62 Listory of the ** Dayspring.” 
holiday and visit their relations. She carried a great many natives from 
their own islands to some other, and returned them with the hope that 
the gospel would be regarded more favourably by them. And when she 
left, at the close of the year, she took away the letters and orders of the 
missionaries, the contributions of the natives for printing the Scriptures, 
and passengers leaving for health or to superintend the press. 
What ships from other countries are ; what steamers and coasters are; 
what railways, canals, and roads are; what cabs and coaches are; what 
drays and horses are; what post-offices, postmen, and telegraphs are 
in Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, and Nova Scotia—all these 
the ‘Dayspring’ is to us, the missionaries and teachers in the New 
Hebrides. Were all these means of communication to be withdrawn 
suddenly, what would you do? Your respective countries would be 
brought to the verge of ruin in a day; such a state of things you could 
not tolerate; indignation meetings would be held everywhere. I hope 
you will never suppose that it matters little to us should you cease to 
support the ‘ Dayspring.’ Let all who contributed to the building fund, 
though many of them have grown to be men and women, remember 
their own vessel still; let them train their children to maintain what 
they initiated; let all the youth occupying the various Sunday-schools 
interested in the mission, and all who desire the evangelisation of the 
heathen, take the vessel into their affectionate support. 
On the arrival of the “ Dayspring” at Melbourne, early in 
1872, the first duty of those in charge was to find a new cap- 
tain. Captain Fraser had been in command eight years, and 
at length resigned: with an increasing family, without any 
settled home, and with health by no means robust, he resolved 
to go back to his native country. The following extract from the 
minutes of the Mission Conference of 1871—the last held be- 
fore Captain Fraser left the Islands—shows the estimation 
in which he was held by the missionaries :— 
22. That Messrs. Inglis, Paton, and Copeland be appointed a committee 
to confer with Captain Fraser with reference to a continuation of his 
services in the ‘ Dayspring’ for the ensuing year. 
23. The committee appointed to confer with Captain Fraser report that 
he has stated to them that, owing chiefly to his rising family, and the 
