The first convert on Aniwa was the chief Mamokei. He
often came to drink tea with the missionary family, and afterward brought with
him chief Naswai and his wife ; and all three were soon converted. Mamokei
brought his little daughter to be educated in the mission. Many orphan children
were also put under their care, and often these little children warned them of
plots against their lives.
In the early
part of the work on Aniwa, an incident happened which was amusing as well as
romantic. A young Aniwan was in love with a young widow, living in an island
village. Unfortunately, there were thirty other young men who also were suitors
; and as the one who married her would probably be killed by the others, none
dared to venture, After consulting with Paton, the young man went to her village at night and stole away with her. The others were
furious, but were pacified by Paton, who made them believe she was not worth
troubling themselves over. After three weeks had passed, the young man came out of hiding, and asked permission to bring her
to the mission-house, which was granted. The next day she appeared in time for
services. As the distinguishing feature of a Christian on Aniwa is that he
wears more clothing than the heathen native, and as this young lady wished to
show very plainly in what direction her sympathies extended, she appeared on
the scene clad in a variety and abundance of clothing which it would be hard to equal. It was
mostly European, at least. Over her native grass skirt she wore a man's
drab-colored great-coat, sweeping over her heels. Over this was a vest, and on
her head was a pair of trousers, one leg trailing over each shoulder. On one shoulder,
also, was a red shirt, on the other a striped one; and, last of all, a red
shirt was twisted around her head as a turban.
Many stories
might be told illustrating the results of the early efforts of the missionary, but
we pass on to that of the sinking of the well. As has already been said, there
is little rain on Aniwa. The juice of the cocoanut is largely used by the natives in place of
drinking-water. Paton resolved to sink a well, much to the astonishment of the
natives, who, when he explained his plan to them, thought him crazy.
He began to dig ; and the friendly old chief kept men
near him all the time, for fear he would take his own life, for they thought surely
he must have gone mad. He managed to get some of the natives to help him, paying
them in fish-hooks ; but when the depth of twelve feet was reached the sides of
the excavation caved in, and after that no native would enter it. Paton then
constructed a derrick ; and they finally consented to help pull up the loaded
pails, while he dug. Day after day he toiled, till the hole was thirty feet
deep. Still no water was found. That day he said to the old chief, "I
think Jehovah God will give us water to-morrow from that hole." But the chief
said they expected to see him fall through into the sea. Next morning he sunk a
small hole in the bottom of the well, and from this hole there spurted a stream
of water. Filling the jug with the water, he passed it round to the natives,
telling them to examine and taste it. They were so awe-stricken that not one
dared look over the edge into the well. At last they formed a line, holding
each other by the hand, and first one looked over, then the next, etc., till
all had seen the water in the well. When they were told that they all could use
the water from that well, the old chief exclaimed, "Missi, what can we do
to help you now ?" He directed them to bring coral rock to line the well
with, which they did with a will. That was the beginning of a new era on Aniwa.
The following Sunday the chief preached a sermon on the well.
In the days that followed multitudes of natives brought their idols to the
mission, where they were destroyed Henceforth Christianity gained a permanent foothold
on the island.
In 1869 the first
communion was held, twelve out of twenty applicants being admitted to the
church. In speaking of his emotions during the first communion, Paton says, "I
shall never taste a deeper bliss until I gaze on the glorified face of Jesus himself."
In 1884 he
returned to Scotland, his main object being to secure, 6,000 for a
mission-ship. He addressed many assemblages of different kinds, and succeeded
in getting not only the 6,000 required, but 3,000 beside. He returned to Aniwa
in 1886, and continued his work.
Recently he
again visited England, and also the United States. He is now back on Aniwa
Aniwa, no longer a savage island, but by the grace of God a Christian land.
There he expects to remain till summoned to his reward before the heavenly throne.
In this sketch
an attempt has been made to give only a brief account of the work of this great
missionary. No adequate idea can be given of his untiring zeal, his
forgetfulness of self, and his simple faith in God. It is probable that no one
has ever visited America in the interest of foreign missions who has made so
deep an impression of the triumphs of the gospel among vicious and degraded
peoples as has the eminent missionary hero, John G. Paton.
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