cause
I had to boast.

As Mr Bent had promised to relieve Vihala of his charge as soon as
possible, two teachers had been trained for the purpose, and these we
now took on board. We had with us a number of axes and knives, and
other articles most prized by the natives, both to pay for provisions or
whatever we might require, as also to bestow on Vihala, hoping that, if
he were thus richly endowed, the old king would not refuse longer to
give him his daughter.

Two of the men who had come as heathen enemies now remained as friends,
and earnest searchers after truth. The remainder, deeply imbued with
the spirit of Christianity, had returned to their own island, we hoped
to pave the way for a missionary among its still heathen and cannibal
inhabitants.

Thus during the few months since I had left my ship I had seen a way
made for the entrance of the gospel into these thickly-inhabited
islands. Thus it has pleased God to work through human agency among a
large proportion of the isles of the Pacific; nor has He ever failed to
afford, after a time, superabundant encouragement to His faithful
labourers. Oh that some of the many thousands and thousands of young
men and women who read this would consider the noble, the glorious
nature of missionary work, and esteem it as a high privilege to be
allowed to employ their energies in the cause!

How different was our voyage from that which Mary, Mr Bent, and I
before took in the same direction! But where were our companions? Were
we the only ones alive out of the whole party? At all events, we had
ample reason to be grateful. The wind was fair, and our passage
promised to be as calm and pleasant as we could desire.

On getting near enough to the island to distinguish objects on shore, we
saw a number of people hurrying down to the beach, from among the trees,
while some launched their canoes and paddled off through the opening in
the reef towards us. Their object was to welcome us, and to pilot the
schooner into their harbour. They knew that the schooner was a
missionary vessel from her flag, but they had not guessed who was on
board. Their delight, when they recognised Mr Bent and Mary, was
excessive; and so completely did they forget all about the vessel, that
had I not kept a good look-out she would have run right on to the reef.
On our enquiring for Vihala, the answer was, "He is well, and we all
Christian."

The glorious news we found on landing to be true.