REASONS OF BAU'S HOSTILITY TO MISSIONARIES. 411 



aries to come to Bau, but that they did not put sufficient 

 confidence in him. The doubt thus cast upon his ho- 

 nour, together with the constant irritation of seeing 

 parts of the group under the suzerainty of Bau daring 

 to desert heathenism when still upheld by the leading 

 state, and a daily diminishing political influence, turned 

 King Cakobau into a deadly foe to Christianity. Had 

 the missionaries taken the bull by horns, and endea- 

 voured to obtain a footing at Bau before they took up 

 their residence in any other part of the group, their 

 labours would have been easy in comparison to what 

 they have been, and the whole group would have re- 

 nounced heathenism long ere this.* It was all up-hill 

 work, yet results have been attained, to which no right- 

 minded man can refuse admiration. According to the 

 latest returns, the attendance on Christian worship in 

 1861 was 67,489, and there were 31,566 in the day- 

 schools. For the supervision of this great work the So- 

 ciety had only eleven European missionaries and two 

 schoolmasters, assisted by a large class of native agents, 

 who are themselves the fruits of mission toil, and some 

 of whom, once degraded and cannibal heathens, are be- 

 coming valuable and accredited ministers of the Gospel. 

 The white settlers at present in the group may 

 amount to about two thousand souls, the greater num- 

 ber of whom have arrived within the last few years and 



* Cakobau "was offended with Mr. Cross, because he would not trust 

 himself at Bau on his first visit, but turned aside and opened a mission at 

 Bewa. The proud spirit of the chief was hurt at being placed second." 

 (Calvert, ' Fiji and the Fijians/ vol. ii. p. 234.) Additional passages 

 might be cited from missionary writings to prove the view I have taken of 

 Bau's hostility. 



