CORRESPONDENCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 300, 17 December 1872, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor, of the Nelson Evening Mail. Sm r — A letter appeared in the Colonist of to-day headed "Wasted Money." I would like to lay before your readers a paragraph which I have just seen in a Canterbury Monthly : — " A seaman. in returning home to Scotland, after a cruise in in the Pacific, was asked, "Do you think the missionaries have done any good in the South Sea Islands?" "I will tell you a fact which speaks for itself," said the sailor: "Last year I was wrecked on one of those islands where X knew that eight years before a ship was wrecked and the crew murdered ; you may judge how I felt at the prospect before me — if not dashed to pieces on the rocks, to survive for only a more cruel death. When day broke, we saw a number of canoes pulling for our poor ship, and we prepared for the worst. Think of our joy and wonder when we saw the natives in English dress, and heard some of them speak in the Knglish language. On that very island the next Sunday we heard the Gospel preached. Ido not know what yoa think of missions, but I know what I do." And I would add from personal recollections of 30 years ago, when living in a heathen land, that money subscribed for missionary work was not all wasted, for I could then every day in the week hear the voice of prayer and praise ascending to God from thousands of truly converted and happy Africans, and was delighted to sit and listen to the ministry of the Word of God from a large cumber of those who but a few years before where living in all the abominable practices of an idolatrous life, and I can further say, that some of them would not have disgraced an English or a New Zealand pulpit. Yours &c., , A FOBTY-rEABS SuBSCBIBER to Missions.