THE ‘JOHN WESLEY.’ 5 
become rancid, the stench was quite overpowering. 
It requires a peculiar constitution not to become sea- 
sick on board, and this is perhaps the most serious in- 
convenience that the missionaries and their families 
suffer when going backwards and forwards in her to the 
Colonies, or from island to island. When we left Syd- 
ney Harbour, I observed several of our men in unfurl- 
ing sails, sea-sick, a sight I never before beheld; and 
My. and Mrs. Harrison were ill during nearly the whole 
passage. Nor is she, with all these drawbacks, a fast or 
a good sailer. We were twenty-three days from Sydney 
to Fiji, a distance of 1,735 miles, and I believe that may 
be considered a fair average passage. The crew was an 
extremely mongrel set. There were men of all colours, 
countries, and religions: black Africans, copper-coloured 
Chilians, and white Englishmen; Heathens, Mahome- 
tans, Roman Catholics, and Protestants. I expressed 
my surprise that in a vessel belonging to a religious 
society there should be so mixed a ship’s company ; but 
the Captain thought it rather an advantage than other- 
wise, offering, as it did, a field for missionary labours 
during the voyage. Indeed, when not suffering from 
sea-sickness, Mr. Harrison made some attempts in that 
direction. 
We endeavoured to make Norfolk Island, but could 
not fetch it within about one hundred miles. I should 
have liked to look at that charming spot, which, no 
longer a convict station, as in days of yore, has lately 
been given by the Government to the Pitcairners,—those 
much-petted descendants of ‘ Bounty’ mutineers and Ta- 
hitian women,—because their own little island began 
