Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/340

310 FIJI AOTD THE FIJIANS. forth again to war ; the young men delighted in dancing and other evi practices. Even to the present time — though the Missionaries, and King George and other Chiefs in Tonga, have seen and tried to prevent the evils done to Fiji by Tongans — they are a source of difficulty and trouble. They are a fine race, well-built, powerful, and intelligent, and succeed amazingly in gaining influence wherever they go. Generally the Tongans are well disposed to the Missionaries, and have cheerfully helped in conveying them from island to island ; they have always been ready to protect them from Fijian insult ; and have interfered, at con- siderable trouble, expense, and risk of life, on several islands where Teachers have been killed, injured, and robbed, and Christian Fijians have been persecuted and murdered. There are also many Tongans who have well exhibited the principles of true religion, commending it by word and deed ; besides a goodly number of most devoted men, who have greatly promoted the cause of Christ in Fiji as Native xVgents. When the reinforcement of the Mission staff came in 1844, the Rev. R. B. Lyth was appointed to Lakemba, for which place he was peculiarly fitted, having resided so long in the Friendly Islands, and being therefore well acquainted with the Tongan language. Mr. Calvert, who was much reduced by his long sickness, soon recovered under the skill and kind attention of Mr. Lyth, whose labours in every department of the Mission were very successful. There were now nine hundred and sixty- three church members in the Circuit, and many more under instruction. In October, 1845, Mr. Lyth writes to the General Secretaries, under the head of " The Missionary's Engagements," as follows : — " These are exceedingly numerous, but not easily described. We have much of * weariness and painfulness ' from day to day. Our Circuit duties are onerous, so that we are often wearied in, though not of, our work. We cannot command our time, being liable to continual calls from all kinds of people to meet their various wants, some reasonable, many unreasonable, so that our time for translating, &c., is very limited. This place being generally full of visitors from Tonga in quest of canoes, makes it quite a place of traffic and excitement. We have many calls from the sick, both Christian and heathen ; and, there being several large Fijian towns on the island, this duty alone occupies a large share of our time and attention. Our toil thus spent is not lost. Sev- eral Heathens, in the course of the passing year, have renounced their Heathenism and attached themselves to us in their afflictions ; and the rest are led to think favourably of Christianity through our intercourse with them in this respect." In November of the previous year, Toki, the King's brother, had