ONE THOUSAND COPIES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT PRINTED IN THE FEEJEE LANGUAGE.

One

IT is cause of thankfulness to Almighty God, that we have been enabled to complete the version of the New Testament. thousand copies of the entire New Testament are now in print, and three thousand of a part, including the whole of St. Matthew's Gospel, a part of the Gospel of Mark, and the Acts of the Apostles.

TWO NEW STATIONS COMMENCED, BUA AND NANDE.

ANOTHER subject I wish to mention, is the commencement of two new Stations; namely, Bua and Nande. Mr. Williams is stationed at Bua, and has upwards of two hundred persons under his care in three towns. He has four Teachers to assist him, and plenty of room to enlarge his sphere of labour as God shall open his way, and influence his zeal. The brethren Watsford and Ford have the care of Nande and Solevu. Including thirty white men, they have upwards of three hundred and fifty persons who will attend their ministry, three schools to attend to, and abundance of room to extend their labours inland, and along the coast. The brethren have met with a hearty reception, and though they will, I doubt not, have many trials, yet I think there is a prospect of great usefulness before them. They will be enabled, at the close of a year's observation and labour on the spot, to report to you particularly on the state of the people. Though we have visited them as frequently as possible, and endeavoured to ascertain their real state, yet we have learned to be cautious in forming an opinion of a people among whom we do not reside. I believe the opinions of mere visitors are worth nothing as to the state of the people; and the opinion of a visiting Pastor, unless formed with very great care, is not much to be depended on. The South-Sea islanders are a difficult people to understand, and those who know them most correctly, will be most cautious in forming an estimate of their character. So long as we keep to the rule of judging by fruits, we are right.

A NEW VESSEL BUILT.

ANOTHER thing I wish to mention is, a craft that our young Chief, Elijah, is having built, and in which we have engaged a share for the Mission. We very much need a small vessel in which to visit the distant places, and the brethren who are stationed alone; but it is impossible that they should be regularly visited in canoes. Chief of Nandronga has sent word to Vewa

The

to request a visit from the Missionary, that he may embrace Christianity. This place is two hundred miles from Vewa, and cannot be visited in a canoe without almost presumptuous risk. These are the two principal reasons why we should, by all means, have a small craft, or, what is better, a share in one our brethren on solitary Stations can be visited, and we can pay attention to our distant places, without the risk of health and life to which we at present must expose ourselves.

TWO NEW MISSION STATIONS ON LARGE FEEJEE, OR NAVETELAVU.

WE have commenced two somewhat interesting Stations since I last wrote you, one called Nairara, the other Ba, one hundred and twenty miles from Vewa, respecting which I shall give you some information; and I do not know that I can do this better than by an extract from a journal of my visit to those and other places in this Circuit, in the months of April and May, 1847. All the places I shall speak of are on the island called Navetelavu, or Large Feejee, properly to called, as it contains perhaps nearly one third of the population of the group. The island is considered to be three hundred miles in circumference, and both the coast and interior are well populated. We have now three Stations on this island; namely, Kavula Nakorotumbu, Nairara, and Ba, and we hope soon to have two others; these Stations, when formed and supplied with Teachers, will give us access to the people on about two hundred miles of the coast, and also to many of the inland tribes.

JOURNEY ON LARGE FEEJEE.

APRIL 28th, 1847.- KAVULA NAKOROTUMBU. I arrived here yesterday, and made the necessary inquiries this morning respecting those who have been preparing for baptism. In the afternoon I married two couples, and baptized seventeen adults and two children; and afterwards preached from," I, indeed, baptize you with water," &c.

29th. This morning I preached from, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?" I afterwards met the society, and questioned several of them on this one point of Christian experience, asking each, "Do you love the Saviour?" All I asked answered in the affirmative. O that all their conduct may show that they spoke the truth! I afterwards administered the sacrament of the Lord's supper, and we found a special blessing.

In the afternoon, the members of society paid us a visit at the house of the Teacher. They brought a quantity of yams, and other native property, as their yearly contribu

tion to the Mission fund. We have commenced on a small scale in this Circuit, hoping that we shall be able to train our people in the good way of doing what they can to forward the good cause. Wesley preached this evening. We have about one hundred and sixty people here, thirty-two of whom are meeting in class.

30th. This morning we left Kavula, and proceeded to NAIRARA, a town in the Rakiraki district, where the second Chief and a few of his people have lately renounced Heathenism. We found our people going

on very well; but the principal Chief appeared determined not to embrace the truth at present. Other Chiefs in this district are far from being favourable to Christianity; and they have done what they could to induce this Chief to stand aloof, though his people appear disposed to become Christians. We waited upon him this afternoon, for the purpose of persuading him to join us in worshipping the true God. I told him at once the object of our visit, and was enabled to urge him by some of the motives the Bible supplies, to flee from the wrath to He evidently felt; but said, "Go thy way for this time: when I have a convenient season I will call for thee." Happily in his case this season soon arrived. The Teacher remained with him after we had gone away, and urged upon him what he had heard. When the Teacher came home, he brought the following message from the Chief, "Go and request the Missionary to remain over the Sabbath, that I may become a Christian. I will become a Christian now, for I may never see the Missionary again."

come.

May 2d. Sunday morning.-At day-light we had a prayer-meeting. The Chief, with eight or nine others, attended, for the purpose of praying the first time to the true God. Praise God! May he be kept faithful, and be a Christian indeed! Many of the Chiefs have mixed motives in renouncing Heathenism; but we rejoice when they are brought in any way under the sound of the Gospel. "The entrance of His word giveth light;" but it seldom enters the minds of Heathens till they renounce their false gods. Their salvation seems suspended on this condition, to which they have power given them to attend even while they are Heathen. After they have complied with this condition, the difference in many cases is very great. They are now benefited by the means. They were in a salvable state before; but they are now in the way of salvation.

We had a good day. I endeavoured to show them the claims of the God of love on them, arising principally out of the fact, that He has given His Son for them. This is truly an infant church; but God is able to make them stand.

All

3d. We left our friends at Nairara this morning, and set out for our next post. We called at two Heathen towns on our way, and preached the Gospel, persuading the people to renounce their false gods. said it would be well to do so; but they are one waiting for another to take the lead, and all waiting for a termination of war, before they can find time to attend to religion. The Feejeeans have evidence enough before them, that nothing but Christianity can terminate their wars; still, they are disposed to try what they can do by fighting, though every war necessarily lays the foundation for a new one. The only way to have peace upon earth is for each contending party to bring their weapons of war, and lay them at the feet of Jesus, and bury all their animosities in the grave of abandoned Heathenism. The people of Feejee have an evidence of what Christianity will do for warriors, in its influence at Vewa. The Vewa people were almost always fighting. In passing through this part of Feejee, you are continually pointed to the scenes of their past contests. Here you see an island that was emptied by them; there, a town that was entirely destroyed by their treachery or power; at another place, the miserable remnant of a once populous town (I mean populous for Feejee) are allowing their beards to grow until they can be avenged on the Vewa people, for the destruction of their town and the murder of their friends. Now the Vewa people are endeavouring to spread the Gospel of peace, where they once carried the horrors of war. Five of them are now employed as regular Catechists, others are Local Preachers, or undergoing the necessary training for these important stations in the church. These are evidences of Christianity found on the spot, and are more convincing to the natives than a translation of Horne, Watson, or Paley would be, could they be procured.

We reached Nanganga before night, so that I had time to preach in the open air to a somewhat attentive congregation. Our Teacher here is a good man; but the old Chief wishes to have a Tonguese. The poor old man knows but little of Christianity, and does next to nothing for its advancement among his people. It is the day of small things here.

4th. We set out for BA, which we reached late at night, the wind having been light all day. It is between forty and fifty miles from Nanganga, and one hundred and twenty from Vewa. It was very dark before we entered the river, which looked very dismal, on account of the dark, thick mangroves which grow on its sides. We reached the town in safety, and were welcomed by the Chief, who has renounced Heathenism. After taking some refreshment, we had some con

versation and prayer, and retired to rest. Perhaps a Missionary owes it to the grace of God that he is without fear under such circumstances, as he certainly does to His Providence that he is quite safe. The Ba people have the worst character of any people in Feejee for cannibalism. It is said

that they have a temple built, but wait till they are able to murder some white man before it is consecrated, in consequence of a Ba Chief who was wantonly shot some years ago by an American Captain. Whether the report is true or not, I cannot say. I have been in their power twice, but have had no reason to suspect them of any bad intentions towards me.

5th. We held a service in the house of the Chief, when his household, consisting of eleven persons, embraced Christianity. A number of the Heathen attended, and listened attentively while I endeavoured to impress on them the nature and claims of Christianity.

converts.

6th. I spent this day in conversing with those I met with, on the nature and advantages of religion. We held a public service in the evening. We have now twenty-three We commenced teaching them the Confession; and the Chief has already learned the alphabet. He told his household, that all lying and such things must be put away now that they have become Christians. He is a young man, appears to have considerable energy of character, and, though not first in rank at Ba, is nevertheless respectable, and has considerable influence. Ba and Rakiraki are governed by a number of Chiefs, each powerful in his own town or district. The Chiefs do not reside together as at Bau, but each governs one town, or a number of towns, as the case may be. There is some advantage in this when they first embrace Christianity, as one town can renounce Heathenism, though the rest may be opposed to its doing so, without causing a

war.

At Bau and Somosomo, and I may add Rewa, the will of the King is generally law; and the people can do nothing without his permission. We shall find some diffi

culty, however, with these small independent places, when we come to supply them with Missionaries. Of course they cannot each have a Missionary, and if one has one and another has not, it will cause jealousy.

While at Ba, I learned something more respecting the inland tribes. There is a powerful tribe located, as far as I can learn, about sixty miles from Ba, in the interior of Navatelavu. The name of the chief town is Mangondro. Scarcely anything is known of this people; but they are said to be numerous, speaking a language or dialect very peculiar; and claiming to be the chiefs of the whole island. The present Chief is well known at Ba, having resided there several years; and the people regularly visit this part of the coast, though not very frequently. I hope Ba will be the key to several of the inland tribes, and to this in particular. All the natives agree in stating that the interior of this large island is well inhabited whether they know or not, it is impossible to say. One thing is certain, I think, that many of the tribes that now inhabit the coast have been driven from the interior; while many of the inhabitants of the coast have been destroyed by war and disease. An epidemic, a kind of cholera, destroyed great numbers of them some eighty years ago; and since then a disease called lila has destroyed great numbers; it is a kind of consumption, for which there appears to be no remedy. The patient suffers scarcely any pain, but gradually wastes away until death is caused by entire exhaustion.

7th. We reached Vatea on our way back to Rakiraki, where we spent the Sabbath; then went over to the other large island, attended to the regular work at Bua, Dama, Solevu, and Nande, and reached Vewa in health and safety, after having been away exactly a month. We had been highly favoured with weather, or it would have been a good six-weeks' work.

I must now conclude. I should have written more, probably, on some points; but as I know Mr. Lawry is writing very fully, I think it unnecessary.