Mr. Horton commenced his labors in Tasmania, or V^an Diemen's Land, in 1820. The population there was utterly demoralized, both convicts and natives. Among the former were found a few who had been Methodists, who had repented of their evil doings, and had commenced a society class, and were erecting a chapel. The mission prospered there, under the foster- ing smile of the governor, who, seeing the good results of the labors of the missionaries, in 1827 applied for ad- ditional preachers, ottering to pay their passage out and partial support on arrival. . In 1832 William Butters commenced a new station at Port Arthur, another con- vict settlement. Successive governors testified to the value of these missionaries' labors among the convicts, and in 1837 the work was extended by the arrival of four more preachers.
A survey was made of the progress of the mission on that continent in 1839, when they were reported to be nine missionaries, 570 members of society, and 922 scholars. To extend and consolidate the work, the Rev. John Waterhouse was appointed general superintendent of all the Australian and Polynesian missions; but his exhaustive and earnest labors ended his earthly career i in three years, though the work was extended. Will- ; iam Binnington Boyce succeeded him, and he became the president of the first Australian Conference in 1855. Samuel Leigh, on his return from England in 1821, made an inroad on New Zealand. His first experiment was not encouraging. On entering one of the native villages, he passed twelve human heads, tattooed, placed on the pathway. That sight helped to determine him to endeavor to dispel the darkness and misery which prevailed. He secured the help of Messrs. Turner and White, and commenced a mission at Wagarea, on the north-east coast. They were surrounded by ferocious and savage men. One day Mr. Turner saw several chiefs seated at a fire, roasting one of their slaves be- tween two logs of wood, to make them a meal. These natives became more enlightened, the work prospered, natives were converted, chapels were erected, and much good was done; but in 1827 war broke out, the mission was stopped, and the missionaries fled to Sydnej-. In 1828 they returned, at the invitation of one of the chiefs, and commenced a new mission at Maugungu, which for
WESLEYAN CONF., AUSTRAL. 920 WESLEYAN CONF., AUSTRAL.
two years made but litlle progress. After 1830 the work revived, conversions increased rapidly, more mis- sionaries were sent, and so satisfactory was the conduct of the people tliat one of tlie missionaries in 183-1 wrote, "In reverential behavior in the house of God, the awakened aborigines were a pattern even to Europeans, and tokens of many kinds were given that a glorious work was beginning in New Zealand." Those signs proved true. Deputations were sent from the Southern Island to the missionaries for preachers and teachers; more mis- sionaries were sent out, who soon mastered the language of the natives; books were written and translated; a printing-press was established ; chapels and schools were erected; and an institution for the training of native preachers was established. The blessings of civilized life followed the dift'usion of Christian principles ; and in ISbi, when it was determined to unite the mission .stations in New Zealand with those in Australia, to form one Conference, the Feport of the condition of the Methodist missions in New Zealand exhibited the fol- lowing figures: Chapels, 105; other preaching-places, 148; local preachers, 322 ; catechists, 5; members of so- ciety, 4500; attendants at public worship, 11,000; mis- sionaries, 20. So ably had the missionaries conducted their financial enterprises that in 1854 the entire debts on their chapel property in New Zealand were only £360. After such a satisfactory report, there was no opposition to the union of the latter mission with Aus- tralia. There were also: Sunday-schools, 188; day- schools, 88; pupils, 5846. Such were the results a quarter of a century since.
The South Sea Islands form an important part of the Australian Methodist Church. Walter Lowry com- menced a mission in Tonga in 1822, but it was given up in 1823. In 1820 John Thomas and John Hutchin- son resumed the work, and in 1827 they were joined by William Cross, Nathaniel Turner, and another, and that gracious work was commenced which has resulted in bringing the whole population of those islands un- der the influence of Christianity. There are no records in history which can compare with those of the history of Christianity in the various islands of the South Seas for the completeness of the overthrow of heathenism, idolatry, infanticide, cannibalism, with all their attend- ant horrors; and the establishment, in their place, of churches, chapels, schools, parsonages; the whole popu- lation within the space of a quarter of a century em- bracing Christianity and learning to read and write; and the introduction and practice of all the customs of civ- ilized life. When John Thomas, who still lives, visited the Hawaii Islands in 1830, he was startled to find the king and the people had abandoned paganism and were worshipping the true God, and their idol temples were cither burned or converted into dwelling-houses. Dur- ing a visit to Tonga, where the mission had appeared to fail, the king of the Hawaii Islands had been converted, and on his return brought with him a Christian native and his wife. The king, leading his people by exam- ple, was bajitizcd, and he had a chapel erected in which fifteen hunched people could worship. In but a short time young and old, rich and poor, masters and servants, embraced the new lo(u, or religion. The king, a man of fine presence and intelligence, took the name of George, and his wife that of Charlotte. King George carried ^he intelligence of their conversion to the king of Vavau, who, on hearing and seeing the changes which Christianity had wrought, with a thousand of his people at once renounced paganism, and the visitors remained a long time teaching the people the elements of Christianity. A press was established, and books printed by thousands and scattered broadcast on the nu- merous islands. The press was to the people one of the greatest marvels they had known. Hymn-books, cate- chisms, and portions of Scripture were distributed by thousands, the natives being the voluntary agents em- ployed; and very soon hundreds of these natives, male and female, including chiefs and their wives, were em-