pated. We spent a happy evening together; part of the time was pleasantly employed in striving to teach the natives our national anthem, and several other tunes; the Nieueans are exceedingly quick in learning, and caught the music at once. We made arrangements to meet them very early the next morning, in order to perfect them in these tunes before we joined the ship; but these happy arrangements were soon to be destroyed. About ten o'clock rockets were seen piercing through the darkness in the direction of where we expected the ship to be. At first we tried to indulge the hope that these were being sent up for amusement; but as one shot into the darkness after another, and these were succeeded by the burning of a bright blue light, we were pretty confident that there were troubles on board, and that help was needed. The blue light also enabled us to see that the vessel was standing at no great distance from a point of the island about four miles off. Great fires of cocoa nut leaves were immediately ignited upon the rock, to show those in danger that we

had seen their signals of distress. Some of us started with all speed for the spot opposite to which we believed the ship to be. A number of natives ran with us, and kept up a constant shouting, by which they aroused all sleepers, and informed all inquirers that the missionary ship was in danger; the wild shouting of these men on that black moonless night will never be forgotten by me. For some time we ran and stumbled along the sharp coral roads without a light, but afterwards natives came out from the houses as they heard the shouting, and brought us acceptable torches made from the reeds; these enabled us to reach the summit of the crag, from which we got a sight of the ship. It was a sad, painful sight, for there she was with all her sails set, swaying to and fro in the angry surf, at some distance before us. As quickly as our excited limbs would carry us we hurried on still further, and after scrambling over a number of sharp coral crags we came to the top of a rock overlooking the sea; immediately below us was the John Williams, erashing upon the coral as each

sea, struck her. Her upper masts had broken off, and we kept well out of the way, lest her low heavy masts should come down. The lights of the saloon were still burning, but not a sound of any one's voice could be heard on board; the natives shouted and we shouted, but no reply came. While we were there the darkness increased and the rain came down in torrents; this made us increasingly anxious about those who were on board; our anxiety was at length relieved by seeing a rocket rise up from the sea; this was followed by the burning of a blue light; these informed us that the boats had left the ship, and gave us some idea of their locality. After remaining several hours near the wreck, watching the sad work of destruction upon our beautiful ship, we turned our backs upon this mournful scene, and returned to the Mission premises, where our dear wives were anxiously awaiting our arrival. While we had been away, canoes had been sent in search of the boats; these came back with the glad intelligence that all lives were saved, that all had left the ship, and that the

boats were on their way to Alofi, Preparations were then made to receive the unfortunate travel. lers. Our kind friends Mr. and Mrs. Lawes provided everything necessary for their comfort. We did not expect the boats would venture in before daylight; but the torrents of rain which continued to descend compelled them to seek shelter, even at some risk. At three o'clock every one who had been on board, seventy-three in all, were safely landed here. I can never forget the scene of that morning, as one by one they came or were carried into the house soaked with wet, shivering with cold, and exhausted. with toils and fears. The natives took charge of the Rarotongan and Samoan teachers and their families, who joined the ship at the Loyalty Islands, and we looked after the crew and our own party. They were soon comfortably placed in blankets and dry clothes, and I am happy to say that no one appears to have taken any great harm from their four or five hours' exposure to the cold and wet of that terrible night.

"Soon after daylight we

started for the scene of the wreck again, When we reached it we found the masts of the ship still standing; she was partly on her side; the heavy surf was foaming and dashing around her with a fury which every moment threatened to bring down her masts and dash her into a thousand pieces; notwithstanding this, many of the natives had ventured on board, and what loose things there were on deck, or in the cabins, they seized upon and threw them overboard; some were caught, others fell into the water; some of these floated ashore and others went out to sea; by this means we were able to get a few clothes and other little articles to make us comfortable during our stay here.

"In a few days the masts fell, her timbers gave way, and her beautiful form became distorted. Some of the provisions from the ship have been saved, so that we are not likely to want for food at present. We feel, in the midst of these our troubles, that God might have afflicted us much more heavily; for we have been wrecked on an island where all are willing to

help us, and thrown upon the care and hospitality of those whose kindness and constant thought concerning us is unbounded.

"How long we have to remain here we know not; ships are never frequent visitors to these shores, and at this, the hurricane season of the year, they are seldom expected. We can only wait patiently, and confide in Him whose thoughts and whose ways are past our understanding, praying that He will enable us to learn all the lessons which this strange dispensation of Providence is intended to teach us.

PARENTAL GRIEF.

"I wish the above were the whole of the sad tale I have to communicate; alas! it is not. Mrs. Saville and myself have been called to endure an affliction which has pierced our hearts even deeper than these things I have just related. When we were at Aneiteum God gave to us our first-born, a lovely little daughter.

For three months

she was our constant joy; every day our affections increased towards her; then suddenly and

sadly, when we were three days out from Maré on our way here, we were bereaved of our treasure; the Lord took her back to Himself, and we were left desolate and mourning. She was taken from us on a calm lovely Sabbath afternoon, December 16th. Early the following morning her little body was lowered into the great deep, to await the time when the Lord shall bid the sea give up her dead.

"We are sad, very sad; God has afflicted us sorely, and we trust that praying Christians at home will uphold us by their prayers while we are passing through these trials. For our own parts, we are daily praying for light in the midst of this darkness, for understanding in the midst of these mysteries of Divine Providence."

MORE SORROW.

"February 14th.

"Other troubles have come upon our party since writing the above. Mr. Davies' fine healthy little boy died a few days since; he suffered much for a fortnight, then his happy spirit fled away to be for ever with the Lord; his little body was laid in a grave near the chapel.

"A German schooner, the Alfred, left here for Samoa last Monday, taking some of our number with her.

"A brig, the Rona, will probably leave here this afternoon for New Zealand. We send our letters forward by her.

"The natives brought a quan. tity of cotton here a few days since, value £20, as the first subscription towards a new mission. ary ship. They are very anxious to have another vessel.”