“The _Dayspring_ is a great blessing to us all. There is little fear of any Missionary now on the most savage Islands being ill-treated, if they see that he is well looked after. Of course, I mean ‘humanly speaking,’ the fear is _nil_; and if we be kept in safety, and our work in the end begins to prosper, that dear little Vessel and her supporters have more to do with it all than might by some be imagined. Two of our Natives, one of them the wildest character on Aniwa, were engaged by Captain Fraser to go as boat’s crew, the trip before last; and they came back in ecstasies, declaring there was never such a Captain as the one on board the _Dayspring_. He was so kind and good to them, for when they came to any Island without a Missionary, he would not let them go on shore for fear of being killed, and that would have damaged our work on Aniwa. Then they counted on their finger ends, with great glee, the things they had received in payment; and as these are good and useful articles, it engenders a love for such things instead of the paint and stuffs they get from the Traders, while their huge ambition for sailing and sight-seeing is gratified.” (1874.) TO THE FAMILY CIRCLE “MY DEAREST MOTHER, SISTERS, AND BROTHERS,— ... I must, however, arrive at Aniwa more by degrees, as this is to be the journalistic Family Epistle, and you have heard nothing of us since we left Sydney on the 4th April, with dear Dr. Steele on board, who seemed like a link between us and Civilization. I felt ‘strong to go,’ as our Natives would express it, for I realized as I never before had done the ‘Lo, I am with you,’ and some of God’s dear ones with whom we had had such precious Christian fellowship were with us till the last.... “We had finished up at Fotuna soon after breakfast; and how intensely delighted we were to hear the Captain’s cheery voice shouting out that we would be able to have a drink of milk at Aniwa to-morrow morning, as the wind was fair. We had all packed up in the afternoon, and the first sight which greeted me, on looking out at my port-hole next morning, was the trees and rocks of dear old Aniwa! The first boat was sent ashore with eight or nine Fotunese and their cumbrous baggage, who had insisted on coming to visit our Island, rather to the disgust of the Captain. Meantime we were having our breakfast, and Mr. Arthur, the mate, brought back word that our Natives were in a-state of great delight and excitement,—dear Yawaci making the younger girls fly round their work,—also that our six cows had increased to ten, and that our goats no man could number! He had also heard that a number of our Natives had died, and some had been taken away by Traders.