Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/335

LAKEMBA. 305 the reef. When Mr. Calvert came, he found that nearly all the men were away at work. On their return at evening, the great drums were beaten for service, which was held at a commodious chapel in the suburbs, near to which a Teacher's house had been built. All the people were now nominally Christians, and many showed by their earnest piety and blameless life how real was their religion. After service the Missionary said, " I am here to seek men who have felt the truth and power of Christ's religion in their own hearts ; who know the Scriptures, can read well, and are desirous to do good to their countrymen in the darker places of Fiji, where light has lately begun to shine. It is probable that lives will have to be sacrificed in this great and difficult work, as Satan and men stir up opposition to God's truth, and do all they can to prevent its spread. I therefore only want right-hearted men, who, being prepared for the work, are willing to go forth and sacrifice their lives in the cause of Christ. Let such meet me in the Teacher's house." Hearts of the right sort heard that ap- peal, and nearly twenty young men followed the Missionary into the house, being willing to go anywhere, and face any danger, for Christ's sake. Some of these were selected and examined, and sent out to various posts of toil and peril, where they have done well. This is the way in which this Mission had advanced. Native agency has always been raised up and successfully employed. As the work has • grown, a Training Institution has become indispensable, requiring the constant attention of a Missionary and a Schoolmaster, so that a supply of competent agents may be kept up, and the Mis- sionaries be spared the suffermg they have so often endured, of seeing the work grow too great for them, and fail for want of more help. The Lakemba Circuit received great benefit from the assiduous labours of the Eev. Thomas Williams, who, in much family affliction, spent three years on this Station. At the end of the first year he built a good house, at the expense of much personal toil, which was rewarded by his having a comfortable dwelling, by the valuable lessons given to the natives, the stimulus it furnished to other Missionaries to procure better houses for the preservation of health, and by its serving for many years as a Mission-house. While the building was in progress, Mr. Williams preached frequently at the neighbouring chapel, visited the other towns, and made several voyages to the islands where Chris- tianity had taken root. The following extract from his journal gives a good description of this kind of journey which was often undertaken by himself and other Missionaries : —