’September 3rd.—­At anchor:  Savo Island:  Sunday.  The experiment of anchoring at Sara (Florida) and this place answers well.  The decks were crowded and crammed; but the people behaved very well, barring the picking up of everything they could lay hands upon, as is natural to many persons whose education has been neglected.

’Yesterday I took Wadrokala (of Nengone) to the village here, where he is to live with some of our old scholars from these parts, and try to begin a good work among the people.  He has four baptized friends, a married couple being two, and three other very good lads, to start with.  It was a long and very hot walk.  A year ago I could not have got through it.  I was tired, but not over-tired.

’And now we have had Holy Communion; and this afternoon we take our party on shore:  Wadrokala’s wife Carry, and Jemima, their daughter of eight or nine.  There is no fighting or quarrelling here now.  I know all the people, so I leave them with good hope.’

On the 7th, Joseph Atkin began a letter as follows:—­

’Our Bishop is much improved in health and strength.  His stay at Mota has put new life into him again; the whole island is becoming Christian.

’The Bishop is now very strong and clear about establishing permanent schools on the islands; I fear in almost too great a hurry.  The great requisite for a school is a native teacher; and generally, if not always, a teacher ought, as George was at Mota, to be well supported by a little band of native converts, who, if their teaching, in the common use of the word, is not much, can, by their consistent lives, preach a continual sermon, that all who see may understand.  What is the use of preaching an eloquent sermon on truth to a people who do not know what it means, or purity of which they have never dreamt?  Their ears take in the words, they sound very pleasant, and they go away again to their sin; and the preacher is surprised that they can do so.  I do not forget the power of the Spirit to change men’s hearts, but do not expect the Holy Spirit to work with you as He never worked with anyone else, but rather as He always has worked with others....  If in looking into the history of Missions, you find no heathen people has been even nominally and professionally Christianised within, say, ten or fifteen years, why not be content to set to work to try that the conversion of those to whom you are sent may be as thorough and real as possible in that time, and not to fret at being unable to hurry the work some years?’....

This letter too was destined never to be finished, though it was continued later, as will be seen.

The Bishop’s next letter is dated—­