Nengonese had become almost as familiar to Coley as Maori, and his Sundays at this time were decidedly polyglot; since, besides a regular English service at Taranaki, he often took a Maori service, and preached extempore in that tongue, feeling that the people’s understanding went along with him; and there were also, in early morning and late evening, prayers, partly in Nengonese, partly in Bauro, at the College chapel, and a sermon, first in one language, and then repeated in the other.  The Nengone lads, who had the question of adherence to the London Mission at home, or the Church in New Zealand, put to them, came deliberately to entreat to remain always with Mr. Patteson, saying that they saw that this teaching of the Church was right, and they wished to work in it.  It was a difficult point, as the London Mission was reasserting a claim to the Loyalty Isles, and the hopes of making them a point d’appui were vanishing; but these men and their wives could not but be accepted, and Simeona was preparing for baptism.  A long letter to Professor Max Muller on the languages will be found in the Appendix.  The Bishop of New Zealand thus wrote to Sir John Patteson respecting Coley and his work:—­

’Taurarua, Auckland:  March 2, 1857.

’My dear Judge,—­Your letter of December 5 made me very happy, by assuring me of the satisfaction which you feel in your son’s duties and position.  I do indeed most thankfully acknowledge the goodness of God in thus giving me timely aid, when I was pledged to a great work, but without any steady force to carry it on.  Coley is, as you say, the right man in the right place, mentally and physically:  the multiplicity of languages, which would try most men, is met by his peculiar gift; the heat of the climate suits his constitution; his mild and parental temper makes his black boys cling about him as their natural protector; and his freedom from fastidiousness makes all parts of the work easy to him; for when you have to teach boys how to wash themselves, and to wear clothes for the first time, the romance of missionary work disappears as completely as a great man’s heroism before his valet de chambre.

’On Sunday, February 22, we had a native baptism, an adult from Nengone and his infant child.  Coley used the Baptismal Service, which he had translated, and preached fluently in the Nengone tongue, as he had done in the morning in New Zealand.  The careful study which we had together of the latter on our voyage out will be of great use in many other dialects, and Mrs. Nihill has given him her husband’s Nengone manuscripts.

’You know in what direction my wishes tend, viz., that Coley, when he has come to suitable age, and has developed, as I have no doubt he will, a fitness for the work, should be the first island Bishop, upon the foundation, of which you and your brother Judge, and Sir W. Farquhar, are trustees; that Norfolk Island should be the see of the Bishop, because the character of its population, the salubrity of its climate, and its insular position, make it the fittest place for the purpose.