Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/550

 512 FIJI AlO) THE FUIAH^S. and several aged men, sat as judges, and awarded six prizes to as many boys. Ther ten little girls offered their maiden plat-mats, that the females appointed might examine them : four of the girls were rewarded : two of the mats might have passed for the work of adults. " That which to my mind greatly augmented the interest of the meeting, was the presence of the heathen Chief, and several of his people, who observed with interest the several examinations, and assisted in deciding the merits of hanks of sinnet presented by the boys. Unhappily the Heathen generally avoid our ordinary services ; and, in consequence of their prejudices, it is not easy to find or frame a service where Christian and Heathen may meet together, to the satisfaction of both parties. In the present in- stance I believe this was effected. A few of the scholars have heathen parents, and in these were observed the strongest indications of pleasure at witnessing the performances of the children. A party of Heathen who came up just as the examination closed, strongly expressed their disappointment, and, but for a consideration of the length of time we had been together, I should have re-examined the children on two or three sub- jects, for the satisfaction of the late comers. They, however, were in time to partake of the good cheer provided by our people for the occasion. Is" either the visitors nor the visited lacked appetite, so that a pile of food was quickly disposed of. I afterwards heard that a leading man among the Heathen said, ' This school is good ; the children in it are wiser than we aged men ; they could answer the questions put to them about the Christian religion ; and the boys are taught to braid sinnet, which some of us who are grown grey cannot do : we see it is good, very good.' " With a little care on the part of myself and Mrs. "Williams, I hope we shall com- pletely stop the practice of smoking tobacco, formerly so common amongst the children : we have done much already towards this desirable object." During the Ndama war, one of the devoted Teachers who remained with the Christians died, and his colleague reported the event to Mr. Williams as follows : — "To Mr. Williams. " I WRITE, Sir, to you, the servant of God, to make known that Stephen Thevalala sleeps. Stephen went happily to sleep. He died at Na Nganga, as I was bringing him from Tavulomo to you, if happily there might be any medicine that would be useful in his case. ' But your care of me will not not avail,' said he ; ' I shall not reach the Mis- sionary ; but through Jesus Christ I shall reach heaven. Amen, amen.' My report of the happy death is ended. " Lasarus Ndrala." Mr. Williams gives a short sketch of this young man, which is a fair description of many who nobly and faithfully served God in preaching the Gospel in Fiji : — " Stephen Thevalala was born at Wakaya, a small island forty miles from Mbau, amidst the disquietude and slaughters of that people when struggling for the ascendancy. Most of his friends fell victims to the rapacity of Mbau. But for a quick eye and agile limbs, he had not lived to tell the tale of his escape. In one of the attacks made on his