RANGIHOUA. 
168 
every nature — the want of shelter, of food, of 
raiment, of companions — might be borne with 
comparative ease ; but the taunts, and revilings, 
and threats, of those whom we ,only desired to 
benefit, and for whose sake all earthly comfort was 
given up, were most difficult to endure with pa- 
tience and firmness and faith. In the first years of 
the Mission, and when its resources were limited to 
a very small annual sum, no extensive plans could 
be adopted for the general good. But when the 
“ Active,” a small schooner, was purchased, and 
employed in the Mission, the Missionaries were 
better able to procure timber, and to erect per- 
manent houses. The enemies of this Mission, 
however, most to be dreaded, were some of their 
own household. The number of Labourers was 
increased ; and some, influenced by the spirit of 
the wicked one, early crept in among the faithful 
few. So far, indeed, did some of them dishonour 
the self-denying doctrines of the Cross, which they 
had been sent here to teach, that no less painful a 
plan could be adopted, than an ignominious era- 
sure of their names from the list of the Society's 
Labourers. Meanwhile, the rest struggled on 
through various difficulties, of which it would be 
almost impossible to convey an adequate impres- 
sion. Placed at such an immense distance from 
the source of their supplies ; suffering through the 
lowness of the Society's funds ; little competent to 
learn, and grammatically to arrange, a barbarous 
language; embarrassed by the superstitions of 
