Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/401

EEWA. 371 noyance from the Heathen. Human flesh has been portioned to him from their feasts, with rarious other trials not expected on an old Station : he has, however, borne them with Christian fortitude, and, although he has been ill most of the year, he is still loath to leave them. We have thought it advisable to remove him to the Mission Station ; and, should his health be restored, we should deem him a proper person for the native ministry. This branch will remain for the present under the care of one of the Chiefs of the place. He is an Exhorter, and a tried man. We have one chapel here, three other preaching-places, with one hundred and thirty professing Christians. We shall send them a Teacher as soon as possible. '* In this Circuit there are 1G,000 attendants on public worship ; there are eighteen chapels, and fifty other preaching-places : the most inefficient native agency has to be employed to meet the pressing desires of the people. The Missionary has had only one Assistant Missionary and twenty-seven Catechists to assist him, and the latter are, many of them, young men whose chief qualification is real piety and ability to read. There are also eleven Local Preachers, one himdred and twenty-one full members, and seventy- two on trial for membership." While the labour of the Circuit was greatly increasing, the Mission- ary was placed in a perplexing position by the complete failure of his Avife's health, who had long suffered much occcasionally. In July, 1856, he writes to a Missionary in England : — " Mrs. Moore has been very ill for two months, most of her time confined to her bed. We had a native woman acting as wet nurse to the child. Some consider that I ought not to ti'ifle any longer with her affliction, but try a change to the colony. I am in a strait, seeking the Divine guidance. I seem very much needed just now in my Circuit, with such a number of professing Christians. The districts of Tokatoka and Notho have lotued. I have been all round Kandavu on foot, and am surprised at the work of God. You would be astonished to hear many pray, who have only begun to seek religion since you left Fiji. Should Mrs. Moore's health so im- prove as to justify my allowing her to undertake the voyage without me, I propose letting her go by the * Wesley ' to the colony, and I shall remain alone in Fiji to help in the great work." During this year the Rev. J. H. Royce arrived in Fiji, and was appointed to Rewa, whence, on October 21st, he writes as follows : — " Having completed our work in the Friendly Islands, we proceeded to Fiji, visiting the several Stations of Lakemba, Xandi, Mbua, Yiwa, and Rewa, where our wanderings terminated. Here, in Fiji, they were fully expecting three men, beside myself. In the District Meeting they were much perplexed to know what to do. Mr. Calvert gone ; Mr. Joseph Waterhouse with permission to go to the colonies for the benefit of his health ; Mr. Samuel Waterhouse unfit for further service at present, owing to the loss of his wife during the year; Mr. Malvern's health breaking down ; Mrs. Moore ill, and necessitated to go to the colonies, and leave her husband here for a season. , What was to be done ? It was found, on examining the different reports, that twelve additional men could be well employed in the work. There are now full sixty thousand people in Fiji who have bowed the knee to Jehovah, beside thousands more who will shortly be numbered among us ; for the people say, ' The lotio will come, and it is no use our trying to push it back again.' After consideration, Mr. Joseph Waterhouse consented to remain, although the