’I think that I may give you a cheering account of ourselves.  I was nineteen weeks in the islands—­met with no adventures worth mentioning, only one little affair which was rather critical for a few minutes, but ended very well—­and in some of the Solomon Islands made more way than heretofore with the people.  We have 134 Melanesians here and a baby.  George Sarawia and his wife and two children, and two other married couples—­all Communicants—­are at Mota, in a nice place, with some twenty-two lads “boarding” with them, and about thirty more coming to daily school.

’The vessel was much knocked about in a violent gale in June off Norfolk Island, and we had to handle her very carefully.  The whole voyage was made with a mainmast badly sprung, and fore topmast very shaky.  Mr. Tilly was very watchful over the spars, and though we had a large share of squally weather, and for some days, at different times, were becalmed in a heavy swell, the most trying of all situations to the gear of a vessel, yet, thank God, all went well, and I have heard of the schooner safe in Auckland harbour.  About forty of our Melanesians here are Solomon Islanders, from seven different islands; a few came from the New Hebrides, the rest from the Banks Islands.  We are already pretty well settled down to our work.  Indeed, it took only a day or two to get to work; our old scholars are such great helpers to us.  We number six clergymen here (G.  Sarawia being at Mota).  Ten or twelve of the sixth form are teachers.  If you care to hear more; I must refer you to a letter just written to Miss Yonge.  But it is not easy to write details about 134 young people.  Their temptations are very great when they return to their islands; every inducement to profligacy, &c., is held out to them.  One of our young baptized lads fell into sinful ways, and is not now with us.  He was not one of whom we had great expectations, though we trusted that he would go on steadily.  Many others, thank God, were kept pure and truthful in the midst of it all, refusing even to sleep one night away from our little hut, and in some cases refusing even to leave the schooner.  “No, I will wait till I am married,” said two lads to me, who were married here to Christian girls on November 24th, “and then go ashore for a time with my young wife.  I don’t think I should yield, but I don’t want to put myself in the way of such temptations.”  And so, when I had naturally expected that they would take their six weeks’ holiday on shore, while the “Southern Cross” went from Mota to Norfolk Island and back (during my stay at Mota), they remained on board, rejoining me, as they were two of my boating crew, for the New Hebrides trip!  This was very comforting.  And when I married three couples on November 24th, and knew that they were pure, youths and girls alike, from the great sin of heathenism, you can well think that my heart was very full of thankfulness and hope.

’I must end my long letter.  How will you find time to read it?  Send me some day a photograph of your beautiful Cathedral.