’And yet I must not distrust God’s grace, and the gift of the Holy Spirit to enable me for this work.  I try and pray to be calm and resigned, and I am happy and cheerful.

’And it is a blessed thing that now three of your old dear friends, once called Selwyn, Abraham, Hobhouse should be consecrating your own nephew and pupil, gathered by God’s providence into the same part of God’s field at the ends of the earth.’

Still with his heart full of the never-forgotten influence of his mother, he thus begins his home letter of the same date:—­

’Kohimarama:  Dec. 1.

’My dearest Father,—­I could not write on November 28, but the memory of that day in 1842 was with me from morning to night.  We anchored on that day at 1 A.M., and I was very busy till late at night.  I had no idea till I came back from the Islands that there was any change in the arrangements for the consecration in February 1862.  But now the Bishops of Wellington and Nelson have been summoned for the Feast of the Epiphany, or of the conversion of St. Paul, and all was done in my absence.  I see, too, that you in England have assumed that the consecration will take place soon after the reception of the Duke’s despatch.

’I must not now shrink from it, I know.  I have full confidence in your judgment, and in that of the Bishop; and I suppose that if I was speaking of another, I should say that I saw reasons for it.  But depend upon it, my dear Father, that a man cannot communicate to another the whole of the grounds upon which he feels reluctant to accept an office.  I believe that I ought to accept this in deference to you all, and I do so cheerfully, but I don’t, say that my judgment agrees wholly with you all.

’And yet there is no one else; and if the separation of New Zealand and Melanesia is necessary, I see that this must be the consequence.  So I regard it now as a certainty.  I pray God to strengthen and enable me:  I look forward, thanks to Him, hopefully and cheerfully.  I have the love and the prayers of many, many friends, and soon the whole Church of England will recognise me as one who stands in special need of grace and strength from above.

’Oh! the awful power of heathenism! the antagonism, not of evil only, but of the Evil One, rather, I mean the reality felt of all evil emanating from a person, as St. Paul writes, and as our Lord spoke of him.  I do indeed at times feel overwhelmed, as if I was in a dream.  Then comes some blessed word or thought of comfort, and promised strength and grace.

’But enough of this.

’The “Southern Cross” cannot, I think, be got off without great certain expense and probable risk.  I think we shall have to buy another vessel, and I dare say she may be built at home, but I don’t know what is the Bishop’s mind about it....

’I shall write to Merton, I don’t know why I should needs vacate my fellowship.  I have no change of outward circumstances brought upon me by my change presently from the name of Presbyter to Bishop, and we want all the money.