Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/303

 % ONO. 273 with simplicity and power. On the Monday morning he sang and prayed with the people on the beach, and then went on board, accom- panied by the eight Exhorters, five of whom were married and took their wives with them. On the following day they called at Vatoa, where one couple was married, and five persons were baptized. It was not till nearly a year afler this that Ono had another visit from a Missionary. In September, 1846, the Rev. John Watsford was appointed to remove from Viwa to Lakemba, and, on his way, called with the Rev. R. B. Lyth at Ono. Some difficulties had arisen through the mismanagement of the head Teacher, who, as already stated, was a Chief of rank, and had carried matters with a somewhat high hand, as- suming great authority, and receiving many presents. The Papists also tried to get to work on the island, and the Teachers and people needed oversight and instruction. The Missionary at Lakemba, Mr. Calvert, was broken in health, and unable to work his wide Circuit ; yet it was deemed best to leave Mr. Watsford for one year at Ono. Here, then, with his wife and children, he remained, whilst Mr. Lyth went on to Lakemba, to remove his family and goods to Viwa. In about five months Mr. Watsford wrote to say that things were in a cheering state, and that he was taking great pains with the Local Preachers, meeting them twice a week, and adopting plans to set them thinking for themselves, — an end always difficult to reach with the na- tives. An Infant School was established in each town ; but the Mission- ary complained of want of school apparatus. Many of the boys and girls could read well, and write a good hand. !Mr. Watsford also paid great attention to the prosperity of the people in other ways. He per- suaded them to lay by larger stocks of arrowroot for the children and sick, and to boil down the sugar-cane juice. He also contrived a ma- chine to help them in rope-making, and tried to show them how they might manufacture their sinnet more easily and economically. He wanted to brmg pumps into use for the canoes, and blocks to ease the labour of hoisting the sail ; but it was hard work fighting against the prejudices of the people, and moving their apathetic contentment with their old Fijian ways. Medicines were administered with great suc- cess, although, in this respect also, there was much prejudice to con- tend with, and many of the remedies were ridiculously misapplied. Mr. Watsford's lancet broke, — for such things soon rust and become brittle in the Islands, — and he was obliged to use a penknife instead, until further supplies came. This arrival of supplies at the different Stations of the Mission was an affair of no small importance, and only occurring at long and uncer<