Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/278

FIJI AND THE FIJIANS. For nearly two years after this, did these devoted men toil wearily on, amidst the most disheartening opposition, before they could per suade themselves to leave Somosomo. The King still resisted the truth, and was constantly engaged in wars, while the people seemed to become more and more indifferent to the Gospel. At the District Meeting of 1847 it was therefore resolved to forsake this comparatively barren field, and give extra attention to other parts, where Christianity was received gladly, and where already it had worked great changes. When once the removal was fixed, the greatest care had to be taken to liide the fact from the natives. For some months the Missionaries were quietly at work preparing to go. They managed to get away some boxes of clothes and articles of barter, and almost all their books and other goods were packed ready to put on board the " Triton," when she should arrive. Most of the screws were taken out of the hinges of doors and windows, so that everything could be removed on the shortest notice. While all this was going on, the " Triton " an- chored ofiT Somosomo, quite late on the evening of the 28th of Septem- ber. Two of the brethren — Messrs. Lyth and Calvert — who had come from Lakemba to help in the removal, went ashore at once, giving or- ders for the boats to be at the beach early the next morning. At day- break, the native servants, a few Tongans, and two or three Viwa people assisted the sailors in carrying the baggage to the boats, which was done very quickly and quietly. The fact that the premises were a little way out of the to^vn helped to keep the removal more secret. After the boats had safely deposited the most valuable articles on board the ship, the Missionaries went to the King, and told him calmly, that as he was engaged in war, and not disposed to attend to their teaching, and as the Mission families had suffered very much from sickness, they had deter- mined to leave Somosomo for a time, and dwell in some other part of Fiji, where the people were anxious to become Christians. Having thus taken formal leave, they got all available help to forward the re- moval of their goods, so that when the young men returned m the evening from the fields, and crowded about the premises, there was nothing of value left on shore. Some of the natives were very trouble- some, and several things were purloined. " Where are you going with that door ? " asked a Missionary of a man who was hurrying off with a large door. " I'm taking it down to the boat, Sir." " Well, but you are taking it the wrong way for the boat ; you must turn this way." And so he did ; but a good many things went the wrong way before all was done, yet far less was lost than had been expected. The chief annoyance to the natives was the consciousness that they were