44 History of the“ Dayspring.” 
The mission had hitherto been dependent, for its temporal 
support, on far-away poor churches in Scotland and Nova Scotia. 
Recently, however, a large population had congregated in the 
colonies of Australia ; strong churches were being formed there ; 
and wealth was fast accumulating. It was natural and right, in 
such circumstances, that Australian christians should be ap- 
pealed to for aid to a mission almost at their doors. And so 
Mr. Paton came. 
The effect of his visit to the colonies was very extraordinary. 
Never, before or since, did our congregations enter so heartily 
into any one movement, as they did into Mr. Paton’s. 
Mr. Paton came to Australasia in the middle of 1862, and 
presented himself before the General Assembly of the Presby- 
terian Church of Victoria in November of that year. The im- 
pression which he produced marks an era in the history of our 
church. His visit was remarkably well timed. By that date 
we had got over the heavier portion of the secular work, result- 
ing from the consummation of our union; and we were 
yearning for something better and higher fe do. Then, Mr. 
Paton had a tale of sorrow to tell; and he told it well. The 
affecting story of the Tana mission—of the death of his wife, 
and of the death of his colleague, Mr. Johnston, with his own 
almost miraculous escape—filled many a heart at the time, and 
is not even yet forgotten. Then again, Mr. Paton did his work 
very systematically, and, we are bound to add, with immense 
bodily toil. He visited almost every Presbyterian congregation 
in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania ; 
preaching and delivering addresses as he went, and carrying on 
his work, with great encouragement indeed, but with great la- 
bour. Then again, further, Mr. Paton set before us a definite 
project, which took wonderfully, especially with our children 
and Sabbath schools—that was, that the children of Australia 
should give to the New Hebrides mission a mission ship, to be 
owned and supported by the children themselves. 
