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
“Missi, you will be killed. Miaki and Karewick will shoot you. I dare
not let you follow. I have only about twenty men, and your following
might endanger us all.”
I urged him to leave at once, and we would follow of our own accord. I
would not ask him to protect us; but if he betrayed us and helped the
enemy to kill us, I assured him that our God would punish him. If he
spared us, he would be rewarded well; and if killed against his wishes,
God would not be angry at him. He said,—
“Seven men are with me now, and thirteen are to follow. I will not now
send for them. They are with Miaki and Nouka. I will go; but if you
follow, you will be killed on the way. You may follow me as far as you
can!”
Off he started to Nowar’s, and got a large load of my stolen property,
blankets, sheets, etc., which had fallen to his lot. He called his seven
men, who had also shared in the plunder, and, to avoid Miaki’s men, they
ran away under a large cocoa-nut grove skirting the shore, calling,—
“Be quick! Follow and keep as near to us as you can.”
Though Nowar had got a box of my rice and appropriated many things from
the plunder of the Mission House besides the goods entrusted to his
care, and got two of my goats killed and cooked for himself and his
people, yet now he would not give a particle of food to my starving
Aneityumese or myself, but hurried us off, saying,—
“I will eat all your rice and keep all that has been left with me in
payment for my lame knee and for my people fighting for you!”
My three Aneityumese and I started after Faimungo and his men. We could
place no confidence in any of them; but, feeling that we were in the
Lord’s hands, it appeared to be our only hope of escaping instant death.
We got away unobserved by the enemies. We met several small parties of
friends in the Harbour, apparently glad to see us trying to get away.
But about four miles on our way, we met a large party of Miaki’s men,
all armed, and watching as outposts. Some were for shooting us, but
others hesitated. Every musket was, however, raised and levelled at me.
Faimungo poised his great spear and said, “No, you shall not kill Missi
to-day. He is with me.” Having made this flourish, he strode off after
his own men, and my Aneityumese followed, leaving me face to face with a
ring of levelled muskets. Sirawia, who was in command of this party, and
who once like Nowar had been my friend, said to me, Judas like, “My love
to you, Missi.” But he also shouted after Faimungo, “Your conduct is bad
in taking the Missi away; leave him to us to be killed!”
I then turned upon him, saying, “Sirawia, I love you all. You must know
that I sought only your good. I gave you medicine and food when you and
your people were sick and dying under measles; I gave you the very
clothing you wear. Am I not your friend? Have we not often drunk tea and
eaten together in my house? Can you stand there and see your friend
shot? If you do, my God will punish you severely.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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