'We touched at Norfolk Island.... Going on to Nengone we found
everybody away at the distant yam grounds, and could not wait to see
them.

'At Lifu, the first thing that shocked us was John's appearance: one
of those fatal glandular swellings has already produced a great
change in him. He looked sallow and weak, and I fear ut sit vitalis.
He spoke to me very calmly about his illness, which he thinks is unto
death, and I did not contradict him.

'We had much private talk together. He is a fine fellow and, I
believe, a sincere Christian man. Then came the applications to us
not to desert them, and letters enumerating all the villages of Lifu
almost without exception, and entreating us to suffer them to be
connected with us, and we had to answer that already two missionaries
from the L. M. S. are on their way from Sydney to Lifu, and that it
would do harm to have two rival systems on the island. They
acquiesced but not heartily, and it was a sad affair altogether, all
parties unhappy and dissatisfied, and yet unable to solve the
difficulty. Then came a talk with Angadhohua, John's half-brother,
the real chief. The poor lad feels now what a terrible thing it will
be for him and his people if they should lose John. Nothing can be
nicer than his way of talking: "I know you don't think me firm
enough, and that I am easily led by others. What am I to do if John
dies? We all respect him. He has been taught so much, and people
all listen to him." I gave him the best advice that I could and
longed to be able to do something for him and his people. It was,
however, a comfort to leave with them St. Mark, Scripture books, &c.

'We called at Tanna, to see poor Mr. Paton, who lost his wife last