126 ADVENTURES IN THE SOUTH SEAS 
ing to our feelings when our breeze died away and the cur- 
rent carried us in so near the shore that we could distinctly 
hear the shouts and yells of the natives upon the heights, 
whom the light of the moon enabled us distinctly to see. 
After a while a gentle breeze sprang up, and enabled us to 
keep at a safe distance from the land and move gently on 
toward the part of the island to which we were bound. 
“On the following morning we found ourselves abreast 
of the place at which the teachers had been left by Mr. 
Heath, and with anxious minds we sought to communicate 
with the natives. Canoes put off from the shore and came 
out some distance toward us, but all our efforts to induce 
them to come near failed; so, after long waiting, we took 
to our boat and pulled in toward the land, and as we drew 
near we were gladdened by the sight of a canoe with one 
of the teachers coming to meet us. 
“Tt was an immense relief to learn from him that his 
fellow laborer was also alive. He had a mournful tale of 
suffering and danger to tell. The natives had been unfaith- 
ful to their engagement, and had abandoned the strangers 
and left them to starve; and but for the kindness of a party 
from the neighboring island of Niua, who were on a visit 
to their relatives on Erromango, it seems as if they must 
have perished. These visitors remained several months, and 
after they left, a single native of Erromango was moved to 
pity them and bring them a supply of food daily till the time 
of our arrival. 
“This is a singular fact, and can be accounted for only 
on the supposition that God inclined the heart of the poor, 
dark-skinned Erromangon to pity the strangers and supply 
their necessities. Vorevore, their native friend, used to steal 
down day by day for about five months, and lifting up the 
thatch of their humble cot, hand in to them their daily supply. 
We would fain have seen their benefactor and made him 
some reward, but he did not appear, and we feared to in- 
quire after him, lest we should bring upon him the wrath 
