’I know indeed I am speaking honestly, that I am not worthy to understand dear Mr. Keble on many points.  “The secret of our Lord” is with such men, and we fail to understand him, nous autres I mean, outside the sanctuary.  Yet there is, I must confess it to you, my dear uncle, a something about his book on Eucharistic Adoration which has the character to me of foreign rather than of English divinity.  I don’t want to be exclusive, far from it.  I don’t want to be Anglican versus Primitive; but yet somehow, to me, there is a something which belongs more to French or Italian than to English character about some parts of the book.  It is no doubt because I can’t see what to his eye was plain.’

[An account of the voyage follows as before given.] ’The islanders are beginning to find out the true character of the many small vessels cruising among them, taking away people to the plantations in Queensland, Fiji, &c.  So now force is substituted for deceit.  Natives are enticed on board under promises (by signs of course, for nowhere can they talk to them) of presents, tempted down below into the hold to get tomahawks, beads, biscuit, &c., then the hatches are clapped on, and they are stolen away.  I have to try and write a statement about it, which is the last thing I can do properly.’

[Then the history of the weddings and baptisms.] ’There is another pleasant feature to be noticed.  The older scholars, almost all of whom are Banks Islanders, talk and arrange among themselves plans for helping natives of the islands.  Thus Edward Wogale, of Mota, volunteers to go to Anudha, 300 or 400 miles off, to stay there with his friend Charles Sapinamba of that island, to aid him in working among his people.  Edward is older and knows more than Charles.  They talk in Mota, but Edward will soon have to speak the tongue of Anudha when living there.  B——­ and his wife offer to go to Santa Maria, Robert Pantatun and his wife to go to Matlavo, John Nonono to go to Savo, and Andrew Lalena also.  This is very comforting to me.  It is bona fide giving up country and home.  It is indicative of a real desire to make known the Gospel to other lands.  So long as they will do this, so long I think we may have the blessed assurance that God’s Holy Spirit is indeed working in their hearts.  Dear fellows!  It makes me very thankful.

’My clerical staff is increased by a Mr. Jackson, long a friend and supporter of the Mission....

’Atkin is a steady-going fellow, most conscientious, with a good head-piece of his own, diligent and thoughtful rather than quick.  He and Bice read Hebrew daily with me, and they will have soon a very fair knowledge of it.  Joe Atkin knows his Greek Testament very fairly indeed:  Ellicott, Trench, Alford, Wordsworth and others are in use among us.