while many have died of fever.
They have, however, not laboured in vain, and the inhabitants of more
than one island have abandoned idol-worship. To these groups, also, the
Church of England, established in New Zealand, has turned its attention,
under the direction of the Bishop of New Zealand, who made several
voyages among them. Bishop Pattison, with the title of Bishop of
Melanesia, has been especially appointed to superintend the work of
evangelisation connected with them. A vessel called the Southern Cross
makes a cruise twice a year among them. In the spring, she collects
young men from all the islands and carries them to New Zealand, where
they receive instruction in a college established for that purpose. As
they can no more stand the cold climate of New Zealand in the winter
than Europeans can stand the heat of their summer, in the autumn the
Southern Cross carries them back to their own islands, where they
instruct their countrymen in the religious knowledge and the arts they
have learned during their absence. The French have sent Roman Catholic
missionaries to several of these groups. They have taken possession of
Tahiti; and have established colonies there, on the coast of New Guinea,
and in the Marquesas. At Tahiti, the English Protestant missionaries
were for a time prohibited from preaching, and compelled to leave the
island. The greater number of the people, supported by the queen,
remained firm to their Protestant principles; and at length a French
Evangelical Society sent out Protestant pastors, and the people have now
perfect religious liberty, though they remain subject to France.

"Notwithstanding the large number of islands in which Christianity has
been firmly established, it is calculated that there are two hundred and
fifty inhabited islands still sunk in the darkness of idolatry and
savageism, so that there remains a very large amount of work to be done.
There, I have given you a short account of missionary work in the
Pacific. Another day I will get a chart, and show you the places I have
spoken about. I will then tell you more respecting them. You will like
especially to hear of Savage Island, or Niue, which I understand we are
to visit, to inquire about some natives who, it is reported, have been
carried away by the Chilian slavers."

Ben thanked Mr Martin very much for the information he had given him
and Tom, and begged that he would give them a further account of Savage
Isla