FEEJEE GROUP. 359 
selves, but apply the law of the land most rigorously, in not permitting 
any building to be constructed, without their own order and consent. 
On Captain Hudson’s reaching Rewa, he found Mr. Cargill, with 
his wife and five children, living in a small house, with only one apart- 
ment, having had his house blown down in a hurricane some two 
months before. The king paid no attention whatever to the request to 
build him a new house, until spoken to by Captain Hudson, when he 
promised to set about it forthwith. I cannot speak too highly of the 
cheerfulness and resignation with which the members of the mission 
and their families meet the trials they have to go through; nor can I 
withhold my surprise how any ladies or their husbands can endure a 
residence attended with such dangers and discomfort, cut off as they 
are from all communication with their friends and kindred. ‘Truly, 
there is no poetry in such a life, and it requires all the enthusiasm that 
fervent religion calls forth, to endure the pains and perils to which they 
are subject. 
We regretted to learn the death of Mrs. Cargill during our stay 
among the group, leaving a family of five young children. I can 
scarcely conceive a situation more pitiable than Mr. Cargill’s is ren- 
dered by this bereavement. In consequence of the destitute state in 
which his children were left, he was obliged to return to England 
without delay. 
It will be seen that the missionaries here have had but little encou- 
ragement. Neither is there a prospect of their making much progress 
for some time to come. The chiefs are averse to the new religion, 
because they do not choose to adopt, as they say, other gods at their 
time of life, and lest they should lose their authority over their people, 
whom they govern now through the medium of their gods or priests. 
They refuse to allow any one of the natives under their rule to join the 
mission, or receive instruction. From my own observation, I am very 
well satisfied that the common people, if permitted, would readily seek 
the change that would insure any thing like security from the tyran- 
nical customs they are now suffering under. 
The opinion is becoming general, that where a missionary resides 
wars do not take place; and the moment will arrive when the change 
in this group will be more rapid than that which has heretofore 
attended their exertions elsewhere. Although this may yet be at some 
distance, it must certainly ensue, whenever the intercourse with the 
whites shall have so much increased as to make it desirable for the 
chiefs to acquire the art of writing, and they have formed a proper 
estimate of our power. Should the king of one of the powerful dis- 
tricts be converted, his whole tribe will follow the royal example. 
