Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1845-10-16
THE MISSIONARY
A s&gN OR eR0NW.
BY Rev. J. G Abbot.


recently related Ia the writer. Manl
yaars ago, when Nav Il .sland was n
land ~ uninterrupted irathenlsIn, The
ship ~ which | was common sallu'
dropped auciior al "A cautious distance
from the shore, ~ one of the harbors Of
thai Island Wchad been months upon
the ocean without seeing any land -
Aud when tho sublime mountains and
mXurIan valleys ot the i>lrI rose from
the wide waste of waters before MS, II
was difficult 10 realiZe that we were not
approaching some region OF taIry en-
chantneui We soon, however, found
that we were sill IN thus world of SIN
and woe, ior il So happened that there
was n ierrihle hah: between Two waI
paities Ut the natives raging ni the very
hour ~ which We entered the lovely bay
From The deck of ouI ship we wliu"ss, d
with awe, the revolving scene, the fierce
assault ,ihr bloody carnage, the lnlurlatrd
shrIrks, of demouIdc attitudes ot those
maddencd savngcs, as they fell upon
each other with degree oi fury which
seemed worse than human. omen w
saw the heavy club of the New Zealand
savage fall nn the head of his Antagonist
and nS he fell litrlrss tu the grouud, his
head was beaten by reiterated blows
thl exhaustion satiatcd Jury. THIS awful
scene of savage lite aS bchcld from the
deck at our ship, impressed even u
unthinkmg sallnrS with cmotIOns OF the
deepest M, ,lanrh"ly.
lncons"qncucc oft war, or for SON"
other cause, ~ cano" IRON the shore
approached cur >hp. A. We were en-
tIrrly destitute al wood, the Captaiu
sent 4 boats crew, with many caution,
"a 10 safety To the opposite side "l III,
harbnr 10 collect some fuel. wa, sen
with the party. We landed upon q
beautiful beach, upon which Il hravl
snrf was rolling. The -nvagc scene ",
had lu,t Witnessed, So filled us wllh tcr
r"r. that We were every moment appre-
hrnsIvc that "a party of Canibhls would
fail upon Us aud destroy uS. Altcr
gathering wood for SuInr time "" return
rd 4" the boat, aud found to our dI>may
that the sull rolling IN upon the beach
hll 80 Increased, that II Vas tupus~lblc
10 launch the boat. The sun was Iusl
setting behind angry Cln.dN, which be
tnkcncd rlslng storm. The crested
waves were rolling more and more
heavily ~ from the ocean. \ dark
night was coming on, and savage war
rI"rs, with their hands already dripping
with blood were every where. around
We were all silent No one was will
in. tn speak ni In, fears, aud vet no one
could conceal them.
Before We lrll the ship, The Captain
bad informed ~ that an English tgIS-
slonary had erected his hut about two
mnirs trnn the place where we were t.
.iaud The captain had visited him about
tw" Years before, IN his solitary home,
aud II was very uncertain whether he
would br able continue III his post o'
danger We immediately resolved I,
rndcavor Ia find The missionary and &
seek such protection as he could atiort
Us for the night.
lncrcasing masses Of clouds rolled ~
and spread over the sky aud as ",
CROPPED our way through the deep anC
tangled forest, darkness like that oi
Egypt envcl"pcd us After wandering
about, wr hardly knew where, for some
time, we heard the loud shouts of sava.
g"s either IN conilIcr or reyclry. We
csstIuusly approached the sounds, I'll
We bchcId IA large war party gathered
around their fires, with the hideoui
trophies Of their recent battle, aud cx
ulrlns over their victory. We though
It wise To keep ~ far from them a. posi-
bile, aud again turned from the lght ol
their FIRE into The DARK forest, where ",
could hardly see an arms lcngth before
US We at length came upon lIttIr
path, aud slowly following 1t alodg
stumbling over rocks and roots oi trees,
we came ia view ol'thc twlnklIng hight
of a lamp. i with another ol the party
was sent forward To rcconnoIirc. We
soon found that The light proceeded from
hut, but whether from the nlghi fire ~
the savage New /calaudcr, or from tn,
lamp nl the Chrsllln. missionary, ",
knew not ; aud few can imagine Tia,
anxiety with which we cautiously move,
along to ascertain how the fact mlgh
be Our hopes we've greatly revived
Ivy the. sight oi glazed window. AND
when through that window, we saw Il
man III the garb of civilized life, viii
hIs vile aud one little child, kncellug il
their evening prayers, our JOY knew II,
bounds.
Waiting few moments AL The praycl
was closed, we entered The door, an,
though the surprise ol The inmates wa
very great ~ seeing two white sailor
cnter their dwelling, we were most hos
plably received The missionary IIn
med'ateIy lighted his lantern, and pro-
c"edIng with us, led the rest Of our party
10 his humble abode. We all slept upor
his llnor for the night. Weary, how
ever, n | was, found but lIulc rest -
thought OF my quiet New Euglan,
honc, from winch had been absent bu
Il few m,uhs. thought Of my mother
and hri auN'cty about her sailor boy "
hts first voyage. The scene was indce,
u novel one to me. The swelling wind,
oI the trmp"-'upu, night, the wild scene,
ui man aud uaIuic all around US, tn,