had been so long absent, and pleaded hard to have an English
missionary placed in his part of the country. It was very sad to
have no means of complying with the entreaty, and the Bishop offered
him a passage to Auckland, there to speak for himself. He would have
come, but that it was the season for planting his yams; but he hoped
to follow, and in the meantime sent a little orphan named Kanambat to
be brought up at Auckland. The little fellow was pleased enough with
the ship at first, but when his countrymen who had been visiting
there left her, he jumped overboard and was swimming like a duck
after them, when, at a sign from the Bishop, one of the Pitcairners
leapt after him, and speedily brought him back. He soon grew very
happy and full of play and fun, and was well off in being away from
home, for the French were occupying the island, and poor Basset
shortly after was sent a prisoner to Tahiti for refusing to receive a
Roman Catholic priest.

Nengone were reached on October 23, and most of the old scholars were
ready with a warm welcome; but Mr. Creagh, the London missionary, had
taken Wadrokala away with him on an expedition, and of the others,
only Kowine was ready to return, though the two married couples were
going on well, and one previous scholar of the Bishop's and four new
ones presented themselves as willing to go. Urgent letters from the
neighbouring isle of Lifu entreated the Bishop to come thither, and,
with a splendid supply of yams, the 'Southern Cross' again set sail,
and arrived on the 26th. This island had entirely abandoned
heathenism, under the guidance of the Samoans. The people felt that
they had come to the end of the stock of teaching of these good men,
and entreated for an Englishman from the Bishop, and thus, here was
the third island in this one voyage begging for a shepherd, and only
one English priest had been found to offer himself to that multitude