Ship," so derisively bestowed by men whose very limited notions of their own religious duties certainly do not include any obligation to support foreign missions.
Another source of equally uncalled-for fault-finding has been the receiving of payment for copies of the Bible and other books, as if the mission, having gone to enormous expense in printing successive editions, each of several thousand copies (and the publication of works in an unknown tongue is at all times a troublesome matter), were to blame in offering these for sale, at prices varying from 1s. to 2s. a volume—that is to say, little, if at all, in excess of cost price. A copy of every book published in the Samoan language is given gratis to each student, and to every agent of the mission. How eagerly the precious books have been bought up by other natives, is shown by the fact of their having voluntarily paid several thousand pounds to acquire copies for themselves.
At the present moment the students at the college number eighty—all fine young men; of these forty-two are married, and occupy the pretty cosy cottages which form this South Sea college. There are also about twenty big boys, and a number of small ones, all receiving a most careful education. These are gathered from every island in the group, and represent many of the principal families, who support the different parties now striving for supremacy. But this is neutral ground, respected by all parties, so politics are excluded as far as is possible.
After luncheon, all these assembled to meet us in the large native church—a fine building, of white coral lime, rounded at the ends like a Tongan house, and with a deep thatch roof. I never saw a finer lot of men and women, with keen intelligent faces. I fear their verdict on the foreign lady must have been very different; for, what with my early sketching expedition on foot, and then the long twelve miles in the boat, in glaring light from sun and sea, I literally could scarcely keep my eyes open; and having foolishly striven to do so, after luncheon (when I might have obtained the blessed "forty winks" in private), I paid the penalty when we reached the cool dark church, and had the humiliating
