Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/404

 374 FIJI AOT) THE FIJIA^S. who ought to have rest. Look at the Viwa Circuit, all that dark coast right away to Mba, with a Missionary who writes : * I am ready to lie down and weep, when I remember the state of my Circuit, and have not strength to go and visit it.' Look at Mbua, all involved in war again. Look at Nandi, distracted again with war. A Teacher has been killed at Waikama, and Mr. Fordham fears his wife will not be able to bear much more excitement ; and, if the war contmues, he will be obliged to ask for a removal at the District Meeting, should he be able to stay so long. "We must not shut our eyes to the state of things. Missionaries are required ! How are we to get more Missionaries for Fiji. If I had a tongue of fire, I should like to go and try to wake up our colonial Churches.* They camiot become missionary Churches in a day. They must have time for it. They cannot yet look on Fiji as their child, only as adopted. Fiji may have many instructors, but she can have only one ' father.' You must make our home Churches feel this. We must have their prayers. We camiot do without them. There must be no retreat ; just now we require all the help we can get. We as Missionaries must make sacrifice of comfort, of life, of all. The Churches must also make sacrifices, — of men, of means, of prayers, of faith. The honour of the Church, of Missions, of Christ, are at stake at this present moment. Fiji will have a frothy religion, unless we get more help. We should be looking into the future. Should one, two, or three be compelled to remove, or die, new men could not meet the case. They could preach or read a sermon in a few months ; but does it not take years to make a man thoroughly efficient? Our Testaments are going off* at a fine rate. The people are getting on well with their reading. We shall be ready for the English edition before you get it through the press. What a treasure it will be ! God speed you on ! Your report of the missionary spirit at home is quite encouraging. It makes one sing, ' Rule, Britannia ! ' as well as, * Praise God from whom all blessings flow.' " At the date of the preceding letter, written to England, Mr. Moore wrote as follows to the Rev. John Eggleston, Secretary of Mis- sions, Sydney : — " This has been a most trying year. I can scarcely get two days at home together. I am constantly going ; the demands of the Circuit are now getting so great. The fruit begins to appear; and what with marrying, baptizing, and meeting the Classes, and trying to get things into working order, I am often worn right out, and ready to sit down and weep over the awful state of Fiji, and the little concern manifested by our Churches at home. "What can be the reason we cannot get more men for Fiji ? The tralian Conference.
 * The South Sea Missions were now under the direct management and care of the new Aus-