Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/286

 256 FIJI AKD THE FIJIANS. thorough and intelligent, and his attendance at all the religious services regular. He kept close to the school, and resisted all temptations to lead him aside from his purpose in coming to Lakemba. He learned to read and write, and, being anxious to do good, was employed as a Scripture Reader and Exhorter, and afterwards as a Local Preacher. He is now a Teacher in a distant part of Fiji, where he has made great sacrifices for Christ, during a long siege of the district and town where he resides, and to which many native Christians fled when burn«t out of their former dwellings. Lazarus Ndrala, though not very gifted, has been a most useful man. His decision of purpose at the beginning, — leaang his native land to gain new Christian privileges, — the diligent use he made of his advantages, his willingness to go anywhere and haz- ard his life, and his uniform and entire devotedness to the cause of Christ, have contributed, by God's favour, to make him a great blessing to Fiji. On the arrival of John Havea, a Native Teacher from Tonga, he was sent, by the first canoe which sailed that year, to take charge of the Church at Ono. He rejoiced to find that so many were Christians, and a considerable number so in name. In May, 1839, the Missionaries planned a visit to Ono ; but the wind was unfavourable, and the owners of a small Fijian vessel, which had been engaged for the voyage, refused to go. All available help was sent to aid in carrying on the remarkable religious movement in this distant part. In August, Lazarus Ndrala, accompanied by another Tongan Teacher, Jeremiah Latu, went to Ono, carrying a supply of copies of the First Catechism. The staff of Teachers was thus increased to four. The returning canoe brought back good news. One hundred and sixty-eight men and one hundred and sixty women had become worshippers of the Lord. After using, for some time, the houses of different converts for their devotional services, a chapel had been built at each of the three principal places ; in one case the building measured fifty by twenty-five feet, and was yet too small. The Christian crew of the canoe gave a good report of the progress and effects of Christian ity at the two inhabited islands of the Ono group. They stated that the chapels were crowded to overflowing ; that the converts were most anxious to be taught, and had scarcely allowed them to sleep at nights, so eager were they to get as much knowledge as they could from their visitors during their stay. They earnestly entreated that a Missionary would visit them, to administer the sacraments, and marry them with religious rites. By the same canoe intelligence came to Lakemba that 1 he little isl-