378 FEEJEE GROUP. 



confidence has hitherto been published, has not been the cause of 

 less danger than the treachery, covetousness, and cannibal propensi- 

 ties of the inhabitants. Eight vessels, of which five were American, 

 are known to have been lost within the Feejee Group between the 

 years 1828 and 1840. In one of these instances, every soul on board 

 perished. In addition, eleven trading vessels and. one English ship 

 of war have been on shore, and sustained greater or less damage 

 within the same space of time. Considering how small a number 

 of vessels have as yet visited these islands, these instances of total 

 or partial loss bear an enormous proportion to those of escape without 

 injury. I confidently trust that the labours of our squadron will have 

 so far diminished the risks which had previously attended communi- 

 cation with this group, as to render a visit to them much less perilous. 



From the notes of the missionaries and conversations with them, I 

 obtained the following information relative to their operations. There 

 are six missionaries, viz : Messrs. Cargill and Jagger, established at 

 Rewa ; Mr. Cross, at Viwa ; Messrs. Hunt and Lythe, at Somu-somu ; 

 and Mr. Calvert, at Lakemba, all of whom belong to the Wesleyan 

 Missionary Society of Great Britain. They have had little success, 

 and the principal members of the church are the Tongese. At 

 Lakemba, which has the largest number, there are two hundred 

 and forty-nine admitted to the privileges of the church, and forty- 

 four on trial ; at Rewa there are thirteen members, and thirty- 

 seven on trial ; and only twelve members at Somu-somu ; making 

 about five hundred in all. But a much greater number attend 

 service : of these, many attend divine service more from curiosity 

 than from any commendable motive. 



The missionary schools contain about two hundred and fifty chil- 

 dren. 



In the course of the narrative of our operations in the Feejee 

 Islands, I have already shown some of the trials that the missiona- 

 ries have at times had to undergo ; but this is only a small part of 

 their hardships. They, their wives, and children, are almost hourly 

 liable to fall under the displeasure or caprice of these merciless 

 savages. The natives, notwithstanding, seem desirous of having 

 the missionaries among them, partly from the feeling that it will 

 be advantageous to them in their intercourse with the vessels that 

 come from time to time to bring them supplies, and partly for the 

 protection which, in their opinion, the spirit or God of the mission- 

 aries will afford to the koro where they reside. 



Upon the whole I think that the missionaries are safe as to life. 



