"Santo

on the 23rd, having touched at Tanna, Aniwa, Eromanga, and Faté, by the way. We were glad to find Mr. Gordon well, and apparently, successful in his work. He had got a temporary meeting-house erected, capable of containing some 400 people, and at the morning meeting on the Sabbath we were there, it was full; the audience, consisting of people of both sexes, of all ages, and of all ranks. But more were present on that occasion than usual. Many came not so much for the purpose of hearing the word, as of seeing the strangers. This was at a place called Piliar on the north-west side of Santo. We also visited Cape Lisbourne, at the south-west end. Mr. Gordon had been as far as Cape Lisbourne, one week, by his boat, calling at all the principal villages between.

"Of all the places that I have seen among these islands, none seem so open for missionaries, and so inviting as Santo is. The people there page 73 'Like missionary too much.' And as to personal safety, we felt that there is no more danger to be apprehended, than there is in a civilized country. The only drawback to Santo is its supposed unhealthiness, owing to the great heat of the climate. But the natives themselves seem more healthy than those of some Of the other islands do, where it is much colder. Cape Lisbourne would be a very good mission station. It is cooler than at the place where Mr. Gordon was, being further south, and more exposed to the trade wind. I have had a great desire to get some part of Santo for our field of labour. Mrs. Milne also, after she saw the people, would have liked well to stay among them. But so many obstacles have come in the way of our going there, that I have now no expectation of getting. The chief of which are—

"1st. There is some prospect of the London Missionary Society's sending missionaries to Santo, for which reason some of the brethren here are opposed to anyone's going there from this Society for the present.

"2nd. Mr. Gordon claims Santo for the Church of New South Wales. He having taken possession of it in her name, thinks that no one has a right to go there as a missionary without first consulting that church.

"Mr. Gordon is not now a member of the New Hebrides Mission. He has resigned all connection with it, for reasons which I do not fully understand. The matter is not yet settled, and I do not know how it will end. The next island we visited, after leaving Santo, was