He started a school for children, which was held under a fine, spreading tree.

These listened well, and being of exceedingly quick intellect soon began to pick up the elements of knowledge.

But when he tried to persuade them to clothe their little naked bodies his failure was complete, although after much supplication some of the bigger girls did arrive with a chaplet of flowers--round their necks! Also he preached to the adults, and here again was very successful in a way, especially after he became more familiar with the language.

They listened; to a certain extent they understood; they argued and put to poor Bastin the most awful questions such as the whole Bench of Bishops could not have answered.

Still he did answer them somehow, and they politely accepted his interpretation of their theological riddles.