BEGINNING ON ONEATA AND VANUA MBALAVU 49 
The chiefs were set fast when this chief, Mbukarau, asked 
them how they would manage to live when their god sent a 
famine. Happily, he was a fearless man, unmoved by threats 
and slights, and just suited to take the first stand against the 
old system. In spite of opposition, he continued to profess 
Christianity, and live up to all he knew of it.” 
In a short time this man’s faithfulness had won others to 
take their stand with him, and there were ten in all pro- 
fessing the Christian religion. He then made a voyage to 
Lakemba to plead that a missionary be sent to teach him 
and his people the way of truth more perfectly. A Tongan 
teacher was at last sent to Lomaloma, and under the pious 
labors of that good man “converts were multiplied and con- 
firmed.” 
“Midway between Lakemba and Vanua Mbalavu stands 
the small island of Tuvutha, where the Christian teachers 
often put in for the night on their journeys to and fro. Their 
exhortations on these visits at last took effect, and the chief, 
with several of his people, gave up heathenism. On hear- 
ing of this, Mr. Calvert at once set out to visit Tuvutha, 
intending to return next day, but a change of wind pre- 
vented this, so that he went forward to Vanua Mbalavu, 
where he baptized eight persons, and preached and talked 
with many of the people, being much cheered to find how 
firmly the cause of Christianity was already set in this im- 
portant island. 
“At Lomaloma, he heard that an American had just been 
murdered at Yaro. ... Being anxious to know whether the 
slain man was eaten, and wishing to converse with the 
people, Mr. Calvert went to Yaro, and found that the body 
had been thrown into a cave, where he gave it Christian 
burial. 
“The voyage home was dangerous and protracted, so that 
the trip occupied twenty-one days altogether, instead of two 
as was first expected. This was a time of weary suspense 
4 
