THE great sun shineth everywhere,
From Polar snow to snow:
He quickeneth all the grasses fair,
He makes the violets blow.
He lifts the corn to ear and grain,
He streaks the fruit with red,
That all God's creatures may be fain
Of gifts that He hath shed.
Yet not without man's answering toil
Yields He His blessings free:
No harvest from unfurrowed soil,
No fruit from unpruned tree.
But men must work, with watchful eyes,
Grave care, and patient heed;
Till from the plant the tree arise,
And harvest from the seed.
God's boundless love shines over all
Within heaven's circle blue;
Known or unknown, His blessings fall
On every race and hue:
[iv] Upon the fair-faced English child,
Whose home love shelters o'er;
And dusky savage, wandering wild
Along the coral shore.
Yet, till the lonely lands of earth
Become His garden-ground,
And, in the stead of war and dearth,
Plenty and love abound.
His happier children seek to till
That soil so bare and hard,
Knowing His impress lingers still
On hearts that sin hath marred.
The toil is hard, the work is slow:
Only the furrow-line
Upon the desert ground doth show
What harvest soon may shine.
We sow the seed: Thy mighty beams,
O Lord, Thou Sun of Love,
Shall quicken it, and gentle streams
Shall feed it from above;
Till, when Thou com'st from Heaven again,
The blessed earth may be
One harvest field of richest grain,
One garden unto Thee!
The Melanesian Islands--Melanesians: their language and character--Norfolk Island--Loyalty Islands--The New Hebrides--The Banks Islands--Santa Cruz--Religion of natives 1
The London Mission in the Polynesian Islands--The Samoan Converts: their fate in the New Hebrides--Anaiteum--The Nova Scotian Mission in Anaiteum 8
The consecration of Bishop Selwyn; the Melanesian Mission organised by him; the difficulties which he had to encounter--His plans and aims--The first cruise of the Undine--The arrival of the Border Maid at Auckland with four Melanesian boys 15
The first Missionary voyage of the Border Maid--The Bishop of Newcastle's account of the visit to Maré--The adventure of Bishop Selwyn and his party in Mallicolo--The peculiar fitness of the Bishop for his work--The account given by the Bishop of Newcastle of the occurrence in Mallicolo--Return of the voyagers to Auckland 23
Some account of the scholars of St. John's College--The baptism and death of Apalè, a Lifu boy 40
The Bishop embarks on a Missionary cruise with the Rev. Mr. Nihill and the Island boys--They obtain a letter of introduction from Mr. Geddie to the native teachers of Maré--Mr. Nihill's account of Missionary work in Maré 44
[vi] CHAPTER VII.
Continuation of Mr. Nihill's account--Nengonè children--Arrival of Tonga men from Lifu--Kelesiano and his father--The warm reception of the Missionaries in the heathen parts of the Island--Visits to Siwarcko and the Titi--Arrival of the Bishop--The working party--Safe return to the college 56
Death of George Siapo--His character--Effects of his influence--Baptism of Wabisane and other converts--John Thol--Anecdote of Lifu lads--The Bishop arrives at Sydney--The Bishop writes about little Umao, and the death of Nabong 72
The Bishop and his party detained at Sydney for a time--The Bishop and his scholars set sail in the Gratitude--Death of Umao--The Bishop leaves his diocese for England--Mr. Nihill--During his stay in England the Bishop gets a schooner built--Extracts of his sermons preached at Cambridge--Mr. Mackenzie and Mr. Patteson offer themselves to the Bishop as helpers in the Mission 80
Bishop Selwyn and Mr. Patteson return to New Zealand--Voyage to the Melanesian Islands--Pitcairn's Island and the history of its population --The Bishop holds a confirmation in the Island 89
Bishop Selwyn and Mr. Patteson sail for Melanesia, leaving Mrs. Selwyn at Norfolk Island with the newly-arrived Pitcairners- Her account of her visit, and a description of the Pitcairners 97
The Mission Party reaches Anaiteum--They leave Anaiteum and sight "Fate," or Sandwich Island--Visits to Bauro, Gera, Malanta, Santa Cruz, Volcano Island, and Mallicolo, &c.--On their return they call at Norfolk Island for Mrs. Selwyn--Return to Auckland 112
[vii] CHAPTER XIII.
Progress of the school at Auckland--Mr. Patteson takes the Melanesian scholars back to Nengonè and Bauro--Narrow escape of the Southern Cross--Another Melanesian voyage--Erromango--Murder of Mr. Gordon--Bassan--Satisfactory report of the year's work 126
William Didimang--Progress at St. John's College--The Loyalty islanders--Letters from the Nengonè scholars to Mrs. Nihill--Training the natives for teaching 146
The people of the Lifu Island appeal to the Bishop for a resident Missionary--Additions to the Mission Party--The visit to Bauro--Grief of Iri for the death of his son--Lifu--Mr. Patteson founds a winter school in that island--Mr. Patteson's visit to the Banks Islands--Malanta--The inability of the Mission to reach the inland natives of Malanta--Return of the Southern Cross to Auckland 156
Death of Simeona and his wife--The foundation of St. Andrew's College at Kohimarama--Missionary cruise--Wreck of the Southern Cross 172
Residence of Mr. Patteson at Mota--Religion and customs of its inhabitants--Attempt on Mr. Patteson's life--Success of the Missionary work in Mota 179
Consecration of Mr. Patteson as Bishop of the Western Isles--The Southern Cross replaced by the Sea Breeze--Bishop Patteson's description of his home at Mota--Harper Malo--Sarawia--Successful voyage of the Sea Breeze--Suspicion raised against the Mission Party at Mai--Mr. Pritt--Arrival of the new Southern Cross 188
[viii] CHAPTER XIX.
Dysentery breaks out in St. Andrew's College--Bishop Patteson undertakes the office of head nurse--Removal of the convalescents to their homes--Epidemic at Mota which causes the removal of the party--Bishop Patteson visits the Australian dioceses--Deaths among the Melanesian scholars 215
Bishop Patteson leaves for Australia--His address at Sydney--The Churches of Australia promise to support the Mission--Mission vessel insured 220
Another cruise among the New Hebrides--Fisher Young-Adventures--Attack on the Mission Party by the people of Santa Cruz--Deaths of Fisher Young and Edwin Nobbs 231
Development of the work--Difficulties--Mr. and Mrs. Pritt--Comparison between the system at Kohimarama and that of the Jesuit Mission at Paraguay--Bishop Patteson's method of teaching 238
The Southern Cross again sails for the islands--Extracts from the journal of this voyage--Mr. Palmer--Bishop Patteson visits Wango 254
Offer of two sites for a central school--Norfolk Island chosen--Extract from Mrs. Selwyn's account of the school at Kohimarama 269
Removal of the Mission School to Norfolk Island--St. Barnabas' College--The Bishop takes back his scholars to the islands--Mr. Pritt retires from the Mission--Mr. Bice's account of the Mission in Norfolk Island--Bishop Patteson returns to Norfolk Island--Typhoid fever in the Mission School--George Sarawia 277
APPENDIX I 284
APPENDIX II 295