Page:The Native Tribes of South Australia (1879).djvu/174

 108 FARMING OPERATIONS. made himself very useful; for he was rather an accomplished musician. His assistance was valuable, and I wished to retain him with me; but the rules of the Moravian church would not allow this. In the course of our mission to the natives, nothing has impressed me more than the continual evidence of Divine power. We have taught and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ; we have tried to persuade men to accept of salvation and become servants of Christ; but, while we have done so, we have always felt how utterly inadequate were our words to accomplish what we desired. We could only attribute any good results to a Divine power working with us; overcoming aversion and opposition; changing opinions and habits; winning love and devotion to Christ as Lord. Often, the most unlikely persons, those for whom we did not like to hope, have been the first to show that they had been conquered by the word of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. On 16th November, 1866, Mr. J. A. Ophel became my assistant, and has continued his earnest and efficient labours ever since. We found it necessary in 1865 to provide employment for those natives who were willing to work, so that they might remain with us and be instructed. We had employed a few before this, but only casually, and to no great extent. Our desire now was to produce the wheat required for the station by native labour. A farm overseer was therefore appointed, and a considerable breadth of land gradually brought under cultivation. A flock of sheep was also purchased. Our success will be made more apparent by quoting the yearly sales of produce from the farm. They were as follows:  £ s. d. £ s. d. 1866.. 198 17 4 1872.. 276 13 10 1867.. 73 10 4 1873.. 841 3 1 1868.. 98 12 9 1874.. 506 9 9 1869.. 314 17 6 1875.. 645 4 5 1870.. 501 9 8 1876.. 507 4 7 1871.. 332 17 1