The Story of John G. Paton; Or, Thirty Years Among South Sea CannibalsPaton, John Gibson
Religion
The Story of John G. Paton; Or, Thirty Years Among South Sea Cannibals
Paton, John Gibson
Missions -- Vanuatu; Paton, John Gibson, 1824-1907
Whenever the Church was roofed in, we met in it for Public Worship.
Coral was being got and burned, and preparations made for plastering the
walls. The Natives were sharp enough to notice that I was not putting up
the bell; and suspicions arose that I kept it back in order to take it
with me when I returned to Tanna. It was a beautiful Church bell, cast
and sent out by our dear friend, James Taylor, Esq., Birkenhead. The
Aniwans, therefore, gave me no rest till I agreed to have it hung on
their new Church. They found a large ironwood tree near the shore, cut a
road for half a mile through the bush, tied poles across it every few
feet, and with shouts lifted it bodily on their shoulders--six men or so
at each pole--and never set it down again till they reached the Church;
for as one party got exhausted, others were ready to rush in and relieve
them at every stage of the journey. The two old Chiefs, flourishing
their tomahawks, went capering in front of all the rest, and led the
song to which they marched, joyfully bearing their load. They dug a deep
hole, into which to sink it; I squared the top and screwed on the bell;
then we raised the tree by ropes, letting it sink into the hole, and
built it round eight feet deep with coral blocks and lime; and there
from its top swings and rings ever since the Church bell of Aniwa.
CHAPTER LXXI.
"KNOCK THE TEVIL OUT!"
ONE of the last attempts ever made on my life resulted, by God's
blessing, in great good to us all and to the work of the Lord. It was
when Nourai, one of Nasi's men, struck at me again and again with the
barrel of his musket; but I evaded the blows, till rescued by the
women--the men looking on stupefied. After he escaped into the bush I
assembled our people, and said, "If you do not now try to stop this bad
conduct, I shall leave Aniwa, and go to some island where my life will
be protected."
Next morning at daybreak, about one hundred men arrived at my house, and
in answer to my query why they came armed they replied, "We are now
going to that village where the men of wicked conduct are gathered
together. We will find out why they sought your life, and we will rebuke
their Sacred Man for pretending to cause hurricanes and diseases. We
cannot go unarmed. We will not suffer you to go alone. We are your
friends and the friends of the Worship. And we are resolved to stand by
you, and you must go at our head to-day!"
In great perplexity, yet believing that my presence might prevent
bloodshed, I allowed myself to be placed at their head. The old Chief
followed next, then a number of fiery young men; then all the rest,
single file, along the narrow path. At a sudden turn, as we neared their
village, Nourai, who had attacked me the Sabbath day before, and his
brother were seen lurking with their muskets; but our young men made a
rush in front, and they disappeared into the bush.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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