Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/383

EEWA. 353 Viwa to watch over the interests of the Mission, until the time came for a Missionary to return to the Station. During the war, however the Eomish Priests had sent one of their number to Rewa, who had tried diligently to get a pledge from the new King that he would forbid the return of the Protestant Missionaries. This Priest was much troubled by the arrival of the Teacher, and begged the King to send him away. Ratu Nggara said he was afraid to do so, as the Teacher had been brought by an Englishman in a British ship of war. This, however, was not the case, as he had been sent in the Mission boat. The King was evidently glad to see him, and had now learned to value the presence and teaching of the Missionary, whom he wished to bring back once more. He said he had been to the Romish service, and had learned nothing, as they did not worship in a language he understood ; but from the Teacher, though only a native of Piji, he had received instruction, as he understood the language in which the service was conducted. It was evident that he thought the Priest might prove use- ful, as he had already received presents of muskets from him, and therefore, to avoid offence, pleaded fear as an excuse for keeping the Teacher. The Priests had been much annoyed by a rhyme, composed by a blind native youth, against Popery, but which they attributed to the Missionaries. They were also offended because some pictures, repre- senting the cruelties practised by Popish persecutors, had been shown to the natives. Exasperated by what had just happened at Rewa, Mr. Matthew, the superior Priest, appealed in two long letters to Sir J. Everard Home, of H.M.S. " Calliope," who had observed, on visiting Rewa, that the Priests showed but little concern about the war and cannibalism by which they were surrounded. The object of the letters was to complain of the Wesley an Missionaries, and beg that the Teacher might be removed. Sir Everard's replies to these letters were printed in full in the " Wesleyan Missionary Notices fOr May, 1853," Among other things he wrote :- — " I must beg to say that the "Wesleyan Missionary Society is a body of the highest respectability, and the work which their Missionaries have to do, and the manner in which they have done it, do them the greatest honour as individual Christians, and is one of the greatest glories of the nation to which they belong. I have myself seen much of the eflFect of their labours, and I write in full conviction of the truth of what I say. I am perfectly convinced that the natives have never been tauglit to treat any per- son ill ; but that it is the duty of all teachers of religion to explain fully the doctrines they have to inculcate " The "Wesleyan Methodists never taught the natives to refuse a landing to the Mis- sionaries of any other religion ; it is more than they would dare to do ; but they teach the natives to read and to think, after which they put the Scripture, fully translated, into