’But somehow a cut and dried teaching machine of a man, however methodical, and good, and conscientious, won’t do.  There must be a vivacity, an activity of mind, a brightness about the man, so that a lesson shall never be mere drudgery; in short, there must be a real love in the heart for the scholars, that is the qualification.

’One man and one only I hope to have some day who ought to be able to learn scraps at least of many languages, but he will have a different work to do.  No work can be considered to be satisfactorily carried on while it depends on the life of any one man.  Someone to take my place will come, I hope, some day.  He would have to go round the islands with me, and acquire a knowledge of the whole field of work—­ the wading and swimming, the mode of dealing with fellows on a first meeting, &c.; he will not only have one class to look after, but he must learn the same kind of lesson that I learnt under the Primate.  Where to get such a man, I’m sure I don’t know.  He must be of standing and ability to be acceptable to the others should I die, &c., &c.

’So we need not speculate about him, and the truth is, I am not in any hurry to get men from home.  We are educating ourselves lads here who will very likely learn to do this kind of work fairly well.  Mr. Palmer will, I hope, be ordained at Christmas.  Young Atkin will be useful some day.  By-and-by if I can get one or two really first-rate men, it will indeed be a great thing.  But who knows anything of me in England?  I don’t expect a really able man to come out to work with me.  They will go to other parts of the world kept more before the notice of the public by committees and meetings and speeches, &c.; and indeed I am very thankful for it.  I am not old nor wise enough to be at the head of a party of really able men.  I must be more fit to lead before I can ask men to follow.

’Of course I know that the work, if I chose to speak out, is second to none in interest and importance, and that very little comparatively is known about it in England.  But it is evidently far better that it should go quietly on without attracting much notice, and that we all should remain unknown at all events at present.  By-and-by, when by God’s blessing things are more ripe for definite departments of work, and men can have distinct duties at once assigned to them, and our mode of carrying on the Mission has been fairly tested, then it will be high time to think about first-rate men.

’And, presumptuous and strange as it may seem for me to say it, a man confessedly second-rate, unfit to hold a position with the best stamp of English clergymen, I had rather not have.  I can get the material cheaper and made to my own hand out here.

’Some men are dull though good, others can’t get away from their book life and the proprieties, others are donnish, others are fine gentlemen, others are weak in health, most have preconceived and, many, mistaken views about heathenism, and the way to deal with it; some would come out with the notion that England and English clergymen were born to set the colonies right.