’The anniversary of my dear mother’s death comes round in ten days.  That is my polar star (humanly speaking), and whensoever it pleases God to take my dear dear father to his rest, how blessed to think of their waiting for us, if it be His merciful will to bring me too to dwell before Him with them for ever.

’I must end, for I am very busy.  The weather is cold, and my room full of lads and young men.  If I was not watching like a cat they would be standing about in all sorts of places and catching cold.

’I send you in a box, a box made by Pitcairners of Pitcairn woods.

’Ever your loving old pupil,

‘J.  C. Patteson.’

The little New Caledonian remained at Taurarua with the Bishop, and as there was no woman at St. John’s to take the charge of Cho’s wife, she was necessarily sent to Mrs. Kissling’s school for Maori girls, while her husband pursued his studies at St. John’s.

Patteson often gave his services at the Maori village of Orakei, where there was to be a central native school managed by Pirimona (Philemon), a well-trained man, a candidate for Holy Orders.

’However, this did not satisfy his countrymen.  As if I had not enough to do, old Wi comes with a request from the folks at Orakei that I would be their “minita,” and take the management of the concern.  Rather rich, is it not?  I said, of course, that I was minita for the islanders.  “Oh, let the Bishop take another man for that, you are the minister for us.”  He is, you know, wonderfully tatooed, and a great object of curiosity to the boys!

Before many days had passed, there had occurred the first case of that fatal tetanus, which became only too well known to those concerned in the Mission.  Of course, all weapons were taken from the scholars; but one of the San Cristoval boys, named Tohehammai, fetched one of his own arrows out of Mr. Dudley’s room to exchange with an English lad for a shirt, and as he was at play, carrying the arrow in his left hand behind his back and throwing a stick like a spear with the other, he sharply pricked his right arm, within the elbow, against the point of the arrow; but thinking nothing of the hurt, and knowing that the weapons were forbidden playthings, he said nothing for twelve days, but then complained of stiffness in the arm.  Two doctors happened to be at the college that day; one thought it rheumatism, the other mentioned the word tetanus, but for three days more the arm was merely stiff, it was hung in a sling, and the boy went about as usual, until, on the fifteenth day, spasmodic twitchings in the arm came on.

Liniment of chloroform was rubbed in, and the boy was kept under chloroform, but in vain; the next day his whole body was perfectly rigid, with occasional convulsions.  About 4 p.m. his throat had become contracted, and the endeavour to give him nourishment brought on convulsive attacks.  The Bishop came at 8. p.m., and after another attempt at giving him food, which produced a further spasm, he was lying quietly when Patteson felt his pulse stop.