Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/284

 254 FIJI AKD THE FIJIA^S. to tell them all he could of the Gospel. Greatly did the little company of truth-seekers rejoice when this young man came among them, bring- ing the light they had so earnestly desired. Josiah at once took the place of the old priest, and, day by day, led the devotions of the few who would worship God. On the Sabbath he tried to teach them more fully. Soon the little company grew to forty persons, and a chapel was built to hold a hundred people. The whole of the Sabbath was now hallowed, and some learned to pray for themselves. In the mean time the two messengers had got to Tonga, where they learned that two Missionaries had been sent to Lakemba, and that they must apply to these for such help as they required. On returning Avith this message, the men were astonished to see how great a change had taken place during their absence, and the general desire was very strong that a fully qualified teacher should be obtained. But the voyage to Lakemba and back was long and beset with dangers for the native canoes, and teachers were very scarce. Yet the Lord was watching over the springmg of the new life in" Ono, and again sent help. A wild youth belonging to the island had wandered as far as Tonga, Avhere he heard and felt the truth. Coming to Lakemba, he became soundly converted, and continued there for several years a consistent member of the Church. Under the care of the Missionaries he quickly acquired knowledge, and applied himself with great energy, so as to be able to read and write well. He was made a Local Preacher, and, after a time, sent back to his o^vn land " to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ." It was not until the beginning of 1838 that this Teacher, Isaac Ravuata, could get a chance of going to Ono. This delay, however, had the great advantage of leaving him longer under the care of the Missionaries, and thus fitting him the better for taking charge of a new Church at such a distance form their Station. On Isaac's arrival in Ono, he found that a hundred and twenty adults had already given up their old idolatry, and declared themselves worshippers of the true God ; and, considering the scanty instruction they had received, these people were living remarkably well-ordered lives. They received their new Teacher, for whom they had waited so long, with great de- light, and greedily drank in the lessons he taught them, doing all they could to secure his comfort by supplying him with abundance of food and clothing. Isaac sent back word by the canoe which had brought him to his friends, that he was in want of books. Mr. Cargill's " time was al- ready occupied in preaching four times on every Sabbath and several