84 A MISSION TO VITI. 



teachers. A large square piece of ground had been set 

 aside for a number of houses surrounded by little gardens 

 in which the teachers resided. Some of these teachers 

 were Fijian, some Tonguese. The natives like their own 

 countrymen best, because they always suspect the Ton- 

 guese, and with good reason, of playing into the hands 

 of the Tonguese chiefs, whose great aim is to make them- 

 selves masters of Fiji. These teachers, after having been 

 properly trained at this institution, are sent as residents to 

 those parts of the country which have applied for them ; 

 and they are of very essential service in preparing the 

 ground for the white missionaries, whose limited number 

 is quite inadequate to the great task set before them, 

 that of christianizing Fiji. Many parts of the group 

 are now anxiously desiring the Gospel, but, with so few 

 labourers in the field and only limited funds, it is im- 

 possible to do much more than is now attempted. Apart 

 from any religious consideration, I should always sup- 

 port the Protestant missionary in preference to the Ro- 

 man Catholic, because the latter attempts simply the con- 

 version of the heathen, whilst the Protestant not only 

 christianizes, but at the same time civilizes them. The 

 quiet, well-regulated family life and cleanly habits which 

 our Protestant missionaries set before the savage, are of 

 inestimable value to the people whom they endeavour to 

 raise in the scale of humanity. It is quite wrong to 

 suppose that savages do not notice whether a man wears 

 clean linen and is well washed or not. They do notice 

 it, and never fail to draw comparisons in favour of those 

 who, by means of their comfortable homes, are enabled 

 to appear before them as good examples of cleanliness. 



