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been sought by the natives. They therefore went to Tanna and fetched away the men. Their visit to Tanna was, however, a most providential one in other respects, for they were enabled to bring away the remnant of the French mission which had come to that place from Samoa, and had been almost destroyed by fever and ague. The people of the other island were so delighted at the service which they had obtained through the intervention of their missionary, that they held a meeting, and conferred upon him the rank and privileges of a chief of the first class. And this naturalization was an object of far greater importance than at first sight appeared, for the islanders had a practice of attributing to the evil influence of such foreigners as resided among them, all evils of magnitude, such as famine or pestilence, with which they might be afflicted. A ready devotion, too, was displayed among the converted natives, and there was an immediate offer made to replace, at Tanna, one who had died there while seeking the advancement of religion. The natives themselves, indeed, when they had once become believers in the truths of Christianity, were always anxious to make their heathen brethren participators in their knowledge. This, then, should encourage the civilized man to exertion. He must know that, when once the Gospel was planted among the heathen, all blessings would spread, as the seed upon the sea bird's wing, until the neighbouring races were made fully to participate in them. Of New Caledonia they, like himself, have doubtless heard many evil reports. Captain Cook, who was generally an accurate observer, spoke well, seventy years ago, of the people inhabiting this large island, preferring them even to those of the group generally known as the Friendly Islands. But no two opinions could be more at variance than those of Captain Cook and of the traders who had made this island a place of resort. As far as his own observation went, he was happy to say that it was confirmatory of the report of Captain Cook. When he was on the beautiful lagoon which surrounded this island, between the outer reef and the shores of the main land, he saw a man fishing in a canoe, and he approached this man in a little boat which he always carried with him. He found the man perfectly affable and friendly, and, after an interchange of the customary marks of friendship, he had no difficulty in inducing the islander to come on board the vessel, where he remained for several days. He also visited a beautiful district in the island, over which a chief who had been in Sydney-and who, as was not often the case, had been improved by his visit was the ruler. When he was last there, this chief had erected a good house for him (the Bishop) upon the banks of a river, and would be very glad doubtless if he could get him there to occupy it. He believed, therefore that the inhabitants of this island, were by no means so bad as had been generally stated, although he doubted whether Captain Cook was quite correct in thinking them superior to the Friendly Islanders.

At this latter group he had witnessed one of the most interesting sights he ever beheld. About 200 children who were at school, dispersed at the word of the teacher, and returning immediately afterwards, each with some little trinket or curiosity as an offering, which they laid at his feet. They subsequently followed him to the boat which was almost filled by these offerings. The Fejee Islands were partially occupied by Wesleyan Missionaries, who had met with so much success among this hitherte savage people, as to induce a lively confidence in their continued success.

At one of the savage islands of this group, two native women had been caught fishing, and according to the heathen custom, were condemned to be killed and eaten, but two ladies, Mrs. Little and Mrs. Cotterell, in the absence of their husbands, went off in a boat to the Chief, and presented him with the ransom demanded by custom. By this intercession the women were saved. Missionary ardour and devotion, they must see were not only manifested by the male sex, but were felt with equal power by their wives. At the island of Anatam a party of Fejeans had attacked and wounded most severely the wife of a carpenter then absent; the Europeans proposed to kill the whole party, but only the man who actually inflicted the wounds was shot. The rest, dreading vengeance, fled to the woods, but one of them made his way to the missionary's dwelling, and lay concealed there for thirty-six hours, until he was compelled by hunger to come out and beg the missionary's intercession, which was accorded to him. These people then knew enough of the missionary character to have confidence in one of that class. Here was another reason for persevering in the work before them. At another island, where no great period had elapsed since Captain Padden lost seventeen men, and within three miles of the very spot where the massacre occurred, there was a native mission, established by the London Society, and which had been handed over to him on account of his being so much nearer to the spot. Here he had met three congregations; one of about 200 persons, a second of about 150, and a third of a somewhat lesser number. There was no single person on the island, at the present time, with whom he could not have lived on terms of the greatest confidence, and for whom he did not feel a hope that they would be made wise unto salvation. The work of Christianizing these people might then be carried on with a good hope of success, and at the same time they might carry on the work of civilising and Christianizing the blacks of Australia. That they were not destitute of a capacity had already been shown, and he had himself trained and prepared a youth of this race, who was deemed worthy by his Metropolitan of the rite of Confirmation. The most important step was to remove the educated blacks from beyond the influence of the barbarous tribes, and if they founded colleges, this could easily be done. The work of a Christian mission was often very slow, and apparently profitless in the first instance, for a long period of years, and equally rapid in the end. At New Zealand they were fourteen years without making any progress. At the Society Islands the time was even greater. Although the efforts to convert the aborigines of Australia had been hitherto withont material success, he believed from the various indications already mentioned that the time had now come when they would be able to do very much for these poor people. By God's blessing, and by their own exertions they would also, he trusted, be able to extend over the Western Pacific the same beneficent rays of that Gospel light, which had shone so gloriously over its Eastern Islands. They must earnestly pray, therefore, for strength to carry out their great and holy work.

This meeting was followed up by another on Wednesday, November 20, when, as the same Journal informs us, the Bishops of the Province of Australasia then in Sydney, and the Clergy and Laity of the Church of England, then proceeded to form a "Diocesan Board of Missions for the

Diocese of Sydney," to act in connexion with the Provincial Board. We refer to this mecting in order to introduce the following address of the SPEAKER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, who said, "In moving the second resolution, he felt himself relieved from the necessity of addressing anylengthened observations to the meeting, after the very eloquent and able addresses which had been delivered on the important subject under their consideration, a few days ago, by the Right Rev. Prelates of this province. The objects of the association which had been formed were then fully explained, and he trusted their eloquent appeals had not only convinced them of the importance of this object, but had determined them to carry it out. These objects were of a twofold nature,-first, to convert and evangelize the aborigines of this colony; and, secondly, to Christianize and reclaim the inhabitants of the South Sea Islands. With regard to the first of these objects, he would confess he was not over sanguine of success. Great efforts had been made by evangelical persons, in behalf of the native races of this colony; but they had hitherto been almost unavailing. In support of this it was only necessary for him to refer to the efforts of the late Rev. Mr. Marsden, whose name was so nearly connected with missionary enterprise in this portion of the globe, and who stated that the efforts made to instil Christian truth into the minds of the aborigines of this colony, were scarcely ever crowned with success. He was aware that there had been some instances where a more hopeful result had been arrived at. No doubt the children of the aboriginal race did manifest considerable proficiency in the branches of knowledge imparted to them; but it was when they arrived at adult years that it was found their natural habits and tendencies were still in active existence to prevent the ripening of the seed which had been sown. Still, discouraging as the prospect might be, it was their duty to persevere in attempting all things that could be done to reclaim this unhappy race. Although, under the inscrutable decrees of Providence, it appeared that this race, like that of the Red Indian, was to disappear from the face of the earth before the footsteps of civilization, they were not without some encouragement in pursuing the path of duty which was open before them. Difficult as it was to subdue the savage mind, still there were implanted in that mind high moral qualities,-qualities which elevated and adorned the Christian mind. It was only necessary, in illustration of this, to refer them to the touching narrative of Mr. Kennedy's expedition. That unfortunate victim to the cause of civilization and science was attended by one of those wild and untutored savages, who displayed throughout the expedition the most devoted courage in all hazards and dangers the most patient endurance under all privations-the most unshaken fidelity under all difficulties and hardships. He stayed with his master in his sickness in the wilderness to tend and nurse him, and when he fell by the spears of the blacks, he clung to the body after death. He completed the design that his leader had in view,--he penetrated the wilds, and communicated with the ships which saved the remnants of Mr. Kennedy's unfortunate party. He contended, then, that the poor savage exhibited moral qualities which would have adorned any state of civilization; and if they did possess these qualities of mind, it was their duty to seek to obtain some hold upon them, by which they could improve and benefit them. These blacks had a share in the common sympathies of our nature, for they were capable of deep and faithful attachment to

those who were kind to them. There was ohe argument which appeared to him unanswerable, why they should do all in their power to ameliorate the condition of this race. Having possessed the lands, having taken from the original occupier the hunting grounds which once belonged to them, they had made these ignorant savages amenable to their laws. It was only a few days ago some one of these unhappy beings was called upon to pay the penalty of his life for an infringement of those laws. He must confess it was an occurrence exciting in him feelings of the deepest commiseration, self-reproach, and humiliation. A sense of reproach which must be shared by all who saw these benighted creatures, and remembered how little had been done to bring them to a true sense of the duties expected from them. If these tribes were to be made amenable to a Christian code, let them at least be made aware of the duties for which they were responsible; and, therefore, whatever difficulties might interfere, it was their duty to persevere in constant endeavours to enlighten and convert these people. With regard to the other part of this missionary design, he believed it to be full of hope, even if they had not already before them the fruits of what had been accomplished. After the interesting information which they had heard on this part of the subject from the Bishop of New Zealand, they must sec that all that now was wanted was a missionary band of evangelical men to proceed to the field in which the seed was not only already sown but the harvest ripe. With such a band at work in such a field, they must succeed. The results which had already taken place in New Zealand, and in the Southern Pacific, were already well known to them, but perhaps there were other interesting circumstances connected with the islands adjacent to these shores with which they were not so well acquainted. Perhaps it was not generally known that 150 years ago the Dutch colonizers took the lead in missionary enterprise, and that in the islands within two days sail of the north-eastern coast of this continent the inhabitants were Christianized. In the islands of Arrou and Kissa, the native population, numbering about 35,000 men, were all Christians; and he believed almost every adult native amongst them could read their Bibles. He had lately been in conversation with a native from one of these islands. He was struck by his intelligence, which was fully equal to that ordinarily displayed by the humbler classes of civilized white men, Again, in New Caledonia, which was in close proximity to these shores, and which no doubt in religion and in language, must become a dependency of these colonies, there was every ground for hope. Captain Erskine, of her Majesty's ship Havannah, who had recently called there, had informed him that the disposition of the inhabitants was most friendly, and that he had no doubt whatever that they might speedily be brought under Christian influences. Thus then they had every encouragement with regard to what might be called the foreign missions, and if they were compelled to be less sanguine with respect to those at home, they ought to take heart from what they saw had been effected in the neighbouring islands. He believed that too much was looked for from missionary efforts. If a child of these people was taken from its parents and instructed, he did not think it was fair to expect as much from that child as from a European. It was impossible that civilization could be altogether effected in one generation—it must be a gradual and progressive work. In conclusion, he would express his hope that this noble enter

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BENEFITS OF THE INCREASE OF AUSTRALIAN BISHOPS.

prise would be supported by all classes, and with regard to the funds necessary for carrying it out, he would say that they must look rather to the number of contributors than to specific amounts. Some few magnificent donations had been made to them, but he hoped none would be deterred by the amount of these noble gifts from placing their own humble offerings in juxta-position with them. They must all feel that while it was a great and holy object to Christianize the barbarous and savage nations around them, it was also their imperative duty to prevent those of their own people, on the outskirts of civilization, from sinking into heathen barbarism, and to effect this the surest way would be to endeavour to enlighten the minds and ameliorate the condition of the native races, amidst whom these pioneers of civilization were placed. He hoped, therefore, that all parties would unite, and cheerfully subscribe in support of this great object. He could not sit down without making one or two observations on a subject, in which they would all join with him in interest and admiration. It would be out of taste for him to attempt anything like eulogium on that distinguished Prelate, whose self-sacrificing efforts in this cause had called forth for him, from his venerable friend who had succeeded him, the appropriate title of the Apostle of the Pacific. But he felt bound to express, on the part of the community, the deep admiration with which the apostolic zeal and devotion of that Right Rev. Prelate had been regarded. Such exertions as his had been, had, he believed, awoke one common emotion and conviction in every mind, that it was their duty to assist and co-operate with him in every way in working out this noble enterprise.

The contents of this Extra Number afford abundant proof of the great benefits which have resulted from the increase of Bishops in Australasia: similar results have also followed the extension of the Episcopate in other of our Colonial possessions. The work of Church and School building has also progressed from the same cause; partly, too, because the withdrawal of State aid in 1836, at a time when the wants of the Colony were becoming new and urgent owing to extensive free immigration, threw the Colonists more upon their own resources, and called forth the liberality of the Church in England, especially through the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. Governor Mc. Quarie, who occupied that post from 1810 to 1821, did much in the way of building, to the advantage of the Church, though, indeed, to the dissatisfaction of the home Government; Sydney, Paramatta, Windsor, Liverpool, and Campbel Town, furnish proofs of his zeal; between his leaving and 1836, a period of 15 years, but little was done in Church building. In 1837 the Cathedral of St. Andrew was begun, and in 1838 four or five Churches in the country district, within 40 miles of Sydney, were consecrated. The consecration of Bishop (then Archdeacon) Broughton, the present Metropolitan, in 1836, stirred up the Settlers and principal men of the Colony, to much activity and liberality. Let us be deeply thankful to Almighty God for what His Church has done in these Colonies; it will be indeed a blessing, if the example there should arouse us to an adequate sense of the growing wants of our own people, and thus to earnest prayer and united action for the revival of our own Church Synods, and the greater extension of our own Episcopate.

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