Translated
by John Paton (1824-1907),
the son of James Paton,
a very poor but godly Reformed
Presbyterian of the
parish of Kirkmahoe,
near Dumfries, Scotland.
James, seeing that God had not called him to the ministry, had vowed "that
if God gave him sons, he would consecrate them unreservedly to the Ministry
of Christ, if the Lord saw fit to accept the offering, and open up their way”.
Before James Paton passed into glory, he was granted
the privilege of seeing three sons of his eleven children “entering upon
and not unblessed in the Holy Office”.
John Paton, the eldest, went to the
New
Hebrides
(now called Vanuatu)
in the South Pacific to preach the Gospel to the heathen tribes there. Many
times his life was in great danger, but the Lord delivered him out of all
his troubles. The following letter was written by some converted tribal
chieftains of the
New Hebridean Island
of Tanna,
to the Governor (the representative of the British Monarch) in New
South Wales, Australia.
[Written
at the urgent request and dictation of the Missionary’s friends on Tanna
to be presented to the Governor of New South Wales. Literally translated by
me, John G. Paton.]
To
the Chief of Sydney, the servant of Queen
Victoria of Britannia,
saying – We great men of Tanna dwell in a dark land. Our people are very
dark hearted. They know nothing good.
Missi
Paton the man [(Missionary) John
Paton], Missi Mathieson the man, and Missi Mathieson the woman [Mr
and Mrs Mathieson, a Nova Scotian missionary and his wife], have dwelt
here four yams ( = years ) to teach us the worship of Jehovah. Their conduct
has been straight and very good; therefore we love these three Missionaries,
and the worship of Jehovah which they three have taught us, the Tannese.
Alas!
a part, as it were; only three of our Chiefs, whose names are Nauka, Miaki,
and Karewick, besides Ringian, Enukarupi, Attica, and Namaka, they and their
people hate the worship and all good conduct like that which the Word of
Jehovah teaches us and the people of all lands. These men all belong to four
Villages only. They have stolen all Missi’s [John
Paton’s] property; they have broken into his house. They have cut down
his bananas. They have scolded and persecuted him; and they desire to kill
Missi and to eat him, so that they may destroy the worship of God from the
land
of
Tanna
.
We
hate exceedingly their bad conduct, and pray you, the Great Chief of Sydney,
to punish these dark Tannese, who have persecuted Missi, who have deceived
Missi, who have altogether deceived the
Great Chief ( = Commodore Seymour ) and the Chief ( = Captain Hume )
of the Men-of-war, and who deceived the Chief and the Missionaries in the John
Williams, who murdered one of Missi Paton’s Aneityum Teachers, who
fought Missi Turner and Missi Nisbet, who killed Vasa and his Samoan people,
who killed the foreigners, who have now fought and driven away our three
missionaries. Their conduct has been exceedingly bad. They destroy the
Kingdom
of
Tanna
, kill the people
and eat them, and are guilty of bad conduct every day. Our hearts hate their
bad conduct; we are pained by it.
Therefore
we earnestly pray you, the Chief of Sydney, to send quickly a Man-of-war to
punish them, and to revenge all their bad conduct towards Missi. Then truly
we will rejoice; then it will be good and safe for the three Missionaries to
dwell here, and to teach us, men of the devil. Our hearts are very dark; we
know nothing; we are just like
pigs. Therefore it is good for Missi to teach us the Word and the Worship of
Jehovah the Great King. Long ago He was unknown here. Missi brought His
knowledge to us.
Our
love to you, the Great Chief of Sydney, the servant of Queen
Victoria, and we
earnestly pray you to protect us, and to protect our Missionaries and the
Worship of God in our land, the
land
of Tanna. We weep for our
Missionaries. They three gave us medicine in our sickness, and clothing for
our bodies; taught us what is good conduct, and taught us the way to Heaven.
Of all these things long ago we had no knowledge whatever; therefore we
weep, and our hearts cling to these three, our Missionaries. If they three
are not here, who will teach us the way to Heaven? Who will prevent our bad
conduct? Who will protect us from the bad conduct of foreigners? And who
will love us, and teach us all good things?
Oh,
compassionate us, Chief of Sydney! Hold fast these three, our Missionaries,
and give them back to us, and we will love you and your people. You and your
people know the Word of Jehovah; you are going on the path to Heaven; you
all love the Word of Jehovah. Oh, look in mercy on us, dark-hearted men,
going to the bad land, to the great eternal fire, just like our fathers who
are dead!
May
Jehovah make your heart and the hearts of your people sweet towards us, to
compassionate us and to look in mercy on our dark land; and we will pray
Jehovah to make you good, and give you a rich reward.
The
names of us, the Chiefs of Tanna, who worship towards Jehovah:
|
Yarisi,
|
x his mark.
|
Manuman,
|
x his mark.
|
|
Ruawa,
|
x his mark.
|
Nuara,
|
x his mark.
|
|
Kapuka,
|
x his mark.
|
Nebusak,
|
x his mark.
|
|
Taura,
|
x his mark.
|
Kaua,
|
x his mark.
|
|
Faimungo,
|
x his mark.
|
Nowar,
|
x his mark.
|
Reference
“JOHN
G. PATON, Missionary to the New
Hebrides
(Vanuatu)” published by The Banner of Truth Trust, 1994. pp 506-508.
