’Saturday, 23rd.—­We are all doing well.  Stephen keeps up his strength, sleeps well, and has no long attacks of pain.  We have had good breezes yesterday and to-day—­very welcome it is, but the motion makes writing too much labour.  Brooke and Edward Wogale are both unwell—­ague, I believe, with both of them; and Brooke’s nerves are upset.  He has slept most of to-day, and will probably be the better for it.’....

His private journal adds:—­

’September 21st.—­Buried the Bishop in the morning.  The wounded all doing well, but Stephen in pain occasionally.  Calm day, passed over a reef in the morning, about eighteen miles north of Nukapu, nine fathoms on it.  Thermometer ninety-one degrees yesterday and to-day.  Began writing home at night.  Began reading Miss Yonge’s “Chaplet of Pearls.”

’Friday, 22nd.—­A light breeze came up in the evening, which freshened through the night, and carried us past Tenakulu.  Stephen doing very well, had a good night, and has very little pain to-day.  A breeze through the day, much cooler.  I am dressing my shoulder with brine.  Read some sermons of Vaughan’s, preached at Doncaster during Passion Week.

’Saturday, 23rd.—­Breeze through the day.  A few showers of rain.  Brooke and Wogale down with ague; gave Wogale ipecacuanha and quinine afterwards.  Read Mota prayers in evening.  All wounds going on well.  Finished “Chaplet of Pearls,” and wrote a little.

’Sunday, 24th.—­This morning the wind went round to N.E. and N. and then died away.  We were 55 miles W. of the Torres Islands at noon.  Brooke took English and Mota morning Prayers.  I celebrated Holy Communion afterwards.  John came into cabin; I went out to Stephen.

‘Brooke and Wogale both better, but B——­ quite weak.’

During that Celebration, while administering the Sacred Elements, Mr. Atkin’s tongue stumbled and hesitated over some of the words.

Then the Mota men looked at one another, and knew what would follow.

He knew it himself too, and called to Joseph Wate, his own special pupil, saying (as the lad wrote to Mr. Atkin the elder), ’Stephen and I again are going to follow the Bishop, and they of your country—!  Who is to speak to them?’

‘I do not know.’

Then he said again, ’It is all right.  Don’t grieve about it, because they did not do this thing of themselves, but God allowed them to do it.  It is very good, because God would have it so, because He only looks after us, and He understands about us, and now He wills to take away us two, and it is well.’

There was much more for that strong young frame to undergo before the vigorous life could depart.  The loss was to be borne.  The head of the Mission, who had gone through long sickness, and lain at the gates of the grave so long, died almost painlessly:  his followers had deeply to drink of the cup of agony.  The night between the 26th and 27th was terrible, the whole nervous system being jerked and strained to pieces, and he wandered too much to send any message home; ’I lost my wits since they shot me,’ he said.  Towards morning he almost leapt from his berth on the floor, crying ‘Good-bye.’