192 Letter XIV. 
wait till time shall develop their results and test their values. 
More particularly, I would say, when the natives shall embrace 
Christianity, don’t expect among them a high civilisation. As 
a race they are-low, physically and intellectually, and are not 
capable, meantime at least, of a civilisation such as yours and 
mine. A certain amount of it they appear to acquire very 
rapidly, but the after steps are taken very slowly indeed. Even 
were they capable of a high civilization, they do not possess the 
materials for it; and the too sudden change would prove, 
physically, very injurious to them.” 
Another accusation made against missionaries is that they 
go out, from motives of personal gain, with the idea of enrich- 
ing themselves and living comfortable easy lives. If that is 
really the case, the New Hebridean missionaries are decidedly 
the most irrational set of men I ever came across. The New 
Hebrides is the last place any sane man or woman would go to 
in search of comfort, and a missionary’s is certainly the last 
trade any sane man would take up that wanted to make his 
fortune. The idea is too absurd to talk sefiously about. I have 
not the slightest hesitation in saying that every one of them 
might occupy a very much better position, pecuniarily, in a 
civilised land than they do at present, and that there is nothing 
in their present mode of life to counterbalance this—nothing 
save the consciousness that they are doing their duty towards 
God and their fellow-men. 
Not only are the missionaries doing good to the natives ; 
they are also benefitting Science. As educated men amongst 
new peoples and new forms of animal and vegetable life, their 
observations upon these subjects are of great value. I can quite 
understand and believe the remark “ that the missionaries have 
done more to bring to light new languages than all the learned 
societies in the world.” 
Then they are opening up new fields for commerce ; they are 
