176 ADVENTURES IN THE SOUTH SEAS 
been treated by the very natives who had done that terrible 
deed. Conscious that they had done great wrong, they 
sought to show their sorrow at having taken the lives of 
two men who had come to their shores, not to rob or kid- 
nap them, but to help and befriend them, in the kindness 
and consideration with which they received him. 
From point to point in this group they passed, till at 
Bellona they barely escaped from the savages. At Bauro 
they were kindly received, and Bishop Selwyn preached to 
the natives there on the sinfulness of taking human life, in 
a house whose roof was adorned by human skulls. The re- 
sult of this voyage was a deepened determination to win 
these souls for God, and Mr. Patteson returned to Auckland 
confirmed in his purpose to carry the word of God to them 
at all costs, and to make them know His love, His power, 
His mercy, and to teach them how He desired them to 
live. 
In due time Mr. Patteson was consecrated bishop of Mel- 
anesia, and assumed the sole charge of the mission. From 
that time on his life was one of perilous service and adven- 
turous undertaking. It was in the year 1864 that he experi- 
enced a wonderful deliverance from the hands of the natives 
of Api, an island in the New Hebrides. He had landed for 
the purpose of purchasing some provisions for his ship, and 
while busy bartering for the things needed, a quarrel arose 
between the peoples of two villages. Immediately there was 
a general rush on the part of the natives for their respective 
homes, and a vigorous shooting as they went. The bishop 
was in the very midst of the shooting, but by the mercy of 
God was enabled to escape unhurt. 
On another occasion, while sitting among a crowd of peo- 
ple on another island of the New Hebrides, a man came leap- 
ing toward him with uplifted club, his purpose of madness 
gleaming murderously from his eyes. The bishop, however, 
was, as usual, quite unmoved. With admirable self-posses- 
sion, and with the utmost friendliness, he held out some fish- 
