His CAPTORS. 47 



Treatment of Mariners. Reason Why. 



savage violence did not await them than if 

 they had perished at sea, one of the natives 

 came out toward them through the surf, hold- 

 ing in his hand a book, and cried, with a loud 

 voice, " Missionary ! missionary!" An answer- 

 ing shout of recognition and beckoning from the 

 poor mariners immediately brought the natives, 

 through the waves, to their aid, by whom they 

 were carried on shore in their arms, supplied 

 with food, and generously entertained with more 

 than human, with Christian kindness. 



It so happened, according to the captain's 

 statement, that this was an island whose in- 

 habitants had been first brought to the knowl- 

 edge of Christianity by the brother of this cap- 

 tain, who had been some years before cast away 

 on this very island, and, with one other of the 

 ship's company, was saved. They were taken 

 by the natives to be offered up as a sacrifice to 

 their gods. But while on their way to the place 

 where human victims used to be sacrificed, 

 they remembered the tradition that a god should 

 come to them from the sea. 



Overruled, doubtless, by a divine impulse, 

 they now entertained the white man as a god, 

 and he instructed them concerning the only 



