 preach the Gospel to their fellow-countrymen, whilst others were 
 honourably employed as inter2oreters and teachers in the Mission- 
 schools. Special mention is made of one young man, named Andris, 
 who, although of parents professing Christianitj', and baptized in 
 infancy, was for many years a priest of Budha, but was savingly 
 converted to God, and employed as a teacher at a village altogether 
 heathen about half-way between Matura and Galle. 
 
 On the stations already mentioned, and in connection with 
 others which were afterwards formed in the south of Ceylon, the 
 jirincipal language used by the Missionaries in preaching to the 
 natives was the Singhalese ; but, in order to benefit another 
 important section of the population called " Burghers," descen- 
 dants of a former race of colonists, a knowledge of Dutch and 
 Portuguese was necessarj'. As the work expanded, additional 
 Missionaries were sent out from England, and new ground was 
 occupied in various directions. Important stations were ultimately 
 established at Negombo, Kandy, Caltura, Pantura, Seedua, Mo- 
 rotto, Wellewatta, and other places, the history of which, if given 
 
47S 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 in detail, would resemble those of other circuits already described. 
 As the result of tlie united efforts of the noble band of Missionaries, 
 both European and native, who suooessivelj' laboured in this part 
 
 of the island, a sound Christian education was given to a con- 
 siderable portion of the rising generation, many heathens were 
 converted to the faith and hope of the Gospel, whilst more correct 
 
INDIA: 479 
 
 Views of the nature of true religion were made to prevail among 
 professing Christians of every grade of societj-.* 
 
 We must now turn to the North, and take a view of the Tamil 
 department of the work in Ceylon. The most important station, 
 and the head of the District, is Jaffna, to which Messrs. Lynch 
 and Squance were appointed when the work was apportioned on 
 the arrival of the first Missionaries. Jaffna is situated on the 
 northern point of the island, and is regarded as the capital of an 
 extensive district called Jaffnapatam. The population is large, but 
 it docs not materially differ in its general features from that of 
 other parts of the country ; only here the prevailing language 
 among the natives is Tamil, whilst that of the south is chiefly 
 Singhalese. When the Missionaries first arrived they were struck 
 with the ignorance, superstition, and degradation of all classes of 
 people, whether professedly Christians, Mohammedans, or Pagans. 
 Many of the descendants of the Dutch and Portuguese, who still 
 made use of the respective languages of those nations, seemed to 
 be as deeply degraded as the Aborigines themselves ; and there 
 appeared to be a loud call for Missionary labour. Numerous diffi- 
 culties had to be encountered at Jaflna, such as had not been 
 experienced in the south ; but, by diligence and perseverance, 
 they were ultimately overcome. Commodious premises were 
 
 * In tlie montlis of July and Angust 18G9, special services "vrere lield in several 
 of the circuits of tlie South Ceylon District, which resulted in a veiy remarkable 
 revival of religion. At Kandy " thirty-five persons professed to have received a 
 sense of God's pardoning love : of these ten were Singhalese. At a band-meeting 
 held on the Sunday following about forty persons stood up and spoke of what God 
 had done for their souls." In another circuit, at one of the services, "fourteen 
 souls tasted of the joys of salvation." After another meeting it was found that 
 " seven others, including a Buddhist, bad experienced a saving change." At 
 another place " every house was opened for p)rayer-meetings, and seventy-five 
 persons were made to rejoice in knowing that God for Christ's sake had pardoned 
 their sins." From another station it is reported, " Ten persons have found Jesus, 
 and one or two Buddhists have joined the Society." At Pantura there ^yQvo 
 "sixty-six persons who found peace in one week." At Galle there were "seven- 
 teen penitents, of whom twelve obtained the blessing. A love-feast on the Monday 
 following concluded the services, at which fourteen spoke, giving a clear testimony 
 aS to their acceptance with God." " The special services at Matru-a were also 
 successful." 
 
4So 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
INDIA. 481 
 
 secured for the use of the Mission, and an elegant and substantial 
 chapel and school-house were erected, a view of which we are 
 able to present to the reader, and the foundation of a great and 
 good work was laid which has continued to prosper to the present 
 time. When the arduous task of learning the languages had been 
 accomplished, and two or three native assistants had been raised 
 up, the work rapidly extended to other places in the north, chapels 
 being built and schools established, not only in the villages adja- 
 cent to Jaffna, but in places at a considerable distance, which were 
 ultimately occupied as separate stations. 
 
 On the eastern coast of Ceylon, at the head of a deep bay, 
 stands the important town and fortress of Batticaloa. To this 
 station the Eev. William Ault was appointed on the arrival of the 
 first party of Missionaries. It will be remembered that Mr. Ault 
 had lost his beloved wife by death on her passage to India, and 
 the bereaved j'oung Missionary proceeded to his lonely station 
 with a heavy heart. Being a man of genuine piety and entire 
 devotedness to God, and of a meek and humble spirit, he endea- 
 voured to reconcile his mind to the afflictive dispensation of 
 Divine Providence with which he had been visited, and entered 
 upon his work at Batticaloa with a full determination to spend 
 and be spent in the cause of his Divine Master. At this, as at 
 some other places, there was a church without a clergyman, and 
 the building was politely placed at the disposal of the Missionary 
 by the Government authorities, till permanent Mission buildings 
 could be erected. A very favourable impression was made upon 
 the minds of the people by the zealous manner in which Mr. Ault 
 commenced his ministerial labours ; but whilst engaged in studying 
 the native languages, and in preaching by an interpreter, and 
 otherwise exerting himself in the work of the Mission, he was 
 seized with an illness which baffled the skill of the physician and 
 terminated fatally. Having been prostrated by fever repeatedly, 
 the final attack came at last, and the faithful servant of the Lord 
 was called to rest from his labours on the 1st of April, 1815, — the 
 first of a considerable number of Wesleyan Missionaries who have 
 fallen a sacrifice to the climate of India. It is a true saying that 
 
 I I 
 
4Sz HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 " God buries His workmen, but still carries on His work." The 
 vacant station of Batticaloa was soon occupied by another Mis- 
 sionaiy ; and such was the success which attended the laboui'S of 
 the Kev. Messrs. Jackson, Osborne, Erskinc, and others who were 
 appointed to labour there in succession, that it was ultimately 
 divided into two Circuits, and the work was extended to various 
 parts of the surrounding country. 
 
 When the Ceylon Mission had been efficiently reinforced by 
 the arrival of several brethren from England, a Missionary was 
 stationed at Point Pedro, which was made the head of a separate 
 circuit, after having been supplied for a length of time from Jaffna. 
 Another place which was occupied by the Society v/ith great 
 advantage to all classes of the community, at an early period, was 
 Trincomalee, on the eastern coast, where chapels were erected, 
 schools established, and native converts gathered into the fold of 
 Christ, the same as on other stations. Indeed, the plans adopted 
 for carrying on the work of God in Ceylon, and the results which 
 everywhere followed the faithful preaching of the Gospel, were so 
 similar, that a more detailed account of each station would be 
 superfluous. In connection with the progress of the Mission 
 several interesting incidents occurred on which it would have been 
 p)leasant to dwell, but we must confine ourselves to a few obser- 
 vations on the native agents that were raised up to take a part in 
 the gi'eat and glorious work. 
 
 The most prominent of these was a young man named John 
 Philips Sanmugam, whose parents, being professing Christians, had 
 presented him for baptism in his infancj', and afterwards sent him 
 to a school taught by Christian David, a convert of the celebrated 
 German Missionary Schwartz. When the boy was fifteen j'oars 
 of age, and began to think of doing something for himself in the 
 world, Mr. Squance arrived at Jalfna, and began to preach with a 
 power and unction previously unknovi^n in that place. Sanmugam 
 was much interested in the proceedings of the Wesleyan Missionary, 
 vv'ho oflioiLLted in the Dutch church in the fort, and was seriously 
 impressed with the truths which he heard preached. Some time 
 afterwards the native youth became personally acquainted with 
 
INDIA. 483 
 
 Mr. Squance, "who was made the honoured instrument, in the hands 
 of God, of leading him to Christ. In retiu'n for the kind attentions 
 ho received at the Mission-house, young Philips, as he was now 
 generally called, manifested a cheerful readiness to assist the 
 Missionary to the utmost of his power in the good work in which 
 ho was engaged. He daily read the Scriptures in Tamil with 
 Mr. Squance, and thus aided him in the acquisition of that difficult 
 language, whilst at the same time his own"mind was enriched with 
 the precious treasures of Divine truth, as expounded by his bene- 
 factor. John Philips was then employed as a Mission-school 
 teacher and catechist, and ultimately as a Native Minister, having 
 carefully prepared himself by diligent study for the highest depart- 
 ment of the work of God. For some time subsequently to his 
 having devoted himself fully to the work of the Mission, the young 
 evangelist was associated with Dr. Hoole, at Negapatam, on the 
 Continent, and gave great satisfaction by the zeal and earnestness 
 with which he served his Divine Master. 
 
 Soon after he returned to Ceylon, in 1829, Mr. Philips was sent 
 by the Eev. Joseph Koberts on a Mission to the western shore of 
 the island, to preach to a large concourse of people who assembled 
 there at the season of pearl-fishing. Here he was " in labours 
 more abundant ;" and by his fidelity in proclaiming the glad tidings 
 of salvation, distributing tracts, visiting the sick, especially during 
 the prevalence of cholera, he was instrumental in the salvation of 
 many precious souls. Thus during a long and useful life did 
 Mr. Philips labour for the spiritual welfare of his fellow-countrymen, 
 till worn out with incessant toil, he finished his course, and fell 
 asleep in Jesus, on the 22d of April, 1864, in the sixty-fifth year 
 of his age — a fine specimen of a large number of native Ministers 
 and teachers who have been raised up as the fruit of our Missions 
 in Ceylon and Continental India. 
 
 If we were to pursue this interesting theme of a native ministry 
 fui'ther, we should have to speak of Richard Watson, W. A. Salmon, 
 Paul Rodrigs, and a host of others, some of whom have been 
 called to their reward in heaven, whilst others are still spared to 
 labour in the Lord's vineyard. It may suffice to say, however, 
 
 ii2 
 
484 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 that the Wesleyan Mission to Ceylon has been a grand success ; 
 and, if faithfully prosecuted, it will no doubt be a still gi'eater 
 blessing in time to come. The unwearied labours formerly of such 
 men as Robert Newstead, Joseph Roberts, Daniel Gogerly, Robert 
 Spence Hardy, and more recently of John Walton, John Scott, 
 John Kilner, and many others, in addition to the Missionary 
 
 ^■ATI^'K MISSinNARY. 
 
 pioneers already mentioned, have had a rich reward. But a still 
 more blessed recompense awaits the faithful servants of the Lord 
 in the world to come. There are now in connection with the 
 North and South Districts into which the island of Ceylon is divided, 
 thirty-one Missiovaries, one ihoitsaiid ni'e liiDulird and ninety-four 
 Church memhers, and three thousand seven Ituiidred and sixty-five 
 scholars in the Mission-schools. 
 
INDIA. 485 
 
 Madeas. 
 
 Madras is the capital of the British possessions on the east side 
 of the peninsula of Hindustan. The city stands on the margin 
 of the Bay of Bengal, and is of vast extent, stretching along the 
 shore a distance of nine miles, and between three and four miles 
 inland. The great centre of population in this large area is known 
 as Black Town, which is separated from Fort St. George by a broad 
 and open esplanade. In common with all the European settlements 
 on this coast, Madras has no port for shipping, and every vessel 
 which arrives must cast anchor in the roads at a considerable 
 distance from the shore, which is washed by a heavy surf that 
 sometimes makes landing difticult, if not dangerous. As viewed 
 from the sea this part of the city presents a somewhat imposing 
 appearance. A line of substantial and handsome buildings, often 
 three stories high, and each protected from the sun with a broad 
 verandah, is seen extending for a mile along the beach, and includes 
 merchant's offices, law courts, the custom-house, and the terminus 
 of the Madras Kailway. Behind this line of buildings are narrow 
 streets occupied by the humbler classes of English and East 
 Indians, with crowded shops or bazaars, markets, temples, mosques, 
 and churches of various denominations of Christians. Within the 
 municipal limits of Madras there arc also several large sm'burban 
 villages, each numbering its native population by tens of thousands. 
 The broad intervals between these villages are occupied by the 
 spacious residences of English merchants and other civilians, sur- 
 rounded by park-like gardens. The population of Madras is esti- 
 mated at half a million, and although the first Protestant chm-ch 
 erected in Hindustan was built there, and more Missionary effort 
 has been put forth in this city than in any other place in India, it 
 is believed that more than three-fourths of the people are still 
 heathen, and loudly call for the sympathy and aid of British 
 Christians. 
 
 It was in the year 1817 that the first Wesleyan Missionary com- ' 
 menced his labours in this part of India. A few pious Methodilts 
 
486 HISTORY OF WESLEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
 from England residing there, had been in the habit of meeting 
 together for the purpose of prayer and Christian fellowship, and to 
 read Mr. Wesley's sermons for their mutual edification. They 
 heard with delight of the arrival of Wesleyan Missionaries in 
 Ceylon, and earnestly requested that one of the party might be 
 spared to labour among them. This reasonable wish was readily 
 met by the British Conference, and Mr. Harvard was appointed 
 to Madras. But the claims upon this devoted Missionary at 
 Colombo, in connection with the Mission-press and the work of 
 translation, was such as to prevent bis removal to the Continent 
 without serious injuiy to the cause. It was therefore ultimately 
 arranged that Mr. Lynch should go to commence the Mission at 
 Madras. The arrival of this zealous servant of God marked the 
 commencement of a new era in the populous heathen city which 
 we have clescribed. His statements of Christian experience, and 
 especially his distinct enunciations of the doctrine of the direct 
 witness of the Spirit, were such as had never been heard there 
 before. All classes wondered at his boldness and success. His 
 talent for reproving sin was extraordinary, and wherever he vrent, 
 he was hailed as a faithful Minister of Christ. During the time 
 that Mr. Lynch laboured in Madras, he was instrumental in the 
 erection of a beautiful new chapel for English services in the 
 centre of the East India population of Black Town, which'he left 
 entirely free from debt. He also witnessed the gathering into the 
 fold of Christ of a goodly number of hopeful converts as the seals 
 to his earnest ministrjr. 
 
 The work thus auspiciously commenced in Madras has been 
 zealously maintained over since, and the faithful preaching of the 
 Gospel, in connection with the educational department of the 
 Mission, has been made a great blessing to the people. Among 
 the devoted Ministers who have laboured hero, but who have long 
 since passed away to their reward in heaven, the names of 
 Jonathan Crowther, Joseph Eobcrts, and Thomas Cryer, are 
 deservedly held in grateful remembrance by a few of the surviving 
 old members. Other zealous Ministers have entered into their 
 labours, who are still spared to the Church of Christ. The chapel, 
 
INDIA. 487 
 
 v>rliich was considerably enlarged in 1861, will seat about five 
 hundred persons, and it is generally filled on Sunday evenings. 
 The English Missionary on the Madras station is entirely supported 
 by the members of the church and congregation to whom he 
 ministers, and they also contribute liberally towards the support 
 of the Mission cause generally. 
 
 But, whilst thus careful to provide for the spiritual welfare of 
 Europeans and their descendants in India, the Wesleyan Missionary 
 Society is not unmindful of their chief work among the Hindus. 
 They have, moreover, expected that the English work in Madras 
 would be auxiliary to that which is carried on directly for the 
 benefit of the natives. Nor have they in this been disappointed. 
 Black Town has given both men and money, and the native Church 
 will not soon bo able to repaj' the debt of gratitude she owes to her 
 elder sister for her friendly aid in various ways. For many years 
 it was customary to hold Tamil services in the vestibule of the 
 English chapel, for the benefit of a small native society and con- 
 gregation. But in 1859, by the exertion of the Missionaries, aided 
 by a committee of the English congregation, a commodious Tamil 
 chapel was built close to the English sanctuary ; and this is now 
 the centre of the Madras North (Tamil) Circuit, where an im- 
 portant native work has for several years been carried on. 
 
 The Madras South (Tamil) Circuit has its centre at Royapettah, 
 a populous district three miles distant from Black Town, where 
 the Wesleyan Mission concentrates its principal labours. The 
 Mission premises are of ample dimensions, and occupy a " com- 
 pound," or lot of land, some acres in extent. The most con- 
 spicuous building is the native chapel, which stands in a con- 
 venient position near to the conjunction of several roads. Neat, 
 substantial, and well-built, this sanctuary is no bad specimen of 
 Indian architecture. It will seat about five hundred persons. 
 Venetian folding-doors on three sides take the place of windows ; 
 which, standing open during Divine service, invite passers-by to 
 enter and hear the Word of Life. Many have thus been brought 
 under the saving influence of the Gospel, and been led to unite 
 themselves with the people of God. 
 
48S HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 If we were to enter this chapel on a Sabbath morning we should 
 behold a beautiful sight. The males and females sit apart, after 
 the manner of olden times in England, as arranged by Mr. Wesley. 
 The foremost seats on the women's side are occupied by the neatly 
 clad girls of the boarding-school, and the corresponding seats on 
 the other side, in part, by the young converts from the boy's 
 school. Behind these are arranged the elder members of the 
 church and congregation. The worshippers are generally of the 
 poorer classes of the community ; for in India, as in other places, 
 " not many mighty, not many noble are called." If we remain 
 during the service, we shall hear loud and earnest singing, if it be 
 not very melodious. The language is Tamil, and the hymn, 
 which is one of Wesley's, was translated by that excellent Mis- 
 sionary, Elijah Hoole, in his youthful days. The preacher is a 
 native Minister ; his face is as dark as those of his hearers, now 
 upturned towards him in wrapt attention, but it glows with 
 affection and zeal in his Master's service. If it is the day for 
 public adult baptisms, we are struck with the promptitude and 
 earnestness with which the native converts answer the questions 
 proposed, and assign their reasons for renouncing heathenism 
 and embracing Christianity, whether we can understand their 
 language or not ; and when we remember the persecution to which 
 the native Christians are frequently exposed, and that by thus 
 espousing the cause of Christ, these poor converted Hindus may 
 be severing themselves from home and kindred, and everj'thing 
 dear to a feeling heart, we cannot fail to be convinced that 
 the work must bo of God which can produce such wonderful 
 results. 
 
 Immediately behind the native chapel which we have described, 
 is the noble range of buildings occupied bj^ the Anglo-Vernacular 
 Schools. These buildings were erected, and the institution 
 brought into excellent working order, several years ago, through 
 the instrumentality of the Rev. Messrs. Jenkins, Hobday, and 
 Burgess, who have occupied the station in succession. The 
 gentleman last named has been the longest connected with the 
 institution, and to his unwearied exertions and able superinten- 
 
INDIA . 
 
49° HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 dcnce is to be mainly attributed tlie efficient state to whicli the 
 establishment has been brought. 
 
 If we accompany Mr. Bvu-gess and look into the boys' school 
 first, we shall witness a strange sight. On entering the large hall, 
 we see standing in orderly groups nearly three hundred youths, 
 perhaps a dozen wear English dress, a few the coloured loose silk 
 drawers of the Mahommedans, but the great majority the white 
 tunic of the Hindu ; all, except the English lads, leave their 
 slippers at the entrance of the building, but wear their turbans. 
 Going to his desk in the centre of the hall, the Missionary kneels, 
 and asks the Divine blessing on the labours of the day. The 
 first lesson is from the Holy Scriptures, taught in every class by 
 a Christian teacher ; and many pleasing instances have occurred 
 in which heathen youths have been convinced and converted by 
 means of the truths brought home to their hearts and consciences in 
 the course of these exercises. Enghsh literature is probably the 
 next subject of study, when the works of Goldsmith, Macaulay, or 
 De Quincey, are familiarly used as text-books. Then follow lessons 
 in the histories of England and of India, in geography, astronomy, 
 or chemistry. 
 
 The conducting of such an institution is a heavy tax irpon the 
 time and strength of a Missionary, and some may doubt whether 
 he is right in devoting himself so much to secular teaching. 
 But it must be remembered that it is the desire for such 
 teaching that attracts the pupils, and makes them willing to 
 listen to higher truth. It is a fact, moreover, that each lesson 
 the Missionary gives in Western literature or science, not 
 only tends to undermine the faith of the Hindu in his ancestral 
 religion, and prepare him to receive the truth as it is in Jesus, 
 but it increases the influence his instructor has over him. The 
 institution is chiefly supported bj^ the fees of the pupils, which 
 in the year 18G7 amounted to ;£2;>1 ix. Gil. The Wesleyan Mis- 
 sionary Society has eight of these Anglo-Vernacular Schools in 
 the Madras District ; but the one we have described is the largest 
 and the most important. 
 
 When female education was first proposed in India, it seemed a 
 
INDIA. 491 
 
 strange paradox to the Hindu mind, and it was met with the most 
 strenuous opposition. Native prejudice has, however, been to 
 a considerable extent overcome, and a number of schools for the 
 training of Hindu girls have been established in connection vdtli 
 our various stations in British India, especially since the organisa- 
 tion of the Ladies' Committee for the promotion of female 
 education in connection with the Wesleyan Missionary Society. 
 None of these institutions are more important or more prosperous 
 than the girls' school at Royapettah, Madras. Near to the 
 buildings already described, but further back, and almost con- 
 cealed from view by the straight branches of silk cotton trees 
 and the thick foliage of the mangoes, is the girls' boarding 
 school. The building at present occupied was opened on the 21st 
 of November, 1867, and it has been pronounced the neatest and 
 most commodious erection of the kind in Madras. It occupies 
 nearly the same site as the former establishment, in which, for 
 twenty years, about forty poor native girls had been fed, clothed, 
 and taught, whilst others attended as day scholars. The cast 
 prejudices of the Hindus make it impossible to secure, as pupils 
 in such an establishment, the daughters of the higher classes, so 
 that the school has been recruited chiefly from the families of 
 servants in English emplo5'mont. A few of the girls have Pro- 
 testant Christian parents, several are of Eoman Caiholic origin, 
 but the majority have been rescued from heathen homes. In the 
 school all are treated with equal consideration and kindness. 
 They are taught to read and write Tamil with fluency ; they 
 become familiar with the elementary rules of arithmetic, so as to 
 be able to keep bazaar accounts ; they gain some knowledge of 
 geography ; and those who have been longest in the school can 
 read an easy English book, and converse in that language on 
 familiar subjects. All are instructed in the Conference Catechisms, 
 and made familiar with the leading events of Scripture history, 
 whilst singing is a favourite exercise. The elder girls are drafted 
 in rotation for duty in the kitchen, and thus become acquainted 
 with practical household work, as well as with the use of the 
 needle, in which they greatly excel. But what is more pleasing 
 
492 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 still, every year a few of the pupils are brought under religious 
 influences and received into the Church by baptism, and at least 
 twelve or fifteen of these Christian guis are members of the Society. 
 On more than one occasion the school has been blessed with special 
 visitations of the Holy Spirit, and the girls have met together for 
 prayer in their hours of recreation, when many have found peace 
 with God through faith in Chi-ist Jesus. Thus conducted on genuine 
 Christian principles, our Mission-schools become nurseries of the 
 church, and important auxiliaries to the efforts which are put forth 
 by the Missionaries for the advancement of the Redeemer's 
 kingdom. 
 
 After the accounts we have given of a few Mission-stations and 
 schools, as specimens of a large number of others which might 
 have been described with equal fulness, our references to the 
 remaining circuits in the Madras District must necessarily be brief. 
 At an early period after the commencement of the work in Con- 
 tinental India, stations were formed and schools established at 
 St. Thomas's Mount, Negapatam, Manaragoody, and Trichinopoly, 
 and more recently at Melnattam, Warriore, Triyalore, and Caroor. 
 At all these places the Gospel is faithfully preached, both in 
 English and Tamil, and a goodly number of natives have been 
 converted, from time to time, and gathered into the fold of the 
 Redeemer, whilst the sphere of the Society's labours is continually 
 widening by the occupation of new ground, and the formation of 
 out-stations. The trials and difficulties which the Missionaries have 
 to experience in carrying on the work on the respective stations 
 arc so similar, as well as the modes of operation in seeking to 
 enlighten the minds of the dark benighted people, that it is 
 unnecessary to dwell at greater length on the progress of the work 
 I'rom year to year. The greatest drawback to the prosperit)' of the 
 Mission has been the frequent removal of the Missionaries in 
 oonsoquenco of the failure of health. This has been in a measure 
 compensated by the raising up of a number of native Ministers to 
 preach the Gospel to their fcllow-countr3-men in their own 
 vernacular tongue ; and it is hoped that in time to come still more 
 will be qualified and called of God to engage in this noble enterprise. 
 
INDIA. 493 
 
 Among the numerous instances of providential interposition by 
 which the early history of our Mission in India was marked, none 
 is more worthy of notice than the burning of the Tnnjove. This 
 noble ship sailed from Gravesend, on the 19th of May, 1820, with 
 the Rev. James and Mrs. Mowat, and the Eev. Elijah Hoole on 
 board, besides Sir Richard Otley, Mr. and Mrs. Browning, of the 
 Church Missionary Society, and two Singhalese converts, who had 
 been educated in England under the care of Dr. Clarke, and other 
 passengers. Nothing very particular occurred during the former 
 part of the passage, which occupied more than three months ; but 
 on approaching" the shores of India, a sad disaster occurred. On 
 Sunday morning, the 3rd of September, the ship made the Island 
 of Ceylon to the eastward of Point de Galle. Not being able to 
 reach the port, the wind and current being adverse, she steered for 
 Batticaloa. On Tuesday, the 5th, she came to anchor off the river, 
 and landed Sir Richard Otley and suite, Mr. and Mrs. Browning, 
 and the other Ceylon passengers. On the following day, about 
 noon, having finished her business with the port, the Tanjore 
 weighed anchor, and stood away for Madras, with a light breeze 
 and fine weather, but at sunset the sky assumed a threatening 
 aspect. 
 
 Then came a fearful thunderstorm, and about eight o'clock the 
 ship was struck with Ughtning, and immediately set on fire. The 
 consternation occasioned by an event so sudden and appalling 
 may be more readily imagined than described. The captain used 
 every possible effort to quench the flames, which first appeared in 
 the main hold, but finding the fire and smoke increasing in all 
 directions, and seeing no prospect of subduing the devouring ele- 
 ment, he ordered the boats to be got ready. All on board now 
 made haste to leave the burning^ ship, and the scene of confusion 
 and dismay was indescribable ; the darkness of the night, roHeved 
 only by vivid flashes of lightning, which had already proved fatal 
 to two of the seamen, adding to the terror which prevailed. At 
 length all the survivors, forty-eight in number, got into the boats, 
 and made their escape, nothing being saved except a compass, the 
 ship's papers, and a box of dollars. In this trying hour the 
 
494 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Missionaries were enabled to look up in faith and prayer to their 
 heavenly Father, and to commend themselves and their companions 
 to His care and protection. For some time the burning ship was 
 driven after the boats by the tempest, and appeared to pursue them 
 like a thing of life. At length they got out of its track, and -with 
 peculiar feelings, dming that long and gloomy night, they watched 
 the burning mass till all was quenched in darkness. 
 
 Early on the following morning they caught sight of land, which 
 gladdened their hearts, and about ten o'clock they fell in with a 
 native boat, which took them all on board. They now found that 
 they were about fifteen miles from Trincomalee, for which port 
 they immediately steered, being anxious to get on shore as soon as 
 possible. The current being against them, it was not till the next 
 morning that they were able to reach the port. The Mission-party 
 landed in pitiful plight ; poor Mrs. Mowat was without bonnet or 
 anything of her own to cover her, and Mr. Hoole was without a 
 hat ; but they were truly thankful for life, and rejoiced to be per- 
 mitted to set their feet on the shores of India, after such a remark- 
 able interposition of Divine Providence on their behalf. They 
 were kindly received by the Eev. Messrs. Carver and Stead, the 
 resident Missionaries at Trincomalee, who soon supplied them 
 with a few necessary articles of clothing, and, after resting a few 
 days, they proceeded to Madras, where they safely arrived on the 
 17th of September. It is pleasing to be able to add, that the two 
 devoted Missionaries, thus mercifully preserved in the horn- of 
 peril, were spared to render important service to the Chm-ch of 
 Christ for many j'ears, [both at home and abroad, and that they 
 both still survive after the lapse of nearly half a century since the 
 occurrence of this affecting incident, Dr. Hoole beiug the esteemed 
 and worthy senior Secretary of the Wesleyan Missionary Society, 
 and Mr. Mowat a venerable and happy retired Minister on the list 
 of honourable Supernumeraries. 
 
 Although the Wesleyan Missionary Society has been labouring 
 in this part of Continental India for more than fifty j'ears, the 
 work is still, to a considerable extent, of a preparatory character. 
 Eeligious knowledge is being extensively diffused by means of 
 
INDIA. 495 
 
 Mission-schools and the faithful preaching of the Gospel ; and it is 
 hoped that the ancient systems of idolatry and superstition, by 
 ■which the people have been so long deluded, are being sapped at 
 their foundation. In the meantime, the value and importance of 
 the Mission must not be estimated by its statistical results, but 
 by the influence it is exerting upon a heathen people, " sitting in 
 darkness and in the shadow of death." In connection with the 
 respective stations comprised in the Madras district, we have now 
 seventeen 2Iissionarics, two hundred and eiijht Churcli members, and 
 two thousand o)ie hundred and six scholars in the Mission-schools. 
 
 Bangaloee. 
 
 The province of Mysore embraces a large tract of country in the 
 interior of the peninsula of Hindostan, situated between the east 
 and west ridges of the Ghauts, and forming a high table-land 
 nearly three thousand feet above the level of the sea. This dis- 
 trict is in some places subject to drought, and altogether less fertile 
 and productive than many other parts of Southern India ; but by 
 artificial means, such as dams and tanks, the water is collected 
 from numerous rivers and mountain torrents in large quantities 
 for the purpose of irrigation, and considerable crops of cotton, 
 sugar, rice, and other articles are raised. From its elevated posi- 
 tion, the Mysore is favoured with a climate comparatively temperate 
 and healthy ; and if the extensive jungle, amid which the elephant 
 and other wild beasts still roam at their pleasure, were more fully 
 cleared, and the country more generally opened up to cultivation, 
 fever and cholera would, perhaps, entirely disappear. 
 
 The localities which are inhabited sustain a dense population of 
 a somewhat mixed character, both the Tamil and Canarese lan- 
 guages being extensively spoken. The province is under the 
 nominal government of a native Kajah, but it is in reality subject 
 to British rule, in common with the surrounding territory of the 
 Madras presidency. Although not, properly speaking, the capital 
 of the province, Bangalore is the most populous and important city 
 in the country. Here the British Government keep up a large 
 
ig6 HISTORY OF ]VESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 military establisliment, and here also have been located the head- 
 quarters of the Wesleyan Missionary Society in the Mysore dis- 
 trict for many years, during which all possible means have been 
 employed to shed the light of Divine truth on the suiTounding 
 darkness. 
 
 As early as 1820, an earnest request from Bangalore had 
 reached the Missionary Committee in London, that Missionaries 
 might be sent to that important centre of population in Southern 
 India ; and encouraged by the character of the beginning which 
 had been made in Ceylon and Madras, the Eev. Messrs. Mowat 
 and Hoole were selected and set apart for this service. On their 
 voyage to India, these devoted servants of the Lord were ship- 
 wrecked, and " suffered the loss of all things" by the burning of 
 the Taiijorc, as already stated. This circumstance, together with 
 the demand for Missionary labour in Madras and Negapatam, 
 where some of the brethren were laid aside by illness, prevented 
 the two Missionaries from proceeding up the country to their 
 appointed sphere of labour so soon as they intended. It was not 
 till the month of Maj', in the following j'ear, that Mr. Hoole 
 arrived in Bangalore, which is about two hundred miles from 
 Madi-as, and where he was joined a few weeks afterwards by Mr. 
 Mowat. They met with a very kind reception, and appeared to 
 have received a favourable impression of the place as a promising 
 field of Missionary labour. In their communications to the parent 
 Society, they describe the Fort of Bangalore as square, regularl}- 
 built, fortified by a ditch and wall, and by a quantity of jungle or 
 thick underwood, permitted to grow on every side, with a view to 
 hinder the swift approach of banditti, who were accustomed to 
 come upon the people unawares for the purpose of spoil and 
 plunder. The scenery of the surrounding country was similar to 
 that which prevails in other parts of India, and the habits of the 
 people wore simple in the extreme ; but all were involved in 
 midnight heathen darkness. 
 
 The population of the Pittah, or suburb, was estimated at thirty 
 thousand, consisting chiefly of Canarese, who sustained themselves 
 by their manufactures and cultivation, and of a number of people 
 
INDIA. 
 
 497 
 
 K K 
 K K 
 
498 HISTORY OF V/ESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 from various places, who use the Tamil language. The canton- 
 ment, built for the accommodation of the troops, is described as 
 being about a mile distant from the Pettah. The bungalows occu- 
 pied by the British officers and other Europeans, presented the 
 appearance of a neat English village, whilst the bazaars and huts 
 built by the followers of the army formed a town as large and 
 populous as the Pettah itself. "With a few exceptions this part of 
 the population spoke Tamil, and understood no other language, so 
 that to them especially the Missionaries hoped to be made useful 
 at once, having acquired some knowledge of that dialect during the 
 time that they were assisting their brethren on the coast. 
 
 On their arrival at Bangalore, the Missionaries found that 
 Hinduism and Mahommedanism were the predominent religious 
 systems there, the same as in other parts of the Mysore and 
 Southern India generally ; and the natives were addicted to the 
 usual idolatrous and superstitious rites and ceremonies. Mr. 
 Hoole, having made considerable progress in the acquisition of 
 Tamil, commenced immediately after his arrival to hold open-air 
 services, at which he generally preached first, and then held 
 familiar conversations with the people on the important truths of 
 the Gospel. On the arrival of Mr. Mowat, arrangements were 
 made for conducting public services in a native house which was 
 obtained for the purpose. The first of these was held on the 
 20th of July, 1821, and, difficult as it was to get Hindus to enter 
 a place set apart for Christian worship, twenty-seven natives were 
 present, and on the foUovdng Friday the congregation numbered 
 thirty-three. The Missionaries were, moreover, encouraged by 
 the spirit of enquiry p.nd attention manifested b}' the people v>-ho 
 came to be instructed in Bangalore, as well as hj the result of 
 their visits to other promising places in the province of Mysore 
 during the time that they occupied the station. We regret to 
 state, hov.'ovcr, that before stops could bo taken to erect suitable 
 buildings and fully organise the Mission, both Missionaries were 
 called away to supply vacancies \vhich had occurred at Madras 
 and Negapatam through the failure of the health of some of the 
 brethren. 
 
INDIA. 499 
 
 During the following two or three years, Bangalore was left 
 without a resident Missionary, being only visited occasionally as 
 opportunities presented themselves. But in 182G the station was 
 occupied once more b)^ the appointment of the Piev. John F. 
 England, who commenced his labours under circumstances as 
 favourable as could be expected, all things considered. Ho 
 directed his attention in the first place to the European troops in 
 the cantonment, a considerable number of whom attended the 
 English services, v/hich he held chiefly for their benefit. Several 
 of the soldiers vv'ere brought under the saving influence of Divine 
 truth, gave their hearts to God, and were united in Church fellow- 
 ship in a class formed expressly for them. At the same time, the 
 Missionary did not neglect the heathen population around him, but 
 as soon as ho was conversant with the Tamil language, he began 
 to preach the Gospel to the people in their own tongue. Native 
 classes were also formed for the religious instruction of enquirers, 
 who were led to renounce their heathenish practices and embrace 
 the trnth as it is in Jesus. A considerable number of these ulti- 
 mately gave satisfactory evidence of genuine conversion to God, 
 and the foundation of a native Christian Church was laid, which 
 has continued to grow and expand from j-ear to year, even to the 
 present time. 
 
 Mr. England was enabled to report before long that ho regularly 
 conducted four services weekly, in three places of worship — two in 
 Tamil and two in English. He also reported the baptism of a 
 number of converted natives, particularly of a v.^hole heathen 
 family, and the subsequent exemplary conduct of the adults, who 
 all appeared deeply concerned for their personal salvation. Schools 
 were also established for the instruction of the rising generation of 
 both sexes, and the Bangalore station was placed on a permanent 
 and substantial footing. On the removal of Mr. England from this 
 interesting sphere of labour, he was succeeded by the Piev. Messrs. 
 Cryer, Hardy, Male, Arthur, and other devoted Missionaries, and 
 by the blessing of God upon their zealous labours, the good work 
 continued to prosper in all its departments. 
 
 For several 3'ears the religious services in Bangalore were con- 
 
 kk2 
 
500 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 ducted in English and Tamil only, in consequence of the agents 
 employed being unacquainted with any other language ; but in 
 1836, the Kev. Thomas Hodson, who understood Canarese, having 
 been appointed to the station, he began at once to preach in that 
 tongue. Thus a new department of Missionary labour was en- 
 tered upon, which was ever afterwards followed up and attended 
 with a pleasing measure of success. The designation of Mr. 
 Hodson to Bangalore and the Mysore appears to have been 
 peculiarly fitting and providential ; for he has spent more than a 
 quarter of a century in connection with our Mission in that 
 country, and he still laboui-s there with an earnestness and zeal 
 worthy of the highest commendation. As the result of his 
 unwearied efforts, combined with those of his excellent colleagues, 
 from time to time, the Bangalore station has risen to a high state 
 of efficiency. The Mission-house, chapels, schoolrooms, and 
 other buildings, which have been erected at different periods, and 
 at little or no expense to the Society's funds, are on a convenient 
 and ample scale ; and the new sanctuary which stands at the end 
 of the esplanade is said to be the largest and the best Methodist 
 Chapel in Asia. The printing establishment, which has sent 
 forth tens of thousands of copies of portions of the Scriptures and 
 other good books, is second to none in India, whilst the schools 
 for the training of children, and the education of more advanced 
 pupils, will bear a comparison with those of Roj'apettah, Madras, 
 akeady described, or with any similar establishments in any part 
 of the world. And, best of all, the Gospel of Christ, as faithfully 
 preached by the Missionaries in English, Tamil, and Canarese, not 
 only in the beautiful places of worship which have been erected, 
 but in the bazaars and streets of the city, and in twenty-five 
 surrounding villages, has been made the power of God unto salva- 
 tion to many precious souls. 
 
 Almost simultaneously with the first efibrts which were made, 
 by the Wesleyan Missionary Society for the evangelization of 
 Bangalore and its neighbourhood, attention was directed to 
 Heringapatam, that last grand stronghold of Mahommedan des- 
 potism in Southern India. At that time the fortifications of the 
 
INDIA. 
 
 501 
 
 City had been dismantled, and the gigantic ruins which were seen 
 on every hand presented to the view striking evidences of the 
 power and grandeur of the celebrated Tippoo Saib, who fell in his 
 last struggle for supremacy, when the city was captured by the 
 British in 1799. The place had still a population of about fifty 
 thousand, among whom were a few God-fearing people, chiefly 
 Europeans and their descendants, who had built a small place of 
 worship and met together for reading and prayer every Sabbath ; 
 
 ORIENTAL TRAVELLING. 
 
 but, having no minister, they felt their destitute condition, and 
 made an earnest request for a Wesle3'an Missionary to labour 
 among them. In response to this appeal, the Eev. Titus Close 
 paid them a visit in the month of May 1821, when he was 
 welcomed with feelings of gratitude, known only to those who have 
 been long deprived of a Gospel ministry. On the Saturday 
 evening after his arrival, Mr. Close delivered the first sermon that 
 was ever preached in the little church that had been erected in 
 Seringapatam, and on the Sabbath, and during the following week, 
 
502 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 lie was constantly engaged in dispensing the Word of Life, admini- 
 stering tlie sacrament of the Lord's Supper, marrying, baptizing, 
 and visiting the people. On entering the little sanctuary, at an 
 early hour on Sunday morning, the Missionary had an opportunity 
 of witnessing the mode of worship adopted by a few Chiistian 
 natives, when left without a regular pastor. About twenty were 
 assembled together, and the person conducting the service was 
 a modest and respectable country-born female, who read the 
 Scriptures and the Prayers in Malabar with great propriety, she 
 being the only individual in the place capable of doing so ; and 
 after the second lesson, the Missionary stepped forward and 
 married a couple, according to previous arrangement. 
 
 As a Missionary could not bo spared at that time to reside at 
 Seringapatam, arrangements were made for the place to be visited 
 once a quarter from Bangalore. This duty devolved most fre- 
 quently upon Mr. Hoolo during bis connection with that station ; 
 and his earnest ministry and diligent pastoral attention made a 
 deep impression upon the minds of the people, and were remem- 
 bered with gratitude manj' years afterwards. At length, when the 
 Mission in Southern India had been re-inforced by the arrival of 
 additional labourers from England, a Missionary was set apart 
 for Seringapatam and the Cit3' of Mysore conjointly. Chapels 
 were now erected and schools established at both places ; and 
 although the Mission cannot as j'et boast of great apparent results, 
 the foundation of a good work has been laid, which, with the 
 Divine blessing, will be productive of much good in time to come. 
 The City of Mysore is the capital of the province, and the place 
 where the reigning Eajali has his regal palace and splendid 
 equipage of tamo elephants and household troops. This dis- 
 tinguished personage, although a rigid Hindu, is favourable to the 
 Wesloyan Mission, and patronises the educational department of 
 the work especially in various ways. The Mission-schools have 
 already made a deep impression in favour of Christianity, and a 
 few converted natives have been united in Church fellowship. 
 
 As the work expanded, Mission-stations wore ultimately formed 
 at Coonghul, Goobbee, Toomkoor, Shemoga, and other places; 
 
INDIA. 503 
 
 but tiie dark beniglited state of the people, the means employed 
 for their enlightenment, and the trials and difliculties of Missionary 
 life are everywhere so similar that it is unnecessary to enter into 
 a, minute description of every place where chapels have been built 
 and schools cstabUshed. It may be sufficient to saj', that in 
 connection with our Mission to Bangalore, and other important 
 centres of population in the M5rsore country, a considerable amount 
 of success has been realised, and a power is at work which, it is 
 hoped, Vvill help to sap the foundation of idolatry in British India, 
 and hasten the coming of the Redeemer's kingdom. We have at 
 present in the Mj'sore District fifteen Missionaries, two hundred 
 iind seventij-tJirec Church vieinhers, and two thousand eight Itundred 
 and seventi/four scholars in the Mission-schools. 
 
 Calcutta, &c. 
 
 A considerable number of AVesleyans from England having from 
 time to time settled in Calcutta, the capital of Bengal, they were 
 very anxious to have a Minister of their own denomination to 
 labour among tlicm ; but, for several years, the Society at home, 
 for v.-ant of moans, wore unable to respond to their earnest request. 
 At length, in 1820, the Conference appointed the Eevs. Peter 
 Percival and Thomas Hodson to commence a Mission-station there, 
 Vv'ith the hope of doing something tov.-ards evangelization of the 
 heathen population, as well as of supplying the spiritual necessities 
 of their fellow-countrymen. These excellent brethren entered 
 upon their work in the early part of the following year with 
 becoming zeal and earnestness. They not only collected an 
 English congregation, and carefully dispensed the Word of life to 
 Europeans and their descendants, according to the original arrange- 
 ment ; but they studied the Bangalee language, built a native 
 chapel, established schools, and exerted themselves in every pos- 
 sible Ti'ay for the benefit of the dense Pagan population, by whom 
 they Vv'crc surrounded. These zealous labours were not without 
 fruit ; but after they had been prosecuted for three or foui' years, 
 the results were not considered such as to warrant the continuance 
 
504 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 of tho heavy expenditure which the maintenance of the Mission 
 involved. Just at that time also, in consequence of the sickness 
 and removal of some of the Missionaries, the work in the Ceylon, 
 Madras, and the Mysore Districts, was suffering for want of men. 
 Under the circumstances, the Missionary Committee in London 
 resolved to withdraw their agents from Calcutta, that they might 
 strengthen the other Indian stations, and thus the Mission to 
 Bengal was suspended, Mr. Percival removing to Ceylon, and Mr. 
 Hodson to Bangalore. 
 
 After the lapse of about thirty years, the way seemed to open 
 for the re- establishment of the Wesleyan Mission at Calcutta. 
 Arrangements having been made for the appointment of Ministers 
 to labour for the benefit of Methodist soldiers in British regiments 
 stationed at Barrackpore, Kurrachee, and other important garrisons 
 in Northern India, the brethren designated to this work were 
 necessarily brought into contact with the capital of Bengal, and 
 such were the impressions which they received of the spiritual 
 necessities of the vast population of that great city, that they felt 
 it their duty to urge the Committee to give it another trial. This 
 led to the appointment, in 18G2, of the Pievs. James H. Broadbent 
 and Henry G. Highfield to Calcutta. They arrived there on the 
 17th of September, and entered upon their work with sanguine 
 hopes of success. These hopes were not disappointed. The use 
 of a commodious building, known as the "Freemasons' Hall," 
 having been secured, the Missionaries at once commenced preach- 
 ing to large and attentive congregations. At the commencement 
 of their labours their ministrations wore necessarily confined to 
 the English language, but, with a view to roach the dense native 
 population, and to render themselves generally useful, they soon 
 made an arrangement for one of them to devote his principal time 
 and attention to the study of tho Bengalee, that he might preach 
 to the Hindus in their own language the glorious Gospel of the 
 blessed God. This desirable object has now been attained without 
 neglecting tho militarjr at Fort William, or the English-speaking 
 population resident in the city, and the results have already been 
 of a very encouraging character. A commodious and beautiful 
 
INDIA. 
 
 505 
 
505 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 new Chapel and Mission premises have been erected in a con- 
 venient situation, a viev/ of which wo arc able to give, and the 
 Mission, with its Schools and Bible-classes, has been placed on a 
 firui and substantial footing, so that wo may hope in time to come 
 its influence will extend to various other places in the populous 
 presidency of Bengal. At the Conference of 18G0, the Mission- 
 stations in this part of India were formed into a regular district, to 
 v.diich the Eev. John Eichards, an experienced and able Missionary, 
 was appointed as Chairman and General Superintendent. 
 
 To the places already mentioned as military stations occupied 
 hj "Weslej-an Ministers in Northern India, the City of Luehnow, so 
 famous in the Indian Mutiny, has recently been added. Here a 
 neat little chapel has been built, and an English-speaking congre- 
 gation collected bj' the Missionaries of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church of America. The pressing claims of their native v;ork in 
 Bareilly preventing them from gi^"ing that attention to this charge 
 which it required, thej' offered to transfer it to us, if an English 
 "Weslej'an Missionary could be appointed to the garrison at Luck- 
 now. This generous offer was accepted by the Committee, and in 
 1804 the Eev. Daniel Pearson proceeded to Lucknow, Avhero ho 
 met with a kind reception both from soldiers and civilians, and 
 entered upon his work with cheering hopes of success. Of course 
 the congregations are very fluctuating at all the military stations, 
 as the regiments often move from place to place. But, surely, it 
 is a grand and noble work in which British Methodists are engaged 
 Vy'hen they aid in supplying a Gospel ministry for the benefit of the 
 sons of our people in a far distant land, as well as for the evangeli- 
 zation of the heathen. In connection with the Calcutta District 
 and the miliiary stations in the north of India, we have three 
 ]\Iisf:iouiirics, (iiic Ituiidred aiht ti')i Church iiiciiihcrs, and one hundreds 
 and tJiii'ty-nine f:eitolar!: in the Mission-schools. 
 
 The reader may remember that the first part)' of Wesleyan 
 Missionaries sent out to India landed at Bombajr, and that the 
 Eev. W. M. Harvard was detained there for some time after his 
 brethren had embarked for Ceylon. This interval v,-as improved 
 by the Missionary in preaching to the people as he had oppor- 
 
INDIA. 507 
 
 tunity, and such "was tho impression macio by liis faitlaful ministry, 
 that an earnest request was sent to tlie parent Society, that they 
 also might be favoured with the services of a Wesleyan Missionary. 
 This led to tho appointment to Bombay of the Eov. Jolm Horner, 
 who arrived there, with Mrs. Horner, in the month of September, 
 1817. In the following year he was joined by the Rev. Joseph 
 Fletcher, and for some time their prospect of success was pro- 
 mising. From various causes, however, among which may be 
 noted the failure of the health of the Missionaries, the experiment 
 ultimately resulted in disappointment, and in 1821 the Mission 
 was relinquished, the brethren being withdrawn to supply vacan- 
 cies in other places. 
 
 The island of Mauritius can scarcely be said to belong to India ; 
 but, whilst adverting to stations hopefully commenced and after- 
 vrards relinquished, vre ma}' here remark that at this place also 
 an experiment was tried by the Wesleyan Missionary Society for 
 the evangelization of the negroes and others, which likewise proved 
 a failure. At the earnest request of several of the inhabitants two 
 Missionaries, the Revs. Henry D. Lowe and John Sarjant, were 
 appointed to the Mauritius in 1830 ; but after labouring there for 
 a year or two with but little fruit, ovi'ing chiefly to the opposition 
 manifested by the planters to the religious instruction of the slaves, 
 the station was given up. In the meantime, Mr. Sarjant, a 
 zealous and promising young Missionary, had fallen a sacrifice to 
 the climate, a,nd was buried in a land of strangers. His grave may 
 be seen in the beautiful cemetery of Port Louis, close to that of 
 Ffarriet Newell, a Missionary's wife who Vv'as interred there about 
 eighteen years previously. The resting place of Mr. Sarjant is 
 marked by a plain stone, erected by the subscriptions of a few 
 pious soldiers who had been benefited by his ministr}'. Mr. 
 Lowe ultimately returned to England, and Vv'as engaged for several 
 years in the home work. 
 
 In 18G5, the Eev. William S. Caldeoott was appointed to the 
 Mauritius, to minister to the Wesleyan troops in the garrison, and 
 it was hoped by some that this would lead to the establishment of 
 a regular Mission-station there for the benefit of all classes. This 
 
5o8 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 hope was not realised, however. In consequence of a fatal 
 epidemic fever, vs'hich ravaged the Island in 1858, the regiments 
 were dispersed, and j\Ir. Caldecott's own health having failed, he 
 was removed to the more important military and naval station of 
 Malta, in the Mediterranean. 
 
 In bringing to a close our brief review of the origin and progress 
 of Wesleyan Missions in India, we may remind the reader of the 
 numerous and powerful obstacles which have tended to impede 
 the advancement of the work in this important section of the wide 
 field. In addition to the complicated and elaborate system of 
 Hinduism, with its fascinating superstitious rites and ceremonies, 
 and its idol worship in which the masses of the people have been 
 trained for ages, there is the soul-withering influence of cast ; 
 and the barrier which cast raises against religious enquiry and 
 Christian fellowship can only be fully appreciated by those who 
 have had to do with it, and seen the poor Hindu convert to the 
 faith of the Gospel cursed, disowned, abandoned, and left to 
 perish by his idolatrous and cruel kindred. We say nothing now 
 about the exclusiveness, pride, and obstinacy of that portion of the 
 population who are professed Mahommedans. We only glance at 
 the pecuhar hindrances which stand in the wa}' of the progress of 
 Missionary work in India, for the purpose of shomng that we 
 must not measure its vakie and importance by mere statistical and 
 visible results, but rather entertain the hope that the faithful 
 qjreaching of the Gospel in the vernacular languages of the people, 
 the translation and circulation of the Holy Scriptm-es, and the 
 education of the rising generation, as it is conducted in the Mission- 
 schools, will gradually sap the foundation of idolatry, and hasten 
 its entire downfall. 
 
 In the meantime, it is satisfactory to know that the labours of 
 the Missionaries are not without tangible and visible results. By 
 the blessing of God upon the numerous agencies which are em- 
 ployed to evangelize the people, tens of thousands have been won 
 over from the worship of dumb idols to serve the true and living God ; 
 and it is hoped that in time to come a still more plentiful harvest 
 will be gathered into the garner of the Lord. In the respective 
 
INDIA. 
 
 509 
 
510 HISTORY OF VVESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 circuits and districts of Co}'lon and Continental India, tlie Wesleyan 
 Missionary Society employs about seventeen Missionaries, a large 
 proportion of whom are native Ministers. These have tico tliuu- 
 siind one Inindred Clairch mernheis under their pastoral care, and 
 there are upwards of eiijlit tJionsaiid scholars receiving instruction 
 in the respective Mission-schools. In view of the peculiar nature 
 of the work, and of the numerous difficulties at which we have 
 briefly glanced, surely this is a measui-e of success which may well 
 encourage the friends of Missions to renev/ed and more vigorous 
 eflbrts in the prosecution of the holy enterprise. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 CHINA. 
 
 THE EMPIRE AND ITS INHABITANTS FISST SFFOKTS TO EVANGELIZE THE 
 
 CHINESE COMJIENCEMENT OP WESLEYAN MISSION THE CANTON 
 
 DISTKICT THE WUCHANG DISTEICT. 
 
 CiHINA is an extensive country of Eastern Asia, lying between 
 ^ tlie parallels of 20° and 41°, and extending from the meridian 
 of 97° eastward to the Pacific Ocean. Its superficial area is esti- 
 mated at one million three hundred thousand square miles, or 
 more than one-third the size of Europe. All the natural features 
 of China are on a gigantic scale, and correspond with the vast 
 extent of the country. Chains of mountains, which appear almost 
 interminable, intersect its surface, and in the north-west rise into 
 snow-covered peaks, and its rivers are superior in length to any 
 others in the Eastern Hemisphere. Nor are the works of human 
 industry by which China is distinguished less imposing, as the 
 remains of the Great Wall, which separates it from Tartary, and 
 extends across hill and valley for one thousand two hundred and 
 fifty miles, and its Grand Canal, the longest in the world, abun- 
 dantly testify. The Empire is divided into eighteen provinces, 
 which exhibit considerable difference of aspect, soil, and chmatc. 
 Besides the vegetables and fruits peculiar to the country, it pro- 
 
5 12 HISTORY OF WESLEY AN MISSIONS. 
 
 duces most of those that are grown in Europe. The Chinese are 
 great agriculturists, but the article for which they are the most 
 celebrated is the tea plant, the leaves of which are now so well 
 known in Europe. It is said that they not only cultivate every 
 available piece of land within their reach, but also the bottoms of 
 their waters, and that the beds of their lakes, ponds, and rivulets, 
 produce crops unknown to us. 
 
 The population of China is estimated on good grounds at the 
 enormous number of four hundred millions, equal to one-third of 
 the entire human race ! Many of the provinces are extraordinarily 
 populous, containing upwards of six hundred persons to the square 
 mile. Thousands of the people constantly live upon the water, in 
 boats or vessels of various kinds, without ever spending a day on 
 the dry land. The Chinese belong to the Mongol, or olive-coloured, 
 variety of mankind. They have large foreheads, small eyes, short 
 noses, large ears, long beards, and black hail-, and those are 
 thought to be the most handsome who are the most corpulent. 
 The women affect a great deal of modesty, and are remarkable for 
 their small feet. So anxious are they to excel in this respect, that 
 little children, especially the girls, have their feet encased and 
 confined in small boots, to prevent their growing too large. Of 
 course they feel very uncomfortable, and they are often in great 
 pain whilst passing through this trying ordeal ; but their parents 
 and little brothers try to amuse them with playthings to prevent 
 their crying and to reconcile them to their fate. Many other 
 foolish and ridiculous things might be related of the child-life of 
 the Chinese ; but when they grow up to years of maturity they 
 are a most industrious people. They are famous for their manu- 
 factures in porcelain, cotton, paper, and various other articles. 
 They are great smokers, however, and manj' of them are fond of 
 opium, and shorten their days by indulging in its use. 
 
 Much more might be said in reference to this wonderful country 
 and the strange people by which it is inhabited ; but, in a 
 Missionary point of view, the language, literature, religion, and 
 morals of the Chinese arc most important, and demand a few 
 passing observations. The Chinese language is very p)eculiar, and 
 
CHINA. 
 
 513 
 
 was once thought almost inaccessible to Europeans, but a more 
 intimate acquaintance with it has proved that it is not so. The 
 characters are somewhat of the form of hieroglyphics, and are read 
 not from left to right as the English, nor from right to left as the 
 Hebrew, but from top to bottom, being arranged in perpendicular 
 columns. Learning is much cultivated by the Chinese, and their 
 schools and colleges are, in their waj', of a vei-y respectable 
 
 CniLU-LIFE IN CHINA. 
 
 character. They have among them numerous books on a variety 
 of subjects, which are indicative of a higher state of civilisation, 
 having existed at some previous period of their history than that 
 which they now enjoy. 
 
 The religion of the Chinese is sheer Paganism, of the Buddhist 
 type. They have no Sabbath, nor even such a division of time as 
 a week. The principal pagodas or temples are dedicated to a god 
 whom they call Fo ; but they are not much frequented, for the 
 
 L L 
 
514 HISTORY OF Vi'ESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 people generally liave tlieir own liouschold gods, and private 
 heathen altars in tlieir respective dwellings, where they perform 
 their idolatrous and superstitious rites and ceremonies. Confucius, 
 who flourished about two thousand 5'ears ago, is regarded as their 
 great p)hilosophor and reformer ; but, however his works and liis 
 character may be eulogised, no very favourable impression appears 
 to have been made upon the morals of the population of China by 
 his teaching. With all their high pretensions to a superior civili- 
 sation, the moral character of the people is as debased as that of 
 the Hindus, or any other pagan nation with which wo are 
 acquainted. In addition to the various forms of idolatry and 
 superstition which are openly professed by the Chinese, there are 
 prevalent among them polygamj-, infanticide, debauchery, gamb- 
 ling, and other revolting forms of vice, to say nothing of the 
 malignitj', deceit, and fraud by which they are characterised. 
 From this brief statement it will be clearly seen that the teeming 
 millions of the population of China stand in need of the Gospel ; 
 and we shall now proceed to consider what has been done by the 
 enlightened nations of Europe to raise the people from their 
 morally degraded condition. 
 
 FiEST Epfoets to Evangelise the Chinese. 
 
 For many years China was inaccessible and almost unknown to 
 foreigners. The people flattered themselves with the idea of supe- 
 rior civilisation, and with a fabulous antiquity, which raised them, 
 in their own estimation, to such a point, that the}' looked with 
 contempt on all the world besides, and regarded all other nations 
 as races of "barbarians." They are, moreover, extremely igno- 
 rant with respect to the character and condition of other nations. 
 A Chinese author says, "I felicitate myself that I was born in 
 China. What, if I had been born beyond the seas, where the 
 people are clothed with leaves of trees, eat wood, lie in holes of 
 the earth, where the cold freezes, or the heat scorches ? I should 
 not have been difi'erent from a beast. But now, happily, I have 
 been born in China ; I have a house to live in ; drink, and food, 
 
CHINA. 515 
 
 and elegant furniture ; I have clotliing, and caps, and everj' blessing. 
 Truly the highest felicity is mine ! " Thus ignorant and puffed up 
 with pride, the Chinese for a length of time declined to have any 
 dealings with strangers, and would not allow any foreigner to enter 
 or to reside in their country. 
 
 How long this spirit of exclusiveness would have continued it is 
 difficult to say, had not the famous Chinese plant, with which we are 
 now so familiar, become known in Europe, and originated a branch 
 of commerce which, in a measure, broke down the barrier which had 
 so long enclosed the " Celestial Empire" against the intrusion of 
 the so-called " barbarians." It was with great caution, and under 
 many restrictions, that the Chinese ultimately admitted foreigners 
 to their shores, and at first only one or two ports were accessible 
 to foreign vessels, according to the treaties which were entered 
 into, from time to time, with the Western Powers. As early as 
 the year 1807, when the way began to open, the first effort was 
 made by the Protestant Christians of Europe for the evangelisation 
 of China. This honour was reserved for the London Missionary 
 Society, who, at that period, sent out the Uev. Robert Morrison, 
 D.D., for the special purpose of securing, if possible, a faithful 
 translation of the Scriptures into the difficult Chinese language. 
 After many years of arduous and plodding perseverance, this grand 
 object was accomplished, and the name of Dr. Morrison will be 
 handed down to posterity as the apostle of China and the founder 
 of the first Protestant Mission to this extensive and populous 
 country. 
 
 Dr. Morrison had studied the Chinese language for a brief 
 period before he loft home, under a learned native named Sam 
 Fok, then residing in London. Going to China by waj^ of New 
 York, the Missionary received from Mr. Maddison, the Secretary 
 of State, an introduction to the American Consul, which proved of 
 great service to him. On arriving in Canton, he conformed to the 
 prevailing usages of the country, in diet, dress, and manners. He 
 handled chopsticks instead of knife and fork, curled up his hair in 
 orthodox pigtail form, and allowed his finger-nails to grow. But, 
 after pursuing this method for some time, he was led to see the folly 
 
 LL 2 
 
5i5 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 of such a degrading conformity to the habits of a heathen people, 
 and henceforth assumed a dignified and distinctive character and 
 aspect. At first Dr. Morrison found it extremely difficult to obtain 
 tutors to aid him in the acquisition of the language ; and for several 
 years he was, to a considerable extent, excluded from social inter- 
 course with the people. It was not long, however, before he was 
 able to report to the Directors of the Society that "the Chinese 
 Grammar was ready for the press, the Dictionanj was filhng up, 
 and the manuscript of the New Testament was, in part, fit to be 
 printed." 
 
 In the year 1813 Dr. Morrison was joined by the Eev. William 
 Milne, D.D., who was also honoured to render efficient service in 
 the Chinese Mission ; and in the following j-ear they baptized their 
 first native convert, a man named Tsai-Ako, who continued faithful 
 to the day of his death, in 1818. The work of evangelisation was 
 very slow in its progi'ess for a length of time ; but, as it gradually 
 expanded, the honoured Missionaries whom we have named were 
 followed by the Kev. Messrs. Medhurst, Legge, Hobson, and 
 others, and stations were established in Canton, Hong Kong, 
 Shanghai, Macao, and other places. Much of the time of the 
 brethren was, at first, necessarilj', occupied in studying the lan- 
 guage ; but at length they were enabled to commence preaching 
 the Gospel to the people in their own tongue ; and, among the few 
 converts who were gathered into the fold of Christ through their 
 instrumentality, some were raised to the honourable position of 
 native evangelists. 
 
 When the country became open and accessible to foreigners by 
 the more liberal treaties and other arrangements which resulted 
 from the Chinese war, a number of other Christian agencies, both 
 from America and Europe, were brought to bear upon the dense 
 mass of heathenism which pervades the Celestial Empire. Ulti- 
 mately that section of the Christian Chui'ch, the history of whose 
 Missions we have traced in other lands, was able to take its share 
 in the important work of endeavouring to evangelise this vast and 
 populous country, and not without encouragement to persevere in 
 their labours. 
 
CHINA. 517 
 
 Co:.IMENCE3IENT OF WeSLEYAN MiSSION. 
 
 Tlic Wcslcyau Mission to Cliina was organisecl at a compara- 
 tively recent period. This was owing, not to the lack of dis- 
 position on the part of the Society, but to the want of means. 
 When, in 18-15, China was thrown open to foreigners to an extent 
 it had never been before, by the pubhcation of an important docu- 
 ment notifying tliat every form of Christianity might be freely pro- 
 fessed, and bj' an alteration in the law, permitting Missionaries 
 to make extensive journeys beyond the limits of the " five free 
 ports " to which thej' had been previously confined, a strong desire 
 was felt by many that our Society should enter the country and 
 take its proper share of Missionary work in the " Flowery Land." 
 But at that time tlie entire resources of the Committee were more 
 than absorbed by the claims of the work in the South Seas, the 
 West Indies, Africa, India, and other places. Consequently it was 
 impossible to send out Weslcyan Missionaries to China at that 
 time; and it was not till actually pressed into the work by the 
 special providence of God that it was ultimately entered upon. 
 
 The conversion of China to the faith of the Gospel was a burden 
 laid upon the heart of a pious young man in Yorkshire, named 
 George Piercy, and ho could scarcely rest day or night, from a deep 
 conviction that he ought to give himself entirely to this great work. 
 This conviction v.-as deepened by a communication from a few 
 pious soldiers stationed at Hong Kong, and ultimately Mr. Piercy, 
 impelled by the constraining love of Christ, went out to China at 
 his own expense, and without any pledge of support from any 
 Missionary Society. He arrived at Hong Kong on the 20th of 
 January, 1851, expecting to find a pious sergeant, with whom he 
 had formerly been acquainted, at the head of a small band of 
 praj'ing soldiers. He stepped on shore in a strange land with 
 peculiar feelings, and, walking towards the barracks, he inquired 
 of the first soldier he met where he should find Sergeant Pioss, and 
 he received the startling reply that ho was dead ! He then inquired 
 for Corporal D , another member of the little Methodist class. 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
CHINA. 519 
 
 and his grief and disappointment were somewhat relieved on iinding 
 that the man to whom he was speaking was the person himself, 
 who at once gave him a cordial welcome to China. 
 
 Having listened to the aifeoting story of the sickness and death 
 of his friend, Sergeant Eoss, and of other members of the little 
 class, for Corporal D was the" only siuwivor, Mr. Piercy pro- 
 ceeded to make arrangements to labour for the benefit of his fellow- 
 countrymen in the garrison, till ho could acquire the Chinese language, 
 and prepare to enter upon his Mission to the natives. On calling 
 upon Dr. Legge, of the London Missionary Society, Mr. Piercy was 
 received as a brother in Christ, and cordially offered a home in the 
 Doctor's house till be could make suitable arrangements for his 
 own accommodation in connection with his work. After residing 
 about three weeks under the hospitable roof of his friend, the 
 young Missionary hired rooms in Hong Kong, one of which, 
 capable of containing about sixty persons, he turned into a 
 preaching- place for the English soldiers. At the same time he 
 commenced visiting the sick in the hospital ; and, under the direc- 
 tion of Dr. Herchberg, applied himself to the study of medicine as 
 well as to the acquisition of the language of the people among 
 whom his lot was cast, that he might be more fully prepared for 
 future usefulness. The Lord greatly blessed the labours of Mi'. 
 Piercy among the soldiers and their wives, and about twenty of 
 them were soon formed into a Society, of whose sincerity he had 
 good hope. Those among whom he laboured showed a disposition 
 to contribute to his support, and, although his own funds were 
 expended much sooner than he anticipated, what they raised, 
 coupled with small sums sent by his friends in England, enabled 
 him to devote all his time to Mission work, without engaging in 
 any secular employment, as when he went out he expected he 
 might be obliged to do. 
 
 " At this stage of his evangelical labours, Mr. Piercy, who had 
 long been a consistent member of the Methodist Church, offered 
 his services to the Wesleyan Missionary Society ; and, after such 
 an examination as he could be subjected to at that distance, 
 involving a written statement of his Christian experience and doc- 
 
5--0 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 trinal views, he was accepted as a candidate for our ministry. 
 This course was adopted by the Missionary Committee and Con- 
 ference, under a deep conviction that the Society was now called 
 upon to do something for China, and that Divine Providence was 
 calling them into the field by thus raising up and thrusting into 
 the harvest suitable labourers to carry on the work. In the mean- 
 time Mr. Piercy was studying the Chinese language dihgcntly, and 
 labouring to do good to the utmost of his power. On hearing that 
 his ofl'er of service was accepted by the Wesleyan Missionary 
 Society, he began to arrange his plans for future action. These 
 plans involved his removal to Canton, where he believed there 
 was a more ample and appropriate sphere of labour. He had, 
 from the beginning, regarded his stay at Hong Kong as merely 
 temporary, till he should be in a measure initiated into his proper 
 Missionary- wort. 
 
 The Ca:^tox Distkict. 
 
 On proceeding to Canton, Mr. Piercy met with a cordial recep- 
 tion from Dr. and Mrs. Hobson of the London Missionary Society, 
 who did everything in their power to promote his comfort and 
 success. Having hired apartments, as before, and being supplied 
 with the services of a native assistant, named Leang Afa, by the 
 kindness of Dr. Hobson, Mr. Piercy continued his studies at the 
 language, and soon began to hold religious services for the benefit 
 of the natives. But his position and prospects will best appear 
 from his own statement. Writing to the Committee in London 
 soon after bis arrival at Canton, ho says : "As to the field before 
 mc, I need not say it is largo. I am a temporarj' resident in a 
 hoiise not far from the factories, close to the river, and to a ferrj' 
 over which nine thousand persons frcquentty pass in a da}-. It is 
 a little way into the western suburbs, over which, from a lofty 
 verandah, I have an extensive view. I can look two miles to the 
 west, and two-and-a-half to the north ; and in this small space are 
 crowded the abodes and persons of four hundred thousand human 
 beings. Through every street of this given space I can pass 
 
CI-IliXA. 
 
 5^r 
 
 fck 
 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 nnmolestccl, and in many places I can enter shops and leave a 
 tract, or speak a few minutes with the people. I think I perceive 
 a difference in the treatment of foreigners of late. The free inter- 
 com-se of the Missionary families with the people has had a very 
 Leneficial effect. As to the people themselves, there is a moral 
 and mental apathy respecting the truth vrhich is a great discom-age- 
 mcut to the Missionary. Yet still numbers are willing, and some 
 desirous, to receive Christian books and tracts. They come into 
 the preaching-room, and, in man}- instances, pay close attention 
 to the speaker. The idolatry and temple rites have no hold on 
 their hearts, but as seasons of show and mkth, of amusement and 
 relaxation from business. In this field arc found rich and poor, 
 learned and unlearned in vast numbers. If a Chinese is of equal 
 value with any other human being, what a number of islands and 
 large tracts of territory elsewhere will even this city outweigh." 
 
 It Vi'as clearly understood by the Society at home, when thoj- 
 adopted Mr. Piercy as their recognised agent, that measm-es Avould 
 have to be taken to strengthen his hands and place the work 
 on a permanent basis ; and it is gratifying to observe that the 
 means required for that purpose were soon forthcoming. Many 
 noble friends and liberal supporters of the China Mission were 
 raised up in various parts of the country, just at the time when 
 they were required. Among the foremost of these was the late 
 Thomas Farmer, Esq., the respected treasurer of the Society, who 
 contributed £1,000 at the commencement of the work and £100 a 
 year afterAvards. Thus encouraged to prosecute the important 
 enterprise with zeal and perseverance, the Committee selected and 
 sent out the Ecvs. Wilham R. Beach and Josiah Cox to aid Mr. 
 Piercy, and they arrived in Canton on the 20th of January, 1858. 
 
 The newly arrived Missionaries were of course constantly em- 
 ployed ft)r a length of time in learning the language, and preparing 
 for future labours ; whilst Mr. Piercy, who had in a great measm-e 
 conquered these difficulties, was busily engaged in preaching, 
 teaching, translating, and other active Missionary-work. A boys' 
 school was now commenced under auspicious circumstances, into 
 which the Conference Catechisms, which had been translated into 
 
CHINA. 523 
 
 Chinese by Mr. Piercj^ were at once introduced with good effect. 
 At intervals, to relieve the tedium of their studies, the junior 
 Missionaries engaged earnestly in the work of distributing tracts 
 and copies of the Scriptures, the British and Foreign Bible Society 
 having generously undertaken to provide one million copies of the 
 Now Testament for gratuitous distribution in China. As the 
 work began to expand, an earnest appeal was made to the Society 
 at home for more labourers, that they might be preparing to enter 
 the openings which appeared to present themselves in various 
 directions. 
 
 Encouraged by the liberaUty of their friends, and by the 
 increase of special contributions to the fund for the support of the 
 China Mission, the Conference of 1854 appointed the Pievs. Samuel 
 Hutton, Samuel S. Smith, and John Preston to this interesting 
 part of the Mission field. The}' were solemnly ordained in City 
 Pioad Chapel, and embarked for their distant sphere of labour 
 early in the following year. After a pleasant passage of eighty- 
 nine days from Gravesend, they reached Hong Kong, whence they 
 proceeded to Canton, and, having with considerable difficulty 
 procured a place of residence, they applied themselves to the 
 study of the language with becoming zeal and diligence. The 
 preparatory and active work of the Mission was going on hopefully 
 when the commencement of hostilities between Great Britain and 
 the Empire of China seriously interrupted the work, and obliged 
 the Missionaries to leave Canton and take refuge in Macao, in the 
 month of November, 185G. 
 
 But during the period of their comparative exile, the brethi'en 
 were not idle ; they continued the study of the language with 
 unabated application, and held meetings for religious instruction 
 and worship with the people as they had opportunitj-. It was 
 during their sojourn at Macao, that three of their earliest converts, 
 who had accompanied them, were admitted to the Church by 
 baptism, after long training and a full conviction of their sincerity 
 and soundness in the faith of the Gospel. In the midst of their 
 troubles, the Missionaries set apart two days for special prayer 
 and intercession for China, and to ask God so to interpose by His 
 
524 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 providenoG, tliat passing events, however painful and threatening 
 for the time being, might he overruled for the advancement of 
 Ilis cause and Idngdom in the hmd. Soon after this they thus 
 expressed themselves in writing to the Committee in London : — 
 " Important changes must follow the present employment of arms. 
 Our diplomatic relations will, no doubt, be improved. Commerce 
 will receive advantage. Our position as Missionaries cannot be 
 worse than it was. It would, perhaps, be fair to claim a decided 
 improvement in it, from the change that will probably occur ; but 
 we feel very jealous of depending on the protection and support 
 even of own blessed country in eflbrts for the conversion of men. 
 The work is of God. It belongs to Christ and Christians. It is 
 'not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord.' 
 Let not war divert us from looking to Christ. Let Christ be 
 magnified, and the excellency of His power will rest on us. We 
 should praj' that the few and feeble messengers of the churches may 
 be filled with the Holy Ghost. God will then delight to employ 
 us in entering the open doors which may be set before the Church." 
 For nearly two j-ears the Missionaries were obliged to continue 
 in exile, during which period they held four meetings weekly for 
 the benefit of the Chinese, by whom they were surrounded at 
 Macao, and they had the pleasure of adding two more to the 
 number of their converts from among those who became impressed 
 by their instructions. At the same time the)" were constantly 
 employed in study and in distributing tracts and copies of the 
 Scriptures, Mr. Piercy and Mr. Cox making excui'sions to the 
 Straits and Shanghai occasional!)-. At length, towards the close of 
 1858, the success of the AUied Powers having secured the objects 
 for which the war was undertaken, the restoration of peace was 
 followed by the re-occupation of Canton as a station of the Society. 
 Four of the five Missionaries happilj' succeeded in securing suit- 
 able residences, Mr. Smith having remained some time longer at 
 Macao, by desire of the brethren. Two places of worship were 
 also provided, one adjoining Mr. Hutton's residence, and the other 
 in the old city, which alTorded a preaching-place, a schoolroom, 
 and a residence for an unmarried Missionary. 
 
CHINA. 525 
 
 The following year was marked by circumstances of an interest- 
 ing character. One of the brethren having thought proper to 
 retire from the Wesleyan Connexion, and join another community, 
 the Rev. John S. Parks was sent out to strengthen the Mission. 
 Four day schools were established in different parts of Canton, one 
 of which was for girls ; and some of the elder scholars displayed a 
 very encouraging measure of progress in the knowledge of the plan 
 of salvation. The number of native converts was, moreover, 
 slowl}' but constantly increasing, and mention is made of one who 
 sickened and died happy in the pardoning love of God. With 
 reference to the character of the rest, the District Minutes con- 
 tained this pleasing testimony : — " We have great joy in recording 
 that the general conduct of our Chinese members has been in 
 accordance with the Gospel, and we believe they are steadily 
 advancing in the knowledge and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 whilst three of them have cheered us by their marked zeal for the 
 salvation of their countrymen." Nor did the Missionaries neglect 
 the British soldiers stationed at Canton, but laboured for their 
 benefit as they had opportunity, and were richly rewarded by 
 seeing a considerable number of them brought to a saving know- 
 ledge of the truth. 
 
 The next event which claims our attention in connection with 
 our China Mission was a remarkable providence, by which the 
 means were provided for placing it on a more substantial and per- 
 manent basis than it had ever been before. From the commence- 
 ment of the work considerable difficulty had been experienced in 
 obtaining suitable premises for the residences of the Missionaries 
 and for schoolrooms and places of worship, which had in every 
 instance to be hired, as the Society was not in a position to erect 
 buildings of their own. But in 1860, by the munificent legacy of 
 Thomas Pooll, Esq., of Road, of £10,000, especially for the India 
 and China Missions, the Committee were enabled to make arrange- 
 ments for the erection of commodious Chapels, Schools, and Mission 
 premises, in ditferent parts of Canton. As the new places of wor- 
 ship were opened, from time to time, a fresh impulse was given to 
 the work, which continued to advance slowly but gi-adually in all 
 
HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 its departments. The prospect of the future was for the moment 
 bright and cheering ; but Missionary experience is often very 
 checkered and fluctuating. The new Mission premises were 
 scarcely completed when, in the month of July 1862, Canton was 
 visited by a terrific storm, by which the property of the Society, 
 as well as that of many other parties, was placed in great jeopard}'. 
 Indeed, some of the buildings were wholly destroj'ed, and the 
 efl'ects of the brethren scattered to the winds. In a few months, 
 however, the damage done by the hurricane was repahed, and the 
 work went on as usual. 
 
 About the same time, one of the brethren was exposed to 
 " perils among robbers." Mr. Preston, in company with an 
 American Missionary and consular Chaplain, took a journey into 
 the interior of the province, for the purpose of distributing New 
 Testaments and tracts and preaching to the people. The journey 
 occupied fom-teen days, and extended over a distance of two 
 hundred and forty miles. At most of the places they were kindly 
 received by the people, but on passing through a ravine they were 
 captured by banditti, stripped of nearly all their clothing, and 
 robbed of their horses and other property. Having led them 
 away three or four miles among the mountains, repeatedly 
 threatening their lives, the robbers took them into a remote valley, 
 and re-searched their persons, to ascertain that nothing valuable 
 remained in their possession, and then returning to each of the 
 Missionaries a coat, marched off, leaving them to find their way 
 as best they could. On arriving at the town from which they had 
 started in the morning, the Missionaries were kindly provided with 
 food and lodging, and with equal kindness and generosity were 
 helped onward by officials and others to their homes in Canton. 
 
 The China Mission having now become well established, the 
 work advanced from year to year, if not rapidly, yet with marked 
 improvement and uniformit}'. Some of the brethren having been 
 obliged to return to England, temporarily or permanently, on 
 account of the failure of their health, the staff of labom-ers were 
 strengthened by the appointment of the Kevs. Joseph Gibson, 
 John H. Rogers, Silvester Whitehead, and Thomas G. Selby. 
 
CHINA. 527 
 
 The City of Canton was ultimately divided into t^yo circuits, cast 
 and west, and a promising station was commenced at Fatshan, and 
 several new converts were baptized and added to the native Church 
 from time to time. The Schools also increased both in number 
 and efficiency ; and to give the girls a better chance of improve- 
 ment, a trained female teacher from Westminster College was sent 
 out to the assistance of Mrs. Piercy, imder the auspices of the 
 " Wesleyan Ladies' Committee for the Promotion of Female Edu- 
 cation in the East." This arrangement, however, did not result 
 in the permanent advantage which was expected, in consequence 
 of the failure of the young lady's health, which necessitated her 
 return home to die under circumstances peculiarly affecting. A 
 brief account of this touching incident may appropriately conclude 
 this section of our work. 
 
 The first female teacher sent out to China in connection with 
 the Wesleyan Mission to that Empire, was Miss Mary Gunson, of 
 Ayside, near Windermere, whose brief career is worthy of a passing 
 notice. In early life Mary gave her heart to God, and being 
 deeply impressed with the conviction that she ought to do some- 
 thing to promote the cause of that Saviour who had done so much 
 for her, she resolved to devote herself entirely to the important 
 work of teaching. She therefore sought and obtained admittance 
 into the Wesleyan Training Institution at Westminster, in January 
 18G0, to prepare for the undertaking. Her college life was marked 
 by diligence in study, entire devotedness to her work, and an exhi- 
 bition of humble piety and Christian consistency which endeared 
 her to all with. whom she had to do. At the end of her second 
 year of training, Miss Gunson obtained a place in the third class in 
 the Government Examination, and also a prize for skill in drawing. 
 Instead of taking charge of a school in England, as her friends 
 anticipated, she was unexpectedly requested to go out to China to 
 teach the j^oung " Celestials." 
 
 Miss Gunson arrived at Canton on the 8th of August, 18G2, 
 and addressed herself to her work with an earnestness and zeal 
 which gave promise of marked success. She soon became endeared 
 to Ml', and Mrs. Piercy, with whom she resided, as well as to the 
 
S2S HISTORY OF ]VESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 other members of the Mission. She had only been a few months 
 in China, however, and begun to battle with the difSoulties of the col- 
 loquial language, and to make herself useful in the girls' school, when 
 her health failed. There appeared in her fair and amiable visage 
 evident marks of pulmonary consumption. The hectic flush and 
 frequent cough told their sad tale ; and her medical attendant 
 recommended her immediate departure for England as the only 
 likely means of saving her hfe. With feehngs of great reluctance, 
 but with humble resignation to the will of God, the poor invalid 
 embarked for her native land on the 20th of April, 1863, accom- 
 panied by Mrs. Piercy, who was proceeding on a visit to England. 
 The strength of the afflicted sufferer continued to decline during 
 the voyage ; but she was mercifully spared to reach her home in 
 safety, and to embrace once more her beloved parents, and brothers 
 and sisters, who had felt very anxious on her account. Contrary 
 to all expectation. Miss Gunson lingered for several months ; but at 
 length, on the 19th of May, 18G4, the Master called her, and she 
 entered into the joy of her Lord in the tAventy-third year of 
 her ago. 
 
 The AVuchaxg Disteict. 
 
 At an early period of their laboiu's in Canton and the neighbour- 
 hood, the Missionaries were convinced of the necessity and impor- 
 tance of establishing a strong Mission in the north of China, if they 
 would make any sensible impression upon the vast heathen Empire. 
 Hankow, a most important centre of commerce, was, accordingly, 
 unanimously recommended to the Committee b)' the brethren as 
 a suitable place ft)r the headquarters of such a Mission. Densely 
 crowded with people, the city ati'ords facilities for preaching the 
 Gospel to myriads who never before heard the glad tidings of sal- 
 vation. It also affords easy access to the city of Wuchang, an 
 important provincial capital, and other populous towns, and is 
 favoured with a communication twice a week with Shanghai, by 
 moans of the splendid navigable river Yangts3'e. Wi'iting from 
 Hankow on the occasion of his first visit, Mr. Cox says : " The 
 
CHINA. 529 
 
 whole lieatli'On world cannot produce a field wliose population is 
 so great, accessible, and intelligent, nor one where the marked 
 providence of God so loudly demands our co-operation." For the 
 commencement of the Mission, the District Meeting asked for the 
 appointment of three Missionaries in addition to Mr. Cox, who was 
 already there ; but Mr. Cox, in the midst of the openings which 
 surrounded him, strongly recommended the appointment of six 
 Missionaries, one of whom should have a knowledge of medicine, 
 and a trained teacher. He would not only occupy Hankow by the 
 appointment of two Missionaries, but would also place two and 
 a schoolmaster at Wuchang, and two at Kiukiang. 
 
 Mr. Pieroy, when writing to the Committee in support of the 
 proposals for the extension of the Mission made by Mr. Cox, 
 thus expresses his conviction that the hand of Providence was 
 pointing to their adoption: — "I feel grateful to Almighty God 
 for the manifest guidance vouchsafed to my beloved ^brother in 
 his journeyings to the north, and I regard his determination to 
 stay there, pending your action, as a wise one. I trust the Con- 
 ference of 1862 will be able, ten )'ears after the establishment of 
 our first Mission at Canton, to undertake the commencement of a 
 second, with at least three or four men in the very heart of this 
 great Empire. What obstacles has Divine Providence removed 
 during these ten years ! Now all the country is open before us. 
 Men are wanted W'ho will give themselves to the work of 
 evangelising this country in its length and breadth, who are 
 willing to leave the old posts, and penetrate into new localities, 
 and, with self-denying love to perishing souls, encounter the 
 difliculties of opening up new fields of labour." 
 
 These warm-hearted and earnest appeals met with a noble 
 response. The Committee authorised the purchase of ground 
 and the erection of suitable Mission piremises at Hankow ; and 
 the Eev. WiUiam Scarborough proceeded to join Mr. Cox there, 
 whilst the B,evs. David Hill and Frederick P. Napier were 
 appointed to occupy the new station of Wuchang. At these 
 important centres of population, the usual labours of studying 
 the language, organising Mission-schools, preaching to the people, 
 
 M M 
 
53° 
 
 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 and distributing tracts and copies of the Holy Scriptures, were 
 carried on -witli a pleasing prospect of success ; Kiukiang being 
 also visited occasionally with a view to its being occupied as soon 
 as circumstances would permit. 
 
 In connection with the headquarters of the Mission at Hankow, 
 
 
 NATIVE TEACUER OIKCDLATIKC. THE ECRinUEES. 
 
 a now clement was, moreover, brought into operation, as an 
 important auxiUary to evangelistic work, — namely, the dispensing 
 of medicine to the afHicted. The Chinese have a high opinion 
 of the skill and benevolence of Europeans ; and they will make 
 application for their medicine, when nothing else would induce 
 them to come in contact with the Western strangers. The 
 
CHINA. 531 
 
 American and London Societies had long availed themselves of 
 this means of usefulness with good effect, and our Missionaries 
 had done what they could according to their knowledge and 
 circumstances ; but in 1863 the Committee in London secured 
 the services of Dr. J. Porter Smith, a pious and skilful Methodist 
 physician, to proceed to China and organise a regular medical 
 Mission at Hankow. Dr. Smith reached the scene of his future 
 labour's early in the year 18G4, and commenced the study of the 
 language and the practice of his profession in the true Missionary 
 spirit. 
 
 The plan adopted was to dispense medicine gratuitously to the 
 poor, and to give spiritual counsel and instruction to the invalids, 
 as far as practicable. A commodious hospital was accordingly 
 fitted up in connection with the Mission-premises at Hankow ; and 
 the days appointed for the application of patients were Mondays, 
 Y\^ednesdays, and Fridays. When the poor sufferers were as- 
 sembled, one of the Missionaries, alrcadj^ acquainted with the 
 language, delivered an address before Dr. Smith commenced the 
 examination of each ease respectively ; and whilst he was after- 
 wards busily engaged in the dispensary, conversations v.'ero con- 
 tinued with the waiting patients in the adjoining chapel. The 
 people distinctly understood, that in connection vv'ith the healing of 
 the body, the Missionaries sought the salvation of the soul ; and 
 5'et they came together in large numbers, and not only received 
 with gratitude the medicine prescribed, but often listened with 
 devout attention to the instruction given. 
 
 The report of the results of the Medical Mission for the first 
 year stated that a total of eighteen thousand seven hundred and 
 sixty-four patients was actually registered, with the addition of 
 others admitted irregularly. The persons applying for medical aid 
 were of every rank and degree, from the haughty grandee to the 
 poor beggar in the streets, and from every province in the Empire. 
 Much suffering was relieved, many diseases cured, some lives pre- 
 served ; and the moral effect produced was, in many instances, 
 very gratifying, considering the strong prejudices and other 
 obstacles which had to be encountered in the prosecution of the 
 
 M M 2 
 
532 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 work. Some who bad received Lenefit from the medicine of the 
 Missionaries, began to regard tbem as their friends and bene- 
 factors, attended to their religious counsel, were brought under 
 the renewing influence of Divine grace, and there is reason to 
 hope that they will be their "joy, and the crown of their rejoicing, 
 in the day of the Lord Jesus." 
 
 The Wesleyan Mission to China is in active and vigorous opera- 
 tion, and in all its departments — evangelical, educational, and 
 medical — it has already been a means of both temporal and spiritual 
 good to many ; and with God's blessing on the zealous and perse- 
 vering labours of His servants, still greater success may be expected 
 in time to come. From the pecuhar character of the work, it will 
 require much faith, and patience, and perseverance, on the part of 
 the Missionaries who are engaged in it, and continued sympathy, 
 prayer, and liberality on the part of the friends of Missions at 
 home. In connection with the respective stations in the two 
 districts into which the work is divided in China, there are now 
 eleven Missionaries, seven Ctitechists, eighty-Jive Church members, and 
 three hundred and twelve Scholars are receiving instruction in the 
 Mission-schools. For these results, comparatively small as they 
 may appear, we would render sincere thanksgiving to Almighty 
 God, and devoutly pray that the leaven of Gospel truth, which has 
 been deposited in the dense mass of heathenism which exists in 
 that dark benighted pagan land, may work eflectually till the whole 
 Empire shall be permeated with the light and life of our Divine 
 Christianity. 
 
CHAPTEE XII. 
 THE RETROSPECT. 
 
 THE SPECIAL PEOVIDENOE OP GOD THE SUCCESS WHICH HAS BEEN 
 
 PiEALISED THE WOKK V/HICH REMAINS TO EB DONE APPEAL TO 
 
 THE FHIENDS OF JHSSIONS. 
 
 HAVING conducted the reader over the varied scenes of 
 labour occupied by the Wesleyan Missionary Society in 
 different parts of the world, we may now, with jirofit to ourselves 
 and advantage to the cause in which we feel deeply interested, 
 pause for a moment to take a retrospective view of the past 
 and a glance at the probable future of the great and glorious work 
 in which we are engaged. Whilst briefly tracing the rise, pro- 
 gress, and present state of the respective Missions which have 
 passed under review, numerous thoughts and enquiries have sug- 
 gested themselves, in which we did not indulge at the time, after 
 the manner of some historians, lest we should break the thread 
 of the narrative, divert the attention of the reader, or occupy 
 time and space to an extent which would have been incom- 
 patible with the plan of our work. Hence the propriety of 
 indulging in a few^ reflections in our concluding pages, that we 
 may fully comprehend the magnitude and importance of this 
 branch of the grand Missionary enterprise, and feel the full 
 weight of the responsibility which rests upon us, as individual 
 professing Christians, henceforth to prosecute the work with 
 
534 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 renewed and increased vigour in certain hope of its glorious 
 consummation. In the history of the past, in the aspect of the 
 present, and in the prospect of the future, we see much to 
 stimulate and encourage us in our work of faith and labour of 
 love. We also behold ample cause for deep humihation before 
 God, for searching self-examination, and for a fresh consecration 
 of ourselves with all we have and are, to the service of Him from 
 whom we have received every temporal and spiritual blessing 
 which we are favoured to enjoj'. On some of these encourage- 
 ments and stimulating motives we shall dwell, for a few moments, 
 with the hope that, under Clod's blessing, our observations may 
 lead to practical results. We may first remark on 
 
 The Special Providence of God. 
 
 Nothing can be more pleasing and encom-aging to the mind of 
 the Christian believer, in view of the work which he is called to 
 do in connection with the spread of the Gospel throughout the 
 world, than clear and enlightened conceptions of the doctrine 
 of Divine Providence. If man were left to himself in his humble 
 efforts to evangelise the world, it would, indeed, be a hopeless 
 task. But it is not so. Supernatural aid and the special blessing 
 of God, arc promised to every attempt which is made b}- 
 His servants to promulgate a knowledge of the Redeemer. When 
 Ckrist gave to His disciples that great command, " Go ye into all 
 the world and preach the Gospel to overly creature," He also 
 said, " Lo, I am with 5-ou alway even to the end of the world." 
 And this promise implies, not only the gracious iuiluence of 
 the Spirit upon the hearts of preachers and hearers, for their 
 comfort and salvation, but also the over-ruling and superintending 
 Providence of God, opening doors of usefulness, defending His 
 servants in times of danger, over-ruling passing events for the 
 advancement of His cause and kingdom among men, and making 
 all things Vi'ork together for good to them that love Him. 
 
 The History of Wcsleyau Missions presents to our view a suc- 
 cession of such interpositions of Divine Providence during the past 
 
THE RETROSPECT. 53 
 
 centmy as is scarcety to Ijc found iu tlie records of the Churcli 
 witliiu tlie same space of time, at any previous period. On some 
 occasions the elements of nature were controlled by the almiglity 
 power of God, and pressed into tlie service of Him wliom " winds 
 and seas obe}'," to bring the messengers of His mercj' to lands 
 where the people were waiting for His law, and thirsting for the 
 water of life. This was especially the case when Dr. Coke and 
 his companions were driven by a storm to the West Indies when 
 on their passage to America, and when Mr. Longbottom was ship- 
 wrecked on the coast of South Australia, not to mention numerous 
 instances in which the Gospel was introduced to the islands 
 of the Pacific Ocean by adverse winds, so called, and storms 
 and tempests by which frail barks freighted with native evangelists 
 were wafted to places which they had no intention of visiting at 
 the time. Nor arc the instances less remarkable in which the 
 Hand of God is clearly seen in the preservation of His servants 
 from danger and from death in the hour of imminent peril. When 
 Missionaries have been exposed to the fury of wild beasts and 
 savage men ; to the raging tempest, the earthquake, or the hurri- 
 cane by sea and by land ; and to the " pestilence that walketh in 
 darkness, and the arrow that wasteth at noon-day," in unheaJthy 
 climes, they have been shielded by an unseen power, and rescued 
 from peril in the most marvellous manner. 
 
 To the same interposition of Divine Providence must be ascribed 
 the numerous openings which have presented themselves at dif- 
 ferent times for the introduction of the Gospel into heathen lands, 
 and the raising up of suitable agents for the work just at the time 
 when they were specially required. In some instances we have 
 seen populous comitries, as India, China, and Japan, which had 
 remained for ages effectually closed against foreigners by the 
 extreme jealousy of the ruling powers, all at once thrown open to 
 commercial intercourse, and to the efforts of the Christian Mis- 
 sionary for the evangelisation of the teeming millions of their 
 idolatrous inhabitants. In other cases where the light of Pro- 
 testant Christianity had long been excluded from vast populations 
 by restrictive laws and regulations, originating in Popish intolerance. 
 
536 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 as in Italy, Spain, and other places, the barrier has been broken 
 down, religious liberty proclaimed, and the country thi'own open 
 in the most surprising manner. Nor have the facilities for the 
 introduction of the Gospel been less remarkable which have 
 occurred in countries such as New Zealand, Fiji, and the Friendly 
 Islands, which a few years ago seemed closed against the mes- 
 sengers of God's mercy by the deep degradation, and the cruel, 
 murderous, and cannibal propensities of the inhabitants. In these 
 places, which were " full of the habitations of cruelty," we have 
 seen the unruly passions of men controlled by an invisible power, 
 and the heralds of peace going forth to unfurl the blood-stained 
 banner of the Cross without fear and without molestation. And 
 when occasions of imminent danger have occurred from threatened 
 personal violence, the protecting power of the Almighty has often 
 been displayed in the most signal manner. We have known an 
 enraged savage brandish his spear and point it at the Missionarj-'s 
 breast ; but when the man of God lifted his hand to heaven and 
 assured the assassin that if he dared to strike Jehovah would see 
 and punish him ; and that white men, on hearing of his death, 
 would come and demand satisfaction, the implement of destruction 
 has fallen to the ground, and the intended murderer has turned 
 away trembling with fear. 
 
 It is true, instances have occurred in which precious lives have 
 been sacrificed in the Missionary enterprise, not only b}- the 
 wasting influence of pestilential climates, but by the devouring 
 elements and the murderous hands of savage men. The friends 
 of Wesleyan Missions will never forget the names of the Eev. 
 Messrs. Thrclfall, Thomas, Bumby, Draper, Baker, Whiteley, and 
 Hill ; and of the zealous native teachers who honourably fell at 
 the post of duty. The afflictive dispensations of Divine Providence 
 by which useful labourers have been suddenly removed, when 
 their services were so much required, were no doubt permitted 
 for some wise and good purpose, and it must bo admitted that the 
 number of such casualties has been but small indeed, compared 
 with the thousands of agents employed for many years in the 
 Mission-field, and the peculiar dangers to which they have been 
 
THE RETROSPECT. 537 
 
 exposed. The wondei-ful preservation of Christian Missionaries 
 can only be attributed to the special providential care of that God 
 whose they are, and whom they serve, and without whose per- 
 mission a sparrow cannot fall to the ground, nor a hair on the 
 head of one of His people be injured. 
 
 The infidel and the sceptic may laugh or sneer at these i-efercnces 
 to the superintending providence of God in connection with the 
 work of Christian Missions ; but the true believer has a full con- 
 viction of the truth of the doctrine, and it is a source of groat 
 comfort and encouragement both to the Missionaries themselves and 
 the friends by whom they are sustained in their hallowed labours. 
 It is this view of the Divine government, in connection with the 
 promises which God has given in His holy Word, which more than 
 anything else stimulates the friends of Missions to fervent perse- 
 vering prayer for His blessing upon the labourers and their work. 
 And often has the writer been sustained and comforted, when ex- 
 posed to difficulties and danger in foreign lands, by the assurance 
 which he has felt in his heart, that he was the subject of the ever- 
 watchful care of his Heavenlj' Father, and that ho and his brethren 
 were remembered by Christian friends at home at the throne 
 of the heavenly grace. " The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice, 
 let the multitude of the isles be glad thereof." 
 
 The Success "wi-iicii has been Realised. 
 
 The duty of the Christian to persevere in his humble endcavouirs 
 to propagate the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is not dependant 
 upon the success which may attend the first efl'orts made for that 
 object. If no fruit for a long time appeared as the result of Mis- 
 sionary labour, the obligation to obey the commands of the great 
 Head of the Church would remain the same. But when success is 
 realised, and that soon after the work has been commenced, it is 
 matter of encouragement and of sincere gratitude to God, inasmuch 
 as it clearly indicates the truth of the Gospel, and the Divine 
 approval of the means employed for its dissemination. When the 
 husbandman has scattered abroad with a liberal hand precious 
 
53S HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 seed upon good ground carefully prepared for iLs reception, if he 
 docs not sec the blade spring up at the appointed time, lie 
 naturally feels disappointed, and begins to surmise wbether tbo 
 seed sown "\Yas the genuine article Ti'hich it professed to bo. So 
 would the Christian Missionary be exposed to grave temptations 
 and serious misgivings if permitted to toil j'ear after year vyithout 
 seeing any indications of the fruit of his labour. But when 
 showers of blessing descend upon the heritage of the Lord, 
 causing the good seed of the Kingdom to germinate and spring up, 
 " first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear," and 
 in due time the fields to appear white unto the harvest, the}' who 
 sow and they who reap are favoured to rejoice together. 
 
 As the soil on dift'erent lands varies, so the circumstances of 
 different countries and populations are diversified, some being more 
 and some less fruitful ; but if we go forth in the name and strength 
 of the Lord, trusting in Him for success, we shall not labour iu 
 vain or spend our strength for nought. We may meet with dis- 
 couragements as we "go forth, bearing precious seed,'' but, if 
 faithful, we shall, doubtless, "return again with joj', bringing our 
 sheaves with us." Jehovah Himself has said : " As the rain cometh 
 dovm and the snoAV from heaven, and returneth not thither, but 
 watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may 
 give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater ; so shall My word 
 be that goeth forth out of M5' mouth : it shall not return unto Me 
 void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall 
 prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." 
 
 The Weslej-an Missionary Socict)' has been highly favoured in 
 this respect. In the most unpromising soil the agents of this 
 institution have seldom been permitted to labour long without the 
 appearance of tangible fruit ; and that fruit has often been of a 
 character and on a scale far licyond the most sanguine expectations 
 of the parties concerned. It is matter of gratitude to the friends 
 of Missions to see (ho Avork of Christian civilisation advance among 
 dark benighted heathen tribes, — peaceful villages formed, places 
 of worship erected, schools established, and the arts of civilised 
 life promoted in all their diversified forms. But that which is still 
 
THE RETROSPECT. 539 
 
 more welcome and delightful to all wlio love tlic Savioiu' in sin- 
 cerity and in truth, is the appearance of real spiritual fruit as the 
 result of Missionary labour. Wherever the Gospel of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ has been faithfully preached, it has proved to be " the 
 power of God unto salvation to everyone that belicveth." Sinners 
 have been awakened from their slumber, brought in humble peni- 
 tence and prayer to the foot of the cross, and by faith iu the 
 precious atonement have found pardon and peace, and been 
 savingly converted to God. Man}' of these converts from hea- 
 then darkness and superstition have themselves been called 
 to preach the Gospel to their fellow-countrymen, and in Africa, 
 India, and the South Sea Islands, the work is, to a great 
 extent, carried on by native agency. Prosperous Christian 
 chm'ches have, moreover, been organised in various parts of the 
 Mission-field, and there are, at the present time. One huiiilred and 
 sixty thousand, tiro hundred enid ninetij five rneinhcrs united in 
 Church fellowship, on the various stations occupied by the 
 Wesleyan Missionary Society, whilst nearly tv:o hundred thousand 
 scJioIars are receiving instruction in the Mission-schools. 
 
 The Vv^oeic v\-nici-i t.emains to be done. 
 
 But whilst we rejoice over these indications of the Divine 
 approval and blessing, and render sincere thanks to Almighty 
 God for the success which has attended the Missionary enterprise, 
 we must not lose sight of the fact that much, very much, jxt 
 remains to be done before the world can be said to be won for 
 Christ. Largely as the leaven of Gospel truth has diffused its 
 influence of late j-ears in various parts of Europe, there still 
 remains a mighty mass of infidelity and popish superstition to be 
 removed, that the Word of the Lord may have " free course, run, 
 and be glorified." On the Continent of America, and in the 
 Islands of the West Indies, many sinners yet remain to be con- 
 verted, whilst the churches already gathered need much pastoral 
 care and attention. But when we turn our eyes to Africa, and 
 call to mind the aptpaUing fact that thousands and millions of her 
 
540 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 deeply degraded inhabitants are still involved in midnight heathen 
 darkness, we might well despair of ultimate triumph, if it were not 
 for the evidences of the power of the Gospel, which we behold on 
 the nmncrous Mission-stations which have already been formed in 
 various parts of the country. 
 
 The same remarks will apply to Australasia. Notwithstanding 
 the wonderful achievements of Christianity in many of the 
 islands of the South Sea, there are still whole nations and 
 tribes of people who have never yet heard the name of Jesus, or 
 seen that Book which alone reveals the mercy of God to poor 
 sinners, whilst the tens of thousands of converted natives in Fiji 
 and the Friendly Islands must for many years require constant 
 instruction and vigilant oversight. Nor are the claims of India 
 and China, with their teeming millions of population, less urgent, 
 or less deserving, of the S5'mpathy and the care of British Christians. 
 Sufficient of success has been realized to prove the excellency and 
 efficiency of the armour with which the " Captain of our salva- 
 tion " has furnished his faithful followers ; but the great battle 
 with idolatry, pagan darkness, and Mahommedan superstition, has 
 yet to be fought. A few of the outposts of Heathendom may have 
 been taken, but the citadel of the strong man remains to bo 
 captured. In view of these appalling facts, we maj' well ask with 
 the Apostle, " Who is sufficient for these things '?'' And we have 
 the same blessed response which cheered his heart, " Our suffi- 
 ciency is of God !" 
 
 Appeal to the Feiexds of Missioxs. 
 
 In conclusion, and in full view of the special providence of God, 
 the success which has already attended the Missionary enterprise, 
 and the work which yet remains to bo done, \\a may ask who is 
 willing to " come up to the help of the Lord against the mighty ?" 
 In the presence of enemies so numerous and powerful, and with 
 responsibilities so weight}' and momentous, every professing Chris- 
 tian should inquire. What can I do to help forward the work of 
 God, and tho spread of tho everlasting Gospel throughout the 
 
THE RETROSPECT. 541 
 
 world ? All may not be cf[ually able to take a part in the glorious 
 enterprise ; but all may do something. To some Clod has given 
 suitable physical and mental endowments to fit them for personal 
 service to plead the cause of the perishing heathen, or actually to 
 go forth to labour in the Mission-field. Whilst such are prudently 
 careful not to "run before they are sent," they should be equally 
 on their guard against disobeying the heavenly call and allowing 
 themselves to be deterred from engaging in the blessed work by 
 apprehensions of the real or imaginary difficulties and dangers 
 connected with it. If any pious, intelligent, and devoted youth, 
 whilst reading these pages, has felt in his heart those mysterious 
 stirrings and Divine aspirations which, in connection with con- 
 current providential indications, constitute the call of Clod to the 
 Missionary work, let him not resist the promptings of the Holy 
 Spirit, or disobey the commands of the Almightj', but heartily 
 respond in the language of the prophet, " Here am I, send me." 
 Nor should Christian parents withhold their full consent, or throw 
 difilioulties in the way of their children whose hearts God Himself 
 has disposed to engage in personal service in the cause of Missions. 
 Eather let them imitate the example of the noble-hearted parent 
 who said, "If I had a dozen sons or daughters, I should be glad 
 to see them all engaged in making known the glad tidings of sal- 
 vation to the perishing heathen." 
 
 To others God has given a considerable portion of the good 
 things of this world ; and where much is given, much is required. 
 Of whatever nature the talents may be which are committed to 
 our care, we arc only entrusted with them as " Stewards of the 
 Lord." Nor should we forget that the time is approaching when 
 the Master will say, " Give an account of thy stewardship, for 
 thou mayest be no longer steward." Wealth is never better 
 employed than when consecrated to the service of the Redeemer ; 
 and the highest department of that service is making known His 
 dying love to those who had never before heard of His great 
 salvation. Let those who have it in their power, support the 
 cause of Missions at home and abroad with princely liberality, 
 remembering the words of Him who said, " Freely ye have received, 
 
542 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 freely give," for the "Lord loveth a cheerful giver." But if our 
 means be very limited, we are not on that account excused from 
 the faithful discharge of our duty, or debarred from the privilege 
 and honour of being identilied with this department of the work 
 of God. We are, in that case, to contribute as the Lord hath 
 prospered us ; and He, whose eye was on the treasury, and who 
 marked with His approval and blessing the widow's mite, so cheer- 
 fully consecrated to His service, vrill accept our offerings if pre- 
 sented in appropriate measui'e, and with a single eye to His glory. 
 
 But those who have nothing to give but their prayers, may 
 render important service to Christ and His cause in connection 
 with the Missionary enterprise. He who taught His disciples to say, 
 " Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is done in 
 heaven," vdll appreciate every petition presented at the throne of 
 grace for God's blessing on the Missionaries, their- families, and 
 their work. Let this sacred duty not be neglected, for without 
 the influence of the Holy Spirit to render effectual the faithful 
 preaching of the Gospel, and the watchful care of Divine Provi- 
 dence over those who go forth to dwell in heathen lands, we 
 cannot expect the cause to succeed. But with the blessing of 
 heaven in answer to fervent persevering prayer, every obstacle 
 shall be overcome, for "the fervent pra3-er of a righteous man 
 availcth much." 
 
 Whatever talents have been entrusted to us bj- the providence 
 and grace of God, whether they be gifts of physical strength, 
 mental power, worldlj- wealth, moral influence, or power with 
 God in pra5rer, let them all be devoted to the honour and glory of 
 Him whose we are and whom we profess to serve. Having con- 
 secrated ourselves and all that wo have and are to the service of 
 the Kedeemer, let us live and labour for God and heaven, re- 
 membering that we are not our own, we are bought with a price, 
 and that it is our duty, as it is our privilege, to " Glorify God in 
 our bodies, and in our spirits, which are His." If we come up 
 to the help of the Lord against the mighty, and engage in the 
 great Missionary enterprise in this spirit of self-sacrifice and 
 entire consecration to God, we shall not live or labour in vain ; , 
 
THE RETROSPECT. 543 
 
 the enemies of the Cross will be vanquished ; hindrances will be 
 removed out of the way of the onward march of truth ; and every 
 knee shall bow to Jesus, and ultimately every tongue confess Him 
 to the honour and glorj' of God the Father ; and Ho, whose right 
 it is to reign, as King of Kings^ and Lord of Lords, shall sway His 
 sceptre over a subjugated world. 
 
 The signs of the times warrant our anticipation of the speedy 
 fulfilment of ancient prophecy and the second advent of Christ to 
 reign and rule more fully in His Church and in the hearts of all 
 His faithful people. How wonderful the changes which have 
 taken place during the past half century, all tending to prepare 
 the way of the Lord ! Slavery has been abolished throughout 
 the British Empire, and by " terrible things in righteousness," 
 America has been constrained to relinquish her favourite domestic 
 institution ; whilst the different nations of Europe are giving up 
 their claim to the right of property in their fellow men. Africa has 
 been explored and made known to Christian philanthropists to an 
 extent never before realized ; and the diseases peculiar to the 
 unhealthy western coast are now better understood, and conse- 
 quently less fatal than formerly. India, China, and Japan are thrown 
 open to the commerce and Christian enterprise of the Western 
 World. France, Spain, and Italy are no longer closed against the 
 Bible and Protestant truth. The dreadful war which has deso- 
 lated some of the fairest portions of the European continent may 
 be overruled in the providence of God, as in former similar cases 
 for the wider extension of religious liberty and the freer promul- 
 gation of the everlasting Gospel. The temporal power of Papal 
 Rome is a thing of the past, and popery itself seems to totter to 
 its foundation. The way is now open to the Wesleyan Missionary 
 Society, as well as to other kindred evangelical institutions, to 
 plant the standard of the cross in the eternal city, and St. Peter's 
 itself may soon resound with the free proclamation of that Gospel 
 for which the fisherman-apostle lived, laboured, suftered, and 
 died. Christian England can communicate with all parts of the 
 world, by means of steam and the electric telegraph, on a scale 
 which was never known before. 
 
544 HISTORY OF WESLEYAN MISSIONS. 
 
 Thus all things iire ready for the Church of Christ to march 
 forward like a grand conquering army to take possession of the 
 world ; or, to use another figure of a milder type, the way is pre- 
 pared for the noble band of labourers in the Lord's vincj'ard to go 
 forth and reap a glorious harvest, to the honour of His blessed 
 name. The field is the world. The harvest is great and the 
 labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest to 
 send forth more labourers into the field ; so shall the whitening 
 harvest be gathered into the garner of the Lord, and the w'ord of 
 prophecy receive its accomplishment : " There shall be a handful 
 of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains ; the fruit 
 thereof shall shake like Lebanon : and thej- of the city shall 
 flourish like grass of the earth. His name shall endure for ever : 
 His name shall be continued as long as the son ; and men shall 
 be blessed in Him : all nations shall call Him blessed." 
 
 " 0, multiply tlio pcn^'er's seed I 
 
 And fruit we every hour shall bear, 
 Tlirougliout the world Thy Gospel spread, 
 Thy everlasting truth declare." 
 
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INDEX. 
 
 PAflE 
 
 Ahongines . . . 264, 283, 295, 298 
 Adams, Eev. Thomas .... 394 
 Addison, Eev. Edward .... 199 
 Adelaide, S. Australia .... 292 
 
 Africa, Westebn 155 
 
 Afhica, Southeen 20G 
 
 Airieau ingeuuity 152 
 
 Ahongalu, Barnabas .... 398 
 
 Albany 237, 238, 243 
 
 Alder, Eev. Dr SO 
 
 Alderney 29 
 
 Algoa Bay 235, 240 
 
 Alice 259 
 
 Allen, Eev. William . . 198, 199 
 
 Allison, Eev. John 255 
 
 Amampondas 254 
 
 Amaznln 254 
 
 Ambler and Connelly .... 35G 
 
 A^IEEICA 51 
 
 Ames, Eev. William .... 132 
 Amos, Eev. E. . . . 174, 394, 395 
 
 Anguilla 119 
 
 Annear, Eev. E. S. . . . 174, 198 
 
 Anshavv' 252 
 
 Antigua District 110 
 
 Antigua, Island of 114 
 
 Appeal to Friends of Missions . 640 
 Appleyard, Eev. J. W 242 
 
 
 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Ai-chbeU, Eev. J. . . . 217, 
 
 251, 254 
 
 Army and Navy Work 
 
 . 12 
 
 , 49, 506 
 
 Arthur, Eev. W. . . 
 
 
 
 . 499 
 
 Asbury, Eev. Francis 
 
 
 
 G2, 03 
 
 Ashante 
 
 
 
 . 203 
 
 Ata, Chief .... 
 
 
 
 . 3fi0 
 
 Ault, Kcv. AVilliam . 
 
 
 
 440, 481 
 
 AnSTH,U.IA .... 
 
 
 
 . 262 
 
 Author's Personal iliss 
 
 on 
 
 
 183,224 
 
 Backhouse, Mr. James .... 306 
 Badger, Eev. H. . . . 174, 175, 193 
 
 Bahamas 141 
 
 Bailie, Eev. J. A. . . 217, 219, 223 
 
 Baker, Rev. John 1G8 
 
 Baker, Eev. Thomas .... 451 
 
 Baltimore Gl 
 
 Bangalore 495 
 
 Baralongs 251 
 
 Barbadoes 127 
 
 Barber, Eev. W 234 
 
 Barnley, Eev. G 84 
 
 Barra Point 194 
 
 Barratt, Eev. J. C 40 
 
 Barrington 93 
 
 Earrowclough, Eev. AV. . . . 176 
 
 Barry, Eev. E 91 
 
 Bartholomew, Eev. J 47 
 
548 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Basutus 252 
 
 Batliurst, Ciambia . . . 178, 179 
 
 Bathurst, S. Africa 138 
 
 Batticaloa 481 
 
 Ban, Fiji 425, 430 
 
 Baxter, Mr. Jolin 112 
 
 Bay of Islands .... 311,319 
 
 Beach, Eev. W. E 522 
 
 Beal, Bev. William 23 
 
 Bechuana District 251 
 
 Belfast College 08 
 
 Belize, Honduras 140 
 
 Bell, EeT. William 180 
 
 Bellamy, Eev. G 132 
 
 Benares, Temples at .... 461 
 
 Bensonville 252 
 
 Berbice 133 
 
 Berkley 242 
 
 Bermudas 104 
 
 Berrie, Eev. .J. W 177 
 
 Berry, Eev. J. E 17i 
 
 Bethel 219 
 
 Bihle Society 349 
 
 Bickersteth, Eev. E 201 
 
 Binner, Rev. J 399, 452 
 
 Birch, Captain 470 
 
 Birch Town 83 
 
 Bishop, Eev. A 96, 124 
 
 Black, Eev. W 90, 98, 102 
 
 Blackbird, Schooner .... 412 
 
 Black Town 485 
 
 Blanchard, Eev. T. W 177 
 
 Blencowe, Eev. (i 255 
 
 Bloemfontien 253 
 
 Boardman, Eev. E 00 
 
 Bombay 471, 506 
 
 Bowden and Hoskiugs , . 260, 278 
 Boyce, Eev. W. B. 240, 247, 261, 307 
 
 Boyd, Ship 325 
 
 Brackenbury, E. C, Esq. ... 28 
 Brazier, Eev. Mr 136 
 
 TAGR 
 
 Bridgart, Eev. J. ... 176, 193 
 
 Brisbane 280 
 
 British Columbia BG 
 
 British Guiana 131 
 
 British Eule in India .... 404 
 
 British Settlers 235 
 
 Broadbent, Eev. S 251 
 
 Broadbent, Eev. J. H 504 
 
 Brooking, Eev. E. . . . 197, 198 
 
 Brown, Eev. John 144 
 
 Brown, Eev. Samuel .... 108 
 
 Browning, Eev. Mr 87 
 
 Buchanan, Mr 356 
 
 Buck, Captain 399 
 
 Buckley, William 283 
 
 Bulpit, Eev. .James 99 
 
 Bumby, Eev. .J. H 345 
 
 Buntingville 247 
 
 Bure, Fiji, Temple 408 
 
 Burg-street Chapel 228 
 
 Burger's Dorp 252 
 
 Burgess, Eev. A 488 
 
 Burning Mission Premises . . 343 
 
 Butterworth 245 
 
 Cabalva, Ship ^67 
 
 Cadiz • • 44 
 
 Calcutta 503 
 
 Caldicott, Rev. W. S 507 
 
 Caldwell, Rev. J 289 
 
 Calvert, Eev. J 422, 427 
 
 Calvert and Lyth, Jlesdames . . 449 
 Cameron, Eev. J. . . . 240, 255 
 
 Cameron, Eev. J. E 255 
 
 Canada 69 
 
 Canarese, Preaching in . . . 500 
 
 Cannibalism 432, 447 
 
 Canton District 520 
 
 t'anvas Town 288 
 
 Cape Briton 96 
 
 Cape of Good Hope 208 
 
INDEX. 
 
 549 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Capo of Good Hope District . . 211 
 
 Cape Town 227 
 
 Cargill, Eev. D. . . . 378, 411, 428 
 
 Carribs 123 
 
 Carver, Eev. B 494 
 
 Carvosso, Eev. B. . . 277,301,303 
 
 Case, Eev. "William 33 
 
 Castlereigh 272 
 
 Castletown 23 
 
 Cathcart, Sir George .... 219 
 
 Catts, Rev. James 144 
 
 Centenary Celebration .... 61 
 
 Ceylon 450, 472 
 
 Cbampness, Eev. T. . . 176, 201 
 Chapel Openings . . . 221, 386 
 
 Chapman, Eev. B 189 
 
 Chapman, Bev. G 198 
 
 Channel Islands 27 
 
 Charlotte Town 100 
 
 Chatham 32 
 
 Chin.i 289, .511 
 
 Chinese 514 
 
 Christian Benevolence . . 399, 541 
 
 Civilisation 310, 354 
 
 Claremont 230 
 
 Clarke, Eev. Dr 22, 29, 42 
 
 Clarke, Eev. Isaac 173 
 
 Clarkehury 245 
 
 Class-meetings, Origin of . . . 9 
 
 Clement, Eev. V. E 194 
 
 Clough, Eev. B l:i9, 476 
 
 Coke, Dr 15, 28, 01, 465 
 
 Colenso, Dr -56 
 
 Colesberg 252 
 
 Collis, Bev. J 399 
 
 Colombo i'i'^ 
 
 Colonisation 343 
 
 Columbus 57 
 
 Commemoration Chapel . . . 226 
 
 Concordiaville 226 
 
 Convicts, Mission to .... 305 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Cook, Eev. E 226, 233 
 
 Cook, Eev. Dr 25, 47 
 
 Cook, Captain 263 
 
 Coolie Mission . . . 134, 137, 257 
 
 Cooper, Bev. E 143 
 
 Cork, Mr. Wesley at .... 17 
 
 Coughlau, Eev. L 28, 101 
 
 Courtus and May 171 
 
 Cox, Bev. J 522 
 
 Cox, Bev. M. B 205 
 
 Grabb, Eev. James 27 
 
 Cradock 241 
 
 Crane, Eev. B. H 94 
 
 Cranswick, Eev. M 96 
 
 Creed, Eev. C 345 
 
 Crocodile Worship 160 
 
 Croggan, Rev. W. 47 
 
 Cromwell, Eev. J. 47 
 
 Crosby, Bev. B 173 
 
 Cross, Rev. W. . 364, 37i, 4il, 426 
 
 Crowther, Eev. J 486 
 
 Cryer, Bev. T 480 
 
 Cuthbert, Bev. J 201 
 
 Damaraland 226 
 
 David, Katta 398 
 
 Davies, Eev. W 167 
 
 Davis, Eev. W. J. . . . 240, 255 
 
 Daw, Eev. Bobert 194 
 
 Dawson, B.ev. S 170, 182 
 
 Demerara 130 
 
 Devil Worship 161 
 
 Diaz, Bartholomew 207 
 
 Diep Eiver 230 
 
 Dominica 115 
 
 Duglas 22 
 
 Dove, Rev. T. ... 174, 175, 186 
 
 Draper, Bev. J. D 290 
 
 Drew, Mr. S 66 
 
 Duaterra, Chief 311 
 
 Dublin, Mr. Wesley visits . . 15 
 
55° 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 rAGK 
 
 Dunham, Bev. D 77 
 
 Duun, Bey. S 21 
 
 Duuwell, Eev. J. . . . . . . 198 
 
 Durban 255 
 
 East London 241 
 
 Edenilale 25G 
 
 Edmondson, Eer. J 33 
 
 Eduey, Eev. J 176 
 
 Edwards, Eev. E. . . 210, 227, 251 
 
 Edwards, Eev. J 240 
 
 Edwards, Eev. T 174 
 
 Eggleston, Bev. J 345 
 
 Egypt 49 
 
 Elephant Fountain 226 
 
 Elsey'sEiver 2S0 
 
 Emancipation of Slavcr-i . . . 148 
 
 Emigrants' Home 288 
 
 Emigration 53 
 
 Embury, Philip .... 54, 53, 75 
 
 England, Eev. J. E 499 
 
 English, Eev. ^¥ 192 
 
 Erskine, Eev. Mr. . . 464, 477, 482 
 
 Esseiiuibo 133 
 
 EUKOPE 3 
 
 Evans, Eev. Di 84, 87 
 
 Farmeriield 238 
 
 Faucrsmith 253 
 
 Female Education 491 
 
 Fentin, .John 28 
 
 Field, Eev. B 291 
 
 Field Preaching 7 
 
 Fijians 405 
 
 Fiji Islands 103, 454 
 
 Fiji, King and Qucoi of . . . 452 
 
 Findlay, Eev. Mr. : . . . . 199 
 
 Fingocs 240 
 
 Fish, Eev. Willinni 137 
 
 Fleet, Eev. Henry 174 
 
 Fletcher Memorial Cha;"! . . 37 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Fletcher, Eev. .J. . . . 452,457,507 
 
 Fletcher, Eev. J. H 281 
 
 Foolas 165 
 
 Ford, Eev. J 339 
 
 Fort Beauiort 239 
 
 Fox, Eev. W 186, 199 
 
 France 30 
 
 Frazei-, Eev. E. . . . /. .'.'. -4?. 
 Freeman, Eev. T. B. . . 197, 199 
 French Prisoner.^' Mission . . 31 
 
 Fkiendly Islands 356 
 
 Friendship and Buxton . . . 133 
 
 Galle 476 
 
 Gama 207 
 
 Gambia, Eiver 173 
 
 Gardener, Eev. E. A. . . 200, 201 
 
 Garrettson, Eev. F 63, 93 
 
 Garry, Bev. W. P 175 
 
 Gaskin, Eev. .J 255 
 
 George Town 131 
 
 German Village 242 
 
 Germany 38 
 
 Gibraltar 41 
 
 Gibson, Eev. W 46 
 
 GUbert and Fletcher .... 176 
 
 Gilbert, Nathaniel, Esq. ... Ill 
 
 Girls Learning to Sew .... 331 
 Godman, Eev. M. ... 192, 217 
 
 Gold and Silver Washing . . . 120 
 
 Gold Coast 194 
 
 Gold Fields 238 
 
 Graham's Town District . . . 235 
 
 Graham's Town 237 
 
 Greaves, Eev. T. T 198 
 
 Greece 47 
 
 Green, Eev. 1! 46 
 
 Grenada 124 
 
 Griffith, Eev. W 42 
 
 Grimmer, Eev. M. . . . 201, 202 
 
 Guernsey 29 
 
INDEX. 
 
 551 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Guinea 194 
 
 GTinson, Miss 527 
 
 Gurney, EeT. A. J. . . . 193, 200 
 
 Haabai 3C5, 369 
 
 Haddy, Eey. R. . 223, 226, 230, 257 
 
 Halifax, N. S 91 
 
 Hall, Eev. J. . 177 
 
 Hammett, Eev. W. . . 113, 117, 13G 
 
 Hankow 508, 529 
 
 Hardey, Eev. S 234, 300 
 
 Harding, Eev. J 281 
 
 Hardy, Eev. E. S 499 
 
 Harrop, Eev. .T 199 
 
 Harrop, Eev. P 196 
 
 Hart, Eev. F 200 
 
 Harvard, Eev. W. . . . 167, 474 
 
 Hawkins, Eev. E 180 
 
 Hawkshaw, Eev. J 122 
 
 Havrtrey, Eev. .Jolin .... 34 
 
 Hayti 144 
 
 Hazelwood, Eev. Mr 455 
 
 Heald Town 239 
 
 Heck, Mrs. Barbara .... 54, 75 
 
 Heck, Mr. Paul 54, 75 
 
 Hesk, Rev. T 197 
 
 Highfield, Eev. H. G 504 
 
 HiMfo 362 
 
 Hill, Eev. D 529 
 
 HiU, Eev. W 290 
 
 HiUard, Eev. 199 
 
 Hindus 464 
 
 Hirst, Eev. Henry 193 
 
 Hobert Town 301 
 
 Hobbs and Stack .... 238, 332 
 
 Hobson, Dr 520 
 
 Hocart, Eev. J 37 
 
 Hodgson, Eev. T. L 228 
 
 Hodson, Eev. T 500, 503 
 
 Hokianga Eiver 338 
 
 Holden, Eev. W 255 
 
 PAOE 
 
 Home Missions U 
 
 Honduras 140 
 
 Hongi, Chief 316, 337 
 
 Hoole, Eev. Dr. . . . 493, 496, 502 
 Hoole's Fountain . . . 223, 224 
 
 Hope Street Cbapol 229 
 
 Hopper, Eev. C 12 
 
 Hornabrook, Eev. I! 133 
 
 Horner, Eev. John 507 
 
 Horton, Eev. W 277, 303 
 
 Horton College 303 
 
 Hottentots 209, 236 
 
 Huddlestone, Eev. John . . . 169 
 Hiidson's Bay Territory ... 84 
 
 Huff, Mr. Paul 77 
 
 pluman Sacrifices 162 
 
 Hurlburt, Eev. Mr 85 
 
 Hurst, Eev. B., 285 
 
 Hunt, Eev. John .... 487, 432 
 Hutchinson, Eev. J. . . 432, 487 
 Hutton, Eev. S 525 
 
 Idolater, The Young .... 453 
 
 Idolatry 462 
 
 Impey, Eev. W 245 
 
 Inanda 256 
 
 Indaleni 256 
 
 India 459 
 
 India, Mission to 465 
 
 Indians, American 82 
 
 Ireland 15 
 
 Ironside, Eev. Mr 345 
 
 Isle of Wight 25 
 
 Italy 45 
 
 .Jackson, Eev. J 217 
 
 .Jackson, Eev. J., Jim 255 
 
 .Jacobs, Eev. Peter 83 
 
 Jafina 479 
 
 .Jamaica 135 
 
 James, Eev. W 188 
 
552 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 PACE 
 
 Jager, Joannes 222 
 
 Jagger, Eev. Mr 427 
 
 Jehu, Eev. David 174 
 
 Jenkins, Rev. E 488 
 
 Jersey 28 
 
 Jessop, Eev. William .... 94 
 
 Jobson, Eev. Dr 308 
 
 .Johnson, Eev. T 140 
 
 Jones, Eev. Peter S3 
 
 Jones, Eev. T. W. S 46 
 
 Jonker, Africaner 226 
 
 Kaffraria, British 241 
 
 Kaffirs, 209, 236, 248 
 
 Kalk Bay 230 
 
 Kamastone 247 
 
 Kandy 479 
 
 Kaudava 453 
 
 Kava-Eing 3.59 
 
 Kay, Eev. S 240, 243 
 
 Keeling, Eev. John 47 
 
 Keightley, Eev. John .... 172 
 
 Kemp, Eev. W 334 
 
 Keri-Keri 335 
 
 Kerpezdron, Eev. Mr 32 
 
 Kevern, Eev. G 376, 390 
 
 Khamiesberg 217 
 
 Kingston, .Jamaica 137 
 
 King, John 47 
 
 lUag WiDiam's To^Yn .... 241 
 
 ICing, George 385 
 
 Kingstown, St. Vincent's . . . 123 
 
 Korannas 252 
 
 Kumasi 203 
 
 Kwangubeni 25(1 
 
 iMihj Meh'illr, Ship .... 470 
 
 Lady Gray 232 
 
 Lady Smith 250 
 
 Lakcmba 412 
 
 Lakemba Circuit 218 
 
 PACS 
 
 Lane, Eev. G 120, 169 
 
 Lamieeston 204 
 
 Laws of Tonga 588 
 
 Lawry, Eev. W. . . . 276, 314, 357 
 
 Lean, Eev. E 189, 193 
 
 Lees, Mr. John 272 
 
 Leigh, Eev. S. . 267, 313, 317, 3-30 
 
 Lerwick 21 
 
 Lossc, Eev. William .... 75 
 
 Lessej'ton 247 
 
 Le Sueur, Mr. P 27, 102 
 
 Lewis, Eev. John 103 
 
 Lidgett, J. J., Esn 393 
 
 Lily Fountain 217 
 
 Lifuka 370, 385 
 
 Links, Jacob 222 
 
 Lolohia 336 
 
 London Miss. Society . 210, 221, 354 
 Longbottom, Eev. W. . . 293, 297 
 
 Lord, David, Es(i 203 
 
 Lowe, Rev. H. D 507 
 
 Lucknow 506 
 
 Lusanne 37 
 
 Lynch, Eev. W. . . . 167, 479, 486 
 
 Lynn, Mr 192 
 
 Lyons, Mr 72 
 
 Lyth, Eev. Dr 39 
 
 Lyth, Eev. E. B 429, 437 
 
 Macarthy's Island 184 
 
 Macpherson, Eev. D 47 
 
 Macquarie Harbour 305 
 
 McAUum, Dr 21 
 
 McArthur, W., Esq., M.P. . . 69 
 
 JIcBrair, Eev. E. M 188 
 
 McCarty, Mr. James .... 72 
 
 McCornock, Eev. W 115 
 
 McDugall, Rev. George ... 85 
 
 McGeary, Eev. John .... 102 
 McKenny, Eev. John . . 211, 477 
 
 McMrdler, Eev. James .... 41 
 
INDEX. 
 
 553 
 
 TAG E 
 
 Madras -185 
 
 Maer, Bev. Echyard 172 
 
 Mahaica 132 
 
 Malays 210 
 
 Malta 47 
 
 Malvern, Eev. JoLu .... 299 
 
 Man, Isle of 22 
 
 Mandanaree 179 
 
 Mangungu 338 
 
 Mann, Eev. Jolm 92 
 
 Mau-of-War Class Meeting . . 810 
 
 Mansfield, Bev. E 302 
 
 Manton, Eev. J. A 200 
 
 Maories 216, IJIO, 349 
 
 Maria, Mail Boat 121 
 
 Maritzburg 255 
 
 Marsdeu, Eev. S., . . 275, 311, 319 
 
 Marsden, Eev. J 105 
 
 Martin, Bev. J 198 
 
 Mason, Eev. Mr 87 
 
 Maxfield, Eev. T 8 
 
 Maynard, .J. M., Esq 230 
 
 Meadows, Eev. W 198 
 
 Medical Mission 531 
 
 Melbourne 287 
 
 Metbodist Episcopal Gliurcb . . 66 
 
 Metbodism, Origin of ... . 5 
 
 Mercury, Sbip 334 
 
 Milan 46 
 
 Milne, Eev. Dr 516 
 
 Milward, Eev. "W. H 200 
 
 Mohammedans 462 
 
 Money, T., Esq 471 
 
 Montigue 232 
 
 Montserrat 116 
 
 Moore, Bev. W 77 
 
 Moravians 6, 210 
 
 Morgan, Bev. John 179 
 
 Morrill, Bev. J. M 40 
 
 Morris, Mr. .Tames . . . 219, 224 
 Morris, Eev. 3 219, 224 
 
 FACtE 
 
 Mortier, Eev. .John 132 
 
 Morley 245 
 
 Morton Bay 279 
 
 Mosqnito Shore 140 
 
 Moss, Eev. W. S. V. . . 188, 192 
 
 Mount Coke 242, 243 
 
 Mount Arthur , 247 
 
 Moulton, Eev. .J. E 398 
 
 Mowbray 229 
 
 Mowatt, Eev. J 193 
 
 Morrison, Bev. Dr 515 
 
 Mua 365 
 
 Miiller, Mr. C. Ci 38 
 
 Munroe and Peck 171 
 
 Muzenberg 230 
 
 Mycock, Bev. .1 198 
 
 Mysore 502 
 
 Namaqualand 219, 204 
 
 Namaquas 214 
 
 Napier, Bev. P. E 529 
 
 Natal District 254 
 
 Neal, Major George 71 
 
 Negro Character . . . 150, 153 
 
 Negroes HI 
 
 New Brunswick 65, 96 
 
 Newell, Mrs. Harriet .... 507 
 
 Newfoundland 101 
 
 Newlanders 252 
 
 Newlauds 230 
 
 NewmanviUe 237 
 
 Newport, Isle of Wight . . . 25 
 
 New Providence 142 
 
 New South Wales 266 
 
 Newstead, Eev. E 35 
 
 Newtondale 241 
 
 New York 56 
 
 New Ze.aIj.and 309 
 
 Nicholson, John 19 
 
 Nisbett, Bath 223 
 
 Nobbs, Mr 355 
 
554 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Nova Scotia 89 
 
 Nukualofa . . . 363, 308, 38i, 397 
 
 Oneata 420 
 
 Ono 422 
 
 Oporto 45 
 
 Otley, Sii- Eieliarcl 493 
 
 Osttorn 247 
 
 Osborne, Eev. Mr 482 
 
 Oriental Travelling 501 
 
 Orton, Eev 284 
 
 Palestine 47 
 
 Palm Wine 164 
 
 Palmer, Eev. Mr 240 
 
 Palmerston 240 
 
 Paramatta 275 
 
 Parkinson, Eev. .J 191 
 
 Parks, Eev. J. S 525 
 
 Paris 35 
 
 Parsonson, Esv. (i. . . 189, 192, 217 
 
 Patterson, Eev. J 173 
 
 Pearce, Eev. B 127 
 
 Pearce, Eev. H 255 
 
 Pearcl, Eev. J. E. and Mrs. . . 191 
 
 Pearson, Eev. D 506 
 
 Peelton 23 
 
 Peet, Eev. H 193 
 
 Peddle 241 
 
 Percival, Eev. P 404 
 
 Perks, Eev. G. T. (M.A.) ... 46 
 Persecution . 123, 125, 127, 138, 145 
 
 Philadelphia 61, 62 
 
 Philips, Eev. S 482 
 
 Picott, Eev. T. E 202 
 
 Piercy, Eev. G 517 
 
 Piggott, Eev. J. B 46 
 
 Piggott and Hart 170 
 
 Pilcher, Eev. J 255 
 
 Pilmoor, Eev. Joseph .... GO 
 
 Filter, Eev. J 141 
 
 Plaatberg 
 
 Plaat, Eev. Mr. . . . 
 Point Pedro .... 
 Polglase, Eev. J. . . . 
 Pooh, T. Esf]. . . . 
 
 Popery 
 
 Pope, Eev. W. B. IM.A.) 
 Port-au-Prince . . , 
 Port Ehzabeth . . . 
 Port Jackson .... 
 
 Port Philip 
 
 Portsmouth .... 
 
 Portugal 
 
 Potter, Captain . . . 
 
 Powell, Mr 
 
 Preston, Eev. John . . 
 Priestley, Eev. John 
 Prince Edward's Island 
 Printing Establishments 
 Pro^ddenee of God. 
 Purslow, Eev. Mr. . . 
 
 399 
 
 377: 
 
 PAGE 
 
 252 
 401 
 182 
 451 
 526 
 387 
 
 46 
 146 
 240 
 263 
 282 
 467 
 
 45 
 195 
 132 
 523 
 22D 
 
 99 
 500 
 534 
 175 
 
 Queen Charlotte 385 
 
 Queensland 278 
 
 Queen's Town District . 242, 247 
 Quettevill, Eev. De .Jean . . 29, 34 
 
 Quick, Eev. W. A 174 
 
 Quitter, Eev. H. J 194 
 
 Quinte, B.ay of 72, 76 
 
 Eaboue, Eev. S. . 
 E.aby, Eev. John . 
 Eaikes, Jlr. Eobcrt 
 Eaithby .... 
 Eamsay .... 
 Eaukin, Eev. T. . 
 Easton, Eev. Mr. 
 Eawlins, Mr. . . 
 Eayner, Eev. J. . 
 Ecay, Eev. L. D. . 
 
 453 
 21 
 81 
 
 232 
 23 
 62 
 
 174 
 
 246 
 87 
 
 176 
 
INDEX. 
 
 555 
 
 I'AliE 
 
 Beteospect, The 533 
 
 EeTival in Ceylon 479 
 
 Eeyival in Tonga 379 
 
 Eewa 42;'. 420 
 
 Bhenisli Missionary Society . . 220 
 
 Rhodes, Eev. J 202 
 
 Eicliards, Eey. J. ... l'l':!, 500 
 
 Eichmond, Eev. Legli .... 27 
 
 Eiclimond, Eev. H. H 201 
 
 Eidgill, Eev. E 233 
 
 Eidsdale, Eev. B 223 
 
 Eigg, Eev. Joliu 42 
 
 Eigg, Eev. Dr. , 42 
 
 EiggingLoft 5(5 
 
 Eitchie, Eev. W 172 
 
 Eobertson 232 
 
 Eobinson, Mr 2-lC 
 
 Eobinson, Eev. G 201 
 
 Eolilin, Mr. .Jolm _ . . . , 76 
 
 Eobson, Eev. Mr 87 
 
 Eogers, .J. H. 520 
 
 Eondebosch 229 
 
 Eotumali 455 
 
 Eowlands, Eev. Mr 19S 
 
 Boyapettah Sclrools 491 
 
 Bule, Eev. Dr 42 
 
 Bundle, Eev. Mr 84 
 
 Salem 237 
 
 Samoa 400 
 
 Sanders, Eev. W 173 
 
 Sandfleei 232 
 
 San Salvadore 142 
 
 Sargant, Eev. S. S 523 
 
 Scarborough, Ecr. W 529 
 
 Schmelen, E.ev. Mr, . . 213, 217, 243 
 Scholars Swimming to School . 340 
 
 Scilly Isles 24 
 
 Scotland 12, 13, 14 
 
 Scott, Eev. Dr. G 40 
 
 Scott, Sergeant Jame,? . . 271, 278 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Selby, Eev. T. G 52G 
 
 SelwjTi, Dr 347 
 
 Seringapatam 502 
 
 Seymour 239 
 
 Shadford, Eev. G 02 
 
 Sharp, Eev. Mr 201 
 
 Sharracks, Eev. -J 115 
 
 Shaw, Eev. B 200, 213 
 
 Shaw, Eev. W. ... 228, 235, 237 
 
 Shawbury 247 
 
 Shelburnc 92 
 
 Sheuston, Eev. W. E 108 
 
 Shepstone, Eev. W., . . 215,248 
 Shrewsbury, Eev. W. .T. . 132, 245 
 
 Shipmau, Eev. S. A 197 
 
 Shipwreck 129, 293, 347 
 
 Sierra Leone 104 
 
 Simon's Town 230 
 
 Slaves, Institution of ... . 237 
 
 Slaves Liberated 385 
 
 Slavery, African 101 
 
 Smith, Eev. S. S 523 
 
 Smith, Dr. Porter 531 
 
 Smithies, Eev. .J 297 
 
 Smyth, Eev. J. B 452 
 
 Somerset, West 232 
 
 Somosomo 431 
 
 South Australia 292 
 
 Southern, Eev. A 194 
 
 Spain 43 
 
 Spencer, Eev. Mr 202 
 
 Spencelcy, Eev. C 255 
 
 Spinny, Eev. Mr 429 
 
 Sciuancc, Ber. T. H. . . 407, 479 
 
 Stark 29 
 
 St. Christopher's 117 
 
 St. Eustatius' 118 
 
 St. Helen's 28 
 
 St. John's, N.B 97 
 
 St. Martin's 118 
 
 St. Mary's, Gambia 179 
 
556 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 St. Mary's, SciUy . . 
 St. Vincent's District . 
 Stegman, J. A., Esq. 
 Stephenson, Eev. John 
 Stephenson, Rev. .J. H. 
 Stillenboscli . . . . 
 
 Stocldiolm 
 
 Stott, Eev. S. H. . . . 
 Strand 
 
 PAGE 
 28 
 
 121 
 
 230 
 105 
 
 40 
 231 
 
 40 
 257 
 232 
 
 Strawbriclge, Eobert .... 58 
 
 Strong, Eev. .John 79 
 
 Swallow, Eev. W 188 
 
 Swan Eiver 290 
 
 Sweden 40 
 
 Switzerland 36 
 
 Swellendam 234 
 
 Success realized 359 
 
 Sunday, John 83 
 
 Suttcliffe, Eev. Joseph .... 24 
 
 Sydney-street Chapel .... 128 
 
 Sydney, City of 268 
 
 Sykes, Eev. C. B 201 
 
 Symons, Eev. S 189 
 
 Tabou College 398 
 
 Talboys, Eev. T 132 
 
 Tamil 479, 484 
 
 Tanjnre, burning ol 493 
 
 Tanoa, Chief 430 
 
 Tasmania 301 
 
 Taylor, Bev. A 201 
 
 Taylor, Jeremiah 31 
 
 Toaso, Eev. W 31 
 
 Tobago 128 
 
 Teal, Eev. Mr 176 
 
 Terrington Grove 232 
 
 Terry, Eev. G. (B.A.) .... 40 
 
 Thaba Uncha 251 
 
 Thakombau, King 152 
 
 Thackwray, Eev. Mr 197 
 
 Thomas, Eov. J. . . . II'O. '22:!, 361 
 
 PAGB 
 
 Thomas, Eev. J. S 246 
 
 Thompson, Captain 324 
 
 Threlfall, Eev. W. . . . 222, 240 
 
 Thurles I9 
 
 Tindall, Eev. John 145 
 
 Tindall, Charles 326 
 
 Tindall, Eev. Joseph . . 223, 226 
 Tindall, Eev. H. . . . 224, 226, 232 
 
 Tonga 357, 366 
 
 Tortola 119 
 
 Tregaskes, Eev. D 177 
 
 Trinidad 124 
 
 Triton, Mission Ship .... 309 
 Tucker, Eev. C. . . . 378, 382, 390 
 
 Tuokfield, Eev. F 205 
 
 Tuffy, Mr 71 
 
 Turner, Eev. N. . 332,361,394,451 
 
 Tur-ner, Eev. P 372, 400 
 
 Tur-ton, Eev. J 342, 348 
 
 Turton, Eev. W 143 
 
 Tyas, Eev. A' 194 
 
 Tyreman and Bennett .... 332 
 
 Uitenhage 241 
 
 United States 241 
 
 Umhali '-56 
 
 Vancouver's Island 86 
 
 Van Dieman's Land .... 301 
 
 Vasev, Eev. 51r C4 
 
 Vavau 364,372 
 
 Veesou, George ^^t) 
 
 Verulam 256 
 
 Victoria 88,238 
 
 Victoria and Golden Grove . . 133 
 
 Virgin Islands -SS 
 
 Viwa «1 
 
 "Waite and Fletcher, Mes.v.-s. . . 177 
 Walbridge, Elizabeth .... 27 
 Walker, Eev. Mr. . . . 277, 317 
 
INDEX. 
 
 557 
 
 PAGE 
 
 WaU, Bev. Tlioma-. 191 
 
 "Wallace, Eev. 11 69 
 
 "WaUis, Eey. J 342 
 
 Walsh, Eev. T 8 
 
 Wangaroa 323 
 
 Wangungu 342 
 
 War 03, 320, 388 
 
 Warner, Gharlen 73 
 
 Warren, Eev. U 166, 344 
 
 Warrener, Eev. W 113 
 
 Waterhouse, Eev. J. . 34.5, 390, 427 
 Watkins, Eev. Mr. . . 198, 372, 381 
 
 Watsford, Eev. Mr 280 
 
 Watson, Eev. Mr 197 
 
 Wayte and Griffith, Messrs. . . 175 
 Weatherstone, Eev. John . . . 176 
 
 Webb, Captain 61 
 
 Wesley, John, Mission Sliip . . 299 
 
 Wesleydale ,328 
 
 Wesleyville 243 
 
 West Indies 109 
 
 West, Eev. D 200 
 
 West, Eev. T 376 
 
 West, Eev. W 200, 202 
 
 Western Australia 296 
 
 Whale-fishing 344 
 
 Wharton, Eev. Henry . . 199, 201 
 
 Whatcoat, Eev. Mr 64 
 
 White and Sons 299 
 
 White, Eev. W 87, 332 
 
 Whippy, Mr. David 427 
 
 r.tCE 
 
 Whitcly, llev. Ml- 341 
 
 Whithead, Eev., H 526 
 
 Wilkinson, Eev. H 190 
 
 Wilkinson, Eev. T 163 
 
 Williams, Eobert 61 
 
 WiUiamson, Eev. S 287 
 
 Williamstown 233, 287 
 
 Wilson, Eev. F 390 
 
 Windsor 276 
 
 Winnendeu 38 
 
 Winscombe, Eev. .Jasper ... 28 
 
 Witchcraft 249 
 
 Wittebergen 249 
 
 Woon, Eev. Mr 342 
 
 Work remaining to be done . . 539 
 
 Worrell, Eev. T 137 
 
 Wray and Hulbert 176 
 
 Wray, Eev. James 93 
 
 Wrench, Eev. E 175 
 
 Wright, Eev. Eichard .... 63 
 
 Wrigley, Eev. CI, 196 
 
 Wuchang District 528 
 
 Wynberg Chapel 230 
 
 Young, Eev. E. . 308, 349, 393, 451 
 Young, Eev. S 240, 241 
 
 Zante 47 
 
 Zetland Islands 19 
 
 Zulus 251