’Before the sickness was quite over, the “Southern Cross” arrived for the winter voyage.  The danger of carrying infection to the islands could not be incurred, and the vessel was sent back to Auckland for a time.’

The letters she carried back refer again to the growing anxiety about the ‘labour traffic.’

’May 6th.—­I am corresponding with a Wesleyan Missionary in Ovalau (Fiji) on a matter that you may see mentioned some day in the papers, a very questionable practice of importing from the Southern New Hebrides (principally Tanna) natives to work on the cotton plantations of white settlers in Fiji.  It is all, as I am assured, under the regulation of the Consul at Ovalau, and “managed” properly.  But I feel almost sure that there is, or will be, injuries done to the natives, who (I am sure) are taken away under false pretences.  The traders don’t know the Tannese language, and have no means of making the people understand any terms, and to talk of any contract is absurd.  Yet, a large number of Tanna men, living on really well-conducted plantations, owned by good men, might lead to a nucleus of Christian Tannese.  So says Mr. M. True, say I, if (!) you can find the good planters and well-conducted plantations.  Mr. M. assures me that they (the Wesleyan Missionaries) are watching the whole thing carefully.  He writes well and sensibly on the whole, and kindly asks me to visit his place, and judge for myself.

’Tanna is in the hands of the Nova Scotia Presbyterians—­Mr. Greddie, Inglis, and others; but the adjacent islands we have always visited and considered ours, and of course a plague of this kind soon spreads.  My letter to Mr. Attwood on the matter was read by Sir John Young and Commodore Lambert, and they expressed a warm interest in the matter.  Mr. M. says that they think it would be well to accept some rule of conduct in the matter from the Commodore, which is, I think, likely to do good.’

By the 15th of June the glad intelligence was received that the hospital had been empty for a fortnight; and the house that was to have been carried to Mota was put up for the married couples, for whom it afforded separate sleeping rooms, though the large room was in common.  Two weddings were preparing, and B——­ and his wife had become reconciled.

’We may hope that this time it is not a case of two children, then unbaptized, living together, heathen fashion, obeying mere passion, ignorant of true love, but a sober, somewhat sad reunion of two clever and fairly-educated grown-up people, knowing much of life and its sad experience, understanding what they are about, and trying to begin again with prayer to God and purposes of a good life.’

This time of convalescence was a time of great progress.  A deep impression had been made on many, and there was a strong spirit of enquiry among them.  The Bishop then began a custom of preaching to his black scholars alone after the midday service, dismissing his five or six white companions after prayers, because he felt he could speak more freely and go more straight to the hearts of his converts and catechumens if he had no other audience.