Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/264

234: FIJI A2vD THE FIJIANS. all others in its imperative call for hel^. It was accordingly resolved that two Missionaries should be moved to Fiji from the Friendly Islands District, and that two more should accompany them from Eng- land, thus increasing the staff to six. The importunate demand for a printer and printing apparatus was also attended to, and printing and bookbinding materials were ordered. With noble liberality, Mrs. Brack enbury, of Raithby Hall, Lincoln- shire, offered to pay all the expenses of the outfit and passage of the Rev. John Hunt, who had been appointed to proceed with the printer. In addition, this lady offered £50 a year towards his annual expenses, for three years, provided that the Committee would send another Missionary, and thus raise the number to seven. Encouraged by this and other liberal aid, the Committee resolved to comply with Mrs. Brackenbury's request, and send three men instead of two from Eng- land. This they were the more anxious to do, as they had just come to a friendly arrangement with the London Missionary Society, to occupy the Fiji group by themselves, leaving that Society to work in the Navigator's group. In April, 1838, the Eevs. John Hunt, T. J. Jagger, and James Calvert, with their wives, sailed from England ; and in the following December landed at Lakemba. Fiji was now made a separate District, with the Rev, David Cargill for its Chairman. At the first District Meeting held at Lakemba, it was resolved that no new Station should be commenced, as the Missionaries who had just arrived had not yet had time to learn the language. The most pressing business was to relieve Mr. Cross, who, on account of his shattered health, had received permission to remove with his family to Australia. The arrival of fresh help gave him the opportunity of withdrawing. Mr. Hunt began his career in Fiji by nobly consenting to go, at the request of the District Meetmg, to Rewa, to relieve Mr. Cross. He had no knowledge of the language or the people ; yet, he did not hesitate to go alone with his wife to dwell and work among the strange cannibals. On reaching Rewa he found Mr. Cross much better, and very unwilling to leave the young Missionary alone. Mr. Cross had passed through all the suffering and privation and difficulty belong- ing to the missionary life, and knew well the double affliction of a solitary Station ; so he resolved to stay, not fmding it m his heart to forsake one so thoroughly inexperienced, yet placed in peculiar diffi- culties. He chose rather to die at the work. Mr. Hunt brought with him good stores of articles for barter ; so that the comforts of the Mission house were greatly increased, and