present of yams, pig, &c. Walked back the six miles, started in
double canoe for Gaicha, the other side of the bay: wind cold, some
difficulty in getting ashore. Walked by the bad path to Apollo's and
slept there again; Frenchman came in during the evening. Next day,
Friday, meeting in the chapel. Walked twenty miles back to We, where
I am now writing. Went the twenty miles with no socks; feet sore and
shoes worn to pieces, cutting off leather as I came along. Nothing
but broken bottles equals jagged coral. Paths went so that you never
take three steps in the same direction, and every minute trip against
logs, coral hidden by long leaves, arid weeds trailing over the path.
Often for half a mile you jump from one bit of coral to another. No
shoes can stand it, and I was tired, I assure you. Indeed, for the
last two days, if I stopped for a minute to drink a nut, my legs were
so stiff that they did not get into play for five minutes or so.

'July 16th.--The captain of the "Iris" frigate passing Lifu dropped
me a line which satisfied me that the French will meet with no
impediment from the English Government in the prosecution of their
plans out here. Well, this makes one's own path just as easy,
because all these things, great and small, are ordered for us; but
yet I grieve to think that we might be occupying these groups with
missionaries. Even ten good men would do for a few years; and is it
unreasonable to think that ten men might be found willing to engage
in such a happy work in such a beautiful part of the world--no yellow
fever, no snakes, &c. I think of the Banks Islands, Vanua Lava, with
its harbour and streams, and abundance of food, and with eight or
nine small islands round it, speaking the same language, few
dialectic differences of consequence, as I believe.

'Even one good man might introduce religion here as we have received