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Life of John Coleridge Patteson : Missionary Bishop of the Melanesian Islands by Charlotte Mary Yonge
page 306 of 960 (31%)
to other persons of rank when they were with us in the Mission
school, just such respect as they were accustomed to receive at the
hands of their own people. For instance, he would always use to a
moderate extent the chief's language in addressing John Cho or any
other of the Loyalty chiefs; and it being a rule of theirs that no
one in the presence of the chiefs should ever presume to sit down
higher than the chiefs, he would always make a point of attending to
it as regarded himself; and once or twice when, on shore in the
islands, the chief had chosen to squat down on the ground among the
people, he would jocularly leave the seat that had been provided for
him, and place himself by the chief's side on the ground. All this
was keenly appreciated as significant, but alas! the Loyalty
Islanders were not long to remain under his charge.

The ensuing letter was written to Sir John Taylor Coleridge, after
learning the tidings of his retirement from the Bench in the packet
of intelligence brought by the vessel:--


'November 10, 1858: Lat. 31° 29' S.; Long. 171° 12' E.

'My dear Uncle John,--I see by the papers that you have actually
resigned, and keep your connection with the judges only as a Privy
Councillor. I am of course on my own account heartily glad that you
will be near my dear father for so many months of the year, and you
are very little likely to miss your old occupation much, with your
study at Heath's Court, so I shall often think of you in summer
sitting out on the lawn, by John's Pinus excelsis, and in winter in
your armchair by the fire, and no doubt you will often find your way
over to Feniton. And then you have a glorious church!.... Oh! I do
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