’This is all of Melanesia and myself; but you will like to have this scrawl read to you.

’How I think of you as I cruise about the old familiar places, and think that you would like to have another trip, and see the old scenes with here and there, thank God, some little changes for the better.  Best love, my dear dear Bishop, to Mrs. Selwyn, William and John.

’Your very affectionate

‘J.  C. Patteson.’

About forty, old scholars and new, had been collected and brought back to Mota; where, after landing the Bishop, Captain Jacobs sailed back to Norfolk Island, carrying with him the last letters that were to be received and read as from a living man.  All that follow only came in after the telegram which announced that the hand that had written them was resting beneath the Pacific waters.  But this was not until it had been granted to him to gather in his harvest in Mota, as will be seen:—­

’Mota:  July 31, 1871.

’My dearest Sisters,—­You will be glad to know that on my return hither after three weeks’ absence, I found no diminution of strong earnest feeling among the people.  George Sarawia had, indeed, been unable to do very much in the way of teaching 60 or 90 men and women, but he had done his best, and the 100 younger people were going on with their schooling regularly.  I at once told the people that those who wished to be baptized must let me know; and out of some 30 or 40 who are all, I think, in earnest, 15, and some few women are to be baptized next Sunday.  These will be the first grown-up people, save John Wilgan, baptized in Mota, except a few when in an almost dying state.  They think and speak much of the fact that so many of their children have been baptized, they wish to belong to the same set.  But I believe them all to be fairly well instructed in the great elementary truths.  They can’t read; all the teaching is oral, no objection in my eyes.  It may be dangerous to admit it, but I am convinced that all that we can do is to elevate some few of the most intelligent islanders well, so that they can teach others, and be content with careful oral teaching for the rest.  How few persons even among ourselves know how to use a book!  And these poor fellows, for I can only except a percentage of our scholars, have not so completely mastered the mechanical difficulty of reading as to leave their minds free for examination of the meaning and sense of what they read.  I don’t undervalue a good education, as you know.  But I feel that but few of these islanders can ever be book-learned; and I would sooner see them content to be taught plain truths by qualified persons than puzzling themselves to no purpose by the doubtful use of their little learning.  You know that I don’t want to act the Romish Priest amongst them.  I don’t want to domineer at all.  And I do teach reading and writing to all who come into our regular school, and I make them read passages to verify my teaching.  At the same time, I feel that the Protestant complaint of “shutting up the Bible from the laity,” is the complaint of educated persons, able to read, think, and reflect.