CHAPTER XV.
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CHAPTER XV.
Murder of F. Chanel at Futuna--The Bishop Visits the Tropical Archipelago--Departure from Akaroa for Friendly Islands--Father Viard sent in the Allier to Futuna--Five Months' Stay of the Bishop at Wallis--Stay at Futuna--Departure for Fiji--Founding of a Mission at Tongatabu--Visit to Vavau and Wallis Island.
AFTER I had been some days at Akaroa, two French corvettes came to the anchorage, the Heroine and the Allier. The former had called at the Bay of Islands, and the commander brought me a letter which informed me that Father Chanel, one of my Provicars at Futuna, had been massacred by the order of the king of that island; that in consequence the mission established in that place was going to ruin, and the mission at Wallis Island was also in the greatest peril. It was further reported that the death of Father Chanel had taken place in the month of April in the year 1841. On receiving this news I saw the importance of hastening my pastoral visit to these islands and the Friendly Islands.
I communicated to Captain Lavaud all the difficulties of the position in which I was placed, and asked him, in the name of the Minister of the Royal Navy, for the assistance of one of the three corvettes that were on the coast, to visit the Friendly Islands and to withdraw my missionaries from Wallis if the people proved themselves unworthy of them. Captain Lavaud complied with all my demands with the greatest kindness. He placed the corvette the Allier in a manner at my disposal, giving the requisite instructions to Captain Bouset, who commanded her. This corvette and my mission schooner, which she accompanied, quickly set sail for the tropical islands. I had Father Viard with me.
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According to an account sent to the Sacred Congregation of the Propaganda, dated 14th November, 1841, I left New Zealand with one hundred and sixty-four tribes embracing the Catholic faith, which meant about forty-five thousand catechumens and a thousand neophytes.
We left Akaroa with the Sancta Maria and the corvette the Allier towards the end of November. The first stoppage we made was at the harbour of refuge in the Island of Vavau. It was Christmas time, and I celebrated the Holy Offices with great solemnity on board the Allier, which was anchored off the shore. The commander, M. Bouset, rendered the Catholic Bishop military honours off this island, firing a salvo of artillery; then he called together all the chiefs of the tribes to a great meeting on shore, where, with dignity, loyalty, and firmness, he read them a well-deserved lesson on civilisation. He reproached them with the civil intolerance (imposed by the Methodist missionaries) they had shown me nearly four years before, in refusing to allow me to stay on their island. He exacted from them that, for the future, they should not behave in a like manner to any French subject, whosoever he might be. All the chiefs received the advice of the noble commander with docility.
After a few days had elapsed our two vessels set sail for the Island of Wallis. I was received with distinction on board the Allier for this voyage. Before four days we were at the anchorage of Wallis. There I soon learned from Fathers Bataillon and Chevron the difficulties that beset their station, and the sufferings and persecutions they had endured. However, the grace of the Lord had fertilised their labours, and afforded grounds for consolation. There were a great number of catechumens in the island. But one of the most influential chiefs in Wallis prevented the baptism of the natives converted to the faith, and he used every effort to drive the two Catholic missionaries from the island, to the great displeasure of many of the natives.
The appearance of the Catholic Bishop and the presence of the power of France in the corvette Allier, made a salutary impression on all the tribes and all the chiefs of this island. I celebrated a solemn Mass on shore in a church made of reeds, at which the King of Wallis and many of the chiefs and people assisted, as did also Captain Bouset with his staff and part of his crew.
However, after passing five or six days at Wallis, I saw that the difficulties of the mission were not overcome. The chief who had prevented the baptizing of the catechumens continued obstinate. Fathers Bataillon and Chevron asked me either to remain some months in this island or to take them away with me to some other people.
Then I decided to remain with my missionaries. I gave instructions to Father Viard to go and visit Futuna and sound the disposition of the people. He was accompanied by a chief of that island, who was a catechumen at Wallis, and able to give the first instructions in the faith to infidels. I gave him also all the spiritual powers necessary for a catechist. Lastly, I begged Captain Bouset to take his corvette to Futuna, and gather together the remains of Father Chanel, and to shed no blood in satisfaction of the crime that had been committed against his person. Everything was done as I asked. The remains of Father Chanel were given by the commander to Father Viard; the catechist chief, named Sam, was left on the island, and at the end of three or four months he had converted the whole island.
During this time the Sancta Maria left for the Bay of Islands to bring provisions, and come back and fetch me from Wallis. As to the corvette the Allier, her mission was concluded, and she returned to Akaroa, to Captain Lavaud, commander of the French station.
During this time I remained at Wallis, where I laboured with Fathers Bataillon and Chevron. After a stay of three weeks I was able to preach and hear confessions in the language of these people. I had gained the good-will of the chief who had opposed the baptism of the inhabitants of Wallis; every liberty was accorded me to exercise the ministrations of salvation in their behalf. I hastened the instruction in the necessary means for salvation, and at the end of four months and a-half all the people on the island, to the number of two thousand seven hundred, were baptized and confirmed. There were only five or six who put off the work of their salvation and were not baptized. But
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THE WHOLE POPULATION OF FUTUNA CONVERTED.
the king of the island and his family were among the neophytes. A large mission cross was solemnly erected on the royal grounds; a great number of new neophytes in this island were instructed in the mysteries of the Holy Eucharist and made their first communion.
In the last days of April, 1842, the Sancta Maria arrived with Father Viard on board. In this manner the mission at Wallis was provisioned and strengthened by another priest, who was my Grand Vicar. I placed him on this island in charge of all the tropical missions and hastened to go and pay a visit to the island of Futuna and the Friendly Islands.
I took with me Father Chevron, Father Servant and Father Rouleau, with the catechist brothers--Marie Nisier and Atalle. The two latter priests had been brought to me from New Zealand by the Sancta Maria. The King of Wallis, with forty-five of the nobles of the island, wished to accompany me on my voyage; he put provisions on board for himself and his companions, and I took him with pleasure as a passenger.
The first island we touched at was Futuna, where we stayed about ten days. There I found the catechist Sam and the people quite changed. In the whole island they knew the necessary truths of religion and said morning and evening prayer. The king who had persecuted Father Chanel was dead of a sudden illness. All the people waited for the visit of the Catholic Bishop to elect among them a new sovereign. Without mixing myself in politics I advised them to choose from amongst themselves a chief who would be good for the true God, good for the native people and good for strangers who should have dealings with them. Then, in my presence, all the chiefs of the island elected the catechist Sam to be king of all the island. Now, without interfering in their choice, I showed my satisfaction and I left them Fathers Servant and Rouleau, as missionaries, and the catechist Marie Nisier under the special protection of the new king.
During my visit I went to visit the spot where Father Chanel had been immolated. I celebrated Holy Mass there, gave an instruction to the people, and erected a large wooded cross, which I solemnly blessed.
There were a great number of catechumens who asked to be baptized. We instructed them and made them undergo a preparatory examination. We found that one hundred and seventeen were fit to be admitted to this august sacrifice. I then baptized them all and gave them confirmation. The new king, Sam, his wife and his young daughter, were the first to receive these celestial favours; these three distinguished neophytes received at my mass, Holy Communion for the first time.
I hastened then to take my departure for Fiji. More than thirty natives of Tongatabu, who had become Catholic neophytes in the island of Wallis, where they had been living for some years, accompanied us in a large canoe. Their desires were in conformity with mine for the success of the Catholic mission. They wished to return to Tongatabu, their home, and begged of me, with much earnestness, to give them at least one priest and one catechist to sustain them in the practice of salvation and to endeavour to obtain the conversion of all their island. How I congratulated myself on having a vessel at my disposal to take advantage of such favourable circumstances.
In less than four days we entered the archipelago of Fiji. We dropped anchor first at the island of Oneata and afterwards at one of the principal places, called Lakemba. We found in these islands several Methodist missionary stations, established for some years, and complaining greatly of the barren results of their labour. I met at Lakemba a chief of the greatest influence. He was governor of the whole archipelago and happened to be at Lakemba on his travels. The names of the true God and the true Church were taught him in our meetings and friendly conversations. Priests of the Mother Church were also eagerly asked for by these people and this chief, but I could only promise to comply with their desires at a future date not far distant. I was able, however, to leave them a native catechist called Mosese, who had lived in the island of Wallis and whose father and mother were at Lakemba.
Two motives had brought me to this place. The first was to make the true Church known there and to leave the hope of salvation; the second was to satisfy the wishes of the king of Wallis, who in accompanying me on my missionary journey had begged me
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to seek for his brother, whom with a number of followers he wished to bring back to his state. Now these natives, who had been absent from Wallis for about two years, ought to be found on one of the Fiji Islands or else on the Friendly Islands. During our stay at Lakemba we learned that the brother of the king and his followers had left the archipelago of Fiji and gone to Tongatabu or Vavau.
I met also at Lakemba infidel natives from Tongatabu. They came to see me on board the schooner, and begged me earnestly to come and see their tribes, and--to use their own expression--to bring there the true word of the great God of the world.
From the circumstances I have just related, it was plain to see that the hour of salvation had arrived for the people of Tongatabu. Their island is the queen of the neighbouring archipelagoes. I started then for this place, and arrived there after five days' sail.
Tongatabu, according to reliable information, contained twelve thousand souls. Eleven thousand were still infidels and about a thousand followed the teaching of the two or three Methodist missionaries who had been established in this island for more than ten years. My visit lasted ten days. The thirty or thirty-five Catholic neophytes at Tongatabu were sent back to their homes. I exchanged several visits with the principal chiefs of the island. Heresy became alarmed at this. She threatened to burn our vessel which was at anchor, and to fire on the boats in which we went up the rivers to visit the tribes, but these menaces were unheeded. I continued, together with Father Chevron who accompanied me, to traverse the entire island. I celebrated Holy Mass in the house of the grand chief of Bea, where I left Father Chevron and the catechist, Brother Atalle, and from that time the Catholic mission was established in the island.
From Tongatabu we left for Vavau, which we reached at the end of two days, and we at length found the chief Poi, brother of the king of Wallis, and all his followers, amounting to about fifty-five persons. Nearly all these native travellers had, during their emigration, followed the teaching of the Methodist missionaries. However, the invitation of the king of Wallis to them to return to their native country, which was entirely Catholic, was given them. They consented, and I--firm in the hope that they would embrace the true faith--received them on board as wandering sheep returning to the fold.
At the end of about two days I set sail for Wallis. The new passengers added to the company of the king brought the number of natives on board up to over a hundred. Favoured by wind and sea, in less than three days we were at anchor on the coast of Wallis. The king was returned to his subjects, and all the chiefs of the nobility to their families, and lastly the chief Poi and all his followers were well received by their countrymen.
I passed five or six days at Wallis. I blessed God with Father Viard and Father Bataillon for all the progress the mission had made in this last two months' voyage among the neighbouring islands. The king of Wallis and all his followers had in no small manner contributed to this success by their good conduct among the people, by the edification they gave, and the piety with which they said their morning and evening prayers and sang their sacred canticles.
I learned with much consolation that several months after my departure from Wallis, my hope for the salvation of Poi and his native followers were realised; they had abjured Methodism and embraced the faith of the Mother Church.
