The following letter from the Rev. P. Milne, dated "Dillon's Bay, Eromanga, New Hebrides, December 1st, 1869," addressed to the Convener of the Mission Committee of the Synod, gives an account of two voyages he made in the Dayspring among these Islands. It will be seen that the traffic of deporting the natives as laborers to Fiji is, in many cases, little else than a system of kidnapping. Moreover, it stirs up a spirit of revenge from which the Dayspring, when at Tongoa, made only a narrow escape. It is earnestly to be hoped that such measures may be adopted as will check this iniquity:—

"I trust you have received my last letter of the 4th of September, informing you of our arrival at Aneityum. Since then our time has been chiefly spent voyaging among the Islands. We were, on our arrival, recommeded by the brethren to proceed with the Dayspring on both the voyages she was about to make, viz., one to the more southern islands of the group, and the other to Fate and Santo, and some others of the northern, in order that we might see as much of them as possible before settling; which we have done. We have thus seen more of the islands than any new missionary on his first arrival has heretofore done. We have been also allowed the privilege of choosing a place for ourselves, which we have found a somewhat difficult thing to do; seeing, as we have done, so many places, almost all equally open, and equally in need. We have, however, resolved to spend the summer (D.V.) at Dillon's Bay, with a view to our settlement on the south-east side of Eromanga next year. Meanwhile, we must apply ourselves with all our might to the acquisition of the language, without which we could be of little or no use at a station of our own.

"As to our first voyage, it was commenced on the 13th of September. The first island we visited was

"Fotuna,

taking back the Copelands, after a temporary stay on Aneityum, greater than when they departed, by a baby, a cow, a house, and a canoe. All the people of Fotuna are heathen yet, but a good many atten I church, and those who do not, seemed more friendly to Mr. Copeland on his return, he said, than they used to be. From Fotuna we proceeded to

Eromanga,

touching at Aniwa by the way, and anchored in Dillon's Bay on the evening of the 15th. The weather being unusually stormy at this time, we were detained there six days.

"On Saturday the 18th, Mr. M'Nair and I took one of the Day-spring's boats and went round in the lee of the island to a place called page 68 Bunkil, six or seven miles to the south of Dillon's Bay. The murderers of the Gordons live near to this place. It was the first time that Mr. M'Nair had visited it, and the first time that I have had an opportunity of taking part in such an expedition. When we reached the place, the people looked rather formidable. Some thirty men and youths were assembled on the beach, armed with muskets, bows, and tomahawks; but we soon saw that they were disposed to be friendly, and as we hesitated to run the boat ashore, being uncertain where the proper landing-place was, the chief's brother, an old man, with grey hairs, followed by two or three others, swam out to us, and soon the boat was drawn entirely out of the water amidst deafening yells by as many hands as had room to take hold of her. I expected that Mr. M'Nair would at once explain to them the object of his visit, but I was mistaken, for before he said a word about that he had recourse to his favorite argument, the abinferiori, as he calls it. Seating himself on a stone, he opened a bundle of bread and fowls' flesh, and having asked a blessing in the Eromangan language, he began to eat, distributing also to those sitting or standing by. Having finished lunch, he next enquired where the chief was, that personage not having made his appearance, and we both went in the direction of his house in search of him, but being assured by his sons that he was some distance inland, at his plantations, we returned to the people on the beach. Mr. M'Nair there had a short service with them under the shadow of an overhanging cliff. After the singing of a hymn by an Aneitymnese teacher, and a converted Eromangan whom he took with him in the boat, Mr. M'Nair addressed them, and the Eromangan prayed. Some of them listened very attentively. Service being over, and the ab inferiori argument being repeated in the shape of a piece of calico to each of the chief's sons, a piece to his brother, and a few fish-hooks to the rest, we took our departure, shaking; hands and bidding them "good bye," in the Eromangan form, of course, which is Kik e pau, "You are dear," the usual form of salutation both on meeting and parting. A teacher had once been stationed at Bunkil, and had imparted to the people some idea of Jehovah and of the Sabbath. None of them worship Jehovah, but they seem to keep the Sabbath after a fashion. One of them told Mr. M'Mair that they did not work at their plantations on that day, but that they slept on Sunday. On the 22nd, the weather being a little more favorable, we left Dillon's Bay, with Mr. M'Nair on board, and went to a place called Bokil on the north side of the island, and settled a teacher with a chief there who had, of his own accord, applied to Mr. M'Nair for one, and built a house for him. It was nearly sunset when we landed, and as most of the people there live some little distance inland, there were but few on the beach to receive us besides the chief and his nephews. page 69 These, however, received us gladly, and insisted on not only the Aneityumese teacher, mentioned above, remaining, as was intended, but also the Eromangan. It was at length agreed that the latter should also stay for a few months to accompany the former, and after a short service in front of the teachers' house, and giving presents to the chief and his nephews, we left them, rejoicing that a door had thus been unexpectedly opened for preaching the gospel, and hoping that that chief, with all his people, would soon believe and turn to the Lord.

"We sailed past Portinia Bay, but did not call there, as Mr. Gordon, whose station it is, was absent at Santo. The two following days we spent in making explorations on the south-east side of the island, a good place for a mission station. There are several good boat harbours there, at the mouths of rivers, one of which, at a place called Ifu, is navigable a considerable way up. There are plenty of people there, people who never heard of Jehovah, and plenty of food. Very little is known yet of this side of Eromanga, our visit being the first by any missionary; and still less is known of the south side. No missionary has ever yet been there, yet those places seem to have a larger population than the "lee" side has, and being the "weather" side, they must be the more healthy. We wished to visit a place on the south side called Noras, about fourteen miles from Dillon's Bay, where there is a large population, but as the sea became too rough for landing, we were obliged to leave it for the present. The boat which Mr. M'Nair has at present is too small for going beyond the bay, but he is to get a large one when the Dayspring returns from the colonies next year. He will then be able to visit more distant places.

"Eromanga seems to be more open for the preaching of the gospel now than it has been for many years. The white men who have been such a curse to it, have now all left it, and the people are at peace among themselves. I like the scenery of Eromanga. It is finely diversified with mountains, glens, and rivers. The coast, in general, is rugged, and often looks gloomy. We thought it did especially so at Dillon's Bay, on our first sight of it; which, perhaps, was only from our recollection of the deeds of darkness done there. Dillon's Bay, however, is a lonely place, and when one first sets his foot on shore he feels that he is treading on holy ground. The people of Eromanga are still heathen; there are only eight baptised native adults in it all; but the soil, at least, is Christian, and also the rivers, and the sea, being all already baptised; not, indeed, with water, but with blood. The sea, as you know, at the mouth of the river, on its left bank, was red with the blood of Williams; not many yards up the river, with that of Harris; a little further up, on the same side, but on the high ground, the soil was wet with the blood of the Gordons, whose bodies now rest in the valley below: so that mountain, page 70 valley, liver, and sea, are all consecrated to God by the blood and dust of Christian martyrs, and though the people of Eromanga have been hitherto slow of heart to believe the gospel, still some have believed—the first fruits, I trust, of a great and glorious harvest.

"We have seen the grave of the Gordons. It is enclosed by a low white wall of stone and lime. Beside it is buried Kauiaui, the murderer of Williams, and who was also concerned in the murder of the Gordon's. He fell in battle three years ago. His spear and the arrow that killed him are preserved in the present Mr. Gordon's museum. He had, after all, to be indebted to the missionary for his grave; a token, perhaps, of the final victory of Christianity over heathenism on Eromanga. The ground on both sides of the river, for nearly a mile up, is mission property; being purchased from the sandal wood traders at the breaking up of that establishment, and there is a native burial place upon it. I have seen Kauiaui's widow. She is a kind-hearted old woman, and a constant attender at church. His sons also attend church occasionally.

"On the afternoon of Saturday, the 25th, we left Eromanga, and returned to

"Aniwa.

"The passengers, beside ourselves, were the M'Nairs, going to Aniwa until the return of the Dayspring, for the benefit of Mrs. M'Nair's health, who was suffering from fever and ague; and the Neilsons on their way back to Tanna, having gone to Eromanga some time previous.

"There is now a native church here, consisting of 12 baptised adults, of whom three are chiefs and three children. These are the first fruits of Aniwa, and but newly gathered in, being baptised only about six weeks ago; and what is the more encouraging, all the rest are likely soon to follow. All the people of Aniwa attend church. They have been almost in a state of starvation this year, having little to cat hut cocoa nuts. Owing to the unusual dryness of the season, and the shallowness of the soil at Aniwa, their yams have been a complete failure. The Aniwa men were wishing to go to Tanna, to return a visit which they had from a number of Tanna men some time ago, and to get some food. Accordingly, on Monday, the 27th, with Mr. Neilson, Mr. Paton, and 50 Aniwa men on board, we sailed for

"Tanna.

"The first place we visited was Waicisse. The people there still object to either a missionary or teacher coming. 'No place here for missionary; all place here belong a white man. Alan Tanna no like Sunday. Man Tanna like smoke' It seems they had been told by white men that if they took Missionaries, they would have to give up smoking. Tobacco, powder and shot, are valuable articles of trade to white men on these page 71 islands. On the evening of the same day we anchored in Port Resolution, Mr. Neilson's station. Next morning we left Port Resolution, and went to Kwamera, Mr. Watt's station, with Messrs. Paton and Neilson on board, intending to sail round the whole island, calling at the several places of importance by the way. We found Mr. and Mrs. Watt both well and happy, and making rapid progress in the acquisition of the language. They had been only about three months on Tanna, and they could converse intelligibly with the Tannese in their own language. They both came on board, intending to accompany us round the island to Port Resolution. But we got no further than Black Beach, at the other end of it. We were detained there through stress of weather for two days, and not having more time to spend, we were obliged to return on Saturday, the 2nd of October, to Port Resolution, the way we came.

"Matters are not very encouraging just now on Tanna. As far as I can judge, it seems more closed against the gospel than it was years ago, chiefly through the influence of white men, more wicked than the Tannese themselves, who are settling on the island, cultivating cotton, and making cocoa-nut oil, &c. These prejudice the minds of the natives against both missionaries and teachers, telling them not to receive either. Such we found to be the case not merely at Waicisse, but also at Black Beach, and at a place half-way between Black Beach and Kwamera. There are, however, some rare exceptions, and one, Mr. Smith, whom we saw at Imalau on the west of Tanna, seems to have been one. He told us that if a missionary came to his place he would be very glad, and that if either a missionary or teacher were to come, he would let them have any place on his ground for a house that they might choose, and would render them every assistance in his power. One, Mr. Williams, a nephew of the late Mr. John Williams, missionary in Polynesia, was living with Mr. Smith. We have heard that one of these men has been killed, we are uncertain which.^* When we were at Port Resolution, one Kaipapa, chief of Anaikaraka, at or near Kwamera, brought us word that on Saturday the 2nd of October, (two days after we saw him), Mr. Williams was killed. That one Tavau-Yakanapu, an under Chief of the Kasse-kasse tribe, shot him through the breast, that the ball came out at his back, and that another man, whose name our informant did not know, struck him on the head with his club; that he was then carried away to a small village called Itanmarin, and according to their custom, tied up by the hands to the banyan, or sacred tree, let hang there all night, and next morning, (Sunday,) taken down, cut up, cooked, and distributed among the villages; that a piece of his arm was brought and given to one Kahi, that Kahi page 72 gave it to Toko, chief of Kwamera, and that Toko did not receive it, but sent it back, because the missionary, Mr. Watt, was living on his land.

"Sabbath, the 3rd of October, we spent at Port Resolution. Mr. Paton went ashore on the afternoon, and conducted worship with the Aniwa men; and we were glad to learn that they had been worshipping with the Tanna men all round Port Resolution, on the forenoon. As most of the people of Aniwa can speak Tannese, and have the Tanna men friendly to them, I think they are likely to prove very instrumental in the conversion of Tanna. Mr. Paton was not well that day, else, I believe, he would have been ashore preaching to the Tannese on the forenoon. On Monday, he showed me his first wife's grave, and the grave of Mr. Johnstone, also the graves of several Aneityumese that died there. He showed me also where his house stood, and the orange trees, &c., which he planted. No wonder that his heart is still on Tanna. I trust the way may yet be opened up for his return.

"The Tannese were very kind to their friends from Aniwa; they entertained them very hospitably, and sent them away laden with about 40 or 45 tons of pigs and yams. Having taken these and Mr. Paton back to Aniwa on Tuesday, and returned to Port Resolution on Wednesday with Mrs. Neilson and children, whom we left at Aniwa when we were last there, as they did not consider it safe to be at Port Resolution alone, we proceeded to Aneityum, which we reached on the afternoon of Thursday, the 7th of October. So much for our first voyage.

"The object of our second voyage was to take Mr. Gordon back to Eromanga for the summer season, and to give Dr. Geddie an opportunity of visiting some of the small islands to the north of Faté, for the purpose of preparing the way for the settlement of Rarotongan teachers next year.

"We sailed from Aneityum on the 14th of October, and arrived at

"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

"Tongoa,

the largest of the Shepherd's group. We arrived there on Sunday morning, the 31st of October. The Flirt, a brigantine, belonging to Auckland, was anchored there. The object of her visit to the New-Hebrides was to get laborers for Fiji. She had on board about twenty natives of Three Hills Island, and three natives of Tongoa. A Tongoa man (a chief) who came on board of the Dayspring, told us that a little before our arrival he went to the Flirt in his canoe to try to get his countrymen off, and that as one of them was attempting to get into the canoe, a white man on board of the Flirt presented a musket and said that if he took that man away he would shoot him. Soon after this, Captain Fraser went on board of the Flirt to see the captain, who told him that he was not kidnapping natives, and that he was not going to take the Three Hills and Tongoa men that he had on board to Fiji, but that he was merely taking them, at their own request, to the neighboring island Epi, to see their friends, and would return them again to their own islands three days after. Their passage to the Epi and back, we were told, they paid with pigs. That afternoon the Flirt weighed anchor and went in the direction of Epi.

"On Monday, November 1st, we had a good deal of intercourse with page 74 the Tongoa people; found them very friendly, and willing to receive either a missionary or teachers. Dr. Geddie promised to bring them two or three Rarotongan teachers ten months hence. Tongoa is a lovely little island, exceedingly fertile, and would form a good station for a missionary. By his boat he could visit all the other islands of the group, and also Three Hills and Epi. Part of the people of Three Hills, and also part of those of Epi speak the same langnage as the Tongoa people. It is a dialect of the Fate language. On Tuesday morning we left Tongoa and came to

"Three Hills.

We found the people, on the whole, friendly, and willing to have teachers. They sold us a good many yams. Some of the people on the beach, however, were overheard talking of killing the two white men in charge of the boat sent ashore for the yams. Perhaps they were beginning to have some suspicion, by this time, that they had been deceived by the Flirt.

"A little before sunset we weighed anchor and steered for Gunna, a small island on the north coast of Faté, expecting to reach it by next morning, but the wind being unfavorable for anchoring there, we put into

"Havannah Harbour, Fate,

where we were detained seven days, a favorable wind for anchoring at Tanna never having come.

"Here we heard that the Flirt did not restore the Three Hills and Tongoa men to their own islands at the end of three days, as agreed, but took them, pigs and all, to Fiji. A Faté man who escaped from the Flirt at Mau, another small island on the north coast of Faté where the Flirt called on her way to Fiji, brought us this word; and so also did a Faté lad whom the Flirt's agent in the kidnapping business, (one Jimmy Shangoon, a native of Wea, one of the Loyalty Islands), had taken ashore with him on his leaving the Flirt at Faté. This Jimmy has been before engaged in this way, and is affirmed to have committed several murders while so engaged—attacking canoes, cutting down those that resisted, and carrying off the rest. He is at present residing at Havannah Harbour.

"While we were detained here, word was also brought us that the chief of the other side of Tongoa is greatly enraged just now at white men, owing to a schooner having taken away two of his wives and a number of his people to Port au France, New Caledonia, that he is waiting for an opportunity to take vengeance, and that he intended to come on board of the Dayspring, on the day that we left, with a number of his men, as if in a friendly way, and then suddenly fall on us and kill all the white people on board. We left, however, at daybreak, and thus providentially escaped them.

"I have heard that the captain of one of those slaving vessels having come to an island where he knew Bishop Pattison had been visiting, dressed himself like a bishop, went ashore with a Bible in his hand, and sang psalms in order to allure the natives on board; and that he thus obtained a good many.

"On the sixth day after we came to Havannali Harbour, we visited

"Gunna

by boat. It is distant from Havannah Harbour about eight or ten miles. The people were very, friendly, and would gladly receive either a missionary or teachers. Dr. Geddie promised them teachers next year. Gunna would also be a good mission station. By means of his boat, a missionary would be within reach of Mau, and also the mainland of Faté opposite. Havannah Harbour would be an excellent mission station, but it does not seem so open yet as the places mentioned above.

"On Wednesday, the 10th November, we left Havannah Harbour and came to Panga, Mr. Cosh's station. The work there is progressing very favorably. All the people of Panga attend church now, and the Erakor people are still standing steadfast.

"On the afternoon of Saturday, the 13th, we reached Eromanga, and landed Mr. Gordon at his station at Portinia Bay. His house is beautifully situated in a lovely and romantic place. Some of the people had been talking of burning his house, and the Christian natives had been watching it to prevent them. No damage, however, was done, except by the rats, which had made an attack on his books, &c. Worship had been conducted in his absence by the natives themselves. Their meeting-place is an old war-cave.

"Having landed Mr. Gordon, we proceeded to Aniwa to take Mrs. M'Nair back to her own station, and on the morning of Tuesday, the 16th November, we found ourselves again in Dillon's Bay,

"Eromanga.

"Here our voyage ended. Having got our boxes, &c., ashore, we bade good-bye to the Dayspring, and she, immediately, without casting anchor, glided slowly away, intending, I believe, to call again at Aniwa, at Port Resolution, and at Fotuna on her way to Aneityum.

"We are both quite well. Neither of us have had fever and ague yet, and I trust never shall. I think we are likely to stand the climate very well.

"Peter Milne."

Call.—The 'Glasgow Herald' understands the Rev. Henry Batchelor, of Elgin Place Chapel, Glasgow, has been invited to succeed the Rev. Mr. Binney in the pastorate of Weigh-House Chapel, London.