The exiles of Madeira

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Escape of Dr. Kalley.

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THE

EXILES OF MADEIRA.

PEASANTS' COTTAGE IN MADEIRA.

BY THE

Rev. W. M. BLACKBURN,

PHILADELPHIA :

PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION,
No, 821 Chestnut Street.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1860, by

JAMES DUNLAP, Treas.

in the Clerk's OflBce of the District Court for the Eastern District
of Pennsylvania.

STE&EOTTPEI) BT WILUAM W. HARDING, PHILADELPHIA.

B

PREFACE.

The work of the gospel in Madeira from 1838 to Ibou, uas
been called "the greatest fact of Modern Missions." Its his-
tory shows what Komanists can do, and what Bible-readers
can suffer in the nineteenth century. It proves the mighty
power of an open Bible, and of faith in the Son of God.

The author of this little volume acknowledges his indehted-

ness to several friends and authors, but especially to the Eev.

A. De Mattos, Pastor of the Portuguese Presbyterian Churches

in Illinois, to a little volume entitled, "Facts in Madeira,"

and to the "Memoirs of the Rev. W. H. Hewitson." Much

care has been taken to present a correct narrative. It is part

of the history of the Presbyterian Church, and therefore may

very properly form a volume for the Presbyterian Board of

Publication. We may feel a chord in our hearts touched by

the term of reproach cast on the Bible-readers of Madeira —

*' the Calvinists."

W. M. B.
Erie, Pa.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PAGS

Madeira — The Purple Island — Its discovery — Colonized by
Portuguese — Vine introduced — Funchal — The people — Curious
sights — Cottages — Old fashioned bottles — Ignorance — Jails —
Famine — A story — What our little book will show — A parable. 9

CHAPTER II.

Dr. Kalley — How he was led to Madeira — "What he saw —
Need of Bibles — Errors in religion — Healing the sick — Mode
of teaching truth — The Bible by itself — Schools — Vote of
thanks— Meetings held — The glad tidings 19

CHAPTER III.

The Bible readers — New discoveries — Bishop wants to see a
Bible — False charges — Bible cursed — Readers persecuted^
Schools stopped — An Edict — A hasty arrest — How property
was lost — No justice in courts — Flight of the innocent — The
wood-sawyer — Leaving wealth for Christ's sake — Threats —
We'll not give up the Bible 28

CHAPTER IV.

Mrs. Alves — Enemies saw her light shining — Imprisoned —
Trial — Noble answer — Severe sentence — Death had no terrors

— Petition to the queen — Release— Exile.- 41

1* (5)

6 CONTEXTS.

CnAPTER V.

PAOB

The Ret. "W. H. HE-wiTSoy — Dr. Kalley threatened — "Will not
flee — Modern Inquisition — Old law discovered — Dr. Kalley in
prison — The gospel in the jail — Crowds coming to hear him —
A new governor — Hints toward a St. Bartholemew's day —
Outrages — At Lisbon Dr. Kalley meets Hewitson — Hewitson's
youth — Studies — honours — Failure of health — Conversion —
Read a "living epistle" — Student of theology — His missionary
spirit — Travels — Call to Madeira — Ordained 47

CHAPTER VI.

The tousg Missiowary — Church in the house at Madeira —
Many inquirers — A communion, ''the doors being shut for
fear" — An Apollos found — The carpenter — A puzzled priest —
The "Espirito Santo" — Plenty of jails in Romish countries —
Jeronymo — The Bible a cure for beggary — A poor cripple
thinking of the resurrection-body — The timid made bold — The
poor cursed by the priests — Elders chosen — Dark clouds — The
night-feast — Hewitson sick — Withered flowers — A Bible-
class — Romish anger — The missionary retires — Home again... 61

CHAPTER VIL

Lawless vioLEycE — The Rutherfords— A meeting on Sabbath —
Letter from Hewitson — Mob about the house — Insults — Pleas
in vain — No law for " Calvinists" — An assault at night — A
lady's entreaty — The only refuge — The contrast — A sick lady
in danger — A cool consul — No protection — Insults to Eng-
land 76

CHAPTER VIIL

Narrow escape of Dr. Kalley — The plan of attack — Choos-
ing the Sabbath — Vain appeals for protection — Dr. Kalley's
letters — Bolting the doors — Intent to kill — A marvellous escape
— Friends found — Violence — Sunday guns — Dr. Kalley carried
away in a hammock — Almost detected — Safe on a ship — Other
flights for life — Fiery trials 92

CONTENTS. 7

CHAPTER IX.

PAOK

The William op Glasgow — Bibles buried — Bible-readers for-
saking all — Refuge on ship-board — Prayers and hymns — Poor
Mariasinha— Barbarities — The sails unfurled — Joy and bro-
therly love — The true religion — Exiles for Trinidad 117

CHAPTER X.

A LOOK BACK AT MADEIRA — Why not a War with England? —
Officers deposed — No trial of the lawless — A decree — A bishop
in a pet — A wonderful letter 131

CHAPTER XI.

Arsenio Nicos Da Silva — Two brothers — The priest and the
merchant — Arsenio's daughter — Disease — Dr. Kalley called —
Gospel taught — Da Silva learns the way of life — Is persecuted
— His son-in-law is a judge — Da Silva's flight 136

CHAPTER XII.

Mr. Hewitsok in Trinidad — Visits Madeira on the way — The
exiles in Trinidad — How support themselves — Much suflfering
— Their spiritual condition — New arrivals — Da Silva becomes
pastor — Holding up both hands — Pilgrims and strangers — Mr.
Gonsalves visits them — Call from America 151

CHAPTER XIII.

The Shepherd dying on the shore — Da Silva's health fails —
Comes to New York — His last hours — Burial — Letter to his
wife 166

CHAPTER XIV.

An onTLOOK over the sea — Scattered exiles — No home found
— St. Kitts — Essequibo — Plan to come to America 174

CHAPTER XV.

A FAREWELL TO THE IsLES — The finger of God — Arrivals — Letter
from Dr. Kalley — Partings — Welcome in the West — An old
woman — A happy death — A noble lady — Young ladies — The
exiles' testimony 182

8 CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XVI.

PA OB

Two HOUSEHOLD BANDS — The Vieira family — The Vasconcellas. 193

CHAPTER XVII.

A PASTOR FOR THE FLOCK — Hewitson's last labours and death —
Rev. A. De Mattos — Conclusion 208

THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

CHAPTER I.

THE PURPLE ISLAND.
** The people that sat in darkness saw a great light.*

Out of the ocean rises Madeira. It looms up
before the voyager, rocky, brown, red, and purple,
with tinges of green from the forests and vineyards,
and tints of snow far up toward the blue sky. It
appears like one vast rock, grand and imposing, in
the distance. Coming nearer, under the mountain's
frown, the traveller finds that the coasts are set with
lofty cliffs, many of them more than a thousand
feet high. Above these rise the sharp pinnacles,
and jagged towers, shading the groves of heath and
broom. Coasting around, he sees, in the little nooks
where the cliffs are broken, small villages with white
walls, and the little Roman Catholic chapels up at
the head of the gorge. There are the homes of the
villagers, as snug and as quiet as the nests of doves
in the silent grove.

This is Madeira — Isle of Woods — or Isle of red
soil — or Isle of the colouring purple. It is not far

9

10 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

from Morocco, and is six hundred miles from Spain,
the nearest civilized country. It is sixty miles
long, by twenty wide, though in some parts it is not
over five miles from one coast to the other. Around
it lie several smaller islands. Before the Christian
era there was some knowledge of this group, and a
scheme was proposed to make money there by col-
lecting a beautiful purple dye. They were then
called the Purple Islands.

About four hundred years ago, Gonsalves Zarco
was making a voyage for discovery along the
western coast of Africa. He was overtaken by a
violent storm, and all his crew expected to sink in
the deeps. They gave up all hope, when suddenly
an island appeared, and they made for its shores.
After landing they called it Porto Santo, or " Holy
Haven." Here a settlement of Portuguese was
formed. But the people were afraid to go to the
larger Island of Madeira. Some of them would
venture near it, but it looked so gloomy, and they
heard such strange sounds coming from its woods,
that they imagined it was the abode of awful giants
and terrific creatures — a land of darkness.

Gonsalves, however, ventured to pay a visit to
the awful island. The men on his vessel became
alarmed as they came nearer the shores, and thought
they saw monstrous giants on the coast. They
begged their commander not to expose them to
death. He kept on, until he proved to them that
their giants were only craggy rocks, and the horrid

THE PURPLE ISLAND. 11

voices they heard were only the heatings of the
waves against the cliffs. He landed at a place
•which he named the *' Wolf's Den." The shores
were thick with tangled trees and vines. He
thought that men might live on an island where so
much wood was growing.

A colony from Portugal settled on the island.
They cleared the land by setting fire to the forests,
and thus they robbed it of its natural beauty. It
is said that these fires kept burning for seven years,
and left scarcely a tree on the island. This was
wrong, but not so wicked as the fires of persecution
kindled four hundred years afterward, to drive away
the Bible-readers.

A few slips of the grape-vine were brought from
the Isle of Cyprus and planted in Madeira. They
grew, and from them have grown the celebrated
vineyards of the Isle of Wines. The wealth of
Madeira is chiefly derived from its vineyards.

The traveller, making port on the south side of
the island, sees the Loo-Rock, grand and majestic
like a king on his throne, and the white pebbly
beach lies at his feet like the king's robe spread
on the floor. On this beach is the chief city,
Funchal. It looks white and brilliant, house above
house, Mid street above street, climbing up the
mountain side ; and outside the city, still on higher
terraces, are the cottages and ''quintas" or coun-
try residences. Yet higher up is the church of
"Our Lady of the Mount." One would suppose

12 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

that if the "Lady" were very kind, she would have
given a hint to put her church lower down the hill,
so that some body might get to the door with a
little breath left in the lungs. It must be hard
penance to go up there to worship.

Were you to land at this harbour, you would be
met by many persons, all bowing to you, and some
of them besro-ing of vou. Off would go their tunnel-
shaped hats, and before you some poor cripple would
thrust himself, some boy with one arm, some woman
with a pale, soiled baby, or some black-eyed little
girl hoping for an alms.

You would think the streets were ail narrowed
down to lanes and alleys. If you wished to ride,
no fine horses and carriages would stand waiting,
but you would take a summer sleigh-ride. " Two
pleasant chubby little oxen" are harnessed to a thick
plank with low runners to it, and away they go
grating along over the pebbles with which the streets
are paved. It would be very much like riding on
one of the "scrapers" which we see used in making
turnpikes.

Palanquins are used to carry persons from one
place to another. Some of the wealthy class have
very fine sledges and palanquins cushioned and
covered with silk. A pony would be your best
vehicle if you were going up the mountains. Those
who wish to go up hill for eighteen miles may stand
by the Great Curral, or what seems to have been
an enormous crater. The visitor looks down six

THE PURPLE ISLAND.

13

thousand feet, toward the earth's centre, and even
there sees the little houses and the chapel of some
village which is two thousand feet above the sea.

In the city there are many fine houses, but there
are more one story cottages with stone walls, stone
floors, stone seats, thatched roofs, and generally a
good coat of whitewash on the outside.

The stranger who never saw any old fashioned
bottles is amused to see the sheep-skins filled with
wine, and carried on the shoulders of peasants to

the market. Of course they know better than to
put " new wine into old bottles." It might not be
2

14

THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

very pleasing to a wine -bibber to look on tbe men
in their bare feet treading the grapes in the press,
especially in a warm, sweating day.

For many centuries there was deep mental dark-
ness on the minds of the people thicker than that
which alarmed the crew of Gonsalves. The Roman
Catholic religion did not make them intelligent.
They went to the little chapels, and heard mass, or
made confession, and thought these would take
them to heaven. Few of them could read, and
those who could read knew nothing of the true
Bible. Still fewer could write. This shows ih^t

TUE PURPLE ISLAND. 15

the Bible-readers of modern times were among the
most intelligent classes.

There were plenty of jails where there were no
school-houses. Persons who had committed smaller
crimes were put in jail, to wait until their cases could
be tried in Lisbon. This kept them in prison many
years. Their expenses were to be paid by those
who complained against them. Hence accusers
became rare, for they did not like to pay for their
own accusations. This was not done however with
the Bible-readers, for they had to pay for their own
support in prison. There were plenty of accusers
when the word of God began to be read by the
more honest people.

A few years ago the vineyards began to fail. The
traveller could no longer pass along under the
shadow of the vines, and have rich clusters of grapes
hanging over his path. The fruit was cut off. It
brought a famine on the island. The Romanists
laid all this to the Bible-readers ! They said it was
a curse on the people for allowing such men as Dr.
Kalley and Mr. Hewitson to come among them and
establish schools, read the word of God, and have
meetings for prayer and praise.

The Christians of the United States took a deep
interest in the famishing people of Madeira. They
sent them the " finest of the wheat," and induced
them to cultivate such eatables as we raise in our
fields and gardens. And notice, the poor exiles
sent liberally of their "good things" to the very

16 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

persecutors who had driven them from home. This
was returning good for evil.

The famine made many people poor. The women
of the island, who have always done most of the
labour, began to turn their skill to good account.
They made fancy articles of a very superior quality,
such as laces, edgings, paper-cutters, card-cases,
work-boxes, and writing-desks. They took the
dark Til-wood of the old wine-presses, and made
beautiful articles for foreign parlours.

A little romantic story may point the close of
this chapter :

Some years ago, a peasant girl was accustomed
to come down the mountain, barefooted but light-
hearted, with a bundle of small wood, which she
sold in the town. Her pleasant face and honest
manner attracted the notice of a wealthy gentleman,
who gave her a home in his house. She became
the lady of the mansion, the wife of her protector.
After his death, she became the wife of a young
lawyer of rising fame and excellent talents. He
rose to be the governorof the island, and she filled her
high position with elegance and courtly grace. The
most polite people admired her and thought that she
could not be excelled. No doubt this may seem
quite strange.

But our little book will show something far more
strange. It is this : The Lord can take a poor,
ignorant peasant and make him a child of God.
He did it in Madeii'a. He can take a crippled

THE PURPLE ISLAND. 17

beggar and make him a bright ornament in his
kingdom, and a labourer in his vineyard. He did it
with poor Jeronymo. He can take a rich lady and
make her willing to suffer in the meanest prisons,
and cause her to leave a home of luxury, to be very
happy in a little narrow room on a foreign island
where she had not as much to eat as the bare-footed
peasant giid on the cold mountain. He did it with
Mrs. Yieira and Mrs. Alves. AVe have interwoven
many brief histories which show how much true
Christians can endure gladly for Christ's sake, and
how happy the Lord can make his suffering children.
When they enter the glorious mansions of eternal
rest, it will be said of them, '• These are they which
came out of great tribulation."

The Lord had a vineyard on beautiful Madeira.
On it shined the ^' Sun of righteousness." On it
fell the showers of grace and the gentle dews of
Ilermon. The vines grew full of goodly clusters.
The frosts came and ripened them. The persecu-
tors trod the grapes in the wine-press of suffering,
and the rich wine of love and patience was wrung
out of pious hearts. Enemies began to pull up the
Lord's vines, "so that they might never bear any
more fruit. They tore them up rudely, threw them
into the desert, and cast them into the seas. But
the Master took the torn vines and transplanted
them in another large and rich vineyard. Some of
them he planted in heaven. The grapes of Eshcol
were not richer thjm the goodly clusters ^Nhich these
2*

18 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

vines bore for their Lord. He was saying to them
■when they were broken and bleeding, " Herein is
my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit."

Our little book "will tell the meaning of this
parable. It will not tell of such bloody scenes as
are written in the history of the Waldenses or the
Huguenots, or the Hollanders, or the martyrs of
Smithfield, and the Tolbooth of Scotland. It will
not tell of the wheel, the stake, the theatre of wild
beasts, nor the trap-door of the Inquisition. It is
not such a record of murders as Fox's Book of
Martyrs. But it shows that the "man of sin" is
just the same that he was in the olden days when
Rome put to death thousands of Christians in ways
too horrible to be described ; and that now, in this
time of light and mercy, he is as cruel toward Bible-
readers and praying believers as he dares to be.
There was cruelty enough, and blood enough shed,
to entitle Madeira to the old name of the Purple
Island.

FIRST GOSPEL LABOURS IN MADEIRA. 19

CHAPTER II.

FIRST GOSPEL LABOURS IX MADEIRA.

Robert R. Kalley was a young physician in
Scotland, lie felt it his duty to go as a missionary to
China, and was ordained by the Free Church to
preach the gospel. In 1838 he and his wife left
their home to go to China.

On the voyage Mrs. Kalley was smitten with dis-
ease. Her friends thought she could not live to
reach China. There was no vessel to carry them
back to Scotland, and so they turned aside to visit
Madeira. There were then many English residents
on the island. There was a Scottish church in the
chief city.

Dr. Kalley thought, that while hindered from
labouring in one field, he should do all that he could
in another, just as the Apostle did, when prevented
from going to Italy. He knew not a word of the
Portuguese language. In a few hours after he
landed he began his task in the most practical way.
He rushed out of his dark room, entered a store and
asked for a candle. No one understood him. He
pointed to a candle, and asked the Portuguese name

20 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

for it. He learned what to say -when he wanted a
candle. In this way he learned word after word.
No doubt he learned much from the English residents
who spoke the language. Probably too he had other
teachers.

He looked about on the people and pitied their
ignorance and blindness, just as Paul did in Athens.
For centuries they had been denied the use of the
Bible. The Romish priests may have had a few
Bibles, but they would not let the people have them.
It was a sin for any one to search the Scriptures for
himself. Many of the islanders had never seen a
Bible, nor known there was such a book.

Dr. Kalley says — "I met with few of them who
had ever seen a Bible, or seemed to know that the
New Testament was written by men who went about
with the Lord Jesus, when he dwelt on the earth —
who saw his miracles, heard his words, gazed upon
him as he went up to heaven, and described what
they knew by the testimony of their own senses.
When one part of it was shown to them as the work
of Peter, another as that of John, and a third as
that of Matthew, some doubted and wanted proofs,
others listened with eager interest, while a portion
of it was read to them as a specimen of its con-
tents."

None of them had in their possession a copy of
the Scriptures. A long time since a translation had
been made of the Bible into the Portuguese by
Antonio Pereira, a Romish priest. This had been

FIRST GOSPEL LABOURS IN MADEIRA. 21

sanctioned by the Queen and the Patriarch of Por-
tugal. Eighty volumes of these are said to have
been sent to Madeira free of duty for the use of the
priests and a few government schools that were
formed on the island.

The people were Roman Catholics. They believed
in the Pope, and they worshipped the Virgin Mary.
Mary, whom we believe to be a saint in heaven,
would have been better pleased, if they had read the
-words of Jesus, and prayed in his name, as he taught
us all to do. They had images in their houses and
churches. They gave money to priests for masses,
and for saying prayers to release their friends from
purgatory. There is no such place as purgatory,
but they supposed there was. They confessed their
sins to the priests, and bought their pardons with
money. They sometimes went about wdth a staff
which had a little image of a pigeon on the top of
it, and a red cloth tied to it, asking men to worship
it, as the Holy Ghost ! If men would not bow to
the little image of Christ on the cross, they were
regarded as darinor infidels.

Dr. Kalley did not attack the errors of Romanism
at first, by trying to show the people how foolish
and useless many of their services and doctrines
"were. He took the better plan. He tried to get
the people to read the word of God. Many of
them heard of the wonderful book, and were anxious
to see it. Many of them could say as Luther did, "Oh
that God would give me such a book for myself!"

22 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

Our Lord not only taught those who came to hear
his words, but also healed the sick, the lame, the
blind. Dr. Kalley resolved to do the same as far
as he could. He early prepared a large hospital,
and offered to give medicine to all who would come.
It was as well furnished with comforts for the poor
and the infirm as his means would allow. He had
his office in which he examined his patients, and
another room for his medicines in the same building.
All who came for medical advice were required to
be at the hospital by nine o'clock in the morning,
or he could not attend to them on that day. Often
there were fifty or more persons at that hour wait-
ing for Dr. Kalley. When he entered the hospital
they were assembled together. His first business
was to read a chapter in the Bible and then explain
it to them. Thus he began his daily work by call-
ing their attention to the word of God. After this
he distributed tickets among them. These tickets
were simply numbered one, two, three, &c. up to
the number of applicants. He then went into his
office, and each one came as his number was called.
When he had ascertained the disease of the patient,
he wrote his prescription, and it was taken to the
drug department, and the medicine was obtained.

He became known as an excellent physician, and
was often called to visit the sick at their homes.
He, in his kind manner, sought to do more than
heal the body. He examined the patient, and then
said that he could not give health ; God alone could

FIRST GOSPEL LABOURS IN MADEIRA. 23

raise up tlie sick. Often did he kneel by the bed-side
and ask God to make him wise in giving the proper
remedy, and make it the means of restoring health.

When he had given the medicine, he would take
the patient by the hand and say, " Now you must
pray to the Lord Jesus Christ ; he is the great
Physician, and can heal the sick." He then had
an opportunity of telling of the wondrous works of
the Saviour. Sometimes he would say to the sick,
"You have another disease of which I have not
spoken, and it is a very bad disease."

" What is it, doctor ?" the sick would anxiously
inquire.

" It is a very fatal disease, and if not cured it
will ruin you. But bad as it is, there is a remedy
for it."

" But what is it, doctor ?"

" I will tell you. It is not a disease of the body,
but of the soul. It is sin. We are all sinners, and
our sins must be pardoned, or our souls must perish
for ever. I have a book with me called The Bible,
that will teach you how Jesus Christ came into this
world, and shed his blood and died, that sinners
might be saved."

This stranore news often led the sick to wish for
the wonderful book, and to be anxious to learn
more of the Saviour. The Bible was often read in
the sick room, and one person would tell another the
glad tidings.

Dr. Kalley left the Bible to tell its own truths as

24 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

much as possible. Surely none could reasonably
object to this. When any persons came to him with
passages they could not understand, he showed
them other verses in the Bible, which would ex-
plain the meaning. He wanted the word of God to
do the work. He thus taught them how to prove
the newly learned doctrines by the Scriptures.
Some of the Bible-readers went to the priests, but
could get no light, and were rudely told to burn or
throw away the book. The readers often knew more
than the priests.

A school was soon established. The Bible was
the first book in which the people were taught to
read English. They learned very rapidly, so
anxious were they to know what was in the " good
book." Portuguese Bibles were distributed. One
of the visitors of the school said : " It is, I believe,
no exaggeration to say, that lumdreds of the j)eo2de^
who before were almost as ignorant as the beasts
they drove, are now intelligent readers of the
Bible."

Other schools were established on the island, at
different points, not for religious instructions alone,
but for teaching the common branches of learning.
He paid the teachers from his own purse, and
furnished books for the scholars. In some of these
schools the teachers were Romanists, and the only
books were a small Romish primer, and a New
Testament translated by a Romish priest. Surely

FIRST '^ 'CPEL LABOURS IN MADEIRA. 25

there ought not to have heen any objections to this,
by the Romanists.

It often happens that what costs nothing is worth
nothing, but the people did not think so in this case.
The schools became very popular. They prospered
beyond the expectations of their founder. Eight
hundred men and women were soon attending these
schools, and, how many children were with them,
we cannot tell. The private houses of some of the
people were turned into school-rooms, and filled
with scholars. Never had there been so much study,
so much improvement in mind and morals, nor so
much happiness in Madeira.

The people were amazed at the benevolence of
Dr. Kalley. He gained their hearts. The children
called him " the good man." They were learning
to sing for joy. He saw the harvest growing ripe.
The chief men in Funchal saw what a great work
was set on foot. They passed a vote of thanks to
Dr. Kalley for his acts of benevolence in establish-
ing a hospital for the poor and the sick, and schools
for the ignorant people.

It should be noted that the adult schools were
generally held in the evening. The number who
were thus taught to read the Bible, for themselves,
was over one thousand ; and as many as twenty-five
hundred adults had sought to grow wiser and better
by attending these evening schools.

Meetings were held as early as 1842, in different

places. Hundreds came to hear the word of God.
3

26 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

When Dr. Kalley could not preacli to them, some
one stood up, like Ezra in old times, and read the
" Book of the Law." Ezra read almost half a day,
and still the people were not wearied. Nor were
these islanders tired of long readings and long
sermons. They were hungry for the word. If one
had preached, as Paul did, till midnight, they would
have listened gladly, and I much doubt whether any
Eutychus would have gone to sleep and fallen out
of a window. The word was "sweeter than honey
and the honey-comb."

Many walked ten or twelve hours to attend a
meeting. They climbed over mountains 8000 feet
high. And while they stood and heard of Christ
and his great love, they looked at the reader or the
preacher with solemn wonder, or raised the hand to
brush away the starting tear. Never had they
heard these glad tidings from their priests, and
perhaps the " Padre" who had hailed and threatened
them as they passed by the chapel of '* Our Lady
of the Mount," knew very little of the gospel him-
self.

For several months there were not fewer than
one thousand persons attending these meetings in
the open air, every Sabbath. Often there were two
or three thousand, and once they were reckoned at
five thousand. Many of these meetings were held
on the mountain side, like that on which the Saviour
sat, and uttered the great blessings of the sermon on
the mount. A few hymns were sung to such good

FIRST GOSPEL LABOURS IN MADEIRA. 27

old tunes as the Portuguese Hymn, and Old Hun-
dred. Few were there who did not "join in the song
and love the praise."

The people began to talk about the "glad news"
while walking along the roads or resting in the fields.
Under many a vine a little group was gathered to
read or hear the story of the Cross. In many a
vineyard songs were sung, such as never before
echoed from Madeira's rugged cliffs.

Very little seed fell by the way-side, to be picked
up by the fowls of the air ; very little fell among
thorns, to be choked and destroyed ; very little in
stony places, to grow only for a few days ; almost
all the good seed fell in good ground, and was bring-
ing forth fruit an hundred fold.

28 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

CHAPTER III.

THE BIBLE READERS.

People who love to hear the truth will always
want to read it. This was true of those islanders
who walked so many miles, and climbed such high
mountains, to hear the Bible read. This holy book
■was offered them and they gladly took it, and began
to read it as the noble Bereans. Protestants always
urge every man, woman, and child to " search the
Scriptures," as the Saviour told us to do.

Some of these islanders read the Bible for several
days, and did not think how it condemned popery.
They perhaps thought they would soon find some-
thing about mass, penance, purgatory, and priestly
confession, but they could find nothing of the kind.
They could see how useless and foolish such doctrines
were. They could see that Jesus Christ died for
sinners — "once for all" — and hence there was no
need of mass. They read the words, " Confess your
faults one to another ;" and then thought thus,
"Now if that means that we should confess to the
priest, he also should confess to us ; and therefore
it does not mean either."

THE BIBLE READERS. 29

More than one thousand persons were reading the
Bible. They carried it home. They talked to
their neighbours about it. They found out how
they had been cheated, and how falsely they had
been taught. But they learned to love their ene-
mies. They did not abuse nor injure the priests.
They did not go and break down altars nor burn
clmrches. They prayed that God would convert all
the people.

The Romanists at first pretended that they were
very willing for the people to have the Bible. 0
yes I all they wish is to keep them from having un-
sound and altered Bibles ! Thus they pretended
at Madeira. In 1840 the Bishop said that he would
be glad to see a copy of the Bible which the people
were so eagerly reading. One was soon sent to him.
He put it into the hands of some examiners. They
searched it. Two years after, they reported that
there was scarcely a chapter or verse, but had been
changed and corrupted. This was without a shadow
of truth. Dr. Kalley had the copies he circulated,
very carefully compared with the version which the
Romanists pretended to sanction, and the result
proved that the Bishop had only condemned him-
self. Certified comparisons were posted up in the
streets, that people might see how unjust the Bishop
was. A royal mandate arrived from Lisbon giving
full sanction to the very edition which Dr. K. was
circulating. This ought to have made the Bishop
3*

30 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

careful lest he " be found fighting against God."
Bat it did not. He raged.

The Bishop pronounced a curse on the Bible, and
on all who should read it. The teachers under Dr.
Kallej were warned " not to teach any living being !"
If they did, they should be arrested ; and after such
an arrest there was little chance of liberty or life.

In 1843, a severe persecution began against all
the Bible-readers. If the people should read it,
they would be certain to renounce popery. The
Priests called it " a book from hell I" Its readers
knew it was a book from heaven. How it pained
their hearts to hear it proclaimed that '* the Bible
should be burned !" One spring day two converts
came to the Presbyterian church in Funchal, and
sat down at the Lord's table. This was only re-
nouncing Romanism. It required boldness to do it.
The Bishop heard of it and cursed them, I suppose,
"by bell, book, and candle." Nor were these idle
threats. Persons were forbid to even touch
them. " Let none give them fire, water, bread, or
anything that may be necessary to them for their
support. Let none pay them their debts." No
Bible-readers would ever be so cruel as this !

One officer went to a school, which the English
people supported by their charities, and took away
thirty Bibles, with all the Testaments he could find.
A judge went, with some officers, to the jail, and
searched the boxes of the prisoners for Bibles.
They took away every one they could lay hands on,

THE DIBLE READERS. 31

and probably burne<l tliem. But these readers
were ready to say, " We'll not give up the Bible."
They were cast into the worst prisons with the most
wicked men, who annoyed them day and night by
singing the vilest songs, while they were not allowed
to sing a hymn of praise to God. One of the jails
was near the cathedral, and the Romanists in pass-
ing by the Bible-readers, would spit in their faces,
while these converts would show a christian spirit
by praying for their enemies. On one prison door
was written, ^' No reading and no singing of the
Bible here!"

Of course the schools must be stopped ! The
church of Rome had, certainly, a good chance in
Madeira to show whether she was the friend of ed-
ucation. And she did show her regard for the best
schools ever sustained on the island, by aiming a
heavy blow at all the teachers. It is not often that
public documents make popular reading, but here
is a gem which must not be lost. It shows Rome's
friendship for education. It is an order sent to the
overseers in every parish :

" Sir : — On the receipt of this, you will summon
to your presence, the teachers male and female of
all the schools established and supported by Dr.
Kalley, existing in your parish ; and in the presence
of two witnesses, charge them henceforth not to teach
any living being. * If, after being duly notified, any

** * Compare Acts iv. 16-18 ; where the rulers of the Jews attempted
to silence the Apostles : What shall we do to these men? for that

82 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

of them should continue to teach, you can immedi-
ately send them to this administration in charge of
two officers of police. You will cause this order to
be faithfully executed, and report the result by
Monday next, giving the names of all ■vvho have
been notified. God save you." [Signed.)

In several personal sketches we will show how
these teachers were treated. One case we now
cite. An intelligent man, after sufi"ering many evils
from the priests, taught an evening school in a part
of the island. Not one word had he said to injure
the government. He w^as teaching the people how
to be well governed. They were improving in
morals and industry. But the school must be
stopped. Whether the above order was read to him
or not, is not known. But there was an unjust way
to take him, when there was a wicked will.

*' One night, during the hours of instruction, a
party of men, led by the Church beadle, came to
the school with a fictitious warrant, for the appre-
hension of the teacher. But as it was not issued by
a legal authority, and it was brought moreover at
an illegal hour, the teacher most properly refused

indeed a notable miracle hath been done by thein is manifest to all
them that dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But that it
spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them,
that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. And they
called them, and commanded them not to speak at all, nor teach in
the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto
them. Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you
more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things
which we have seen and heard."

THE BIBLE READERS. 33

to obey it. His scholars took part with him. !Many
of their relations and friends collected ; and the
bearers of the illegal warrant were obliged to with-
draw without the teacher, but also, it must be added,
without having been subjected to the slightest
violence.

" The conduct of the scholars was represented as
* sedition and resistance of justice,' and the public
prosecutor denounced them as Miguelites,* ledonby
Dr. Kallej ! On that day week the judge and
public prosecutor, with a notary, and about sixty
soldiers proceeded at night to the Lombo das Fayas.
The houses of the scholars, chiefly Bible-readers,
were broken open — thirty men and women were
taken prisoners — most of them were bound — many
of them were beaten, and some of them very severely
— and their houses were given up to be sacked by
the soldiers, who committed the most horrible atro-
cities."

They were put in prison, denied the liberty to
read the word of God, and driven to mass at the
point of the bayonet. For nearly two years they
lay pining in the jail, supported only by kind English
friends who learned their starving condition and
visited them. Had it not been for the English
residents many deaths would have occurred by star-
vation in the prisons.

After these converts were cursed by the Bishops or
priests, no one dared to do any business with them.

* Followers of Don Miguel the usurper and tyrant.

34 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

Thus they lost their property. No one dared to
buy it. If two men were in partnership and one
became a Bible-reader the other could have all the
property. Two poor men were partners in sawing
wood. The one who owned two-thirds of the
machinery became a Christian, but the other con-
tinued to worship images and pictures like a devoted
papist. The first tried to sell out to the other, but
as he was "cursed," he could not induce him to
buy. He then proposed that both should sell out
and divide the profits, but this plan would not do.
He then appealed to a judge, and when the judge
learned that one was a convert, he gave the other
all the property, and made the innocent loser pay
all the costs !

No Bible-reader could obtain justice from any
court in Madeira. No one could forsake the Bomish
church, or keep away from mass and confession,
without losing his property. If the converts had any
relatives who were Bomanists, the latter could take
their houses and lands; if there were no relatives,
the priests and the government divided the confis-
cated wealth among themselves. A few exiles,
before leaving the island, sold their property for
almost nothing, but even this was against the curse
of the priest, who decreed that it was wrong to touch
or talk with a Bible-reader. The lepers of old were
not more carefully to be shunned. This was a high
compliment to the power of the Bible and the in-

THE BIBLE READERS. 35

fluence of Its readers. Before them Romanism could
not stand long.

Another very rich man became poor for the sake
of his Lord and Master. He would not allow his
Bible to be taken away. He and his family fled for
their lives. They escaped to the mountains, among
the vineyards, and hid among the vines. The
priests and soldiers could not find them, to put
them in prison. Around his large house in the
city were vines, plants, and flowers. It was a
beautiful home. To give up all this and be hunted
like a wild beast, where he could have no bed but
the hard soil and no shelter but grape leaves, was
surely a great trial. Yet he was not left unhappy
by his Lord. If we should be tried thus, we should
learn whether we have any faith or not. They at
last found refuge in a vessel bound for Trinidad.

One man was thrice in prison, and even saw his
wife put into a horrid dungeon. He would not
yield. Then severer measures were used. He was
beaten with rods, until he could not move for several
days. But he was firm. He told them, " they
might scourge him until he was dead ; he could die,
but he could not give up the Bible." He became
an Elder in the church, and came to this country
with the exiles.

The wealthiest land-owner on the island was J.
F. Lomelino. He was the oldest son in his father's
house, and inherited a large estate. According to
the laws of the island his property could not be

36 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

taken from hira, and yet he lost it. He was for
some time an officer in Funchal, and was highly re-
spected as an intelligent and honourable man. He
retired when thirty-five years of age, to his native
village of St Da Sara, and became its chief magis-
trate. He heard of Dr. Kalley's school, though he
never attended. As the people were telling one
another of the wonderful things in the Bible, he be-
came curious to learn what such a book could con-
tain.

He went to Dr. Kalley asking, " What do these
things mean ?" The story of the cross was told to
him. It was to him very wonderful. Was it not
strancre that he had not heard it before ? If the
Romanists were true Christians, surely they would
teach that I But they had never taught him how to
be saved through the death of Jesus Christ.

He obtained a Bible, took it home, read it eager-
ly, and loved its truths. It was precious to him.
The people about him came to learn what he had
that made him so happy. They said, " This man
soon talk more strong on the gospel than any other
of the people."

But enemies soon were spying out his libert3^
Some one told the Bible-haters that he read the
word of God, and denied that the bread in the sa-
crament was the real body of Christ. He was seized,
torn away from his family, tried before the court,
and of course put into prison. His foes might tor-
ture him if they chose, but he would not give up the

^Zr-'

TUE BIBLE READERS. 37

Bible. Thev could not take its truths out of his
head and heart.

In the jail of Funchal was a place called the
Bomba. It was a most disojustins: deu of filth. It
was only twelve feet square. In it were often
placed twenty persons, and when a friend would go
there to give them bread, he would come away sick and
almost unable to walk. It is most likely that Mr.
Lomelino was often put in the Bomba, for the spite
of his persecutors was so great that they tortured
him all they could. Other prisoners said that if
any severity of suffering, or abuse of words, or
loathsome condition, was to be endured, it was re-
served for him. They were ready to let a Barabbas
go free, but an innocent disciple of Jesus must
suffer.

The reason was plain. They hated him the
worst, because they feared him most. They did not
fear his hands, for he was meek, patient, and for-
giving. He was careful not to say a word against
the government or the religion of the island. If he
could have been free, he would not have forced any
one to read the Bible, nor done harm to any of his
persecutors. They knew this. What they feared
was his influence. lie was intelligent, and wouUi
lead others to read tlie word of God.

He was obliged to pay for his own support in

prison. After nearly two years' suffering, he, with

twenty-one others, was released from the jail. They

were told that if they did not return at once to the

4

38 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

Romisli church, they should be imprisoned again
on charges which would be sure to convict them.
In those days if a witness did not give evidence to
please the priest, they threatened him with imprison-
ment. False witnesses could be hired, just as they
were against Jesus.

After these twenty-two persons were set at liberty
aorain, (and such liberty !) some enemies threatened
to murder them. Open violence soon broke forth.
On the very evening when they left the jail, some
Komanists were carrying the "host" in procession
past a poor Protestant's house. These bearers of
the host pretended to be very devout and solemn.
But some of them broke open the poor man's door
and destroyed all the property on which they could
lay their hands. On the same day another poor
man was quietly going home, thinking perhnps how
his house had been burned to the ground five months
before, or how he should provide for his large family
of children. He was attacked and cruelly knocked
down. His arm was broken by the first blow, four
wounds on his head laid bare his skull, and the very
women bit him as he lay on the ground ; one of them
tore the flesh from his cheek with her teeth !

Mr. Loraelino went home, but his family were
gone. They too were Bible-readers, and had been
driven away. He was there but a few days when
he was arrested again. He admitted before the
court that he read the word of God. For this he
was sentenced to five years' banishment. But he

THE BIBLE READERS. 39

appealed to the higher courts of Lishon, and re-
mained in prison on the island for eight months,
until the time of his further trial. Of course he
also lost his property.

One day his fellow prisoners gnashed on him with
their teeth and cried out, " Now, dog, prepare to die,
for your God dies to-day ! Dr. Kalley is to be
killed before to-morrow morning." He was aware
that plots had often been laid against his own life
in the prison, but he was not troubled by them.
He was, however, in great sorrow when he was told
that Dr. Kalley was to be murdered. How base
and ungrateful his countryman were to their best
earthly benefactor ! How awful their crime of kill-
ing a man who was doing so much to teach men
how to be saved ! Yet he thought of the suffering
Saviour, and felt able to say, " I am ready to die,
and expect to die ; or I am ready to live and suffer for
Jesus' name." He was not banished by the judges,
but was held in prison for several months longer.

When he came to the United States in 1848, he was
asked if it was not hard to live in a dungeon three
years, when he knew he was innocent. " Oh no,"
said he, " it is not hard if you believe in the Lord
Jesus Christ and in the Bible." He said that he
often thought of Paul and Silas singing in the
prison at midnight, and he often wanted to sing as
they did, but was not permitted. The vilest songs
were allowed to be sung by wicked men who laughed
at his religion.

40 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

In those days the Bible-readers fled to the caves,
to the woods, and a ^realthy young lady was so
closely pursued that she hid in a sewer of the street.
Some died in their efforts to escape. It would be
impossible to tell the half that was suffered.

At one time the government formed the idea of a
massacre of the Christians. They were told by
officers that if they still persisted in reading the
word of God, they should be burned; and thus an
end would be put to the heresy.

These converts replied in the true spirit of primi-
tive martyrs : " We are willing to be shut up in this
prison, and suffer here, and we are willing to be
burned; but we are not willing to give up this book,
and to give up our faith."

There is no doubt but this Bible-reading was the
prime cause of the persecutions that followed.
Romanism can never live among those who read the
Bible in their own houses. The cry of the great
corrupt church is, ''Away with the Bible !" The word
of our Lord is, " Search the Scriptures." The Be-
reans could not have been Roman Catholics. ^' They
searched the Scriptures daily." There was no
Romanism in the home of young Timothy, for he
knew the Scriptures from a child. But all Bereans,
all the Loises, the Eunices, and Timothys on Madeira
were persecuted. What would St. Peter have said
to all this ? '' Grow in knowledge."

MRS. MARIA JOAQUINA ALVES. 41

CHAPTER IV.

MRS. MARIA JOAQUINA ALVES.

" She has been called to such a trial of her faith as has fallen to
the lot of no other Christian woman in the nineteenth century."

This noble woman was the wife of Manuel Alves,
and the mother of seven children, one of whom was
a tender babe when she was first taken from them.
She lived in the village of Santa Cruz, twenty-five
or thirty miles from Funchal. It would seem that
her home was a pleasant one, and well furnished
with the comforts of this life.

In some way the Bible came into her hands. It
was a new book to her. She read it, and found that
Jesus was the only Saviour of sinners. She learned
that saints, angels, and the Virgin Mary, were not
able to save. She discovered that her former teach-
ers had deceived her. Her prayer was directed to
Jesus Christ, who heard her and forgave her sins.
Great was her joy in the Saviour. She told her
neighbours, as the woman of Samaria did, when she
invited the people to come and see Jesus.

Her light was shining and her enemies saw it.
They saw that her godly life and fervent prayers

42 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

"would lead many to become lovers of God and his
word. Tbej thought they would fill the minds of
others with terror by making an example of her.
She was arrested and placed in the village jail for
nine months. Then she was removed to the prison
at Funchal. This loathsome place was her home
for years, where she breathed only the spirit of
prayer for her persecutors. She was put in a room
with twenty more, to be exposed to their ridicule and
insults. At length she had a separate room, but
there was no door to protect her. She took with
her a Xew Testament, concealed in her bosom, so
that in her lonely days she could still read the
words of comfort and faith. Soon however she was
searched, her Testament was found, and thrown
to the flames. Her friends gave her two others at
different times, but they were taken and burned.
Yet she was cheerful. Her mind was stayed on her
Saviour. It is wonderful how the truth and love
of God can make the greatest sufferers happy. She
was willing to die if that was her Lord's will. For
her children she must have been very anxious.

The more firm her faith was, the more angry were
her persecutors. They resolved that she should
suffer the severest penalty of the law. The long-
expected day for her trial came. She went into the
court room, prepared for the sentence of death. The
court made a great display. The judge was very
grave. Her indictment was read. Three charges
were written against her, " Apostasy, heresy, and

MRS. ALVES. 4B

blasphemy I" She was tried only for blasphemy.
And what had she done that was blasphemous ? She
had refused to say that the " wafer" in the Romish
communion was the real body and the real blood of
Jesus Christ, and refused to adore it ! Just what
any of us who know what common sense is, would
refuse to do ! Never was this denial a sin.

The question was asked : " Do you believe the
consecrated host is the real body and real blood of
Jesus Christ ?' ' On the answer her life would hinge.
She knew it. But she dared not give a false answer.
*' I do not believe it," she calmly replied. All eyes
were fixed on a woman who could not be frightened.
She could boldly say, ''- 1 do not believe it .^"

What was now to be done ? One would suppose
that such an honest opinion of what is as plain as
day-light, would not meet with harshness. But
while all eyes were gazing, the judge rose and pro-
nounced upon her the sentence of death ! The
sentence was in these words : —

" In view of the answers of the jury and the dis-
cussions of the cause, &c., it is proved that the accused,
Maria Joaquina, perhaps forgetful of the principles
of the holy religion she received in her first years,
and to which she still belongs, has maintained con-
versations and arguments condemned by the church ;
maintaining that veneration should not be given to
images ; denying the real existence of Christ in the
sacred host ; the mystery of the most Holy Trinity;

44 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

"blasphemiDg against the most holy Virgin, the
mother of God, and advancing other expressions
against the doctrines received and followed by
the Roman Catholic apostolic church, expounding
these condemned doctrines to different persons, thus
committing the crimes of heresy, blasphemy, &c. I
condemn the accused, Maria Joaquina, to suffer
DEATH as provided in the law ; the costs of the
process, &c. to be paid out of her goods.

" Funchal Oriental^ in public court, May 2d,
1844.

" Jose PerreiraLeito Pitta OrtegueiraNegrao,
Judge, &:c."

Such a sentence ought to go down to every gen-
eration that will know anything of Romanism.
Remember this was not done in the dark ages, but
in 1844 ! It was not for murder nor treason, but
for daring to deny an absurdity. She had not
united with any Protestant church ; she had simply
refused to believe an error !

She thought the sentence would be as unchange-
able as the laws of the Medes and Persians. She
did not ask the court to reverse it. No apology
escaped her lips, no mercy was asked ; but she stood
with heroic firmness, and commended her persecu-
tors to God, praying for their salvation. Death had
no terror for such a spirit. Her Lord endured the
shame of the cross, and she was ready to die in any

MRS. ALVES. 45

Bhameful way that they dare propose. Her expec-
tation was, soon to be in heaven.

The English people on the island were deeply
affected by such a cruel procedure. They drew up
a petition to the Queen of Portugal asking that this
Christian lady might not be so unjustly put to death.
An appeal was also carried up to the higher court,
and in 18-45, it was declared that as there had been
no trial for two of the charges (heresy and apostasy),
she might be released from the penalty of death,
but should be kept in prison for three months and
should pay a fine of six dollars. But how could she
pay the fine ? They would not allow her friends to
do it. So she must suffer out the fine. Month
after month she was kept in the dismal prison. For
those six dollars she was imprisoned twenty-three
months ! In all she was kept in prison more than
two years and a half !

She had a sister with her part of these long
years as a fellow-sufferer. "When their days were
fulfilled, they were allowed to return to the family,
who were glad to meet her whom they never
expected to see at home again. Great joy was felt
by the Christian people at her release. To show
what foes she had to face, we quote a letter from
the Rev. Mr. Hewitson, the devoted missionary on
the island :

" July 11th, 1845. It was reported a few days
ago that a writer was to be posted at the door, to
take down the names of the people who might enter ;

46 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

but as yet he lias not made his appearance. Mean-
while public notice has been given by means of
placards, I believe, lixed at the church doors, that
all who have not been attending the Roman Catholic
church, and not gone to confess to the priest, are
required to confess or attend church, within the
space of ten days, at the risk of being imprisoned.
The ten days have not yet expired. Maria Joaquina
was liberated from prison on Thursday of last week.
I saw her a short time after her release, and on
Saturday morning she was present at our meeting
for worship. She had been in prison for two years
and some months. She is an applicant for admission
to the communion."

This living martyr, with her husband, children,
and sister, afterwards fled to Trinidad. She after-
wards came to the United States. She seemed
always happy. A friend in New York asked her,
" Is your faith in Jesus Christ as strong now as
before, and are you as willing to die as when in
prison, and expecting to be executed ?"

" I feel," said she with a starting tear, " that my
faith in Jesus Christ is growing stronger and
stronger every day, and that I am willing to die
whenever he calls me."

She is hastening to the close of her pilgrimage,
when she shall come up before the bright throne
of glory "out of great tribulation." She went to
her western home in Illinois, there to be buried
and rest tiU the morning of the resurrection.

THE REV. W. II. IIEWITSON. 4T

CHAPTER V.

THE REV. W. H. HEWITSON.

Dr. Kalley had been often threatened. His
friends in Scotland wrote for him to flee the island.
But with Nehemiah he could say, " Should such a
man as I flee ?" In one of his letters written when
he expected every hour to be put in jail, he says,
*' You reminded me of the order given, when perse-
cuted in one city to flee into another ; but you will
also remember that it is said of the hireling that he
fleeth, because he is an hireling, and the wolf comes,
and catches the sheep. Were I to flee, I believe
the poor sheep of Christ's fold would feel deeply
discouraged, and the wolf would catch them. The
Lord can deliver out of the paw of the lion, and of
the bear. He would deliver them though I were
away ; but it is necessary for us always to examine
well, and seek to know the will of God, for it is not
for us to run whenever the lion growls. Let those
who have no hope, or confidence in the Eternal,
fear men that shall die, but let not us fear earth or
hell."

There was danger. He says, " In point of fact,

48 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

the Inquisition is established in Funchal. There is
a secret tribunal of priests, who make investigations
in secret ; and without any citation or hearing of
the person, he is consigned to the civil power to be
put in jail, against even their own ecclesiastical laws
and civil rights."

Dr. Kallej was the special object of vengeance
from the priests and the government. But how
could he be arrested ? The treaty between England
and Portugal would forbid it. This treaty gave all
persons in Madeira the liberty to enjoy their own
religion without molestation. But the Romanists
were determined that Dr. Kalley should not sit
under this vine. So they hunted up an old law of
the Inquisition in 1603, which had no more force
there than a law from the court of Japan, and by
that they arrested him, tried, condemned, and put
him into prison. For five months he lay in the
gloomy cell.

Nor was he idle there. The friends of the
prisoners were allowed to visit them six or eight
hours every day, perhaps with the design of trying
to induce them to recant the new doctrines. The
jailer warned many of them not to visit Dr. Kalley,
and he took down the names of many who did visit
him, threatening to have them arrested. They
were however allowed to enter by threes, but there
was to be " no singing or reading of the Bible
there." On Sabbaths, from seventy to an hundred
friends came to hear him talk to them. As only

THE REV. W. II. IIEWITSON. 49

three could enter at a time, tliere were many
gathered about the door, anxiously waiting their
turn. These persons were mocked and abused by
those who went to and from the cathedral. Dr.
Kalley was released in 1844. He often had six
hundred people to hear him, from whom he withheld
nothing which would benefit their souls.

A new governor was appointed. This man had
declared that if, he ever filled that office, he would
not rest until he had driven Dr. Kalley from the
island and put a stop to the work. He began in
earnest to do this, by every means at his command.
The free use of the cudgel was recommended as an
argument which country people could feel and
understand. ]\[urder was suggested in the public
papers as an easy way to get rid of the teachers
and readers of the Bible. Hints were thrown out
about a new St. Bartholomew's day ! or Sicilian
vespers. The officers did not rebuke such threats
in any public manner, if they did at all. Some
persons were beaten, some stoned ; three houses
were burned, two more were fired, and all at the
same hour, though far apart. The more the suflferers
complained and entreated, the more injury they
received. The dead were refused a grave except in
the highway.

Dr. Kalley expected to be driven away from the

island. He knew it would be best to avoid this if

possible. He went to Lisbon, and it was agreed to

stay certain proceedings against him. He was

5

50 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

earnestly desiring help, so that by being less pub-
lic himself as a teacher, he might still labour for
those already converted. "Who would come ?

At Lisbon he met Mr. Hewitson, and learned, to
his joyful surprise, that he had been appointed by
the church in Scotland to go to Madeira, and was
on the way.* As this devoted man did so much for
the work on the island, let us learn more fully who
he was.

William Hepburn Hewitson was born at Culross
in Ayrshire, on the 16th of September, 1812. He
was not a remarkable boy. He was known as a
delicate pale child, having little taste for boyish
sports. He was, as all children naturally are,
worldly and ambitious. His earthly ambition was
love of praise. He would say in his childish manner
that he would be " either a minister or a king," and
he often asked how long it would take to be a king,
and how long to be a minister. Sometimes he
would mount a chair and, gathering the little band
about him, would strain every power to move his
hearers to tears. And they did weep at his words.

As he grew older he was devoted to books. Often
did his school-mates laugh at him for being a book-
worm. He was ambitious to qualify himself for
entering college, and had an energy that never
flagged. He was so independent that he would
hardly receive aid from his father in his studies.
'' All he wanted to know was that such and such
things should be done, and he set himself in right

THE REV. W. n. HEWITSON. 5l

earnest to do them." *^ Alone and unaided he at-
tained to a greater knowledge and skill in languages
than most boys do at the best academies, with all
the help of tutors and teachers of first rate accom-
plishments. Then the foundation was laid of his
future eminence as a scholar and as a thinker for
himself."

lie was rigorously truthful. He could not endure
to show any appearance of falsehood in word or
action. The idea of being a minister of the gospel
often came to his mind, and he seems to have thought
no more of ever trying to be a king. *' Even in his
walks with me as a boy," writes one of his early
friends, *' he showed the loftiness and purity of his
aims, in declaring to me that he never would be a
minister unless he were first a Christian. He scorned
the mockery of setting up to preach what he did not
thoroughly believe, and feel, and live upon, himself.
Every thing must be reality with him, within and
without. You saw him just as he was."

At collecre he soon became known as amontj those
who were at the head of the list. The self-tauiiht
country lad had few compeers. When five contestors
were chosen by the votes of his class he was one of
the five, and at the top of the list of competitors.
The student next him, had been in the class already
for three sessions. Between these two there was
an intense struggle. At the first examination they
were pronounced equal — the professor not being
able to decide between them. At the second trial

52 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

he made a mistake. He saw it at once. He felt
that the prize was lost. But he was determined
that before the professor should enter the class to
announce his rival's victory, he would let him know
that the student understood his own blunder as well
as the professor himself. He therefore wrote a
polite note to the professor correcting the blunder,
but acknowledging that it was too late to be helped.
The professor announced the decision and read the
note. The students were loud in their praise of
Hewitson, and though he lost the medal that year,
they made it up by presenting him a copy of the
" Attic Orators." This delicate gift was honourable
to all concerned. The next year the professor urged
him to be a candidate and he took the prize very
easily. On the morning of March 31st, 1835, as
the gold medal was hung about his neck, he felt
almost to be the " king" of his childish years, and
the students were rarely so enthusiastic in hailing
him as the first man of his year. This was his prize
for the classics. But in Logic also he bore off the
palm over forty rivals.

There is a song about the nightingale, that when
young sat in the nest and picked the green leaves
of the rose. This was its pleasure. But after
awhile the rose unfolded itself, and then the bird
sang only of it, flew among the thorns, wounded
itself and died. Such young men as Kirke White,
PoUok, and Hewitson did this. They saw beauty
blooming on every thorny limb of the tree of

THE REV. W. H. HEWITSON. 5^

knowledge, and in trying to gain it they wounded
themselves — they almost died by reaching for roses
where once they gathered only leaves.

Hewitson paid dearly for his honours. They cost
him health, and that is hard to buy back when lost.
The night had hardly stopped him in his pursuit. lie
often had not slept till three or four in the morning,
and had risen at seven. He did not heed the warn-
ings of friends. He sometimes came in from class,
pale and weary, laid his hand on his heart, and drew
a long breath with evident pain, but still he gave up
all to study.

He made one other effort for an honour. A prize
had been offered to the students for the best essay
" on the Nature, Causes, and Effects of National
Character." Hewitson stretched forth his hand and
took it. In December 1837, his essay took the
honours. It was read, and highly applauded. A
listener, now known as Dr. James Hamilton of
London, exclaimed, " What a fine sense he has of
the sublime !"

Do you not imagine that the young victor had his
heart set on publishing the essay ? Not long be-
fore he would have leaped for joy at the proposal.
But now Professor Wilson urges its publication, and
Hewitson refuses ! All is changed !

He felt that he had grasped a shadow; ah ! a sting-
ing serpent. He thought of himself and was ashamed.
He thought upon God and was troubled. He felt
that he must be a minister of the gospel, but how
5 *

54 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

unprepared, how unworthy, how fearful ! He says,
*' that is the grand object of my existence — the
motive of all my exertions — identified with all my
hopes, and fears — the centre of my soul. If it be
not gained, a dark cloud will settle all around my
path, a blighting chill will benumb all my faculties,
and will make me useless to myself and others."

Oh if he only loved Jesus ! that is now his thought.
Once he loved to be praised, but now his soul is on
fire with a purer, nobler wish ; he wants to praise
Jesus and tell of his great love. His sad soul
mourns as he wishes his heart were full of love to
its God and Saviour, and yet finds it cold as ice and
hard as adamant.

And why, how, this change ? A "living epistle"
had come before his eye. He read the lesson and
learned it well.

. While at Leamington writing that prize essay, he
was aroused to something nobler than seeking
honours of men. He says, " I happened one day
to turn up to the mineral spring. A young man
entered the building, whose appearance at once at-
tracted my observation. His coarse linen frock
contrasted strangely with the gay apparel of the
groups before me. He was emaciated and walked
forward with a feeble step. After drinking of the
water (out of a vessel of earthen ware, which was
placed beside a number of tumblers), he, without
having apparently observed any one, again slowly
withdrew. After a little, I began slowly to descend

THE REV. W. II. IIEWITSON. 65

the hill, in the middle of which the spring was sit-
uated, and found the young man sitting at one of
the bends of the winding path which slopes gently
down the declivity. I spoke to him. His diffident
tone of voice, and his modesty of manner, at once
enlisted my sympathies. During several weeks after-
wards I frequently visited his father's lowly cottage.
My intercourse with the young man soon gave me
ground to conclude, that, if my theoretic knowledge
of gospel truths was greater than his, he, unlike
myself, had experienced their sanctifying power.
Truly his was the better portion. When he spoke
of the Saviour's love to sinners, and of his obedience
unto death for their redemption, he at times gave
vent to his gratitude in tears of joy. Pointing to
his clothes on one occasion, he said, addressing his
father, " These will be no more needed ; I wish you
to sell them ; the price of them will be enough to
pay for my coffin." He seemed like one who had
obtained " everlasting consolation and good hope
through grace," to have not a shadow of doubt or
anxiety on his soul as to the prospect of eternal
glory. One evening about sunset he fell asleep."

The young prize seeker was struck with an arrow
from God. That peasant was such a " living epis-
tle," that no one could read it and not be affected.
The thought came, " I am a stranger to all this."
He asked himself, " Could / thus calmly pass into
the immediate presence of the holy and just Jehovah ?
Am /, like him, sheltered from the * wrath to come?*

56 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

What must I do to be saved ? How miserable a
state of mind is that in which sorrow, like a heavy
load, weighs upon the heart, and tries to find relief
in tears, but cannot find it!" Well might he have
said as Cowper wrote :

"I was a stricken deer that left the herd
Long since ; with many an arrow deep infixed
My panting side was charged, when I withdrew
To seek a tranquil death in distant shades.
There I was found by One who had himself
Been hurt by th' archers. In his side he bore,
And in his hands and feet, the cruel scars.
With gentle force soliciting the darts,
He drew them forth, and healed, and bade me live."

His mind could not be turned from the ministry.
To be a king would only be playing with baubles.
But he doubts ever being capable to preach. Yet
he says, '' Let God dispose of me for time and for
eternity so as most to show forth his glory. If it
be his will that I am to be a minister of Christ,
blessed be his name ! If he dispose of me otherwise,
his will be done !"

In 1838 he became a student at Edinburgh where
Dr. Chalmers presided over Divinity Hall. For
talent and scholarship he was well known. But
there was a deep sorrow in his heart, which no
human eye could detect. He says, " I cried to the
unhiown God with my voice, and often cried in
despair. The cry seemed never to reach his ears,
and then I was so ' troubled that I could not speak.'

THE REV. W. II. HEWITSOX. 57

At such a time would I pour forth to God such
lines as these :

" * Oh wherefore hnst thou left me now

In dej>perate struggles all alone ?
Wliat teiiipe:>t hules thine awful brow ?

What horror girds thy gracious throne ?
Thou art my Father — deign to look

Upon the anguish throbbing here,
And not regard with stern rebuke

The scorching agony of this tear.' "

But he came at length to the cross, and found his
burden gone. In 1840, he was brought under the
preaching of that burning and shining light, ^Ir.
McCheyne, and he was led to Jesus. He now
pressed forward " toward the mark for the prize of
the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." He now
wished to have " an ear deaf to the world's music,
but all awake to the voice of Him w^ho is ' the chief
among ten thousand and the altogether lovely.' '*
He too became a " living epistle," and when he
went again among his friends at home, " they took
knowledge of him that he had been with Jesus."

Still he was a student. He writes — '' In the
course of my walkings to-day, I have been in-
formed that I am studying twenty-four hours a day,
and I may reasonably expect ere long to be informed
that I am very ill in consequence of my hard study.
Oh that this indolent me were able to study hard !"
And again two months later he writes, *' I am not
troubled now either by the ' indolence of genius,' or
the genius of indolence. I was out of bed this morn-

58 THE EXILES OP MADEIRA.

ing by four o'clock. I wish I could keep ' Mmshull'
hours regularly ; I dare say such hours were kept
by Adam and Eve when they were wont to close
their eyes in faith, and open them in prayer."

" God will not suffer me to be ambitious now,"
he says. His fine genius was turned to the cross,
and he became a little child. He sold the gold
medal, once the idol of his heart, and put the pro-
ceeds into the Lord's treasury.

Thoughts of the missionary work now came into
his mind. " Such is the expansive energy of Chris-
tian love," he once said, " that wherever it sees a
brow like that which was mocked with a crown of
thorns, it will not be satisfied till on that brow there
be engraved the name of Jesus. ' I am a mission-
ary' is a thought which we should frequently — every
day that passes — entertain in our minds. We should
be ever ready to put the question, ' What as a mis-
sionary ought I now to do ?' "

"I am forbidden to study," he was compelled
at length to say. Disease shut him up in the house,
during the winter of 1841-2. In the spring he
went to Germany for his health. To a great suf-
erer he wrote while travelling. " You are tried by
sore pain in the morning ; at nine o'clock in the
morning Christ was nailed to the cross. All day
long you are afflicted with pain ; Christ hung on the
cross in an agony till three o'clock in the afternoon.
* Behold the lamb of God !' and amidst your suffer-
ings, take comfort from the sight of his wounded,

THE REV. W. n. IIEWITSON. 59

bleeding body." Such a man -would make a "son
of consolation" to the people of God.

Again he was in the solitude of Dalmellington,
his home. His friends thought that he would soon
die of consumption. But he was intent on doing
some work for the Master ere he should go hence.
He thought of the south of France, and Malta, as
fields of labour, where his health might possibly
be regained. Little did he know yet, that God was
making a way for him in Madeira. The hour had
come, and a Mr. Sym proposed that island on which
such a grand scene was enacting. Yes, Madeira !
it was the very place. God had sent one labourer there
through ill health, and now he has another ready
when needed. It was a pleasing idea to Mr. Hew-
itson. He wrote, October 15, 1844, '' It is, I un-
derstand, most desirable, at present, that a minister
should be sent out to Madeira to acquire the Por-
tuguese language, with a view to preaching the
gospel to the poor Portuguese in the island. Dur-
ing the year which would be spent in doing nothing
but acquiring the language, my health might be so
far recruited, by the blessing of God on the change
of air, as to enable me afterwards to labour in that
. part of the vineyard. Doubtless it would be more
consonant to my natural wishes, to be a minister of
the gospel at home ; but if in a way so unexpected,
the Lord be pleased to say, ' I will send thee far
hence unto the Gentiles,' it is my part to deny my-
self through his grace, and take up my cross and

60 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

go. Madeira is at present the forlorn hope of
Christianity. There, more than anywhere else in
our day, has Popery breathed its natural element
of intolerance and persecution."

'* Yesterday," he writes, November 7th, 1844,
** was a solemn day, one ever to be remembered. I
was ordained by the Presbytery of Edinburgh (Free
church of Scotland)." This was part of the pre-
paration for Madeira. " I go to Portugal as a
missionary and may have much to try me and put
my faith to the proof." " Pray for me, my dear
friend. Remember my trials and difficulties before
the Lord. Let us not forgets Saturday evenings at
seven o'clock. Then pray for fruit unto eternal
life from among the poor Portuguese."

Some one unwisely published the fact that Mr.
Hewitson intended to go to Madeira, but the Lord
overruled it for good. It made it necessary for him to
go first to Lisbon. There his Master took him
" aside, once more to give to his sickle a new edge."
The two months spent there did much to qualify
him for trying events, among enemies such as he
had never known, and could not fully know until he
should suffer persecution.

TUE YOUNG MISSIONARY. 01

CHAPTER VI.

THE YOUNG MISSIONARY.

" Tuesday, January 28th, 1844. Mr. A-

called this evening to tell me that Dr. Kalley had
arrived from Madeira ; and while he was here, a
letter came from Mr. Sjm, intimating that I had
the consent of the Colonial Committee to go imme-
diately to Madeira. Thus, in a marvellous manner,
the- Lord has been answering the prayer which yes-
terday I offered up for direction and counsel."

Thus while the Lord was preparing a labourer for
the Held, he was also preparing the field for the
labourer. It must have overjoyed the heart of Dr.
Kalley thus to meet one, who, without his knowledge,
had been sent to stay up his hands, and reap a
glorious harvest. The young missionary was to
take his place.

There was no church yet organized among the
converts. Not many had openly renounced Popery ;
only twenty-five or thirty ; many were reading the
Bible and giving up the errors of Rome one by one.
They were truly as sheep without a she))lierd. Mr.
Ilewitson was entering upon a field where the
6

62 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

enemy was strong. He was sent forth as a sheep
among wolves. He ran the risk of enmity, and im-
mediately sought after those who wished to. learn
the gospel. He lived with a Rev. J. J. Wood, of
England, and had a room in the dwelling for hold-
ing meetings. Here was the " church in the
house."

Every day converts and inquirers came to meet
him. Few came at a time, lest the officers of the
city should forbid any to go. In the Lord's way
he had learned their language at Lisbon. He spoke
it as a " gift from God," though he could not under-
stand them when they spoke. *' The good people,"
he says, " are so anxious to be understood, that
when I ask them to speak more at leisure, they
speak all the faster !" Several persons applied for
admission to the Lord's table. They had gained
clear views from the Bible respecting Christ, and the
last supper. One lady, whose heart overflowed
with love to the Saviour, said she would rather be
put to death than to be silent when the truth was
spoken against. She " could not but speak the
thinors she had heard."

The little church grew. The difficulty was to
keep too many from crowding the room at one time.
Four parents came one Saturday evening, a four
hours* walk, and brought their children to be bap-
tized on Sabbath. Soon after that a communion
was held, in the evening, " the doors being shut for
fear." Thirty -four converts were there, with a

THE YOUXa MISSIONARY. 63

happiness they never had known before. More
might have been admitted, but there was no room
in the house ; every thing had to be done in the most
quiet manner.

Now he found an Apollos, ^'mighty in the Scrip-
tures." Let us recite the beautiful story. Dr.
Kalley was staying one summer on the north side
of the island to enjoy the sea bathing. One
day an almost blind carpenter was led by the hand
over the mountains, to consult the doctor about his
eyes. The doctor did all he could to relieve him.
The visitor then asked — as few did — what he had
to pay. lie was told, "I do not want money, but
if God blesses the remedies and you wish to pay me
for my trouble, I would like you to learn to read
the word of God and do as he bids you." The
ignorant carpenter went home, taking a Bible with
him.

The next summer the same persons met at the
same place. The carpenter was as blind as at first.
But he had learned a great deal from the Bible.
He would speak of a truth and say, " You will find
the proof in such a chapter and such a verse." Ilis
sight had been restored — he had gone to school,
learned to read, read the Bible with prayer for
God's teaching, got married, and lost his sight
again — all this in a year. He was asked how he
had learned so much of the truth in so short a time,
and replied, " Gud could teach me more in five
minutes !"

64 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

This carpenter had a priest, Padre Vigario. He
one day went to the priest with a tract, which Dr.
Kallej had given him, on which were the ten com-
mandments. *' Are these the true commandments of
God?" he asked. The priest declared they were
not. He abused Dr. Kalley most bitterly for giv-
ing such a tract to be read in his parish. But the
carpenter was determined to have the evidence of
his senses, for he could now see. He told the priest
that surely he had a Bible of his own, and asked
him to be kind enough to bring it forth so that they
might compare the tract with the record in Exodus.
The priest at first refused, but was forced to yield at
last. The Bible was brought. The priest either
could not, or would not find the chapter. He turned
to the beginning, middle, and end of the Bible. So
the carpenter took it and at once turned to the
20th chapter of Exodus. Then giving the priest
the one, he read the other. They were the same.
This man was ^' strong in the gospel." But the priest
was all the more angry, and declared that if the
English doctor ever entered his parish, he should
not leave it except piecemeal !

This victory cost the carpenter his liberty. Not
long after he was visited by some persons, who were
carrying a little flag with a figure of a pigeon on the
top of the staff. They asked alms, as is done once
a year, for the Holy Ghost ! They knocked at the
door, were invited in, and then begged for alms for
the "Espirito Santo" (Holy Spirit). " This is not

THE YOUNG MISSIONARY. 65

the Esplrito Santo," said the carpenter. " We
know no other," they replied. *' The Holy Ghost
is a spirit," said the reasonable man, "and that is
a piece of cloth fastened to a stick." The men
went and told the priest Vigario ; the priest reported
the case to the judge, and the judge had the poor
man brought to court, tried, and condemned to suf-
fer in the common jail. In Romish countries there
seem to be a great many jails — one always close by
where a Bible-reader is arrested ! He was there
for two months, but this did not convince him that
the parish priest was right, nor that the Bible was
wrong. This man came to Mr. Hewitson asking
baptism for his infant child.

There was a poor man on the island named Jeron-
ymo. "When seventeen years old a severe illness
made his mind feeble, his hands, head, and feet
tremulous, and his appearance quite boyish and
foolish. When Dr. Kalley first saw him, he was
about thirty years of age. He had learned a few
words of French and English, and used them in
begging from strangers. He was an idler of little
account to any one, as idlers usually are. The boys
often teazed him, and laughed at his stammering
words and strange gestures when angry.

One Sabbath in the spring of 1843, the police
were stationed at Dr. Kalley's door to prevent or
watch any persons who wished to hear the word of
God, from entering the house. Jeronymo took a
fancy to go in. One or two persons had been
6 *

66 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

beaten for daring to enter, but tbe police did not
think it worth their while to hinder poor Jeronymo.
The time for worship had not quite arrived, and
some of the family thought that Jeronymo was sent
there to do some mischief, for they were alarmed at
his idiotic appearance. They sent him away with-
out Dr. Kalley's knowledge. But God, who often
chooses the weak to confound the mighty, would not
let Jeronymo be offended and go away. He lingered
about the gate. In the afternoon he came and took
his seat with the little band of worshippers. No one
invited him to leave this time. His eyes and mind
were riveted. With open mouth and staring face
he sat hearing of the wonderful works of God. He
learned that Jesus had died for poor Jeronymo, as
well as for John and Paul.

He came aojain and agiain to the house. It was
the best place he could find in the city. The boys
could not find him to teaze him any more. He
ceased to beg from strangers, and left off being
idle. He contrived to support himself by his own
hands. Nor was this all. He must read the Bible.
He studied and prayed, and at last became a reader.
He told others about the true religion and the great
and good book. TKe enemies thought that he was
not worth their persecuting attention, and therefore
he could labour unharmed. God was making the
foolish confound the wise. When Dr. Kalley was
in jail, this poor man would come and get supplies
of Testaments and tracts to distribute, or sell to

THE YOUXd MISSIONARY. 67

tbose who would buy thcra. In this way he earned
something, and became very useful in the good
work.

When the enemies saw how much good such a poor
man couUl do, they resolved to stop it. Canon
Telles, a dignitary of the Romish church and a Jesuit,
once met him at his door, offering the tracts and
Testaments, and he gave him a terrible beating.
Which zeal was the best, that of the Jesuit for his
church, or that of the humble labourer for the cause
of Christ ?

Jeronymo was put into jail, but this was no great
hardship for him, for he had never seen much bodily
comfort in this world. For a good while he had
slept on the steps of some house so as not to be
caught and beaten. His home was a very poor one.
It was a little hut, in which his sister lived with an
idolatrous husband. They would not listen to the
new convert as he rebuked them for their false wor-
ship, and so he thought it was not best to live with
them any longer. Some one asked him where he
slept and he replied, with as much independence as
if he owned a palace, that he could sleep quite
well at any door, and the Lord always provided him
with a piece of bread.

It was no small pleasure to him to be in the same
jail with Dr. Kalley. One day when in the doctor's
room, the conversation turned upon the resurrection
of the body. Poor Jeronymo looked on his hands
and his feet very much grieved. lie could not feel

68 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

happy, in thinking that the same hands and feet
would he given him at the resurrection. He had
hoped to he freed from his poor, weak, awkward hody.
He was then told that if he died trusting in Jesus,
he should he raised up " like to His glorious hody."
The expression of his face was instantly changed.
He looked again at his trembling limbs, and then
gazed upwards with wonder and delight, at the
thought of having that body made like the Lord's.

When out of prison he did all he could during the
day for his Master, and at night slept on the steps
again whenever he could find a place not exposed to
the violence of the enemies of Christ. In prison or
out of prison he was happy. One day he came to
Mr. Hewitson and heard him speak of the " hid
treasure." He was asked if he understood what it
meant. He came forward as one who had been
bruised by severe blows, and said that he knew what
the hid treasure was, for he had been beaten severe-
ly the night before because he loved his Saviour.
Poor Jeronymo could find no " good Samaritan"
among his own people, unless they had first been
taught the Bible.

Two or three would come to the young mission-
ary at a time, and others would wait anxiously for
their time to come. They often were not cautious,
and would linger at the door watching for it to be
opened. They seemed not to care for the danger
of being arrested and cruelly treated. Daily there
were additions to the church. He found that Mr.

THE YOUNQ MISSIONARY. 69

Wood's house was too small as well as too public.
So he rented another with a garden on each side of it,
where the people might not be watched so closely
by the police. His health was still feeble. The
wonder is that it did not entirely fail. It should be
noticed that these people are naturally timid and
fearful of danger. They were persecuted at home
by friends and suspicious neiglibours. Often a
man's foes were thev of his own household. Yet
the love of God and of his truth made them bold.

A pony had been left by Mr. "Wood for the young
missionary to ride, when he sought the refreshing
air on the hills, or the music of the waves along the
shore. Coming toward his house from one of these
rides, he saw several policemen on the watch about
his house. He rode on past the house, and these
spies continued their watch for two or three hours
and then left. The few people in the house went
home, no doubt full of sorrow that their pastor must
refrain from his work. He wished to use all pru-
dence, lest these disciples should be beaten with many
stripes, have their houses burned, their property
taken away, and their privileges denied them by
arrest and imprisonment.

The curses of the priest fell on the poor, instead
of blessings. A poor man had by careful earnings
laid up seven pence to pay the priest for confessing
him. He offered it in the chapel, but the priest
turned round in anger, and with an oath " hoped
that he might turn as black as his hat if he would

70 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

ever confess a man for less than ten pence !" The
poor man obtained another half penny and offered
that also, but was rudely turned off with a curse.
This was his last attendance at priestly confession.
He learned to confess his sins to God, who invites
us to come " without money and without price."

Several persons were examined by the officers in
order to find some cause for an arrest of Mr. Hew-
itson. The police were ordered to put him down in
some way. The treaty between England and Por-
tugal prevented an outrageous attack. Out of pru-
dence he discontinued his meeting for a few weeks,
in order that the black cloud of threats might blow
over a little. Yet the converts were bold, and their
enemies saw that imprisonment was a poor way to
cure them. The lion went about roaring, for he
knew not what to do with this devoted pastor and
the harmless people.

In making strong the church, Mr. Hewitson took
another important step. Let him tell it in his own
words, dated May 8th, 1845. " I have been contem-
plating the ordination of three or four elders. On
Tuesday last, I intimated to a godly young man, that
I wished him to become an elder, asking him if he
would object to undertake the office. He answered
that he would refuse to do nothing that was agree-
able to the will of God ; and, evidently referring to
a threatened attempt on the part of the enemies of
the truth to force him into the military service, he
added, that he would gladly enlist himself as a

TUE YOUNG MISSIONARY. 71

soldier to defend the Lord's cause and people. The
young man is a devoted servant of God, with intense
love of Bible truth. He quotes the Scriptures with
great readiness and felicity." The missionary then
proposed that this young man should be assisted in
preparing for the ministry. " The time may be^
not far distant," he says, " when I shall be obliged
to leave Madeira by the strong arm of persecution,
and it would be a great comfort to the afllicted
church here, amidst their privations, to have the
prospect of so soon receiving ordinances at the hands
of one of their own number." Elders were after-
wards ordained.

May 12th, he writes, " The horizon is becoming
more and more cloudy. Two or three days ago at
a dinner party, the Bishop of Madeira declared ex-
terminating war against the Bible. He said that
he had all the authorities on his side,* and he was
resolved to put down all dissent from the Roman
Catholic Church. Yesterday while the Bishop was
preaching, he fell down in a fit. This might teach
him that the Lord is mightier than he."

"An excellent young man, who should be made
an elder of the Portuguese church in Madeira, on
a person saying to him, * that the church of Rome is
the mother of us all,' had replied, " Then keep her to

♦ Very much like the hoast of Sennacherib in 2 Cbron. xxxii. 10-
18, But the missionary could have said, " There be more with ns
than with him. With him is an arm of fletsh ; but with us is the
Lord our God to help us," ver. 7-8.

72 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

yourself.' He was, for this, sent to jail four
months."

The police warned him not to continue the meet-
ings in his house, or he would be arrested, and the
court would not handle him mildly. He thought, how-
ever, that it was better to violate the Portuguese
law, than the law of Christ, and so he cautiously
held meetings under cover of the night.

Aug. 24, 18-i4, he writes, " This night we are
at eight o' clock to ' keep the feast' in secret, and
with closed doors and windows, in our dining-room,
with this poor and persecuted little flock of Christ.
The service if discovered will send his dear servant
to prison, but the Lord is his keeper."

The jailer was very kind at this time. He al-
lowed three prisoners to get out on parole, and go to
the *' Church in the house." He knew they would
come back, for they said they would. He knew
that these Bible-readers could be trusted. Honour
to that jailer !

The Lord took his servant out of this danger.
He became too ill to labour in the city, and sought
rest and recovery by retiring to a village fifteen
miles distant. Disease crept more rapidly upon him.
He was brought back to Funchal, in a hammock, a
mode of conveyance in this mountainous land. Dr.
Kalley was absent in Scotland. The physician
almost despaired of seeing Hewitson well again.
Nor was the patient very hopeful. He said, " For two
or three days I scarcely expected recovery. I never

THE YOUNG MISSIONARY. 73

went down so far into the dark valley, nor got so
steady a gaze over the verge of time into the depths
of eternity." For six weeks he could not meet, on
Sabbath, with the Scotch congregation worshipping
there. Yet he declared that these were the " sweetest
T^eeks he ever spent in Madeira." A friend sent
him some flowers and he wrote back, *' When we
find the Lord's flowers withering: in our hands, we

should not vex our souls as we are apt to do fie

is not hiding his face, though the flowers be dry.
He would have us be ever going again, through tlie
gentle dropping dews of prayer in the Holy Ghost,
to knock at his garden gate, and ask him for a
fresh gift of his choicest flowers. He withers the
flowers we have, that we may ask for more. Oh
matchless love of Jesus I He wishes us to come
a£i;ain and a^ain."

This sickness gave strenorth to his heart for the
good work. " Out of weakness he was made strong."
He did not think best to renew the public meetings
till Dr. Kalley should return, lest the foe should get
some advantage. But he set on foot a new method.
The converts should hold meetings from house to
house, and those best instructed should conduct them.
It was a happy plan. He organized a class, who
should study the gospel, in order to be qualified to
teach others. Some came eighteen miles to attend
it. One person, just released from jail, was asked
to lead in prayer, but feeling his need of learning
and good language, he said, " Excuse me, for I can
7

74 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

only pray as I have been taught by the Holy Ghost !"
Would that all Christians could thus learn from the
Spirit of God !

The rage of the enemy waxed more terrible ; more
was known of jails than of churches in those stormy
days. Hewitson was waiting daily for the call of
policemen to hurry him away to prison. Dr.
Kalley returned to the island. The missionary was
forbidden to preach or teach in the name of Jesus.
One of the judges was ordered to arrest him, but
declined. The Bishop went to Lisbon to get aid to
put down the religion of Christ. The English mer-
chants were forbidden to have any meetings of Por-
tuguese in their houses. It seemed best for Mr.
Hewitson to retire from the scene for a little while.
But he felt that he must get his class through a
good course of study. He toiled hard. In three
weeks eighty-seven Portuguese took the sacrament.
There were hundreds — yes thousands — ready to
listen to the word of God, but the hoof of oppression
kept them down.

One cheering fact occurred, just when the enemy
seemed to be most mighty. " A few minutes ago,"
he wrote, " I have heard of a wicked man's conver-
sion. His wife called to ask me to visit the house."
That man had been one of the chief tools of the
angry priests, in carrying on their work of violenee.
This gave more of an impulse to priestly rage, while
it made it the more sad for the young missionary to
retire from the field.

THE YOUNG MISSIONARY. 75

He left Madeira in May 1846, intending to
return after a few months. With a bounding heart
he soon excLaimed, "Again I am on British
ground !" Toward Madeira his thoughts often
turned. He heard how his flock were being scat-
tered by the storm. " Ah ! the tidings from Ma-
deira," he writes, " are truly sad. The dear people,
hunted like wild beasts on the mountains by their
savage foes, and forced on the resource of emigra-
tion, as the only means of escape from the dreadful
alternative of relapse into Popery, or of suffering,
it may be in many cases to death. One man brut-
ally murdered ! Several women beaten almost to
death ! Popery would exterminate grace itself
from the earth if it could !"

Of Mr. Hewitson's labours, Dr. Kalley wrote :
" He has been a source of incalculable good to
Madeira. I feel myself to be very much a hewer
of wood or drawer of water."

THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

CHAPTER YII.

LAWLESS VIOLENCE — ENGLISH LADIES MOBBED.

The Misses Rutherford were English ladies re-
siding in a quiet part of Funchal. They occupied
a summer residence called the " Quinta das Angus-
tias." One of them was an invalid, unable to leave
the house. A Miss Clarke acted as her nurse. A
young Portuguese lady, an orphan, a convert, and
a teacher, was also one of the family.

The Misses Rutherford were known to be Protes-
tants, and friends to the Bible-readers. They had
allowed some of the Portuguese women to come and
hear the Bible read in their house. They had been
'• helpers in the gospel." It was resolved by their
spies and foes, that they should be driven from the
island. All treaties for protecting English residents
were disregarded, and even when the British consul
ought to have shielded them from harm, nothing
was done. They were exposed to the rage of a
mob.

On a Sabbath morning, August 2nd, 1846, a com-
pany of thirty or forty worshippers of God met in
the "Quinta das Angustias." They met on this

LAWLESS VIOLENCE. <T

holy day to sing praises, offer prayers, read the
Bible, and hear a letter from Mr. llewitson their
pastor, then absent in Scotland. The worship was
conducted by Mr. Da Silva, a man of influence and
learning, who had left all and followed Jesus.

During these hours a mob was collecting. It
was not headed by a drunken outlaw, but by a canon
of the church, an officer who assisted the Bishop in
his labours, and was one of his counsellors. He
was a Jesuit. Educated in England, he had seen
something of what power the Bible had over the
people. He had, no doubt, come from the Cathe-
dral that very hour, with his robes upon him, and
was now mustering a ruffian rabble to attack the
peaceable worshippers in the Quinta.

The meeting heard Mr. Hewitson's letter with
deep interest. It was like one of his rich sermons.
A few words from it would do us good.

" I remember you every day in my prayers before
God, giving thanks to him who called you out of
darkness into his marvellous light.

" Life, light, salvation, the hope of glory, all
spiritual and eternal blessings, are found in Christ
Jesus our Lord ; neither can they be found any-
where else. Christ is the storehouse of all the
heavenly goods ; Christ is the treasurer of all the
riches of divine goodness ; Christ is the fountain
from which rivers of living waters are always flow-
ing; Christ is the Sun of the highest heavens, which
scatters and throws all the rays of divine wisdom
7*

78 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

and knowledge both among the angels above and
the believers below. Whatever blessing you need,
seek from Christ Jesus.

*'If ye depart from Jesus, ye are poor, miserable,
blind, and naked ; ye have nothing. Coming to
Jesus, ye become partakers of his riches, his white
robes, his light, his wisdom, happiness, joy, grace,
and love ; his kingdom and glory. Come therefore
nearer to Jesus, and never leave off living and walk-
ing with him. Be very close to his pierced side.
Hide yourselves within his heart. Bathe your souls
in the waves of his eternal love.

" If you do not trust in Christ only, you cannot
be saved. If you trust in your tears, prayers,
works, persecutions, or tribulations, you are certain-
ly wrong, and walk far from the way of salvation.
Such thi^s are not Christ — such things are not
your Saviour. Do not trust in them, but only in
Christ.

" It is good to shed tears of sadness, thinking on
your sins ; but shed them looking to Christ crucified.
It is good to pray; and to pray more and more
earnestly ; but you ought to pray trusting only in
the merits of Christ. It is good to do the good
works of faith and love ; it is good to increase more
and more in fortitude, charity, purity, and meekness;
but see that you don't put any confidence in your
own works. It is good, if necessary, to suffer per-
secution, shame, and death itself, for the sake of the
name of Jesus. But we ought always to remember,

LAWLESS VIOLENCE. 79

that it is not for the sake of our personal sorrow
and suffering, but only for the sake of the sufferings
which Christ endured, that we are saved.

*' If we have Christ, we have all ; without Christ,
we have nothing. You can be happy without money,
without liberty, without parents, and without friends,
if Christ is yours. If you have not Christ, neither
money, nor liberty, nor parents, nor friends, can
make you happy. Christ with a chain is liberty ;
liberty without Christ is a chain. Christ without
anything is riches ; all things without Christ are
poverty indeed."

Tears must have fallen from the eyes of these
devoted Christians, so soon to be persecuted. The
meeting was held until after twelve o'clock. As
these refreshed worshippers were about to retire, a
mob appeared at the gate. The Jesuit Canon Telles
was heard shouting defiance and revenge. Other
priests were with him.

Mr. Da Silva went first to the gate. The canon
instantly thrust an image in his face, and bade him
*' kiss it" and "adore his God !" Da Silva calmly
replied, ^'Whydoyou interfere with a peaceable
citizen ?" The canon then abused him, with the
names of "heretic, renegade, apostate," and other
insults. But the good elder, " when he was reviled,
reviled not again."

The canon then knocked oft' his hat in a violent
manner, and urged on the mob. Da Silva, after
such ill-treatment, managed to escape, and three or

80 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

four others "with him. One young man was so brut-
ally attacked that he retreated into the house. The
rest were compelled to remain within doors. The
English ladies could not think of forcing them to
leave the premises. The house was besieged through
all the afternoon.

Dr. Kalley came in the afternoon to visit the
sick in the Quinta. He knew nothing of the mob
until he rode up to the gate. As he was told that
the sick English lady was in need of medical aid,
he felt that he must go in, though the mob should
rage the more. Voices hooted at him, called him
abusive names, threatened him, and shook their
fists and their clubs. When he came back he was
threatened again, and his groom was violently
beaten. The mob declared that they would kill him
if he dared to follow the doctor. He therefore ran
home, struck with fear and horror, reporting that
he had left his master in the midst of a murderous
mob. The doctor mounted his horse, and rode
through the crowd in the street, and some hats were
lifted in respect for him, and some voices were
heard saying, that it was an outrage to reward him
in such a way for doing good.

The mob would probably have disbanded and gone
away, had not Canon Telles and the priests been
determined not to abandon the ground. They went
about through the crowd, adding oil to their burning
fury. The police were there, but they did not dis-
perse the rioters. No law was read, forbidding such

LAWLESS VIOLENCE. 81

outraojes. The scenes that fullowed tlurln^ that
night of violence are best described by quoting the
words of an eye witness, Lieut. J. K. Tate, in the
British service :

** Having heard, late in the afternoon, of the
painful situation in which the Misses Rutherford
were placed by the threatening attitude of the mob,
I rode down to the Angustias, with a view to afford
them any protection, counsel, or comfort in my
power, as well as to watch the further motions of
the people. I arrived at half-past six, when I found
that the police had been withdrawn. Xhe canon,
however, with various other priests, was on the
ground, and an unusual number of persons were
walking and talking in the neighbourhood. I ac-
cordingly resolved upon returning at ten, and re-
maining in the house during the night, should my
presence be required by the ladies under the cir-
cumstances in which they were placed. Soon after
ten I returned, at which time Conego Telles was seen
in the road, with a crowd of people talking in groups
around the gate. Through them I was permitted
to ride in quietly, but not, as we afterwards discov-
ered, without much consultation on the subject
amongst the ringleaders of the mob. Being out on
the balcony about eleven o'clock, when the silvery
moon was shining peacefully through the trellis of
the verandah, and all nature quietly reposing in the
solemn stillness of the night, the sound of human
voices warned us that the mob had come within the

82 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

gates. "We now perceived a number of men armed
with bludgeons standing at the front door, and at
once warned them oflf the grounds.

" Miss Rutherford addressed them in Portuguese,
using every argument to induce them to retire. She
reminded them that their appearance thereat such an
hour, and in such an attitude, was contrary to all
law, while their conduct was seriously endangering
the life of an invalid lady. She cautioned them to
beware of illegal proceedings ; she told them that
they might surround the house and wait for daylight,
or send for the police if they suspected there was
any criminal within ; for to the police, with a legal
warrant, she would open the door the instant the
sun was up. The people were at the same time
assured that the case would be represented in the
morning to her Britannic Majesty's representative
at Funchal.

" To this they replied that *they did not care for
the English consul' — * there was no law for the
Calvinists' — and ' they could appeal to the gover-
nor.'* 'They had a right, they said,' ' to do what
they liked, and all the Portuguese in that house
should die.' They then insisted on immediate
entrance, or that the Portuguese should be delivered
up to their vengeance. Both were, of course, re-
fused, when they declared their intention to force
their way ; with the threat that if they did so every

* The subsequent conduct of the governor fully confirmed the
ideas the ruffians had been led to form of him.

LAWLESS VIOLENCE. 83

soul they found within shoukl die. A low whistle
was given by the ringleaders, which was immediate-
ly answered by a further rush of men, who now
amounted to fifty or sixty, armed with clubs and
bludgeons. Seeing all remonstrance vain, that the
people were partially intoxicated by liquor, and
were now planting their comrades in all directions
round the Quinta, we retired from the balcony into
the house, shutting and bolting the windows as we
went. Having done this, we repaired to the chamber
of the invalid, and committed ourselves unreserved-
ly to the care of Him who alone could overrule the
will of his enemies, and make the wrath of man to
praise him.

*' In a short time the smashing of the windows,
and crash of the bludgeons on the door, announced
that the money and liquor of the enemy were fear-
fully doing their work.*

" Amidst the yells of the mob, the cry was still
heard for admittance ; when Miss Rutherford again
addressed them in that calm, gentle, temperate, yet
firm and dignified manner which distinguished her
conduct through the night. One of the ringleaders

* " The money paid on this occasion waa in small sums of 3 bits
(fifteen pence) and upwards. This I have from relatives of those
who actually received payment. That paid to the ringleaders on the
occasion of the outrage on Dr. Kalley's residence was in much
greater sums — large subscriptions having, I was given to understand,
been raised among the priests and men of property." Rev. Mr.

MOBTON.

84 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

desired her to speak in English,* but she answered
that ' she spoke not for his ear only, but for those
of all that were present.' She then, in the most
courteous way begged them to withdraw, urging the
danger they were incurring by so acting in violation
of the law. ' There are no laws for Cahanists,' was
the instant reply, showing that the impression pro-
duced by the long preceding course of authorized
persecution was, that Christians were outlawed by
the fact of being readers of the word of God, with
a further threat, that if the doors were not immedi-
ately opened they would burn the house to the
ground !

" Another smash of windows followed, and one of
the mob called out aloud, ' You had better retire or
I'll kill you.' Miss Rutherford sprang back, and
a huge stone fell upon the spot which she had occu-
pied but the moment before. The smashing at the
door was now resumed with fearful violence, and
repeated at short intervals, xls each blow fell upon
the windows and resounded through the house, a
shudder passed over the invalid's weakly frame.
And though I am sure there was hardly a thought
of self within her, yet so deep was the sympathy
evinced for her suffering sisters in Christ, that we
expected every moment would have severed the
spirit from the body, and called it from a stormy
world to ' where the wicked cease from troubling,
and the weary are at rest.' Each crash seemed

* So that the mob would nut uuderstaud her plea.

■i

LAWLESS VIOLENCE. 85

like an electric shock, pervading every nerve ; so
true is it that * we, being many, are one body in
Christ, and every one members one of another.'
Thus when * one member suffers, all the members
Buffer with it.' 1 Cor. xii. 20.

*' Meanwhile Miss Rutherford and Clarke, her En-
glish maid, were exerting themselves to conceal the
poor Christians from the anticipated murderous
attack. They consisted almost exclusively of women ;
of harmless, quiet, inoffensive females ! But they
were Protestants — they had not been to mass, nor
had they lately paid the fees of confession. And so
their sex was no protection from the bludgeon of
the ruffian ! They were marked out by the priest-
hood for vengeance, and the end was to justify the
means. For their greater security they were hurried
into the kitchen, at the remote end of the house ;
that being the apartment likely to be last reached
by the assailants, and from which there was a stair-
door down to the garden. All but a poor blind
man were shut in here ; and he, perhaps the happiest
of the party, was put under a bed in a spare room,
over which some dresses were carelessly thrown to
conceal him from view. He was told that there
was no help but in his God, and that he must plead
with him to put out his arm and save him.

" We also commended the whole of our party to the

care of our heavenly Father, praying that he would

be to each of us individually a very present help in

this our time of trouble ; that he would teach us to

8

86 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

pray, that he would help our unbelief and confirm our
faith; and above all, that he would uphold us, so that
not one of our number, for any pains of death, should
fall from him. The seats were then removed from
the room in which the meeting had been held.
Bibles and bonnets were put out of the way, so that
no additional cause for excitement might inflame the
rabble as they entered. Still crash succeeded crash,
and blow succeeded blow !

" What a contrast, thought I, between those with-
out and those within the house ! Here was peace
and confidence ; there violence and hatred. Here
was the voice of Him who is love itself, and who had
permitted the storm to rise, whispering into each
one's ear, ' It is I ; be not afraid ; my grace is suf-
ficient for thee ;' there was the voice of Satan urg-
ing on his slaves to deeds of darkness and of blood.
Here, in a word, was Christ ; there was anti-Christ.
Here the seed of the woman ; there the seed of the
serpent. Alas, how true ! it was not against their
countrymen as men that their hatred, their rage,
their violence had been raised, for many of those
had come from the country, and were personally
unknown. It was not against them, but against
'Christ in them.' It was Jesus whom they perse-
cuted. After a few more crushing blows, the door
of the house flew open. Still none dared enter.
Portuguese cowardice, ready enough to attack the
helpless, aged female, and the blind, shrank from
encountering an unknown danger in the dark. The

LAWLESS VIOLENCE. 87

ruffians sent for lights, which they made 'little boys*
carry in their front ! They tlien searched every
room in the lower part of the house, but in vain.
Their victims -svere not there.

"Soon after midnight, just as arrangements were
completed above, lights were distinguished on the
staircase, and almost immediately they entered the
drawing-room. Off this room was the invalid's
chamber, and thither the rioters directed their course.
Six or eight of the ruffians, preceded by boys
carrying lights, flashing in their faces, daringly en-
tered the room and demanded the Portuguese ; plac-
ing by this act of reckless cruelty, the life of a de-
fenceless invalid lady, guiltless of crime, in the most
imminent danger. They were informed that the
Portuguese were not there, and would not be given
up ; and desired, moreover, not to come farther into
the sick lady's room. They whispered together for
a few minutes, (every moment of which must have
been an agony to the ladies,) and then went grum-
bling and muttering away. A guard being left in
the drawing-room, they proceeded in search of their
victims ; a rather tedious process by the way, in a
house with twenty bedrooms and six sitting rooms,
besides a chapel and closets of all kinds.

" At length we heard the yell of triumph. The
victims had been found. Resistance was not thought
of, but they were all on their knees in prayer to
God. One was seized — his head laid open to the
bone, and himself thrown over the banisters to the

88 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

ground. Here the mob was beating him with clubs
and dragging him out to be murdered in the garden,
'for it is a less crime,' said they, ' to kill him there.'
At the very moment of opening the door by which
to drag out their intended victim, the police and
soldiers entered, thus catching them in the very act
of outrage, and intended murder in a British sub-
ject's house. The mob was asked by what authority
they had entered that house, to which they replied
that ' they did not care for authority or law.' Two
of the ruffians were then secured, marched off, and
lodged in jail.

" The rest fled through the house, making the
ladies fancy for a moment that either the poor
victims were rushing to us for shelter, or that the
villains were returning to add us to the number of
their prey. We soon discovered that the police
were in possession of the kitchen, and taking our
party under their charge, they conducted them in
safety to their homes. No sooner had the invalid
heard of the safety of Christ's little flock, than nature
showed herself completely exhausted. The spirit
indeed was strong, but the flesh was weak. She
fell into a state of complete insensibility, from which
she had not recovered when I left the house in the
morning. The noise had, it appeared, been heard
in the town, but no force was in readiness to quell
the disturbance ; or in ten minutes they might have
reached the Angustias. The two policemen wlio
heard the noise were insufficient to face a mob ; they

LAWLESS VIOLENCE. 89

hurried off, therefore, for military aid. Thus, not
the foresight of the magistrate, nor the vigilance of
the government, but the length of time spent in
searching the house, and the native cowardice of
the Portuguese, were instrumental in the hands of
an all-wise and all-merciful Providence, towards
bringing deliverance to his persecuted, but not for-
saken ones.

'• In the morning, at the request of Miss Ruther-
ford, I officially reported the outrage to the consul,
* in order that he might take such steps as he might
be pleased to think the case demanded as represen-
tative of the British crown.* I also beo:ored him to

CO

adopt such measures as might be necessary to pro-
tect British life and property from any repetition
of violence, the door being so smashed in that any
one could enter the premises at pleasure. This
letter I delivered in person, but soon found how
little we had to expect either in sympathy or assis-
tance at the hands of the representative of British
majesty. The subject was treated with the greatest
coldness and indifference. More regret was ex-
pressed at the meeting of a few Protestants for prayer
and praise in the morning, than indignation at the
violation of British rights and honour, and the
danger to which the lives of British subjects were
exposed at the hands of a lawless mob at night.
Although I looked, and still look at the outrage as
an affair to be judged of wholly irrespective of the
meeting or any other circumstance whatever, I
8 *

90 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

ventured to assure the consul that not a word had,
at that meeting of friends, been uttered against the
religion of the state, which alone, according to Por-
tuguese interpretation of the law. could make such a
meeting illegal.

'•Besides. I added, had all the laws of Portugal
been broken. Miss Piutherford was amenable to those
laws, and to those laws only, and till tried and con-
demned bv them, was surely entitled to protection
from her countrv. She should not be criven over to
the tender mercies of a Romish priest and his reck-
less mob. The consul admitted that the outrage
was unjustifiable: and he * hoped." and 'trusted,'
and * felt assured" that the offenders would bp
punished. I suggested that in my humble opinion
the British government, in a case of such gross vio-
lation of British property, ^c. was entitled to demand
that active measures should be taken by the au-
thorities for the arrest of the offenders : or. at least,
that due punishment should be ensured to the two
persons captured on the previous night under cir-
cumstances that could a'imit of no kind of doubt as
to their guilt.

'• So far. however, from this being likely to follow,
I told him that no authority of any kind had been
near the scene of outrage : nor, so far as I could see,
were anv steps being taken for the furtherance of
the ends of justice. The consul stated, in reply,
that it was a case for the courts of la^s■. and not for
him to interfere iri ! I then asked the consul as to

LAWLESS VIOLENCE. 01

the protection which the Misses Rutherford might
expect to their lives and property during the night ;
when (will the reader believe rae when I say ?) the
representative of Great Britain referred them to the
office of police ! * The head of police would, he had
no doubt, provide them with a sufficient force !' "

" Such outrages were committed on the 2nd of
August, 1846. Neither the British consul nor the
Portuguese authorities made any efforts to prevent
their repetition. The leaders of the mob well un-
derstood the disposition of the authorities, and were
encouraged in their work.

"Such, I may add, were some of the consequences
directly arising from the breach of the peace by a
canon of the cathedral church of Funchal, Carlos
Telles de Menezes, a dignitary of the church of
Rome!!!"

92 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

CHAPTER VIII.

NARROW ESCAPE OF DR. KALLEY.

The enemies now found how far they might dare
to go in deeds of violence. They need fear nothing
from the governor, nor police, nor British consul.
It was in the power of the governor and consul to
restore order. A resolute word from them would
have put the rioters in fear. They were solemnly
bound by their oaths of office to protect all whose
lives and property were assailed. British Protest-
ants could claim the protection of all they had, by
the treaty between England and Portugal. It was
said expressly — " Their dwelling houses, warehouses,
and everything belonging thereto, shall be respected,
and shall not be subjected to any arbitrary visits
of search." It also secured them the right to wor-
ship God without any opposition.

The one man against whom the malice was strong-
est, was Dr. Kalley. It was determined to attack
him very soon. Through the week, after the attack
on the Quinta das Angustias, he was often insulted.
His name was called aloud in the streets, and he
was threatened. The cries of " Calvinistas," (Cal-

NARROW ESCAPE OF DR. K ALLEY. 93

vinists,) and " Kallistas," (Kalleyitcs,) were very
loud in reproach of the Protestants. Large com-
panies of men marched through the city declaring
that all Protestants, foreign and native, should be
destroyed.

Miss Rutherford, before leaving the island, asked
such protection as even an enemy would give, if
there were any mercy for the defenceless and the
sick. But it was refused. From the head of the
police she received the following message :

" That he (the police magistrate) would not con-
tinue to protect Miss Rutherford's house so long as
Portuguese were admitted to hold divine worship, or
any that had been known to assemble themselves
together were permitted to frequent the place." And
he further required from her a promise in writing
*' that no meeting should be held in her house." To
this impudent and daring threat Miss Rutherford
replied by stating to the consul her thorough con-
viction that no Portuguese law prohibited such
meetings, in which nothing was said against the re-
ligion of the state. At the same time, as protection
was otherwise refused to the lives and property of
herself and family, she requested him to give such
promise in her name, if he considered the giving of
such a promise " extorted by threats," and which no
law and no treaty gave the magistrate any right to
prescribe, was compatible with the honour of the
British nation. If not, she demanded protection
from him. She was the more earnest because her

94 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

friends thought that her sick sister could not endure
the removal from the house.

No such protection was granted, but she was
ordered to remove as soon as possible. The threats
against these innocent ladies, and the kind-hearted
Dr. Kalley, became more tierce during the week.
Knives were packed away in a house near the
Quinta das Angustias. The rioters were spying out
the Christians. One of the leaders was heard to
say, " If Dr. Kalley escapes this time, he must be
the devil !"

A letter was addressed by Dr. Kalley to the police
magistrate, informing him of the facts of the case.
The bearer of the letter was seized in the street, by
some " gentlemen," as they were called, and beaten
severely, so that he was forced to give up the letter.
Dr. Kalley then wrote to the governor a statement
of the facts.

The governor, in a very insulting letter, replied,
that the British residents on the island were looked
upon with "mistrust and disgust," and that the
disturbance " was the fruit of the tree he had planted
on the island, and it could produce nothing but dis-
cord and trouble !" Just so the apostles were falsely
accused of having turned the world upside down !

To this insulting letter Dr. Kalley sent a manly,
respectful, and Christian reply. He recited the
events of the previous Sabbath, and said : " The
authorities are not ignorant of the facts. They
are notorious to your excellency, to the public

NARROW ESCAPE OF DR. KALLEY. 95

prosecutor, to the British consul, and to the whole
population of Funchal. The actual state of the
house speaks volumes, but not one of the authorities,
either British or Portuguese, has jet looked near it.
The criminals are not unknown — two of them were
in the power of the authorities — actually in prison
— and were set at liberty ! Why does the public
prosecutor not raise an action against those guilty
of so public an outrage, unless it be true that the
authorities do not choose to repress the disturbances
by the punishment of the offenders ?

'" Houses have been broken into, and the inmates
beaten nearly to death. Other houses have been
set on fire at midnight, and burned to the ground,
and the authorities have not given any public de-
monstration of disapproval. Not one of the crim-
inals has been punished ; and when ruffians are
arrested by the police * in flagrante,' in a British
subject's house, they are forthwith set at liberty.
The assailants are released — the assailed are im-
prisoned and condemned in virtue of laws, respect-
ing which the judge, in the very sentence, declared
that they are abolished.

"Further the master of police dares to refuse
protection to British life, and British property, ex-
cept on condition of British subjects making promises
which no law and no treaty ever conveyed to him
any right to exact ; and for the want of energetic
interference, the residence of British citizens is ac-
tually placed in a state of siege.

9^ THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

" If the authorities choose to proceed in such a
"way, the verdict of the world as to the cause of the
disturbances cannot be doubtful. The attempt of
the authorities to throw the blame upon others, will
only serve to remind the world of Nero, blaming the
Christians for the burning of Rome.

"A large loose rock, on the steep side of a hill,
may be easily kept in its place as long as it is at
rest ; but once in motion, how terrific its course, as
it sweeps and bounds impetuously down the mountain
side, bearing destruction along with it ! Who can
arrest it? So it is with the power of a lawless
mob."

Like the apostle Paul, when falsely accused, h6
referred to his past life in proof that he was aiming
to secure the best interests of men. '' My aim has
uniformly been to promote the health, comfort and
happiness of the Madeirans, as far as is in my
power. I have never taught anything at variance
with the doctrines, that men have one Father, the
living and true God, that we are all brethren, and
that our common Father commands all his children
to love one another, not in word only but in deed
and truth.

" I have never taught a syllable at variance with
the glorious truth, that when we had all offended
that most gracious Father, and deserved the doom he
had denounced, a Friend from heaven — a partner with
the Father in his throne — loved us, died for us, re-
deemed us with his blood, and thus laid us under

NARROW ESCAPE OF DR. KALLEY. 97

Still raore powerful obligation to love our Lord — to
love one another — to love all men, even our enemies ;
and such doctrines are diametrically opposed to all
disturbance, injustice, and crime.

" I am bold to say, that my conduct, and that of
those who hold similar religious sentiments, has
never been such as to give any reason to suppose
that, in my creed, I approve of any kind of moral
evil. No one has ever dared to charge me with
teaching any man to defraud or injure his fellow-
man. Amid all the disturbances that ever occurred
at Madeira, there never was an instance in which
those who agree with me in my religious views, were
the aojorressors ; and among innumerable cases of un-
provoked, atrocious cruelty practised against them,
they have never, with one exception been charged
with striking a blow, even in self-defence ; for they
have learned of Him, who was meek and lowly of
heart — who, when he was reviled, reviled not again
— when he suifered, he threatened not, but com-
mitted himself to Him who judgeth righteously. I
feel, therefore, most fully borne out in repudiating
the charge which your excellency has brought against
me, as the cause of the disturbances referred to ;
and am convinced that, on an extensive, unprejudiced
investigation of facts, your excellency will exonerate
me from the charge."

The governor was now as silent as the police
magistrate had been. Dr. Kalley then wrote to tlie
British consul, whose name we now withhold, lest it
9

9S THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

shame some honest and brave man that bears the
same good-sounding name. In this he said,

" The rioters must feel that the conduct of all the
authorities implies an approbation of their proceed-
ings, inferior only to the issuing of an edict, or the
offering of a reward for their perpetration ; and they
are accordingly becoming daily bolder, so that on
the night of the 5th instant, and last night, their
threats "were such that from sixty to eighty individ-
uals felt themselves obliged to flee from their houses
for their lives, and spend the night in the moun-
tains.

*'I have received vrarning from various Portuguese
gentlemen, that the rioters threaten to attack my
house, and two or more other British houses within
the next eight days ; and as your inattention with
respect to Miss Rutherford's case has favored the
presumption that our government will not interfere,
whatever atrocities be committed upon us, it seems
highly probable that an attack will be made.

" From the conduct displayed towards the Misses
E-utherford, (who had broken no laws, and, if they
had, should have been tried by the law, and not
left to the mercy of an infuriated mob,) and towards
the rioters ; it is impossible to regard the authorities
otherwise than as, at the very least, conniving at
the outrage, and therefore responsible for all the
results.

" If you, in your official capacity, do not demand
the adoption of such measures as shall effectually

NARROW ESCAPE OF DR. K ALLEY. 99

secure British subjects against the repetition of such
atrocities, I am convinced that my life and property
will be in danger; and if, from your non-interfer-
ence, similar atrocities be again perpetrated, our
country will justly look to you as responsible for
them all.

" I believe it is intended that an attack shall be
made on other places, at the same time as upon my
house, so as to afford a pretence for no aid, under
the plea that the police ^ere occupied elsewhere."

Saturday came, and the signs were plenty, that
the mob intended an attack on Sabbath, just one
week after the exploits of Canon Telles in attacking
the house of some innocent ladies. Dr. Kalley sent
this message to the consul :

" ^th of August. — For several days the vocifera-
tions, threats, and abuse uttered by the lower orders,
when passing my house, have been incessant ; and
of such a nature as to be disgraceful to a country
professing to be civilized. They are never inter-
fered with. Every one who goes out, or in to my
house, is assailed with a volley of abuse, whatever
be their religious opinions ; and during the last night
my family was repeatedly alarmed by parties bat-
tering at my door with sticks.

" 2nd P. S. — Noon. I enclose an anonymous
letter just put into my hands, which I beg you will
return to me.* I must repeat that I am fully con-

* Tho anonymous letter contained a correct prof^ratnuie of what
was planned fur tho next day, in mobbing Dr. Kalloy in hid own

100 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

vinced that this comes of liberating the prisoners,
and other conduct of the authorities ; and if ener-
getic measures be not instantly adopted, I shall feel
myself obliged to deliver up the key of my property
to you for protection, as I cannot, with a couple of
servants, defend it against a mob."

Dr. Kalley began the work of turning his dwell-
ing into a fort. Two ruffians disguised as towns-
men came and stationed themselves at the door,
watching all that passed. About six o'clock on
Saturday evening, ten or twelve soldiers marched
up as a guard to the house, and were posted in a
cottage at the entrance of the grounds. Dr. Kalley
asked them if they knew why these threats were
made against him. They replied that " they fan-
cied it was because he was opposed to the saints. " He
told them that this was a great mistake, for instead
of being opposed to them, it was his greatest aim
and wish to be one of the happy number. The
person in charge of the guard then added, "Well, I
don't know, but the authorities think these things
have lasted long enough."

" From these ominous words, and from preceding
events, the doctor felt assured, writes an eye witness,
that the authorities would be in no hurry to come
to his protection, and, therefore, returned to finish
the barricading of the house by every additional

house. And yet the consul did nothing ! Yes, he did go the next
day and look on the scene of violence against one of his own coun-
trymen I

NARROW ESCAPE OF DR. KALLEY. 101

means that he could contrive. In the meantime five
or six of the soldiers kept watch at the gates, whilst
their comrades remained in the cottage.

*' At ten o'clock, a friend of Dr. Kalley's acci-
dentally met a boy returning from Santa Luzia, with
a load of iron bolts, which he knew had been ordered
for the barricading of his house. He accordingly
stopped the lad, and on enquiring the reason of his
not delivering them at the doctor's house, was told,
* that he could not gain admittance, and that the
soldiers had said they were not required !* The
doctor's friend then accompanied the boy back to
the house, and assisted the doctor in completing his
work.

" About two in the morning, all had been done
that seemed possible in the way of defence, and as
Dr. Kalley's friend was leaving, the doctor accom-
panied him to the outer gate. Providentially, on
reaching it, they overheard the guard in a familiar
conversation with men, either masked, or with their
faces blackened ; one of whom was sharpening a
large knife on the door lintel, preparatory, as he
said in Portuguese, to the * killing on the morrow !'
When several had gathered together, they fnrther
heard them consulting as to whether they should go
in then — the soldiers being still in their company.
One said, ' No, there will be plenty of time for all
to-morrow.' Another, ' Nay, but let us go in now;*
and the gate moved a little on its hinges. Now
this had been left shut, so that it could not have

102 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

been opened but from within ; and when found
open, it was evident that the soldiers were traitors,*
and had come from the cottage and opened it. A
female servant was near, and when she saw it move,
she instantly shut it with all her force ; and having
the key with him, the doctor locked it. Convinced
of the treachery of his guard, and that he had now
no longer any security to his life, he returned with
his friend into the house, to consult as to what should
be done. After committing themselves to God in
prayer, and casting all their care upon Him who
' careth' for his people, they felt satisfied that the
most prudent course was to withdraw from the house.
Dr. Kalley therefore disguised himself, as hurriedly
as possible in the country dress of a peasant, and
stealthily and silently withdrew.

" It was a glorious moonlight night, — too clear to
be favourable for his escape, but there was no time
for delay. He passed through his own grounds as
cautiously as if he had been a thief, and fearing as
much to meet a ruffian there, as, in other circum-
stances, a ruffian would have been to meet the right-
ful owner ! Having reached the boundary, he
looked carefully round ; but seeing no watch on this

* " The soldiers were ■well aware that what was about to happen
was both agreeable to the government, and encouraged by the
priests ; and, therefore their present conduct and bearing to the
leaders of the mob. Had they been called upon to act on the morrow
by their officers — or that night instructed by their superiors to do
their duty, I cannot doubt that, as soldiers, they would have un-
hesitatingly have done so."

NARROW ESCAPE OF DR. KALLEY. 103

Bide of his property, he descended the wall, to creep
along the vineyards in his front. What a spectacle
"was here presented ! The best and kindest friend
that had ever visited Madeira — he that had spent
eight long years in active exertions to benefit her
people — who had been by night and by day minis-
tering to their wants, at the bedside of their sick
and their dying, and had been the means, under
Providence, of restoring thousands of them to health
and strength ; — was now leaving his home, at dead
of night, unattended and alone. He was fleeing
for his life ! The stars were shining in beauty
above — the mountains rising in noble grandeur on
his right ; rich vineyards lay before him, and on his
left appeared, over the city, the calm, placid, silvery
ocean.

" All was still. The winds were hushed. It was
the Lord's day morning. No sound broke the
sacred stillness of that hour. All contrasted fear-
fully with the tempest which the demons of supersti-
tion and persecution had raised in the hearts of
some of that deluded people ! Having descended a
little way, the sound of voices broke upon his ear,
and fearing it might be a watch of enemies, he
turned aside. But after a few more alarms especially
from meeting people in the way, and from the watch-
dogs of the peasants, he reached the Pinheiros in
safety, the Quinta in which I was residing with my
invalid sister and mother. This was a little after
three o'clock. He leapt the wall, gently tapped,

104 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

and was received by those within with fervent grat-
titude for his escape from the assassins who sought
his life. With deep anxiety had the attention of
all in the Pinheiros been directed, for nights past,
to the residence which he had now been compelled
to desert ; and our eyes had been intently fixed on
the spot, almost to the moment when Dr. Kalley
made his appearance in person.*

'' In the home which he had left there were hearts
beating anxiously for him ; and we lost not a moment
in exhibiting the appointed signal of his safe arrival.
This being seen, the rest of the inmates of the house
consulted for their personal safety. An old and
faithful servant buried the silver plate — a few im-
portant documents were secured, and they left the
dwelling where the ignorant had been instructed,
the mourner comforted, the sick attended, and anxious
trembling sinners directed to the blood that ' clean-
seth from all sin,' but against which the leaders of
the misguided people had now threatened to direct
their rage.

" While the family escaped by the back way,
through vinevards and fields, as the doctor had
done before, the friend who had been with them
during the night returned through the front door,
leaving, as it would seem to the treacherous guard,

" * Our cook had visited Santa Luzia early in the evening, and he
had reported the very suspicious appearance of a number of " bad
men," in the neighbourhood of the doctor's house. The threats, too,
were so open, that we were continually dreading an attack."

NARROW ESCAPE OF DR. KALLEY. 105

the whole party quietly within. It was now near
the break of day, and crowds were pouring up the
mount road to the Festa, which had juvst begun.
Soon after daylight I was up, and not a little startled
at the sight of the doctor's groom, who, remember-
ing probably the military outrage at the Serra, had
fled from his master's house as soon as the guard ap-
peared, and taken refuge in our stable. Fearing
that his being seen would serve to throw suspicion
on his master's retreat, I asked him a few questions
as to the time and circumstances of his leaving on
the previous evening. And having thus lulled the
suspicions of our own servants, if any existed, I re-
commended him quickly to seek a place of safety,
which he at once consented to do.* Thus was Dr.
Kalley in a place of shelter, unknown to a single
native in the island.

" It was now high time for Dr. Miller (Dr. Kalley's
brother-in-law) and myself to be acting. "We felt
assured that the threatened attack would take place
at the appointed hour ; but were thankful that we
had a British consul and a British flag that must be
degraded and trampled upon, ere a British subject's
residence, rendered sacred by treaty, could be
openly outraged under the Sabbath's noon-day sun.
We hastened, therefore, to the consulate for the
purpose of reporting the events of the night, and

* He returned, however, as I afterwards discovered, to the stable,
aud I subsequently took him oft' in a bainuiuck to the " Williuui," of
Gla:jgow, disguised as a woman.

106 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

requesting the consul to hoist the union of England
over the property of Dr. Kalley. The reader may
imao^ine our utter amazement when we found that
in spite of all the warnings he had received, all the
details of the plot with which he had been furnished,
the very hour of the attack being known to him, the
British consul had actually gone away to his coun-
try seat, without any probability of his return to
Tunchal ! !

" The Quinta dos Pinheiros, to which the doctor
fled commands an excellent view of Santa Luzia,
his residence. Dr. Kalley had, therefore, an op-
portunity of watching from the windows the motions
of the people below ; and who can tell with what
thrilling anxiety he must have gazed in the direc-
tion of his now deserted residence ? Ten o'clock
came, and all was quiet ; the soldiers kept watch,
and the intending assailants, who had their spies
in all quarters of the town, thought that their vic-
tims were safe within. Half-past ten o'clock struck ;
still no unhallowed sound was heard reverberating
there.

" It was a glorious Sabbath morning. The sun had
risen, and was shining in a blaze of golden light ;
the sky was cloudless — the earth lovely, every vine-
yard around us being clustered with grapes, scattered
by a heavenly Friend. But though the wild roar
of furious men was not yet heard, they were gather-
ino" from among these vineyards to perpetrate, in
the name of that God, a God of love, justice, and

NARROW ESCAPE OF DR. KALLEY. 107

truth, outrage, cruelty, and it might he murder !
The only subject of conversation in the streets
seemed to be the intended proceedings of the day ;
and Mrs. Kalley, when escaping in disguise, over-
heard persons say — ' Those who are in that house,
would need to-day, to be sure of salvation.'

** Eleven o'clock struck, and still there was a
pause. Then was heard a rocket hissing through
the air. A little pause, and a second followed ; and
there began a hum of human voices, which soon
rose into wild bursts, like ocean's billows in their
angriest mood. It sounded nearer and nearer ; still
the Quinta and grounds were quiet. Another
moment and a dense mass of human beings emerged
from among the trees, and were seen surrounding
the house. There was one wild roar and then a
silence. They retreated, and a faint hope arose
that the soldiers would do their duty. But no : the
silence was again broken ; the people were not
mistaken, the approval of the authorities was indeed
real, and the work of the instigator of the riots,
who had, I understand, himself enjoyed the charitable
advice and medicines of Dr. Kalley, was commenced
in earnest.

" Sledge-hammers and clubs were soon in requisi-
tion. The ruffians worked hard, and the door was
forced. A tremendous yell arose, then disappoint-
ment and confusion. They had expected that the
doctor would be dragged out to satiate their infuri-
ated passions. But no ; he was not found ! During

108 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

all tills time the governor and the police magistrate
were present, with a guard of soldiers ; and there
they remained while the house was being attacked,
broken into, and ransacked ; seemingly, as was re-
marked by a gentleman who passed at the time,
more as a guard to see the work of devastation well
done, than for anvthincr else.

" The consul arrived in the midst of the work of
destruction, and seeing that nothing but force could
restrain the mob, pressed the governor to ' fire, as
it was a case where it was necessary to sacrifice
life.' But this the governor refused to do. Guns
were, indeed, heard in the distance ; but it was at
the festival of ' Our Lady.' The corps of country-
police, which had, on former occasions, been called
out to prevent people from going to the doctor's
house to listen to the sacred Scriptures, were not
now called out to save his life. The militia, though
called to attend, and fire in honour of the Festa of
' Our Lady of the Mount,' were not in requisition
when the lives and property of British subjects were
in danger. Nothing effectual was attempted by the
governor, who had at his command all the force of
the island. Who, then, can fail to see that the
presence of that functionary and the military, at
Dr. Kalley's house, was a most pitiful farce ? Nay,
it was more than a farce — it was an insult to the
British nation.

" Disappointed of human sacrifices, the ruffians
seized upon the doctor's valuable library, manu-

NARROW ESCAPE OF PR. KALLEY. 109

scripts, and other papers ; and those which were not
reserved for their priestly employers, were, amidst
fiendish yells of deliglit, cast into the road in front
of the house, thrashed with clubs, and afterwards
burnt. The sacred Scriptures were the objects of
especial hatred, and were all consigned, without re-
serve, to the clubs and to the flames."

As there was now no security either for property
or life. Dr. Kalley's friends resolved to convey him
secretly and in disguise to a British vessel. For
this purpose, a hammock was obtained, but they
had much difficulty in securing bearers. Finally
they succeded.

"Dr. Kalley was quickly disguised in female
attire, put into the hammock, and covered over (as
invalid ladies are when being carried in Madeira) with
a linen sheet. Soon we had fairly started on our
perilous journey, not wavering in doubt, but strong
in faith and prayer ; knowing that He that was for
us was greater than any host that might be arrayed
against us. At first one of the bearers refused to
carry any one whose face he did not previously see;
but his objection was fortunately overruled by the
servant of the consul.

" About a hundred yards from the entrance of
the Pinheiros two men were on the watch at that
point of the road which is crossed by the Levado,
and from which our course diverged to the left.
This was the first danger we encountered ; but, put-
ting on a bold face, we advanced towards the spies.
10

110 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

A suspicious glance was directed at myself, the
bearers, and the hammock ; but as we appeared to
be oroing: away from those parts that would have led
them to suspect the hammock's contents, we were
allowed to pass on without molestation.

" Before we had gone far the end of the sheet
•was lifted by one of the bearers and an inquisitive
look directed within. I then handed into the ham-
mock a bottle of eau-de-cologne, which I carried in
my hand to dispel suspicion. In a little time ex-
pressions were heard indicative that ' it was no lady
they were carrying.' Still we proceeded on our
long, circuitous journey, passing, ever and anon,
little groups of curious people, talking over the
affairs of the day and gazing on the dense column
of smoke risincr from Dr. Kallev's burniDcr librarv,
&c., the papers from which were falling around us.

*'By and by we descended towards the town, and
the bearer who had lifted the sheet exclaimed, ' It
was hell for him, he could not go any farther ;' and he
stopped and laid down the hammock. The moment
was a critical one ; but as the weather was truly
oppressive (for we had come under a burning sun)
even to one unencumbered with the weight of a
hammock, I did not oppose their resting awhile. I
then gently pressed them to proceed, and in a few
minutes we were passing the deanery. Three
several times did they thus lay down, and as often
were they induced to resume their burden, each
time pressing earnestly to know whither they were

NARROW ESCAPE OF DR. K ALLEY. Ill

going. This was a question that could be answered
only at the risk of our lives. I mentioned, there-
fore, the name of a street close to the pier from
which we were to embark, and by which it was ne-
cessary to pass. We were now fairly in the heart
of the town, and expressions were more than once
heard, 'It is he.'

*' We passed the convent of Santa Clara, and the
consul's servant declared he could not go a step
further and would not. It was a trying position,
and things were becoming imminent, for the mob,
having failed in obtaining possession of Dr. Kal-
ley's person at Santa Luzia, had assembled in front
of the consulate, where as I have already said his
wife and brother-in-law's family had previously
taken refuge. Here they insisted that Dr. Kalley
was secreted, and loudly demanded his person.
While thus engaged in insulting the British flag,
and on the very point of breaking into the official
residence of our consul, a party of soldiers sent by
Colonel Teixeira was drawn up in front of the con-
sulate.

"From the steps of St. Peter's another bearer
was procured, but the cry had just been raised,
* There's the consul's servant ; that must be Dr.
Kalley.' We hurried past the Franciscan convent
and the castle onwards to the beach, while the cry
of * Kalley !' * Kalley !' was being carried from
p-treet to street till it reached the British consulate,
xhree loud fiendish cheers, and the living mass

112 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

swept impetuously towards the pier, diverted from
the siege of the consulate to the far more exciting
search for the doctor's person. At length we
reached the pier, the boat was in readiness, the
hammock put on board and we were launched upon
the ocean. I turned round and the whole beach
teemed with living beings. What a change had a
moment produced in our condition and in theirs !
But a moment earlier and we had surely been sac-
rificed to the fury of the mob. We were now out
of danger — we were beyond the murderers' grasp !"

The little boat with its precious charge was
rapidly rowed towards the steamer. Only those
who suffer persecution for Christ, know how exciting
such an hour must be. Angry voices from other
boats were heard asking who was in the hammock.
The boatmen seem to have thought *' it was a sick
lady who was going to the AYest Indies." No one
of the Christians said it was a sick lady ; they
merely kept quiet and passed on.

When the little boat came alongside of the
steamer, Lieut. Tate mounted the deck, and asked
the captain to take the hammock on board.
"Awful disease," " Quarantine," thought the captain
at first. He hesitated. But the mysterious story
was soon told, and it drew forth his true generosity
and hearty welcome. Dr. Kalley was now on
board an English ship. Soon after Mrs. Kalley
and a native attendant were on board the vessel.
This was Dr. Kalley's earthly reward, for showing

NARROW ESCAPE OF DR. KALLEY. 113

himself the hest friend of Madeira that ever landed
on her shores ; the best friend of the people ; — " the
man who had consecrated time, talent, property,
and life itself to promote their best temporal and
spiritual welfare. Not only he and his family were
obliged to flee, but his library, valued at §10,000,
was reduced to ashes."

The British Consul had laid aside the official
dress, and had taken down the flag from flying over
his house, signifying English protection ! The
consular uniform should not be seen, and the flag:
should be furled in the lockers at an hour when
they ought to have been used to save English life and
property. England was not to blame, but she was
insulted by her own consul, who went about in a
" sailor's round jacket !" Name not the man I

The consul went to the mob which was still raging
at Dr. Kalley's burning house, and told them that
he had escaped, and had gone on board an English
vessel. But they would not believe this, unless
they could see him. So the obliging consul went
to the shore with them and asked that Dr. Kalley
would show himself! This was an insult. The
consul plead that, if this was not done, he would be
suspected of harbouring Dr. Kalley in his house, and
it would be set on fire. It would gratify him, and
satisfy the mob if he would grant them an ocular de-
monstration. Dr. Kalley consented to this in-
dignity because he feared his dear friends would be

burned alive in their houses, or murdered in trying

10*

114 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

to flee from them. It was too late to use any more
hammocks in carrying away disguised persons.

There were officers of the government ready to put
down these riots. They had some respect for life,
for property, for rights, and for the treaty between
nations. They came to the Governor and police-
magistrate who were present at the work of destruc-
tion ! *' The officer of the guard frequently asked
permission of the head of police to disperse the
mob, but was told on no account to do so ! Colonel
Teixeira, the military commandant, knowing what
was going on at Dr. Kalley's house, and having re-
ceived no requisition for more troops than a small
guard, proceeded in person to the scene of plunder,
told the civil authorities that he had field pieces and
plenty of troops ready for action, and asked per-
mission to bring them up. He was informed there
was no need whatever for them."

We see then what the Romanists are ready to do
on Sabbath, when there are Christians to be driven
away, and when there are no civil laws to hinder
them from riots. Two Sabbaths had been dese-
crated in the most bold and violent manner. One
week was not enough to spend in this wicked work.
The fury was still kept hot by the priests. No
Christian, no Bible-reader, was allowed to be safe
in the city, or any of the towns of the island.

On the next day after Dr. Kalley's flight, many
other English residents were forced to leave their
homes. The sick were treated without mercy.

NARROW ESCAPE OF DR. KALLEY. 115

Eleven such families were insulted and threatened.
One English gentleman, who helped his friends to
get safely away on ships, was threatened with mur-
der and obliged to flee. It would not do to help
any one to remain safe on the island, nor to help
any one to flee away ! One British lady died after
reaching a vessel in the harbour, from the violence
to which she, in her sickness, was exposed; others
came near losing life through fatigue and alarm.

The native Bible-readers were severely perse-
cuted. Their houses were broken into and plun-
dered, their steps were watched by spies, and they
were driven by hundreds into the mountains, and
hunted down, like sheep upon an island of wolves.

"It is truly heart-rending," wrote one of the
English residents, " to hear of their sufferings.
"When discovered in their hiding places, they are
mercilessly beaten, to extort a promise that they
will go to confession. A few days ago a man was
most brutally murdered, and several women have
sustained injuries from which they are not expected
to recover." They were faithful to their Saviour,
and remembered that, by faith, men of olden times
endured fire and sword, even death for Christ.

There was no protection for Protestants on shore.
A placard was put on the governor's palace de-
manding that Protestants should leave the island on
that week, and stating that four thousand men
would come for the answer of the government on
next Sabbath.

116 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

Not many years before, during the reign of ter-
ror under Don Miguel, one of the proscribed per-
sons took refuo:e under the flao^ of a foreign consul.
He was safe there, though he did not dare to leave
his room for many months. But he was not a Bi-
ble-reader! No Bible-reader could be allowed the
protection of a foreign flag, and the worst of our
shame is that an English consul should even deny
the use of his waving banner.

THE "WILLIAM OF GLASGOW." 117

CHAPTER IX.

THE ''WILLIAM OF GLASGOW."

The converts and Bible-readers were now called
to enter the seven-times-heated furnace. Fire at
home, the cudgel in the streets, the treachery of
priests, starvation in the mountains ; all these
threatened them. They were persecuted on every
side. Their neighbours, who still adhered to the
Koman church, the priests and the police were con-
stantly on the alert to arrest them. They were
forbidden to read the Scriptures, or to pray to-
gether in their own dwellings. Every copy of the
word of God on which the priests could lay their
hands was immediately committed to the flames.
But thanks be to God, the Bibles were not all de-
stroyed. Some enclosed their Bibles in small boxes
and buried them in the earth. Others opened a
place in the stone wall of the house, put in the Bi-
ble, and then plastered over it. And others
wrapped them in cloth aiid hung them in trees of
very thick foliage. In such ways as ingenuity and
piety could suggest, we are assured by tliose who know,
that at least fifty Bibles and three hundred New

118 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

Testaments were preserved from the destroyer and
are now on the island. From time to time there
has been a resurrection of those Bibles that were
buried during the violence of the persecution. The
fruits of " the seed of the kingdom" will, we trust,
yet be seen in Madeira.

Every night some new act of violence and cruelty
was committed. The vineyards of Protestants were
trodden down, and their property destroyed. They
were hated by men, because they loved Christ. There
was no human law for them, because they were de-
termined to obey the laws of God. There was no
earthly home for them, because they were seeking
the Father's house in heaven. They were praising
God in the mountains, or seeking refuge on English
ships. Guns were often fired from these ships, to
let the persecuted people know that they might find
a welcome on their decks.

The ''William of Glasgow" was anchored in the
bay of Funchal, ready to take on board as many of
the Protestants as could find room. Twelve English
refugees were on board. One of them who knew
much of the fury of the mob, thus wrote to Mr.
Hewitson : '' This ship is to take away two hundred
of your flock to Trinidad. Seventy are already on
board. The sound of the hymns is very sweet, as
it rises from the hold. It is a great privilege to be
near them in this time of need, and to see that their
faith does not fail. They never speak against their
persecutors — they only mention them with pity.

THE ** WILLIAM OF GLASGOW." Il9

Sometimes I overhear them in prayer, praying for
their enemies, and for those who have turned back
again to the houses of idohitry. They have all
been in hidings on the mountains, and many of
them have nothing left but the clothes they wear."
"We quote a longer account of these exiles. It was
written by one on board the ship William.

" They soon heard that the ship William had re-
ceived on board those who sympathized in their
cruel sufferings. And the very first night after we
embarked, several of the poor persecuted ones were
safely treading the deck of the William. It was a
truly interesting sight to see the boat sweep along-
side, doubtful at the moment whom it might contain ;
then to see one after another mounting the side of
the ship — casting a wistful eye around, lest perchance
they might have missed the looked-for vessel ; to
witness the affectionate meeting, as they caught the
eye, and afterwards the hand, of a well known
sympathizing friend. It was most affecting to see
the tear of joy, the look of gratitude, that beamed
in the face of each poor sufferer as he first set foot
upon an English deck, and once more breathed the
air of freedom and of liberty.

" It rejoiced the heart to see the tear of gladness —
to hear the prayer of intercession for their enemies,
and the hymns of praise and gratitude from night
to night, as their numbers increased, and they now
flocked in crowds to seek amongst strangers that
shelter which their countrymen refused them. Old

120 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.-

and young, strong and infirm, girls and women with
children at their breasts — all hurried to the William,
knowinor that here were hearts beatino; with tender
affection for Christ's suffering flock.

" I wish I could recount the marvellous escapes
of some through the brushwood of the mountains,
while their enemies were in full pursuit — the hair-
breadth escape of others, who left their homes at
midnight, and never were permitted to enter them
again — who left them to the robber and the plun-
derer, and never found shelter more, till they found
it in the William of Glasgow. I have a letter before
me from one who, writing from Trinidad, speaks
thus of her wanderings in the mountains of Ma-
deira : —

*' ' I cannot narrate in writing the afilictions we
suffered, nor even bj word of mouth could I tell
them. I can only say we fled from our home on
Saturday night, and wandered fugitives for thirteen
days. But God in his mercy sent us a ship one day
after the sad 9th of August, to deliver his children
from the fangs of their enemies, and from the snares
of the devil. We cannot give the thanks due to
God for his mercy towards us. God fulfilled his
word : — " When thou passcst through the waters, I
will be with thee ; and through the rivers, they shall
not overflow thee ; when thou walkest through the
fire, thou shall not be burned, neither shall the flame
kindle upon thee.'' Isaiah xliii. 2.'

"Every night added to the list of native con-

THE "WILLIAM OF GLASGOW." 121

verts rescued from the assassins' grasp. But all
did not escape so well. On the morning of the 9th,
the day of attack on Dr. Kalley's house, the nephew
of a poor woman, who had just been obliged to fly
from the house, was found at the door, as the ruffians
came to attack it. He was but twelve years old,
but his youth was no protection. He was knocked
down and violently beaten, receiving a dreadful
blow in the head, which for a considerable time con-
fined him to the hospital. On the same day a poor
old woman was dreadfully beaten, and the mob,
supposing her dead, dragged the body to the spot
where two of the converts had been buried on the
public road.* There they laid her upon the grave.
She remained in this state a considerable time, and
was then carried to the hospital ; but having refused
to attend confession, on which terms only she was
offered her life, she was cast out to perish. She
was afterwards taken in again, and notwithstanding
one arm was broken, and her whole body a mass of

* " As if it was not sufficient for the church of Rome to be continu-
ally persecuting the converts to Gospel truth, she denies, in direct
violation of the laws of Portugal, their very bodies sepulture in the
only legal cemetery, and decrees that they be buried in the public
roads. Scarcely twelve months since the authorities of Madeira, nut
content with ordering a Protestant's body to be thus buried in the
public road, insisted on its being buried in front of his own door, in
order that the family might daily step over it. Happily the rock
prevented the accomplishment of this iniquitous design, and he now
lies on one side of the door. Verily ' the righteous perisheth, and no
man layeth il to bearU' Isaiah Ivii. 1."
11

122 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

bruises, recovered, and sailed in the Lord Seaton
for Trinidad.

" Poor Mariasinha ! hers was one of the most fiery
of all the trials of those stormy days. Canon Telles
attacked her again and again, and the most fearful
threatenings were employed to force her to confession.
She was five weeks alone amongst her enemies ;
speaking of which time subsequently to a Christian
friend, she shuddered, as she thought of the blas-
phemies she had heard from the lips of the
other invalids, and from the attendants. May her
patience, and her strong and simple faith have been
blessed as a lesson to some one among them ! It is
interesting to tell how this poor one of the flock,
weak both in mind and body, was made strong to
witness a good profession in the hour of trial.
During this conversation, which the English lady
declared to be a solemn lesson to her, she said :
* Much had been forgiven her, and truly she loved
much.'

" Another woman was treated in a similar way
some days later, and shortly after, a man was bar-
barously murdered in open day by five or six rufiians,
who, not content with having murdered him, jumped
and stamped, like fiends, over the mutilated remains.
For this murder four men were committed to prison,
and during the week a jail delivery was everywhere
spoken of, as the work of the coming Sunday. On
the Saturday preceding, being the eve of the great
Mount Festa, the city was filled with strangers. At

THE *^ WILLIAM OP GLASGOW." 123

intervals during the day two English ships, lying
next to us, fired their guns, to show the people, as
the captain remarked, that afloat, at least, the
English could and would protect themselves. This
I believe, gave great offence to the Portuguese au-
thorities ; but there is no doubt the effect on the
people was good.

" The military officers, ashamed of the scandalous
affair of last Sunday, met together in their quarters,
and resolved amongst themselves to put down all
attempts at disturbance, independently of any re-
quisition from the civil authorities ; ' seeing,' as they
said, ' that the administrator of the council had lost
the public confidence, and had been the promoter
(as they were ready to prove, if the inquiry were
proceeded with) of all the disorder, in concert with
the Canon Telles and other priests;' and a message
to this effect was sent to the governor. Throughout
the week some very clever and ludicrous squibs were
posted in different parts of the town, and it was the
constant work of the police to search them out, and
pull them down. Some caricatures also appeared,
in which certain public characters were by no means
spared.* On Sunday, the 16th of August, a good
many boats were pulling and sailing about our
vessel, with insulting parties onboard, singing songs
against '' the Calvinists," and in one we recognized

* Some \TAg fixed, among other papers, on the door of tlie British
consulate — " To let, with immediate possession." "Furniture for sale,
the occupier being about to leave the island/' <&c.

124 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

the boys who held the lights before the ruffians on
the night of the Angustias outrage, as they entered
the invalid's chamber. Crowds of people were in
the town from all parts of the island. Upwards of
two hundred assembled, as on the previous Sunday,
in the neighbourhood of the cathedral, armed with
bludgeons ; but on hearing of the determination of
the military, and not meeting with their friend the
police magistrate, as they had done before, dispersed,
or rather went in search of the native converts in
the country, fearing that an attack on the jail would
only meet with certain defeat and loss. The two
neighbouring ships continued firing their guns at
intervals throughout the day, for which, I believe,
they incurred the penalty of a consular reprimand.

" The William had now received on board all the
converts she could accommodate, and, as it was im-
possible for these poor persecuted ones, either to
appear on shore, or to satisfy the priests' demands,
it was necessary that something should be done to
remove the difficulties of procuring their passports.
A deputation accordingly waited on the governor,
and obtained from him a dispensation as to personal
application, and also as to the certificates of church
attendance, which are always insisted on before a
passport is given. So glad were the authorities at
this time to sacrifice any consideration to allay the
fever which they had themselves excited."

Thus did the great Head of the Church prepare
the way for the flight of his people from their native

THE "WILLIAM OF QLASQOW." 125

country I What a company was tliis ! Wliat a
spectacle for the 10th century I Parents and chil-
dren, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, are
separated from each other. Among these tender,
natural, and social relations, some are persecutors on
shore, and others are fugitives on the vessel. Who
can tell the agony of these persecuted disciples
about to leave their country and friends for ever ?
What were their feelings, when they thought of the
darkness, delusion, and bigotry in which their
relatives were involved ; — when they anticipated
that their next meeting would be at the judgment-
seat of Christ, and especially when they thought of
the destiny of those who persecute the children of
God?

The day of their departure a'rrived. What a day
for them ! Alas ! What a day for Madeira ! It
seems as though the Gospel was to be taken away
from that infatuated people ; it looks like the de-
parture of the Saviour from their coasts ; it reminds
us of his declaration to the bigoted priests and
Pharisees who despised and rejected him ; " I go
my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your
sins; whither I go, ye cannot come." But our
prayer is, that they may not be abandoned to their
delusions. May the light of the glorious Gospel yet
shine upon them, and may they yet rejoice in that
light !

*' On Sunday, the 23rd of August, the William

loosed her sails, and slowly and beautifully glided
11*

126 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

out of the bay of Funchal. There was something of
deep solemnity about her every motion — carrying, as
she was, two hundred Christians from the land of
their fathers, to seek a refuge in a land of strangers.
Most of this large party had left their homes at
night, and could not, without risking their lives,
return to their ruined cottages to collect any little
property that might be left. Many of them came
on board with nothing but the clothes they had on,
and these in tatters from their wanderings in the
Serras. Yet during the days we sojourned among
them in that ark of refuge, not a word of repining
reached our ears, except from one or two unconverted
members of large families, who had not yet learned
to love the cause for which the rest rejoiced to suffer.
The language of all the others was that of joy and
thankfulness to Him who had called them ' out of
darkness into his marvellous light;' 1 Peter ii. 9 ; and
who had now in his mercy delivered them from their
enemies on every side, and gathered them together
in one family, and into one refuge.

" The more that was seen of this persecuted
flock, in circumstances the most trying, the higher
did their Christian principle rise in the estimation
of all. Those only who know the general character
of the Portuguese can form a just estimate of the
total change that must have passed on these con-
verts. They had become ^ new creatures' indeed.
In the distribution of clothes to the necessitous,
Matthew v. 44, it was most gratifying to witness

THE ^'WILLIAM OF GLASGOW." 127

the good feeling shown by all on the occasion — to
see not merely their willingness to share with one
another the bounty of their Christian friends, but
their eagerness to tell of the wants of others more
destitute than themselves. And in no one instance
was there an attempt to deceive, by any conceal-
ment of what they possessed. The mate and steward
both repeatedly remarked, ' that they had never
seen folk love one another as these folk did.'

** Among the two hundred and eleven passengers
of the "William, there was one Romanist family,
who had long persecuted the converts, and was now
seeking a passage to Trinidad as emigrants. Their
extreme poverty excited the compassion of those
around them. After the converts had each received
from the hand of charity their small supply of
clothing, some of them came aft to their benefac-
tors on the ship, and begged to know if they might
now consider it as their own property, and act ac-
cordingly. They were asked the reason of the
question, when they said, it was their wish to obey
the Lord's command — ' Love your enemies, bless
them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,
and pray for them which despitefully use you and
persecute you.' They w^ere cheerfully assured that
they might, and it was pleasing to see them share
their scanty store with their former enemies ; thus
affording a most beautiful specimen of the spirit by
which they were animated.

128 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

" Their conduct throughout was such that the
Romanists openly expressed their wonder and as-
tonishment. They saw those who had little prop-
erties, (and there were both land and householders
in the William's band of Christians,) parting with
their houses and land, and all they possessed, for
the smallest trifle, counting ' all things but loss, for
the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
our Lord.' Philippians iii. 8. One Portuguese gen-
tleman, talking on the subject, wound up by saying,
that ' if he were called upon to choose a religion
suddenly, and without further thought, he believed
he should fix upon that of these people, because he
saw them suffer without complaining.'

"As was their conduct under persecution on
shore, so was their conduct afloat. They had chosen
Christ, and the only subject of their glorying was
the Lord Jesus. They looked not back upon the
world with all its pleasures. From it, and from
self, they had been weaned by the Spirit of that
God who had been their friend through evil report,
and through good report ; who had been more than
a brother to them, in sorrow and in joy, by day
and by night, at all seasons, and in all circum-
stances. They knew that He, who had thus watched
over them, would not desert them in the land to
which they were now being driven before the perse-
cuting hand of man. Christ, when on earth, said
to his disciples, ' When they persecute you in this

THE *' WILLIAM OF GLASGOW." 129

citj, flee ye into anotlior.'* The Christian's Iving-
dom is not of this ^vol•hl: his kingdom is a kingdom
set up by the God of heaven. It is a kingdom
which shall, in God's own good time, break in pieces
and consume ' all other kingdoms, but shall itself
stand for ever.'

''Rather than sacrifice one's inheritance in that
kingdom, it were well to flee, during a whole life-
time, from city to city, or from one land to another,
however severe the trials, however great the earthly
losses, however cruel the personal suff"erings. ' The
disciple is not above his master, nor the servant
above his lord. It is enough for the disciple to be
as his master, and the servant as his lord.' 'If we
suff*er, we shall also reign with him.'

" And now why was all this grievous persecution
carried on against that little flock ? "Were they
traitors to their country ? There were none more
loyal. Were they disturbers of the peace ? None were
more peaceful. Never perhaps were the members
of any church more ' likeminded one toward an-

• " Matthew x. 23. After reading, in the simplicity of their faith,
the words, ' if they have persecuted lue, they will also persecute you,*
John XV. 20, and 'when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into
another,' they felt that they must suffer persecution, as God had said
80. And after talking together on the subject, they applied to a
Christian friend as to what they should do when persecntion came, for
they could not flee to other cities, unless God were to open a way
for them through the sea. His answer, delivered four years before,
they now called to mind, ' if persecution should come to Madeira,
God wauld also send ships to deliver those who keej) his word, aa
Burely an be delivered the Israelites from the power of Pharaoh.* "

130 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

other, according to Christ Jesus,' Rom. xv. 5, than
the little flock at Madeira. Never was there
simpler faith, simpler hope, simpler love. Shining
as lights * in the midst of a crooked and perverse
nation,' they held ' forth the word of life ;' Phil. ii.
15, 16 ; constantly provoking each other to love and
good works. Their humility, gentleness, guileless
simplicity, and burning love, were seen and acknow-
ledged by their most bitter enemies. Like the
meek, who shall inherit the earth, they would fain
have been suffered quietly to delight themselves in
the abundance of peace. As followers of the
Prince of Peace, they were peaceable and peace-
makers. They desired peace with God, peace with
man, peace at home, peace abroad. But peace was
not to be purchased at the expense of principle.
' The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then
peaceable.' James iii. 17. To appease the enemies
of Jesus, they would not cease to read and obey
the word of God. And this was the sum and ground
of their offence. They would obey the injunction
of their Saviour, to 'search the Scriptures,' and
learn of him, instead of subjecting their minds
and will to the guidance and thraldom of their fel-
low sinners, who in vain were serving God, ' teach-
ing for doctrines the commandments of men.' "

In the ship William there were about two hundred
of these exiles, and soon after this, the Lord Seaton
took about the same number.

A LOOK BACK AT MADEIRA. 131

CHAPTER X.

A LOOK BACK AT MADEIRA.

Why did not these outrasjes on British life and
property provoke a war on the part of England ?
It probably would have done so, had not steps been
taken to prevent such a calamity.

** When the tidings of these outrages reached
Portugal, the British ambassador there, more faith-
ful to his trust than the consul at Madeira, entered
his solemn protest against these reckless and un-
righteous proceedings. The Queen of Portugal was
compelled by this act to appoint and send a royal
commission to investigate the affairs at Madeira,
especially with reference to the treatment of British
subjects.

" This commission came and made their investi-
gations. In their view, the conduct of the govern-
ment at Madeira was so unjustifiable that they re-
quested the administration to resign. They all re-
signed except the administrador do conceVio.

" His dismission was immediately sent from Por-
tugal. A new governor was appointed at Madeira.

132 THE EXILES OF MADEIKA.

In this change there was a show of disapprobation
on the part of the queen against those who had en-
couraged and sanctioned this persecution by their
silence and inaction. Whether this change was
made by the queen with a conviction of wrong
doing on the part of the authorities at Madeira, or
whether it was effected through fear of British
cannon, may be a question.

^' There was also the external form of a trial of
some of those who had been the most active and the
most savage in this persecution. The result of this ap-
pearance of justice was the acquittal of all the
rioters. Even those who were arrested in the very
act of murdering the Bible-readers, were acquitted.
When the evidence of their guilt was too obvious to
be denied, no penalty was inflicted. The leaders of
the mob, such as Canon Telles, were not subjected
even to the form of a trial.

*' The painful conclusion to which we are driven
by these facts is, that the civil government and the
courts of justice connived at these enormous crimes,
and that the whole form of trial was a solemn
mockery or a farce."

Canon Telles was still active in his work of per-
secution. He circulated a petition to the Queen of
Portugal, begging her to issue a decree against the
Protestants, or, as he wrote, " Against foreign mis-
sionaries and their agents, foreign and native." It
was like the request of the Gadarenes to Jesus,
"that he would depart out of their coasts." As he

A LOOK BACK AT MADEIRA. 133

was not himself working for the gospel in Madeira,
he could not say, ** Come over and help us." This
petition was signed by one hundred and seventy-
eight persons. Among the signers were the names
of the civil governor, judges, public prosecutor,
thirty-eight priests, and eighty-one relatives of the
priests. This strange petition, we believe, was
granted by the queen.

The Bishop was not asleep. Nor was he sitting
down behind the screen, laughing to see the work
of death or banishment going on so well. lie was
active. He ordered that all young persons should
be confirmed in the Romish Church as soon as pos-
sible, and that all the islanders should come at
once to mass and confession. If they did not
obey, they should be proceeded against for heresy
and for apostasy, as Mrs. Alves had once been
served. Death had been pronounced against her.
Only one step more and the Bishop would have had
the old Spanish Inquisition in all its power.

This Bishop had left Madeira early in 1846, say-
ing, in a pettish way, that he would not return until
Dr. Kalley was driven from the island. It must be
made more thoroughly Romish, or he would not
stay in it I In fact, too many people were just
making the great discovery that they could do
without him.

He returned in October after Dr. Kalley's expul-
sion. He sat down to write a "pastoral letter."
Now such letters are usually, among Protestants, of
12

134 . THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

a mild, persuasive character. They are the letters
of pastors to their people. They are such as Mr.
Hewitson wrote, full of love and christian sympathy.
But how did the Bishop write ?

He called the religion of Dr. Kalley " proud and
Satanic philosophy ;" " doctrines of yesterday, con-
ceived in impiety, by caprice, and extracted from
the dark bosom of Protestantism." Did he not re-
member that Dr. Kalley had circulated the Bible which
was proved to be the true word of God, and which
did not differ in any important point from the one
the Bishop ought to have kept in good use ? The
Bishop was thus denouncing the word of God !

To the influence of these doctrines he ascribed
the potato disease! blight of the vines! and all
other calamities. This same charge has been laid
to Protestants who lately left the Romish Church
under the labours of Rev. Mr. Chiniquy, in Illinois.
The failure of the harvests, and the sickness, the
want of money in the country, and all other tem-
poral trials, were said by the Romanists to be
caused by the little colony of St. Anne, when they
left the church that would not let them have the
Bible. Our Lord did not think Bible reading to be
such a sin ! No! it is his will that we "give atten-
tion to reading and sound doctrine," and "hold fast
the form of sound words."

The Bishop's zeal led him to f)en the most singular
expressions. " He speaks of the Divine aid and mercy
in enabling them to di'ive away the heretics. He

A LOOK BACK AT MADEIRA. 135

says to Lis flock, that ' the Lord compassionating
your troubled situation, condescended to excite and
direct, by way of moderation and charity, (!) your
purified religious zeal, (!) and natural energy ; and
by an extraordinary mode, and perhaps strange in
the eyes of the world, to snatch from the midst of
this flock, already almost torn to pieces, that wolf
from Scotland. Blessed be the God of mercies,
and Father of all consolation, who thus conde-
scended to succour us, and console us.' As an
expression of their gratitude and joy, in view of
the things that had been done, he orders that in all
the churches they ' sing the hymn, Te Deum laud-
amus.'

" When the tidings of the Bartholomew massacre
reached Rome, in 1572, and the Pope and cardi-
nals marched to the church of St. Louis to give
thanks unto God for the victory over the Protestants,
then the Pope ordered the ' Te Deum laudamus' to
be sung. What then is the difi'erence between po-
pery in 1572 and in 18-46 ?

" May the daily prayers, ofiiered by the converts
from Madeira for the conversion of those who have
cast them into prison, and driven them from their
country, be graciously answered ; so that the final
destiny of persecutors may not be theirs."

136 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

CHAPTER XI.

ARSEXIO NICOS DA SILVA.

" He not only belongs to that class who are to be in everlasting
remembrance, but he is eminent among them."

In the most pleasant part of the chief city of
Madeira dwelt the family of Da Silva. Arsenio
Nicos was born in 1800. His father was a man of
wealth and high esteem. The garden about his
house was cultivated with so much taste that strangers
upon the island visited it as one of the notable places.
The rich variety of grapes, plants, and flowers, with
the politeness of the family, made it a delightful
resort.

The Da Silvas were members of the Roman church,
and believed in its rites and infallibility. They had
taken for granted what the priest said, and had not
searched the Scriptures to find whether they were
taught the truth. They believed that the priests
•were the holiest and greatest of men : adored the
Virgin Mary ; felt willing to kiss the Pope's toe ;
almost shuddered when a Bishop passed by ; and no
doubt they knew as little about the Latin mumbled
over at mass, as we do in hearing it read by a priest.

ARSENIO NICOS DA SILVA. 137

Among their children were two sons, Arsenio and
Casirairo. These sons were carefully taught the
rites of Romanism, the fear of a priest, and the
worship of saints, Thej were every day presented
before the image of the Virgin Mary, as if it could
bless them, and she was entreated to watch over
these children and make them priests of the church.
Could Mary have spoken from heaven she would
have said, *' "Worship God," and pointed them to
Him who said, " Suffer little children to come unto
me."

These sons were sent to the best schools on the
island. No pains were spared to make them as learned
as any of the priests ever become. They grew fond
of books, and were very diligent in their studies.
They received some oflBce in the church called
*' minor orders," and were reported to be ready for
studying the theology of the church.

Thus far had they gone, but were unwilling to go

any farther. They refused to become priests. They

had eyes to see and ears to hear. They saw too

much of the sins of the priests, and did not wish to

be counted with such men. They perhaps had heard

and read of those strange transactions of popes,

cardinals, and priests, which once shocked a Luther

and a Calvin. It may be that they learned in some

way that there had been a great Reformation in the

16th century, and wondered why the church in

Madeira was not reformed.

Their parents were astonished. They besought
12 * ^ o

138 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

them even with tears to remember how much their
education had cost, how many prayers and vows
had been made to the Virgin, how much honour
they would have if they became priests, and how
they might become Bishops and Cardinals ; but
they did not care for such entreaties. The father-
confessor could not persuade them to put on gowns
and shave their heads.

Casimiro loved money and lands, just as his
parents had done before him. His mother thought
she could touch that chord, and so she told him if he
would become a priest he should have a large estate
and be regarded by her as the favourite son. She
held out the shining gold !

This appeal was very strong and went home to
his heart. It touched the intended chord, and he
felt the power of the music. He then began to feel
a struggle between his love of gold, and his hatred
of priests. He abhorred the vow of celibacy which
he would be required to take ; but he also abhorred
the loss of the riches which his mother promised.
Methinks — for we Protestants may think — that if
the Virgin had spoken to him she would have pointed
him to her poor Son and her glorious Saviour.

He yielded to the charm of riches. He became
a priest. He did not believe in what he was obliged
to do and say. He hated the office and the church.
His duties were a burden, and his soul was not at
rest. A request was made by him to be released
from the office. The "dispensation" was granted,

ARSENIO NICOS DA SILVA. 139

and he took his money, settled down upon his estate,
and is now, we suppose, living as a gentleman re-
tired from office and business.

Arsenio could not be induced to enter the priest-
ly office. He had more stability of character, more
intellect, and more principle than his brother. His
conscience was not to be bought with gold or honour.
Yet he was not a believer in religion, lie knew
only one form of religion, and that he knew was
corrupt. lie could not then see that Romanism
was not Christianity, nor that Christianity was truly
from God. He saw how foolish it was to worship
the Virgin and other saints, but could not perceive
how wise and happy it would be to believe and wor-
ship Jesus Christ.

He became a merchant. He was polite, pleasant,
honest, and energetic, so that he soon had an exten-
sive business. He made himself a large fortune,
little knowing that one day he would gladly leave
all and follow Christ.

When about twenty-five years of age — when
Ilewitson was called the boy of a book, Arsenio
married a young lady of a very wealthy family.
She was gay, worldly, and by no means inclined to
take the black veil in a nunnery. She was admired
as very beautiful and highly accomplished. The
friends all thought this a most happy union. One
child smiled upon them to make home happy. They
made this only daughter an idol in their hearts.
They did all they could to make her as near a queen

140 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

as possible. If she should live, she would one day
be very rich, and they wished to see her well edu-
cated, and adorned with every accomplishment their
city could bestow. Her "god-mother" was very
rich, and had made a will leaving her immense wealth
to this young lady. Perhaps too the bachelor uncle,
who satisfied both his love of gold and his hatred of
the priesthood, was supposed to have such a will in
reserve for his beautiful niece.

But God had other purpuses. He had a legacy
for that infidel father which only a Redeemer can
give. She was to be a link in the chain of means
which would bring her father to Christ.

Disease crept slowly through her veins and hid
itself there, only to work death the more perfectly.
Perhaps she had not played enough in the sunny
vineyards, or had studied too closely at school. The
visions of her future looked toward the grave.

The best physicians were called, but they could
do little good. The Virgin Mary was invoked and
she did still less. It is not her work to hear prayer
or heal the sick. She is engaged in praising her
Saviour in heaven. The young lady still declined,
and the parents would give anything they had to
restore her to health. It is a sad affliction for any
parents to follow such a daughter to the grave.

In 1840 Dr. Kalley had gained a great reputa-
tion on the island as a skilful physician. Many
came to consult him in very difficult and almost
hopeless cases. His success had been remarkable.

ARSENIO NICOS DA SILVA. 141

God seemed to bless him. The reader will remember
the method he adopted to point all his patients to
the Great Remedy for the soul.

Da Silva was advised to send for the Scottish
physician. No doubt he was ashamed to do so, but
as a last resort for healing his beloved daughter, he
consented to go and consult him. It reminds us of
Kaaman going to Elisha. He found Dr. Kalley
very kind and ready to do all he could. As Dr.
Kalley came near the rich house, many eyes were
upon him. Even the servants exclaimed, " The
Doctor I the English Doctor !"

He entered softly, sat down by the bedside of the
young lady, and tenderly spoke of her sickness.
He learned all he could about the cause. Then he
prayed God to make him wise in prescribing the
medicine, and to make it a means of healing. He
also entreated the patient to look to Jesus as the
great physician, who alone could restore her to
health. No such physician had ever been in that
house before. While they all wondered, he re-
quested the parents to seek her recovery by prayer
to Jesus Christ.

Several visits were paid by Da Silva to Dr. Kal-
ley. He saw his dear child recovering day by day.
It seemed as if God was very merciful to him and
his family. He one day asked that he might talk
•with the doctor at his own house privately. He
came, and they sat down together. It seems that
he had already heard Dr. Kalley preach on the

142 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

need of a change in the sinner's heart and life, and
he felt that he needed it more than all others. In
his business he could not forget the ring of gospel
words. The written word had become the voice
from heaven. And now as he sat down he felt wil-
ling to be as a little child.

" On what subject do you wish to speak ?" asked
Dr. Kallej.

" About the way in which a guilty man can,
under the government of a just God, escape the
punishment which he deserves."

" Well, tell me what you think about it."

" I understand that in baptism the death of
Christ is so applied as to free from original sin ;"
and then he went on to speak of penances and
masses, and good works as atoning for actual trans-
gressions. This is Romish doctrine.

"I understand," said Dr. Kalley, interrupting
him, " that the blood of Christ cleanses from all
sin."

"What?" cried Da Silva.

*' I understand that the blood of Christ cleanses
from all sin, of every kind."

"Tell me that again!"

" No : but here, read here, and here" — as the
Doctor pointed out several texts in the Bible. The
inquirer read, and great tears came coursing down
his cheeks as his eye fell on the plain words of God
which attested the wondrous truth. Then the light
of the cross seemed to break in upon his soul. He

ARSENIO NICOS DA SILVA. 14S

could see why Christ died, and how he loved guilty
sinners. lie began to understand the doctrine of
God's free favour in pardoning the lost and undone.
He was wiser than Nicodemus, and more willing
than Naaman. Now he could see why the doc-
trines of the Bible produced such good effects on
those who loved, believed, and practised them.

"We would gladly know more of wliat passed dur-
ing that hour. He received then the first Bible he
had ever read. Yes, he had been once prepared to
study the theology of the priests, and yet had never
read a Bible ! Remember Luther.

Eagerly did he read the word of God ; gladly
did he become a convert to its doctrines. Boldly
did he defend it and the persecuted converts.
Humbly did he bow to Jesus, praying, " Create in
me a clean heart." Submissively did he yield to
the Holy Ghost to renew and sanctify his heart.
Willingly now would he sacrifice everything in this
world to the Lord Jesus. His case reminds us of
those who came first to Jesus to be healed, or to
have a friend healed, and who went away believing
in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Remember
Mary Magdalene and blind Bartimeus.

Dr. Kalley had heard him called "o avarento,"
"the miser." At this time the Doctor was trying
to furnish a small hospital. Da Silva sent him a
large basket full of sheets, towels, and other ar-
ticles of comfort, and along with them a note, say-
ing, " My heart was gangrened ; it has felt the

144 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

power of the love of God ; and I send jou the first
fruits of it." Good fruits were these to help a
"good Samaritan" in taking care of the poor and
the sick, but these were only an earnest of what
was to follow. No longer was he " the miser."

Da Silva had heard strange things of this "father
in Christ." The priests were obliged to admit that
he was a skilful physician, but they said he was in
league with Satan, to overturn the Romish Church.
One of them called him "a devil incarnate," and
hoped to see the day when he and his Bibles, and
all who believed them would be burned together
on the public square, in front of the Governor's
house ! This priest must have known little of the
Bible.

Da Silva heard nothing like that from his new
friend and brother, who wept with many tears, as
he urged men to flee for refuge to Jesus, or prayed
with deepest emotion for priests and people. He
was ever ready when persecuted to give response in
those words from the cross, " Father, forgive them,
for they know not what they do !" This rich convert
could see the difference between these preachers,
and he too wept while hearing the truth spoken in
love, or praying for his enemies.

How different, too, were the Bible-readers from
their opposers ! Even enemies were forced to say,
" We call these people ugly names, but they don't
answer back ; we spit upon them, but they don't get
angry; we beat them, and they seem pleased; we

ARSENIO NICOS DA SILVA. 145

break open their houses, and destroy their prop-
erty, and they are happy; we put thein in jail, and
they sing; we can't make them unhappy I"' This
might have been said at Philippi in the days of
Paul and Silas. Da Silva could see the reason of
this contrast.

" Mrs. Da Silva, who had been persuaded by her
husband to hear Dr. Kalley, when she saw the tears
in his eyes, became very much troubled. She was
afraid that the servants or the people would hear of
the views Mr. Da Silva had of himself as a sinner,
and they would think he was a very bad man. She
had no doubt that her lord, (as ladies address their
husbands in Madeira,) was a perfect gentleman, and
ought not to be compared with those who had not
noble blood in their veins. She thought he had
mistaken his own character.

" The Bible became the companion of Mr. Da
Silva, and prayer his delight. He had not only
felt that he was a lost and wretched sinner, justly
condemned, but he had also experienced the power
of faith in Jesus Christ. The doctrine of justifica-
tion, only by faith, flashed upon his mind like light
from heaven. This opened his eyes to see the
awful state of those who sought salvation by virtue
of their own works. This filled him with the
deepest distress for the conversion of his wife, his
daughter, and his blind countrymen. He poured
out his heart in prayer to God for them.

"Before his soul rejoiced in the full light of the
13

146 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

Gospel, it is interesting to see how the Spirit of
God enlightened his mind, and led him on from one
degree of knowledge to another. When reading
the Bible, he came to the Epistle of Peter ; he was
delighted to find an epistle from that apostle. He
was ignorant of its existence, up to the hour when
his eye rested upon it. As he had always been
taught that Peter was the supreme head of the
church on earth, he supposed here, if anywhere, he
would find the doctrines and ceremonies of the Ro-
man Catholic church. After reading it again and
again with the closest attention, he was surprised
to learn that nothing resembling the mass, purga-
tory, confession, praying to the saints and to
the Virgin, as taught by the Romish church, was
to be found in the writings of Peter.

" The epistles of Peter would make an excellent
tract to put into the hands of all Romanists who
have a high respect for the authority and suprem-
acy of that apostle. They would see, as in sun-
beams, how little gold and silver, and how much the
precious blood of Christ has to do in the salvation
of souls.

" The conversion of Mr. Da Silva was known to
all the inhabitants of Madeira, not merely because
he was a man of great wealth and influence, but es-
pecially by the remarkable change in his life. He
mingled with the Bible-readers, who were despised
and treated with contempt by those with whom he
had always been associated. Instead of attending

ARSENIC NICOS DA SILVA. 147

the gay and brilliant parties, where his wife and
friends found their highest happiness, he went to
pray with the persecuted Bible-readers. In their
little circles of prayer he enjoyed richer blessings
than the gaiety or pleasures of the world could im-
part.

*' One of these meetings, for prayer and reading
the Scriptures, was held in a private family, about
a mile from his house. We are told, by some
members of that family, that Mr. Da Sil va was always
expected to be present. They depended upon him
to conduct the exercises, and to read and expound
the word of God. His whole soul was engaged in
this work. These precious meetings will never be
forgotten by those who attended them. They will ever
remember, with indescribable interest, the fervent,
tearful prayers, and edifying exhortations of Mr. Da
Silva. By these, as the means, their courage and
faith were increased at the time when they were
about to pass through the fires of persecution. These
seasons of previous communion with God, and with
each other, were continued, until the family had to
flee for their lives to the mountains."

One of the judges of the island married the
daughter of Mr. Da Silva. It pained his heart
not to see her also a follower of Jesus. She, who
had boon a means of brinsin^ him under the influence
of the gospel, and who had received such a blessing
from its messenger and from his God of mercy,

148 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

would not "heed the things which were spoken." It
often occurs, that thej who are the most benefitted
bj a blessing are the least grateful.

This judge was he who declined to arrest Mr.
Hewitson, on the ground that his authority did not
extend over him ; perhaps the friendship between
his father-in-law and the missionary had some weight
in his mind.

Mr. Da Silva had become a member and an elder
in the church, under Mr. Hewitson. With such a
pastor and teacher, he must have grown rapidly in
knowledge and grace. It is a wonder that he was
not imprisoned. "Bonds and afflictions awaited
him."

The reader will remember the attack upon the
house of the Misses Rutherford, and the man who
had an image thrust in his face with the command
to "kiss it," "adore it," but who refused the idol-
atry. Rome owed that man a grudge. The abuse
of that hour was not enough. He was too prominent
a man to be allowed his liberty. Neither the power
of wealth, nor his high standing as a citizen could
screen him from harm. His near friends, of such influ-
ence as his wife and son-in-law ought to have exerted,
were not enough to save him from danger. He
must either return to the church of Rome, or fly
from his family and home, from wealth and native
land. Others were speeding away for life ; so too
must he. Already he was obliged to keep away

ARSENIO NICOS DA SILVA 149

from the city. Among the mountains, so often
the kindest refuges God's people could find, he
"wandered, a sheep, yes a shepherd, hunted by the
wolves.

He could not bid farewell on a bright morning at
his own door, order his well packed trunks to the
harbour, get into a fine carriage, and pass through
the streets in style, bowing to many friends as they
bowed goodbye to him. Every pang of parting was
made as intense as possible. The love of his wife
was a small oflfset to her want of sympathy with him
in his religion. It was but a " drop of honey in a
quart of gall." Any respect of his son-in-law was
nothintj to the shameful refusal to defend and save
him from an exile. Of his daughter he could have
said, " How can I give thee up !" Once he had
been ready to give and do anything for her ; now
she is not ready to use all possible means to keep
him at home.

He was obliged to come from the mountains to
the city in the night, if he would see his family. He
hired a man to stand at the corner of a certain street
at an appointed hour. All was dark and silent. He
came and met this man who showed him to a house
where he could be concealed. Then he sent for his
•wife, obtained a little money, hastened to a ship and
Bailed for Lisbon.

Never again did he see his family. Letters
passed between them, and he would often say, years
13*

150 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

after this, " I have a letter from my wife — kind
friendly letter, but no good, no spiritual in it — no
faith in Jesus Christ."

The Lord had a future work for this Christian
hero.

REV. MR. HEWITSON IN TRINIDAD. 151

CIIAPTEIl XII.
REV. MR. HEWITSON IN TRINIDAD.

"He will guide me with his eye," wrote Mr.
Ilewitson while absent, " whether it be back again
to Madeira or not." lie learned that he must go
to Trinidad, " not only to administer gospel consola-
tion, but to reorganize the exiles into a compacted
church order."

January 2nd 1847, he sailed from Southampton.
The winds were contrary. He was soon lying sick
in his cabin, translating Mr. H. Bonar's hymn, " I
lay my sins on Jesus," into Portuguese, and a met-
rical version of the 23rd Psalm. This was the be-
ginning of a Hymn-Book for the Portuguese church.

lie felt that he must do something for the Master
on the voyage. If we do not work where we are,
we will not be likely to do any good in any other
place. " Among the passengers," he says, " I have
come in contact with only one who seems truly
desirous of walking with God." This was a man
who took an interest in the new mission as its thrill-
ing history was told him, and he gave ten pound3
for the Trinidad fund. Mr. Ilewitson gave him a

152 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

copy of the old book called " The Marrow of Modern
Divinity,"* and he was so pleased with it that he
one day put a five pound note in the missionary's
hand, saying, " This book is worth that to me." Of
this kindness the sufFerins: exiles should have the
benefit. He was taking ^200 for their relief — what
was this among so many ?

Mr. Hewitson did not expect to have an oppor-
tunity of visiting Madeira. But he was gladly per-
mitted to do so. The vessel landed him at a secluded
point of the city, and two gentlemen quietly led him
to a house near by. Then he was put in a palan-
quin, and carried through the streets to the residence
of a sure friend, where his unexpected visit was re-
ceived with joy. Several converts came there to
see him. It was a happy hour. Then, veiled in
the palanquin, he made a few other calls, and was
taken back to the steamer, whose wheels were soon
working away to Trinidad. Remember Paul's short
visit at ^[iletus.

February 4th, 1847, he was at Trinidad. The
** meetings and greetings, the embraces, the tears, the
laughinors" cannot be told. The welcome was kind
and cordial, from those whom he had well known in
Madeira.

There were now about four hundred and fifty
exiles in Trinidad, most of whom were numbered with
the converts to Christ. Eighty-five members of the
church were there. Three of the seven elders, and

* This lias been published by the Board of Publication.

REV. MR. DEWITSON IN TRINIDAD. 153

four of the nine deacons had come from Madeira.
About thirty persons soon applieil for admission to
the church.

How were these exiles to be supported ? They
were in a strange land. They were not familiar
with the language of their benefactors. They found
all classes of people from several diflferent nations.
The island had become a sort of *' stowing-away
place," for sufferers and slaves from Africa and
India. Many of these foreigners were sunk in the
lowest state of superstition and wickedness. The
native inhabitants had been so overrun by these
heathen bands, that some of them left their estates
and retired to the forests to make new homes. Yet
there were some Christians among the islanders,
who had warm hearts to relieve the exiles of Ma-
deira. Several of the planters were willing to hire
them to work on the sugar estates. But remember
that these exiles knew nothing of that kind of
labour. Some of them had been wealthy, and their
hands were not skilful to toil for their daily bread.
Many women and children must have a lighter em-
ployment-

** Something must be done," wrote Mr. Ilewitson,
"for the more safe employment of the exiles. I am
revolving a scheme which none but an Oberlin could
carry vigorously into effect, and I am not an Ober-
lin. Every weak muscle in my body echoes — * not
an Oberlin.' " A head to plan was not all the need.
Funds were wanted. The work of teaching, preach-

154 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

ing, and perfecting the church was enough for more
than any one man. He resided at the capital,
called 'Port of Spain,' and there found most of his
church about him. He had his ' class' newly started ;
a Sabbath-school was commenced ; a day-school was
begun ; and he had many inquirers to instruct, many
mourners to comfort, many weak believers to en-
courage, and many poor to assist. He went regular-
ly to Arouca, fourteen miles distant, and held
meetings ; also to Santa Cruz, ten miles away, where
he found some Portuguese. Twelve of them were
Protestants, and eight were Romanists. All the
Protestants were together on one estate. After
their day's labour, they met together for worship.
Some of the Romanists gladly heard the word.
About one hundred of the converts were thus
scattered about on sugar estates and cocoa planta-
tions. He went to them all, and often preached
under the shadows of the trees. To learn how one
half-a-week was laboriously passed, read the follow-
ing letter to his parents, written March 31st :

*' On Wednesday, last week, I left this place in a
gig, at a little after six, A. M. and travelling ten
miles, preached to forty Portuguese in the open air
under the shadow of a large tree. Afterwards I
went a distance of six or seven miles more, and
preached in an upper room to about twenty Por-
tuguese. Then returning four or five miles, I
preached again in Mr. Brodie's church at Arouca,
to a number of Portuguese, who assembled, after

REV. MR. IIEWITSON IX TRINIDAD. 155

their day's work, from a distance of two miles. On
Thursday morning I was here to breakfast, having
left Arouca pretty early. If the Lord will, I shall
be at Arouca again next Sabbath, administering the
communion and preaching twice." This was coming
very near to proving himself an Oberlin. We
wonder how such a weak body could endure such
labours, attended, as they were, by anxieties which
cannot be written. " Working in this hot climate
suits me ill," he writes ; " I scarcely know what it
is to be free from fatigue."

The Romanists saw and felt these labours. With
a glad heart he could write :

" ' In this island there are a considerable number
of Portuguese from Madeira, who came here staunch
Roman catholics ; and of these several have beea
led, by means of intercourse with their converted
countrymen, to embrace the Protestant faith. Three
of these have expressed a desire to be admitted to
the Lord's table, and another of them travelled
eighteen miles last Saturday evening in order to
attend public worship with us on the following day.
One of the most recent of the converts from Popery,
and one whose heart seemed to have been truly
opened by the Lord to receive the word of grace, is
labouring under a white swelling at the knee which
makes amputation necessary, as the only means of sav-
ing his life. Two or three Sabbaths ago, this man,
yielding to an irresistible desire to hear the gospel
in public, made the dangerous effort of travelling to

156 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

church on crutches, and back again, a painful journey
of nearly two miles. Surely such as he will rise up
in the judgment against those who, possessing greater
advantages, yet *' neglect the great salvation," and
"forsake the assembling of themselves together" in
the house of God."

One glance at the temporal condition of the
exiles. On the sugar plantations many suffered.
The low marshy ground, so different from the vine-
lands of their native home, together with the hot
air, made their condition very sad. Many of them
had fevers of the deadly type. Others were obliged
to retreat to the highlands and to the capital. The
Governor ordered the removal. This Governor
was Lord Harris, of England, who exerted himself
most generously in behalf of the sufferers. Other
labourers on the plantations suffered from other
diseases, and especially from failure of eye-sight.
About fifty of the refugees were supported by cul-
tivating the sugar cane, when only sixteen of them
were able to do the work. Mr. Hewitson wrote :

" The greater proportion of the exiled brethren
have found occupation in the capital of the island,
Port of Spain, or its vicinity. Xot a few of them
are distributed in domestic service among: the fam-
ilies resident there. Some are occupied in garden-
ing and similar rustic labour. A few have com-
menced shopkeeping on a small scale, being unable
to gain a livelihood by any other means. While
those of them who are masons, carpenters, and

REV. MR. HEWITSON IX TRINIDAD. 1.07

slioemakers, are endeavouring, in their respective
departments of labour, to earn a livelihood. The
female converts, who, in Madeira, were able to sup-
port themselves by needlework, are still dependent
on the same means of support, but their earnings
are comparatively small and precarious. Wliile
some of the brethren are, by the goodness of God,
in comfortable enough circumstances, not a few have
such difficulties to strufrffle with as tend at once to

CO

keep them hanging in daily dependence upon the
Lord."

Another glance at their spiritual condition. The
elders and the deacons had been faithful, and had
kept up meetings before Mr. Hewitson arrived.
Some persons had grown sorrowful under the heavy
burden, and had almost forgotten to cast it on the
Lord. They had remembered Egypt, and felt lonely
in the wilderness. One of them said, " In Madeira
it was not so difficult as it is here to walk with God.
I had some striking answers to prayer in Madeira,
but here God has not given such answers to my
prayers." The reason was plain. Family-worship
and secret devotion had been neglected. The ask-
inji had almost ceased, and the answers were with-
held.

The sword will be kept bright in the contest, but
will rust when the battle ceases. Take away the
iron hand of persecution, and the heart will very
naturally be thrown off its guard, and become
worldly. We often feel the chill of a summer ev-
14

158 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

enino- more than Tve do the intense cold of the "^in-
ter, for we protect ourselves against the keen De-
cember storm. Thus some who had braced their
souls against the enmity of Madeira, felt the unsus-
pected chill of Trinidadj and grew cold in heart.

But not so with all. To the first communion
numbers came, hungering and thirsting for right-
eousness. They sat under his shadow with great
delio-ht, and his fruit was sweet to their taste.
Could they not lean on Jesus' bosom, and wash his
feet with their tears ? " Who is this that cometh
up from the wilderness leaning on the arm of her
beloved?" She was the refugee church, with bleed-
incr feet, and garments rolled in the blood of her
sons !

Exiles from Madeira were still arriving. For
months there had been a succession of flights, when
the faithful, like Abraham, '-went out, not knowing
whither they went." They knew not how to be
fed or clothed. Fleeing from one enemy, they
knew not but they should rush into the face of an-
other. It might be '-as if a man did flee from a
lion, and a bear met him ; or went into the house
and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit
him."

Yet many had strong and pleasant hopes. They
felt assured that in Trinidad and the United States
there would be '-freedom to worship God." They
were willincr to leave all for this great right and
privilege. They sought a better country. '* It was

REV. MR. HEWITSON IN TRINIDAD. 159

Bomething like the anticipation of heaven to tho
■\veary and suffering Christian."

Persecution was sweeping Madeira well-nigh clean
of its choicest and worthiest people. Among the
thorns was here and there a lily left ; among the
tares some good seed was growing secretly. Among
the lawless was here and there one to hold up the
banner of truth, and testify that " there is a judg-
ment." The wrath of man could not entirely crush
out the word of God. The church of Christ was
not destroyed ; only removed to another clime.

Mrs. Alves was among those who were heartily
welcomed by her friends. Another, Philippa Rosa,
who, in a trying hour, had denied her Lord, was
there. Like Peter in her denial, she was like him
in repentance, and returned to her Saviour with
bitter weeping. A little boy, who saw his father
killed and thrown into the river, when trying to es-
cape to the vessel, came with his mother to Trinidad
and there saw his mother die. God found friends
for him. He afterwards came to America.

Every vine has its enemy ; every field of wheat
has its tares. Trinidad had its foes to a pure re-
ligion. At the very moment when Mr. Ilewitson
was writing about Philippa Rosa's tears of peni-
tence, one of his flock came to his house weeping,
and saying that in the house where she was acting
as a servant, she was most harshlv treated for re-
fusing to do evil. The family were Romanists. *'I
left Madeira," said she, " that I might be able to

160 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

follow God, and for nothing else, and I wish now to
leave that family." This is a specimen both of the
spirit of enmity, and of Mr. Hewitson's calls and
labours. The shepherd must find a place for the
lamb. He wrote :

" Now, more than ever perhaps, the brethren who
are ' strangers' in Trinidad, need the prayers of the
church. They are exposed to temptations more
dangerous, because more subtile and insidiously se-
ductive, than those connected with a persecution
state. To be attracted by the world, under its
mask of a graceless Protestantism, is worse than to
be repelled by the world under its undisguised form
of hatred to the truth. Let the church then, —
even all who love the Lord Jesus, and who have
heretofore poured forth supplications in behalf of
the persecuted saints of Madeira, — continue in ear-
nest prayer for them to the Lord, that they may be
' kept from falling, and presented faultless before
the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.' "

The organization of the church was completed in
April, 1847, about two months after the arrival of
Mr. Hewitson. He would leave for the cooler
north in May. It was important to find a leader
for the flock.

The eyes of the faithful had been directed to Mr.
Da Silva as the successor of Mr. Hewitson. He
had studied theology. His gifts and graces were
of a high order. The Free Church of Scotland
named him as their missionary.

REV. MR. IIEWITSON IN TRINIDAD. IGl

Da Silva went with joy, and liis dear former
pastor had the great pleasure of handing over to
this strong fellow-hibourer the care of the exile
church. He was ordained and installed over his
first and only charge, at Port-of-Spain, in April,
1847. His former pastor said of him, " He seems
to have the Bible always in his heart, and his heart
always in heaven."

When the people were asked whether they would
receive Mr. Da Silva as their pastor, they were re-
quested to vote by raising the hand. But they
were too happy for this ; they all rose to their feet,
and raised both hands as high as they could ! He
would not lack for the Aarons and Hurs I

The good pastor often made one remark, which
became a proverb among the ministers on the island.
'''Patientia! Patientia!" he would say pleasantly
smiling, when anything dark or difficult came up.
Patience I Patience ! It reminds us of the tradi-
tion concerning John, the beloved disciple, in his
old age saying daily, " Little children, love one an-
other."

Six hundred in his flock, and all exiles ! Pilgrims
and sojourners indeed ! No other flock like it in
the world ! It was truly a charge. The labours
were great. But he was not in despaii*. The
property of the exiles, and the wretched prospect
of a better condition in Trinidad, were truly an
anxiety in his mind. No land could be obtained
for them to settle upon, and there was little hope
14 *

1G2 THE EXILES OE MADEIRA.

of living by their toils so long as they niust become
mere slaves in the hot fields, or in the friendless
houses of strangers.

Like the Pilgrim Fathers in Leyden, they began
to look toward some other land for a home. Their
cry came to the Christians of the United States,
and instead of echoing back a cold, heartless mur-
mur, a voice of welcome rolled across the waters.
Our banner of religious freedom was held up above
the waves. Our ''great "West," with her grand
prairies, was pictured before their eyes. Our Chris-
tian people felt their hearts touched by that sad
wail from Madeira, which will ring awfully in the per-
secutors' ears at the judgment : " Ye did it not
unto the least of these my brethren !"

The American Protestant society sent the Rev.
G. Gonsalves to Trinidad, while Mr. Da Silva was
praying God that help might come. His mission
was to inquire into the condition of the exiles.
This " Good Samaritan" society was intent upon
looking after the temporal interests of the people,
as well as the spiritual. The exiles had not only
been beaten but cruelly robbed, or they could have
had their own means of finding happy homes.

Mr. Gonsalves had been born at Madeira. He
had been a Romanist. After his conversion he
came to this country, and for several years laboured
among the five thousand or six thousand Portuguese
on the sea coast of New England. It was refresh-
ing to his own heart to visit those once fellow-coun-

REV. MR. HEWITSON IN TRINIDAD. 163

trymen, and feel the warm glow of their piety.
What he saw may be shown in one of their pastor's
letters to the Free Church of Scotland :

" More than one hundred and twenty commun-
icants take the Lord's supper on the last Sabbath of
each month. The solemnity and reverence with
which this act of worship is performed, touch the
heart even of the unbelieving. Besides, the regu-
larity with which the people attend on days fixed
for ordinary worship, and the general blamelessness
of their lives, exercise, in some degree, a beneficial
influence on the character of those among whom
we dwell. God, who has begun this good work among
them, will carry it on ; but till this day, through
many, many aflSictions have these children had to
pass. In the midst of them we constantly implore
his mercy ; and sure we are that he will hear us.
The suff'erings in which this church is at present in-^
volved arise from the decaying state of this island.
With difficulty do the people at all find labour so as
to be able to support themselves and their families,
and to pay the rent of their houses, which are al-
ways exceedingly high. In circumstances of ex-
treme necessity, those of them who sicken, die as
much in consequence of want as from the severity
of their disease. Their little children are almost
naked, and have only rags to sleep on. Such of
them as are of age to be sent to school, are, as a
matter of sheer necessity, put to service for food
and clothing. And what is it that they learn?

164 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

Everything that is opposite to the doctrine of the
gospel; and consequently the children, who should
grow up to take the place of their believing parents
in love to the Lord, are like seed-corn that is com-
pletely lost."

Mr. Gonsalves returned bringing a letter from
Mr. Da Silva, in which he says : "I do not see
here the prospect of keeping this people in the midst
of the present distress, as their labours are not paid
as they should be ; for in this sickly climate, when
the husband and father is taken to the hospital, the
wife and children are left destitute, and not being
able to pay the house-rent, they are turned into the
street, to beg from door to door. This state of
things led me to solicit of the governor of this island,
Lord Harris, a portion of land to be divided amongst
the Portuguese, that they might on the same build
their cabins, provided they could receive some aid
in advance, to be paid by them in the course of
time. But although the governor is friendly to us,
yet in his official capacity he said he could not com-
ply with our request. I have also written on this
subject to the Rev. Mr. Hewitson, of Scotland, who
answered that we should find it difficult to obtain
lands for families in these islands. And finally in
the midst of these efforts, the bank of the West Indies
failed, and sugars came down in price, and business
was prostrated to tbe ruin of many households.
Government works were stopped, and labourers can
find little or nothing to do. And worse than all,

REV. MR. HEWITSON IN TRINIDAD. 165

our children whose morals should be preserved at
every expense, are mixed with a low, profane,
wretched Roman catholic population.

*' I do not ask for money, but for lands. I ask
what God has given to man, that he might earn his
bread by the sweat of his brow. Our people are
mechanics and farmers, virtuous and industrious ;
they will soon thrive with the blessing of God and
the labour of their hands. They will soon rejoice in
abundance, for they hate vice and love virtue."

Some of the exiles wished to go with Mr. Gon-
salves, but their pastor persuade^ them to wait
until they could remove as a band of pilgrims.
Little did he then think how soon he would depart
for America to seek health, reach the shore, and die
in the arms of those who were calling his people to
a land of liberty.

166 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE SHEPHERD DYING ON THE SHORE.

"Although no relatives were present, yet many hearts mourned over
him, and many eyes were filled with tears as his body went down to
its last resting-place."

To pass from luxury into poverty is often severe
to health. Perhaps Mr. Da Silva was affected some-
what by this. But the separation from his family ;
the anxiety, like Paul's, for his kindred ; the change
of climate ; the charge of a people poor and in need
of much spiritual guidance ; the great labours of his
ministry — all these brought on disease in fearful
form. Toward the north he was pointed, and in
December, 1848, he came to New York. He was
not only on our coast, but on the shore of another
world.

Sad were the partings at Trinidad. But those
who had risen to their feet and held up both hands
in receiving him as pastor, now felt that it was a
"needs be." They crowded the wharf when he
sailed. Many risked their lives by entering small
boats and dashing through rough waves to the vessel
lying at anchor, that they might see his face once more,

THE SilEPHERD DYING ON THE SHORE. 1G7

and hear some words from that man whose heart was
in heaven. Their enthusiasm was not yet lost.
Alas I this was their last vision of his face on
earth !

Nor was health all that he sought. Dearer to
him than life was the exile church. He sought a
home for his people — a green pasture for the flock.
Some of the Madeira brethren were here before him,
and the meeting was one of great joy. Wanderers,
tossed on the seas or struggling over mountain passes,
always delight to meet and talk, and draw pleasure
from the past endurance. So with brethren, long
tossed and wearied on earth ; what will it be in
heaven !

A candle, after the blaze is gone, revives in one
brighter glow, and then dies. The life of this man
of God had really lost its vigour. It revived for a
few days, and then sunk rapidly away. Truly
God's ways are not as our ways. It seemed as if
he could not be spared to conduct the toilsome en-
terprise of giving the exile church a home. But he
was not so necessary as Moses or Joshua, or he
would have been spared.

There he lay gasping on a bed of death. Every
thought of home, of his flock, of his plans, would
seem to point every dart of pain. Once rich, now
an object of charity ! Once dear to wife and child,
but now cast out as evil ! Once thinking of a splendid
monument, but now an exile grave ! Was he cast
down ? Oh these were nothing to his soul. For he

168 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

knew all tliis well counted cost. Once he was blind,
now he sees ! Once he was lost, now he is found !
Here is comfort. He has little anxiety for him-
self, for his name, or his body. His mind turns in
imploring pity toward his family and flock, as he
commits them to the merciful Lord. The man of
strong vigorous mind speaks like a little child.

A gentleman from Illinois was daily with him.
Da Silva had asked about the land, to his imagina-
tion so goodly. He said he wanted to go and see
all the land that he might find a good home for his
people. This he often repeated : '' You can do my
people good. I must go with you. They must
have a place and go to it, or they will all be
scattered."

" Oh ! I want to know more with you. You
teach me to speak English ;" he would say when
others spoke of the things reserved for those who
love God.

"Better?" asked this daily attendant one morn-
ing. " No, it is not better." He turned away his
head and wept. Hezekiah perhaps did not feel
more intense loncring; to live, than he did at that
moment, for he " remembered Zion." Soon re-
covering his submission he said, " God is good,
but I fear I not go with you to see my people set-
tled."

The all-absorbing topic, of an earthly kind, was
the good of his people. When hopes of life revived,
he praised God that there was some prospect of

THE SHEPHERD DYING ON THE SHORE. 1G9

his living long enough to see them in a new home.
"Are you yet alive ?" his friend asked, after the
patient had been some time unconscious.

" Yes, but very sick, pain, swelled." Then he
■wept in view of the goodness of God in bringing
reason back again.

On the last day of 1848, when he was fast sink-
ing, Mr. Kingsbury said : " It is Sabbath, clear sky,
and the sun bright; — is God good?" "Yes," he
replied. ^' Is Christ precious ?" "Y^es." "I fear,"
said Mr. Kingsbury, "you will not live long."
" No," he answered, *' but yet I want to go with my
people."

On the 1st of January he was weak, restless, and
in severe pain. Mr. Kingsbury remarked : " Christ
alone can help and cure you." "Yes," said he,
" but my people will be alone. God is good. Every
thing seemed to go wrong since I came to America ;
— hindered here, could not go west and get homes.
No, but God will take care of the Portuguese."

To ]Mr. Kingsbury he said : " You are my friend ;
I love you very much." When told that we were
all his friends, but God was better than them all,
and he must love iiim ; he quickly replied : " Y^es,
yes, I love him, I love you."

He was sensitively grateful for every little kind-
ness. It was hard to be dependent on strangers.
He was told that Christ was thus showing that
" every one that hath forsaken houses, or bretliren,
or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children,
15

170 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hun-
dred fold, and shall inherit life everlasting." He
replied, " Oh, yes, good friends, Christ is better
than all."

*'Pain! sick! very sick!" he would say with
great effort ; and when told that Jordan's flood was
dark, deep, and rapid, but Christ had passed it
safely, he would say, " Yes, yes ! Though dark on
this side, the other is cheerful. Yes ! yes !"

In his last audible prayer he said :

" 0 Lord God of Israel, thou hast been very
gracious to us poor Portuguese, who were in great
darkness in the island of Madeira. Of thy infinite
mercy thou hast given us the hope of eternal life
through our Lord Jesus Christ.

'' 0 Lord, look in mercy upon thy servant who
is afflicted. But especially look in mercy upon thy
redeemed people in Trinidad. 0 Lord, thou know-
est that thy servant has done what he could for thy
people, and now is ready to give up even the last
drop of his blood for them, even as thou, blessed
Lord Jesus, didst give thine for us poor miserable
sinners ! 0 Lord, forgive my sins — give patience.

" 0 Lord, I pray thee for my dear wife and
daughter. 0 Lord, may they forsake the world
and give thee their hearts, and remember the advice
I have given them.

" I am weak, but thou art mighty. Let not, 0
Lord, thy persecuted flock become scattered, but

THE SHEPHERD DYING ON THE SHORE. 171

establish them in the faith of the gospel and unity
of thy Holy Spirit.

" 0 Lord, bless all good Christians in America ;
reward them for their kindness to us. These favours
I ask, in great weakness of body, through my blessed
Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen."

Just before he died, he asked Mr. Gonsalves to
write to his wife and daughter. " What shall I
write?" "Tell them to remember what I have
written in every letter." Yes, he had always been
earnest for them. There was no return to the Ro-
man catholic church.

One of the last questions proposed to him — " Is
God good to you?" — was answered: "Yes, he is
good to me; God is good to all I"

Though he could nol open his eyes toward the
last, yet the tear of love to Christ would roll down
his thin and sallow cheeks. At the last hour his
Portuguese brother knelt down to pray, along with
others who could not be persuaded to leave the room
where their dear pastor was dying. While the
prayer was ascending, the happy redeemed spirit
left for the heavenly land. He fell softly asleep.

He died in faith, January 10th, in the forty-ninth
year of his age. Scarcely landed from the waves
of ocean, so rough at his embarking, the billows of
death took him away, and they still murmur his
dying words, "Farewell in Christ Jesus."

At his funeral the Rev. Mr. Gonsalves, mission-
ary of the society, addressed, in their own language,

172 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

the Portuguese exiles, who were present to mourn
over the death of their beloved pastor. At the
close of this, all the Portuguese present, (about
fifty,) rose and sung a hymn in their own language.

Every eye in the congregation suddenly filled
with tears, as the notes of these homeless and per-
secuted disciples fell upon the ear. The singing
was so devotional and hearty, and there was such a
sublimity in their rising when sufi'used with tears,
and their hearts overflowing with grief, that no one
could resist the subduing influence of the scene.

The body of this first martyr from Madeira was
then buried in the vaults of the Lafayette-Place
church, there to await the resurrection of the dead
in the last day. Beloved, blessed man, thou art
now at rest !

It was a bitter cold day, but many were the wit-
nesses. The weeping Portuguese felt like Rachel,
refusing to be comforted.

After the death of this devoted "man of God"
a friendly letter was sent to Mrs. Da Silva, at Ma-
deira. It told her of her husband's sickness, and
his joyful death, and reminded her of his last mes-
sage to his family. She replied in a very lady -like,
but cool, business letter. Though she thanked
those who were kind to her husband, she expressed
not a word of sympathy for his religion, which was
his comfort in death.

To another letter sent her some months after, she
replied in a very difl'erent spirit. She referred to

THE SHEPHERD DYING ON THE SHORE. 173

her "good husband whom it had pleased the Lord
to take to himself." Iler gratitude to his friends
was far more deep and hearty. She said that her
mind was in great darkness, and she could obtain
no comfort from the church which she had refused
to forsake. She was reading the Bible, but needed
some one to tell her what to do to be saved. And
this is all we know of her history. We hope the
entrance of God's word and Spirit gave her light to
the true cross.
15 »

174 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

CHAPTER XIV.

AX OUTLOOK OYER THE SEA.

0 thou Eternal Ruler I

Who holdest in thine arm
The tempests of the ocean,

Protect them from all harm.

When a vessel is burning at sea, it often occurs
that the relief-ships carry the passengers in all di-
rections, and it is a long time before the mother
knows where her son was borne, or an anxious
people learn who were saved. It was thus with the
scattering of the Christians of Madeira. It was
long before the little bands could report their places
of refuge. Some had landed in Demarara, others
at St. Vincent, and others at St. Kitts. How many
fled from Madeira cannot be certainly told. Some
little bands may have perished, with no man left to
tell the awful story. Some were heard of in British
Guiana. Of others no news ever came. Of them
it could have been said, in the beautiful words of the
Bible, " They shall lift up their voice, they shall
sing for the majesty of the Lord, they shall cry
aloud from the sea. Wherefore glorify ye the Lord

AN OUTLOOK OVER TUE SEA. 175

in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of
Israel in the isles of the sea."

The Editor of the Defensor, a newspaper in Ma-
deira, was threatened with murder for publishing
the following facts, in 1846. In the parish of St.
Antonio, some persons met quietly on the Lord's
day evening, in their own house, to read and hear
the Bible. A band of armed men entered the
house violently, wounded the owner of it, and ar-
rested the unresisting company of friends. Re-
member Saul of Tarsus. " He made havoc of the
church, entering into every house, and haling men
and women, committed them to prison."

They were charged with resisting the officers of
justice ! It was not asked what they had done for
which the police could arrest them, nor proved that
they had showed any resistance. The police had
no right to go without the legal, written order, and
they could show none. "We think that our homes
are our strongholds, and that not even a King or
Governor has any right to enter by force, unless
proof is shown that we are guilty of some daring
wroncr. Not so in Madeira. "Where law ends,
tyranny begins."

Any one could see that the police and their band
were guilty of an assault. But the jury, sitting in face
of these arrested Bible-readers, would not see that
fact. So they found these innocents guilty of resist-
ance I Resistance for turning the other cheek after one
was smitten ! Madeira is a beautiful island, but we

176 THE EXILES OF MADEIEA.

thank God that we were not born there. No one
could have a "vine and fig tree" of his own, and
be safe under it, if he had a Bible in his hand

"Alas for liberty !" wrote this editor. "Tyr-
anny is like fire." It gains strength by running.
The law that protects to-day, may be made to crush
the protected to-morrow.

These prisoners were condemned to lie in jail ten
months. "When the ten months were fully ended,
they were there still, with no prospect of release.
Why ? Because the public prosecutor imagined
that the sentence was not sufiiciently severe ! "Where
was the judge whose son-in-law was a Christian ?

The widowed mother of two of the sufferers was
released without trial. But while her children were
patiently waiting for the slow law to release them,
her dwelling was set on fire, the store-house burned,
and she was obliged to escape for her life. In the
West Indies she fell a victim to the fever, remem-
berinor how her husband had been buried in the
public road for his faith.

Who then would report the state of the people in
1848, if an editor were thus threatened with murder
in 1846 ? There were " the Lord's hidden ones"
on the island; but how many in 1848, no one could
tell. They were left to " glorify God in the fires."

" Poor Madeira !" wrote Dr. Kalley. " There are
very few believers in it now, unless they are con-
cealed ; and who knows how many the Lord has
* who have not bowed the knee to Baal ?' "

AX OUTLOOK OVER THE SEA. 177

The English residents, for some time, were in
danger. Dr. Kalley advised a friend not to go there,
and also said : " The enemies are now very brave.
The priest says from the pulpit, that, unless Dr.
Miller does as he would have him, he will be treated
as Dr. Kalley was. Dr. Dexter was obliged to
leave the hospital. M. R. was much persecuted.
She was taken to the church to confess ; but did not
confess any thing."

Yet there was some good news. Some of " the
bravest of the enemies" became "among the firmest
of the converts." The Lord knew where they were.
One such man could say, " Sometimes I lift up my
heart to the Lord in prayer, and at other times I
break forth into singing praise to God; and always,
by this means, I get rid of the evil thoughts that
trouble me, and have my heart filled with joy."
Thus did the Psalmist sinoj in the nio;ht watches.

Mr. Hewitson, returning from Trinidad, visited
St. Kitts, preached fourteen times, and administered
the Lord's supper twice. He found about fifty
members there, and they afterwards became an hun-
dred. He left an elder there as their teacher and
guardian.

Martin Da Songa wrote a letter telling how many
exiles on the island of St. Kitts wished to go to the
United States. There were ninety-nine, who said
they wished first of all "to follow the word of God
and grow better," and then follow the exile church
to a new land. These persons were not "outlaws"

178 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

of Madeira as their eneniies said, but were " men
of good report." Da Songa wrote :

" In the number I here send, there are none that
get drunk either on rum or wine, neither any that
may be called slothful. All this people are accus-
tomed to come to the prayer-meeting for a long
time, and there are some new ones who now attend ;
but I have admitted none in the number except
those I knew as believers before the reception of
your letter."

At Essequibo, in British Guiana, were nineteen
of the exiles. They heard that their brethren were
on the eve of going to the United States, and one of
them wrote to their old friends Da Silva and Miss
Rutherford to learn the facts. The letter is worth
reading:

" But, perhaps, before I proceed, I had better
inform you who and what lam. I am then a planter
and attorney, and manager of this estate — but the
Lord has also used me in his vineyard, and, through
me, has collected together a church exceeding one
hundred in number. We do not identifv ourselves
with any denomination, but the only test required
for fellowship is an interest in 'the blood of the
Lamb.' With us are united sixteen Portuguese,
besides our dear blind brother Antonio, and his sis-
ters Mary and Jokina ; they at present are in
Georgetown, Demarara. Of those sixteen, only
five were received into the church at Madeira. Of
these were Francis Da Silva and his wife Maria.

AN OUTLOOK OVER THK SEA. 179

Several of the others were impressed with the truth
there, while others knew nothing of it till they heard
it from the Lord's people here. I know nothing of
Portuguese, but we have very profitable meetings
together notwithstanding. I mean, now, the meet-
ings particularly for the Portuguese. They sing
and pray in their own tongue, in which I sometimes
have owned fellowship, though it is but few words
I understand. They then fix on a chapter, or part
of a chapter, which one dear brother reads ; this dear
brother has wonderfully got on with English ; I believe
it is only about two years he has been here. His
wife has been in this colony many years ; she there-
fore also knew some English ; and then there is an-
other dear interesting young disciple, who was taught
to read in Dr. Kalley's school, in Madeira. Her
parents, with herself, and I think two other children,
emigrated to this country some five or six years
ago. She was living a poor lonely orphan, on an
estate about a mile from this, having lost her parents
and brothers or sisters. When she heard of the
Christian Portuguese here, (our blind brother and
his sisters were here at the time,) she came to see
them ; the Lord soon touched her heart, and she is
now, I trust, growing in grace and in the knowledge
of our Lord and Saviour. She is learning to read
in English, and can read the Testament pretty well
in this language.

" But, to return to our meeting, when the chapter
is read, I refer them to every text that I can, that

180 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

I think will throw light on the portion read. I
then talk what I feel led to say ; this brother as-
sisted by those two sisters interpreting it to the others.
And I am happy to say there is an inquiring mind,
while the many questions asked show me plainly
they understand what is said. In our public meet-
ings, particularly at the Lord's table, I sometimes
try and speak to them a few words through this
brother."

Men who have come out of the fires, been trained
in dungeons, and tried on the mountains or in caves
and dens of the earth, will generally be found
*' steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the
work of the Lord."

Friends in England and America were active in
providing a way for these exiles to come, and a
home for them when they should arrive. They
should not leave their various refuges and start
"not knowing whither." They were willing to go
anywhere, if they could have a safe home and a
secure church.

Most of these exiles had learned '' to labour and
to wait." Da Silva's " patience" was not forgotten,
nor were Hewitson's lessons of industry. They
were now mostly farmers and mechanics. They
wished to be in a colony by themselves in a new
land.

At first a large agricultural company engaged to
give them a home in Illinois. They were to have
houses, good wages, and the comforts of life. To

AN OUTLOOK OVER THE SEA. 181

every family of the colony ten acres of land were to
be given. Bonds were given to make secure the
contract. The place was about half way between
Springfield and Jacksonville, Illinois. The Ameri-
can Protestant society were to pay for their immi-
gration to the place.

Appeals were made to the Christians of England
and the United States to help transport the exiles,
who were in need of clothing and daily bread. The
response was generous. The Christian people felt
their hearts touched as they were asked to take an

outlook over the sea.
16

182 THE EXILES OF MADEIKA.

CHAPTER XV.

A FAREWELL TO THE ISLES.

** They come, they come ; — thine exiled bands,
Where'er they rest or roam,
Have heard thy voice in distant land3>
And hasten to their home."

Some of the exiles were already in New York.
Great preparations were making for the welcome of
others. Just then the first plan for their settlement
failed. New schemes must be devised. Stout
hearted men set about it in right good earnest. In
their will they found a way. A home was again
secured in Illinois. Christian friends in Jackson-
ville offered to take those already in New York and
provide for them. Springfield and Waverly were
proposed as points where others following should
be settled.

Here was the "finger of God." Had the exiles
left New York when first proposed, they would have
met with that terrible disease — the cholera — then
stealing victims from the lines of travel, and beset-
ting men at almost every point of rest. And fur-
ther, had they gone then to the place first selected,

A FAREWELL TO THE ISLE. 183

they would have met with a severe disappointment,
and found no resting place for their feet. The
company which had engaged to give them houses
and lands had failed. The delay thus caused proved
a blessing. Though in the city when the cholera
raged, no death was known to occur among them.

One vessel after another arrived, bringing exiles,
until about five hundred were in the city. The
American Protestant Society had to find their daily
bread, and clothe the needy. Some were sick. All
were in a strange land.

Dr. Kalley had not ceased to remember these
people, many of whom were his " sons in the
faith." He wrote them from Malta in 1849. As
one band of exiles after another came, his letter
met them in their own language. In it he says :

" What are all the riches of this world without
the love of God ? Love is found in heaven. There
the blessed rejoice in love. They have no money
in heaven. There they do not need money. But
they could not be happy without love. Love there-
fore is celestial ; it is worth more than all the treas-
ures of the world. Love will remain when the fire
of God shall melt all earthly goods. Jesus said,
'Love one another as I have loved you.'"

He then warns them of false teachers. The les-
son is good for us all. *' The way in which these
enemies succeed in destroying souls, is by raising
doubts in the minds of the disciples as regards the
blessed truths of the Bible. In the same manner

184 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

the Devil tempted our mother Eve; and he en-
deavoured to tempt Jesus in the same -way. In this
Tvay the Devil and his servants have destroyed mil-
lions of souls. They begin by saying that the
word of God is a book full of mysteries, and very
obscure, very hard for any knowledge of true re-
ligion by searching. Then they recommend the
writings of the fathers, saying that they contain the
truth which the church has believed in all ages.
They say that we must examine the writings of the
dead priests to know the true meaning or right in-
terpretation of the Bible.

*' Suppose a number of men should go to work
and make a common tallow candle, and, after light-
ing it, should place it in their midst, and then should
send out their preachers to inform the people that
without the light of their candle no one could see
in the day time, even if the sun should shine ever
so clear. AYhat should we think of such men ?
Why we should take it for granted that they had
run away, by some means, from the lunatic asylum.
Are not the words of God clear and plain ? Can
they not give assurance to the immortal soul ? Sup-
pose we should see a number of men digging at the
bottom of one of the huge mountains of Madeira,
and heard them say that the mountains were about
to tumble down, and that it was necessary for them
to work very hard in order to prevent so great a
calamity. Therefore one would bring a handful
of clay, another a broken reed, another a rotten

A FAREWELL TO THE LSLE. 185

rail to hold up the mountain. What should we
think of such men ?"

Gladness is often the twin of sadness. It was on
the 10th of October, 1840. Nearly three hundred
exiles left New York on that day for their western
homes. Many eyes were on the pilgrim band. Among
them were three orphan sisters, who had been
wealthy in their native vine-clad isle. One of them
could have remained in the city and taught music,
had she understood the lanfrua^e. As she was
playing beautifully one evening, she was asked
where she left her piano. She said that she left it
in her own house, with all she had in the world,
and fled for her life. On the deck of the steamer
stood the wanderers. It was a sublime scene. An
eye witness says :

"As we began to grasp the hands of those pil-
grims, with whose trials and sufferings we were so
familiar, a scene of unspeakable tenderness was
presented. Never had we seen their tears flow so
profusely. AVe felt their warm grasp, but soon we
could not utter that last word — farewell. The three
orphan sisters wept aloud, not because they have
not a relative on earth, but because they left those
who were deeply interested in their welfare."

One old lady came the second time to bid fare-
well, and as she grasped the hand of a benefactor,
she closed her eyes and lifted her silent prayer
to God that all human kindnesses might be re-
warded. One hundre<l others followed soon after

10*

186 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

them. Rev. Mr. Hale, of Springfield, Illinois,
vrrote of those who arrived there as follows :

" We are much occupied these days in minister-
ing to our brethren, the Portuguese exiles. They
arrived here just in time to enter on the severe win-
ter weather, which now they, in common with all of
us, have to endure. They are not much accustomed
to severe cold weather ; and as our city was very
full of people when they arrived, it was well nigh
impossible to provide them habitations ; to provide
comfortable dwellings was out of the question, as
everything worthy of the name was already crowded
full. But we have done what, under the circum-
stances, we could, and they are hoping for better times.
So far as I know, they are contented and happy.
Many of them find employment, at good wages and
ready pay. They are highly valued as labourers,
and will soon be able to take care of themselves
without the aid of others. Indeed, the last thing
to be looked for is that such men should long be a
charge to their fellow men. If they maintain their
religious principles and their habits of industry,
there is but one destiny for them here, and that is
'plenty — independence.' "

Among those who remained we may find charac-
ters of interest. One was a venerable woman, sev-
enty-nine years of age. Only five years before had
she heard there was a Bible in the world. She
made it her delight. She could say, " Thy testi-
monies are wonderful." For her devotion to that

A FARE^NTilLL TO THK ISLE. 187

hdok, "which our Lord gave us to read, she was pub-
licly beaten bj those wlio professed to be the "only
true church." She left her native vineyard with
two less ribs than in our land we allow every Chris-
tian to have. But such wounds only reminded her
of her Lord's pierced hands, thorn-crowned brows,
and bleeding side. She was happy.

The first convert under the labours of Dr. Kalley
was on our shores, with her husband and ajzed
mother. She had aided Dr. Kalley in defending
his house in the days of fearful riot. She drove
the nails and fastened the bars over the windows.
She knew something of curses, blows, and jails.

This family had taken a wrong vessel at St. Yin-
cent, and were landed in the cold of winter on
Nova Scotia. The northern blasts were too severe
for the poor exiles of a southern isle. The chill
had wrought disease in the old lady. She was in
consumption's fatal grasp. AVhcn in New York,
she suddenly one day spoke cheerfully, " I am go-
ing to my Father, I am going to my Father."

*' Shall we pray with you?" asked her friends.

" Yes !" and then exclaimed, " My Lord is coming,
my Lord is coming." In the moment of the prayer
she said, " See the angels ! don't you see the
angels ?"

In a moment her spirit was wafted gently away.
That view of the angels! Was it illusive? May
writer and reader not deny it, but wait till our ex-
perience shall decide. Hebrews xii. 14.

188 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

A ladj, named Antonia Da Conea, had once
gone to Dr. Kalley for medical aid. She expected
soon to die by a fearful disease. God blessed the
remedies of the kind physician, and she recovered.
She had learned how to read when a child, but had
forgotten it. She learned again, and obtained a
boon which would never let her forget how to read
as:ain. It was the Bible. She became one of the
most intelligent and devoted Christians in the church.
She taught her daughters the good news, and they
became teachers in the schools. Many of her friends
and neighbours were persuaded by her to love the
Lord tfesus. Her enemies saw how great her influ-
ence was, and they said that she had an enchanted
cup, from which if any drank they became " Cal-
vinists."

Her husband came with her to attend the class
which Mr. Hewitson taught before leaving Madei-
ra. He was thus well qualified to become an elder
in the church. He owned a good home, with a
beautiful vineyard about it. A band of ruffians
came to assault their house; it was Saturday night.
Next day they were to have a quiet meeting for
Bible-reading and prayer. Catching up a few
articles, they fled to the mountains. God's people
have often known what mountains are worth. It
has been so from the days of Lot. They walked all
night, and on Sabbath morning were upon a summit
to greet the rising sun. Glad were they to see a
spring, as Hagar was to see a well when her boy

A FAREWELL TO THE ISLES. 189

■was gasping in liis thirst. Here they hathed their
bleeding feet. Was Jesus ever wounded in climbing
the mountain sides for the nightly prayer ? Then
they sat down on the grass, read the word of God,
and praised Him who is the God of the mountains as
well as of the valleys. Softly did they sing, lest even
there might lurk an enemy. It was eighteen days
before they could reach a British vessel. They
went to Trinidad ; there the elder lost a limb and was
more lame than halting Jacob. At New York he
was brought near to that shore whence Da Silva
took his joyful departure for a better world than
this. But the Lord brought him farther on toward
securing a home for his survivors.

If anv Howard had soufjlit to know the condition
of the prisons and dungeons of Madeira, he could
have been well informed by those who knew too well.
' Even the Bomba would no longer have remained a
mystery. Many had been there and could testify.
Mrs. Alves was one of the welcomed. All her
surviving children were with her. If she had any
fears concerning those left behind, it was, lest the
enemy might rifle the very graves.

The reader will remember the young woman who,
on the fearful night of Dr. Kalley's siege, locked
the gate and took away the key. She was among
the escaped. She was an orphan, without a living
relative on the earth. Her heroic deeds are worth
^ recitmg.

' For several years she was an inmate of the family

190 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

of Dr. Kallev. She became a teacher, and in the
stormy year of 1846 her class of young ladies
numbered thirty. She was staying with the Misses
Rutherford when the mob committed the outrage
upon their house. She heard the mob cutting down
the door and breaking the windows. In a small
room up stairs she sought refuge. The rioters
rushed into the house. The soldiers came into her
room and ordered her to confess and return to the
Roman catholic church. She replied that she was
daily in the habit of confession, but she confessed to
God and not to man. To their threats she made
the same reply. " AVere you not afraid at that
hour?" a friend afterwards asked. " I believed that
my Father would take care of me." The mob left
the room, locked the door, leaving her in it, and
took the key. They then seized some of the Bible-
readers and committed the awful deeds of " outrage
and intended murder."

Again was this young lady called to the trial of
her CQuracre and faith. She was brought before the
governor of the island. In a large parlour she
must face the crowd of official dignitaries. A book
was brought to her on which was the sign of the
cross. She was requested to put her hand upon it,
and take oath that she would never leave the Romish
church. She refused with all the "boldness of
Peter and John." "But you will surely put your
hand on the book !" said the governor. " No !
never I The Saviour says — Swear not at all ; neither

A FAREWELL TO THE ISLES. 191

by heaven nor by earth, neither by Jerusalem, nor
by thy head ; it cannot be right therefore to swear
by the sign of the cross."

" Do you think, young woman," replied the gov-
ernor, " to teach us the Bible ? I know much more
about it than you do." A statement very doubtful !
She was permitted to leave the room with no further
trouble at the time.

Two other family histories are reserved for the
next chapter, and we close this by appending a paper
signed by fifty-eight persons. It refutes any charge
that these exiles were " wretched outlaws," not fit
to live in Madeira. It had been stated in a public
paper that some of the refugees, after having their
way paid to New York, sought a Romish priest,
made confession, and returned to the church that
had robbed and driven them away. This may
do only for those who have nothing to say but
slander.

" We, the undersigned, are all natives of ^ladeira :
we were all born and educated in the Roman catholic
church : we have always been in the habit of attend-
ing mass, confession, and the various ceremonies,
feasts, and fasts of that church. We knew of no
other way of worship, because we had never seen
nor read the word of God. We did not know there
was such a book as the Bible, in which was found
the history of Jesus Christ and of the apostles, until
Dr. Kalley began to circulate it in Madeira. In
reading the Bibles we received from him, we learned,

192 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

for the first time, that we must be saved by the blood
of Jesus, and not by penance, and mass, and purga-
tory. We found that the Virgin and saints are not
mediators, for there is only one Mediator between
God and man, that is, Christ Jesus. When we
began to rejoice in Jesus as our only Mediator, and
to read the Bible with joy, then we were forbidden,
by the priests and the government, to read it. The
priests began to take our Bibles, and to burn them.
Many of the Bible-readers were thrown into prison.
Some of us have been in prison about two years,
and others three years. We have been driven
from our houses and our country — have wandered
in the mountains, and slept in caves — because we
read the word of God, and desired to live accord-
ing to its precepts, and for no other reason. We
were compelled, by the priest and the government
in Madeira, to flee away, and leave all our goods,
and houses, and lands ; and on this account we are
now destitute in a strange country. To the truth
of all these things we are prepared to testify before
all the world." {Signed.)

TWO HOUSEHOLD BANDS. 193

CHAPTER XVI.

TWO HOUSEHOLD BANDS.

On a warm day in August, 1841, three young
men were on the way to attend the feast of the
*' celebrated Virgin of the Mountain." The fame
of Dr. Kalley had reached their ears. Out of mere
curiosity they called to see him. They were polite,
and saluted the doctor with all respect. One of
them, N. Vieira, told him that he wished to buy a
Testament for his friend Henry.

*' Who will teach Henry to read the good book?"
asked Dr. Kalley.

^'I will," N. Vieira replied.

"Can you read?"

"Yes, sir, I have read the catechism for six years
past in a school."

"Do you believe there is a God?"

"Yes, sir. I do believe in God."

"Give me some sure proof of his existence."

"He made the ocean and the fire."

"Do you believe you are a sinner?"

"Yes, sir. We arc all sinners."

"How do you expect to be saved?"
17

194 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

*^'Bj my good works."

" Good works I What good works have you done
to satisfy the demands of God's law against your
sins?"

" If I clothe and feed the poor, these good works
will take me to heaven, after passing through the
purifying fires of purgatory."

"My friend, Christ came into the world to save
you. He has given his life for you : now believe in
Christ, read his words of advice, which are found in
the Bible. Read in the sacred book the kind invi-
tations of his gospel."

" Sacred Bible ! I do not know such a book. I
never saw one."

"Here is one. I will make you a present of this
holy book, if you promise to read it every day to
your family, after the labours of the day. "When
you find any passage you cannot comprehend, write
down all the points, and when you come to the city
bring them to me. I shall always be happy to see

you."

These young men took the good book and went
home. N. Yieira gathered his mother, and two
brothers and two sisters in a family circle, and com-
menced reading God's word. He began with the
creation of the world, and continued to read about
the wonderful works of God, until their interest was
so great that they could not keep it to themselves :
so they spoke to their neighbours and friends, from
house to house, of this new and wonderful book,

TWO HOUSEHOLD BANDS. 195

A few months passed. The new Bible-reader
came again to Dr. Kallej, and told him these good
tidings. The " man of God" was exceedingly glad
to hear him speak of how he had found the Saviour
to be his Redeemer, and how his mother and sisters
were weeping over their sins. He invited N. Vieira
to come and live with him, visit his schools in various
parts of the island, and speak to teachers and
scholars of the love of Christ. The invitation was
laid before the family, and though they needed him
on the farm, yet they felt that he could do more
good in the way proposed. He gladly entered upon
the new work.

He was first requested to read the Bible, in the
hospital to the sick every morning. This he did,
and was blessed in the service. In the hot season
Dr. Kalley hired a house in the mountain district
of St. Antonio Da Serra, near where the Vieiras
lived. In their own house he established a school,
and Henry was appointed the teacher. Many
neighbours came to hear the word of God.

One Sabbath in 1843, the Rev. Mr. Weed of the
Scotch church was just about to administer the
Lord's Supper. N. Vieira and a friend requested
permission to receive the holy Communion. Dr.
Kalley tried to dissuade them at first, lest it might
be a rash act on their part. But they felt con-
strained by the love of Christ, and had no fear of
the rage of man. They were ready to die if need
be. Their greatest anxiety was that this " father

196 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

in Christ" might not suffer on their account. They
"were examined, admitted, and seated at the Lord's
table.

Four days after this N. Yieira was arrested,
brought before the Magistrates, and charged with
bavins: forsaken the relio-ion of his fathers and of
the government. Now was a time to try him,
whether he would obey God rather than men. He
replied to the charge that he had never received re-
ligion from his earthly parents: that he now en-
joyed the love of God in his heart: that this re-
ligion came from the Bible which God gave to bis
people to read: and that he was but a follower of
Christ the Lord. As to purgatory, it was not in
the Bible. "The mere forms of religion," said be,
" have never quenched any thirst, but now I have
found a pure fountain in God's word which satisfies
my soul."

"Do you believe in the crucifix, that we should
worship the image on the cross?" asked the judge.

" Nay. God is a Spirit, and they that worship
bim must worship him in spirit and in truth."

" Very well ; go in peace."

Were they to go in peace ? A secretary of the
government was there, who wrote down all the an-
swers. They should hear from them again. Such
young men of promise must be checked in their
labours of love.

On the next Sabbath their names were read aloud
by the parish priests in all the churches, and their

TWO HOUSEHOLD BANDS. 197

excommunication pronounced. People were foi]>id-
den to allow them to enter their houses, trade with
them, or even give a cup of cold water to them. *

Terror could not be struck into the minds of
other Bible-readers in this way. They saw that
somebody was wrong. The ignorant part of the
people were afraid of the Jesuits, for they imagined
that the Jesuits had all power at command. But
those who could read the Bible, read all the more,
in order to learn who was in the right. These per-
sons thought well of the converts, and applauded
their firmness. Nowhere is firmness of any account
unless it be on the side of right. Thus more and
more Bibles were in demand. The searching for
the "hid treasure" was earnest and intense. These
enemies did not understand human nature, or they
"would not have made these humble young men such
objects of curiosity and inquiry. Take a book from
a man by force, and you make everybody else want
to see what that book is. Thus many were led to
ask for the Bible; and who could give it to them?

The priests and the ofiicers of government were
not satisfied with this. They imagined that by
punishing these two young men very severely, others
•would be afraid to forsake the Romish church. So
they one day met to lay their plans. They were so
angry that they talked louder than they intended.
Remember the enemies of Paul, wlio banded to-
gether and took an oath not to eat or drink until they

* See Appendix, for the poiupoufl sentence.
17 •

198 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

had killed him. They talked too loud about their
mad design. Paul's sister's son overheard the
plans, and went into the castle where his uncle was,
and told him that certain men had sworn that if he
ever came near them they would kill him.

There was a young woman, a convert, named
Ursula, who overheard some conversation about ar-
resting and imprisoning these two young Christians.
She hastened to Dr. Kalley's house and told him
that his young brethren, then in his house, were
threatened with death. Ursula had scarcely finished
her almost breathless story when the loud rap of
the police was heard at the doctor's gates. The
hunters had surrounded the innocent prey and
thought their hands would soon be laid upon them.
Not a moment was to be lost. Escape from the
house was impossible. The doctor knew there was
a niche in the wall behind his library case. So the
case was pulled away from the wall, and the two
friends were hid in the narrow space. The case
was then pushed back and no eye but that of God
could see them. The hunters rushed in, searched
the house, even went into the rooms of the sick, but
could not find the men they wanted. The doctor
did not say they were not there, but helped them
ransack the house. The police went away, hoping
for better success some other time, and the friends
came out of their hiding place with a song of de-
liverance in their hearts.

For six months these vounf' men were hidden in

TWO HOUSEHOLD BANDS. 199

the houses of their friends. There came a decree
from the court of Lisbon that no one shouhl be mo-
lested or persecuted for religious opinions. The court
said that men might worship God according to the
dictates of conscience. The spider makes a beauti-
ful web to catch his prey ; so the Romanists made
a beautiful law, but it was only a trap to catch the
innocent. And many were caught. No convert to
Christianity could have his own religious opinions.

N. Vieira returned home to gladden his mother's
heart, and to exchange places with Henry. The
Bible-class was entrusted to Henry. The flourish-
ing school in Da Serra had N. Vieira at its head.
But there was no library case to hide him nor any
law from Lisbon which would protect him. The
haters had their cruel way.

The priests and the police soon saw that this family
paid no regard to the confessional, (they went to the
Protestant confessional — the Mercy-seat), and did
not obey the priests of their parish, nor care for the
Pope, nor bow to the Virgin Mary, nor have any
idols in their house. It was resolved to put an end
to this matter. Two officers with eighteen men
came by night to arrest the teacher. He was roused
from his sleep at midnight, and fled to the friendly
shelter of the mountains. Two hundred soldiers
were sent by the government to arrest him. For
more than a month they hunted him, but could not
find him. He was one of '•" God's hidden ones."
All this time he found no roof under which he could

200 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

sleep. The caves were his refuge, the earth his bed.
David in his exile was not more homeless. Yet
David could sing and make Psalms even there. He
could look up and see the hart bounding on Bether's
hills and say, " As the hart panteth after the water
brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, 0 God." So
with our heroic young sufferer. Though without a
change of raiment and almost starved, he could re-
joice in the Lord Jesus.

While thus wandering on the mountains he one
day came in sight of the large mansion where his
mother lived. It was about five miles from the ca-
pital. There he had played in his boyhood, and
in the vineyard he had toiled through many a weary
day. It was the old home. He probably intended
in some way to gain admittance there, and relieve
the mother who perhaps was weeping for her son.
But what fearful view broke on his vision ? He saw
the soldiers coming down like a wolf on the fold.
Never did a dove look down with keener pain of
heart on her nest just when the eagle's claws were
going to rifle it, than he did from the mountain top.

The soldiers arrested his mother, his sister and
her husband, and also a woman living in the house-
hold. One of his brothers, in delicate health, was
compelled to eat disgusting food, with the threat of
a severe beating. When they had secured their
victims, they took the furniture and tore the clothes
and bedding to pieces. Where was the husband of
this aged woman at this hour ? Though a Bomanist,

TWO HOUSEHOLD BANDS. 201

one can hardly imagine how he could permit a scene
like this in his own house, and "with his own family.
They led their captives away, goading the age<l
mother with a stick pointed with sharp iron. A
bayonet would have been more refined. She was
too feeble to march as rapidly as they wished.
They insulted her by saying sumetliing like this :
** Go along, you old Protestant fool."

Her son could see much of these cruelties, as he
stood gazing. His soul almost sunk within him.
What to do he knew not. "What would be the fate
of his family he dared not imagine. To rush to his
mother would not comfort her, for she could not feel
any happier herself by having her son as a fellow-
sufferer. His couraf^e and faith were almost failing.
Then he thought of his Bible. Into his troubled
mind came the words, " Who shall separate us
from the love of Christ ?" His mind rose with
Paul's in saying, " I am persuaded that neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor
powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor
height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be
able to separate me from the love of God, which is
in Christ Jesus our Lord." He was comforted.
Famine might come, peril might hang about his path,
persecution might take his life ; he was ready to die
in the love of Christ.

Elijah found bread by the brook-side. This
wanderer found it in the mountains. No Christian
brought it, for no Christian knew his hiding-[)lace.

202 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

Only one human being knew. This was a Roman
catholic girl. She was the only Romanist known,
by us, to have been kind to the converts. It was
a fearful offence to "give them fire, water, bread,
or any comfort ; or even to " touch" them ! Who-
ever did this was to be publicly cursed by all the
priests.

This young girl was tender-hearted and pitied
the suffering Christians. She did not dare tell any
one that she knew where one poor Bible-reader was
hid. But she took a little meal from the barrel,
and when her mother was absent, she make a cake
and baked it in the ashes, so that there might be
nothing to betray her. No doubt she made it as
large as she dared, and as good as she could. She
sought a favourable moment, and ran into the moun-
tains to give it to him. On this he lived four days.
It gave him strength to wander, and watch for a
vessel to take him away. One day he reached the
deck of a British vessel and was safe. He first
went to Demarara.

Where was Ursula, who had given warning to the
two friends at Dr. Kalley's house ? She was too
kind toward the persecuted to be safe. The spies
saw what she did. Her kindness betrayed her.
She was called a "convert," and so she became.
She chose affliction with the people of God, and
leaving a once happy home she fled for her life. She
reached St. Vincent, and there in a quiet grave her
body was laid to sleep till the resurrection.

TWO HOUSEHOLD BANDS. 203

The family ■who had been taken from tlio man-
sion, when N. Vieira looked down upon the outra^je,
with about twenty others, were put on board a Por-
tuguese frigate, the largest one in the Portuguese
navy. They were told that they were all to be
taken to Lisbon, and there tried for heresy. But
they were deceived. In a few days they were shut
up in the dungeon at Funchal, where they were
closely kept for nearly two years.

Nor would the government give them bread or
water. They must die if no hand of charity would
provide relief. Foreign residents sent them their
daily food. Their enemies did nothing to prevent
starvation ; and had they starved, their persecutors
would not have been more guilty.

The time of their release came at last. The bars
of their prison were drawn back very slowly, and
they were told that if they would for ever leave their
native island, they might go wherever the ships
would carry them. They left all for the gospel's
sake.

One day in these stormy times, a ship touched at
Demarara. N. Vieira went to the wharf to see
who might be on board from his home. Often had
he wished to learn the fate of his mother, brothers,
sisters, and friends. To his utter surprise, they
were on the ship. The joy of such a re-union
seemed almost to repay them for the sorrows they
had all endured. Earth has few such meetings.
Heaven will have many even more joyful.

204 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

They all remained in Demarara some months,
■where they suffered from the fevers of the place.
They then sailed for Trinidad. Some of them came
afterward to this country.

The acred mother remained in Trinidad. She
had once lived in a large mansion, about five miles
from the chief citv. Her house had been filled
with luxuries, and many servants came and went at
her biddinor. But her exile-home was far different.
She lived in a small room, ten or twelve feet square,
glad to have the plainest diet for her daily bread.
She had left her husband, a Romanist. Nothing
had he done for her while in prison, nor for any of
his children. He probably is yet living upon the
estate. This Christian woman said that her little
home among strangers was the happiest she ever had
known, and the days of her exile were brighter
than all those past in the mansion. Christ was her
riches and her comforter.

The other family sketch is brief.

In the family of Yasconcellas, there were four
brothers, who were farmers. One of them, Joseph,
was about thirty years old when the persecutions
began. He saw how others were cruelly treated,
and asked the reason. He learned that they were
Bible-readers. He found out for the first time that
there was a book called the word of God. He ob-
tained one, read it with intense delight, and went
to hear Dr. Kalley preach. Then he attended the
meetings for prayer and inquiry. For some time

TWO HOUSEHOLD BANDS. 205

he dreaded the Jesuits and the priests. Many
otliers at this time trembled under their threats,
and their attempts to excite the people to violence.

But as he read the words of Jesus he was made
bold, for he said, " Fear not them that kill the
body." With these words stamped in memory, he
became very decided. He ceased to attend the
Romish church. With mass, confession, and saint-
worship, he had nothing more to do lie began the
duties of a true Christian life. He became ''strong:
in the gospel." Without disguise he met with the
Protestants, and cared little if the police did see him.

They lived some distance away from the capital.
One morning before the sun rose, an armed police
was attacking the house. They chose the dark-
ness ; so did Judas. With horrid yells they were
asked to open the doors, which they did. The four
brothers and their aged father were bound with
thongs, shamefully treated, and hurried away to a
jail, which, of course, would not be far oflf in such
a country.

The mother and sisters fled, while the father was
parleying with the soldiers at the house. The old
man was afterwards released, and sent back home,
being told that he was too infirm to be shut up in
prison, and as four of his sons were captured, the
police would be satisfied.

The church and jail of the neighbourhood were
near together — very wisely. Into the jail twenty
persons were cast. There they remained three days
18

206 THE EXILES OP MADEIRA.

•with nothing to eat or drink. They were then put
on board a Portuguese ship, and toki that they
should be taken to Lisbon for their trial. Here,
we suppose, they met the Yieira family, and were
deceived like them, and lodged in the prison at
Funchal.

During their imprisonment there was less favour
shown to some prisoners than to others — if indeed
a milder cruelty can ever be a favour ! One of
these brothers, Joseph Da Yasconcellas, had all along
been the object of special malice. He had been
more active in teaching the gospel, and had the
greater influence. Hence he was treated with
severer barbarity.

The mass was introduced into the prison, and the
inmates were required to express their adoration ; a
thing unknown there for generations. A little
image upon a cross was to be brought in. Joseph
was compelled to go with the priests to bring it.
They came to the church, took it from the altar,
and carelessly threw it into the basket which Joseph
carried. There it was, "upside down," and he was
blamed severely for having it thus carried. He
once would have shuddered at such a thought, and
even now would not have done such a deed. If the
priests had possessed any of their pretended rever-
ence, they would have never thus turned over the im-
age, much less play the false part they did. If they
did not reverence the image, why ask him to do it ?

When the mass was celebrated, the prisoners all

TWO HOUSEHOLD BANDS. 207

refused to witness the ceremony. They were forced
to be present. Some of the more feeble were so
cruelly forced, as to bow against their will — a bow
obtained by breaking them down. Joseph stood
strong and firm. He was then struck terrible blows,
but persisted in refusing the idolatry. No name of
vile reproach was too bad for them to employ against
him. And this at their own mass ! !

For refusing to confess to a priest, who showed
that he was anything but a "vicar of Christ," he
was manacled till his hands were blood-shot, and
then cast into the horrid Bomba, where the wonder
is he did not die in agony.

When two years had passed in prison, the Yas-
concellas were released. They returned home only
to be driven poor and unpitied to Trinidad. There
the aged parents were buried, and one of the sons
beside them. The surviving three came to this
country. They all said that through their various
trials the Lord had never forsaken them. Joseph,
if living, bears still in his body the signs of the
abuse cruelly inflicted upon him for refusing to wor-
ship the wafer, and bow to the image, with which
Christ is mocked and put to shame.

208 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

CHAPTER XVII.

A PASTOR FOR THE FLOCK.

Mr. Hewitsox was not one who would put his
light under a bushel. It was put on a candlestick
on ship-board as he returned from the West Indies
in 184T. "I never had a vovacre like this," said
the captain. So all the company felt. '']S^ot a
Jonah had been on board, fleeing from the presence
of the Lord, but a Caleb, walking in the light of
God's countenance." Daily his voice was heard
in prayer and preaching in the ship. One sailor
felt the new kindling of love in his soul. '' I am
not in want of a closet to pray in," said this sun-
brown tar; "I can just cover my face with my hat
here at the helm, and I am as much alone with God
as in a closet."

Hewitson went home, to be "a bright and shining
light" in Scotland. He was settled in Dirleton,
where he died in August, 1850. He "turned many
to righteousness." While failing day by day he
could remark pleasantly : " The Lord has his own
way of dealing with his servants. He is pleased to
make one like a bowl of living water, which shall

A PASTOR FOR THE FLOCK. 209

be handed round to refresh many souls. And he
takes the same bo^vl, empties it, turns it upside
down, and puts it on the shelf, saying, ' I have no
more need of thee !' "

As he laid him down to preach no more, he was
comforted with the "tenderness of Christ." "I
have seen further down of late into the depths of
his amazing love than ever I saw before." Not
without a tear did he dictate of his field of labour :

" No more I reap that harvest field ;
Its sheaves to others may it yield :
My call to hasten home is sealed ;
God's will be done."

There were many links to connect him still with
the Portuguese exiles. In his labours and his sick-
ness he often spoke of them. And they remem-
bered him. Here is a link worthy of note. Open-
ing a letter from New York he read thus :

" The Portuguese here are a very devoted band
of pilgrims. They love one another. They search
the Bible with great diligence. They enjoy a
blessed prayer-meeting morning and evening. . . .
Seldom is a prayer offered at the throne of grace,
from any one of the flock, that I do not hear your
name, that of Dr. Kalley, and the Free Church of
Scotland. . . . Can you, my dear brother, come to
Illinois next fall, and take charge of this interest-
ing, precious flock ? I know they all love you as
they love their own souls."

These people would have stood on their feet and
18 «

210 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

held up both hands, if that could have made this
link of love a bond between pastor and flock. But
he was not to come to our land. He was to hold
forth the word of life a little while and then die,
leaving those death-bed words to ring through the
world, " I am better acqainted with Jesus than with
any friend I have on earth."

That star which had risen over the moors of
Scotland, and hovered a while over the isles of the
sea, ever moving on to where Christ was, seemed to
go down in the cold north : but no ! God took it
and set it in the firmament of his glory. It had
turned many to righteousness, and was placed on
high to shine, a star for ever and ever.

Hewitson was a minister in a far higher sense
than even his childish ambition involved. He was
also a king — a king in glory ! for there such humble
souls are " made kings and priests unto God."

The Lord of the vineyard raised up a pastor for
the exiles in their new western home. We would
be happy to present a brief account of his life ;
how he became a Bible-reader in Madeira ; how he
left friends and his father's house for the sake of
Christ ; how he fled from his native island, and how
he became a minister of the gospel. But he does
not wish any account of himself to be given, for he
wishes Christ to have all the glory, and all our at-
tention. We shall therefore only mention some
facts which have already been published.

Mr. Antonio De Mattes was one of the converts

A PASTOR FOR THE FLOCK. 211

at Madeira. lie fled to Scotland in 1846, whcro
be became (jiialified for preacbing tlie gospel. Ho
was ordained to come to tbis country and take tbo
place of Mr. Da Silva, as tbc })astor of tbe scat-
tered flock.

He paid a sbort visit to his father's family in
Madeira. He saw forty of tbe converts in tbe
cbief city. He met tbem one by one, conversed
and prayed witb tbem, for it was not tboiigbt pru-
dent to liold public meetings. It was a most joyful
and refreshing visit to these young disciples. He
remained under tbe paternal roof until a notice was
posted on the door, that be must leave tbe island or
suffer death.

He then visited Trinidad on his way to this coun-
try. There be found more than four hundred ex-
iles, many of whom had come from other shores to
enjoy the protection oflfered tbem by the British g07-^
ernment. Mr. De Mattos has been for several
years tbe pastor of the Portuguese Presbyterian
churches in Springfield and Jacksonville, Illinois.
In a beautiful letter now before us, he speaks of
their prosperity, their trials and temptations. There
are about one thousand Portuguese exiles in the two
places where he preaches.

The severe laws in Madeira will not allow any
one to go as Mr. Hewitson went, and labour among
the people. Yet there have been for several years
many Bible-readers there. Sometimes as many as

212 THE EXILES OF MADEIRA.

one hundred have been reported. Thej would
meet together in little companies, as qnietlj as pos-
sible, for prayer in the night ; and often under the
vines their low tones of prayer would find an utter-
ance which no enemy could hear, but which did not
fail to reach the ever-listening ear of Him who never
slumbers.

Those Bibles and Testaments which the exiles
buried in the earth, or plastered in the walls of
their houses, were not hidden in vain. Many were
afterwards found, and many no doubt will yet be
brought to light. The good seed thus buried, will
one day bring a good harvest for the Master.

Our little volume now closes. As the reader
shuts it up, we hope that Holy Book which did
such wonders in Madeira, will be opened, and dili-
gently read. An open Bible, a well-read Bible, a
Bible believed and obeyed, is the only book that
can teach us the way of salvation. Persecutors
will probably never dare to take it from us. But
we may keep it from ourselves. We may cheat
ourselves of its great truths. We may neglect the
word of God, and be ignorant of the love of Jesus
Christ.

We often hear thanks rendered to God that " we
may sit under our own vine and fig-tree, with none
to molest or make us afraid." Truly this is a
great privilege. Let us read the Bible under the
summer shade, or by the winter fire, and pray to

A PASTOR FOR THK FLOCK.

213

the Lord with earnest hearts, *M)pon thou mine
eyes, that I may behold wondrous thiutrs out of thy
law."

Holy Bible! Rook Divine f
Trecijus treasure, ihuu art iniiio !

^ ^ J^

APPENDIX

Dr. Kalley refers particularly to the sentence
of excommunication pronounced against two of the
converts. To gratify the interest, or curiosity of
the reader, we here spread out before him, this
pompous and unjust sentence as it was originally
uttered : —

** Sebastiao Cazemiro Medinna Yasconcellos, Leader
of the Choir in the Cathedral, Synedic Examina-
tor, Vicar-General of the Bishopric of Funchal, in
the island of Madeira, for the Most Excellent and
Reverend Don Januaro Vicente Comacho of her
Majesty's Council, Dean of the Cathedral of Fun-
chal, Commander of the Order of Christ, Bishop
Elect of Castle Branco, Temporal Governor and
Vicar-General of the Bishop of Funchal, Porto
Santo and xVrguinot —

" To all the reverend vicars and curates, assistants
and chaplains, as well as to all judges and justices
of peace, to the delegates of the attorney-general, to
the administrators of councils, and all officers of
justice, and to all ecclesiastical and secular persons
(214)

APPENDIX. 215

of every degree and condition in all the bishopric
and out of it, whom this my letter may reach, wlio
may hear it, or get notice of it any way, health
and peace for ever in Jesus Christ our Lord, who is
the true remedy and salvation of all. I make known
to you, that, having proceeded to an examination of
witnesses, as competent to my office, it was proved
by them, and confirmed by my sentence, that Fran-
cisco Pires Soares, married, and Nicolao Tulentino
Vieira, bachelor, both of this bishopric, residing in
the parish of Santa Luzia, near the parish church,
apostatized from the union and bosom of the Holy
Mother Roman Catholic Church, and became sec-
taries of the Presbyterian communion, incurring
by this, ecclesiastical censure and canonical punish-
ment of the greater excommunication. The censures
requiring to be aggravated, I ordered this present
letter to be written, by which I require and command,
under pain of the greater excommunication, all ec-
clesiastics, ministers and officers of justice, and
others above mentioned, as soon as they shall have
notice of it, not to touch or hold communication with
those who are excommunicated by the curse of
Almighty God, and of the blessed St. Peter and St.
Paul, with these of Gomorrah and of Sodom, Dathan
and Abiram, whom the earth swallowed alive for
their great sins and disobedience. Let none give
them fire, water, bread, or any other thing that may
be necessary to them for their support. Let none
pay them their debts. Let none support iliem in

216 APPENDIX.

any case which they may bring judicially. Let all
put them aside as rotten and excommunicated mem-
bers, separated from the bosom and union of the
Holy Mother Catholic Church, and as rebels and
contumacious ; for if any do the contrary, which
God forbid, I lay, and consider as laid, upon their
persons, the penalty of the greater excommunication.
Therefore were their names and surnames expressly
declared ; and that all may know this, I order the
reverend parish priest to publish this at the meeting
on the first Sabbath or holy day, and to affix it on
the door of the church, from which let no man take
or tear it under pain of excommunication, until, by
making satisfaction for all, they merit the benefit
of absolution.

Given in Funchal, under the seal of the vicar-
general and my signature, on the 27th of April,
1843. Jacinto Monteiro Cabrae, Writer to the Ec-
clesiastical Council, wrote this.

Sebastiao Cazemiro Medinna e Yas.