with three men each crossed quickly over just ahead of the boat and shot at some men who were fishing, and then as speedily returned.

"When at a safe distance from the enemy, who at once prepared to give chase, they dropped their paddles, one man on each canoe stood and danced, and all sent up such a yell as to make one ask, Why do the heathen rage?' Shells were blown on both sides; men ran to and fro and then into the sea with canoes on their shoulders, women and children screamed and ran to the hills for protection. No harm or insult was offered us, though I had hard work for a time to keep some of our crew quiet."

At a later date Mr. Treiber, accompanied by Moses, Johni, and Manasseh, went among the most savage of the Ruk people, and Mr. Treiber reports : —

"A good display of arms was made (loaded with glass, such as the necks of bottles, etc., so I was told), but when they found that we had no arms they were much ashamed. All treated us kindly and gave us food. When this present war is over they want teachers."

MARSHALL ISLANDS.

Dr. Pease, who has charge of the Marshall Islands' training school at Kusaie, reports that the school has had a successful year, having as pupils twentythree Marshall Islanders, five of whom were women. There were also eight or ten Kusaian day-scholars. At the beginning of the year the majority of the male pupils were not church members, but before the year closed every one professed to accept Christ, only one of them proving unfaithful. For the present year the number of Marshall Islanders is thirty-three, with four Kusaian day-scholars. The tour with the Star through the Marshall Island group was made in September and October, before the vessel visited the Gilbert Islands. This arrangement proved successful, as the winter months are usually stormy and disagreeable among the Marshall Islands. The annual inspection of the islands where evangelical work has

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Rev. Jeremaia is in charge, assisted by Laijarki. Eight preaching stations are maintained, and one school of about forty pupils. There have been a goodly number of additions to the church, while only two have been expelled. The contributions have been larger than ever before. We regard this as a most excellent record, especially so, when we consider the proximity of unfavorable foreign influences, nowhere else so powerful or dangerous as here. Rev. Jeremaia is obviously growing old. We pray that the Lord will spare him for many years yet, for we shall never find a man able to take and fill his place." Ebon. This, it will be remembered, was one of the early stations of the Board, but no American missionary has resided there for many years. The place seems to be in disfavor with the Germans, who first fined the island five hundred dollars, and now have imposed an excessive tax equal to that levied on larger and richer islands. For this reason the contributions for mission work are entirely cut off. Dr. Pease says: :-

bring to Kusaie as a scholar. He now seems sincerely penitent and we hope that he will be restored before very long.

“Mille. — Here Rev. Joseph is the pastor, Tomas and Lokatop assistants. Tomas has been here several years, Lokatop only one. He has recently been married. The two schools have been small and the church has suffered a slight decrease.

There has been some foreign interference here, also. I will relate one instance. A certain trader on one of the islets mysteriously disappeared, his house being burned at the same time. A thorough investigation, made by the German officials, failed to discover whether the man was murdered, perished accidentally, or committed suicide. But inasmuch as there was found in possession of some of the natives some blackened and halfmelted silver picked up from the ashes of the burned building, the usual fine of five hundred dollars (2,000 marks) was imposed, and the matter dropped. I might state that in order to make up this indemnity' in part, a small sum of money, which had been contributed for our work, and was in the possession of one of the chiefs, was seized. This, too, although the commissioner was informed that the money had been given

to us.

"We took away Tomas for another year in school. He had been laboring here faithfully for several years, and needed the rest, as well as additional study.

"Arno. - This is the largest island in the group and was first occupied several years ago. When we came down in 1877, Rev. S. P. Kaaia was returning to his station here. A little later he was recalled and the station abandoned. The nucleus of a church which had been gathered soon disappeared, and nearly every trace of missionary work was blotted out. Two years ago we left Rev. Raijok to begin the work over again. Last year he was reënforced by Nabue. No church has yet been organized, though there are quite a number of hopeful converts, now under instruction as catechumens. Rev. Raijok

is a very cautious man, consequently his work abides better than that of some of our helpers. At our service the church building was filled with a very attentive audience. These two brethren are entirely inadequate to the great work that is waiting to be done on this island. It is Tomas' home. He traveled all one night

to visit his parents, and on his return told us the chief in authority on that part of the island, five times in one day, urged his need of a teacher to live with him. If possible we shall have to locate Tomas there next year. No part of our field gives better promise than this most populous and perhaps most heathenish of the Marshalls.

"Mejuro. This island is almost in sight of Arno, is next to it in size, and rivals it in heathenism. In past years several attempts were made to secure a foothold here, but no progress was ever made. The people were so addicted to fighting that they had neither inclination nor time to attend school or religious meetings. One of our teachers who was there for a year said preaching to them was like talking to trees.' We called on our old friend Jiberik, who is now quite gray and has a silvery beard. He was as gracious and profuse in promises, and probably just as great a liar as ever before. But he now says that he wants to repent,' and he was very anxious to have a teacher. So we left a man, a former pupil of the Ebon school, whom we had taken along for this purpose. While at anchor at Jiberik's end of the island a message came to us from the chief, who rules at the other end, earnestly requesting a teacher for himself. But we were unable to leave any one there this year, and so thought best not to pay him a visit.

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· Malwonlap. — This was Raijok's old station, but had been unoccupied for several years until last year, when we left there Le Bill, a Jaluij deacon, who had been in school one year; a poor scholar, but an earnest Christian man. I shall never forget how we left him a year ago, alone on the beach, sitting on

a

a box of Testaments crying. His wife was in some native's house at a distance, and they were total strangers to all the people. This year we found the teacher's house and church rebuilt, the chief and a large number of the people enthusiastic in their devotion to their teacher, school of forty scholars, and five of the old church members remaining faithful. I admitted eleven on profession, and one was restored. There was a great demand for books, and for another teacher to help in the work here and on Aur, which is under the same chief and lies halfway between this island and Mejuro. These islands have immense lagoons, that of Malwonlap is some forty miles by twenty, and the inhabited islets are very far apart. It is therefore impossible for one man to do one quarter of the work that is pressing. And the Aur people are also urging their claim. We shall have to try to send them another man next year, though I don't yet see who it can be.

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Ailinglaplap. Rev. Andru is in charge here, assisted during the past year by Lanior, a former Ebon pupil. The work here is prosperous, — four preaching places and forty-five in the school, — the church growing. Rev. Andru's influence seems to extend to other islands to the north and west. At the communion service which we attended while at the island, three were admitted to the church from Ujae, one of them a chief. The people of Ailinglaplap had made a very generous contribution for missions, but it was mostly in cobra and so not available this year. We may lose it altogether.

"Namo. - This was the next island, and it had never before been visited by the Star. We found an immensely long lagoon, rather narrow, surrounded by an almost unbroken reef, but with only two or three islets of any account. The largest of these, where we found a meetinghouse in the woods a mile from the shore where we landed, we selected for our station. There are not more than two or three hundred people whom Nierik, the teacher we left there, can reach.

jelein, where a woman, as we hear, has been holding Sabbath services for some time, and where, as she says, the people are hungry and thirsty for God's word.' But we had no man for the place. Possibly we shall be able to send them somebody next year."

The Ujae mentioned above is near to Ailinglaplap, where there had never been a teacher but where the materials of a church were found. Here a teacher, Lailero, and his wife were left. The people were clothed and apparently quite intelligent. Ujae is a long narrow lagoon with few habitable islets, and only one good entrance. Another island, Lae, was not visited, but a report came that several there were ready to confess Christ.

Namerik. Likilol has labored here, the place having been visited once during the year by Rev. Jeremaia, of Jaluij.

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The work is prosperous: the church has increased slightly, and there have been fifty-five in school. There are three preaching stations. Namerik always furnishes one very hard day's work. The landing is bad, often dangerous. There is a mile walk afterward; and then, what with marrying, examining candidates, baptizing, holding public services, and doing some medical work, night comes before we are ready for it. There is no anchorage, and the captain of the Star is hardly willing to lie off and on in the strong current overnight. As we had no one to relieve Likilol he was left in charge for another year, and we 'squared away' for Kusaie."

"I have great pleasure in reporting the

formation of a church of eighteen members at our new out-station, Las Cuevas. Only about two years ago our native helper, Padierna, was driven out of this place with stones, and his life threatened should he ever return, which he dared not do. The village president, who was a devoted, although not a fanatical, Catholic, informed him frankly that he could not assure him protection. Our first visit to the pueblo was made in May of last year, but previous to that time some interest in the truth had been awakened by the visits of a native family now connected with the Parral church, but formerly residents of Las Cuevas. Only since last August have we been able to prosecute the work with anything like regularity.

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Very little time has elapsed between the first seed-sowing and the firstfruits of the harvest just gathered in. These eighteen persons are mostly heads of families, and have proved the genuineness of their faith by fully six months of consistent Christian life, facing bravely and with excellent spirit the fanatical opposition which has been directed against them constantly. In September they, of their own accord, rented a suitable room in which to hold services. Since that time both Sabbath and weekday meetings have been faithfully maintained, the average attendance being about forty. In the absence of the missionary, these meetings have been directed by the same village president above mentioned, of whose scripture explanations and helpful influence all speak in the highest terms. The church organization was initiated and conducted in the most orderly Congregational way. Four churches were represented in the council called, eighty-eight miles being the average distance traveled by the delegates. Mr. Eaton came from Chihuahua, and the entire station force, including babies and baby-organ, went over from Parral, accompanied by about a dozen members of the congregation."

Mr. Case speaks of the services as peculiarly solemn, especially the moments when, all kneeling reverently, the ordinance of baptism was administered.

Mr.

Eaton preached the sermon, the native brethren bearing their parts remarkably well. The reports given by the delegates at the fellowship meeting on Sunday evening were inspiring. Mr. Case says: "The pastors in the home land are doubtless favored with many privileges of which we missionaries are deprived, but we have no desire to exchange places with them. We should be obliged to forego too much."

West Central African Mission.

A REVOLUTION AT BIHE.

UNDER date of January 19, Mr. Fay

wrote:

'Since my last letter we have seen the completion of a bloodless revolution in Bihé, such as could occur in few countries. The osoma, who had just completed the first part of the native rites which placed him firmly upon his throne, has been compelled to abdicate and flee to his friends. When first brought to the ombala there was a good deal of dissatisfaction because he was an old man and another and powerful party wanted their man as king. As far as I could see he seemed to be a fair judge in the cases reported to me, but that did not suit some who believed in plunder. These men raised the cry that the new osoma could not talk. He could not and did not press the weaker party enough to suit them. So they began to plot against him. His strength lay beyond the river Kuito, in the vicinity of the new station, covering a region as large as that surrounding the ombala. Those on the south side of the Kuito (our side) were soon against the new king, and as long ago as April, 1882, we began to hear remarks that he would soon be driven out.

"The first plot was that Cikunyu, who sought the throne after the death of Ciponge, should visit the ombala to render allegiance to the osoma, and then with his followers in the ombala seize the throne. But Ciyoka, the osoma, heard of the plot and soon filled the ombala with his friends, and for that time the matter

was ended. The man came and promised obedience and returned to his village without attempting to carry out the plot. "The next one was deep laid. They had decided on a war over beyond the Kuanza River. According to custom the osoma should start out first, and sit in the camp of gathering. This would be some miles from the ombala, and in such a direction that the aspirant to the throne would pass near the ombala on coming to the war-camp. Instead of going to the camp he was to enter and hold the ombala, when all the headmen in the plot would leave the osoma and come to the new man. It was nicely planned, but the osoma refused to follow the old custom and would not leave the ombala. The war was delayed more than a month to persuade him to go out. At last they gave up this plot and all the sekulus and old men met at the ombala and told the osoma he must leave or they would kill him.

"It seems that this move was a surprise, for few or none of his friends were about him, so he was compelled to leave. But instead of returning to his old village, he went over to his friends across the Kuito. Every one tells me that this set-tles the matter, and it only remains to bring in the new osoma. It may be so, but the old osoma's following on the other side of the Kuito is large, and the play may not yet be complete. Ciyoka was such a great improvement upon Ciponge in his treatment of us, that I am truly sorry that he has been compelled to leave. We have been altogether free from the trouble and worry we had while Ciponge ruled at the ombala. The man who is now to come in is comparatively young, perhaps thirty-five or forty. It is impossible not to feel a little anxiety in the new change, for Cikunyu is a man after the pattern of Ciponge."

Mr. Fay reports that since the completion of his house he has been enabled to give more time to evangelistic work, and he is preparing a class for baptism, a work which requires great care, as the most promising boys are quite young. The

Sabbath services at Kamondongo station are kept up with variable attendance on the part of the people. In the morning the service is chiefly for the boys and those who are professed Christians; in the afternoon for the people from the village, the boys going out and calling them to come. In so doing the boys are subjected to a variety of treatment; sometimes they are reviled and threatened, and once or twice have been driven out of the village. The comers to these services vary in number from fifteen to seventy; sometimes they are noisy, but usually they are quite attentive and seem to understand what is said to them.

Mr. Stover, at Bailundu, reports another case of discipline in the church. One of the young men was led astray, but after long and faithful effort on the part of the deacons the offender seemed thoroughly penitent and has been restored.

meet.

There have been some interesting scenes in connection with these visits which have greatly encouraged the society, so much so that they hope soon to hold meetings in some of the houses, after obtaining the necessary permit from the mayor. As yet they have not been molested, and they have found but one tract torn and thrown away in the street. The members pledge themselves to give a certain sum every month as well as to work. They are men who have to work hard to earn their daily bread, and five of them are over fifty years of age.

"The Christian Endeavor Society of the school, which, by the way, has fifty dollars in its treasury, the fruit of selfdenial, heard about the new missionary