’Tagalana, half-sitting, half-kneeling behind me, held the book for the Primate to read from at the Imposition of Hands—­a striking group, I am told.’

Here ends the letter, to which a little must be added from other pens; and, first, from Mrs. Abraham’s letter for the benefit of Eton friends:—­

’The Consecration was at St. Paul’s Church, in default of a Cathedral.  Built before the Bishop arrived, St. Paul’s has no chancel:  and the Clergy, including a Maori Deacon, were rather crowded within the rail.  Mr. Patteson was seated in a chair in front, ten of his island boys close to him, and several working men of the rougher sort were brought into the benches near.  We were rather glad of the teaching that none were excluded.  The service was all in harmony with the occasion; and the sermon gave expression to all the individual and concentrated feeling of the moment, as well as pointing the Lesson and its teaching.

’The sermon was on the thought of the Festival:  “And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show whether of these two Thou hast chosen.” (Acts i. 24.) After speaking of the special import and need of the prayers of those gathered to offer up their prayers at the Holy Communion, for those who were to exercise the office of apostles in their choice, he spoke in words that visibly almost overpowered their subject:—­

’"In this work of God, belonging to all eternity, and to the Holy Catholic Church, are we influenced by any private feelings, any personal regard?  The charge which St. Paul gives to Timothy, in words of awful solemnity, ‘to lay hands suddenly on no man,’ may well cause much searching of heart.  ’I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things, without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.’  Does our own partial love deceive us in this choice?  We were all trained in the same place of education, united in the same circle of friends; in boyhood, youth, manhood, we have shared the same services, and joys, and hopes, and fears.  I received this, my son in the ministry of Christ Jesus, from the hands of a father, of whose old age he was the comfort.  He sent him forth without a murmur, nay, rather with joy and thankfulness, to these distant parts of the earth.  He never asked even to see him again, but gave him up without reserve to the Lord’s work.  Pray, dear brethren, for your Bishops, that our partial love may not deceive us in this choice, for we cannot so strive against natural affection as to be quite impartial.”

’And again, as the Primate, addressing more especially his beloved son in the ministry, exclaimed, “May Christ be with you when you go forth in His name, and for His sake, to those poor and needy people,” and his eye went along the dusky countenances of his ten boys, Coleridge Patteson could hardly restrain his intensity of feeling.’