d the
Taboo, and for a little season appeared to be friendly again. This was
the third payment they had got for that site, and to yield was teaching
them a cruel lesson; all this we felt and clearly saw, but they had by
some means to be conciliated, if possible, and our lives had to be
saved, if that could be done without dishonor to the Christian name.

After these events, a few weeks of dry weather began to tell against the
growth of their yams and bananas. The drought was instantly ascribed to
us and our God. The Natives far and near were summoned to consider the
matter in public assembly. Next day, Nouka, the high chief, and Miaki,
the war-chief, his nephew, came to inform us that two powerful Chiefs
had openly declared in that assembly that if the Harbor people did not
at once kill us or compel us to leave the island they would, unless the
rain came plentifully in the meantime, summon all the Inland people and
murder both our Chiefs and us. The friendly Chiefs said, "Pray to your
Jehovah God for rain, and do not go far beyond your door for a time; we
are all in greatest danger, and if war breaks out we fear we cannot
protect you."

But this friendliness was all pretense; they themselves, being Sacred
Men, professed to have the power of sending or withholding rain, and
tried to fix the blame of their discomfiture on us. The rage of the poor
ignorant Heathen was thereby fed against us. The Ever-Merciful, however,
again interposed on our behalf. On the following Sabbath, just when we
were assembling for worship, rain began to fall, and in great abundance.
The whole inhabitants believed, apparently, that it was sent to save us
in answer to our prayers; so they met again, and resolved to allow us to
remain on Tanna. Alas! on the other hand, the continuous and heavy rains
brought much sickness and fever in their train, and again their Sacred
Men pointed to us as the cause. Hurricane winds also blew and injured
their fruits and fruit-trees,--another opportunity for our enemies to
lay the blame of everything upon the Missionaries and their Jehovah God!
The trial and the danger daily grew, of living among a people so
dreadfully benighted by superstition, and so easily swayed by prejudice
and passion.

The Natives of Tanna were well-nigh constantly at war amongst
themselves, every man doing that which was right in his own eyes, and
almost every quarrel ending in an appeal to arms. Besides many battles
far inland, one was