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
It was thought good that some one from Lifu should join the Mission
party and testify to their work, and on the invitation, the chief,
Angadhohua, a bright youth of seventeen, volunteered to go. It was an
unexampled thing that a chief should be permitted by his people to
leave them, there was a public meeting about it, and a good deal of
excitement, but it ended in Cho, as spokesman, coming forward with tears
in his eyes, saying, 'Yes, it is right he should go, but bring him back
soon. What shall we do?'
Patteson laid his hand on the young chief's shoulder, answering, 'God
can guard him by sea as on land, and with His blessing we will bring him
back safe to you. Let some of the chiefs go with him to protect him. I
will watch over him, but you may choose whom you will to accompany him.'
So five chiefs were selected as a body-guard for the young Angadhohua,
who was prince of all the isle, but on an insecure tenure, for the
French, in New Caledonia, were showing a manifest inclination to annex
the Loyalty group.
The heavily loaded boat had a perilous strife with the surf before the
ship was reached, and it was a very rough passage to Anaiteum, where
some goods had to be left for Mr. Inglis, and he asked that four Fate
visitors might be taken home. This was done, and Mr. Grordon was visited
at Erromango on the way, and found well and prosperous.
At Mai, the reception of Petere and Laure was ecstatic. There was a
crowd on shore to meet them, and on the two miles' walk to the village
parties met, hugged, and wept over them. At the village Mr. Patteson
addressed the people for ten minutes, and Petere made an animated
exposition of what he had learnt, and his speeches evidently had great
effect. His younger brother and two little boys all came in his stead,
and would form part of the winter school at Lifu.
The Espiritu Santo boy, the dunce of the party, was set down at
home, and the Banks Islanders were again found pleasant, honest, and
courteous, thinking, as it appeared afterwards, that the white men were
the departed spirits of deceased friends. A walk inland at Vanua Lava
disclosed pretty villages nestling under banyan trees, one of them
provided with a guest-chamber for visitors from other islands. Two boys,
Sarawia and another, came away to be scholars at Lifu, as well as his
masters in the language, of which he as yet scarcely knew anything,
but which he afterwards found the most serviceable of all these various
dialects.
The 26th of May brought the vessel to Bauro, where poor old Iri was
told of the death of his son, and had a long talk with Mr. Patteson,
beginning with, 'Do you think I shall see him again?' It was a talk
worth having, though it was purchased by spending a night in the house
with the rats.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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