When Mr Copeland was first at Aniwa, on the second visit of the "Dayspring," there was a party of Erromangans and Tannese on the island, who had stirred up the natives, and made their minds evil affected towards all connected with the mission. He was taking back an Aneityum teacher and his wife—one who had been many years on the island. The boat left the "Dayspring" with Mr Copeland, the teacher and his wife, and some Aneityum natives, put them ashore, and returned to the vessel, to go back for them when their business was done. The people of Aniwa would have nothing to do with the teacher; a crowd began to collect; they behaved very impudently, and did all in their power to provoke a quarrel, to have some excuse for shewing violence. One Erromangan behaved very badly, flourished his club, and used threatening attitudes towards Mr Copeland. He kept a sharp eye on the fellow, so as to allow him no advantage; and as he could speak to him in the Erromangan language, he succeeded in keeping him at bay; and, by active and prudent management, he was able to keep the whole party from attempting violence, for which they had evidently a strong inclination. When the boat came back for them, but for Mr Copeland's tact and energy the natives would have seized and detained her, and mischief would have followed. By the favour and blessing of God, they got all away unhurt. So afraid were our Aneityum natives that they stood on the edge of a coral rock, ready to leap into the sea at any moment. One of them, from this station, described to me the perilous position of Mr Copeland, and how frightened the Aneityumese were. 1 said, "Did you not tell Mr Copeland of his danger?" "No," he said: “he saw it with his own eyes, and I thought, why should I be telling him?”` "Was Mr Copeland afraid, then?" I said. "I do not know," he said, "what was in his heart; I saw no fear on his face. But you missionaries are afraid of nothing." The boat went round to the other station, where the other Aneityum teacher was living. There they found the chief very ill, and thought to be dying. The teacher's little boy had died a few weeks before, and they were in such a hostile mood that they would not so much as let the teacher remain there with his fellow-countryman. Mr Copeland was obliged to take him back to the vessel, and went on board with the impression that Aniwa had never been so fully closed against the Gospel as it was now. Their reception on Tanna was only a shade less discouraging.

At their next voyage they found matters quite changed; the Erromangans and Tannese had left the island; the chief was better, the Aniwans were come to themselves again, and seemed quite ashamed of their former conduct. One Erromangan, who had kept aloof from his brethren on the former occasion, was desirous to come to this island to seek a teacher for his land, and two of the Aniwans were also eager to come here to get the teacher back. The three were taken on board, and went the round of the islands, as far as Ambrim. The Aniwans, especially, were astonished beyond measure at the size of the islands to the northward, and the amount of Christianity to be seen even on Erromanga and Fate. On their arrival on this island, however, the teacher whom they would not receive had been appointed to succeed one of the principal chiefs, who had lately died, and could not be sent; but as the opening was now so favourable we obtained another suitable man, and when the vessel went back with him, bearing a large present of food to the other teacher from his friends here, and the two Aniwans laden with presents, and the teacher and his wife evidently persons of means and importance, the natives were melted down, and reciprocated these good feelings towards them, by presenting a boatload of cocoa nuts to the vessel, and receiving the teacher with every demonstration of joy. The impression produced on their minds evidently was to the effect, that Christianity is something both great and good.

On the previous voyage the "Dayspring" had taken the principal chief, with whom the teachers lived at Black Beach, and his son, a boy; they went the round of the islands, and were landed on Aneityum. One of our chiefs, who lived some time at Black Beach as a teacher, took them round this island; the people everywhere treated them kindly and hospitably, but he seemed terrified to lose sight of either Mr Copeland or the ship, and hastened back with all speed to the harbour. Nor was his confidence fully established till he saw the headlands of his own bay appearing in sight, and the vessel making for the anchorage. His joy was then unmistakeable; he was another man in all his views about Christianity; the missionary was a true man, and the mission ship was to be trusted. The captain gave him some presents, and put him on shore in his boat. As soon as he got on shore he brought a large pig as a present to the ship, and his face was lighted up with totally different feelings towards the teachers. He knew now what he never understood before, that they were the representatives of a great religion and a mighty people, and it would be for his advantage to treat them well. And when the "Dayspring" went back the next time to settle another teacher, he was the first man who came aboard. As there is good and safe anchorage at Black Beach, and as this is the best point from which to operate on the west of Tanna, we thought it expedient to make the most of the present favourable juncture, and we have sent one of the best of our Aneityum teachers to strengthen the hands of the two who were formerly in that district. If the opening continue as favourable as at present, it is probable that Mr and Mrs Copeland may settle there on return of the "Dayspring." The rest of Tanna is still closed. It is desirable to take up the islands nearest to us as fast as they are open. A limited, manageable field, well cultivated, is the principle I have always advocated. The parochial or territorial system of Knox and Chalmers is equally adapted for the evangelization of the heathen, whether at home or in foreign lands. It was a principle with Napoleon to leave no half conquered countries behind him, that might rise up and harass his

rear.

The

From Fate we continue to receive very encouraging accounts. people of Errakor are bebaving remarkably well towards Mr and Mrs Morrison. The chief of Fil, which is one of the principal harbours on Fatè, pays frequent visits to the mission station, is apparently anxious about the Gospel, and is very desirous for a teacher. Applications have also been received for teachers from the stations formerly occupied on Havannah harbour. The heathen all around Errakor are peaceable and friendly; Mr Morrison's grindstone, though only a small body, and in its rotations moving through only a small portion of space, is, nevertheless, a great centre of attraction to the inhabitants of the surrounding district. As of old the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock, so they come to the missionary to sharpen every man his axe, and his adze, and his knife, and any other weapon he may possess, which gives Mr Morrison the opportunity of preaching many a little sermon to these friendly visitors, without the fatigue of travelling long journeys under a burning sun to seek them out.

At Erromanga the prospects are on the whole very encouraging. To Mr Gordon, newly from home, and with home ideas necessarily still strong in him, the prospects are no doubt sufficiently dark, dismal, and discouraging, but to those longer and better acquainted with mission work, they are quite cheering. He has entered into the full fruition of his brother's labours: double the number now profess Christianity that did so at his brother's death: the seed is fast springing up from under the clods. The books which Mr Gordon left prepared are all printed; the

principal one of these is the Gospel of Luke, which he left nearly ready for the press. I mentioned in a former letter that the Rev. S. Ella, formerly superintendent of the mission press in Samoa, when prevented by the French, in July last, from settling on Wea, kindly acceded to our request to print Luke, while he remained on this island. Mr. Gordon, and especially Mr Copeland, went very carefully over the MS., assisted by a native of Erromanga, who had lived three years at Mr. Geddie's station, and knows this language as well as his own, and prepared it for the press, while I read all the last proofs with Mr Ella, so that everything was done that could be done in the circumstances to secure accuracy.

The press, and the type, the printing and binding materials, were brought to this station, and the printing was executed in our Institution. Mr Ella and his family resided in our new cottage. The type employed was the large English type, sent us some years ago by our good friends in Edinburgh. As Mr Ella was a fully trained printer before he became a missionary, and, moreover, a very skilful workman, the book is one of the most elegant and most readable ever printed in the South Seas. Mr Ella also printed a primer and a second edition of a catechism in the Erromangan language; en almanack and another part of the Scripture History in the Aneityum language; and a primer and a hymn-book in the language of Fate-these last were the first books ever printed in the Fatè language, and were received with great demonstrations of joy. When the French prevented Mr Ella from settling on Wea they were not aware what a great work he was to perform, and what important services he was to render to us in this group. Satan's policy is that of cunning, not of wisdom-a sort of from hand-to-mouth process of expedienes, make-shifts, and present advantage, without being able to see far either into the distant or the future. God alone sees the end from the beginning, and foresees all consequences and all results, and hence He takes the wise in their own craftiness. If Satan and his Popish emissaries had not so wrought that Luther was shut up in Wartburg Castle, Germany might have remained long without the Bible in the vulgar tongue, if John Bunyan had not been shut up in Bedford jail, the world might have wanted the "Pilgrim's Progress." If popular enmity had not driven Jonathan Edwards from Northampton to be a missionary to the Indians at Stockbridge, his " Freedom of the Will," and his "Treatise on Original Sin," might never have seen the light; and if French despotism had not shut out Mr Ella from Wea, the Erromangans would still have been without any portion of the Word of God, and Fate would have still remained without any printed literature.

I

The Churches are very much indebted both to Mr Ella and also to the London Missionary Society, in whose employment he came down here, and at whose expense he was supported while printing these books. The British and Foreign Bible Society supplied the paper for Luke,

The Cotton Company's enterprise has been fairly launched, and if it has not been a "great success," it is at least a great fact." We have engaged a young man from the "Dayspring," of good business habits, and excellent Christian character, to act as agent for the company. He is giving great satisfaction. The two gins sent out by the company proved complete failures, and the natives had to pick out all the seeds with their fingersa very tedious process. Still the agent shipped 18 bales, of 100 lbs. each, in the "Dayspring," one-third of which was Sea Island, a specimen of which, sent to Glasgow, was valued at 4s. 6d. per lb. This year the natives also collected and sold upwards of four tons of French beans, which are growing wild on the island. The exports by the "Dayspring" of cotton, beans, and arrow-root, were valued at upwards of £300-the arrow-root was that contributed as payment for the New Testament. In commercial matters

it is still the day of small things on this island, but we trust that at least an earnest has been given of what may be safely expected.

I have 30 schools on my side of the island. I have visited them all this month-a very hard fortnight's work. I heard every examinable person read, wrote names on 1000 books, and gave them away, viz., 400 copies of Exodus, and 600 almanacks. I found all the schools in a very satisfactory condition, considering the low attainments of the teachers, and the small capacities of many of the scholars. All the school-houses, and the most of the teachers' houses, are lime buildings; they were all in good repair ; all neat and clean. The attendance was everywhere good, and there was an observable improvement since my last visit six months ago. It is a somewhat curious fact that the shore people are all greatly better scholars than the inland people. I can account for it in no way than this, that the shore people have far more intercourse with each other, and their minds are more quickened by social intercourse than the inland people. They live very much isolated, and have very little intercourse with each other. Christianity is bringing them together, but its influence is just beginning to be felt. Their stupidity must be of long standing, as it has become proverbial. The highest reproach for stupidity is to be called an inlander, and the highest reproach for wickedness is to be called a heathen. The attendance on public worship, and at the prayer-meetings on Wednesdays, is still very good. The admission to the fellowship of the Church has been larger this year than it has ever been; at last communion we admitted 58, and during the whole year we admitted 72; all these had attended our weekly candidates' class for at least a twelvemonth. Since the formation of our church here we have admitted in all 341 native members; of these 63 have died, and 6 are at present suspended, leaving 272 in full communion. Perhaps the island was never in a better condition, morally and spiritually, than it appears to be at present. This has been a year of quiet, steady progress, furnishing much ground of thankfulness to God.

Still we are over and again reminded that we live among a people the groundwork of whose character was laid in heathenism. This is far from being an island of saints. We are often called to mourn over fair hopes blighted. In the beginning of this year I had to suspend one teacher and an assistant teacher for adultery, and two teachers for imprudent conduct. A few months ago a report got abroad that the wife of one of our teachers was acting imprudently towards a young man. I appointed three of our elders to speak to her on the subject; they did so, but instead of hearing them quietly, as most women in this island would have done, being a woman of a high temper, she gave them a good deal of impudence, left them, went home and told her husband what she had said, and went out to another house and hanged herself; her husband, wondering why she was not coming in again, went out to look for her, and found her hanging, he at once cut her down, and called in the neighbours. She was not quite dead, but she could neither speak nor swallow anything. This was at night; they sent to let me know next day. I went and saw her, administered some medicines, and she soon recovered.

A few weeks ago a woman, little more than a mile from the mission station, gave birth to a daughter in the bush, near the house; it was the second or third daughter she had borne in succession; she was so disappointed and angry that it was not a boy that she went home and left it lying naked on the ground. When she came in, her husband, who was nursing the other child, heard it crying, and said, "What child is that crying?" She said, "It is mine; but I want to have nothing to do with it, it is another girl. I left it in the bush." "The child is mine," the father said, "as well as yours. What conduct is this? Take this child till

I look after it." He went out, found it lying, and brought it in. The mother evidently did not intend to kill the child; she expected her husband to save it; but she got the heathenism of her heart displayed in this way against it because it was a girl. We have not heard of a case of infanticide for many years.

The greatest difficulty we have to contend with at present on this island is sickness and mortality. On this side of the island, for the last three years, the deaths have been twice the number of the births. In 1862 the births were 46, the deaths 88. In 1863 the births were 30, and the deaths 78; this year the births have been 37, and the deaths 62. The whole popu lation of this side is under 1100. It will be seen that, in proportion to the population, the births are as numerous as in Europe, but the deaths are three times what they are in Britain. I have been devoting a good deal of attention to find out the causes of such an extraordinary mortality. No doubt the measles were the principal cause, first, by weakening the constitution of the adult population; and, second, by cutting off one-third of the population at once, society was unhinged, and a large portion of land was suddenly thrown out of cultivation, and malaria was more extensively generated in the lower districts of the island. The transition state of society from heathenism to Christianity is also unfavourable to health; they have given up their old habits and customs to a great extent, and they do not yet understand the new. The way they use their clothes renders them frequently a very doubtful good. I have noted three things especially among them: 1st, the mortality among children is much greater among those who live on the alluvial plains, covered with trees and a dense vegetation, than among those who live in the high inland valleys. 2d, The mortality among girls is much greater than among boys. Girls are less esteemed by both fathers and mothers. You often see a father and other relations nursing a boy, feeding him with dainties, and shewing him all kindness; but you rarely see them do this to a girl. In all heathen lands, and at every period of life, the curse falls heavily on woman. 3d, The number of women who die, not in childbirth, but from a week to a month after their confinement, is much greater than in civilised countries. All native women are remarkably easy in childbirth, but then they are very careless of themselves afterwards, and their friends are also equally careless about them. Three women have died in this way here within the last eight months. We are doing all we can to enlighten their minds on these subjects, and we have the satisfaction that we have been instrumental, by the use of medicines and cordials, of saving several valuable lives within the last year; and I have got a number of the people to remove their houses from the low, fever-breeding districts, to the open, elevated spaces on the sides of the hills. The mortality, though slowly, is steadily decreasing; and we hope that, by the blessing of God, before many years we may be able to report more encouragingly of the sanitary condition of the island. In Raratonga, after the measles, although the disease was much less deadly than here, yet it was many years before the births were equal to the deaths. But now in all, or nearly all, the eastern islands, the popu lation is slowly on the increase.

The public health was very good this year, up till the beginning of this month, when influenza appeared both here and on the other islands of the group, at least on Erromanga and Fate. Almost the entire population have been affected with it, many of them very severely. We have had six deaths, and we are likely to have several more before the epidemic disappears. It is greatly abated, but the bad cases still linger on.

It is midsummer with us just now, but our midsummer night dreams are more of sober realities than poetical fancies. Some days, at noon, the thermometer lying in the sun, on the coral walk at our front door, is 136°: