John G. Paton, missionary to the New Hebrides, volume 1 (of 3) : $b An autobiography edited by his brotherPaton, John Gibson
Religion
John G. Paton, missionary to the New Hebrides, volume 1 (of 3) : $b An autobiography edited by his brother
Paton, John Gibson
Missionaries -- Vanuatu -- Biography; Paton, John Gibson, 1824-1907
the right to plead His precious promises.
The vessel of one calling himself Prince de Jean Beuve, a French
refugee, who had become a naturalized American, visited Port Resolution.
He said, he had to escape from his own country for political offences.
His large and beautiful ship was fitted up and armed like a Man-of-war.
She was manned chiefly by slaves, whom he ruled with an iron hand. What
a contrast to Captain Allan’s whaler! Yet he also was very sympathetic
and kind to me. Having heard rumour of my trials and dangers, he came on
shore, as soon as his ship cast anchor, with a body of armed men. He was
effusively polite, with all a Frenchman’s gush and gesticulation, and
offered to do anything possible for me. He would take me to Aneityum or
Sydney or wherever I wished. The ship was his own; he was sailing
chiefly for pleasure, and he had called at our Islands to see if
sufficient trade could be opened up to justify his laying on a line of
steamers to call here in their transit. He urged me, I believe
sincerely, to give him the pleasure of taking me and my belongings to
some place of safety. But I was restrained from leaving, through the
fear that I would never be permitted to return, and that Christ’s work
would suffer. In the still burning hope of being able to lead the
Tannese to love and serve Jesus, I declined with much gratitude his
genuine kindness. He looked truly sorry to leave me in the circumstances
wherein I was placed. After two hours on shore, he returned to his ship
towards evening.
Knowing that the Tannese were threatening to burn my former house, which
I wished to remove to higher ground and add to the room I now occupied
on the hill, I took advantage of the presence of the Prince’s vessel,
and set my Aneityumese Teachers and some friendly Natives to prepare for
the task; but unfortunately, I forgot to send word to the Frenchman
regarding my plans and aims. We removed the sugar-cane leaf thatch from
the roof of the house, and began burning it on cleared ground, so that I
might be able to save the heavy wood which could not be replaced on
Tanna. Our French friend, on seeing the flames rising up furiously, at
once loaded his heavy guns, and prepared his men for action. Under great
excitement, he came ashore with a large number of armed men, leaving the
rest on board ready at a given signal to protect them with shot and
shell. Leaving one half of those brought on shore to guard the boats, he
came running towards my house, followed by the other half, wet with
perspiration, and crying,—
“Fer are dey? fer are dey? De scoundrels! I vill do for dem, and protect
you. I sall punish dem, de scoundrels!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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