JOHN G E DDIE HERO OF THE NE W HE B RID ES He urged the comman d of Jesus to take the Go spel to the w o e wo rld a nd a sert e t at a r n e e t n t h l , s d h Chu ch gl c i g his a f the S a o n e er re e h He c ll o vi ur could v c ive t e blessin g . oke o f the refl ex en efi t on t e e e and o f the a sp b up h ms lv s , p ll ‘ rkn n r n o f gross d a ess h a gi ng ove paga ism . The glo ry of God ca lls us to the task The comman d of Go d calls us to Th re oa e o f t o e who ha e one o n to r it. e pr ch s h s v g d w pe t on nwa ne call to it A nd ast but not ea t the di i u r d us l , l s , r t a ea ne t at re a a on o ur r e w spi i u l d d ss h p v ils m g chu ch s, hich is pe rh aps a judi ci al retribution fo r the i ndifferenc e which ’ w a n wn o the e a it e e so o o t Go to . h v l g sh sp l , c lls us P age 23 . D D . J N GE DDIE , RE V . OH mb 14th 1 872. 1815 . D D c , B orn A p r il l oth . ied e e er JO HN G E D D IE HE RO O F T HE NE W HE BRID E S D D M E . F LC E . F . A W A O RE V PRO J S N R , P b Col l H l f x N. S . res yteri an ege . a i a , K i s wat h a m ai n yak an p ece in ig ki ( 1848 ) i s id im ti na timi l ah i n ca ki j a kis wa t udei in p ece' i nig ki s in yak ( 1872) is idim ti n a timi $ ' —A n eit mm se im cm ti on b hind the ul it i n the a u pa t iran . y p e p p Chu r ch t A n elc u h t it um A . a a a , ne y “ Wh I c m to th is l th was man of l h h b ut en a e and ere no i g t ere . ” h I l ft th i l a th was man of a k n i w en e s nd ere no d r ness i t . ’ L oter a l tr a sla ti o im cm tion n on f p . B OARD OF FORE IGN M ISSIONS PRE SBYTE RIAN ' C HU RCH IN C ANADA TORONTO T I NTRODU C IO N . The name of John Geddie and of the New Hebrides will always be as ointment poured for th to Canadian Christians . John Geddie was the first missionary sent to the heathen upon the sole respon i no s bility of a Colonial Church . He had in him ” faintest touch of the modern German superman , but was meek and lowly , tender and pitiful , like his too Master . Like his Master , , this weak man after the flesh was mighty through God to the pulling ’ of down Satan s strongholds , subduing savages to tenderness and transforming cannibals into Chris tian brothers . The New Hebrides will always be I known to Canadians as the Martyr slands , bap tized our with the blood of early missionaries, but also as the scene of the most notable triumphs of the Gospel . The triumph of purely spiritual forces over the carnal and the material is nowhere better illustrated than in Aneityum and Erromanga . From this man and from these islands came the inspiration that has since carried our Church into - eight other distinct parts of the non Christian world . We owe a debt of gratitude to Professor James Falconer for uncovering these springs of life and putting within reach of all , in so brief and readable ’ Geddie s a form , the story of John life and work . I Many , having read this short life , will , am sure , I DU C NTRO TION . to be eager read the larger work of Dr . Patterson , ” Missionary Life among the Cannibals . Dr . Pat terson’s book is not gotten up in the most attractive o form , but it is a mine of g od things . There was a novelty and a charm , i f also a danger , in the lives of these pioneer missionaries among the savage races which in the nature o f the case is not found in the more commonplace though equally important work of the modern missionary . GA N DI R ALFRED E . 2 n 1 1 K d . nox College , Toronto , April , 9 5 PRE FACE . There were many in the Atlantic Provinces by whom Dr . John Geddie was regarded as one of the - o f greatest of the latter day saints . The names — some o f the New Hebrides Islands Aneityum — Erromanga , Efate, Santo were like music in their a e rs . But the generation that knew him is passing, and it is worth while to take advantage of the centenary of his birth to remind us , their children , that among the sons of the Dominion none is more worthy of remembrance . This is rendered more needful since i e D D e . the valuable L f by Rev G orge Patterson, , to which I am deeply indebted , is out of print . e Dr . G ddie must be reckoned among the great pioneer missionaries of the century . His was as brave a warfare as any happy warrior ever waged . Odysseus destroyed the eye of the cannibal giant on Sicily, but Dr . Geddie destroyed the giant of can n ibalism on Aneityum , bringing civilization and r peace to a land of deg adation and war . There are lines in the poem which appeared in Punch on the occasion of the death of Bishop Selwyn , which may equally apply to the hero of our wa study, who s also a personal friend of this first Bishop of New $ ealand . 4 PREFACE A n d t er e th e B o to o e tw een th e wa r h ish p s d , b O f a n a n d e a n d ett er all a o n e cl s chi fs s l s , l , H oldi n g the Ch r is ti a n b an n er high an d fa r ’ B ov e sm oke o f s tr if e a n d n ois e o f w arr i ors Til l a a e w e re w ea n e ro a a en e s v g s d f m s v g ss , ’ A n d whi te m en o wn e d a fa i th n e er o w n ed A n d o o a n d ro e in the w er n e sch l church s ild ss , — ” F r ui t o f the s eed o f Lo v e Go o d will to m en $ P n e H H a a x N. S . i ill , lif , CONTENTS . a ter Ch p . Intro duction I . Early Years His Secon d Dedicatio n The Pi oneer A Jou rna l o f the Sea The Power s o f Darkness The B egi nn i ng is H a r d The B reaki ng o f the Day The H eat o f the B attl e A N ative Chu rch Prosperity Adversity On F u rlough Closi ng Year s A fter wa rds List of Missionari es T LIST O F ILLU S RATIO N S . R . e D D F nt ev o n G e . o J h ddi , r is M ap of the New H eb r id es Sc en es in the New H eb r ide s J oh n Willia ms A n ei tyum Ha r bo r ' e ie s St at o n Dr. G dd i H a ir- d r ess of A n eity um e se A n eit yu m Ch ris ti an Chi ef ’ S t en t o tta e T a n o a ud s C g s , g ’ hr t a n Na t e H t Ta n oa C is i iv s u s , g H ea th en Cr o wd a t S a n to Stud en t s o f t h e I n s ti tu te a t T an go a ’ D r ie r . Ge dd s Chu ch Ge ddi e M em o r i a l Chu r ch ’ e ie Rui n s of Dr. G dd s Church r .