Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/547

 MBUA. 509 lately had each different views are now united, and our minds are as the mind of one man. Ask no more, " What can the lotu do ? " after what your eyes see this day. The lotu is of God ; and what we now see is the work of God : He alone is almighty. In this age we see also the love of God. He has shown his love to us by giving us His book to tell us of the Saviour, and to teach us the way to serve God. And to help us to understand what we read. He has sent His Ministers to our land. , Great is the love of God. We Fijians are born in darkness and error, we are reared in error, it is in our nature to err, so that it is im- portant that we have those amongst us who can direct us. A father who loves his children, tells them what they ought not to do, and he tells them what they ought to do. Mr. Williams is as a father to us. If we take a step without advice, it is a wrong step ; but if it is approved by him, we are no more double-minded, but go fearlessly on, and we find that we are doing what is right : but our own plans lead us wrong, and the end of them is pain and trouble. Great is our joy at this meeting. You, our friends of Ndama and Na Sau, have come into a good way ; never go from it. Grasp firmly what you have now taken hold of ; the end thereof is life, — life now, and life forever.' " However sincere the Ndama Chief might be, he had bad advisers, whose influence made it necessary for the Christians to use great diligence in order to maintain quiet. The visit of Elijah Verani seemed to furnish a favourable opportunity for endeavouring to con- firm a general peace. He was always ready to face any danger in trying to do good, and now exposed himself to great peril in thus visit- ing a people whom, in former days, he had deeply injured. Mr. Williams thus gives the history of this visit, under date, February 21st, 1851:— " The pleasing scenes narrated in my last letter to you were shortly followed by scenes of trial and bloodshed. The Christian Chief, George Nala, through unusual la- bours and intense excitement, lost his reason ; many of his people, who had to work hard in the day, and sleep in the open air at night, fell sick ; the health of three of the Native Teachers failed them entirely, so that their removal to the Mission-house was ne- cessary to save their lives. The means used had God's blessing : the restored Chief re- sumed his proper position in society ; the Teachers, on the return of health, resumed their labours ; and, with two or three exceptions, the rest of the sick recovered. " Directly after the Peace Meeting, of which you have been informed, the Christian natives set themselves in good earnest to repair the injuries already sustained from the war. Their first work was to build a new house for Tui Mbua, in place of the one burnt down by his enemies. In this they were aided by the Tiliva Christians. Tui Mbua, who steadily maintained his profession of the Christian religion, acknowledged their kindness, and they felt repaid by his apparent sincerity. Thus things were on the arrival of Ratu Elijah, who finding that Nawatha only remained belligerent, and having a well-derived influence over the people of that place, he hoped to exercise it for good. I prepared to