’"The Saviour?”

’"The saving His people.”

’"Not all men?  And why not all men?  And from what poverty, sickness, &c., here below?”

’"From their sins.”

’"What is sin?”

’"All that God has forbidden.”

’"What has He forbidden?  Why?  Because He grudges us anything?  Why do you forbid a child to taste vangarpal (’poison’), &c. &c.?”

’"The Way,” “the Mediator,” “the Redeemer,” “the Resurrection,” “the Atoner,” “the Word.”  Some eight days’ teaching had preceded this; but I dare say there are ten or fifteen people here now, not our scholars, who can really answer on these points so as to make it clear that they understand something about the teaching involved in these names.  Of course, I had carefully worked out the best way to accept these names and ideas in Mota; and the illustrations, &c., from their customs made me think that to some extent they understood this teaching.

’Of course the personal feeling is as pleasant as can be, and I think there is something more:  a real belief that our religion and our habits are good, and that some day they will be accepted here.  A considerable number of people are leading very respectable lives on the whole.  But I see that we must try to spend more time here.  George Sarawia is being accepted to some extent as one whom they are to regard as a teacher.  He has a fair amount of influence.  But in this little spot, among about 1,500 people, local jealousies and old animosities are so rife, that the stranger unconnected with any one of them has so far a better chance of being accepted by all; but then comes, on the other hand, his perfect knowledge and our comparative ignorance of the language and customs of the people.  We want to combine both for a while, till the native teacher and clergyman is fully established in his true position.

’It is a curious thing that the Solomon Islanders from the south-east part of that group should have dropped so much behind the Banks Islanders.  I knew their language before I knew the language of Mota, they were (so to say) my favourites.  But we can’t as yet make any impression upon them.  The Loyalty Islanders have been suffered to drop out; and so it is that all our leading scholars, all who set good examples, and are made responsible for various duties, are (with the sole exception of Soro, from Mai Island, New Hebrides) from the Banks group.  Consequently, their language is the lingua franca of the school—­not that we made it so, or wished it rather than any other to be so; indeed Bauro is easier, and so are some others:  but so it is.  It is an excellent thing, for any Melanesian soon acquires another Melanesian language, however different the vocabulary may be.  Their ideas and thoughts and many of their customs are similar, the mode of life is similar, and their mode of expressing themselves similar.  They think in the same way, and therefore speak in the same way.  Their mode