146 ADVENTURES IN THE SOUTH SEAS 
the more southerly islands of the group; soon, however, we 
were painfully undeceived. 
“The next deputation who visited the island, Messrs. 
Turner and Nisbet, had a very sad report to give. They 
found three of the five stations abandoned, two teachers 
dead, and connected with the death of one of these there 
was a very mournful tale. His widow wished to go and 
reside with the teachers at another station till the mission 
ship should arrive and afford her an opportunity of leaving 
the islands; but the chief of the district would not allow 
her to leave, as he wished her to become his wife. The idea 
of this was revolting to her mind, and before the teachers 
could combine for her rescue, she rushed into the sea and 
was drowned, preferring death to a life of degradation and 
dishonor. Poor woman. one cannot but mourn over her 
sad end. 
“Sipi, one of the first party by whom the island was oc- 
cupied, was one of the two who had finished their course, 
and his death took place under very painful circumstances. 
He was a young man of much promise, and as he died the 
death of a martyr, a few particulars respecting him and his 
brief course may properly be given. He was a native of 
Pango Pango, Tutuila, and one of the earliest fruits of my 
missionary work; hence his case to me possesses a peculiar 
interest, an interest in which others cannot be expected fully 
to sympathize. Still I think his little history is worth re- 
cording. 
“Soon after entering upon our work in our earliest sphere 
of labor, Sipi became an inmate in our family. He was a 
quiet, steady, thoughtful lad from the first. He applied 
himself diligently to learn to read and write, and during 
one of my earliest attempts at preaching in the Samoan lan- 
guage, the truth took hold of his heart. No Jew ever more 
truly went about to establish a righteousness of his own than 
did poor Sipi, and of course all his efforts ended in failure, 
and he went about ‘weary and heavy laden.’ 
