Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/275

 SOMOSOMO. 245 friendship of this " virtuous Heathen " forthwith vanished, and, seizing the Missionary's *coat, he called loudly for a club to kill him. The old Chief vias ill, but his rage made him dangerous, and he clung hard ; but luckily the garment was of light material, and Mr. Lyth, making a spring, left his coat-tail in the hand of Tuithakau, and, without taking his hat, set off home, where he quietly waited until his patient's anger had cooled down.* In June, 1841, Mr. Waterhouse again visited Somosomo, and left the Rev. C. Tucker and Mrs. Tucker, to stay with Mrs. Hunt and Mrs. Lyth, w^hile their husbands were away at Lakemba, at the annual Dis- trict Meeting. An account of this visit, written by Mrs. Tucker, ap- peared in the Quarterly Paper for !March, 1844. The work of the Missionaries became much hindered and confined by the wars of the people ; but a canoe from Wallis's Island (Uea) drifting to Somosomo gave them an opportunity of teaching something of the truth to the strangers who thus came among them, and not with- out good result. Twelve pages of St. Luke's Gospel were, by this time, printed in the Somosomo dialect, and at the District Meeting of 1842 the following report was sent home. The new Mission-houses referred to had to be built on the north side of the island and under a cliff, so that the refreshing influence of the trade-wind was lost, and the health of the inmates suffered in consequence : — " During the latter part of the last year, we made an attempt to remove the Mission premises from the middle of the town to a convenient and more healthy situation by the sea-side. At the commencement of the present year, many considerations led us to de- termine to renew our efforts, and by the blessing of God we have been successful ; so that we have now two comfortable Mission-houses, with out-houses and gardens con- nected, all within a good fence, and in as good a situation as we could have in this part of the island. We need not say that this has taken up a great deal of time, and re- quired considerable personal labor and attention. " In addition to our building, etc., we had, during the early part of the year, a great number of Tcngans and Ueans, to whom we felt it our duty to devote a considerable share of our time. Mr. Lyth preached to them regularly in their own language, and many, we believe, were really benefitted by the means used. They were also taught to read, and the children regularly catechized. In March, 1842, the Ueans departed, by way of Tonga, for their own island ; and the greater part of the Tongans went on a voy- age to Tonga. Their places, however, have since been partly filled up by others from Tonga. When the Ueans came to Somosomo, most of them were Heathens, and a few were Roman Catholics. When they went away, twenty-eight of them were on trial for church-membership, several were married, and we have reason to hope that some of them had received much spiritual benefit. Our best native helper accompanied them to their own land, according to the appointment of the last District Meeting. The Tongans, with a few exceptions, improved much in knowledge and experienoe while here. " Our little society of Fijians has prospered during the year. None have been added
 * See the account of Tuitliakau's death, vol. i., p. 193.