Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/274

 24:4: FIJI Am) THE FIJIANS. Success came slowly, and much of it only indirectly. In the fol- lowing year several women were saved from strangling at the inter- cession of the Missionaries. This was a great point to gain, and one which had been found more difficult to reach in other neighbourhoods where Christianity had shown a more positive success. The lives of war captives were also spared in several instances ; and even on the event of large canoes being launched, and making the first voyage, no human victims were killed, — a neglect which, at that time, was unpre- cedented in Fiji. But perhaps the most important advantage, of the Somosomo Mission at this time was in the prevention of persecution elsewhere. The Chiefs of Somosomo were powerful and of wide- spread influence, and Christianity had already reached several distant parts of their territories ; but the fact that they had a Mission Station under the royal sanction at home, kept them back from persecuting in other parts. Besides this, had the Mission not been established there, the Somosomans would undoubtedly have joined with Mbau and other places, stirring them up to resist the new religion. During this year the young King became very ill, and all the Fijian remedies failed to do him good. Mr. Lyth had studied medicine before becoming a Missionary, and now offered to attend the King, who re- ceived his kindness with evident gratitude. Mr. Waterhouse thus describes this Chief : " Such a Goliath I had not seen before. We measured together, and I found him to be the head and neck taller than myself, and nearly three times the bulk ; every part indicating the strength of a giant. This is the King whose mandate is life or death. He called at the Mission-house. Such a human form (all but uncov- ered) was enough to frighten Mrs. Brooks," who called there on her way to Sydney, and " who had seen nothing of the kind in the Friendly Islands ; and more especially so, when he took her child (about seven weeks old) into his arms, and put his great tongue in its mouth ! '* This monster was greatly reduced by his long sickness, and his doctor made diligent use of the opportunity thus afforded of preaching Christ to him. He got well again, but did not abandon Heathenism. Yet he was evidently altered, and showed a milder spirit ever afler, always treating Mr. Lyth with great kindness. The old King, too, took a great fancy to him, and would often send food to the Mission-house, expecting, however, occasional gifts of knives, iron pots, etc. Once, when the old man was ill, ^fr. Lyth, in anxious concern about his sal- vation, spoke more pointedly than before, declaring that the gods of Somosomo were no gods, and could do him no good. On being urged to forsake his old faith and turn to the true God, the mildness and