Bailie  came  home  in  1902,  nearly  all  the  towns  in
the  district  sent  their  chiefs  as  deputations  to
express  regret,  and  to  tender  their  desire  for  the
speedy  return  of  the  missionaries  ;  whilst  a  con-
siderable crowd  of  neatly  dressed  natives,  the
members  of  the  little  Church,  accompanied  them
to  the  beach,  and  with  many  expressions  of  love
bade  them  farewell.
Mr.  Bailie  returned  in  1903,  accompanied  by
Miss  Goff*  a  new  worker,  and  the  late  Miss  Gordon,
who  had  joined  the  Mission  in  1901.  Mrs.  Bailie
had  to  remain  a  few  months  extra  in  Ireland  on
account  of  her  two  boys.  Soon  after  Mr.  Bailie's
return  he  had  a  very  severe  illness.  He  suffered
so  much  from  spasms  in  the  region  of  the  heart
that  he  prayed  for  death  ;  and  Mr.  Bill,  who  was
hurriedly  summoned  from  Ibuno,  after  two  or
three  days,  thinking  he  could  not  possibly  re-
cover, sent  to  Etinan  for  Messrs.  Kirk  and  Heaney.
*  Miss  GofF  was  married  to  the  late  Nf  r.  Heaney  in  1905,  and
with  her  two  children  now  residet  at  Enniscorthy.
THE  ENTRANCE  TO  THE  IBIBIO  COUNTRY.   1 13

On  the  night  before  their  arrival,  the  Okat  Chris-
tians gathered  into  the  Mission  House,  requesting
that  they  might  pray  together  for  Mr.  BaiHe.
Mr.  Bill  joined  them,  and  all  earnestly  cried  to
God  that  even  yet  their  teacher  might  be  raised
up.  Their  faith  seemed  to  be  honoured  almost
immediately,  for  the  intense  pain  abated  some-
what, and  Mr.  Bailie  actually  got  several  snatches
of  sleep.  The  symptoms  returned  during  the
following  night,  but  he  rallied,  and  gradually
recovered.
