r, the builders went out,
but the rest remained for lessons." What more blessed than thus to work
and pray! To teach their hands to work, and their hearts to sing praises
to the Lord!

Now let us pass on, and look in upon them at the opening and dedication
of this SCOTCH CHURCH ON TANKA to the Lord God. "On a fixed day,
Wednesday 28th October, exactly twelvemonths to a day from our leaving
Liverpool, Natives from far and near assembled for the occasion. Mr. and
Mrs. Gray, with their two children, a Mr. Voullaire, a German who has
come to Tanna as a Trader, and our neighbor Mr. Bramwell, joined us. So
that, when we all met for the Opening Services, we were a somewhat mixed
company, speaking a medley of languages,--English, Scotch, German,
Fijian, Aneityumese, Aniwan, and at least two of the Tannese languages!
The building was well filled; but the bigger crowd was gathered outside;
for our Heathen onlookers were afraid to enter the sacred edifice. The
Service was beautiful. All seemed very happy. After it, there was an
exchange of gifts, we giving fifty fathoms of prints and calicoes, some
handkerchiefs, two pots full of cooked rice, a pile of raw yams and
taro, and two pieces of salt beef. Our neighbor gave some print, some
tins of luncheon beef, and some uncooked rice. The Natives gave two
cooked pigs, and native puddings _ad libitum_. These things being
divided to the satisfaction of all, we had speeches, when doubtless some
good impressions were made. On the Sabbath following we had a good
attendance, Mr. Gray addressing the people. On the Sabbath following
that we made our first money collection on Tanna." I again ask to my
readers to listen, and to lay to heart what the lady Missionary tells us
of these once cruel and cannibal souls. "We asked the people to give it
as a thank-offering for the remarkable exemption from accident during
the building of the Church though at times the work was rather
dangerous. The collection was L3: 5s. We were much pleased with the
hearty way the people responded to this, the first call to give a free
gift to the Lord. One man, whose whole purse was 17s., gave 1s. himself,
and gave 1s. to each of his three sons, so that they too might have
something to give. Knowing how meanly the Tannese treated the Spirits
whom they worshiped in Heathenism,--giving them the scraggiest fish, the
poorest bananas, and the smallest yams,--we rejoiced in this Christian
liberality!!"

Referring to exagge