Yet in spite of this anxiety there was no flinching from the three
months' residence at Mota, entirely out of reach of letters. A frame
house, with planks for the floor, was prepared at Auckland to be
taken out, and a stock of wine, provisions, and medicines laid in.
The Rev. B. Y. Ashwell, a New Zealand clergyman, joined the Mission
party as a guest, with two Maori youths, one the son of a deacon;
and, besides Mr. Dudley, another pupil, Mr. Thomas Kerr, was
beginning his training for service in the Mission. Sailing on one of
the last days of April, there was a long passage to Nengone, where
the party went ashore, and found everything in trouble, the French
constantly expected, and the chiefs entreating for a missionary from
the Bishop, and no possibility of supplying them. Lifu was rendered
inaccessible by foul winds.

'Much to my sorrow,' writes Mr. Patteson, 'I could not land my two
pupil-teachers, who, of course, wished to see their friends, and who
made me more desirous to give them a run on shore, by saying at once:
"Don't think of us, it is not safe to go." But I thought of what my
feelings would be if it were the Devonshire coast, somewhere about
Sidmouth, and no landing!' However, they, as well as the three
Nengonese, Wadrokala, Harper Malo, and Martin Tahia, went on
contentedly.

'Off Mai, May 19th.--Mr. Kerr has been busy taking bearings, &c., for
the purpose of improving our MS. chart, and constructing a new one.
Commodore Loring wanted me to tell him all about Port Patteson, and
asked me if I wished a man-of-war to be sent down this winter to see
me, supposing the New Zealand troubles to be all over. I gave him
all the information he wanted, told him that I did not want a vessel