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
His men had gone, and I persuaded my Aneityumese to follow them. At
last, with a bound, Faimungo started after them. I followed, keeping as
near him as I could, pleading with Jesus to protect me or to take me
home to Glory. The host of armed men also ran along on each side with
their weapons ready; but leaving everything to Jesus, I ran on as if
they were my escort, or as if I saw them not. If any reader wonders how
they were restrained, much more would I, unless I believed that the same
Hand that restrained the lions from touching Daniel held back these
savages from hurting me! We came to a stream crossing our path. With a
bound all my party cleared it, ran up the bank opposite, and disappeared
in the bush. “Faint yet pursuing,” I also tried the leap, but I struck
the bank and slid back on my hands and knees towards the stream. At this
moment I heard a crash above my head amongst the branches of an
overhanging tree, and I knew that a killing-stone had been thrown, and
that that branch had saved me. Praising my God, I scrambled up on the
other side, and followed the track of my party into the bush. The
savages gazed after me for a little in silence, but no one crossed the
stream; and I saw them separate into two, one portion returning to the
village and another pressing inland. With what gratitude did I recognise
the Invisible One who brought their counsels to confusion!
I found my party resting in the bush, and amazed to see me escaped alive
from men who were thirsting for my blood. Faimungo and his men received
me with demonstrations of joy, perhaps feeling a little ashamed of their
own cowardice. He now ascended the mountain and kept away from the
common path to avoid other Native bands. At every village enemies to the
Worship were ready to shoot us. But I kept close to our guide, knowing
that the fear of shooting him would prevent their shooting at me, as he
was the most influential Chief in all that section of the island.
One party said, “Miaki and Karewick said that Missi made the sickness
and the hurricanes, and we ought to kill him.”
Faimungo replied, “They lie about Missi! It is our own bad conduct that
makes us sick.”
They answered, “We don’t know who makes the sickness; but our fathers
have taught us to kill all foreign men.”
Faimungo, clutching club and spear, exclaimed, standing betwixt them and
us, “You won’t kill Missi to-day!”
In the flight we passed springs and streamlets, but though parched with
sickening thirst, not one of us durst stoop down to drink, as we should
have been almost certainly killed in the act. Faimungo now sent his own
men home by a near path, and guided us himself till we were close upon
the shore. There, sitting down he said,—
“Missi, I have now fulfilled my promise. I am so tired, I am so afraid,
I dare not go farther. My love to you all. Now go on quickly! Three of
my men will go with you to the next rocks. Go quickly! Farewell.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account