Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/565

 MBITA. 52Y schools from the more distant places began to arrive in canoes, and from the nearer towns by land. When night fell, Mr. Crawford, our new Missionary, exhibited his magic-lantern views ; but as the children were all on a dead level, many of them could not see ; and, to prevent confu- sion, the amusement was suspended. Next morning the several schools passed in review before the Missionaries and Chiefs, to an enclosure in the open air, no building being large enough to hold them. What fol- lowed was rather a rehearsal than an examination. Hymns were sung, passages of Scripture were chanted, catechisms were repeated, etc. Some of the elder lads were extravagant in their gesticulations, and rather ridiculous in their dress ; but time and pains will correct all this, and supplant the ' bodily exercise,' which * profiteth little,' by something more valuable. There were fully five hundred children present beside the adult on-lookers ; and they contributed that day about sixty gallons of oil. At the close of the exercises the assembly was addressed by myself and Paula Vea. It was nearly four hours before all was over, but the children behaved very well. O, it was an interesting sight ! This time last year, man}' of these children were Heathens ; now they are under the influence of the Bible and Christian teaching. May this lovely and interesting seed-plot return an hundred-fold ! " We had a very interesting chapel-opening service a month ago at Nawatha, a town in this Circuit, which has only lately cast off Heathenism. They have built a handsome chapel, ninety feet long, fifty feet wide, and perhaps forty feet high from the roof-tree to the ground. It is after the Tongan model ; and the beams which connect the pillars within are tastefully decorated with black and red sinnet, on which are strung white cowry shells. We were all present at the opening, hadng arranged to call there on our way to Nandi, where we were going to baptize Mr. Fordham's little daughter. The Chief of Nawatha and four or five others were married on the occasion of the chapel-opening. The Nawatha people, headed by their Chief, first entered the house of prayer, singing a Psalm ; then the other to^vns entered one after the other, each company chanting a portion of Scripture. The feast which followed the religious service was moderate, but sufficient for the company. It con- sisted of cooked shell-fish, taro, puddings, pork, etc." In the early part of 1857, the work still prospered and spread in the Mbua Circuit, and fresh help, though much less than was needed, was sent to the Yasawas. A new chapel was built and opened at Mbua, and the lotu established in fresh places. But the Heathen were still unsettled, and inflicted perpetual injury and annoyance on the Chris- tians ; so that, at last, the King of Mbua and. his people were obliged to