HISTORY OF THE MISSION VESSEL, 
“ DAYSPRING.” 
Loe 
hLOW often does God bring good out of evil! and how often 
on the wrath of man work out the righteousness of God! 
The interest which has been felt for several years by the Pres- 
byterian Churches of Australasia in the New Hebrides mission, 
is directly traceable to the suffering and sorrow caused by the 
breaking-up of the Tana mission, early in the year 1862. On 
no island in the South Seas have greater efforts been made to 
establish the Gospel than on Tana ; and on none with, till very 
lately, less seeming success. The Tanese are the fiercest people 
south of the line. Captain Cook could not land on their 
island in 1774, without the protection of a broadside. In 1839 
John Williams escaped from the Tanese, to fall, alas ! next day 
on Eramanga. ‘In 1843 Messrs. Turner and Nesbit, of the 
London Missionary Society-—now Drs. Turner and Nesbit, of 
Samoa—attempted to establish a mission on Tana; though, 
after a few months’ trial, they had to flee with their lives: and 
in 1862 our own Mr. Paton had to abandon the field, broken in 
heart and health, after three years’ labour. The other. mission- 
aries on the group, sympathising with Mr. Paton’s afflictions, 
advised him to take‘a trip to Australia—partly for the benefit 
his health, and partly, also, to awaken an interest in the mis- 
sion among the colonial churches. 
