Life of John Coleridge Patteson : Missionary Bishop of the Melanesian IslandsYonge, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary)
Religion
Life of John Coleridge Patteson : Missionary Bishop of the Melanesian Islands
Yonge, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary)
Missions -- Melanesia; Patteson, John Coleridge, 1827-1871
Bellona likewise had a Maori-speaking population. There was no passage
through the reef, so the Bishop and Patteson took off their coats, one
took two hatchets and the other two adzes, and with a good header, swam
ashore. Walking up the beach, they found a place in the bush with nine
beautiful canoes, with nets, and large wooden hooks in them, but at
first no people; and they were leaving their presents in the canoes when
Patteson spied two men, and advanced to them while the Bishop went back
to fetch the goods. After a rubbing of noses and a Maori greeting, the
men were reassured, and eleven more came up, one a chief with a spear
in his hand. 'I had my straw hat fastened by a ribbon, which my friend
coveted, so I let him take it, which he did by putting his adze (my
gift) against it, close to my ear, and cutting it, off--not the least
occasion to be afraid of them.' A characteristic comment, certainly!
But there was no foolhardiness. The Bishop was on the alert, and when
presently he saw his companion linger for a moment, a quick 'Come
along,' was a reminder that 'this was not the beach at Sidmouth.' The
peculiar quickness of eye--verily circumspect, though without the least
betrayal of alarm or want of confidence, which was learnt from the
need of being always as it were on guard, was soon learnt likewise by
Patteson, while the air of suspicion or fear was most carefully avoided.
The swim back to the boat was in water 'too warm, but refreshing,' and
ended with a dive under the boat for the pure pleasure of the thing.
Then, as before arranged, Bauro was revisited on another part of the
coast, where Iri was ready with a welcome, but Diddimang appeared no
more. He had returned to native habits, and had made no attempt at
teaching, but the visits he had made to New Zealand were not lost, for
the Bishop had acquired a knowledge of the language, and it was moreover
established in the Bauro mind that a voyage in his ship was safe and
desirable. 'This part of Bauro was exceedingly beautiful:--
'Here were coral crags, the masses of forest trees, the creepers
literally hundreds of feet long, crawling along and hanging from the
cliffs, the cocoa-nut trees and bananas, palms, &c., the dark figures
on the edge of the rocks looking down upon us from among the trees, the
people assembling on the bright beach--coral dust as it may be called,
for it was worn as fine as white sand--cottages among the trees, and a
pond of fresh water close by, winding away among the cliffs.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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