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A N A R R AT IV E
OF
MISSION A R Y ENT E R P R i SES
IN THE
$33)\jºi. SBA ISI: ARTD$ 3
WITH
REMARKS UPON THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS, ORIGIN,
LANGUAGES, TRADITIONS, AND USAGES OF THE INHABITANTS.-
By J O H N W I L L I A M S ,
OF THE LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
And the idols h
ILLUSTRATED WITH
ENGRAVINGS ON WOOD, BY G. BAXTER.
jírst 3 mericant 33dition.
D. APPLETON & CO., 200 BROADWAY,
NEW-YORK.










INTRODUCTION
TO
T H E A M E R I C A N E DIT IO N.
OUR thoughts are often directed to the miseries of the
unevangelized portions of the world, and the superior and
countless blessings of a Christian land. After all, it is pro-
bable that but few possess distinct and deep impressions of
the awful contrast. Familiarity with the one, and distance
from the other, have made us almost insensible to the differ-
ence which Christianity has made. Would we feel this
difference, instead of toiling to compute generalities too
vast for us to grasp, let us contrast a single representative
of a Christian land, with the inhabitant of some heathen
island.
Imagine a highly educated and religious man, sailing
from a Christian port, for some distant island of the sea.
As his ship draws near the shore, the canoes of the natives
come crowding around him. Behold the contrast. Look
at their persons. The one possesses a countenance radiant
with intelligence and hope ; the seat of thought, the index
of pure, pious, and lofty emotion; the other bears in his
very features the evidences of his degradation, suffering,
and guilt; disgusting with filth, distorted by low and cruel
passions, deformed by the horrible devices of art, “earthly
sensual, devilish.” -
The one is attired in vestments of propriety and comfort;
the products of distant climes which enterprise has collect-
ed, have been wrought together by the skill of art, and the
aid of science, to suit his convenience, subserve his neces-
I
-
-
-
---
-
-





INTRODUCTION.
ºn
sity, and delight his taste. The other, if not in a state of
absolute nudity, has only such rude and scanty, unsightly
and comfortless garments, as indolence could most easily
obtain, and ignorant necessity construct, from the skins of
beasts, the feathers of birds, or the rank grass, and these
so fantastically arranged, as to make deformity yet more
frightful. -
The one paddles from the shore in a little skiff which is
rudely constructed from the trunk of a single tree, and
which barely suffices to contain himself, and this only
when the ocean is calm. The other comes in a stately
ship, the noblest product of human skill and science;
her size immense, her strength mighty, capacious enough
to contain a thousand men, made to contend with the
surges of the angry sea, and the gale which engulfs the
islanders’ bark, but waſts her along with augmented speed,
as she dashes the foam from her side, and seems to exult
in danger.
The one never ventures beyond the sight of his native
land. He creeps along the shore, taking his direction from
the jutting rocks and the familiar head-lands; and if, by lack
of caution, or sudden adverse winds, he should be driven out
upon the ocean, he is sure to perish in the vast, and solitary,
and unknown expanse. The other has on board his ship, in
a little box, a small piece of iron, which pivots and vibrates,
as if endowed with intelligence, over a dial divided and
marked with a few simple characters; and with this for
his guide, he plunges out upon the sea, sinks the highest
mountains, traverses the solitary ocean, without the sight of
land for weeks and months. Yet is he not afraid ; for
though the winds blow, and the storms rage, and the sun
and the stars should hide themselves, his little pilot is at



º
INTRODUCTION. iii
its post, undaunted by danger, unblinded by darkness, un-
conscious of fatigue, incapable of mistake.
While the ignorant and superstitious islander quails
under the vivid lightning, and the rolling thunder, his fear
heightened by his superstition, and his ignorance providing
no protection from the forked flame, the Christian beholds
in it but one of the many agents of nature's God, designed
for good, and not for evil; and by the simple contrivance
of a few slender links of an iron chain, which he has
affixed to the summit of his tapering mast, he receives the
electric fire from the thundercloud, and conducts it safely
over the ship's side into the water.
With a simple triangular instrument which he holds in
his hand, and directs towards the heavens, among which
religion has taught his thoughts to roam, and with whose
changes and revolutions, in all their wonderful harmony and
order, science has made him familiar, he learns, with the
aid of a few calculations, his exact position on the great
globe, his distance from any given point, and this to the
precision of a mile, as the termination of his voyage will
prove. -
We cannot stop to specify one half of the gifts which
science and religion have bestowed on this Christian man.
Let us go down into his cabin. He possesses there the
means of communion with other minds, both the living
and the dead. The thoughts and actions of others, in
distant climes, and different ages of the world, are on
record before him, and as he reads their words of pious
instruction, he seems to converse with them as if they were
present. More than this, he has it in his power, by a pro-
cess, than which nothing is more mysterious to an ignorant
heathen, to transmit the thoughts and emotions of his own
heart to those from whom he is separated. He puts these


iv. INTRODUCTION.
thoughts on paper, expresses his affection for distant friends,
makes them acquainted with all his affairs; and in a short
time the effects of these few simple characters are felt on
minds in a distant quarter of the globe.
He has the songs of Zion, by which his heart is solaced
and gladdened ; and when the tempest howls around him,
the music of his cheerful piety mingles with the voice of
the storm, expressive of his joyful confidence in the
Almighty. He has the Bible, his guide and instructer and
friend, which tells him of God, the maker of all things, of
the Son of God who came to redeem him, of the hope, which
is as an anchor to the soul, sure and steadfast, of that heaven
above, where he expects to go, when the storms and sins
of this short life are past, to enjoy the blessings of a holy
immortality.
See them in their worship. The poor islander resorts
to the temple of his idol god, and there subjects himself
to torture, inflicting stripes and gashes on his flesh, sac-
rificing the provisions which are necessary for his own
subsistence ; and all in vain : no happy emotion of piety
is kindled in his bosom ; no answer of peace follows
upon such a service; his heart is more cold and selfish
and miserable and afraid than before. The Christian
bows his knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
in the simplicity of spiritual homage; he prays for the for-
giveness of his sins, he prays for his benighted brethren
about him, that God would enlighten them that they might
know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge; and as
he thus prays, the oil of joy is spread over his soul, his
heart is suffused with happy emotion; love for God, and
love for his brother, fill him with a peace which passeth
all understanding; his prayer is answered, and he and his
brother are both blessed.



s
INTRODUCTION. V
Shall we proceed farther in our contrast ! See the dif-
ference when death comes. As sickness takes hold of
that poor heathen, and his strength fails, and he lies helpless
on his hard mat, he has none of those attentions and
comforts which divest the physical circumstance of dying
of half its terrors. His friends forsake him. They are
without natural affection. Through want of medicine and
nutriment, the torments of disease are at their highest point
of agony. But the pains of the body are as nothing com-
pared with the dreary forebodings and horrors of his de-
parting spirit. What is death 7 Where will it carry him 7
What is there beyond the grave He has inquired thus
when others have died, and now that his own time has
come, what distressing solicitude, what tremblings, what
fears, as he launches out into an unknown futurity, without
hope and without God! Perhaps the Christian stranger
who was there saw him and had compassion on him. With
a spirit of philanthropy, such as never visited a heathen
bosom, he bends over his suffering brother, moistens his
parched lips, cools his ſevered brow, and whispers in his
ear the name of Jesus, and points him to a future heaven.
And should he himself fall a prey to death on that heathen
shore, — shall we stop to describe how a Christian can
die ' The Bible has taught him that death is a friend.
Though far away from earthly connexions, yet Christ is at
his side, His rod and His staff they comfort him ; his hope
enters into that within the veil, and knowing that he shall
rise again and live for evermore, he breathes out life with
ineffable longings after God.
Oh! Say not that there is no difference between the Chris-
tian and the heathen, that one religion is as good as another,
that creeds are indigenous to soils and climates, and should
not be meddled with. For here is a difference which ac-
1%


vi INTRODUCTION.
tually exists. Whatever may be our religious opinions, or
our ideas of the duty of engaging personally in the enter-
prise of propagating the religion of Christ, here is a fact
which no reason can obscure, and no observer can deny,
that religion and science (which follows always in her
train) have bestowed blessings and gifts on a Christian
people, which separate them from all others, as far as the
east is from the west.
Why this difference has been allowed to exist at all, is
not for us to solve. To dispute the claims of the Christian
religion, because it is not extended to the whole world, is
not merely to invalidate the contents of Scripture, it is
to plunge at once into open atheism. For, on the same
principle, the merchant might doubt the existence of a be-
nignant Providence, because the many conveniences and
necessaries and elegances of life enjoyed by him are
denied to so large a portion of the human family; and, on
the same principle, the physician, though he does not be-
lieve in the Bible, might refuse to believe in a God of na-
ture, since the remedies for disease which are known to
him are not known, and never have been known to mil-
lions of the needy and suffering among his fellow men.
There is no end to mysteries like these. They are not
peculiar to the Bible. The Gospel does not originate
them. They would exist in all their force, even if the
Gospel had never visited the earth.
The thought with which we are most interested is, that
this difference will not always exist. The Gospel will
diffuse itself over all the earth. “Israel will bud and blos-
som, and fill the face of the world with fruit.” Confident
expectation of this is a means of success. In the words
of Dugald Stewart – “One thing is certain, that the
greatest of all obstacles to the improvement of the world,
-

º
INTRODUCTION. vii
is that prevailing belief of its improbability, which damps
the exertions of so many individuals, and that in proportion
as the contrary opinion becomes general, it realizes the
event which it leads us to anticipate. Surely, if any thing
can have a tendency to call forth in the public service the
exertions of individuals, it must be an idea of the magni-
tude of that work in which they are conspiring, and a be-
lief in the permanence of those benefits which they confer
on mankind by every attempt to inform and enlighten them.
As in ancient Rome it was ever regarded as a mark of
a good citizen never to despair of the fortunes of the re-
public, so ought the good citizen of the world ever to act
upon the conviction that ignorance, slavery, and corruption
must certainly give way to truth, liberty, and virtue ; and
that, in the moral world as well as in the material, the
farther our observations extend, and the longer they are
continued, the more we shall see of order, and of benevo-
lent design in the universe.”
1. We infer the probability of the world's conversion
from the increasing sensibility which is felt towards every
thing which affects the well-being of man. The time was
when men, and Christian men, were wholly insensible to
existing evils. So are they now to a deplorable degree.
But a process of change has commenced. There is some
approach towards the formation of a public conscience.
The time was when the church seemed to think not at all of
the miseries of benighted pagans, certainly not to recognise
her relations and duties towards them. Once Christian
men were engaged without a compunction of conscience
in the enormities of the slave trade How short a time
has gone by since all Christendom was indifferent to the
evils of intemperance But who can doubt that there is
now an awakened and active sensibility on all these sub-

viii INTRODUCTION.
jects, which will never sleep again, and is destined to work
wonders ? Where now is the heart that feels not for the
slave, the heathen, the ignorant, the wretched every-
where, as it would not have done years ago? Men are
educated now on better principles. The conscience is
squared by a better rule. Men are possessed of far greater
sensitiveness towards all those evils which burden and op-
press humanity. Amidst all the changes of society, the
conflicts of opinion which are abroad, all can perceive how
steadily the index is moving on ; and it never can retreat.
The sun never can stand still or go backwards on this
great dial, and when it shines full and strong over the
whole, and the public mind is made to see and feel every
existing evil, the work of its removal, will be speedy and
effectual.
2. Another ground of probability on which we rest the
universal spread of the Gospel, is the expectancy of such
an event which so generally prevails.
Among other evidences of Christianity, this has always
held a prominent place, that, at the time in which Jesus
Christ was born, there was throughout the eastern world
a general expectation that some remarkable personage
was about to appear on earth. The same argument may
be employed with greater force, under existing circum-
stances, to prove that Christ will come again to bless the
world with universal gladness. Was the former expecta-
tion, wherever found, to be traced back to inspired predic-
tion? The same may be said of that which now exists.
The fact itself cannot be denied, that society is expectant
of some great and happy change ; that there is on the
whole a remarkable convergence of opinion among men
towards some central point of brightness in the future;
that the theories which hold that society is retrograde, have


INTRODUCTION. ix
been abandoned by nearly all; and that the true golden
age of which heathen mythology has dreamed is not past,
but to come. However vague and indefinite these expec-
tations may be, in the minds of many, all possess the same
general aspect and tendency. The eyes of the world’s
population are gazing on the eastern sky; and as God
disappointed not the expectation of a waiting world before,
so will he not now, for his going forth is prepared as the
morning, and he will come and bless them.
3. The present wise and systematic organization of
means, affords another ground of belief in the universal
spread of the Gospel.
“Bishop Burnet, in the history of his own times, speaks
in terms of unmeasured admiration of what he was pleased
to call a noble project, which was formed by Cromwell,
who, understanding well the true interests of his country,
had a clear view of the eminence to which England might
attain, by becoming the head of religion, and the chief
promoter of piety throughout the earth. His plan was
this: He resolved to set up a council for the Protestant
religion, in opposition to the society, ‘de propaganda fide,”
at Rome. He intended it should consist of seven coun-
sellors and four secretaries for different provinces. These
were the first, France, Switzerland, and the Valleys; the
Palatinate and the other Calvinists, were the second ; Ger-
many, the North, and Turkey were the third ; and the East
and West Indies were the fourth. These secretaries were
to have five hundred pounds salary a-piece, and to keep
a correspondence everywhere, to know the state of re-
ligion all over the world, that so all good designs might be
by these means protected and assisted. They were to
have a fund of ten thousand pounds a year at their dis-
posal for ordinary emergencies, but to be farther supplied
as occasion should require it.”

X INTRODUCTION.
This was indeed a “noble project.” But how does it com-
pare with existing organizations! Instead of ten or twenty
thousand, hundreds upon hundreds of thousands are annually
contributed and expended on the promotion of religion in
foreign lands. Besides, the discovery of the power of volun-
tary association, combining the efforts of all who are favour-
able to a common cause, is safer, better, mightier far in its
ultimate results, than any influence which a single monarch
could devise or apply. How simple yet efficient the method
in which the church prosecutes her benevolent enterprises
The ministers of Christ, together with other intelligent
and praying members of the church, convene in England
and America, at least once in a year, to consult, and en-
courage one another in view of the great projects of
philanthropy throughout the world; and then, like the
legislative representatives of a people returning to their
constituents, they disperse, carrying in every direction
a greater enlargement of view, and steadfastness of pur-
pose, and before many Sabbaths have revolved, ten thou-
sand pulpits over all the earth have proclaimed the results,
and countless hearts are urged to greater liberality and
zeal, self-denial and prayer.
The appearance of this very interesting volume from
the pen of an experienced Missionary, suggests the im-
portant duty of becoming intimately acquainted by means
of the many sources of information now accessible to all,
with the temporal and spiritual condition of our fellow-
men, and especially with all attempts to enlighten and save
them. Without such an acquaintance none will feel love
for them, much less make any judicious and successful
movement for their benefit. The observations of intel-
ligent travellers, for whatever purpose they have visited
foreign shores; the results especially of such as have gone

INTRODUCTION. xi
on errands of mercy, form at once the most interesting and
profitable reading for all who desire to discipline them-
selves for the service of an enlarged philanthropy. To
the ear of a Christian there is a peculiar meaning in the
trite expression of the poet, —
“The proper study of mankind is man.”
Every thing connected with man's condition, and habits,
and history, mental or physical, is in his view invested
with real importance. We have often admired the beau-
tiful simplicity of kindness which Dr. Paley exhibited, when
asking a friend about to commence his foreign travels, to
bring home to him specimens even of the common apparel
worn by the inhabitants of distant lands, the humblest articles
of any kind, which would serve as an index of their con-
dition and character. Nothing is beneath our observation,
which illustrates humanity in any of its phases)
Especially should Christians, at this day, be familiar
with the condition, and changes, and prospects, of every
people, among whom missionary labours have been com-
menced. They should be at home on missionary ground.
The Christian is the only true cosmopolite. He should
feel himself at home in the islands of the Southern Seas,
in the wilds of Caffraria, in the heart of India, and es-
pecially in that sacred land, where Jesus wept and bled,
and his apostles preached.
No man can read the rapid and wonderful conversions,
recorded in this volume, among the Southern islanders, .
without feeling that he has a new and delightful evidence
of the reality of his own faith. We behold Christianity
again in its primeval freshness. We see what conversion is,
when separated from formality, and ignorant of all worldly


xii INTRODUCTION.
policy. How bright and beautiful the coin appears, when
first struck from the die And as a thousand coins bearing
the same image and superscription could leave no doubt
that somewhere there was a common model to which all
conform, so does the convergence of resemblance among
Christians of every tribe, and kindred, and tongue, and
people evidently set Christ before us, and removes every
doubt concerning the being and character of One Lord
and Head.
W. A.
New-York, Oct. 18, 1837.

P. R. E. F. A. C. E.
WHILE the Author of the following pages has endeavoured to
compose a volume that will be generally interesting and instructive,
and to publish it in a form at once cheap and elegant, his principal
design has been to secure a permanent record of facts, to which
history can furnish but few parallels. In the prosecution of his
task, however, the Author has experienced difficulties which he
did not anticipate at its commencement. Having travelled a
hundred thousand miles, and spent eighteen years, in promoting
the spread of the Gospel, he has gathered a mass of materials,
from which he could have composed many volumes with greater
ease than one ; and his chief difficulty has been so to select, com-
press, and arrange his facts as to form out of them a continuous
narrative, in which the details should be given with as much
brevity as would consist with faithful description. It would have
been comparatively easy to have filled the volume with general
statements, instead of descending to minute particulars; but mere
outlines and sketches could convey a very inadequate impression
of the state of Society, and the progress of Christianity among
the people for whose welfare he has laboured. He has therefore
endeavoured, as exactly as possible, to describe the scenes he
has witnessed as they appeared to himself, and to give upon the
pages of this narrative “a cast” of the images and impressions
which exist in his mind. With this view, he has preserved the
dialogues in which much of his knowledge was obtained, and has
not spoken for the natives, but allowed them to speak for them-
selves. In doing this, he has carefully avoided the use of terms
and phrases which are current among nations more advanced in
the scale of intelligence and civilization, and the employment of
which might lead the reader to form a higher estimate of the state
of society in the South Sea Islands than facts would warrant;
and he has been equally careful to convey native ideas in the
2

xiv PREFACE.
phraseology and under the figurative garb in which they were
expressed. This he has been enabled to do, not only from an
intimate knowledge of the habits of thought and modes of com-
munication with which they are familiar, but more especially from
the circumstance of his having kept a minute record of most of
the interviews and events which the following pages describe. In
a word, the Author has endeavoured to take his reader with him to
each of the islands he has visited; to make him familiar with their
chiefs and people; to show him what a missionary life is, and to
awaken in his mind emotions similar to those which successively
filled his own.
In the course of the narrative, but more especially in the con-
cluding chapters, some observations will be found upon the origin,
structure, and productions of those lovely islands at which the
Author has resided. As, however, his days have been devoted,
not to the study of geology, nor to the pursuits of the naturalist,
but to the work of a Missionary, the curious and scientific must
not censure him for contributing to their stores so small a portion
of information. While he would not underrate the talents, the
dilligence, and the discoveries of those who have chosen for
themselves such paths, he always felt that he had a much nobler
work to perform. Still he hopes that the facts he has presented
will throw some light upon the formation, the natural history, and
the botany of the isles of the Pacific ; and, should the Providence
of God permit him to revisit the scenes of his former labours, and
to explore others on which the eyes of a Christian Missionary never
rested, he purposes to make observations, and to collect specimens
to a very much greater extent than before. To two points, es-
pecially, he intends to devote some attention. In the first place,
he will endeavour to gather from these comparatively unexplored
fields of botanical research, a complete horius siccus; and, in the
second place, to make a variety of experiments upon corals and
coral formations, for the purpose of ascertaining the mode of their
construction, and the rapidity of their growth.
While it is cheering to observe the triumphs which the cause of


PR EFA.C.E. XV
Missions has gained, not only abroad but at home, and the high
estimate in which Missionary exertions are now held by many,
who a few years since despised and decried them, it is yet to be
lamented that there are few of the wise and the noble amongst
us who countenance and contribute to the work. To what can
this be ascribed Not surely to any thing in the Missionary
enterprise which could dishonour or degrade those who identify
themselves with it. Regarded in the lowest view in which it can
be considered, as an apparatus for overthrowing puerile, debasing,
and cruel superstitions; for raising a large portion of our species
in the scale of being ; and for introducing amongst them the
* –
laws, the order, the usages, the arts, and the comforts of civil-
ized life, it presents a claim, the force and obligation of which
every one who makes pretensions to intelligence, philanthropy, or
even common humanity, ought to admit; and, if evidence in
support of this claim be demanded, the Author ventures con-
fidently to assert that it will be found in the following pages.
This, however, is taking but low ground. The Missionary
enterprise regards the whole globe as its sphere of operation. It
is founded upon the grand principles of Christian benevolence,
made imperative by the command of the ascending Saviour, and
has for its primary object to roll away from six hundred millions
of the race of Adam the heavy curse which rests upon them : —
to secure their elevation to the dignity of intelligent creatures and
children of God; — to engage their thoughts in the contempla-
tion, and to gladden their hearts with the prospects of immortality;
— to make known “the way of life” through the meritorious
sufferings of the Redeemer; — in a word, “to fill the whole
earth with the glory of the Lord.” Surely to be identified with
such an object must confer dignity on the highest stations, and
throw lustre around the most brilliant talents, If, then, there be
nothing in the Missionary enterprise to account for the indifference
of the more opulent and literary of our countrymen, but every
thing to condemn it, we are led to the conclusion, that such a
state of things must be ascribed to the circumstance, that the

xvi. PREFACE.
important subject has not been brought sufficiently under their
attention. The Author scarcely indulges the hope that a narra-
tive, with so few pretensions to literary excellence, will meet the
eye of those to whom his remarks refer, but he would ardently
desire that they might be induced to ponder the facts which his
pages record; persuaded that, if not altogether insensible to the
claims of God and man, they would be led thereby to honour and
support the Institutions, whose imperishable names will fill one of
the brightest pages of history, and live amongst the purest and
best recollections of “the spirit of just men made perfect.”
The candid reader will throw the mantle of kindness over the
numerous defects which may appear in the execution of his work,
when he recollects that the greater portion of the Author’s life has
been devoted either to active labour, or to the study of uncultiva-
ted dialects, the idiom, abruptness, and construction of which are
more familiar to him than the words and phrases—the grace and
force of his native tongue. He has aimed at nothing beyond fur-
mishing a simple and unadorned narrative of facts; and did he not
believe that the interest of these facts would compensate for every
deficiency, he should have shrunk from the position which he has
been induced to occupy.
The Author has availed himself of the kind assistance of the
Rev. Dr. Reed of London, and the Rev. E. Prout of Halstead,
to both of whom he is indebted for many valuable suggestions.
In conclusion, the Author would commit this volume to the
blessing of that God, the wonders of whose Providence, and the
triumphs of whose Gospel he has endeavoured to record. After
a life so marked by the Divine favour, he “could not but speak
the things which he had seen and heard;” and whatever reception
may await his volume, he will rejoice in its publication, and close
his earthly existence with the delightful satisfaction of having dis-
charged a sacred obligation, by recording facts which alike
redound to the honour of God, and illustrate the power of his
Gospel.


C O N T E N T S.
CHAPTER I.
A Mission to the Isles of the Pacific resolved upon —The Voyages of
Captains Wallis and Cook — The hand of Divine Providence recog-
nised—The Importance of the Mission —The Duff's first Voyage—
Account of Captain Wilson–The Capture of the Duff— Discourag-
ing State of the Mission— Extraordinary Circumstances under which
Success commences
CHAPTER II.
Geographical Description of the Hervey Islands—Geological Charac-
ter of the Islands generally—Their Classification—The Object for
which, and the Spirit in which, Knowledge should be sought— On
Coral Formations— Reefs and Islands not the work of Insects
CHAPTER III.
Voyage to New South Wales—The remarkable Circumstances under
which the Gospel was introduced at Rurutu–His Majesty King
George the Fourth remits the Duty on the first Cargo of Native Pro-
duce — The Wreck of the Ship Falcon at Ruruta — Honesty of the
Natives—Exhibition of Idols—The Aitutaki Mission commenced .
CHAPTER IV.
Mission to Aitutaki—Tradition about Rarotonga—Voyage of Messrs.
Bourne and the Author—Success at Aitutaki— Our Intercourse with
the people—Information about Rarotonga—Search for it — Papei-
ha’s Narrative - - - -
CHAPTER. V.
Papeiha's Narrative continued—Remarkable Incidents at Tahiti-Ef-
fect upon the Aitukians at seeing Lime burnt–Unsuccessful Search
for Rarotonga—Go to Mangaia — Incidents there—Abandon it, in
consequence of the cruel Treatment of the Missionaries' Wives .
CHAPTER VI.
Voyage to Atiu – Conversion of the King—The power of Scripture
Truth—The Discovery of Mauke—Introduction of Christianity into
it and Mitiaro — Lord Byron's Testimony — Regard to the Sabbath-
day by a Native Crew—Go again in search of Rarotonga .
2+
-
Page
25
38
56
71
83
-
xviii CONTENTS,
CHAPTER VII.
Rarotonga discovered — Pleasing and distressing Incidents there—Pa-
peiha's devoted Conduct—Conversation between a Native Sailor and
the King–Remarkable account of a Heathen Woman – Return
Home—Exhibition of the Idols—Native Speeches, &c.
CHAPTER VIII.
Mr. Bourne's Voyage— Accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Pitman, with
Mrs. Williams and Family, we sail for Rarotonga – Dangers expe-
rienced in landing—Idols delivered up—Chapel erected—Writing
on a Chip, the Wonder it excited — Mr. Pitman's narrow Escape –
Books prepared in the Language— A Sabbath at Rarotonga
CHAPTER IX.
The Adoption of a Code of Laws by the People of Rarotonga – To
what Extent a Missionary should interfere in Civil Affairs—A Con-
spiracy, with its Results — Difficulties at Rarotonga arising from Po-
lygamy and other Heathen Usages—The Character of Works ex-
pected from the Pen of a Missionary
CHAPTER X.
Mrs. Williams' Illness—She gives her consent to my visiting the Sa-
moa Islands—Resolve to build a Ship — Make a Pair of Bellows—
Deficiences in Books upon the useful Arts—The rats eat the Bel-
lows—Make a Pair of wooden Ones–Messenger of Peace completed
—Voyage to Aitutaki—The King accompanies me—Return with a
singular Cargo–Pleasing Incidents on our Arrival
CEIAPTER XI.
Mr. Buzacott's Arrival—Receive Letters from England from the Rev.
Matthew Wilks, &c. — Also from Raiatea—Character and Death of
Tuahine–We leave Rarotonga—Useful Arts introduced among the
People—Voyage from Rarotonga to Tahiti-Makea's Return
CHAPTER XII.
Papeiha's Narrative—Ideas of the People on seeing him read — Arrival
of his Colleague—Arrangements for increased exertion—The Suc-
cess which attended their efforts—Ludicrous Incidents with a Cat—
First Place of Worship erected—War with the Heathens—The en-
tire Subversion of Idolatry at Rarotonga—War at Raiatea— Accu-
sations of Professor Lee " . .
... 108
. 119
. 133
. 146
. 159
172


CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XIII.
Tradition — How the Rarotongans first obtained their Knowledge of the
Europeans—They pray to their gods that Ships may visit their Isl-
and—A ship, supposed to be the Bounty, arrives—The Tides—The
unsoundness of Captain Beech's theory—Peculiarities of Rarotonga.
– Buteve the Cripple —Their Wars, Savage Usages, &c.—Female
Degradation — Grades in Society, &c. . .
CHAPTER XIV.
Mr. Platt's Voyage—Intelligence from Rarotonga--The Vincennes
and the Seringapatam arrive at Raiatea—Missionary Meetings —
Native Speeches—Interesting Interview with Captain Waldegrave—
Preparations for our Voyage
CHAPTER XV.
Sail for the Navigators Islands—Touch at the Hervey Group— Man-
gaia—Native Service–War between the Christians and Heathens
—Usages of the Mangaians in War—The Author's Advice solicited
on various Topics — Female Degradation —New Chapel opened —
Last Visit to Mangaia—Remarkable Providence—War prevented
CHAPTER XVI.
Atiu — Religious Services there — Devotedness of the Teachers' Wives
—The Author's narrow Escape – Distressing Situation — Fishing
Excursion — Superb Cavern — Mauke and Mitiaro — A dreadful
Massacre — Rarotonga—An Epidemic rages — Aitutaki— Interest-
ing Incidents — Native Contributions - - --- -
CHAPTER XVII.
Leave Aitutaki—Savage Island—Difficulty in obtaining Intercourse
—Savage appearance of the People—Reach Tongatabu—Cordial
Reception by the Wesleyan Missionaries–Account of their Labours
—Arrangement entered into with them—A Sabbath at Tonga—
Meet with Fauea — Productions - - - - . . e
CHAPTER XVIII.
Hapai Islands—Volcanic Island–Escape Shipwreck—Finau's Des-
potism—A lamentable Account of a Native Teacher—History of
the Introduction of Christianity at the Hapai Islands— The Intrepid
Conduct of the Chief— Idols Hung" . e - -
xix
. 191
. 210
231
. 252
. 275
. 290

-
-
-
XX CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XIX.
Sail for the Navigators — Fauea expresses his Fears about Tamafainga—
Reach Savaii–Astonishment of the Natives at seeing Europeans—
Tamafainga Killed—Character of Fauea — Intercourse with the Na-
tives—Most favourable Reception—The War—Malietoa – The
Author's narrow Escape . . . - - - -
CHAPTER XX.
An interesting Meeting—Interchange of Presents — Ceremonies ob-
served on the Occasion—A display of noble Feeling between the two
Brothers— A newly purchased Bride—Marriage Ceremony—Female
Degradation — Matetau — His Person — His desire for a Missionary
— Remarks—Fauea's Character
CHAPTER XXI.
Compelled by a contrary Wind to leave Savage Island—Arrival at
Rarotonga—Visit to Arorangi—Beauty of the Settlement—Arrival at
Rurutu— Incidents there — Arrival at Tahiti-Visit to Afareaitu —
Meeting there–Vara's Character and Death — Me—The Warrior
and the drop of blood.
CHAPTER XXII.
Distresses at Raiatea—Tamatoa — His Character and Death—Sail
again for Rarotonga–New Chapel–Beautiful Appearance of the
Settlement—Makea's Generosity—Ancient Usages Revived—The
Effects of a Discourse—A Hurricane—Mrs. Buzacott's Distress—
Mrs. William's narrow Escape— A Thousand Houses Destroyed—
The Island Devastated
CHAPTER XXIII.
The Messenger of Peace driven on shore—The Effect of the Hurricane
upon the minds of the People—The Death of our Seventh Babe —
More Disasters—A great Feast—Singular Ceremony in apportioning
the Food–Five Calamities—Value of Ironmongery—The Messen-
ger of Peace Repaired and Launched—Voyage to Tahiti, &c. -Evils
of Ardent Spirits—The Destruction of the Stills — Establishment of
Temperance Societies — Return to Rarotonga – Introduction of
Horses, Cattle, &c. - - -
CHAPTER XXIV.
Second Visit to the Navigators—Te-ava's Prayer—Arrival at Manua
— Salutations of the People—Find some Raivavaians—Orosenga
and Ofu—The Desire everywhere expressed for Missionaries-Sail
for Tutuila—Interesting Interview at Leone Bay–The Author
carried on Shore—A Chief prays upon the Deck—Run-away Sailoré
Baptizing the People . - - - - -
. 303
. 318
. 331 -
, 344
. 361
374


CONTENTS. xxi
CHAPTER XXV.
Arrival at Manono—Joy of Matetau– Reach Savaii—Sabbath Servi-
ces there — Malietoa's Address—Interview between Makea and
Malietoa – An Important Meeting held— Makea's Speech — Malie-
toa's Replies to the Author’s Questions—The Teacher's Narrative—
Consultation with the teachers—Advice given upon various important
Topics—Snakes — Earthquakes . . - - e - . 384
CHAPTER XXVI.
Visit to Amoa — A beautiful Settlement— A Company of Female
Christians—Their Appearance—The Chapel erected by themselves
— Visit to Malava–Disagreement between Matetau and Malietoa
— An intelligent young Chief–Sail for Manono—Curious Incidents
on Board — Reconciliation effected between the Chiefs . - . 402
- CHAPTER XXVII. -
Run-away Convicts, &c.—Tragical Occurrences—Retributive Justice—
Two Vessels taken at Heathen Islands— Kindness of English Cap-
tains–Meet with the Widow of Puna—Her Narrative—Ship springs
a Leak — Danger to which we were exposed—Vavau–Its Dreari-
ness—Arrival at Tonga—Character and Labours of the Wesleyan
Missionaries—Reach Rarotonga –Flourishing State of the Stations
and Schools—The Ingenuity of the Children in procuring Slates and
Pencils—Letter of one of the Children . - - - - . 417
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Discovery of the Samoa Group—French Navigators—Names of the
Islands–Kotzebue—Manua-Orosenga—Ofu-Tutuila-Opolu
—Manono — Aborima—Savaii—Importance of the Group—Eligi-
bility for a British Settlement—Soil—Trees–Various uses of the
Candle-nut, Bread-fruit, and Cocoa-nut Trees—Botany of the Islands
— M. Betero–Birds–Vampire Bat—Snakes and Lizzards —Fish
– Fishing—Turtle . - - - - - - - - . 431
- CHAPTER XXIX.
Distinct Races of Polynesians—Islands Inhabited by each Race–
Malay Origin of the Inhabitants of Eastern Polynesia—Reasons for
this Theory— Three Objections answered—Origin of the Inhabitants
of Western Polynesia Doubtful—Conjectures respecting them—Spi-
ritual Condition of the two Races—Physical Character of the Eastern
Polynesians—Superiority of the Chiefs, with Reasons for it—Intel-
lectual Capacities of the People—Opinions of Themselves–Mental
Peculiarities—Wit and Humour—Proverbs and Similies–Ingenuity
— Good Sense—Eloquence—Desire of Knowledge—Influence of
Religion upon the Intellect—Appropriate Use of Scripture . . 450

-
xxii CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XXX.
The two Languages of the South Sea Islanders— The eight Dialects of
the Eastern Polynesians—Comparison of each Dialect with the Tahi-
tian–Tabular View of the Differences between them — Their Precis-
ion and, Perfection–Nice Distinctions in the Pronouns–Causative
Verb – Pronunciation —Introduction of New Words— Government
| - — Power of the Chiefs — Punishment of Theft—Wars — Their fre-
quency–Weapons — Cannibalism not practised by the Samoans –
Amusements . - - - - - - - - - . 468
CHAPTER XXXI.
Religion of the Polynesians—Difference between the Superstitions of
the Samoans and the other Islanders — Objects of worship — Deified
Ancestors— Dedication of Children — The Christian and Heathen
Mother—Idols—Etus—Tangaloa-Modes of Worship — Invoca-
tions — Mutilations—Human Sacrifices— Occasions for which they
were required—Mode of procuring them—Affecting Incidents—Fu-
ture State — Terms of Admission to their Paradise — Cruel Rite of
the Fijians—Prevalence of Infanticide—Illustrations of this–Con-
trast between the former and present State of the Children — Scene
at School Anniversary— Recovery of a Daughter—Alleged Reasons
for Infanticide—Method of Performing it—Necessity for, and Power
of the Gospel . - - - - - - - - - . 484
CHAPTER XXXII.
Providential Interpositions at the Samoas–Rapid Progress of the
Gospel–Debates on the Subject–Native Arguments—Extraordi-
mary Preparations of the People—Rarotonga – Striking Contrast
between its Condition in 1823 and 1834—Recent Intelligence from
- Mr. Pitman–Various Temporal Advantages of Missionary Labours
—Useful Arts—Animals and Vegetable Productions Introduced into
the Islands–Prospective Advantages—Connexion of Christianity and
Civilization—Commercial Benefit of Missions—Safety to Shipping—
Dangers to which Seamen are exposed where there are no Missiona-
ries — Instances –- Missions Commended to the Statesman—The
Philosopher—The Nobleman . . . . . . . . 507



LIST OF ENGRAVINGS.
Wignette
Map . - - º -
Three Islands of different formations -)
Conveying the Idols to the Boat e Q *
An Idol, and the Snare for catching a god -
Idols . - e
Wooden Bellows - - -
The Messenger of Peace, with her mat sails, &c.
The Sugar Mill
Carved Adzes -
The Boat upset at Atiu
The Natives catching Flying-fish o -
Mrs. Williams and the Children going over the Reef .
Messenger of Peace leaving Aitutaki -
An Idol suspended by its neck -
The Messenger of Peace off the Samoas .
Chapel and Scenery at Arorangi
Interview at Leone Bay -
The Messenger of Peace hove down -> -
The Author’s and Mr. Buzacott’s Residences .
The Echinus - -
The Mantis
War Weapons º
War Cap - - - - -
Plate of various Articles of Native Manufacture
Portrait of Papeiha -
Makea
. 125
. 151
. 167
168
. 251
. 255
Page
24
43
78
80
259
. 264
. 274
. 298
. 310
. 334
. 381
426
. 428
. 430
. 445
, 477
- 479
. 481
. 512
. 513



FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE
or THE
LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
“As the union of Christians of various denominations, in
carrying on this great work, is a most desirable object, so to
prevent, if possible, any cause of future dissensions, it is declared
to be a fundamental principle of the Missionary Society, that its
design is not to send Presbyterianism, Independency, Episcopacy,
or any other form of church order and government, (about which
there may be difference of opinions among serious persons,) but
the glorious Gospel of the blessed God, to the heathen; and that
it shall be left (as it ought to be left) to the minds of the persons
whom God may call in to the fellowship of his Son from among
them, to assume for themselves such form of church government
as to them shall appear most agreeable to the word of God.”
IN introducing this Volume to the Public, I avail myself of the
opportunity it affords me to say, that, after twenty years’ connexion
with this Institution, I have never known its fundamental principle
violated. I have never received any communication, either directly
or indirectly, as to the mode of church government that I should
adopt; nor am I aware that any of my coadjutors have. The
only charge given to me by the Directors of the Society was, to
make known the way of salvation, as consummated by the death
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
JOHN WILLIAMS.


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A
N A R R A TIVE, & c.
C H A P T E R I.
A Mission to the Isles of the Pacific resolved upon — The Voyages of
Captains Wallis and Cook—The hand of Divine Providence recognised
— The importance of the Mission – The Duff's first Voyage — Account
of Captain Wilson–The Capture of the Duff— Discouraging State of the
Mission—Extraordinary Circumstances under which Success commences.
THE venerable fathers and founders of the London Mis-
sionary Society, after having aroused the attention of the
Christian public to the important duty of extending the
knowledge and blessings of the Gospel, proceeded to the
consideration of the very important and difficult question,
“In what part of the world they should commence their
work of mercy " The late excellent Dr. Haweis, Rector
of All Saints, Aldwinkle, also Chaplain to the late Countess
of Huntingdon, who was one of the founders of the So-
ciety, and among its most liberal supporters, was requested
to prepare a “Memorial” upon the subject, which was
delivered at Surrey Chapel. In the course of his address
he says, “The field before us is immense ! O that we
could enter at a thousand gates 1–that every limb were
a. tongue, and every tongue a trumpet, to spread the joy-
ful sound ! Where so considerable a part of the habitable
globe on every side calls for our efforts, and, like the man
-


3
26 SOUTH SEA MISSION RESOLVED UPON.
of Macedonia, cries, ‘Come over and help us,’ it is not a
little difficult to decide at what part to begin.” The
learned and venerable doctor then proceeded, with all the
warmth of his ardent and cultivated mind, in a lucid and
masterly style, to draw a comparison between the climates,
the means of support, the government, the language, and
the religion of heathen countries; and concludes that, of
all the “dark places of the earth,” the South Sea Islands
presented the fewest difficulties, and the fairest prospects
of success. The result of Dr. Haweis' able advocacy was
a unanimous resolution, on the part of the Directors and
friends, to commence their mission among the numerous
and far-distant islands of the Southern Ocean. With the
exception of the estimate of the population of Tahiti, I am
astonished at the general correctness of his information.
Those great and good men appear to have had the plea-
sing impression that they were acting under the guidance
of the Spirit of God; for one of their number, in his almost
prophetic discourse, after having enumerated the various
difficulties that had been overcome, and the numerous faci-
lities that had been unexpectedly afforded, says,” “Thus
the providence of God, in an unusual manner, seems to
conspire with the Spirit of God; every thing favours, no-
thing impedes the design.” Subsequent events, I think,
evidently confirm the correctness of this impression; for,
from the very commencement of the Mission to the present
day, the leadings of Divine Providence have been re-
markably developed, and the interpositions of the Re-
deemer's power both frequent and striking. The discovery
of so many beautiful Islands just before that wonderful
period, when, amidst the throes of kingdoms, and the con-
* See a Sermon, by Rev. T. Pentycross, A. M., Vicar of St. Mary,
Wallingford.

DISCOVERY OF TAHITI. 27
vulsions of the civilized world, a gracious influence was
simultaneously shed in so surprising a way on the minds
of thousands of British Christians, cannot fail to convince
every thinking person that the undertaking was of God.
So great was the spirit of liberality, that in a short time,
ten thousand pounds were subscribed ; and such an ama-
zing spirit of prayer was diffused, as clearly indicated that
the Spirit of God was at work, and that some mighty
movement was about to take place for the wider extension
of the Redeemer's kingdom. -
It was not, however, until the year 1767, that Captain
Wallis, commander of his Majesty's ship Dolphin, when
crossing the comparatively untraversed waters of the
Southern Pacific Ocean, discovered the splendid Island of
Tahiti, which has since occupied so prominent a place in
the annals of Missionary enterprise. Little did its discov-
erer think, when hoisting the broad pennant on the Tahitian
shores, and taking possession of the Island in the name of
his sovereign, King George III., that in a few short years
the Missionary, sent by the liberality and sustained by the
prayers of British Christians, would follow in his track,
search for the lovely spot he had discovered, unfurl another
banner, and take possession of that and other Islands in
the name of the King of kings. This has been effected
under the guidance of Him
“Who plants his footsteps in the sea;”
for the providence of God has evidently conspired with
the Spirit of God in the accomplishment of this great
work.
A year or two after the voyage of Captain Wallis, Ta-
hiti was visited by that truly great man, Captain Cook,


28 CAPTAIN COOK,
whose name I never mention but with feelings of venera-
tion and regret. His objects were purely scientific. His
first voyage was undertaken to observe the transit of the
planet Venus, the Royal Society having represented to
King George III. that important services would be ren-
dered to the interests of science by the appointment of
properly qualified individuals to observe that phenomenon.
The second was in search of a southern continent, which,
at that time, was a favourite object of geographical specu-
lation. The third and last was to endeavour to find a
passage from the Pacific into the Atlantic Ocean. By the
important discoveries made in these successive voyages, a
new world was opened to the view of all Europe; for,
beside New Holland, and New Guinea, almost innumera-
ble Islands were found to exist, bestudding the bosom of
the vast Pacific with their beauties.
The worderful accounts published respecting these newly
discovered regions, very naturally excited unprecedented
and almost universal interest. The climate was repre-
sented as most salubrious; the cold of winter was never
known, and the heat of a tropical country was alleviated
by breezes from the ocean. The scenery of the islands
was represented as most enchanting; their productions
most wonderful; and the manners and customs of the in-
habitants as altogether novel and peculiar. The universal
interest excited by these representations is, therefore, not
a matter of wonder. The mind of the late excellent
Countess of Huntingdon was deeply affected by the account
of the inhabitants of these interesting islands, and she was
anxiously desirous that the Gospel, with all its attendant
blessings, might be conveyed to them. I believe her dying
charge to her beloved chaplain, Dr. Haweis, was, never to
lose sight of this object. While we respect the enterpri.
AND THE INTEREST HE EXCITED. 29
sing spirit of the philosophers at whose instigation the voy-
ages were undertaken, as well as admire the daring and
adventurous energy and skill of those individuals by whom
they were performed, we recognise the hand of One, who
is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working; the
movements of whose providence have ever been subser-
vient to the triumphs of his Gospel; and who, by all this
work of preparation, just at this particular time, was show-
ing clearly to his people that it was his intention that those
far distant islanders should be visited by the Gospel; that
there the interesting experiment of its power, to ameliorate
the condition of an ignorant, barbarous, and demoralized
race should be tried; that, by the triumphs it should
achieve, its moral energy should be demonstrated; that
present and succeeding ages should see, that the Gospel
alone was “ mighty to the pulling down of strongholds;”
and that there was, at least, one means by which uncivili-
zed nations might be constrained to bless, rather than exe-
crate the day when civilized men first landed on their shores.
To what else can we attribute such a confluence of new
and unparalleled circumstances just at this period :
Notwithstanding all that has been effected in the Tahi-
tian and Society Islands, in transforming their barbarous,
indolent, and idolatrous inhabitants into a comparatively.
civilized, industrious, and Christian people, I never con-
sidered this group alone as worthy the lives and labours of
the number of Missionaries who have been employed there.
It is only by viewing the Tahitian Mission, as a fountain
from whence the streams of salvation are to flow to the
numerous islands and clusters scattered over that extensive
ocean, that we can perceive it to be worthy of the impor-
tance that has been attached to it, or of the labour and
expense which the London Missionary Society has be-

3%

30 NEW GUINEA AND OTHER ISLANDS.
stowed on it. To this Mission, however, considered in
its relation to other islands, too much importance cannot
be attached; for, in addition to the numerous islands now
professedly Christian, there are, within a comparatively
small distance, many large and extensive groups of which
little is known. Among these are the Fiji, the New
Hebrides, New Caledonia, Solomon's Archipelago, New
Britain, New Ireland, and, above all, the immense island
of New Guinea. This island is said to be 1200 miles in
length, and, in some parts, about 300 in breadth. It is
reported to be a most beautiful island, rich in all the pro-
ductions of a tropical climate, inhabited by several millions
of immortal beings suffering all the terrific miseries of a
barbarous state, and dying without a knowledge of God,
or the Gospel of his Son. The Fiji is an extensive group,
said to comprise from 100 to 200 islands, which vary in
size from five to 500 miles in circumference — all teeming
with inhabitants, in the most degraded and wretched state
of barbarism.
These various islands and clusters are inhabited by
distinct tribes, diverse from each other in appearance
and habits; but principally by those of the negro race.
They are men of immense stature, with black complex-
ion, spreading noses, and curly hair; decidedly distinct
from those inhabiting all the islands to the eastward, who
are distinguished by their light copper colour, Malay coun-
tenance, and straight hair. I sincerely hope that the Lon-
don, or some other Missionary Society, or the Societies
unitedly, will adopt some effective measures, by which
these extensive and inviting fields may be brought under
moral culture. It will, no doubt, be attended with much
danger, as some of the inhabitants are cannibals of the
worst character; others of ferocious habits and cruel prac-
tices, using poisoned arrows, and poisoning the very food


THE NUMBERS PROFESSING CHRISTIANITY. 31
they bring to sell, and even the water which is taken from
their shores; whilst others are mild in their manner, and
kind in their treatment of strangers. The adventurous
trader, however, braves all these dangers: and shall the
devoted Missionary of the Cross, whose object infinitely
surpasses in importance that of the merchant, and who
professes to be influenced by motives of a higher order, be
afraid to face them Has he not the arm of Omnipotence
for his protection, and the promises of a faithful God for
his encouragement 7 -
The places to which the Gospel has already been con-
veyed, from the Tahitian and Society Islands, are the
Sandwich Island group, 3000 miles to the north of Tahiti,
inhabited by a population of 150,000 souls; — the Austral
Islands, a group 400 miles to the south : — the Paumotu,
the Gambier, and the Marquesan, to the eastward ; –to-
gether with the Harvey, the Navigators, and the Friendly
Islands, to the westward. These various groups are in-
habited by a population, little short, I think, of 300,000 per-
sons; the greater part of whom have abandoned idolatry,
with all its barbarous practices, its horrid rites, and super-
stitious customs. Their sanguinary wars have ceased ; the
altars of their gods are not now stained with the blood of
human beings, offered up in sacrifice ; and mothers have
ceased to destroy their innocent babes. Captain Cook and
his scientific associates little thought, when observing the
transit of the star, that in a few short years the island on
which he stood would itself shine resplendent, like a bright
speck in the ocean, whence the light of salvation was to
diverge in all directions over that mighty mass of waters.
The fathers and founders of the London Missionary So-
ciety began their labours upon an extensive scale. They
purchased a ship, and sent out no less than twenty-five




32 FIRST MISSIONARY VOYAGE.
labourers to commence missions simultaneously at the Mar-
quesan, Tahitian, and Friendly Islands. The vessel re-
turned, after a most successful voyage ; the Missionaries
having been settled, and every thing having succeeded to
the wishes and expectations of the friends and directors of
the benevolent scheme. This, in a great measure, may
be attributed to the skill of Captain Wilson, whom God
raised up, and by a series of events, almost without a par-
allel in the history of man, qualified to take charge of the
expedition. When in India, after having rendered inval-
uable services to the British army, he was unfortunately
taken by the French ; and, upon receiving intelligence that
Suffrein had basely accepted a bribe from Hyder Ally to
deliver the English prisoners into his hands, he determined
to effect his escape, which he did by leaping from the pri-
son walls, a height not less than forty feet. In his flight,
the vast Coleroon, a river full of alligators, obstructed his
passage; but, ignorent of the danger he was encountering,
he plunged into its waters, and swam to the opposite
shore. Flattering himself that his perils were passed, and
his liberty secure, he ascended an eminence to survey the
surrounding country, when, to his terror and surprise, he
was perceived by some of Hyder Ally’s peons, who gal-
lopped towards him, seized him, stripped him naked, tied
his hands hebind his back, and fastening a rope to them,
drove him before them to head-quarters.
When interrogated by one of Hyder Ally's chieftains,
he gave an ingenuous account of his escape from the prison
at Cuddalore. The chieftain immediately charged him
with falsehood, adding that no mortal man had ever swam
over the Coleroon, and that if he had but dipped his fingers
in its waters, he would have been seized by the alligators.
Upon being convinced, however, of the fact, they all gazed

CAPTAIN wilson's sufferings. 33
at him with astonishment, and the Turk exclaimed, “This
is God’s man.”
After this he was chained to a common soldier, and
driven naked, barefoot, and wounded, a distance of 500
miles. He was at length loaded with irons of thirty-two
pounds weight, and thrust into a horrible prison called the
Black Hole ; and while there so great at times was the
raging of his hunger, that his jaws snapped involuntarily
when his scanty meal was brought to him. Often the
corpse was unchained from his arm in the morning that
another living sufferer might take his place, and fall by the
same merciless treatment. -
That he should survive such accumulated misery for
twenty-two months, was next to a miracle. At length
the monster Hyder Ally was subdued, and the doors of the
Black Hole were thrown open, when, emaciated, naked,
half-starved, and covered with ulcers, with thirty-one
companions, who alone remained to tell the dismal tale of
their sufferings, Captain Wilson obtained deliverance. At
a subsequent period, when at Bencoolen, every European
in the ship he commanded, died Yet during all this time
his heart continued hardened, and he knew not the hand
that preserved him.
Having been successful in his mercantile pursuits, he
resolved to return to England, and sit down content.
With this view he embarked in the same ship in which
the excellent Mr. Thomas, one of the Baptist missionaries,
was returning to England. Mr. Wilson being still an in-
fidel in principle, had frequent disputes with Mr. Thomas,
who one day remarked to the chief officer of the vessel,
that he should have much more hope of converting the
Lascars to Christianity than Captain Wilson ; so deeply
mysterious, at times, are the ways of Providence. But



-
34 CAPTURE OF THE SHIP DUFF.
things impossible to man are possible with God; for at
length, by a series of most interesting incidents, he was
induced to abandon his infidel principles, and became an
eminent and devoted Christian.
After some years of uninterrupted enjoyment of the
comforts around him, a number of the Evangelical Maga-
zine, communicating some embryo views of the mission to
the South Seas, fell into his hands, which immediately
gave rise to the suggestion, that if his services were either
needful or acceptable, he would sacrifice his comforts, and
without any prospect of worldly advantage, would embark
once more upon the stormy ocean. Thus was this won-
derful man raised up, and thus prepared to take command
of this novel and important undertaking
When we reflect upon the various circumstances which
attended the commencement of the mission, we cannot
wonder that our fathers had the pleasing impression “that
their undertaking was of God.”
A second time the ship Duff was sent, with a strong
reinforcement of thirty additional labourers. By this we
perceive the enlarged nature of the views entertained by
the friends of this mission, together with the extent of
their confidence in God and in his people. They were
men whose minds seemed to revel in great things. God,
however, for a time, appeared to disappoint all their ex-
pectations; for this hitherto favoured ship was captured
by the Buonaparte privateer. The property was entirely
lost ; the Missionaries and their families, after suffering
many difficulties and privations, returned to England. The
Marquesan mission failed; at Tongatabu some of the Mis-
sionaries lost their lives, and that mission was, in conse-
quence of a series of disastrous circumstances, abandoned;
those settled at Tahiti under such favourable circum-

I)ISCOURAGING STATE OF THE MISSION. 35
stances, had, from fear of their lives, nearly all fled to New
South Wales; so that after a few years little remained of
this splendid embassy of Christian mercy to the South Seas.
A few of the brethren, however, never abandoned their
posts; and others returned, after having been a short time
absent, some of whom are still labouring with unabated
devotedness in the cause to which they consecrated their
lives. These are Mr. Henry and Mr. Nott,” who were
among the first Missionaries in the Duff; and Mr. Davies
and Mr. Wilson, who were in the same vessel when she
was captured. In addition to all these disappointments,
the Missionaries at Tahiti appeared to be “labouring in
vain, and spending their strength for nought and in vain.”
For sixteen years, notwithstanding the untiring zeal, the
incessant journeys, the faithful exhortations of these devo-
ted men, no spirit of interest or inquiry appeared ; no soli-
tary instance of conversion took place ; the wars of the
natives continued frequent and desolating, and their idola-
tries abominable and cruel. The heavens above seemed
to be as brass, and the earth as iron. At length the time
to favour Zion in Polynesia, yea, the set time came, and
then God was pleased to commence the work of conver-
sion there, in such a manner as to secure all the glory to
himself. This is worthy of special notice ; for the Mis-
sionaries, at the time the work commenced, were driven
away from the island of Tahiti by war, and cut off from
all communication with it. Two native servants, formerly
in the families of the Missionaries, had received, unknown
to them, some favourable impressions, and had united to-
gether for prayer. To these a number of persons had at-
tached themselves, so that on the return of the Mission-
+ Now in England, after nearly forty years of faithful and devoted labour.



36 IRENEWED EXERTIONS.
aries to Tahiti, at the termination of the war, they found
a great number of “pure Actua,” or praying people; and
they had little else to do but to help forward the work
which God had so unexpectedly and wonderfully com-
menced. Another circumstance, demanding special obser-
vation in reference to the commencement of the great
work at Tahiti, is, that discouraged by so many years of
fruitless toil, the Directors entertained serious thoughts of
abandoning the mission altogether. A few undeviating
friends of that field of missionary enterprise, however, op-
posed the measure, among whom was good Dr. Haweis,
who, in addition to his former princely donations, sustained
his opposition by presenting the Society with 200l. more.
My late venerable and beloved pastor, the Rev. Matthew
Wilks, united with Dr. Haweis in supporting the mission,
and with the characteristic devotedness of his spirit, said,
“that he would rather sell his garments from his back than
that the mission should be given up, and proposed that a
season of special prayer for the Divine blessing should be
observed.” The proposition was agreed to, and letters
of encouragement were written to the Missionaries ; and
while the vessel which carried the letters was on her pas-
sage to Tahiti, another ship was conveying to England, not
only the news of the entire overthrow of idolatry, but
also the rejected idols of the people. Thus was fulfilled
the gracious promise, “Before they call I will answer,
and while they are yet speaking I will hear.”
From that time to this, one rapid series of successes has
attended our labours, so that Island after Island, and
group after group, have, in rapid succession, been brought
under the influence of the Gospel: so much so, indeed,
that, at the present time, we do not know of any group,
or any single island of importance, within 2000 miles of
SUCCESS OF THE MISSIONS. 37
Tahiti, in any direction, to which the glad tidings of sal-
vation have not been conveyed. *
Thus it will be seen, that God was “not unrighteous,
to forget their work of faith and labour of love.” The
fathers of our Society had cast themselves, in the “confi-
dence of hope,” upon the promises and faithfulness of
God; and it is not in accordance with the one or the other
that, having sown bountifully, they should reap sparingly.
My earnest desire is that the mighty work may go on
with equal rapidity, so that within a few years every Isl.
and in the Pacific, even to New Guinea itself, may be
elevated from its moral degradation, and made to parti-
cipate in the blessings of the Gospel. Nor am I devoid of
the cheering hope that I also may be an instrument in
accelerating this great work.


C H A P T E R II.
-
Geographical Description of the Hervey Islands—Geological Character of
the Islands generally–Their Classification—The Object for which, and
the Spirit in which, Knowledge should be sought—On Coral Formations
–Reefs and Islands not the work of Insects.
THE Island of Raiatea, the largest and most central of the
Society Islands, about 100 miles from Tahiti, has been the
immediate scene of my labours since I joined the Mission,
in 1817 ; but, as much information has been given, in
various ways, respecting the Tahitian and Society Islands,
I shall say little about them.
The two groups, about which the following pages con-
tain much information, are, first, the Hervey; and, secondly,
the Samoa, or Navigators Island; both of which are new
fields of Missionary labour.
The Hervey Islands are seven in number — Mauke,
Mitiaro and Atiu, Mangaia and Rarotonga, Hervey's Isl-
and Aitutaki. They are from 500 to 600 miles west of
Tahiti. Very little was known of them until they were
visited by myself and colleague, Mr. Bourne, in 1823. To
prevent the interruption of the narrative, and to render
the sequel more intelligible, I shall give a short descrip-
tion of each island, with its position, size, and population.
Hervey's Island, from which the group takes its name,
is really composed of two small islets, 19° 18' S., 158°
54" W. long. It was discovered by Captain Cook, and
by him named, in honour of Captain Hervey, R. N., one
-
DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLANDS, 39
of the Lords of the Admiralty, and afterwards Earl of
Bristol. It is surrounded by a reef, into which there is
no entrance. I visited it in 1823, intending to place a na-
tive teacher there, as I expected to find a considerable
population; but on learning that, by their frequent and ex-
terminating wars, they had reduced themselves to about
sixty in number, I did not fulfil my intention. Some six
or seven years after this, I visited the same island again,
and found that this miserable remnant of the former pop-
ulation had fought so frequently and so desperately, that
the only survivers were five men, three women, and a
few children l and at that period there was a contention
among them as to which should be king !
Mauke is a small low island, discovered by myself and
Mr. Bourne, in 1823, in lat. 20° S., 157° 20' W. long. It is
about fifteen miles in circumference. By an invasion of a
large fleet of canoes, laden with warriors, from a neigh-
bouring island, about three years prior to our arrival, the
population, previously considerable, was, by the dreadful
massacre that ensued, reduced to about 300.
Mitiaro is a still smaller island, of the same description.
It lies about twenty miles north-west of Mauke. By famine
and invasion this island has likewise been almost depopu-
lated; there not being 100 persons remaining.
Atiu is a larger island than either Mauke or Mitiaro. It
was discovered by Captain Cook, and is situated 20° S.,
158° 15' W. It is about twenty miles in circumference:
not mountainous, but hilly, and a beautiful verdant spot.
We found the inhabitants something under 2,000. Captain
Cooke called it Wateoo.
Mangaia was also dicovered by Captain Cook, and is situ-
ated lat. 21° 57° S., 158° 7' long. W., being about 120 miles
south of Atiu. Mangaia is about twenty or five-and-twenty



--
4t) DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLANDS.
miles in circumference, and moderately high. The isl-
and is rather singular in its form and appearance ; a
broad ridge girting the hills, at about 100 feet from their
base. The foliage is rich; the population between 2,000
and 3,000. These four islands differ from the Society Isl-
ands in the very important feature, that the surrounding
reef joins the shore: there is consequently neither passage
for boats, nor any safe anchorage for vessels.
The sixth and most important island of the group is Ra-
rotanga. This splendid island escaped the untiring re-
searches of Captain Cook, and was discovered by myself,
in 1823. It is a mass of mountains, which are high, and
present a remarkably romantic appearance. It is situated
lat. 21° 20 S., 160° W. long. It has several good boat
harbours, is about thirty miles in circumference, and is sur-
rounded by a reef. The population is about 6,000 or
7,000.
Seventh and last island is Aitutaki, which was discovered
by Captain Cook. Like most of its companions in the
group, its landscapes are rich and variegated ; it is hilly
rather than mountainous, and surrounded by a reef, which
extends a very considerable distance from the shore.
There is a good entrance for a boat on the west side of the
island. It is about eighteen miles in circumference, and
has a population of about 2,000 persons. The situation is
18° 54. S. lat., 159° 41' W. long.
By this brief description of the Hervey Islands, the
reader will be enabled, as we proceed, to refer in his mind
to the relative importance of each island; he will also per-
ceive that the whole group contains a population of from
14,000 to 16,000 persons. Of the Samoa Islands I shall
hereafter give a more extended account.
It will be expected that I should say something upon


CLASSIFICATION OF THE ISLANDS. 41
two most interesting subjects—both of which, however,
are involved in much mystery — the formation of the
islands, and the origin of the inhabitants. The latter point
I shall defer, until I treat of the different dialects spoken by
the inhabitants of the various groups; and shall pass, as
speedily as possible, to the immediate object of the present
narrative, which is, to show how the Gospel has been in-
troduced among this people, and to give some account of
the mighty triumphs it has achieved.
In order to give the reader a correct idea of the islands
generally, it will be necessary to divide them into three
distinct classes, and describe each class separately. The
first is the mountainous. The islands of this class, with but
few exceptions, are truly splendid. The immense moun-
tains rise gradually from their base, till their lofty summits
are lost amid the clouds of heaven ; some are broken into
a thousand fantastic shapes; here a pyramid piercing the
skies, and there a spire presenting its apex above the belt
of clouds by which it is girt ; and then you see a precipi-
tous rock, lifting itself up in solemn grandeur, and frowning
like the mouldering battlements of some immense castle,
over your head. The sides of these magnificent heights
are clothed with bright verdure, of varied shades. Beauty,
grandeur, wildness, and sublimity, are so fantastically
blended and contrasted, as to excite the most varied and
delightful feelings. Then there is the ocean beneath you,
stretching away in boundless majesty, until it appears to
embrace the heavens in the distance. At their base are
fertile and luxuriant valleys, intermingled with the stately
bread-fruit tree, the banana, the Brazilian plum, and many
other tropical productions; some of which are trees of gi.
gantic growth, and richest foliage, – all equally beautiful,
but each having its own hue, from the darkest shade to


4%

42 CHARACTER OF THE FIRST CLASS.
green of the lightest tint. The plumes of the cocoa-nut
tree, overtopping the whole, and waving majestically to the
passing breeze from the ocean, give an exquisite finish to
the landscape.
These islands are from 2,000 to 10,000 feet above the
level of the sea. The mountains of Hawaii are said to
be about 15,000 feet in height.
In all the above-mentioned islands there are evident
traces of volcanic eruption. In many of them the rocks
are composed of a fine grained black basalt, of which the
natives make their penus, or pounders, to beat their bread-
fruit into a paste, and of which also they made their
hatchets prior to the introduction of iron tools. In others
pumice stone is found, and stones of varied appearance,
which have evidently undergone the action of fire. Im-
mense masses, also, of conglomerated rubble are fre-
quently met with. But whether these islands, from fifty
miles to 400 or 500 in circumference, and from 1,000 to
15,000 feet in height, owe their existence entirely to vol-
canic agency or otherwise, is a problem I am not prepared
to solve. Some of them may : others may be fragments
of a submerged continent; or they may have been thrown
up from the bed of the ocean by some violent convulsion
of nature. It is evident, that all the islands with which
we are acquainted have, at one time or other, been under
water; for at the tops of the highest mountains, coral,
shells, and other marine substances, are found in great
abundance. The wild and romantic appearance of the
rocks — their broken, abrupt, and irregular forms—also
indicate that, at some remote period, they have been sub-
ject to the disruption of an earthquake, to volcanic explo-
sion, or to some other equally mighty and equally capri-
cious agent.

AIME0, Volcanic, or First Class.
ONE OF THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS, Coral, Third Class.




CHARACTER OF THE SECOND AND THIRD C1, ASS. 43
The islands of the second class are rather hilly than
mountainous, averaging from 100 to 500 feet in height.
They are, generally speaking, equally beautiful in their
appearance, and luxuriant in their foliage, with those of
the first class; but, being less sublime in their character,
from having neither pyramidal rocks nor spiring heights,
they do not impress the mind with that wonder and de-
light which must seize the breast of every lover of nature,
when mountains of so much grandeur, richness, and sub-
limity, first present themselves to his view.
In this second class of islands there is certainly an ab-
sence, to a great extent, of the volcanic phenomena that
abound in those of the first, the rocks being crystal-
lized carbonate of lime, very much in appearance like
the aragonite of the Giant's Cause-way. These are sup-
posed originally to have been coral; but by exposure to
the action of the atmospheric air, together with that of the
water percolating through them, the loose particles of cal-
careous matter have been washed away, and the whole
mass has become harder and brighter.
The third class is the low coralline islands, which, in
most cases, rise but a few feet above the sea. They are
generally small. Tongatabu, however, which is also of
this class, is about 100 miles in circumference. The soil
upon the coralline islands is frequently very thin, so that
but little vegetation is produced upon them, beside the
cocoa-nut trees, pandanus, some stunted hibiscus, and a few
other trees of dwarfish growth, with a quantity of brush-
wood. Tongatabu, however, and the Friendly Islands
generally, may be deemed exceptions: the soil there being
much deeper, every production of the islands of the first
and second class grows in luxuriant profusion. Mauke,
also, is a beautiful and fertile little island. The accom.
-



44 CORAL REEFS,
panying plate will present to the reader, at one view, the
relative appearance of the classes into which I have
divided the islands.
All the Society, and many other islands in the Pacific,
are surrounded by a belt of coral rock, from two or three
to twenty yards in width, and situated at various distances,
from a few yards, to perhaps two miles, from the shore.
Against this wonderful barrier the long rolling waves of
the wide Pacific are driven with terrific violence ; and
towering in one vast sheet of water to an immense height,
roll over their foaming tops with a majestic power; and,
bursting against this rocky bulwark, spend their harmless
vengeance upon its surface. The spray from the breaking
of these billows frequently rises to so great a height as to
present a beautiful marine rainbow.
The waters of the lake, between the reef and the shore,
are placid and transparent, at the bottom of which, and
on the sloping sides of the banks that are seen beneath
the surface of the water, a most enchanting picture pre-
sents itself; for coral of every variety, of every shape, and
of every hue, is seen intermingled in rich profusion, pre-
senting to the imagination the idea of a sub-marine flow-
er-garden or shrubbery of exquisite beauty: among the
tortuous branches of the madrepore, and wide spreading
leaves of other corals, the zebra-fish, and fish of every col-
our and size, are seen gamboling in conscious security.
For the sake of being clear and explicit upon the inter-
esting topic of the formation of the islands, I shall first
notice the theories which I find are entertained upon it,
and afterwards present some important facts to the atten-
tion of the reader, by which these theories may be tested.
For it appears to me, that there is one grand point of diſ.
ference in moral and physical science, which ought ever

A BELIEF IN THE SCRIPTURES NECESSA.R.Y. 45
to be kept in view, in our researches after knowledge :
in morals, facts and theories must be brought to the test
of known principles; while in physical science, theories
and principles must be brought to the test of facts.
The great object for which all knowledge should be
sought, and for which it ought to be employed, is to illus-
trate the wisdom or goodness of the great and beneficent
Creator. And if we come to the study of natural phe-
nomena, with minds unchilled by skepticism or infidelity,
we shall be led to sublime religious contemplations; and
whether we examine the little coral insect of the ocean,
or gaze upon the gigantic beast of the forest ; whether
we study the little glow-worm which twinkles upon the
bauk, or the celestial luminaries performing their ap-
pointed revolutions in majestic silence, amidst the vast
expanse of infinity, with an ancient and scientific king,
we shall be led to exclaim “How manifold, O God, are
thy works: in wisdom thou hast made them all.”
In all our prying researches after knowledge, it is
necessary that the mind be firmly established upon two
great points—the belief in a Divine creative agency, and
in the Divine authenticity of the sacred Scriptures; having
a thorough conviction of the truth of the facts recorded,
and of the correctness of the principles laid down. With-
out these, our minds will be led into a dark mysterious
void, instead of having our thoughts carried up to the
Father of light and of life.
With these principles as our ballast, without any appre-
hension of danger, we may launch our bark upon the
broad ocean of science, explore its coasts, and fathom its
depths; but destitute of these, our vessel will be in a per-
petual storm, amidst rocks and shoals, without a rudder,
a compass, or a chart.



46 HOW WE SHOULD SEEK KNOWLEDGE.
Thus equipped, you may accompany the geologist into
the bowels of the earth, and examine its wondrous struc-
ture ; and you will return with an overwhelming convic-
tion, that the “Eternal God made the earth by his power,
that the pillars of it are his, and that he has set the world
upon them.” With the astronomer you may ascend the
skies, contemplate with extacy the movements of the
heavenly bodies, and with the scientific Psalmist you will
exclaim, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the
firmament showeth his handy work.” With the voyager
you may visit distant climes, and viewing man in all his
multiplied and varied characters, you will be convinced
that “ God hath made of one blood all nations of men for
to dwell upon the earth.” Thus it is, that in every age
the evidences of revealed religion have advanced with the
progress of sound knowledge. Indeed, it cannot be other-
wise ; for the God of nature, whose operations it is the
province of science to explore, is the God of the Bible ;
and as the God of truth, he cannot set forth in his word
principles at variance with those which, as the God of
nature, he has established in the material world. Both
systems of knowledge, thus emanating from the same
source, must harmonize with each other: for the Bible is
something like a new edition of the book of nature, with
a splendid appendix, which makes known the wonderful
scheme of human redemption. If there is any apparent
discrepancy in these two editions of this same great work,
it arises from our inability rightly to decipher the charac-
ters employed.
In venturing to suggest any opinions of my own upon
this intricate, but interesting topic, I shall do so in the
form of hints, for the candid consideration of those who may
feel disposed to prosecute their inquiries into its mysteries.

THEORIES UPON CORAILS. 47
First, then, as to the formation of the coral islands. The
received opinion now is, that they are formed by little
marine animals, called saxigenous, or rock-making poly-
pes. These insects first select a suitable spot, which is
the summit of a volcano, or the top of a sub-marine moun-
tain ; for it is stated, that this species of coral insects do
not exist in deep water.” Having thus selected the spot,
innumerable myriads of these wonderful little animals work
with incredible diligence, until they reach the surface of
the water, above which they cannot build. Drift wood,
and other substances, which are conveyed by currents
and winds, there find a lodgement ; sand, &c. is washed
up by the waves of the sea, and thus an island is formed.
Birds visit the spot, seeds are by this means conveyed ;
and a soil is subsequently created by decayed vegetable
matter.f
This appears to be the received opinion relative to the
formation of the low coral islands.
The second class of islands, which are from thirty to
three hundred feet in height, being what is termed crystal-
lized rock coral, are supposed to have been originally
either reefs or low islands, which have been elevated by
the upheaving power of an earthquake, or the volcanic
intrusion of matter somewhere under their base, or by
some general and powerful expansive force. In two or
three islands of this class that I have had an opportunity
of examining, this latter opinion appears very probable.
In Atiu and Mauke, the latter of which I discovered in
1823, there are several extensive caverns, having a stratum
of crystallized coral fifteen feet in thickness, as a roof. In
* Journal of Royal Geographical Society of London, 1831: p. 218.
i Lyell’s Geology, vol. iii. p. 300.



48 SUBTERRANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS.
one of these exquisitely beautiful caverns I walked about
for two hours, and found no termination to its windings.
This circumstance, together with the entire absence of
scoria, lava, and other volcanic phenomena, in this class of
islands, may lead to a supposition, that they may have
been elevated by some expansive power, or volcanic
agency, without eruption.
In this island of Mangaia, where there is also a small
quantity of fine-grained basalt, there is a subterraneous
communication with the sea, which, to the best of my re-
collection, reaches more than a mile inland. A piece of
wood, or any other floating substance, thrown into a hole
at the bottom of the rocks, where there is a small lake,
will, in a short time, be found floating on the sea. Also
at Raiatea, the largest of the Society Islands, and one of
the first or volcanic class, there is a similar communica-
tion with the ocean. On the top of a mountain several
hundred feet in height, there is a hole of a few yards in
dimensions, and if, when a strong haapiti or north-easterly
wind blows, you roll a piece of cloth of the size of a sheet
into a hard ball, and throw it into the hole, the current of
air beneath will open it out, and it will be blown to the
top of the hole again like a parachute.
The first class, as I have before intimated, betray, in
the multiplied points of their expansion, the proofs of vol-
canic violence. In Hawaii of the Sandwich Islands, in
Toofua and Proby of the Friendly Islands, and in Tanna of
the New Hebrides, volcanoes are still in active operation.
From a variety of questions which have been proposed
to me since my arrival in England, together with what I
have heard stated by many well-informed persons, I per-
ceive incorrect opinions are entertained respecting the ex-
tent and rapidity of coral growth; and that it is supposed
coral, NOT of RAPID GROWTH. 49
new islands are constantly being formed with such rapidity,
that in the course of time island will be joined to island,
and the whole Pacific will become one vast continent 1
Buckland, in his late work on Geology, countenances the
theory of newly-formed islands, as well as the rapidity of
coral growth. “The tendency of polypes to multiply in
the waters of warm climates is so great, that the bottom
of our tropical seas swarms with countless myriads of these
little creatures, ever actively engaged in constructing their
small but enduring habitations. Almost every submarine
volcanic cone and ridge within these latitudes has become
the nucleus and foundation of a colony of polypes. The
calcareous secretions of these insects are accumulated into
enormous banks or reefs of coral, sometimes extending to
a length of many hundreds of miles; these continually ri-
sing to the surface in spots, where they were unknown be-
fore, endanger the navigation of many parts of the tropical
seas.” Now, the question is, Do the phenomena of the
South Seas warrant such a conclusion ? I should reply,
Most certainly not. The rapidity of the coral growth has
been most egregiously overrated and overstated. Captain
Beechy, of his majesty's ship the Blossom, in his voyage
to the Pacific, supplied some valuable information calcula-
ted to correct this error. And here I may assert, that in
all the range of my travels in the South Seas, I have per-
ceived no animal agency at work adequate to the forma-
tion of a reef or island of any extent, within a period of
many thousands of years. -
Lyell, reasoning upon Captain Beechy's data, supposes
that the ordinary growth of coral may amount to six inches
in a century, it will then require 3000 years to produce a
* Buckland's Geology, p. 443.


5
50 ON CORALS,
reef fifteen feet thick.” Captain Beechy visited an island,
supposed to be an elevated reef, eighty feet high; Mr.
Stuchbury and myself have visited Rurutu, the rocks of
which are of the same material, and are a hundred and
fiſty feet in height, and the calcareous rocks of Mangaia are
about three hundred feet. Now, all these are supposed to
be reefs elevated out of the sea, and if it takes a century
to produce a reef six inches in thickness, and three thou-
sand years to produce one fifteen feet thick, eighteen
thousand years would be required to produce the island
visited by Captain Beechy, thirty thousand for the rocks
of Rurutu, and fifty or sixty thousand for those of Mangaia;
and only that portion of them which appears above water |
In addition to this, I have traditions of the natives upon
almost every subject, especially of their former navigators
wherein every Island, which has subsequently been dis-
covered, within two thousand miles, is named ; but in no
one of them is there any mention of, or reference to, a
newly formed island. I am familiar with one tradition, in
which there is a genealogical account of the reigning family
for thirty generations, which is also equally silent upon the
subject of new formations.
Another error in reference to corals I find entertained,
is this; many persons suppose that all coral insects work
until they reach the surface of the water, which is not the
case, for you seldom find a piece of branching madrepore,
of brain, or any other coral, however deep in the water,
above two or three feet in height. Dr. Ure, in his admi-
rable work on Geology, appears to assign by far too great
importance to this species of coral.f
* See Lyell's Geology, vol. iii. p. 306.
# See Ure's Geology, p. 469.

ON CORALS, 51
And now for a few words upon the substance of which
coral is composed, or whence do the insects obtain the
material with which they build Three distinct theories
appear to be entertained upon this subject. The first is,
that it is the exuviae of the insect.* The second, that it is
a secretion from the animal. Buckland says, “that the
gelatinous bodies of these polypes are furnished with the
power of secreting carbonate of lime, with which they
form a basis of attachment and cell of retreat, &c.” A
third opinion is, that the dead animal is converted into
coral. This latter idea appears to be sanctioned by some
persons of eminence. Lyell, when speaking of Burmuda,
says that the decomposition of the numerous zoophytes pro-
duces a soft white calcareous mud resembling chalk.”f
Mr. Stuchbury also remarks, “that the carbonate of lime
by which some solid masses of compact limestone are
formed, may have been derived from the decomposition of
corals and testacea.”f
In venturing to offer a theory upon this topic, differing
from those entertained by scientific men of great eminence,
I must cast myself upon the candour of any who, by their
superior discernment, may detect a want of soundness in
my propositions.
That there exists a considerable portion of calcareous
matter, or carbonate of lime, in salt water, has, of course,
long been known; it was, however, a fact with which I
was unacquainted, until, when abroad, being in want of
salt, we were compelled to make it by boiling down sea
water. In this process we invariably found that a cake
of lime formed at the bottom of the pan in which the
* Forster’s Voyages. f Lyell’s Geology, vol. iii. p. 301.
# Stuchbury in the West of England Journal.




52 ON CORALS.
water was boiled. This fact, thus ascertained, gave rise
to a variety of suggestions in my mind; and having,
since my arrival in England, prosecuted my inquiries into
this subject, I find that in all the salt-works, in which sea
water is boiled, a thick cake of sulphate of lime is contin-
ually formed at the bottoms of the pans; besides which,
our magnesia is obtained from the same source. These
facts will be conclusive and satisfactory to the mind of
every person who was not previously aware of the pre-
sence of lime in salt water. As to where this material
comes from, is not of any importance to the theory I would
suggest. Buckland says, “that some refer it entirely to
marine animals,” but intimates himself “that it may be
carried by rivers into the sea.” Where, however, are
there rivers of sufficient magnitude to impregnate such a
body of water as that of which the Pacific Ocean is com-
posed ' But, as in tropical climates, the process of evapo-
ration is so much more rapid than in higher latitudes, and
as this calcareous matter is separated by evaporation, may
we not conclude that the innumerable myriads of these
minute calcareous particles which are always floating about
in the sea are thus produced " The inference I draw, then,
is this, that as there is carbonate of lime in salt water; that
as corals are carbonate of lime ; and that they are found
to exist principally in warm climates, where, by the process
of evaporation, there is an abundance of material supplied
for these insects to build with ; instead of secreting the
substance, or producing it in any other way, they are merely
the wonderful architects which nature employs to mould
and fashion this material into the various and beauteous
forms which the God of nature has designed it should
8. SSurne.
* Buckland's Bridgewater Treatise,
ON CORALS, 53
This opinion appeared to me to receive considerable
confirmation on my late visit to the Museum at Liverpool;
for in looking over the extensive collection of corals there,
I perceived a branching piece rather different to any with
which I was acquainted, and on reading the label, I found
it to be “a calcareous crystal formed in the evaporating
house of the salt-works of the King of Prussia.”
I would venture also to suggest, whether the same
theory might not be applicable to the formation of shells;
and instead of saying that the animals secrete the calca-
reous coverings which they inhabit, that they emit or se.
crete a gluten, to which the calcareous particles adhere,
and thus the shells are formed.
While I believe in the agency of insects in the formation
of the branching, the brain, and other corals, and also in
that of roundish masses of various size, which, when bro-
ken, have much the appearance of coarse lump sugar, and
may be the work of the saxigenous polypes, yet for two or
three apparently conclusive reasons, I think the rock of
which the reefs and islands are composed, is not the pro-
duction of insects. The first of these relates to the height
of these masses. Lyell states that the class of polypes, to
which this work is assigned, cannot live in water of great
depth, and quoting Mr. Stuchbury and other scientific au-
thorities, suggests that twenty-five or thirty feet is the
lowest point at which they can work. If this be correct,
how can we account for the solid rock eighty feet above
the surface of the water, of which Henderson's Island,
visited by Captain Beechy, is composed; for the rocks of
Rurutu, 150 feet; and for those of Mangaia, 300 feet in
height? none of which present appearances to warrant the
supposition that they have been elevated by a succession



º 5%

54 ISLANDS NOT MADE BY INSECTS.
of efforts.” The inference to be drawn from this is, that
the insects do exist in greater depths than are now as-
signed to them, or that these solid masses are not the effect
of their labour; the one or the other must be the case.
To the latter opinion I entirely yield.
Another reason equally conclusive is, that while the
madrepore, the brain, and every other species of coral, are
full of little cells, the reefs and islands appear to be solid
masses of compact crystal limestone, in which nothing like
a cell can be detected, but which, on the contrary, present
a fine stratified appearance. Lyell intimates, “that this
continuous mass of stone is composed of shells, broken off
prickles of the echini, fragments of coral, united by calca-
reous sand, produced by the pulverization of shells,” &c.
Now this kind of marine rubble, I think, is invariably in
strata from three to nine inches in thickness; and the solid
masses composing the islands and reefs, to which I have
alluded, are pure and unmixed. A third objection I have
to allowing the reefs and islands to be the work of insects,
is the amazing length of time, as I have already shown
that would be required to produce them. May not these
structures have been produced by the chemical precipita-
tion of the minute calcareous particles of which I have
spoken 2 or may not the late experiments at the Philo-
sophical Institution at Bristol throw some light upon this
subject? There, Mr. Cross, by passing electric fluid
through water, detached the calcareous and silicious par-
ticles, and produced stones of various kinds. Now, in
tropical climates lightning is very frequent and vivid, and
perhaps may exert an influence which has not hitherto
been assigned to it; but more especially, electric fluid may
* See Captain Beechy's Account of Henderson's Island.
suggBSTIONs on coraI, RREFs, &c. 55
be engendered, to a considerable extent, by the sub-marine
and other volcanoes which abound in the South Seas, and
produce an effect adequate to the formation of these won-
derful and invaluable structures.*
After all, however, that I have seen and thought, and
read upon the subject, my impression is, that the islands
remain much in the same state as when the deluge left
them; and that every subsequent alteration has been par-
tial in its character, and exceedingly limited in its extent.
* In my late visit to Bristol, I found that Mr. Cross produced his crystals,
not by violent shocks of electricity, but by a small constant stream of electric
fluid; which appears to be the manner in which it would be emitted in sub-
marine volcanoes, and may account for the circumstance of the coral reefs and
islands being formed on their summits,

C H A P T E R III.
Voyage to New South Wales—The remarkable circumstances under which
the Gospel was introduced in Rurutu — His Majesty King George the
Fourth remits the Duty on the first Cargo of Native Produce—The wreck
of the Ship Falcon at Rurutu–Honesty of the Natives—Exhibition of
Idols —The Aitutaki Mission commenced.
IN the latter end of the year 1821, Mrs. Williams's health
being much impaired, and suffering myself from the effects
of a disease prevalent in the islands, it was deemed desir-
able to avail ourselves of an opportunity, which was then
afforded, of visiting New South Wales. Desirous of ma-
king the affliction subservient to the one great object to
which our lives were devoted, we determined to take with
us two native Christians, and place them as teachers in
the Island of Aitutaki.
The captain of the vessel having kindly consented to
convey them, without expense either to ourselves or the
Society, we mentioned the circumstance to the members
of the church, who were delighted with the proposition,
and selected Papeiha, and Vahapata, two of their number,
for the work. Of Papeiha much will be said hereafter, for
he has been exceedingly useful, and, to the present mo-
ment, has preserved an unsullied reputation. These two
brethren were set apart to their office in an interesting
service, held on the day of our departure from Raiatea.
The minds of our people had been awakened to the sub-
ject of extending the knowledge of the Gospel, by a pecu-
liarly interesting circumstance that had just before occur-
º
-
-
y


FPIDEMIC AT RURUTU. 57
red. An island called Rurutu, about 350 miles to the
south of Raiatea, was visited by an epidemic, which ap-
pears to have been exceedingly fatal. As the natives
regard every such calamity to be the infliction of some
angry deity, two chiefs of enterprising spirit, determined
to build each a large canoe, and, with as many of their
people as could be conveyed, to launch upon the mighty
deep, committing themselves to the winds and the waves,
in search of some happier isle. They felt convinced, that,
if they remained, they would certainly be “devoured by
the gods,” whose anger they had in vain endeavoured to
appease ; and that should they not succeed in reaching any
other land, they could but perish in the billows of the
OCC all.
Every thing prepared, Auura and his party launched
their canoe, unfurled their sails, and were soon out of sight
of their lovely but devoted island, and, as they supposed,
out of the reach of their infuriated deities. They arrived
at the island of Tubuai; and, after having recruited their
strength and spirits, determined on returning to their na-
tive isle, hoping that the plague was stayed. They launched
their vessels, and committed themselves again to the waves
of the ocean, little anticipating the perils that awaited
them. Scarcely had they lost sight of the mountains of
Tubuai, when they were overtaken with a violent storm,
which drove them out of their course. Of the crew of
one of the canoes the greater part perished at sea. The
chief Auura, to whom the other belonged and his party,
were driven about they knew not whither, and for three
weeks did they traverse the trackless deep, during which
time they suffered exceedingly from the want of food and
water. At length, He, who holds the winds in his fists,
and the waters in the hollow of his hands, to whose mer.
-
-
58 AUURA COMES TO MAURUA.-
ciful designs the elements are subservient, guided them to
the Society Islands. They were driven on the coral reef
which surrounds the island of Maurua, the farthest west of
the group. Had they not reached this island they must
have perished.
The hospitable attentions of the inhabitants of this little
isle, soon restored the strength of the exhausted voyagers,
who related the dreadful calamities which had befallen
their country and themselves. The Mauruans informed
them that they formerly worshipped the same deities, and
attributed every evil that befell them to the anger of their
“evil spirits;” but that now, they were worshippers of Je-
hovah, the one living and true God; giving them a detailed
account of the manner in which Christianity had been in-
troduced among themselves, and pointing to the demolished
maraes and mutilated idols in confirmation of their state
ments. -
The astonished strangers, on hearing that white men
who had come in ships from a distant country to bring
them good tidings, were living in islands, the summits of
whose mountains were in sight, determined to proceed
there immediately. A westerly breeze setting in, Auura
and his friends again launched on the deep, not to fly from
the anger of their gods, but in search of those who could
explain more fully to them the nature of the astonishing
news they had heard. Not being acquainted with the
coast of Porapora they missed the entrance, and were
driven to Raiatea. There their astonishment was again
excited; the Missionaries, their wives and families, the
natives in European dresses, with hats and bonnets, their
neat white cottages, together with the various useful arts
which had been introduced amongst the people, filled the
strangers with admiration and surprise. They were con-

ARRIVES AT RAIATEA. 59
ducted to public worship on the Sabbath; beheld with as-
tonishment the assembled multitude ; heard them sing the
praises of the One living and true God, and listened with
the deepest interest to the message of mercy. They were
convinced at once of the superiority of the Christian reli-
gion, and concluded that God had graciously conducted
them there for the purpose of making them acquainted
with its inestimable blessings. They placed themselves
immediately under our instruction, when we gave them in
special charge to our deacons, and supplied them with ele-
mentary books. Auura was exceedingly diligent in learn-
ing, and made most rapid progress. In a short time, he
completely mastered the spelling-book, could repeat the
greater part of our catechism, and read in the Gospel of
Matthew. They were only with us a little more than
three months, and before they left, he and several others
could read, spell, and write, correctly ; although they were
previously ignorant of the formation of a letter, or a figure.
Auura expressed to us very frequently his anxious desire
to revisit his own island, to carry to his relatives and coun-
trymen the knowledge he had obtained of the true God
and his son Jesus Christ; expressing, at the same time, in
the most affectionate manner, his fears, that on his return
he should find very few of his relatives and friends alive,
as “the evil spirit was devouring the people so fast when
he fled from the island.”
A vessel, belonging to our kind and liberal friend A.
Birnie, Esq., touched at Raiatea, on her way to England,
whither she was conveying the very first cargo of native
produce that was shipped from that part of the world. It
was a cargo of cocoanut oil, contributed by the converted
natives in aid of the funds of the London Missionary
Society. His late Majesty King George IV., upon being


60 AUURA RETURNS TO RURUTU.
informed of the circumstance, graciously commanded that
the duty should be remitted, which enhanced the value of
the property £400. The total amount, therefore, contribu-
ted to the funds of the Society by this produce, was £1800.
We informed the captain of our wish to have the chief
and people conveyed to their own island; and, with a
readiness which did him honour, he offered to take them ;
and, as we were anxious to know what reception was
given to the teachers, and to open a communication with
this, to us, unknown island, we also sent a boat of our own,
with a native crew, to bring back intelligence. We named
the kind offer of the captain to Auura and his wife, who
were delighted with the prospect of returning; but he
objected to going to their “land of darkness without a
light in his hand,” by which he meant, unless accompanied
by some person to instruct him and his people in the truths
of the Gospel. We assembled the members of our congre-
gation, mentioned Auura's desire, and inquired who among
them would go as teachers to the heathen of Rurutu ? Two
of our deacons, who were amongst our best men, came
forward, and, we hope, with the spirit, as well as in the
language of the prophet, said, “Here are we ; send us.”
They were therefore set apart to their work by an inte-
resting service. The greater part of the night previous to
their departure, was spent in providing them with the
articles which they would find both necessary and useful.
Every member of our church brought something as a tes-
timonial of his affection; one a razor, another a knife, a
third a roll of native cloth, a fourth a pair of scissors, and
others various useful tools. We supplied them with ele-
mentary books, and a few copies of the Gospels in the
Tahitian language, from which their own does not mate-
RETURN OF THE BOAT, 61
rially differ. Thus we equipped for this expedition as well
as our means would allow. -
After an absence of little more than a month, we had
the pleasure of seeing the boat return, laden with the tro-
phies of victory, the gods of the heathen taken in this
bloodless war, and won by the power of the Prince of
Peace. On reading the letters we received, and seeing
with our own eyes the rejected idols, we felt a measure
of that sacred joy which the angels of God will experience
when they shout, “The kingdoms of this world are become
the kingdoms of our God and his Christ.” -
A meeting was held in our large chapel, to communicate
the delightful intelligence to our people, and to return
thanks to God for the success with which he had graciously
crowned our first effort to extend the knowledge of his
Iſland G.
The chapel was lighted up with ten chandeliers, made
of wood neatly turned ; cocoa-nut shells were substituted
for lamps. The middle chandelier held eighteen lights,
twelve in the lower circle, and six in the upper; the others
held ten and twelve each. When lighted up, they pre-
sented to the natives a most brilliant appearance, and
called forth expressions of astonishment and delight. In
the course of the evening the rejected idols were publicly
exhibited from the pulpit. One in particular, Aa, the
national god of Rurutu, excited considerable interest; for,
in addition to his being bedecked with little gods outside, a
door was discovered at his back; on opening which, he
was found to be full of small gods ; and no less than
twenty-four were taken out, one after another, and exhib-
ited to public view. He is said to be the ancestor by
whom their island was peopled, and who after death was
deified.

6

62 ADDRESSES OF NATIVE CONVERTS.
Several most interesting addresses were delivered by
the natives on the occasion. The two following extracts
will give an idea of their general character:—Tuahine,
one of our deacons, observed: —
“Thus the gods made with hands shall perish. There they
are, tied with cords ! Yes! their very names also are changed
Formerly they were called ‘Te mau ſitua,’ or the gods; now
they are called ‘Te mau Varu ino,” or “evil spirits: Their glory,
look it is birds’ feathers, soon rotten ; but our God is the same
for ever.”
Tamatoa, the king, also addressed the meeting; and
perhaps, a finer illustration of the similitude of the know-
ledge of the Lord covering the earth, as the waters cover
the channels of the great deep, will not readily be found
than was used by this Christian chief: —
“Let us,” said he, “continue to give our oil and arrow-root to
God, that the blind may see, and the deaf hear. Let us not be
weary in this good work. We behold the great deep: it is full
of sea; it is rough and rugged underneath; but the water makes
a plain, smooth surface, so that nothing of its ruggedness is seen.
Our lands were rugged and rough with abominable and wicked
practices: but the good word of God has made them smooth.
Many other countries are now rough and rugged with wickedness
and wicked customs. The word of God alone can make these
rough places smooth. Let us all be diligent in this good work
till the rugged world is made smooth by the word of God, as the
waters cover the ruggedness of the great deep. Let us, above
all, be concerned to have our own hearts washed in Jesus’ blood;
then God will become our friend, and Jesus our brother.”
He concluded by an interesting allusion to the natives
of Rurutu. Another speaker, with warmth and animation
that produced great impression, said,

WRECK OF THE FALCON. - 63
“Look at the chandeliers! Oro never taught us any thing
like this I Look at our wives, in their gowns and their bonnets,
and compare ourselves with the poor natives of Rurutu, when they
were drifted to our island, and mark the superiority And by
what means have we obtained it? By our own invention and
goodness? No! it is to the good name of Jesus we are indebted.
Then let us send this name to other lands, that others may enjoy
the same benefits.” “Angels,” added Uaeva, “would rejoice to
be employed by God to teach the world this Gospel of Christ.”
To prevent the necessity of having again to notice this
island, I shall mention here one or two interesting events
in reference to it. Some time after the introduction of
Christianity into Rurutu, a circumstance occurred which
afforded indubitable proof of its beneficial effects upon the
minds of the inhabitants, and displaying at the same time the
great advantages which accrue from Missionary labours to
our own and other maritime countries. Captain Chase, who
commanded an American whaler, was in the habit of touch-
ing frequently at Raiatea, for refreshment. He determined,
on his last visit to us, to call at Rurutu, on his way to
America, in order to procure a supply of yams, which are
both fine and abundant at that island, when, unfortunately,
his vessel was wrecked upon the rocks.
The natives afforded him very efficient aid : in acknow-
ledgement of which, the captain, on his departure, left the
following document: —
“The natives gave us all the assistance in their power, from
the time the ship struck to the present moment. The first day,
while landing the things from the ship, they were put into the
hands of the natives, and carried up to the Native Mission-house,
a distance of half a mile ; and not a single article of clothing was
taken from any man belonging to the ship, though they had it in

64 FRAUDULENT ATTEMPT.
their power to have plundered us of every thing that was landed;
which fully proves the honesty of the natives of this island. Since
I have lived on shore, myself, officers, and people, have received
the kindest treatment from the natives that can be imagined, for
which I shall ever be thankful. Myself and officers have lived
in the house with Puna, who, together with his wife, have paid
every attention to make us comfortable; for which I return my
unfeigned thanks — being the only compensation I can make
them at present. (Signed) B. CHAse.”
A short time after this I received a letter from Captain
Chase, speaking in the strongest terms of the kindness he
had experienced, and informing me that he had committed
the cargo and the stores of the vessel to the native teach-
ers; but as they were not acquainted with the relative
value of money, he requested me to take the first opportu-
nity of selling the property, and transmitting the proceeds
to the President of the Marine Insurance Company in
America. Some two or three months subsequently to this
unfortunate occurrence, a trading vessel arrived at Tahiti.
The captain, hearing of the wreck of the Falcon at Rurutu,
and that there were only native Missionaries at the island,
it immediately occurred to him that he could easily deceive
them, and obtain the property; and instead of coming to
Raiatea, and making a fair purchase of me, he raised his
anchor, and steered a direct course for Rurutu. On land-
ing he was welcomed by the native Missionary, to whom
he stated, that he had come for the oil belonging to the
late Falcon. The Missionary asked him if he had not a
letter from Beni. “Certainly,” replied the captain, “but I
have come from my ship without it; I will return for it
immediately.” He went off to his vessel, and wrote an
order, with which he returned to the shore; affirming it
to be from captain Chase, he put it into the hands of the

THE ATTEMPT DEFEATED. 65
Missionary. The natives are very unsophisticated, at
times, in the expression of their sentiments; and looking
the captain significantly in the face, the teacher, in his
broken English said, “You a liar, you a thief, you want to
steal this property—you no have it.” The captain, being
much enraged at this salutation, or more probably at being
disappointed of his expected booty, began to bluster and
storm. The teacher, however, took the captain by the
hand, led him into his house, and opened his native journal,
in which he had taken the precaution to get Captain Chase
to write ; placing the forged paper by the side of the wri-
ting in the journal, he repeated his charge —“You a liar,
you a thief, you shall not have this property.” The captain
threatened to go on board, load his cannon, and take it by
force. He left the shore in anger, to carry his threat into
execution; he, however, hoisted his sails and took his de-
parture. We know not from whence he came, nor whither
he went. This circumstance shows that the conduct of
civilized visiters is not, at all times, calculated to raise the
European character in the estimation of the natives. It
shows, also, that the natives are not destitute of good sound
common sense ; while at the same time it exhibits, in a
striking light, the advantages the people have derived from
education.
Captain Chase rewarded the natives for the assistance
they rendered, in saving the cargo and stores of the vessel,
by giving them a portion of the oil. They immediately
formed a Native Missionary Society, and contributed a
considerable part of what they had thus obtained, in aid
of the funds of the institution, from whose operations they
had derived so much advantage ; and in a visit I paid them
some time after, they presented me with a set of bills for
66l., which they had received from the captain to whom
6%
66 CHAPEL AT RURUTU.
they had sold their contributions ! It was with much pleas-
ure that I transmitted this expression of their gratitude to
the Treasurer of the society.
This island was visited by the Deputation,” some twelve
or fifteen months after the introduction of the Gospel;
respecting which, in their communications, they remark,
“Now the designs of God, in sending us winds which we
thought adverse, were explained, in affording us an oppor-
tunity of visiting this beautiful little island. When we
reached it, we were not certain what island it was, but
were greatly surprised to see several neat-looking white
houses at the head of the bay. From this, we concluded
that the Gospel had reached its shores.” A pier, a quarter
of a mile in length, had been constructed of vast coral
blocks, as at some of the Society Islands, which afforded
a convenient landing place. We were kindly invited to
the houses of the Missionaries, when we received every
possible attention both from them and from the natives,
who supplied us with baked pigs, fowls, and yams, in pro-
fusion.
Besides the two comfortable houses of the Missionaries,
we were surprised to find a large place of worship, eighty
feet by thirty-six, wattled, plastered, well floored, and
seated,—built within a twelvemonth, at the expense of
great labour, by these industrious people, under the direc-
tion of the two native Missionaries, who performed a great
part of the work with their own hands. Mr. Ellis preached
several times to the people, when every individual in the
island attended. Many of the chiefs were dressed in
European clothing, and all were attired in the most decent
and becoming manner. In the house of God no congrega-
* The Rev. D. Tyerman, and G. Bennet, Esq., sent by the Directors to
visit all these stations.

- ARRIVAL AT AITUTAKI. 67
tion could have behaved with more propriety — all was
solemnity.
Here our eyes were struck, and our hearts affected, by
the apppearance of certain simple yet signal trophies of
the “word of God,” which in these islands is really going
“forth conquering and to conquer.” These were “spears,”
not, indeed, “beaten into pruning-hooks,” but converted
into staves to support the balustrade of the pulpit stair-case ;
for the people here “learn war no more,” but all, submit-
ting to the Prince of Peace, have cast away their instru-
ments of cruelty with their idols. - 5
Not a vestige of idolatry was to be seen, not a god was
to be found in the island. So great a change effected in
so short a time is almost beyond credibility; but we wit-
nessed it with our own eyes, and exclaimed, “What hath
God wrought !”
By the remarkable success that had attended the intro-
duction of the Gospel to Rurutu, our own minds, as well
as those of our people, were powerfully awakened to the
great importance of extending the benefits and blessings of
the Gospel; and, under the excited and delightful feelings
thus produced, we, with our native teachers, took an affec-
tionate leave of our people, and beloved colleagues, Mr.
and Mrs. Threlkeld. On the arrival of the vessel at Aitu-
taki, we were very soon surrounded by canoes; the natives
were exceedingly noisy, and presented in their persons
and manners all the wild features of savage life. Some
were tatooed from head to foot ; some were painted most
fantastically, with pipe-clay and yellow and red ochre;
others were smeared all over with charcoal, dancing,
shouting, and exhibiting the most frantic gestures. We
invited the chief Tamatoa on board the vessel. A number
of his people followed him. Finding that I could converse




-
68 INTERVIEW WITH TAMATOA,
readily in their language, I informed the chief of what had
taken place in the Tahitian and Society Islands with res-
pect to the overthrow of idolatry. He asked me, very
significantly, where great Tangaroa was 7 I informed him
that he, with all the other gods, was burned. He asked
me where Koro of Raiatea was 7 I replied, that he too
was consumed with fire; and that I had brought two
teachers to instruct him and his people in the word and
knowledge of the true God, that they also might be induced
to abandon and destroy their idols as others had done. On
my introducing the teachers to him, he asked me if they
would accompany him to the shore. I replied in the
affirmative, and proposed that they should remain with
him. He seized them with delight, and saluted them most
heartily by rubbing noses, which salutation he continued
for some time. On the chief's promising me that he would
treat the teachers with kindness, and afford them protec-
tion, taking with them their little store, they got into his
large canoe, and the natives paddled off to the land, appa-
rently greatly delighted with their treasure. We had
with us our only child, a fine boy about four years of age.
He was the first European child they had seen, and attract-
ed much notice, — every native wishing to rub noses with
the little fellow. They expressed their sorrow that so
young and lovely a child “should be exposed to the dan-
gers of the wide-spreading boisterous ocean,” and begged
hard that I would give him to them. I asked them what
they would do with him, for I feared they were cannibals.
The chief replied, that they would take the greatest care
of him and make him king. As neither his mother nor
myself were ambitious of royal honours for our dear boy,
we declined their offer. The people becoming clamorous
in their demands for the child, and a good deal of whisper-

GREAT ICVENT IN 1821. 69
ing going on among them, with significant gestures, first
looking at the child, then over the side of the vessel, his
mother was induced to hasten with him into the cabin,
lest they should snatch him from her, leap with him into
the sea, and swim to the shore. In the course of conver-
sation with the chief, I learned that several islands, of
which I had heard our natives speak when reciting their
legendary tales, were not far distant, and that some of
them were very populous, especially Rarotonga. This in-
formation much increased in my estimation the interest of
the Aitutaki Mission. -
Thus it will appear that the year 1821 was fraught with
important events. It was, in fact, a year of great things.
In this year our native Missionary Society was formed,
and our first missionary meeting held. In this year, also,
our missionary interest was excited by a striking provi-
dence, which ended in the utter renunciation of idolatry,
and the reception of the Gospel, by the inhabitants of Ru-
rutu. In the same year, too, by distressing afflictions,
which we deeply deplored at the time, operations for ex-
tending the boundaries of the Redeemer's kingdom were
commenced, which have been attended with the most de-
lightful results, and which have been continued with great
success ever since. -
It is the more remarkable, as we expected that my la-
bours in that part of the missionary field were about to
terminate ; for we had actually made preparations for re-
turning to England in the vessel that brought home the
missionary contributions. But feeling a reluctance to aban-
don the work, we determined to try the effect of a visit
to New South Wales.
Thus we are able to recognise the gracious hand of God
in all that has transpired. We little thought at the time
70 PROVIDENTIAL INTERPOSITIONS.
to what these things would grow. But He in whose work
we were engaged is the Wonderful Counsellor, the gov-
ernment is upon his shoulders, and he overrules all human
events for the furtherance of his designs of mercy. We
shall find much pleasure as we proceed in noticing the
numerous and striking interpositions of God on our behalf.

C H A P T E R IV.
Mission from Aitutaki–Tradition about Rarotonga—Voyage of Messrs.
Bourne and self—Success at Aitutaki—Our Intercourse with the People
--Information about Rarotonga—Search of it—-Papeiha's Narrative.
HAVING derived much advantage from a few months' resi-
dence in New South Wales, we returned, with recruited
vigour, to our delightful labours, after an absence of about
eight months, and were cordially welcomed by our beloved
brethren and people.
In April, 1822, we received letters from Papeiha and
Vahapata, stating the dangers to which they had been ex-
posed, and the partial success that had attended their
efforts, and requesting that two more labourers might be
sent to assist them. The vessel which brought these had
touched at Aitutaki, on her way from the Society Islands,
to New South Wales, by which we had sent books, pre-
sents, and letters. With these Faaori, a native of Raiatea,
was sent on shore. The idolaters crowded around him,
seized him, led him before the marae, and delivered him for-
mally up to their gods. Faaori, looking up at the im-
mense idol, struck it, and said to the idolaters, “Why do
you not burn this evil spirit, and this marae º They are
Satan's : why do you suffer them to remain ' What you
are now regarding is all deceit.” The idolaters replied,
“We are all ignorant ; we have been kept in darkness by
Satan a long time, and we do not know the truth.” Faaori
answered,” “This is the truth that your teachers have



72 PROVIDENTIAL OPENING.
- brought you ; receive it, and be saved.” Upon hearing
which, they said to him, “When you return, tell Variamu,
(Mr. Williams) if he will visit us, we will burn our idols,
destroy our maraes, and receive the word of the true God.”
Together with this communication, we received the very
important information, that there were several natives at
Aitutaki, from an adjacent island, called Rarotonga, who
had embraced the Gospel, and were very anxious to return
to their own island, with teachers, to instruct their coun-
trymen in the same blessed truths. These circumstances
appeared to us providential openings for the introduction
of the Gospel into the whole group of Islands, respecting
several of which I received information when I first visited
Aitutaki. Of Rarotonga, also, we had heard much from
our own people; for, in many of their legendary tales
especially in those of their voyagers, Rarotonga is fre-
quently mentioned.
In conversation with an old priest, who at that time was
a decided and excellent Christian, respecting the situation
of Rarotonga, he informed me that there was a tradition,
that it was formerly united to the southern extremity of
Raiatea, but that the gods had carried it away. I asked
him whither they were said to have conveyed it ! when
he replied, that he did not know, but it was believed they
had taken it to the south. Upon this, I inquired the reason
of the gods' carrying away so valuable a neighbour as an
island and its inhabitants? and he informed me that the
natives of Rarotonga, in the exercise of their piety, had
made a large drum, called Tai-moana, or the Sounder of
the Seas, which they sent, by the hands of two priests, as
a present to Oro, the god of war, whose residence was
the great marae, at Opoa, in Raiatea, and that, after the
priests from Rarotonga had dedicated Tai-moana, some

TRADITION ABOUT RAROTONGA. 73
untoward circumstance occurred, which induced the Raia-
teans to kill them. The gods were so much enraged that
persons who had brought so valuable a present should be
killed, that they took up the island, with its population,
and carried it completely away. From some parts of this
fabulous legend, we were convinced that the island was in
existence, and it was an island of considerable importance.
From another tradition, stated what was universally be-
lieved, we learned that a chief named Iouri, many years
ago, built a large native pahi, or ship ; and being a person
of an enterprising spirit, he determined to go in search of
other countries, when, after traversing the ocean for a
length of time, he reached Rarotonga; from which place
he returned in safety to Raiatea, bringing with him a
female, who became the wife of Tamatoa, the king of that
island, and an ancestor of the late excellent chief of that
name. From hence, also, Iouri brought a quantity of
mahi, or preserved bread-fruit, which was dedicated to the
god Oro, at the celebrated marae at Opoa, in Raiatea, the
grand emporium of idolatry to Tahiti, the Society, and the
surrounding islands; and from that time it became an ob-
ject of ambition with every adventurous chief to discover
other islands, and, on his return, to bring some article of
value to his own island. The information thus obtained
was, that Rarotonga was a large and beautiful island, with
a population so great, that it was divided into nine-and-
twenty districts. This traditional information, as to the
existence of the island, was now confirmed beyond the
possibility of a doubt, as there were several people at
Aitutaki from the very island, anxiously waiting an oppor-
tunity to return home, to make known to their deluded
friends and countrymen the wonderful tidings of which
they were in possession.
7
74 A VOYAGE DETERMINED UPON.
After consultation and prayer with my esteemed col-
leagues, Messrs. Threlkeld and Bourne, it was determined
that Mr. Bourne and myself should embrace the first op-
portunity of proceeding to the island of Aitutaki, by hiring
a vessel for the purpose ; that we should also take a num-
ber of native Missionaries with us, search for Rarotonga,
and attempt to introduce the Gospel into every island of
the Hervey group. And little as we think of it now, it
was a great undertaking at that time, when nothing accu-
rately was known of the islands or their inhabitants.
Four Missionaries, with their wives, were selected from
our church at Raiatea, and two from Tahaa. These were
set apart for their work by a solemn service on the even-
ing preceding our départure. Our people took so lively
an interest in the undertaking, that, by their willing con-
tributions, they completely equipped the Missionaries for
the voyage and for their stations, without any expense to
the Society, except the hire of the vessel.
After about five days' pleasant sail, we reached Aitutaki.
A number of canoes crowded around us, filled with men,
every one of whom was anxious to get on board our ship.
We had, however, determined not to allow any canoes
alongside, until we had seen either the chief or one of the
teachers: for, had the natives been hostile, they could
easily have captured our small vessel. We received a
grateful salutation from every canoe that approached us.
Some of the natives cried out, “Good is the word of God:
it is now well with Aitutaki! The good word has taken
root at Aitutaki l’ Finding, however, that we did not re-
pose entire confidence in their assertions, some held up
their hats,” others their spelling-books, to convince us of
* The European shaped hat was worn only by the Christian party, the
dolaters retaining their heathen head-dresses, war-caps, &c.

THE VOYAGE. 75
the truth of what they stated. As we approached the
settlement, we beheld, from the vessel, a flag-staff with
a white flag flying, which satisfied us that the teachers
were alive. At length the chief's canoe came alongside,
when we learned from Tebati, one of the first who em-
braced the Gospel, that the maraes were burned ; that the
idols which had escaped the general conflagration were in
the possession of the teachers; that the profession of Chris-
tianity was general, so much so, that not a single idolater
remained; and that a large chapel was erected, nearly
200 feet in length, plastered, and awaiting my arrival to
open it. This news was as delightful as it was unex-
pected. When the teachers came on board, they not only
confirmed all that had been told us, but added, that the
Sabbath was regarded as a sacred day, no work of any
kind being done: that all the people, men, women, and
children, attended Divine service ; and that family prayer
was very general throughout the island. Joy beamed in
every countenance, and gratitude glowed in every heart,
at hearing this good news. We hastened to the shore to
be eye-witnesses of what had been effected. The natives
crowded around the boat, and having to drag it a con-
siderable distance, they amused and delighted us; for, in-
stead of the unsightly gesticulations and lascivious SOngs
with which I was greeted on my first visit, some were
now spelling long words, and others were repeating por-
tions of the catechism, or a prayer; another asking a
blessing on his food ; and others singing a verse of a
hymn ; indeed, every one appeared anxious to show what
progress he had made in the new religion.
Shortly after landing, we convened a meeting of the
chiefs and people, at which we expressed our joy at hear-
ing and seeing that they had demolished their maraes, em-


76 DELIGHTFUL SALUTATION.
braced the Gospel of Christ, and erected so fine and large
a house for the worship of the one living and true God.
We also informed them, that we had brought two more
teachers, who, with their wives, would reside with them,
and to whom they must show kindness. We further inti-
mated, that, if agreeable, we would open the chapel on
the following morning, when they must lay aside their
heathenish ornaments, wash themselves clean, and clothe
themselves decently; to which they consented. We asked
them if they had any reply to make. They said no, but
wished that we would continue to talk to them, for they
were delighted to hear us. After this interview, we went
to see the chapel. It was a fine building, from 180 to
200 feet in length, and almost thirty feet wide, wattled
and plastered, and built after the model of our chapel at
Raiatea. The pulpit was rather singular, alike in its
size, construction, and appearance, being about two yards
square, made of wattling, and plastered with the same
materials as the walls of the chapel. I gazed upon the
building with wonder and delight. We then went to the
teacher's house, and found it to be a neat, well-built cot-
tage, plastered and divided into five rooms. We com-
mended them sincerely for the diligence they had evinced,
and for the good example they had thus set the people.
Posts, for houses on a similar plan, were collected in every
part of the settlement; many dwellings were already erect-
ed, and others now in progress. Bedsteads had been made,
and hung with white native cloth, in imitation of those of
their teachers. Little did I expect to see so much accom-
plished in so short a time. Eighteen months ago they
were the wildest people I had ever witnessed: now they
had become mild and docile, diligent and kind.
Next day, while in the midst of an interesting conver-
ENTIRE OVERTHROW OF IDOLATRY. , 77
sation, our attention was arrested by a ringing sound.
This was produced by striking an axe with a stone, which
contrivance was a substitute for a bell. The ringer, or
rather striker, was followed by a number of men and
women decently dressed in white cloth. And when the
congregation was assembled, we entered the spacious
chapel. The six teachers, with their wives, together with
Papeiha and Vahapata, took their seats in front of the pul-
pit. As they were all clothed in European dresses, their
appearance excited much surprise and interest; indeed,
it was to the Aitutakians an ocular demonstration of
the beneficial effects of Christianity. My esteemed col-
league commenced the service with reading, singing, and
prayer. I then preached my first sermon to them from
one of the most delightful texts in the Bible, “God so
loved the world,” &c.; and I may add, at all the islands I
have visited, from that time to the present, my first address
has invariably been founded either upon that passage, or
upon 1 Tim. i. 15, “This is a faithful saying,” &c. It was
indeed, a delightful sight to behold from 1500 to 2000
people, just emerged from heathenism, of the most uncul-
tivated appearance, some with long beards, others deco-
rated with gaudy ornaments, but all behaving with the
greatest decorum, and attending, with glistening eyes and
open mouth, to the wonderful fact, that “God so loved
the world, as to give his only begotten Son.” Many of
them, however, were dressed very neatly; and I could
not help contrasting their appearance with that which they
presented on our first visit. At that time, also, they were
constantly killing and even eating each other, for they
were cannibals; but now they were all, with one accord,
bending their knees together in the worship of the God of
peace and love.

7%
78 VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF RA ROTONGA.
The grandfather of the young king expressed a wish to
accompany us to Raiatea; and as it would afford him an
opportunity of witnessing the beneficial effects of the Gos-
pel in the Society Islands, and be a source of much grati-
fication to our own people, we thought it desirable to
accede to his request. We were desirous also that the
young king, his grandson, might accompany him; besides
which, we had an impression that they might be of great
service to us at the various heathen islands which we in-
tended to visit.
The natives of Rarotonga also were desired to prepare
themselves for their voyage. The Aitutakians endeav-
oured to dissuade us from going to Rarotonga, by assuring
us that the Rarotongans were a most ferocious people,
that they were horrid cannibals, and were exceedingly
treacherous; and they feared, if we were determined to
go, we should lose our lives. This was very important
although discouraging information.
Wishing for a few quiet hours to consult respecting our
future proceedings, we determined to spend the evening
on board the ship. The gods and bundles of gods, which
had escaped destruction, thirty-one in number, were car-
ried in triumph to the boat; and we came off to the vessel


INCIDENT$ AT AITUTAKI. 79
with the trophies of our bloodless conquest, “rejoicing as
one that findeth great spoil.”
After much consultation on the subject, we determined,
at all events, to go in search of Rarotonga, concluding that
the work must have a commencement ; that it would, at
all times, be attended with danger; that natives of the isl-
and had been providentially thrown in our way; that we
had come for the purpose of attempting to introduce the
Gospel among them ; and that, therefore, after taking
every precaution which prudence suggested for our own
safety, we would commit ourselves to the protection of
IIim in whose work we were engaged. We concluded
also to take Papeiha with us, as he would be of great ser-
vice in our intercourse with the people.
During the time we spent at Aitutaki, many incidents
occurred, of which the following is a specimen :-
While walking through the settlement, we saw two grim-
looking gods in a more dishonourable situation than they
had been wont to occupy, for they were sustaining upon
their heads the whole weight of the roof of a cooking-house.
Wishing to make them more useful, we offered to purchase
them from their former worshipper. He instantly prop-
ped up the house, took out the idols, and threw them
down; and, while they were prostrate on the ground, he
gave them a kick, saying, “There—your reign is at an
end.”
On receiving two fish-hooks, he was highly delighted.
What a revolution of sentiment and feeling ! A few
months before, this man was a deluded worshipper of these
senseless stocks
.



S0 FAVOURABLE IMPRESSION
L.
º
º
t
|
|
|
init
After giving the teachers such advice and instructions
as we deemed necessary, and exhorting the chief and peo-
ple to abandon all thoughts of war, to treat captains and
crews of ships with kindness, to be upright and honest in
their dealings with them, to be kind to their teachers, and
diligent in attending to their instructions; we then took
our leave of Aitutaki with feelings of the liveliest and most
devout gratitude to God, having derived from the visit en-
couragement to proceed in our work.
We traversed the ocean for several days in search of
Rarotonga, but without success. During this time I re-
ceived from Papeiha an interesting detail of the dangers to
which the teachers had been exposed, the labours in which
they had been engaged, and the circumstances by which









PRODUCED ON THE NATIVES. 81
the people of Aitutaki had been induced to abandon idola-
try. It would occupy too much space to narrate more than
a few particulars. On landing, they were led to the ma-
raes, and given up formally to the gods: the poor deluded
people little imagining that, in a few short months, by the in-
strumentality of the very persons they were thus dedicating
to them, “their gods would be famished out of the land.”
Subsequently, war had thrice broken out, and all their pro-
perty had been stolen from them. But when I asked Pa-
peiha if they were not discouraged by these frequent wars
—“No,” he replied, “we knew that all was in the hand of
God; and we believed that he would make it a means of
overthrowing idolatry in the island.”
The first favourable impression appears to have been
produced by a tour which the teachers made of the island.
They stayed a few days at every district, conversing with
the people, and teaching them the alphabet, and the Lord's
prayer. On reaching the district of Tautu, they held, in
the presence of a great assemblage of people, an argument
with an old priest, who vociferated, “Te-erui made all
lands, he made Aitatuki; and after he had made it he gave
it its present form, by moulding it with his hands.” The
teachers answered, that it was not so; that God alone
had power to create, and that he made Aitutaki, and every
other land. The priest continued vociferating upon the
greatness of Te-erui, and asserted that he was the first man.
The teachers asked him who was Te-erui's parent ' He
replied, “O, Tetareva.” They then inquired of him whence
Tetareva came ' He said, “from Avaiki.” They desired
to know where Avaiki was He said, “It is beneath:
Te-tareva climed up from it; and because he arrived at
the top he was called by that name ;” whereupon the
teachers said, “This land, then, was made before Te-tareva


-
82 FAVOURABLE IMPRESSION, &C.
arrived 7” “Most certainly,” replyed the priest. “Then,”
continued they, “How can Te-erui be the maker of a land,
which you say was made before even his parent Te-tareva
came up from beneath 7" This appeared to perplex the
priest, and he was silent. They then addressed the assem-
bled multitude, upon the being of God, affirming, that
before any thing was made he only existed, and that he
was without beginning, and is without end. From this
topic they proceeded to speak of angels, and of one por-
tion of them falling from their original happiness, which
was followed by a detailed account of the creation of the
world. All this was new to the people; and the interest
excited by the announcement appears to have been intense;
for, if the slightest noise was made, there was a general cry
of “Be still, be still, let us hear.” Thus encouraged, the
teachers went on to describe the creation of our first pa-
rents; their being placed in the garden of Eden; their
transgression, with its consequences; and the love of God
in giving his dear Son, to die a sacrifice for sinful man.
On hearing which, they exclaimed, with one accord,
“Surely this is the truth; ours is all deceit.” From that
time many began to listen attentively, and to believe what
they heard,
C H A P T E R V.
Papeiha's Narrative continued—Remarkable Incidents at Tahiti–Effect
upon the Aitutakians at seeing Lime burnt—Unsuccessful Search for
Rarotonga—Go to Mangai–Incidents there—Abandon it, in conse-
quence of the cruel Treatment the Missionaries' Wives experience.
THE progress of Christianity appears to have been gradu-
al, the converts at times suffering much from the rage of
their heathen countrymen, until the month of December,
1822, rather more than a year after my first visit; when
two circumstances contributed to the utter overthrow of
idolatry in the island of Aitutaki. The first was the arri-
val of the vessel from Raiatea, which we had promised to
send. The teachers had told the people that a ship would
come to inquire after their welfare, and to bring them pres-
ents and information from their friends. This was believed
by a few ; but the greater part called them “Two logs
of drift-wood, washed on shore by the waves of the ocean;”
and said that no ship would ever come to inquire after
them. Her arrival, however, set the matter at rest; and
as the captain showed kindness to the chiefs, and made
several of them presents of axes, and other useful things,
their opposition to the teachers was not a little subdued.
There being no quadrupeds in the island, but a few
millions of rats, we sent from Raiatea a number of pigs
and goats; with a variety of other articles, which our peo-
ple had contributed. The teachers gave the pigs and goats
to the King's grandfather, and he, on the following morn-


84 VISIT OF THE SHIP.
ing, distributed them among the various chiefs of the island.
A powerful impression was thus very generally produced
in favour of Christianity. “Behold,” said the people, “we
called these men drift-wood, and they have rich friends,
who have sent an English ship to inquire after them, and
bring them property, such as we never saw before We
ridiculed and called them liars, and behold they are men
of truth.” A few days after the vessel had sailed, a gene-
ral wish was expressed by the people to renounce heathen-
ism, and place themselves under Christian instruction. The
old grandfather of Tamatoa, however, was firm in his
determination to adhere to his heathen superstitions: for
being, at this time, in the midst of an idolatrous feast, which
was of several week's continuance, notwithstanding the
wishes of the people, the old chieftain determined to remain
at the marae, and complete the sacred ceremonies. While
yet there a beloved daughter was taken dangerously ill.
The priests were immediately on the alert, presenting
numerous offerings, and invoking the gods from morning
till evening, day after day, in order to induce them to
restore the child to health. The disease however increased,
and the girl died. The chief was so much affected at the
death of his daughter, that he determined at once to aban-
don the gods, who were so ungrateful as to requite his zeal
with such manifest unkindness, and, therefore, sent his son
early the next morning to set fire to his marae. Two
other maraes near it caught fire and were also consumed.
The son, enraged with the gods for destroying his sister,
went to a large marae, before which the people were pre-
senting their offerings, and attempted to set it on fire; but
was prevented by the worshippers, who seized an dragged
him away.
By such circumstances does God, in numberless instan-
BURNING OF THE MARAES, 85
ces, work upon the minds of men. This remark may be
illustrated by two important incidents which occurred at
Tahiti, one of which resembled that which took place at
Aitutaki.
When Pomare, the King of Tahiti, first determined to
embrace Christianity, and attempt the introduction of it
among his people, before taking any decided steps, he con-
vened a number of powerful and influential chiefs, and
stated his wishes to them. Very many made strong objec-
tions to the proposed innovation; but Tenania and his wife,
who were reigning chiefs of a neighbouring island, cordially
approved of the king's proposition, stating that they them-
selves had almost come to a determination to burn their
gods. This feeling had been induced by the death of a
beloved and only daughter, who was to inherit their titles
and estates; and, as might be expected, was the object in
which their affections centered, and on whom their hopes
were placed. She was a fine girl, about fifteen or sixteen
years of age, and when she was unexpectedly taken ill,
every priest of note far and near was applied to, and every
god propitiated with the most costly offerings which it was
in the power of this mighty chief to command. Still the
disease increased and the child died, and as this happened
only a short time before Pomare made his important prop-
osition, Tenania and his wife were then prepared to enter
most cordially into the king's wishes; for they were bit-
terly enraged against the gods they had in vain endeav-
oured to conciliate. Thus Pomare had the influence of a
powerful chief on his side, on the very first announcement
of his intentions. Tapoa, another chief of equal name, was
present at this important consultation. He was a mighty
warrior, the Buonaparte of the Tahitian and Society Isl- .
ands; and having conquered all the latter, had come to

8

86 INCIDENTS AT TAHITI. -
Tahiti, ostensibly to assist Pomare in regaining his ascend-
ency in that island, but actually, to conquer it for himself.
Tapoa was a bigoted idolater, and, at the meeting in ques.
tion, expressed his full determination to oppose, in every
possible way, so impious an innovation as the destruction
of the gods. Although ill at the time, he removed imme-
diately to Tahiti, for the purpose of making arrangements
for the battles he expected to fight; but disease made rapid
inroads upon his constitution, and he died very shortly after
he had attended the meeting of his brother chieftains. It
is the general opinion of intelligent natives to the present
day, that, had Tapoa lived, Christianity could not then
have been introduced among the people. These events
therefore, show us that, although the age of miracles has
ceased, God has ample means of effecting the purposes of
his love by the ordinary interpositions of his providence,
which are equally mighty to the pulling down of the strong
holds of heathen superstition, and in removing obstacles to
the progress of his truth.
As at Tahiti, so at Aitutaki, the downfall of idolatry was
accelerated by ordinary occurrences, in which, however,
a Divine agency was too conspicuous to escape observation.
So general and powerful was the impression on the minds
of the people of Aitutaki, by the circumstances I have nar-
rated, that on the Sabbath day after the death of the chief's
daughter, the people of several districts came, cast their
idols at the feet of the teachers, and professed themselves
worshippers of Jehovah. During the week the rest fol-
lowed; so that, by the next Sabbath, not a professed idol-
ater remained in the whole island. On the third Sabbath
in December, just about fifteen months after the teachers
landed on their shores, they had the delightful satisfaction
of seeing the whole of the inhabitants convened to worship
GIVING UP OF THE II)OLS. - 87
the one living and true God. Having no house which
would contain so great a number of people, they assembled
under the shade of a grove of Barringtonia and mape, or
chestnut trees, whose interwoven leaves and thick foliage
were at intervals penetrated by the rays of the sun, while
the cooling breeze from the ocean swept Softly among the
branches.
At the conclusion of the services of this memorable
day, Papeiha requested the people to attend a general
meeting which was to be held on the following morning,
when subjects of importance would be brought before
them. At the appointed hour, the whole of the inhabitants
of the island assembled, and after having spoken to them
of the immense labour they formerly bestowed in the erec-
tion of their maraes, and in the worship of their false gods,
he exhorted them to let “their strength, devotedness, and
steadfastness in the service of the true God, far exceed.”
He then made the two following propositions: — first,
“That all the maraes in the island should be burned, and
that all the remaining idols should be brought to him, in
order that he might forward them to us at Raiatea, that
we, with our people, might also rejoice in the triumphs of
the word.” The second proposition was, “That they
should commence immediately building a house in which
to worship Jehovah.” To both of these proposals, the
assembled multitude yielded their cordial assent. As soon
as the meeting broke up, a general conflagration of the
maraes took place ; and so complete was the destruction,
that, on the following morning, not a single idol temple
remained unmutilated.
The whole population then came in procession, district
after district, the chief and priest leading the way, and
the people following them, bearing their rejected idols,

SS ASTONISHMENT OF THE NATIVES
which they laid at the teacher's feet, and then received
from them in return a few copies of the Gospels and ele-
mentary books. Thus were the labours of two compara-
tively weak instruments rendered “mighty through God”
in effecting the utter overthrow of an idolatry, dark, debas-
ing, and sanguinary, which had shrouded the by-gone
generations of this verdant little island, and held them
bound in its fetters.
They commenced, immediately, the erection of their
chapel. The construction of the Aitutaki houses being
different from those of Tahiti, and not well adapted for a
large building, the teachers had to attend and direct the
builders in every particular. When the frame-work was
up, they took a reed's length of thatch and thatched up to
the ridge pole, and when the people saw how it was done,
they were so diligent in their good work that in two days
the whole roof, 200 feet in length, was completed.
Having been taught at Raiatea, the art of making lime
from coral rock, the teachers determined to plaster the
chapel, and therefore desired the chiefs to send their peo-
ple to cut down a large portion of fire-wood, and when
this was done, they requested them to send to the sea for
a quantity of coral rock, which was brought to the shore
and piled upon the fire-wood. The people did what they
were desired, but could not imagine what all this singular
process of preparation was to effect. At length, the
teachers requested them to set light to the fire-wood ; and,
as soon as it began to blaze, they could contain themselves
no longer, but commenced shouting, “Oh these foreigners,
they are roasting stones they are roasting stones come
hurricane and blow down our bananas and our bread-fruit,
we shall never suffer from famine again: these foreigners
are teaching us to roast stones.” The teachers told them
-

AT SEEING LIME BURNT. 89
to wait patiently and they would see the result. At day-
light the following morning, they hastened to the spot, and,
to their utter astonishment, the burnt coral was reduced to a
beautiful powder, and they were so surprised and delighted
at its softness and whiteness, that they actually white-
washed their hats and native garments, and strutted about
the settlement admiring each other exceedingly. A space
in the chapel being wattled, the teachers mixed up a por-
tion of the “roasted stone,” with some sand, and plastered
it on the space which had been prepared, taking care to
cover it up with mats, and to send the people away, lest
prompted by their curiosity, they should scratch it down,
before it became hard. Early on the next morning, they
all hastened to see this wonderful sight. The chiefs and
common people, men, women and children, hurried to the
spot ; and when the covering was removed, a sheet of
beautifully white plastering was presented to their aston-
ished view. All pressed forward to examine it; some
smelling it, some scratching it, whilst others took stones
and struck it, exclaiming, as they retired, “Wonderful,
wonderful " The very stones in the sea, and the sand on
the shore, become good property, in the hands of those
who worship the true God, and regard his good word.”
Thus singular and beneficial was the impression produced
by the introduction of useful arts among this people.
Not succeeding, after six or eight day's search, in dis-
covering Rarotonga, we steered for Mangaia. On reaching
the island, we descried a number of the natives on a sandy
beach, waving a white flag, which is a signal universally
understood in the islands of the Pacific, as intimating a
wish for friendly intercourse, or rather, that the parties
waving it should be approached. We replied by a similar
signal, to induce them to come off to us, but as they showed


8%
90 VISIT TO MANGAIA.
no disposition to accept our invitation, a boat was lowered
from the vessel, and Papeiha, with two other teachers,
approached the shore. We gave them strict injunctions
not to land, but to converse with the natives from the boat,
stating who we were and the object of our visit; and to
endeavour by all means to induce the chief of the island
to come off with them. The boat returned without
success. After some time, two canoes approached us,
and our boat went towards them, on perceiving which,
they paddled away as fast as it was in their power, leap-
ed on shore, seized their spears, and placed themselves in
an attitude of defence. The boat again returned without
accomplishing the object of our wishes. The natives came
off a third time, when we sent our boat again toward them;
and by the exhibition of knives and mother of pearl oyster
shells they were induced to allow themselves to be brought
to the vessel. After we had so far succeeded, we found
equal difficulty in getting any one of them to ascend the
ship, although we presented to them the chiefs from Aitu-
taki and the people of Rarotonga, who used all their elo-
quence to convince them that there was nothing to fear,
for that ours was a “ship of God.” After much persuasion,
one man ventured on board, and the other, as soon as he
perceived that the canoe was unloosed from the boat, pad-
dled off in great glee, and appeared determined not again
to place himself in so much jeopardy, by approaching the
vessel. The man who had ventured on board was much
agitated; and every muscle in his Herculean frame ap-
peared in motion. He inquired particularly the vessel's
name, saying, that it was the second they had seen: Tute,
(Captain Cook's) being the first. Being near the landing
place, we proposed that he should accompany the teachers
to the shore, and apparently delighted with the proposition,

THE TEACHERS LAND. 9?
-
with hasty steps he descended the ship's side into his canoe,
under a pretence of throwing out the water; but finding
himself once more safely seated in his own little bark, he
untied the rope and paddled away as if for his life, not
staying even to gaze upon the dangers he had escaped.
Thus our hopes were again blasted. In a consultation
upon the subject with the teachers, Papeiha said to us,
that he should have no objection to land among them.
There being no openings in the reef, through which the
boat could pass to the shore, with a readiness and devoted-
ness that heightened him in the estimation of every one
present, he offered to leap into the sea and swim through
the surf. Being accoutred for his daring exploit, he went
into the boat; and on reaching the reef, which extended
but a few yards from the shore, he perceived that the
natives were all armed, some with stones in their slings,
and others with their spears poised, ready in a moment to
defend their island against the expected invasion. Papeiha
addressed them, saying, that we were peaceably disposed,
and that he was coming on shore ; but unless they would
tie their spears in bundles with their slings, he would not
venture among them. They immediately did as he pro-
posed, when this devoted man dived into the sea, and was
borne on the top of a billow to the shore. Encouraged
by his kind reception, he stated to the chiefs and assem-
bled multitude, who we were, and what was the object of
our visit ; and also informed them that we had with us
two teachers and their wives, whom it was our wish to
settle among them. They told him that they should be
glad to receive instruction, and requested that he would
go to the vessel, and return with the teachers immediately.
Papeiha accordingly came off, and informed us of all that
had taken place; stating, at the same time, that he thought




92 BRUTALITY OF THE NATIVEs.
they were an inoffensive people, and that no danger was
to be apprehended from them. Some property was im-
mediately put into the boat; and two teachers, with their
wives, attended by our veteran pioneer, went to the shore.
By the time of their return, the natives had unloosed
their spears, and again presented a formidable appearance,
but upon being desired to bind them up, as they had done
before, they did so, and our people landed. No sooner
had the teachers reached the shore, than there was a gen-
eral seizure of their persons and property. One of them
had a saw which the natives grasped, broke into three
pieces, and tied to their ears as ornaments. A box of
bonnets, intended as presents for the chief's wives, was
dragged through the water. Of their bedsteads, one took
one post, another another, and ran off with their booty.
A number of bamboos of cocoa-nut oil were landed, which
they poured so profusely on each other's heads, that it
streamed down their bodies till they glistened as they
stood in the sunbeams. Among other things, there were
two pigs, annimals they had never seen before. These
were taken by a chief, who, casting off his own garments,
decorated the pigs in the insignia of chieftainship, and sent
them into the presence of their majesties, the gods. But
what completed the catastrophe was their conduct to the
poor females, the teacher's wives, whom they carried into
the woods and were proceeding to treat with great brutal-
ity, when, terrified at the report of a small cannon which
we fired off from the vessel, they ran away. We imme-
diately sent the boat and brought our people off to the
vessel; and certainly their appearance was truly deplora-
ble. Their hats and bonnets had been torn from their
heads; they had been dragged through water and through
mud, and their shirts and gowns were hanging in ribands
RESCUE OF THE TEACHERS. 93
about them. Papeiha upbraided the chief with his perfid-
ious conduct in inviting them on shore, and then suffering
them to be ill treated. He told him also that they, like
himself and his people, were formerly ignorant of the true
God, and the way of salvation by Jesus Christ; that Chris-
tians from England had come to instruct them, and that
now they were desirous of imparting the knowledge of
the same precious truths to others. The chief wept, and
assured him of his sorrow ; but stated, that in his island,
“all heads being of an equal height,” his influence was not
sufficient to protect them ; and, therefore, much as he
himself wished them to stay, he would rather they did not
come on shore again. The chief, it must be allowed, did
every thing in his power to protect them ; and succeeded
in rescuing one of the females, when in the extremity of
peril. The husbands being thrown and held down by the
natives, were prevented from rendering any assistance to
their wives; and our valuable missionary, Papeiha, nearly
lost his life, for they put a tiputa” over his head, and com-
menced twisting it for the purpose of strangling him ; but
he had however the presence of mind to introduce his hand
into the aperture, which preserved his throat.
Thus our pleasing anticipations were frustrated, and our
poor people suffered the “loss of all things,” in attempting
to introduce the Gospel into this island.
We left the island with feelings of deep regret, but re-
solved to embrace the first opportunity of sending two
single men, who, we had every reason to hope, would suf-
fer no other inconvenience than the loss of their property.
A few months after our return to Raiatea, the Deputation
* The tiputa is like the Spanish poncho, a piece of cloth about three quar-
ters of a yard wide and three yards long, with a slit in the centre, through
which the head is put, so that the garment hangs down before and behind,
|


94 TEACHERS SENT AGAIN TO MANGAI.
intending to touch at Mangaia, on their way to New South
Wales, it was determined that several teachers should ac-
company them. Davida and Tiere, two unmarried mem-
bers of the church at Tahaa, offered their services to carry
the Gospel to that island. On arriving at it, these two
devoted men, as Papeiha had done before them, leaped
into the sea and swam to the shore, taking nothing with
them but the light dresses which they wore, and a portion
of the New Testament in the Tahitian language, which
was carefully wrapt up and tied upon their heads. Con-
trary to expectation, they were kindly received, an afflic-
ting dispensation of Providence having very much subdued
the violent spirit of the people, and prepared the way be-
fore them ; for soon after our visit, a disease broke out
which was exceedingly fatal; the infant and the aged, the
chieftain and the peasant, fell alike beneath its deadly in-
fluence. Ascribing this calamitous visitation to the ven-
geance of the “God of the strangers,” whom they had ill
treated, they collected all the property they had taken
from us, and cast it into an immense cavern in one of the
mountains; making a vow to “the God of the strangers,”
that “if he would suspend the execution of his vengeance,
and conduct his worshippers again to their island, they
would receive them kindly, and give them food to eat.”
Thus again we had the pleasing task of recognising the
timely interposition of an all-wise and overruling Provi-
dence, adapting the means he employes to the circumstan-
ces of the people whose minds are to be influenced. And
it must be allowed that the event just narrated was calcu-
lated to produce as powerful an impression upon the minds
of such a people, as if they had been eye-witnesses to a
miraculous display of Divine power,

C H A P T E R Wi.
Visit to Atiu – Conversion of the King—The Power of Scripture Truth-
The Discovery of Mauke—Introduction of Christianity into it and Mitiaro
—Lord Byron's Testimony—Regard to the Sabbath-day by a Native
Crew—Go again in search of Rarotonga.
ON leaving Mangaia, we steered for Atiu. To this island,
our brother missionary, Mr. Orsmond, had sent two teach-
ers, some two or three months before our arrival. We
found them in a most pitiable condition, having been stripped
by the natives of every article of propety, suffering exceed-
ingly from hunger, and much disheartened by their want
of success. We had not been long near the island, when
we perceived a large double canoe approaching us, in the
centre of which, on an elevated stage, was seated the prin-
cipal chief. His person was tall and slender, and his as-
pect commanding. He was clothed in a white shirt, hav-
ing a piece of Indian print girt around his loins; his long
and beautiful black hair hung gracefully over his shoulders:
or waved in the passing breeze, as, with the motion of his
body, he kept time to the rowers. We gave him a hearty
welcome on board. Our friend from Aitutaki was so full
of zeal for the conversion of his brother chieftain, that, as
soon as he reached the deck, he led him away from us;
and commenced his work by informing him that the ma-
raes of Aitutaki were demolished, the great idols burnt
and the smaller ones were on board the ship, to be con-
veyed to Raiatea, the island from which the teachers came
who had instructed him. To this he added, that a large


96 VISIT TO ATIU.
white house made of “toka tuniu,” burnt or roasted stone,
had been erected, and dedicated to the worship of Jehovah,
who was the only true God. “All our offerings to our false
gods,” continued this now Christian chief, his counte-
nance gleaming with animation as he spoke, “cannot pro-
cure us pardon ; but God has given his Son Jesus Christ
to die for us, and through Him mercy is bestowed. I am
come,” said he, “to advise you to receive the good word.
Our gods were one formerly, mine are now all abandoned,
many of them destroyed ; let us both worship one God
again, but let it be the true God.” In confirmation of his
statements, he led the astonished chieftain into the hold of
the vessel, and exhibited to his view their once dreaded,
and, as they imagined, powerful gods, which were there
lying in degradation. By some circumstance, which I do
not now recollect this chief was induced to remain on
board during the night, and the following day being Sab-
bath, he attended worship. In the course of my address,
I read and commented upon what is said by David and
Isaiah in reference to idols. The mind of Roma-tane was
powerfully impressed by these vivid reprºentations of the
folly of idolatry, especially by the words, “with part thereof
he roasteth roast, and is satisfied; and the residue thereof
he maketh a god, and worshippeth it and prayeth unto it,
and saith, Deliver me, for thou art my God.” Nothing
could be better calculated to make an impression on the
mind of an intelligent South Sea Islander than these inimi-
table verses of inspired truth; indeed the effect is likely to
be far greater than that produced on the mind of an English
reader. The natives have two words not very much
unlike, but expressive of opposite ideas, – moa and moa,
the moa meaning sacred, and noa the very reverse of sacred,
All that pertains to the gods is the superlative of moa; and

-
THE CHIEF BECOMES A CONVERT. 97
all that pertains to food, and the cooking of food, superla-
tive of noa. The idea now, for the first time, darted, with
irresistible force, into the mind of Roma-tane; and he per-
ceived at once the excessive folly of making a god and
cooking food from one and the same tree, thus uniting two
opposite extremes, the moa and the noa. The astonished
chief appeared for some time lost in wonder. At length
he retired, and spent the whole of the night in conversation
with the teachers and chiefs from Aitutaki about the won-
derful truths he had heard, frequently rising up, and stamp-
ing with astonishment that he should have been deluded so
long, and expressing his determination never again to wor-
ship his idol gods. “Eyes, it is true,” said he, “they have ;
but wood cannot see : ears they have, but wood cannot
hear.”
Very early the following day, the teachers came to us with
this pleasing intelligence; and in a subsequent conversation
with the chief, he expressed to us his full determination to
demolish his maraes, to burn his idols, and to commence
immediately erecting a house for the worship of Jehovah.
We proposed that he should accompany us to the Society
Islands; to which he objected, saying, that he should not
go under the same favourable circumstances as his brother
chief from Aitutaki; besides which, he wished at once to
commence the good work, and expressed a desire to pur-
chase an axe from us, with which to cut down trees for
the posts of “God’s house.” The chief was now in haste
to leave us; but having heard that there were two small
islands in the vicinity of Atiu, one of which was unknown
to Europeans, we determined to go in search of them ; and
learning that Roma-tane was the chief, we proposed that
he should accompany us, and use his influence in procuring
a favourable reception for the teachers who were repulsed


9

98 HIS ZEAL AT MITIARO.
from Mangaia. In addition to this motive, we thought that
a few days’ further intercourse with us might prove bene-
ficial to our new convert, and were therefore glad when
he acceded to our proposal. The first evidence which he
gave of his sincerity, was an authoritative command that no
person should cut and scratch their heads and faces on ac-
count of his absence; which they commonly do, under
such circumstances, with sharp stones and sharks' teeth.
On our arrival at Mitiaro, the king sent for the resident
chief of the island, to whom he stated that the object of his
visit was to exhort him and the people to burn the maraes,
abandon the worship of their gods, and place themselves
under the instruction of a teacher whom we were about to
leave with them, and who would teach them the word and
worship of the true God, Jehovah. He wished, moreover,
that the house they were erecting for himself should be
converted into a house of prayer, under the direction of the
teacher. The people listened with astonishment, and
inquired if the gods would not all be enraged, and strangle
them. “No,” replied the king, “it is out of the power of the
wood, that we have adorned and called a god, to kill us.”
“But,” said one, “must we burn Taria-nui' or Great Ears.”
“Yes,” replied the king, “commit him and all the evil spirits
to the flames.” He then requested them to behave with
kindness to Taua, the teacher, and give attention to his in-
structions. They asked the king if he would not come to
the celebration of the great festival which he had ordered
them to prepare. He replied that he should come, but that
it would be on a different business. “I shall come,” said
the chief, “to behold your steadfastness in this good work,
and your kindness to the teacher you have received.”
* The name of the god of which the king himself was the priest.
MITIARO. 99
Having been graciously prospered to the utmost bounds
of our expectations at Mitiaro, we proceeded, with grate-
ful hearts and excited expectations, in search of Mauke,
which we succeeded in finding, without much difficulty,
the chief having directed us correctly. On arriving at this
island, the king conducted the teacher and his wife to the
shore. Tararo, the chief, with a number of the people,
were waiting on the beach to welcome their king. The
first words he uttered as he leaped on the shore were, “I
am come to advise you to receive the word of Jehovah,
the true God, and to leave with you a teacher and his
wife, who will instruct you. Let us destroy our maraes,
and burn all the evil spirits with fire: never let us worship
them again. They are wood, which we have carved and
decorated, and called gods. Here is the true God and his
word, and a teacher to instruct you. The true God is
Jehovah, and the true sacrifice is his Son Jesus Christ.”
He exhorted them also to erect a house in which to wor-
ship the true God, and to be diligent in learning his good
word. After the astonishment produced by the king's ad-
dress had subsided a little, the natives replied, that as he
assured them that it was a “good word and brought sal-
vation, they would receive it, and place themselves under
the instruction of the teacher. The king then invited the
principal chief Tararo and his wife to attend family wor-
ship that evening, to which they consented. After this,
they inquired of the king when they might expect him at
the great festival, which they were preparing for him ;
and at another, called Takurua, at which the most obscene
ceremonies were performed. He replied, that “all those
infamous customs, connected with the worship of their
false gods, should now be abandoned : but that he would




100 REFLECTIONS.
word.” After this, he exhorted the people to behave
kindly to Haavi and his wife, and to supply them with
plenty of food. He then gave them a new house which
had been erected for himself, shook hands with them af.
fectionately, and came on board the vessel. Were three
islands ever converted from idolatry in so short a time so
unexpectedly l—islands almost unknown, and two never
before visited by any European vessell In, as it were,
one day, they were induced to consent to the destruction
of what former generations had venerated, and they them-
selves looked upon as most sacred.
It is a pleasing reflection, that the very first vessel which
visited the islands of Mitiaro and Mauke carried the glad
tidings of salvation to them. In this people the words of
the Psalmist have a striking fulfilment: “As soon as they
hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall sub-
mit themselves unto me.” The sun had risen with his
wonted splendour, gilding the eastern heavens with his
glory; and little did the inhabitants of Mauke and Mitiaro
imagine, that before he retired beneath the horizon in the
western sky, Ichabod would be written upon the idolatry
of their ancestors. How sudden and unexpected, at times,
are the gifts of a bountiful Providence How unlooked-
for, unsought, the communications of God’s mercy! The
king of Atiu came on board of our vessel to gratify his curi-
osity, and was at that time a bigoted idolater, having even
threatened to put the teachers to death; but was induced
to embrace the truth himself—to use his influence in over-
throwing the superstitions of ages in two islands—and
then to return to his own, with a full determination to do
the same there. Could we be restrained from exclaiming,
“It is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes!”
Our troubles at Mangaia were forgotten in the joy we now
CAPTAIN LORD By RoN’s TESTIMONY. 101
experienced, and the present failure at that island was
compensated by the abundant success which attended us
here.
The next vessel which visited Mauke was his Majesty’s
superb frigate, the Blonde, commanded by the Hon. Cap-
tain Lord Byron, who had just conveyed the bodies of the
deceased chiefs of the Sandwich Islands to their own
country. From the published Narrative of that voyage I
present the following extract:-
Extract from the Voyage of H. JM. Ship Blonde, the Right
Hon. Captain Lord Byron, Commander.
“On the 8th of August, to our great surprise, land was de-
scried from the mast-head; and as it was uncertain, from its posi-
tion, whether it was one of the islands discovered by Captain
Cook, we bore up for it. A boat was lowered, and Mr. Malden,
with a reconnoitring party, proceeded towards the shore, with
strict injunctions, however, to be very cautious in endeavouring
to ascertain the disposition of the natives, before he attempted to
land among them. On our approaching the island, we attempted,
by signs, to induce a man to swim off to the boat; this he na-
turally enough refused to do; but, from his gesticulations, we un-
derstood that there was no landing-place there; yet on the other
side of the island we should find one.
Next morning we proceeded to the lee-side of the Island, and
perceiving several canoes coming off to us, we lay to for them.
The first that reached us was a single man, whose costume soon
convinced us that we were not the first visiters of this solitary
place. He wore a straw hat, shaped like a common English
hat; and besides his maro, or waist-cloth, he wore a cloak of
tapa, of the same form with the South American poncho. While
we were questioning our visiter, another canoe of very singular
construction came alongside of us. Two persons, who, by their


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102 CAPTAIN LORD ByRoN's TESTIMONy.
dress and appearance, seemed to be of some importance, now step-
ped on board, and, to our great surprise, produced a written docu-
ment from that branch of the London Missionary Society settled
at Otaheite, qualifying them to act as teachers in the island of
Mauke. They were very fine-looking men, dressed in cotton
shirts, cloth jackets, and a sort of petticoat of very fine mat, in-
stead of trowsers.
They were much astonished at every thing they saw on board
the frigate, though it appeared they were not ignorant of the use
of guns and other things; but they evidently had never seen so
large a vessel. The galley-fire and the players on wind instru-
ments in the band seemed to surprise and delight them more than
any thing. Our bread they ate, after smelling it ; but it is impos-
sible to describe their faces of disgust on tasting the wine.
As soon as their curiosity was satisfied, we determined to avail
ourselves of their local knowledge as guides, and to go on shore.
We embarked in two boats, taking one of the Missionaries in
each; but we found the surf on the beach so violent that we got
into the natives’ canoes, trusting to their experience for taking us
safely through ; this they did with admirable dexterity; and our
passage in the canoes convinced us that no boat of ours could
have effected a landing. When we arrived, it appeared as if the
whole male population had assembled to greet us; the only two
women, however, were the wives of the Missionaries, decently
clothed from head to foot. Each individual of this numerous as-
sembly pressed forward to shake hands, and seemed unhappy till
this sign of friendship had passed; this ceremony being over,
they conducted us towards their habitations, which were about
two miles inland. Our path lay through a thick shady wood, on
the skirts of which, in a small open space, two handsome canoes
were building. They wore each eighty feet long; the lower part,
as usual, of a single tree, hollowed out with great skill. The
road was rough over the fragments of coral, but it wound agree-
ably through the grove, which improved in beauty as we advan-
ced; and at length, to our surprise and pleasure, terminated in a
CAPTAIN Lord BYRON's TESTIMONY. 103
beautiful green lawn, where were two of the prettiest white-washed
cottages imaginable—the dwellings of the Missionaries.
The inside of their dwellings corresponded with their exterior
neatness. The floors were boarded ; there were a sofa and some
chairs, of native workmanship; windows, with venetian shutters,
rendered the apartments cool and agreeable. The rooms were
divided from each other by screens of tapa, and the floor was
covered with coloured varnished tapa, resembling oil cloth. We
were exceedingly struck with the appearance of elegance and
cleanliness of all around us, as well as with the modest and deco-
rous behaviour of the people, especially the women.
After partaking of the refreshment offered us by our hostess,
which consisted of a baked pig, bread-fruit, and yams, we accom-
panied the Missionaries to their church. It stands on rising
ground, about four hundred yards from the cottages. A fence,
composed of the trunks of cocoa-nut trees, surrounds the area in
which it stands. Its form is oval, and the roof is supported by
four pillars, which bear up the ridge. It is capable of containing
two hundred persons. Two doors and twelve windows give it
light and air : the pulpit and reading-desk are neatly carved and
painted with a variety of pretty designs, and the benches for the
people are arranged neatly round. Close to the church is the
burying-place, which is a mound of earth covered with green
sward : and the whole has an air of modest simplicity, which de-
lighted no less than surprised us.”
After giving a short account of the introduction of Christianity
among this interesting people, the writer proceeds : — “Thus, in
one day, and that the first in which a vessel from the civilized
world touched there, the superstitions of ages were overturned,
and the knowledge of the true God brought among a docile, and,
generally speaking, innocent people.
“ On our return to the beach, one of the Missionaries accom-
panied us. As we retraced our steps through the wood, the
warbling of the birds, whose plumage was as rich as it was
new to us – the various-tinted butterflies that fluttered across our


104 MY BOAT DRIVEN TO ATIU.
path—the delicious climate—the magnificent forest trees—and,
above all, the perfect union and harmony existing among the
natives—presented a succession of agreeable pictures which
could not fail to delight us.”
I called at the island shortly after the visit of the Blonde.
The Missionaries and people spoke with gratitude and de-
light of the kindness shown by his Lordship and other gen-
tlemen, while they exihibited the valuable presents they
had received from their generous visiters.
The work at Atiu was equally rapid. Messrs. Tyer-
man and Bennett were the next visiters to that island ;
and the first intelligence they received on approaching it
was, that the whole population had renounced their idols,
and had built a large chapel. This great work had been
accelerated by the arrival of a boat of mine, which had
been sent to Tahiti, to communicate the painful intelligence
of the death of Mrs. Threlkeld, the wife of my excellent co-
adjutor. She arrived in safety at Tahiti, but on her return to
Raiatea, lost her way; we, therefore, concluded that she
had sunk and that the crew had perished at sea. But in this
we were happily mistaken ; for, after having been driven
about the ocean for six weeks, during which time they
suffered exceedingly from hunger and thirst, they reached
Atiu. Here, by the attention of their brethrer, the teachers,
and the hospitality of Roma-tane, they soon regained both
flesh and strength. Several of them immediately united
with the teachers in preaching the Gospel, and instructing
the people: the effect of which was, that the remaining half
of the population, till then unconverted, believed, and cast
away their idols. “Now we know,” said many, “that
this religion is true; for these people could not have come
here to deceive us; they were driven by the waves of the

SUFFERINGS OF THE CREW. 105
ocean, and, behold, they have their books with them ; and
the God to whom they prayed has preserved them.” Here,
again, we have another striking indication of an overruling
Providence, and are shown how distressing events are often
made subservient to God’s designs of mercy. “His ways
are past finding out.” The crew in this boat would, in
all probability, have perished, had it not been for a little
pot of rice, which a friend had sent to Mrs. Williams.
They had exhausted all their food; and every drop of
water long ago had been drunk, when they divided out
the rice, and eat it, a grain at a time, moistening their
mouths, by dipping the fibrous husk of the cocoa-nut in
oil, and thoroughly masticating it. They spent their time
in reading the Scriptures, singing hymns, and praying to
God to preserve them from perishing by famine, or being
drowned in the ocean. So great was the regard they paid
to the Sabbath that the individual who had charge of the
boat informed me, that, on one occasion, a large fish con-
tinued near them for a considerable time, which they
could easily have caught; but, although nearly famished,
they held a consultation whether it was right for them to
take it, and determined “that they would not catch fish on a
Sabbath day.” God graciously heard their prayers; con-
ducted them to Atiu ; rendered them useful there, and
afterwards restored them to their relatives and friends. I
mention this circumstance to show the tenderness of their
consciences, and not as approving of the ignorance in
which it originated. Had they known the meaning of the
Saviour's words, “I will have mercy, and not sacrifice,”
they would have taken the fish.
A variety of interesting little incidents occurred at
Mauke and Mitiaro, where the natives had never before
seen Europeans or European animals. The simple-hearted

106 NATIVE EXPRESSIONS OF WONDER.
inhabitants were much astonished at our appearance, took
hold of our hands, smelt us, turned up our sleeves, exam-
ined us most minutely, and being delighted with the white-
ness of our skin, concluded that we must be very great
chiefs. -
When the boat was put into the sea, they involuntarily
shouted, “It will upset ! it will upset it has no out-rigger "
On seeing the goats, they called to their companions to
come and look at the wonderful “birds with great teeth
upon their heads.” These innocent expressions of ignorant
astonishment, with others too numerous to mention, show
the impression made upon a barbarous people by their first
intercourse with civilized man. Our fish-hooks, too, they
looked upon with ineffable contempt; and placing them
beside the thick hooks made from cocoa-nut-shells, pearl-
shells, and wood, exclaimed, “If the fish break these that
are so thick and strong, alas! for such slender things"
We had still one more island to seek; and, finding
Roma-tane exceedingly intelligent, we inquired of him if
he had ever heard of Rarotonga : “Oh, yes!” he replied,
“it is only a day and a night's sail from Atiu ; we know
the way there.” This information delighted us; but when
we inquired of him the position in which it lay, he at one
time pointed in one direction, and at another in quite the
opposite. But this was soon explained; for the natives,
in making their voyages, do not leave from any part of an
island, as we do, but, invariably, have what may be called
starting-points. At these places they have certain landmarks
by which they steer, until the stars become visible; and they
generally contrive to set sail so as to get sight of their
heavenly guides, by the time their landmarks disappear.
Knowing this, we determined to adopt the native plan,
and steered our vessel round to the “starting-point.” Hav-

CORRECTNESS OF NATIVE INFORMATION. 107
ing arrived there, the chief was desired to look to the
landmarks, while the vessel was being turned gradually
round; and when his marks on the shore ranged with each
other, he cried out, “That’s it ! that is it ! I looked imme-
diately at the compass, and found the course to be S. W.
by W.; and it proved to be as correct as if he had been an
accomplished navigator. I mention this circumstance, be-
cause I think it to be of universal importance to all persons
in every scientific or other expedition, who seek infor-
mation from natives, as it shows the correctness of their
knowledge; but they must be allowed to communicate it
in their own particular way. I was struck, a few days
ago, in reading the address of R. King, Esquire, the sur-
geon of the Northern Expedition, who stated, “That the
expedition had failed to derive advantage from the inform-
ation of the natives, by perplexing them with questions,
and presenting doubts, instead of allowing them, with
charcoal, to draw a rough chart upon a piece of board,” &c.
So it was with us; and, had we not adopted the method
we did, Rarotonga, in all probability, would have been
unblessed with the knowledge of salvation to the present
day. -
When we had accomplished all we could at Atiu, a
large double canoe came off for our interesting guest, to
whom we presented an axe or two, to cut down trees for
posts for the “house of God,” with some other useful
articles. He then took an affectionate farewell of us,
seated himself upon his elevated stage, beat time to the
rowers, and hastened on shore to carry the important pur-
poses of his mind into execution: – not, as he came on
board, a bigoted idolater, but a convert to the truth !



C H A P T E R VII.
Rarotonga discovered—Pleasing and distressing Incidents there—Papeiha's
devoted conduct—Conversation between a Native Sailor and the King–
Remarkable Incident of a Heathen Woman—Return Home—Exhibition
of the Idols—Native Speeches, &c.
AFTER leaving Atiu, we were baffled and perplexed for
several days by contrary winds. Our provisions were
nearly expended, and our patience all but exhausted, when,
early in the morning of the day on which we discovered
the island, the captain came to me, and said, “We must,
Sir, give up the search, or we shall all be starved.” I
replied, that we would continue our course till eight o'clock,
and if we did not succeed by that time, we would return
home. This was an hour of great anxiety; hope and fear
agitated my mind. I had sent a native to the top of the
mast four times, and he was now ascending for the fifth ;
and when we were within half an hour of relinquishing
our object, the clouds which enveloped its towering heights,
having been chased away by the heat of the ascending sun,
he relieved us from our anxiety by shouting “Teie, teie, taua,
fenua nei!” Here, here is the land we have been seeking !
The transition of feeling was so instantaneous and so great,
that, although a number of years have intervened, I have
not forgotten the sensations which that announcement
occasioned. The brightened countenances, the joyous
expressions, and the lively congratulations of all on board
showed that they shared in the same emotions; nor did

RAROTONGA. DISCOVERED, I 09
we fail to raise our voices in grateful acknowledgements to
Him who had graciously “led us by a right way.”
It would be pleasant to linger here, and to describe the
varied feelings we experienced, as the lovely island un-
veiled its beauties to our view. The high mountains, the
rocky eminences, and the luxuriant valleys called forth
our admiration; the recollection of the degraded state of
the inhabitants, extorted the tear of sympathy; while the
doubtful nature of our reception awakened intense solici-
tude. We “wondered and held our peace, to wit whether
the Lord would make our journey prosperous or not.”
On reaching the island, the canoe we purchased at
Aitutaki was sent on shore, with one of the natives of
Rarotonga, Vahineino, and Papeiha. Meeting with a most
favourable reception, a consultation was immediately held
with an immense assemblage of the natives, under the
shade of a grove of Temanu trees; when the teachers
stated the object of our voyage, informed the people of
the renunciation of idolatry at the various islands we
had visited ; and added that we had brought their own
people from Aitutaki, with Christian teachers, whom it
was our wish to leave at their island, to instruct them in
the knowledge of the true God, and the way of salvation,
by his Son, Jesus Christ. All appeared delighted, and the
king determined to come on board, and conduct them to
the shore.
We gave the king a most cordial welcome, and intro-
duced to him his people; among whom was his own cousin.
He was particularly delighted to see her ; they rubbed
noses most cordially, and fell on each other's neck and
wept. After much interesting intercourse, it was arranged
that the teachers, with their wives, and the natives of
Rarotonga, together with Papeiha, should accompany the


10

110 ILL TREATMENT of THE TEACHER's wives.
king to the shore. They did so; and we stood off for the
night, rejoicing and praising God for all the delightful and
important events of the day.
The king, whose name is Makea, is a handsome man, in
the prime of life, about six feet high, and very stout; of
noble appearance, and of a truly commanding aspect. He
is of a light complexion; his body is most beautifully tat-
tooed, and was slightly coloured with a preparation of
turmeric and ginger, which gave it a light orange tinge,
and in the estimation of the Rarotongans, added much to
the beauty of his appearance.
Early the following morning, the teachers, with their
wives, came off to the vessel; and to our surprise and
deep regret, gave us an account of the terrible treatment
the females had experienced during the greater part of
the night; exhibiting their tattered garments is confirma-
tion of their tale of wo. It appears that a powerful chief,
who had conquered the principal part of the island, had
come with a large retinue, for the purpose of taking one
of the female teachers away as a wife. He had already
nineteen, and the teacher was to be the twentieth, and the
chief of the seraglio. Tapaireu, the cousin of Makea,
who was a person of influence, and a woman of great
intrepidity, argued, wept, and even fought for the preser-
vation of those from whom she had received so much
kindness; and to her alone, under God, may we attribute
the preservation of the females on that trying occasion.
All the chiefs were anxious that the teachers should remain,
and said, that it would be very good for the men to stay,
and teach them the word of God, and for their chiefs to
have their wives.
These statements will give the reader an idea of the
licentiousness of heathenism, as it exists before one ray of
PAPEIHA’s of FER. III
Christian light has beamed upon its darkness. It so outrages
all decency, that the heart is hurried away in horror and
disgust from the contemplation of the deep moral degrada-
tion into which our race is sunk.
Discouraged by the reception we met with, and being
about, for a time, to abandon this inviting field of labour,
our excellent friend, Papeiha, instead of uniting with us in
useless regrets, offered to remain alone at Rarotonga, pro-
vided we would send a coadjutor, whom he named, from
Raiatea. We rejoiced in the proposition; and leaving his
property in the vessel, after taking an affectionate farewell
of us, this truly devoted man got into a canoe and went
on shore, carrying nothing with him but the clothes he
wore, his native Testament, and a bundle of elementary
books. The two men and four women, natives of Raro-
tonga, whom we had brought from Aitutaki, had all em-
braced Christianity some time before, and promised stead-
fastly to maintain their profession among their heathen
countrymen. Thus Papeiha was not left desolate, but sur-
rounded by a little company who were ardently attached
to him, and who were indebted to his instructions for all
they knew of the religion of the Gospel. We followed
him with the prayer, that his little flock might become the
germ of a Christian church in Rarotonga, and that, by
their instrumentality, the incorruptible seed of the Word
might be scattered throughout its numerous population.
Nor were we disappointed ; for, by the time Tiberio,
Papeiha's colleague, arrived, which was about four months
after our departure, he and his little band had received
many additions to their number. And when our esteemed
friends, Messrs. Tyerman and Bennett, visited the island,
which was but little more than a twelvemonth after its
discovery, the whole population had renounced idolatry,



112 NATIVE SAILOR AND THE KING,
and were engaged in erecting a place of worship, six hun-
dred feet in length !
To this speedy and delightful result of our labours, the
various conversations which our people had held with the
natives, may, in a great measure, have contributed. Our
native sailor, Faaori, who was the bearer of the message
from Aitutaki, was busily employed during the whole of
our stay in hearing and answering their questions. One
inquired of him where Taimoani, the great drum, was,
which the two priests, Paoauri and Paoatea, took to Raia-
tea 7 Another demanded, “Why did you Raiateans kill
those men, whose death induced the gods to remove our
island to its present situation ?” The king was anxious
to know where great Tangaroa was Faaori replied, “He
is burned, and we shall never worship him again.” He
then asked if many of the people were not strangled by
the gods in anger ? and was assured that not a single indi-
vidual was hurt. The king then inquired who burned the
gods—the Cookees; or Tamotea and his people Faaori
told him that the Cookees had taught them the folly of idol-
atry, and had given them instruction in the word and
worship of Jehovah, the true God, and that they themselves
destroyed the maraes and burned the gods. The king in-
quired of Faaori who was the first man, according to the
Cookees' account 1 He replied, Adam. The people affirmed
that it was Tiki. Faaori then asked them who was the
* This evidently shows that the Rarotongans have the same traditions as
the Raiateans; and, by the variety of information they possessed, relative
to the Society Islands generally, but more especially to Raiatea, that being
the grand emporium of idolatry, it is certain that at some former period more
frequent communication must have existed between the islanders.
# A name given by the natives to all English people, from their having
heard of Captain Cook.
NATIVE SAILOR AND THE KING, I 13
first woman They answered, Tiki's wife. He inquired
of them where she had come from ? To this question they
could give no answer. He then told them that the first
woman's name was Eve, and that she was a rib taken out
of the first man that Jehovah made. They inquired how
that was possible He informed them that God caused a
deep sleep to fall upon the first man, and took out a rib,
of which he made the first woman. This was all new to
them, and they listened with intense interest to his state-
ments, many exclaiming, “Perhaps this is truth.” They
inquired if the bodies of those who embraced this Word
would die? Faaori told them that the body would die, but
that the soul was described in the word of God as of the
greatest value, and that the souls of all who believed in
Jesus Christ would live for ever. They asked him how
the Raiateans acted in war ! He informed them that,
while in the service of Satan, they were exceedingly cruel
to each other; that women were barbarously treated, and
that children had skewers run through their ears, and
were strung together; but that now they had ceased to
fight; and, instead of being pierced with spears, or beat
to death with the clubs of the warriors, they died in peace
in their own habitations, surrounded by their friends.
“And,” continued this useful man, “out of pure compassion
we have come to bring these blessings to you, before you
entirely destroy each other by your wars, and the worship
of your infamous gods.” The natives then asked Faaori
what the “tuetue” was As he did not comprehend what
they said, they knelt down, shut their eyes, and began to
mutter; by which he understood what they meant, and
informed them that it was prayer, and that while they
were ill-treating the teachers, they were praying to God
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114 REPORT OF A HEATHEN WOMAN.
Jehovah to change their hearts, and incline them to receive
the word of salvation.
But perhaps the following most remarkable circumstance
may have contributed in no small degree to induce the
people thus speedily to embrace the truth:-A heathen
woman had, by some means or other, been conveyed from
the island of Tahiti to Rarotonga, and on her arrival she
informed the Rarotongans of all the wonders she had seen;
stating that they were not the only people in the world;
that there were others entirely white, whom they called
Cookees; that Captain Cook had been to her island, and
that, subsequently to his visit, the servants of Jehovah and
Jesus Christ, the white man's God, had come and were
still residing there; that at her island they had ceased to
use stone axes for hewing their trees; for those servants
of Jehovah, and others, had brought sharp things which
they called opahi, with which they could cut them down
with the greatest facility ; that they had also ceased to
use human bones as tools for making canoes and building
houses, for the same people had brought them sharp hard
things, with which they could effect their work with far
greater ease ; that their children did not now cry and
scream when they had their hair cut, as they formerly did,
when it was performed with sharks' teeth, for the Cookees
had brought them bright things, which were so sharp that
the operation afforded pleasure rather than pain; and that
they had no need now to go down to the water to look at
themselves, because these wonderful people had brought
them small shining things, which they could carry about
with them, and in which they could see themselves as
plainly as they could see each other. These, with a variety
of other “mea tu ke,” or very strange things, which this
heathen female told the astonished inhabitants of this se-
EXHIBITION OF IDOLS. 115
cluded garden of the ocean, excited so much interest, that
the king, Makea, called one of his children “Tehovah,”
(Jehovah) and another Jesus Christ. An uncle of the
king, whom we hope is at this time a truly good man,
erected an altar to Jehovah and Jesus Christ, and to it
persons afflicted with all manner of diseases were brought
to be healed; and so great was the reputation which this
marae obtained, that the power of Jehovah and Jesus
Christ became great in the estimation of the people.
With grateful hearts we now turned our faces home-
wards; where, after eight or ten day's sail, we arrived in
safety. And as other warriors feel a pride in displaying
trophies of the victories they win, we hung the rejected
idols of Aitutaki to the yard-arms and other parts of the
vessel, entered the harbour in triumph, sailed down to the
settlement, and dropped anchor, amidst the shouts and
congratulations of our people.
On the following Friday evening the idols were sus-
pended about the chapel, the chandeliers of which were
lighted up as before. Service was &ommenced by sing-
ing, in the native language, the Jubilee Hymn, “Faaoto
‘tu,” “Blow ye the trumpet, blow,” &c. Having given
a brief outline of the voyage, the chiefs from Aitutaki
were introduced to the assembly; when several addresses
were delivered by the natives, of which the two following
are specimens:–
“This, dear friends,” said Tuahine, “is not the first day of
my joy. These varua ino were seen through the telescope, while
hanging to the yard-arms of the vessel, as she entered the har-
bour. Beholdſ we now see them hanging here. There are some
things we term the poison of the sea ; these idols hanging here
were the poison of the land, for both body and soul were poisoned

116 NATIVE SPEECHES.
by them. But let us rejoice, their reign is over. We did not
think that they would have been obtained so soon.”
Addressing himself to the regardless and unconverted
portion of the assembly, he said, -
“Behold ! these are still your gods, although you do not ac.
knowledge them;” and then he exhorted them, earnestly and
affectionately, to turn to Jesus, by whose power alone these idols
were conquered. “And how,” added he, “can you resist his
power The gods of wood are food for the fire, but the God
without form is beyond your strength ; his head cannot be
reached 2 These gods are conquered; but the invisible God will
remain for ever. The idols now hanging in degradation before
us were formerly unconquerable; but the power of God is gone
forth, by which men become Christians, and savages brethren in
Christ.”
A second arose and said,
“We have been praying that God would exert his power, and
cause his word to grow, that his good kingdom might come ; and
now, behold, every man, with his own eyes, may see the effects
of that power. These idols have not been obtained by spears
clotted with human blood, as formerly: no guns, no clubs; no
other weapon but the powerful Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Formerly all was theirs, pigs, fish, food, men, women, and chil-
dren; and now, behold them suspended in contempt before us.
This is not the commencement of our joy. We saw the idols
hanging about the vessel, and gladness sprang in our hearts.
They called our ship the ship of God, and truly it was so, for
it carried the Gospel to distant islands, and brought back the
trophies of its victory. Does praise grow in every heart? is joy
felt by all? Then let us not only rejoice that “devils are sub-
ject to us, but also that our names are written in the book of
life.”

ACCOUNT OF THE IDOLS. 117
I obtained from the chief of Aitutaki a short account of
the relics of idolatry. Twenty-five of these I numbered,
and transmitted, with their names and history, to the De-
putation then at Tahiti; six others were sent to England,
and many of them are now in the Missionary Museum.
The following selection may give the reader a general
idea of the whole :-
No. 2. An idol named Te-rongo, one of the great deities,
called a kai-tangata, or man-eater. The priests of this idol
were supposed to be inspired by the shark.
No. 8. Tangaroa ; the great national god of Aitutaki, and of
almost all the adjacent islands. He holds the net with which he
catches the spirits of men as they fly from their bodies, and a
spear with which he kills them.
No. 15. A rod, with snares at the end, made of the fibres of
the cocoa-nut husk, with which the priest caught the spirit of the
god. It was used in cases of pregnancy, when the female was
ambitious that her child should be a son, and become a famous
warrior. It was also employed in war time to catch the god by
his leg, to secure his influence on the side of the party performing
the ceremony. (See page 80, No. 2.)
No. 18. Ruanuu ; a chief from Raiatea, who, ages ago, sailed
in a canoe from that island, and settled at Aitutaki. From him
a genealogy is traced. He died at Aitutaki, and was deified, as
Te atua iaitai tere, or the conductor of fleets. The Raiateans
have several interesting traditions connected with Ruanuu. To
this idol was appended an old tattered silk handkerchief, and the
foot of a wine-glass; both of which were obtained from Captain
Cook’s vessel, and dedicated to Ruanuu, the “god or guide of
fleets,” for conducting that celebrated navigator to their shores.
No. 25. Taau, with his fan, &c., the god of thunder. When
the thunder peals, the natives said that this god was flying, and
producing this sound by the flapping of his wings.


118 ACCOUNT OF THE IDOLS.
While procuring from the chief the descriptions above
given, he begged of me to allow the idols to be burned in
cooking food, and not sent to England, as they would
expose his folly. Pomare, it will be recollected, wished
his to be sent, in order “that English people might see
what foolish gods Tahiti worshipped.”
C H A P T E R VIII.
Mr. Bourne's Voyage— Accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Pitman, with Mrs.
Williams and Family, we sail for Rarotonga–Dangers experienced in
landing—Idols delivered up—Chapel erected—Writing on a Chip ; the
Wonder it excited—Mr. Pitman's narrow Escape—Books prepared in
the Language — A Sabbath at Rarotonga.
THE Hervey group was next visited by my esteemed col-
league, Mr. Bourne, who was much delighted with the
great progress that had been made at all the islands. He
opened several places of worship, and baptized a great
number of the natives.
Our friend, the chief of Atiu, had performed all that he
promised ; and, having completed the chapel, he was em-
ployed in erecting for himself a plastered house, seventy-
three feet in length, and thirty in breadth. Just before
Mr. Bourne’s arrival, the captain of an English whaler,
which had been at the island, left the following written
testimony to the kind attention he had received from the
inhabitants:—
“I visited this island for the purpose of obtaining refresh-
ments; and although, in some measure, prepared to expect
civility, their excessive kindness exceeded my utmost expecta-
tions. They appear a mild and inoffensive people, and have no
warlike instruments among them. We remained here on Sunday,
and never, in any country, saw such attention paid to the Sab-
bath.”


120 MR. Bourne's Account.
In reference to Aitutaki, Mr. Bourne says—
“They have built a coral pier, six hundred feet in length, and
eighteen feet in breadth. The number of plastered houses in
the settlement is one hundred and forty-four, in many of which
are bedsteads and sofas. The female teachers have taught the
women to make good bonnets. They are diligent in learning,
and numbers can read. Family and private prayer is very gen-
eral. Every thing has remained quiet since our last visit; neither
war nor rumour of war has been seen or heard, although formerly
it was their greatest delight, and the bodies of their slain enemies
formed the horrible repast at the conclusion of every engagement.”
Respecting Rarotonga, after having given an account of
the large congregations to which he preached, the num-
bers he baptized, &c., Mr. Bourne observes,
“Much has been said in Europe, &c., concerning the success
of the Gospel in Tahiti and the Society Islands, but it is not to
be compared with its progress in Rarotonga. In Tahiti, Euro-
pean Missionaries laboured for fifteen long years before the least
fruit appeared. But two years ago Rarotonga was hardly known
to exist, was not marked in any of the charts, and we spent much
time in traversing the ocean in search of it. Two years ago the
Rarotongans did not know that there was such good news as the
Gospel. And now I scruple not to say, that their attention to
the means of grace, their regard to family and private prayer,
equals whatever has been witnessed at Tahiti and the neighbour-
ing islands. And when we look at the means, it becomes more
astonishing. Two native teachers, not particularly distinguished
among their own countrymen for intelligence, have been the
instruments of effecting this wonderful change, and that before a
single Missionary had set his foot upon the island. I could not
help earnestly desiring the presence of my brother Williams, that

SAIL FOR RAROTONGA. 121
as we shared in the disappointments experienced in our last voy-
age, we might share the joy which the change that has since
taken place is calculated to produce.”
By a vessel that touched there some short time after, I
received letters from Papeiha and his colleague, stating
that they enjoyed uninterrupted prosperity, and expressing
a wish that I would come and spend a few months with
them, as the work was “so heavy that they could not
carry it.” I therefore determined to embrace the first
opportunity of doing so. -
Mr. and Mrs. Pitman, who were at New South Wales,
on their way to the islands, when the Deputation arrived
there, resolved, upon the advice and representations of
those gentlemen, to settle at Rarotonga. With this inten-
tion, on their arrival at the Society Islands they came to
reside with us at Raiatea, to obtain a knowledge of the
language, and wait until a companion should arrive from
England; the delicate health both of Mr. and Mrs. Pitman
rendering it unadvisable that they should proceed there
alone. On being made acquainted with our determination
to revisit Rarotonga, they gladly embraced the opportu-
nity of accompanying us. After a tedious passage, we
landed, on Sabbath, the 16th of May, 1827, amidst the
greatest concourse of people I had seen since we left
England. In doing so we were exposed to very consider-
able danger, for, there being no proper harbour, we were
obliged to get into the boat at a distance of three miles
from the shore. The wind was very boisterous, the sea
exceedingly rough, and our boat so old and leaky that
Mrs. Williams was obliged to sit in the bottom bailing out
the water. We landed, however, in safety, amidst the
congratulations of the multitude, who had just left the


11

122 DANGER IN LANDING!.
chapel after morning service, and who, compared with
what they were when I first visited them, “were clothed,
and in their right mind.” All the females wore bonnets,
and were dressed in white cloth, whilst the men wore
clothes and hats of native manufacture. The change thus
presented was peculiarly gratifying.
On the following days, our communication with the
vessel was as dangerous as when we landed ; and on the
third morning we received a letter from the captain, stating
that his vessel had sustained so much injury that he could
remain no longer. Mr. Pitman and myself immediately
went off to the ship, got our clothes and a few other things
into the boat, wrote a hasty note or two, and left the vessel
for the shore. We were however, much appalled at our
situation; for we had but two oars; the boat was very
deeply laden; the sea was running high; it blew a gale of
wind ; and we were six or seven miles from the shore.
Providentially, a large double canoe that had been to fetch
some natives from the ship, came to our assistance ; and
after several hours' hard labour, we happily reached the
land. The clothes, flour and sugar, which we obtained,
recompensed us for our fatigue, though we were obliged
to leave much of our property in the vessel.
I did not intend to have remained more than three or
four months at Rarotonga; but no opportunity being afford-
ed of leaving the island, we continued there a year; and,
although peculiarly distressing at the time, we can now
clearly see how wisely and graciously it was ordered ; for
this year, like the preceding, was fraught with events of
great importance, as connected with my subsequent move-
ments, for the extension of the blessings of the Gospel in
the various islands of the Pacific.
We found the teachers and people just about to abandon
NEW SETTLEMENT. 123
the old settlement, a new one having been formed on the
eastern side of the island. As the Thursday after our
arrival was the day appointed for the removal, we deter-
mined not to interfere with this or any other arrangement,
until, by a more accurate acquaintance with the affairs of
the station, we should be enabled to take the management
of the Mission into our own hands. On Wednesday
afternoon we attended service, when one of the teachers
addressed the assembly; after which, the multitude gave
us a welcome by a hearty shake of the hand. As there
were between two and three thousand of them, and they
considering that the sincerity of their affection was to be
expressed by the severity of the squeeze, and the violence
of the shake, we were not sorry when the ceremony was
over, for our arms ached severely for hours after. Early
the following morning, with nearly the whole of the inhab-
itants of the island, we proceeded to the new station, to
which we found but little difficulty in getting our things
conveyed, as every person was desirous of carrying some
part of our property. One took the tea-kettle, another
the frying-pan; some obtained a box, others a bed-post;
even the chief himself felt honoured in rendering assistance,
and, during the journey, he ceased not to manifest his ad-
miration of the devices printed upon the articles of earth-
enware with which he was intrusted, and to exhibit them
to the crowd that surrounded him.
A heavy fall of rain had rendered the ordinary road unfit
for travelling, or otherwise the walk would have been de-
lightful; but as the kind people conveyed goods, wives
and children, upon their Herculean shoulders, all delighted
with their occupation, the journey was by no means
unpleasant.
On our arrival, we found that the teachers had very


124 REMARKABLE PROCESSION.
comfortable houses, one of which they most cheerfully
gave up to us. A day or two afterwards, they requested
us to take our seat outside the door; and on doing so, we
observed a large concourse of people coming towards us,
bearing heavy burdens. They walked in procession, and
dropped at our feet fourteen immense idols, the smallest
of which was about five yards in length. Each of these
was composed of a piece of aito, or iron wood, about four
inches in diameter, carved with rude imitations of the
human head at one end, and with an obscene figure at the
other, wrapped round with native cloth, until it became
two or three yards in circumference. Near the wood
were red feathers, and a string of small pieces of polished
pearl shells, which were said to be the manava, or the soul
of the god. Some of these idols were torn to pieces before
our eyes; others were reserved to decorate the rafters of
the chapel we proposed to erect ; and one was kept to be
sent to England, which is now in the Missionary Museum.
It is not, however, so respectable in appearance as when
in its own country; for his Britannic Majesty's officers,
fearing lest the god should be made a vehicle for defraud-
ing the King, very unceremoniously took it to pieces; and
not being so well skilled in making gods as in protecting
the revenue, they have not made it so handsome as when
it was an object of veneration to the deluded Rarotongans.
An idol, of which the figure on the opposite side is a correct
representation, was placed upon the fore part of every
fishing canoe; and when the natives were going on a fish-
ing excursion, prior to setting off, they invariably presented
offerings to the god, and invoked him to grant them success.
Surely professing Christians may learn a lesson from this
practice. Here we see pagans of the lowest order implor-
-

A PLATE OF THE IDOLS. 125
ing the blessing of their gods upon their ordinary occupa-
tions. Christian, go and do likewise.
One of the JNational Idols.
Soul of the Idol.
% % zº. º
\eºſ
ºrrº
%22%













I 1%
126 CHAPEI, ERECTED.
On the following Sabbath, a congregation of about four
thousand assembled; but as the house was a temporary
building, and would not accommodate half the people, they
took their seats outside. This induced us to determine to
erect immediately a place of worship. With this view
the chiefs and people were convened, and arrangements
made for commencing the building ; and so great was the
diligence with which the people laboured, that although
ill supplied with tools, the house was thoroughly completed
in two months. It was one hundred and fifty feet in length,
and sixty wide; well plastered, and fitted up throughout
with seats. It had six large folding doors. The front
windows were made in imitation of sashes, whilst those in
the back resembled venetian blinds. It was a large, res-
pectable, and substantial building; and the whole was
completed without a single nail, or any iron work whatever.
It will accommodate nearly three thousand persons.
In the erection of this chapel, a circumstance occurred
which will give a striking idea of the feelings of an untaught
people, when observing for the first time the effects of
written communications. As I had come to the work one
morning without my square, I took up a chip, and with a
piece of charcoal, wrote upon it a request that Mrs. Wil-
liams would send me that article. I called a chief, who
was superintending his portion of the work, and said to
him, “Friend, take this: go to our house and give it to
Mrs. Williams.” He was a singular looking man, remarka-
bly quick in his movements, and had been a great warrior;
but, in one of the numerous battles he had fought, had lost
an eye, and giving me an inexpressible look with the other,
he said, “Take that she will call me a fool and scold me,
if I carry a chip to her.” “No,” I replied, “she will not,
take it, and go immediately; I am in haste.” Perceiving

TALE ABOUT WRITING ON A CHIP. 127
me to be in earnest, he took it and asked, “What must I
say?” I replied, “You have nothing to say, the chip will
say all I wish.” With a look of astonishment and contempt,
he held up the piece of wood, and said, “How can this
speak? has this a mouth 7" I desired him to take it imme-
diately, and not spend so much time in talking about it.
On arriving at the house, he gave the chip to Mrs. Wil-
liams, who read it, threw it away, and went to the tool-
chest; whither the chief, resolving to see the result of this
mysterious proceeding, followed her closely. On receiving
the square from her, he said, “Stay, daughter, how do you
know that this is what Mr. Williams wants” “Why,” she
replied, “ did you not bring me a chip just now !” “Yes,”
said the astonished warrior, “but I did not hear it say any
thing,” “If you did not, I did,” was the reply, “for it
made known to me what he wanted, and all you have to
do is to return with it as quickly as possible.” With this
the chief leaped out of the house ; and catching up the
mysterious piece of wood, he ran through the settlement
with the chip in one hand and the square in the other,
holding them up as high as his arms would reach, and
shouting as he went, “See the wisdom of these English
people ; they can make chips talk, they can make chips
talk " On giving me the square, he wished to know how it
was possible thus to converse with persons at a distance.
I gave him all the explanation in my power ; but it was a
circumstance involved in so much mystery, that he actually
tied a string to the chip, hung it round his neck, and wore
it for some time. During several following days, we fre-
quently saw him surrounded by a crowd, who were listening
with intense interest while he narrated the wonders which
this chip had performed. -
The life and labours of my esteemed and excellent col-


128 MR. PITMAN's NARRow EscAPE.
league had nearly terminated, while erecting the chapel
in which he has since so long and so suceessfully preached
the Gospel. He and myself had gone as usual to mark
out and superintend the work, when one of the chiefs re-
quested Mr. Pitman to go and instruct him how to fasten
a window sill; and while doing so, a man on the thatch,
unobserved by him, was dragging up a heavy piece of
wood, which slipped, and falling on Mr. Pitman's head,
levelled him to the ground. He was taken up senseless
and conveyed home. I examined the bruise, and was
truly grateful to find that no bone was broken, nor ma-
terial injury sustained ; for providentially the heavy end
of the log reached the ground before Mr. Pitman was
struck, otherwise his work on earth would have been
finished. In mentioning this event to his friends, this de-
voted servant of Christ says, “Thus it hath pleased the
Lord to spare me a little longer in his vineyard. O that
my life may be more than ever devoted to his service "
The first three months which we spent with Mr. Pitman,
were devoted to the instruction of the people, and in ob-
taining a more correct knowledge of the peculiarities of
their language, with such information as was necessary to
regulate our future proceedings for the welfare of the mis-
sion. The people were exceedingly kind to us, and dili-
gent in their attendance at the schools and on all the means
of grace. They made, however, but very little progress
in reading; and we considered them dull scholars, com-
pared with their sprightly brethren in the Society Islands.
Indeed it was to us a matter of astonishment that not a
single person in the island could read, although the teach-
ers assured us they had been unremitting in their endeav-
ours to instruct them. It is true they were teaching them
in Tahitian, as it was our wish to extend the use of that

BOOKS PRE PARED IN RAROTONGA DIALECT. 129
dialect as far as possible ; but not succeeding, we deter-
mined immediately on preparing some books in their own
language; and with this view I drew up an elementary
work, and translated the Gospel of John and the Epistle to
the Galatians, which were printed a few months after ;
and from the moment the people received books in their
own dialect, their progress has been so rapid, that, at the
present time, there is a greater number of persons who
can read at Rarotonga than at any other of our stations;
and I may here add, that I think it a circumstance of very
rare occurrence that a religious impression is produced
upon the minds of a people, except by addressing them in
their mother tongue. -
From the knowledge we had obtained of the population,
the distances of the districts from each other, the difficulty
of procuring food, the political divisions of the island,
together with the relative influence of the different chiefs,
we were convinced of the necessity of having two, and
perhaps, ultimately, three distinct stations; and as we ex-
pected to remain at Rarotonga but two or three months
longer, it was arranged that we, with the inhabitants of
two districts, should return to the former settlement, whilst
Mr. Pitman took charge of the new one, which, although
but one division of the island, was nearly as populous as
the others united. As the settlement to which I was re-
turning had been abandoned for some months, great exer-
tion was requisite to restore it to order. The large chapel
was much dilapidated. This, from the circumstances of
its erection, was rather an interesting building, but it was
destitute of elegance; for, although plastered and floored,
and looking exceedingly well at a distance, the workman-
ship was rough, and the doors were formed of planks lashed
together with cinet, which also supplied the place of hinges.
º
130 RENEWAL OF THE SETTLEMENT.
One of its most striking peculiarities was the presence of
many indelicate heathen figures carved on the centre posts.
This was accounted for from the circumstance, that when
built, a considerable part of the people were heathens;
and as a portion of the work was allotted to each district,
unaccompanied by specific directions as to the precise
manner of its performance, the builders thought that the
figures with which they decorated the maraes would be
equally ornamental in the main pillars of a Christian sanc-
tuary. The building was 250 feet in length, and forty
feet wide.
Having put the settlement in order, and had the chapel
repaired, we devoted our energies to the instruction of the
people. Their attendance on the means of grace, and the
anxiety they evinced to understand the truths of the Gos-
pel, were truly encouraging. At the conclusion of every
service, both on Sabbath and other evenings, a great num-
ber followed us home, took their seats under the shade of
the banana and plantain trees, by which our habitations
were encircled, and spent an hour or more in making in-
quiries respecting the subjects of our address.
Indeed, the manner in which they spent their Sabbaths
was deeply interesting. At sunrise they held a prayer-
meeting, to implore the Divine blessing on the engagements
of the day. This they conducted entirely themselves. At
nine o'clock the congregation assembled again, when the
Missionary performed divine service, just as it is conducted
in England: prayer being offered, the sacred Scriptures
read, and hymns sung in their own beautiful language ;”
after which, a sermon is preached to them. Prior, how-
ever, to the commencement of the service, they met in
* The natives sing exceedingly well, and we have taught them most of our
popular tunes, They generally take two, and some times three parts of a tune.

SABBA LH AT RAROTCNG. A. 131
classes, of ten or twelve families each, and distributed
among themselves the respective portions of the sermon
which each individual should bring away; one saying,
“Mine shall be the text, and all that is said in immediate
connexion with it ;” another, “I will take care of the first
division;” and a third, “I will bring home the particulars
under that head.” Thus the sermon was apportioned
before it was delivered. At our more advanced stations,
where the New Testament was in the hands of our people,
we invariably named passages of Scripture which were
illustrative of the particulars under discussion. For in-
stance, if the missionary was preaching upon the love of
Christ, his first division might be to describe the nature
and properties of the Saviour's love ; and, under this head,
if he referred to its greatness, after having illustrated his
point, he would desire his hearers, without specifying the
verse or verses, to read with attention the third chapter of
Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians, where they would find
some sentiments applicable to that part of the subject.
Opening their Testaments, they would find the chapter re-
ferred to, and make a mark against it. A second division
might be the unchangeable nature of the Saviour's love ;
and having concluded his observations on this, the preacher
would desire the congregation to read carefully the eighth
chapter of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, where they would
find some passages illustrative of that particular. Again
opening their testaments, the chapter would be sought and
marked. Thus we should proceed through the discourse.
At a convenient time the respective classes met, and, after
commencing their social service with singing and prayer,
one of the most intelligent of their number began by inquir-
ing, “With whom is the text 7” and proposed a variety of
questions upon it. After this, he asked for the divisions of

132 SABBATH AT RAROTONGA.
the discourse; and when one had been given, he would
say, “To what portion of Scripture were we referred 7”
The chapter being named, was then read very carefully;
and the verses thought to be applicable were selected.
This we found a most efficient and excellent method of
proceeding, as it not only induced the people to pay great
attention to the sermon, but to read the Scriptures with
interest, and also to exercise their minds upon the meaning
and application of what they read. This social exercise
was regarded as a preparation for the more public exam-
ination, conducted by the Missionary, which took place in
the chapel, between the hours of one and two, when all
the classes assembled; and seldom was there a sentiment
or sentence of importance in the discourse which was not
then repeated by one or other of the congregation.


C H A P T E R IX.
The Adoption of a Code of Laws by the People of Rarotonga–To what
Extent a Missionary should interfere in Civil Affairs—Conspiracy, with its
Results— Difficulties at Rarotonga, arising from Polygamy and other
Heathen Usages—The Character of Works expected from the pen of a
. Missionary.
CIRCUMSTANCEs were continually occurring which rendered
it imperative that the chiefs of Rarotonga should follow
the example of those at Tahiti and the Society Islands,
and adopt a code of Christian laws as the basis of the ad-
ministration of justice in their island ; for as their civil
polity was intimately interwoven with their sanguinary
idolatry, when the one was subverted, the other perished
in its ruins ; whilst the ancient usages, which were in
accordance with the spirit of their religion, of necessity
sunk into decay, when the people were brought under the
mild influence of Gospel principles. From time immemo-
rial, the inhabitants of this lovely spot had been addicted
to thieving ; and as vast numbers of those who professed
Christianity were influenced by example merely, no sooner
had the powerful excitement produced by the transition
from one state of society to another subsided, than they
returned to the habits in which, from their infancy, they
had been trained.
Prior to the introduction of Christianity, they had several
methods of punishing the delinquent, or rather of avenging
themselves for the injury received. For this purpose, the

12

134 MODES OF PUNISHMENT.
friends and relatives of the aggrieved party would go to
the house of the offender, and take by force whatever arti-
cle of value they found there, even the mats on which he
slept. Not unfrequently would the house be broken down,
the banana trees laid prostrate on the ground, and every
article of produce destroyed. At other times the thief
would be murdered on the spot; in addition to which,
Makea, the king, would frequently command that the body
should be cut in pieces, and the limbs hung up in different
parts of the kainga, or farm, on which the depredations
had been committed. In one of the adjacent islands a
man caught a little boy, about eight years of age, in the act
of stealing food; he instantly seized the thief, tied a heavy
stone to his leg, and threw him into the sea. The boy
sunk to the bottom, and would soon have paid for the crime
with his life, had not one of the native teachers, who saw
him thrown into the water, immediately plunged in, and
rescued him from his perilous situation. It was evident to
the chiefs that none of these sanguinary modes of punish-
ment were in accordance with the merciful spirit of the
religion they now professed ; and wishing that their civil
and judicial polity should be so, they very naturally applied
to us for advice. Thus it will be seen that there was a
necessity laid upon us to act in these affairs; and while
we gave the chiefs clearly to understand that our objects
were purely of a spiritual character, under existing circum-
stances it was as much a duty to direct them in the forma-
tion of a code of laws as it was to instruct them in the
principles of Christianity itself; for, in thus acting, we were
simply advising them to apply those principles to social
life, and to substitute them for the ferocity and revenge by
which all classes were previously influenced. Our circum-
stances at this time were very similar to those in which we
CONSPIRACY. 135
had been placed at Raiatea, a narration of which, although
a digression, as they terminated in the establishment of a
regular code of laws in that island, may not be unacceptable
A number of wild dissolute young men, and others who
had, when heathens, been accustomed to live by plunder,
not liking the restraints which Christianity imposed upon
them, determined to overturn the government of the island,
and entered into a regular and organized conspiracy for
that purpose. In order to effect their wicked designs, it
was determined to murder me, my colleague, and Tamatoa,
the chief, who countenanced every thing calculated to ex-
tend Christian principles and Christian practice.
I was in the habit of spending every second or third
Sabbath at the neighbouring island of Tahaa, which was
about eight miles from our settlement, but always went on
the Saturday. The four men who had volunteered their
services to convey me, were among the conspirators, and had
engaged, when about half way, to throw me into the sea,
while their associates promised to despatch Mr. Threlkeld
and Tamatoa. A providential, but apparently trivial, cir-
cumstance prevented my going on that day. I had repaired
and painted the boat on the preceding Wednesday, and,
not having sufficient paint oil, was under the necessity of
using a considerable portion of a substitute made from the
cocoa-nut, which prevented the paint from drying accord-
ing to my expectations, so that when we prepared to launch
the boat, we found her unfit for the voyage; and thus our
journey was prevented. The young men came to me
several times during the day, and appeared exceedingly
anxious that we should go ; but I told them that, as the
paint was not dry, it was utterly impossible. I was not
aware at the time what induced them to be so very urgent;
and as little imagined that the simple circumstance above


136 LOSS OF OUR CHILD.
alluded to was the means which Providence employed to
preserve me from an untimely death and a watery grave.
This shows what momentuous consequences are at times
poised upon comparatively trivial events. Thwarted in
their plans, they determined on the following day to carry
them openly and at once into execution; and while we
were setting at dinner, one of them was sent to our house
for that purpose. He was dressed in a most fantastical
manner, having his head decorated with leaves, and wear-
ing a pair of trowsers as a jacket, his arms being passed
through the legs; he wore also a red shirt instead of
trowsers, his legs being passed through the arms, and the
band buttoned round the waist. He came brandishing a
large carving knife, and danced before the house, crying,
“Turn out the hog, let us kill him; turn out the pig, let us
cut his throat.” Annoyed with his conduct, and not appre-
hending any danger, I rose from the table to desire him to
desist. On opening the door, one of the deacons, almost
breathless with running, met me, thrust me back, and ex-
claimed, “Why do you go out ! why do you expose your
life you are the pig he is calling for; you will be dead in
a moment.” The deacon then informed me of the danger
I had escaped, and of the plot, which had just been discov-
ered. Thus two days had I been in most imminent danger,
and yet was preserved without the slightest exertion on
my own part; and herein was shown the faithfulness of
Him who has declared, That no weapon formed against
his people shall prosper. This alarming circumstance,
however, was attended with distressing consequences. Mrs.
Williams was near the hour of maternal solicitude; and
the agitation of mind she experienced was so great, that it
occasioned the premature birth of a lovely babe, which,
after exciting our painful anxieties for a week, fled to the

HAWS ESTABLISHED AT RAIATEA. 137
regions of the blessed, leaving us to mingle our tears of
parental sorrow for its loss. It was the first bereavement
we had experienced, and we felt it most keenly. On the
following day the chiefs held a meeting, and determined to
put the four ringleaders to death. We remonstrated with
them, when, after a whole day's discussion, they yielded to
our wishes, and spared the lives of the conspirators. In the
course of conversation, the chiefs inquired what the English
people would do under such circumstances; when we in-
formed them that in England there were established laws
and judges, by which all offenders of every kind were tried
and punished. They then wished to know what judges
and laws were ; and upon having the nature of the office
of judge, and the character of a code of laws, explained to
them, they said, “Why cannot we have the same * They,
therefore, nominated a judge pro tempore, by whom the
criminals were tried, and the ringleaders sentenced to four
years' banishment to an uninhabited island. This occur-
rence induced the chiefs and people of Raiatea to adopt,
as the basis of public justice, a code of laws which Mr.
Threlkeld and myself assisted in preparing. The laws
were but few in number, and drawn up in the plainest and
most perspicuous language, entirely devoid of all the tech-
nicalities and repetitions by which the statutes of enlight-
ened and civilized countries are too frequently obscured,
and rendered perplexing; for it appeared to us of the
greatest importance that they should be so simply and
clearly expressed, that they might be easily understood by
the people for whom they were framed. We determined,
also, as far as possible, to lay a permanent foundation for
the civil liberties of the people, by instituting at once that
greatest barrier to oppression—trial by jury. The same
code, a little modified, was, after much deliberation and
12%

138 TRIAL BY JURY INSTITUTED.
consultation, adopted by the chiefs and people of Raroton-
ga; and thus we trust that the reign of despotism, tyranny,
and private revenge, under which the inhabitants of this
secluded garden have so long groaned, has for ever termi-
nated.
The laws enacted, related to theft, trespass, stolen pro-
perty, “land-eating,” lost property, Sabbath-breaking,
rebellion, marriage, adultery, the judges, jury, &c., &c.
We did not think it advisable to recommend the enactment
of any law relative to murder, because we were doubtful
as to the punishment which should be awarded to this
crime, and were both of opinion that no necessity existed
for the immediate promulgation of a law on the subject,
and that the people were not sufficiently advanced in
knowledge to enter upon the discussion. The chiefs and
people were themselves induced, some considerable time
after, by a most tragical and distressing circumstance, to
pass the law which we had omitted; and, at an assembly
in which almost every inhabitant of the island was present,
it was unanimously determined, that deliberate murder
should be punished with death. This was entirely their
own act, so that its consequences will rest with themselves.
When the event took place, to which I refer, we were
grateful that we had not advised this enactment, for other-
wise we could not have saved the lives of the two culprits,
whose sentence we succeeded in getting commuted from
death to banishment, I am not, however, satisfied that
we were strictly just in our interference on that peculiarly
trying occasion ; for the woman and her guilty associate
barbarously murdered the sick husband in order that they
might be united in marriage.
* A term we shall have frequent occasion to use. It signifies the forcible
and unjust possession of each others' land.
PLURALITY OF WIVES. 139
There were two most delicate and perplexing subjects
which required adjustment, prior to the final establishment
of the laws. The first, referred to a plurality of wives.
This was a matter of much deliberation between my es-
teemed colleague and myself, before we decided how to
act. Prior to the introduction of Christianity, polygamy
existed to a very considerable extent; and when a person,
having a plurality of wives, offered himself as a candidate
for baptism, the teachers had required that the individual
should make a selection of one of them, and also provide
for the support of those whom he put away. The measure
succeeded beyond what might have been reasonably anti-
cipated; and of the number who had complied with this
condition, only about twenty or twenty-five persons occa-
sioned any trouble, among whom, however, was the king,
which increased our difficulty exceedingly. With these,
we conversed on the subject. Some said that they had
returned to each other, because they had not been left at
liberty in their choice; others alleged that they supposed
the separation would be only temporary, and that, had
they known it was to be permanent, they should not have
made the selection they did. Acting upon this information,
Mr. Pitman and myself thought the best, and, indeed, the
only way to overcome the difficulty entirely, would be to
convene the people, recommend that those who were dis-
satisfied should be allowed to select publicly either of
their wives, and then be united to her in marriage, in the
presence of the whole assembly. The maintenance of the
rejected wife or wives and children, was also a very seri-
ous consideration; for it is not at Rarotonga as at Tahiti
and the Society Islands, where provisions are abundant, a
matter of slight importance, but a female depends almost
entirely on her husband. Knowing that the king's course

140 TRIUMPH OF PRINCIPLE.
would form a precedent, we commenced by requesting
him to name publicly the individual he intended to make
his companion for life, and of his three wives he selected
the youngest, who had borne him one child, in preference
to his own sister, by whom he had three children, and his
principal wife who was the mother of nine or ten. He
was then married to her in the presence of his people.
On the following morning Pivai, the principal wife, took
a mat to sleep upon, the mallets with which to make cloth
for the husband who had abandoned her, and the beloved
children she had borne him, and left the king's house, to take
up her residence in the solitude of widowhood. Scarcely
a person in the settlement could refrain from tears, at see-
ing so worthy and amiable a woman, the mother of so
large and fine a family, in those painful circumstances; and
very considerable indignation was evinced on the occasion.
We ourselves deeply sympathized with her; for she was
a woman universally esteemed, and from all that we knew
of her, she was worthy of that esteem. A few days before
leaving, she came to our house, and while conversing with
Mrs. Williams upon the subject, said that, although her
affection for her husband was very great, and she was
truly distressed at the prospect of being separated from
him, she had made up her mind to the painful event, con-
vinced that it was preferable ; for, as his affections were
set upon his youngest wife, if she remained, she should
become the occasion of his living in sin; and rather than
this she would endure the separation, distressing as it might
prove. This we regarded as a pleasing evidence of the
power of Christian principle upon her mind. She took
the opportunity of leaving the house while her husband
was at school; and on his return to it, he was much
affected at finding his faithful companion gone, for, although


THE KING's ConDUCT A PRECEDENT. 141
his affections were placed on the youngest wife, he had a
great esteem for Pivai, who had borne him so large a
family, and had been so faithful and industrious a wife for
so many years. The king behaved honourably to her, by
giving her the produce of about twenty farms, the tenants
of which were to obey her orders, and do her work. This
devoted and affectionate woman spent the whole period
of her widowhood, which continued three or four years, in
making native garments of the very best quality for her
late husband and children; always taking the utmost pains,
and displaying the greatest skill in that which was for the
former, thus testifying her unabated affection. After about.
four years, the wife of Tinomana, the chief of a neighbour-
ing settlement, died, and Pivai was united to him in mar-
riage, by which she is again raised to the dignity she
enjoyed prior to her painful separation from her former
husband. We have reason to believe that Tinomana is a
truly good man, and that they are remarkably happy in
each other.
Having this precedent, we advanced to the considera-
tion of the other cases, and found but little difficulty in
settling this truly perplexing affair. The measures adopted
terminated exceedingly well; for, from that time to the
present, no inconvenience has been experienced. I am
aware that there may be a difference of opinion upon this
delicate subject; but I cherish the hope that a candid and
comprehensive consideration of existing circumstances will
lead to the conclusion that our measures were both suitable
and salutary. Had those who determined to take back
thier wives been allowed to do so, it would have universally
restored polygamy ; and thus all that had been effected by
the teachers towards the removal of this evil would have
been rendered nugatory,

142 ANCIENT - USAGES.
I have felt disappointed when reading the writings of
missionaries, at not finding a more full account of the diffi-
culties they have had to contend with, and the measures by
which these were met. It appears to me that a work from
the pen of a missionary should not contain just what might
be written by one who has never left his native country,
but a plain statement of the perplexities with which he has
been compelled to grapple, and the means adopted to
overcome them; that, if judicious and beneficial, others,
placed in similar circumstances, may profit by his experi-
ence; and if otherwise, that they may avoid falling into
similar errors. Should his measures in some cases have
been less prudent than might have been desired, he has
nothing to fear from the scrutiny of wise and good men,
who will consider the situation in which he was placed,
and the necessity under which he was laid of devising and
executing measures in novel circumstances; where, undi-
rected by any precedent, he was thrown entirely upon the
resources of his own judgement.
Other difficulties were presented by the peculiar and
intricate character of some of the ancient usages which
we were anxious to see abolished. One of these was a
very unnatural practice, called kukumi anga. As soon as
a son reached manhood, he would fight and wrestle with
his father for the mastery, and if he obtained it, would take
forcible possession of the kainga, or farm, previously be-
longing to his parent, whom he drove in a state of destitu-
tion from his home. Another perplexing custom was the
ao anga. When a wife was bereft, by the hand of death,
of her husband, the relations of the latter, instead of paying
the visit of mercy and kindness “to the fatherless and
widow in their affliction,” would seize every article of
value belonging to the deceased, turn the disconsolate

MissionARIEs’ ADVICE IN CIVIL AFFAIRs. 143
mother with her offspring away, and possess themselves
of the house, the food, and the land. Another difficulty
was produced by what they call, kai kainga, or land-eating,
which is getting unjust possession of each others’ lands;
and these once obtained, are held with the greatest possi-
ble tenacity: for land is exceedingly valuable in Raroton-
ga, and on no subject were their contentions more frequent
and fierce. On investigating this last practice, we found
it to be a species of oppression in which so many were
involved, and also a point upon which the feelings of all
were so exquisitely sensitive, that to moot it would be to
endanger the peace of the island. We therefore thought
it most advisable to recommend the chiefs to allow it to
remain for the present in abeyance.
After these preliminary matters had undergone mature
deliberation, and the laws in reference to them were
agreed upon, a general assembly was convened ; when
the whole code, having been distinctly read and carefully
explained, was unanimously adopted by the chiefs and the
people, as the basis on which public justice was to be
administered on the island of Rarotonga.
From what I have related, it will be evident that the
year I spent with Mr. Pitman at Rarotonga was one of
anxiety, difficulty, and toil; and feeling our “lack of wis-
dom, we asked of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and
upbraideth not.” Some, perhaps, may object that the
above are points with which a Missionary ought not to
meddle. I cannot here enter into a lengthened discussion
as to the extent to which the Missionary may wisely inter-
fere with the civil institutions of the people, but shall only
observe, that it would be criminal were he, while seeking
to elevate the moral character of a community, and to
promote among it the habits and usages of civilized life, to


144 MissionARIEs’ ADVICE IN CIVIL AFFAIRs.
withhold any advice or assistance which might advance
these designs. It has been shown, that their civil and
judicial polity, and all their ancient usages were interwoven
with their superstitions; and that all these partook of the
sanguinary character of the system in which they were
embodied, and by which they were sanctioned: thus main-
taining a perpetual warfare with the well-being of the
community. The Missionary goes among them, and, by
the blessing of God upon his labours, they are delivered
from the dominion of the idolatrous system which had gov-
erned them for ages, and, in its stead, embrace Christianity.
Subsequently they become acquainted with new principles;
are taught to read the portions of the word of God, which
are translated and put into their hands; and soon perceive
that these ancient usages are incompatible with Christian
precepts, and that such a superstructure cannot stand on
a Christian foundation. To whom, then, can they apply
for advice in this dilemma, but to the persons from whom
their knowledge has been derived ; and what less can the
Missionary do, than give it freely and fully 7 I would not,
however, be supposed to advocate the assumption of politi-
cal authority by the Missionary, but, on the contrary, that
he should interfere as little as possible ; and, whether it
be in civil, legal, or political affairs, that he should do so
solely by his advice and influence. There are circum-
stances, however, especially in newly-formed Missions,
where he must step out of his ordinary course, and appear
more prominent than he would wish ; for, frequently, a
word from the Missionary, rightly-timed, will do more
towards settling a dispute, healing a breach, burying an
animosity, or carrying a useful plan into execution, than a
whole year's cavilling of the natives themselves would
have effected. And here, in answer to the charge that


H}EFENCE OF THEIR CONDUCT. 1 45
the Missionaries in the South Seas have assumed even
regal authority, I may observe, that no Missionary in the
Pacific ever possessed any such authority; that his influ-
ence is entirely of a moral character; and I may add, that
there are no instances on record, where men have used
their influence less for their own aggrandizement, or more
for the welfare of the people.



13
C H A P T E R X.
Mrs. Williams' Illness—She gives her Consent to my Visiting the Samoa
Islands—Resolve to build a Ship—Make a pair of Bellows—Deficiencies
in Books upon the Useful Arts—The Rats eat my Bellows—Make a pair
of Wooden ones—Messenger of Peace completed—Voyage to Aitutaki
-The King accompanies me—Return with a singular Cargo—Pleasing
Incidents on our arrival.
THE next circumstance of importance which occurred
while at Rarotonga, was Mrs. Williams' illness. My mind
had for some time been contemplating the extension of
our labours to the Navigators Islands and the New He-
brides; and, as far back as 1824, I wrote to the Directors
of the Missionary Society upon the subject. The Gospel
being now established at the Hervey Islands, I began more
seriously to think of taking a voyage to those distant groups;
and, prior to leaving Raiatea, I communicated my wishes to
Mrs. Williams; who, on learning that theislands I proposed to
visit were from 1800 to 2000 miles distant, and that I should
be absent about six months, exclaimed, “How can you
suppose that I can give my consent to such a strange
proposition ? You will be eighteen hundred miles away,
six months absent, and among the most savage people we
are acquainted with ; and if you should lose your life in the
attempt, I shall be left a widow with my fatherless chil-
dren, twenty thousand miles from my friends and my
home.” Finding her so decidedly opposed to the underta-
king, I did not mention it again, although my mind was


MRs. will.IAMs’ AFFECTION. 147
still fixed upon the object. A few months after this, she
was laid upon a bed of affliction; her illness came on so
rapidly and severely, that in a few hours she was in a state
of insensibility, and we greatly feared that it would termi-
nate fatally; the prospect was truly distressing. Bereave-
ments, at all times, inflict a deep and painful wound, and
leave a fearful chasm in the domestic circle ; but to have
had the partner of my days, the mother of my babes, taken
away with a stroke, in an insulated situation, remote from
the kind and soothing attentions of friendship, and the
endearments of home, would have left me cheerless and
disconsolate.
God, however, was pleased to hear our cries; and, after
a week or ten days, she was partially restored to health.
On entering her chamber, one afternoon, addressing me in
affectionate terms, Mrs. Williams said, that she had been
endeavouring to discover the design of God in sending this
sudden and heavy affliction ; and her thoughts turned to
the opposition by which she had induced me to relinquish,
for a time, my voyage to the Navigators Islands; and,
fearing that if she any longer withheld her consent, God,
perhaps, might remove her altogether, she continued, -
“From this time, your desire has my full concurrence ;
and, when you go, I shall follow you every day with my
prayers, that God may preserve you from danger, crown
your attempt with success, and bring you back in safety.”
I was rather surprised at the circumstance, not having
mentioned my wish for months; however, I looked upon
it as the first indication of Providence favourable to my
design, and began immediately to devise the means by
which I might carry it into execution. After some delib-
eration, I determined to attempt to build a vessel; and
although I knew little of ship-building, and had scarcely
148 DETERMINE TO BUILD A SHIP.
any tools to work with, I succeeded, in about three months,
in completing a vessel, between seventy and eighty tons
burden, with no other assistance than that which natives
could render, who were wholly unacquainted with any
mechanical art. I thought, at first, of getting the keel
only at Rarotonga, and completing the vessel at Raiatea;
but, as the king, chiefs, and people urged me to build it at
their island, promising me, at the same time, every assist-
ance in their power, I yielded to their wishes. As many
friends have expressed a desire to know the means by
which this great work was effected, I shall be rather more
minute in detailing them than I should otherwise have
been.
My first step was to make a pair of smith's bellows; for
it is well known that little can be done towards the build-
ing of a ship without a forge. We had but four goats on
the island, and one of these was giving a little milk, which
was too valuable to be dispensed with ; so that three only
were killed; and with their skins, as a substitute for leather,
I succeeded, after three or four days’ labour, in making a
pair of smith's bellows. These, however, did not answer
very well; indeed, I found bellows-making to be a more
difficult task than I had imagined, for I could not get the
upper box to fill properly; in addition to which my bel-
lows drew in the fire. I examined publications upon me-
chanic arts, Dictionaries, and Encyclopaedias, but not one
book in our possession gave directions sufficiently explicit
for the construction of so common an article; and it
appears to me a general deficiency in all the works I have
seen on the useful arts, that instructions and explanations
sufficiently simple are not supplied, by which an important
and useful object may be accomplished by means less
complex than the machinery of civilized countries. When,

THE INFORMATION MISSIONARIES SHOULD SEEK. 149
for example, we were anxious to make sugar, and, for this
purpose, carefully read the article on sugar-boiling, in the
most popular Encyclopædia in our possession, not having
the apparatus therein described, we derived no practical
benefit from it. If, in addition to a thorough and scientific
description, plain and simple directions, were appended for
manufacturing the article without the expensive machinery
in common use, it would certainly be of immense service
to persons situated as we, and emigrants to new colonies,
have been. These remarks are applicable to soap-boiling,
salt-making, paper-manufacturing, and a variety of other
processes of a similar nature. -
Missionaries, and others leaving the country, when in
search of information upon various important subjects, fail
in their object, by seeking it where every thing is effected
by complex machinery, and all the improvements of the
present age are found in perfection. It was so with us. We
were taken to places of the above description ; we gazed,
we wondered, and were delighted, but obtained no practical
information : for few imagine that there is any other way
of effecting an object than that which they see. All per-
sons going to uncivilized countries, especially Missionaries,
should seek that knowledge which may be easily applied,
as they have to do every thing themselves, and in situations
where they cannot obtain the means in general use else-
where. It may, by some, be thought unwise to go back a
hundred years, and employ the tedious processes then in
use, rather than embrace the facilities which the experi-
ence of succeeding ages has afforded. Such observations
are specious, but unsound. Let the circumstances of the
Missionary, and the state of the people to whom he goes,
be taken into the account, and it must be at once obvious
that the simplicity of the means used two or three hundred

13%
150 THE WOODEN BELLOWs.
years ago would better suit both his condition and theirs
than the improvements of modern times.
On our arrival at Raiatea, I took my old English bel-
lows to pieces; not, as the tale goes, to look for the wind,
but to ascertain the reason why mine did not blow as well
as others. I had not proceeded far when the mystery was
explained, and I stood amazed at my own ignorance; for,
instead of making the pipe communicate only with the
upper chamber, I had inserted it into the under as well,
by which, the wind escaped, and the flame was drawn in.
To complete my perplexities, the rats, which, at Raro-
tonga, were like one of the plagues of Egypt, as if by gen-
eral consent, congregated during the night in immense
numbers, and devoured every particle of the goats' skin;
and, on entering the workshop in the morning, I was mor-
tified by the discovery that nothing remained of my unfor-
tunate bellows but the bare boards. This was really
vexatious, for I had no material to supply the loss. Still
bent upon the accomplishment of my object, and while
anxiously considering the best means “to raise the wind,”
for that was essential to my success, it struck me that, as
a pump threw water, a machine constructed upon the same
principle must of necessity throw wind. I therefore made
a box, about eighteen or twenty inches square, and four
feet high; put a valve at the bottom, and fitted in a
damper, similar to the piston in the cylinder of a steam
engine. This we loaded with stones to force it down
with velocity, and attached to it a long lever, by which it
was again raised. Before placing it near the fire we tried
it, and were delighted with our success; but, on bringing
it in contact with that devouring element, its deficiencies
were soon developed. In the first place, we found that
there was too great an interval between the blasts, and,


WOODEN BELLOWS COMPLETED, 151
secondly, that, like its predecessor, it sucked in the fire so
fast that in a few minutes it was in a blaze. We soon
extinguished the flames, and remedied the evil by making
a valve at the back of the pipe which communicated with
the fire, and opened to let out the wind, and shut when the
machine was filling. To overcome the other inconven-
ience, we concluded, that, if one box would give us one
blast, two would double it, and we therefore made another
of the same dimensions, and worked them alternately ;
thus keeping up a continual blast, or, rather, a succession
of blasts. Eight or ten men were required to blow them :
but labour was cheap, and the natives were delighted with
the employment. With this contrivance we did all our



152 ASTONISIIMENT AT SEEING IRON WORKED.
iron work, using a perforated stone for a fire-iron, an anvil
of the same material, and a pair of carpenter's pincers for
our tongs. As a substitute for coals, we made charcoal
from the cocoa-nut, tamani, and other trees. The first
iron the natives saw worked excited their astonishment
exceedingly, especially the welding of two pieces together.
Old and young, men and women, chieftain and peasant,
hastened to behold the wonder; and when they saw the
ease with which heated iron could be wrought, they ex-
claimed, “Why did not we think of heating the hard stuff
also, instead of beating it with stones? What a reign of
dark hearts Satan's is " Nothing, however, excited more
interest than the pumps; even the king was so much de-
lighted, that he frequently had his favourite stool carried
on board the ship, and entertained himself for hours by
pumping out the bilge water. Being without a saw, we
split the trees in half with wedges; and then the natives
adzed them down with small hatchets, which they tied to
a crooked piece of wood as a handle, and used as a substi-
tute for the adze. When we wanted a bent or twisted
plank, having no apparatus for steaming it, we bent a
piece of bamboo to the shape required, sent into the woods
for a crooked tree, and by splitting this in half we obtained
two planks suited to our purpose. Having but little iron,
we bored large auger holes through the timbers, and also the
outer and inner plank of the vessel, and drove in wooden
pins, termed trenails, by which the whole fabric was held
firmly together. As a substitute for oakum, we used what
little cocoa-nut husk we could obtain, and supplied the de-
ficiency with dried banana stumps, native cloth, or other
substances which would answer the purpose. For ropes
we obtained the bark of the habiscus, constructed a rope
machine, and prepared excellent cordage from that arti-

THE MESSENGER OF PEACE. 153
cle. For sails we used the mats on which the natives
sleep, and quilted them that they might be strong enough
to resist the wind. After making a turning-lathe, we found
that the aito, or iron-wood, answered remarkably well for
the sheaves of blocks. By these means the whole was
completed in fifteen weeks; when we launched a vessel,
about sixty feet in length, and eighteen feet in breadth,
and called her, “The Messenger of Peace,” which she
has proved to be on many occasions. The hanging of the
rudder occasioned me some difficulty ; for having no iron
sufficiently large for pintles, we made them from a piece
of a pickaxe, a cooper's adze, and a large hoe. They aIl-
swered exceedingly well; but being doubtful of this, I pre-
pared a substitute for a rudder, in case any part of it should
give way.
Thinking it prudent to try our vessel before we ventured
to Tahiti, which was seven or eight hundred miles from
us, I determined on a visit to our interesting station at
Aitutaki, which was only about 170 miles distant. The
king Makea, never having seen any other Island, deter-
mined to occompany me. Raising our wooden and stone
anchors, and hoisting our mat sails, I took my compass and
quadrant and put to sea, accompanied only by natives.
We had not proceeded above six miles from the shore,
when in shifting the sails, the natives not observing what
was said to them, and not being acquainted with maritime
usages, let the foresail go, and as the wind was very strong,
it broke our foremast. Providentially, however, about
twelve or fifteen feet above the deck was left standing;
and having cleared the wreck, and hoisted a part of
our sail on the broken mast, we turned back, and were
thankful to find that we should reach the land, although
several miles to leeward of the harbour. We filled a cask


I 54 VOYAGE TO AITUTAKI.
with stones, which, in addition to our wooden anchor,
we hoped might hold the vessel outside the reef; and if
not, I resolved on the desperate alternative of running upon
it, by which the vessel, in all probability would have been
dashed to pieces; but this was preferable to being driven
from the island, with a scanty supply of provisions, and
the ship in a crippled state, in a track where there was
not an island within a thousand miles. Having, however,
a number of natives on board, and making them all work,
we succeeded by sunset, contrary to expectation, in reach-
ing the harbour in safety. We got a new mast, repaired
our damages, and, in a few days, sailed again. Having a
strong and favourable wind, we reached Aitutaki on Sab-
bath morning, in time to conduct the services of the day.
After remaining eight or ten days, with much interest to
ourselves, and, we hope, advantage to the people, we re-
turned to Rarotonga with a most singular cargo, principally
consisting of pigs, cocoa-nuts, and cats; the king having
obtained about seventy of the first, and a number of the
last. Notwithstanding the singularity of our importation, it
was peculiarly valuable to the inhabitants of Rarotonga;
for prior to this, they had no other than a breed of small
native pigs, of which there were but few, as they were par- *
ticularly tender, and difficult to rear; and the cats were so
valuable that one was quite a treasure, as the rats were
astonishingly numerous, so much so indeed, that we never
sat down to a meal without two or more persons to keep
them off the table. When kneeling down at family prayer
they would run over us in all directions; and we found
much difficulty in keeping them out of our beds. One
morning, on hearing the servant scream, while making the
bed, we ran into the room, and found that four of these
intruders, in search of a snug place, had crept under my
º




--
-
º
-- SINGULAR CARGO. - 155
* -
pillow ; they paid, however, for their temerity with their
lives. Our friends Mr. and Mrs. Pitman experienced
equal inconvenience from these troublesome and disgust-
ing little animals. Some of the trunks were covered with
skin, on which the rats commenced very effectual opera-
tions, as they had done before upon my unfortunate bel-
lows; and Mrs. Pitman having one night neglected to put
her shoes in a place of safety, sought for them the follow-
ing morning in vain; for these nocturnal ramblers, being
in search of a supper, had devoured them ; and a pair of
shoes in the South Seas is no contemptible loss. This
however, was a serious affair for their fraternity; for our
friends complained to the authorities of the station, and a
decree of extermination was issued against the whole race
of rats; and after school, man, woman, and child armed
themselves with a suitable weapon, and commenced their
direful operations. Baskets were made of the cocoa-nut
leaves, about five or six feet in length, in which to deposit
the bodies of the slain, and in about an hour, no less than
thirty of these were filled. Notwithstanding this destruc-
tion there did not appear the slightest diminution. From
this it will be perceived that cats were not the least valua-
ble animal that could be taken to the island. They, how-
ever, did not destroy so many rats as the pigs, which were
exceedingly voracious, and did much towards ridding the
island of the intolerable nuisance. Besides hogs and cats,
Makea and those who accompanied him obtained a con-
siderable quantity of native cloth and mats, which are
highly esteemed, and of considerable value at Rarotonga.
A large supply of cocoa-nuts was also conveyed from
Aitutaki, and this was a valuable portion of our cargo ;
for a short time before our first visit, a very disastrous war
had taken place, in which the king and his party were
*
-
--
---
- º * -
º
* -
156 VALUE OF THE COCOA-NUTS.
beaten, and driven for a time to take refuge in a natural
fortress in the mountains. The victors cut down and de-
stroyed all the bread-fruit and cocoa-nut trees, so that on
the north, west, and south sides of the island, which were
conquered by the inhabitants of the east, not a cocoa-nut
was to be seen. This supply, under these circumstances,
was consequently of great value for seed. The king made
a distribution of his spoils among his chiefs and friends:
all were therefore delighted with the voyage.
Having never been to sea before, Makea had many
wonders to tell. One of his expressions was, “Never again
will I call those warriors who fight on the shore; the Eng-
lish only, who battle with the winds and waves of the
ocean, are worthy of that name.” On our voyage to Aitu-
taki we had a strong wind and heavy sea, and during the
night the waves gave the vessel many severe blows, at which
his majesty was much alarmed, and asked me very seri-
ously if she would not be knocked to pieces; and on being
assured that there was no danger, he was for a time satis-
fied, but not so fully as to allow me to be for one moment
out of his sight. The weather being very boisterous, I was
under the necessity of frequently going on deck during the
night: on every such occasion the king followed me, and
appeared to feel safe only at my side. And as the wind
was unfavourable, and we were three days and three nights
in returning to Rarotonga, on the second evening the king
began to get anxious and restless, fearing that we had
missed the island, and were sailing “i te tareva kaua,” or
into wide gaping space. On the third evening the sun had
retired beneath the horizon and no land was descried.
Makea became exceedingly distressed, almost despairing
of again beholding his beloved isle. I endeavoured to con.
sole him by requesting him to go to sleep till the moon


THE KING ALARMED, 157
should rise, when I promised that he should see the land.
He replied by a very significant question, ka moe ia e tama ž
“can I sleep, friend ?” and determined to remain on deck
until the time I mentioned, when, to his inexpressible joy,
Rarotonga was in sight. His varied and singular expres-
sions evinced the delightful emotions which the sight of the
island kindled in his breast. Nothing appeared to excite
so much astonishment as the accuracy with which we
could tell the time when land would be seen. His inqui-
ries were unceasing, how it was possible we could speak
with so much precision about that which we could not
S66. -
On entering the harbour we were struck with the ap-
pearance of our house ; for as the ship had been built just
in front of it, much rubbish had been collected, the fence
surrounding the front garden was broken down, and the
bananas and shrubs destroyed. Now, however, not only
was the fence repaired, and the garden well cultivated,
but the dark red mountain plantain, and golden banana,
fully ripe, were smiling a welcome to us through the splen-
did leaves which surrounded the trunks that bore them.
It appears that Mrs. Williams had intimated to the females
who attended her for instruction, that it would afford her
pleasure to have the pathway and garden in order by the
time of my arrival. They were delighted with the sug-
gestion, and answered “We will not leave a chip against
which, on his return, he shall strike his feet.” The fol-
lowing morning they commenced making the pathways.
For this purpose they placed large flat stones for curb
edging, and filled the interval with kirikiri, or small bro-
ken pieces of branching coral, thrown up by the sea; and
strewed black pebbles amongst them, which, being inter-
mingled with the white coral, gave to the broad pathway
-

14
158 INDUSTRY OF THE WOMEN.
a neat and lively appearance. They then planted the sides
with full grown ti" trees, interspersed with the gigantic
taro or kape. Requesting their husbands to repair the
fence round the house, they ornamented the enclosure with
banana and plantain trees, bearing fruit which would be
ripe about the time of our expected return ; and the kind
people appeared amply rewarded, by observing the plea-
sure which their work afforded us.
* Dracana terminalis. f Caladium odoratum.

CHAPTE R XI.
Mr. Buzacott's Arrival—Receive Letters from England from the Rev. Mat-
thew Wilks, &c. — Also from Raiatea—Character and Death of Tuahine
– We leave Rarotonga – Useful Arts introduced among the people-
Voyage from Rarotonga to Tahiti-Makea's Return.
Shortly after our return from Aitutaki, we were cheered
by the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Buzacott; and as they
were to occupy the station we were about to leave, they
took up their residence with us. The very day after they
landed, Mr. Buzacott, who is an excellent mechanic, put
on his apron, turned up his sleeves, and began to work at
the forge. On seeing this, the people were much delighted,
especially Makea, who exclaimed, “This is the man for
us; this is the man for us.” Mr. Buzacott, on being intro-
duced to my bellows, exclaimed, “What have you here 7”
and when I informed him, he laughed heartily, and wished
to break them to pieces, and with the materials to make a
proper pair; but although they were unwieldy in their
dimensions, unsightly in their appearance, and quite unbel-
lowslike in their construction, yet they answered the pur-
pose well; and while I had no objection that my ingen-
ious young brother should try his skill, I wished to have
some proof of it, before I consented to destroy the useful
machine necessity had compelled me to invent. By the
timely arrival of these kind friends, our wants were sup-
plied, and our troubles, in a measure, terminated. To our
esteemed fellow-labourers, also, Mr. and Mrs. Pitman, it
was a source of great satisfaction; for being in delicate



160 MR. BUzAcott's ARRIVAL.
health, they had at one time questioned the propriety of
remaining at Rarotonga after our departure: but by the
arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Buzacott their anxieties were en-
tirely removed. Prior, however, to this important acces-
sion to the Rarotonga mission, they had formed so strong
an attachment to the people and the people to them, that
they had generously determined to remain on this isolated
spot, amidst those who had just emerged from barbarism
and at a distance of six hundred miles from any of their
brethren ; and God has since graciously rewarded them
for their devotedness to his service. By Mr. Buzacott I
received letters, one of which was from my beloved and
venerable pastor, the Rev. Matthew Wilks, and its inser-
tion here will be gratifying to myself, and not less so to the
numerous friends who venerate his memory.
My DEAR DEAR WILLIAMs:
Dear to me as the apple of my eye, * * * I do love you.
My heart leaps when I think of you : I do pray for you — I pray
that you may never be weary in well-doing—I pray that you may
abound in every good word and work—I pray that you may be
the living epistle of Christ, known and read of all men — I pray
that you may live long, and be useful all your life long; and
when you and I are called to render an account, that we may
hear our Master say, “Enter ye into the joy of your Lord.” Then
we will answer “Yes, Lord, through thy infinite mercy.”
Then we with all in glory
Shall thankfully repeat
The amazing pleasing story
Of Jesus' love so great.
In this blest contemplation,
We shall forever dwell;
And prove such consolation
As none below can tell.

M.R. wilks' LETTER. 161
News. – Old Tab, yet stands where she did—and, for the
most part, fills as she did — many die off and enter their rest.
We have had but two very great losses — Mr. Wilson, and my
dear brother Hyatt. I cannot be long, being now turned 80— and
have this week been cupped. Of all the mortals that inherit the
kingdom of God I shall be the most unworthy, and yet I hope I
shall arrive safely.
Pray give my very kind love to your brethren; live together,
co-operate, make a common cause in your exalted labours. The
Lord fill your new Chapel with truly Christian worshippers, and
make it one of his resting-places. * * * Grace, mercy, and peace
be with you all, and believe me, in undissembled love, to be your
once affectionate pastor and patron,
M. WILKs.
At the same time I received communications from my
own station at Raiatea, and was grieved to find that my
truly valuable deacon Tuahine had been taken to his rest.
He was one of the two lads who began first to call upon
the name of the Lord Jesus in Tahiti. A lengthened ac-
count of this interesting individual would no doubt be ac-
ceptable to the reader, but I fear to attempt any thing
beyond a bare outline of his history; for I am anxious to
curtail and compress the information I have to communi-
cate into as small a compass as possible.
When the great work of conversion commenced at Ta-
hiti, one of the Missionaries, on going into the bushes for
meditation and secret prayer, there being no place for re-
tirement in the native habitations, heard a sound, which,
on listening attentively, he discovered to be the voice of
prayer. It was the first time that any Missionary's heart
had been gladdened by hearing a native of Tahiti use the
language of devotion. This individual had been impressed
by some remarks from Pomare ; and, anxious to possess a


1.4% -
162 TUAHINE’s CHARACTER.
friend to whom he could unbosom his feelings, he applied
to Tuahine, who had for a long time lived in the Mission
families. Happily, Tuahine's mind was in a similar state,
and they resolved to retire frequently to the valleys for
conversation and prayer, by which exercises these salutary
and delightful impressions were deepened. After a time,
several young persons united with them; and this little
band, without any Missionary to guide them, agreed to
refrain from the worship of their idols, and from the wicked
practices to which their countrymen were addicted, to
observe the Sabbath-day, and to worship Jehovah alone.
As Christianity spread, Tuahine rendered essential service
to the Missionaries, in directing the inquiries of the new
converts, and by teaching in the schools. Possessing an
accurate acquaintance with his own language, and, by his
long residence with the Missionaries, having obtained a
considerable amount of scriptural knowledge, he was quali-
fied to afford valuable assistance in translating the Scrip-
tures, which he did, first to Mr. Nott, and afterwards to
myself. Frequently he has sat eight and ten hours a day
aiding me in this important work; and to him are we in a
great measure indebted for the correctness with which we
have been enabled to give the oracles of truth to the peo-
ple. When we removed to Raiatea he accompanied us,
and, as might have been expected, his counsel and assis-
tance, especially in the schools and in teaching us the lan-
guage, were most invaluable. When I was absent from
home he was left in charge of the station; and his addres-
ses, which were most beautiful specimens of native elo-
quence, resembling more the mildness of a Barnabas than
the thunder of a Boanerges, were exceedingly acceptable
to the people. The neatness of his style, the correctness
of his language, the simplicity and beauty of his similes,
.*

TUAHINE’s LETTER. 163
never failed to rivet the attention of his hearers. He had
also a surprising gift in prayer. Many times have I lis-
tened, with intense interest, to the glowing language of de-
votion which flowed from his lips. He was much respec-
ted by the people ; maintained an honourable course many
years; discharged the office of deacon with diligence and
fidelity, and died, at the age of about forty-five, in the en-
joyment of the consolations of the Gospel. A day or two
before his death he wrote the following letter: —
Raiatea, JNovember 14th, 1827.
OH DEAR FRIEND:
May blessing attend you and your family, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. I have written this letter on the day that my
body is completely destroyed with sickness. I am convinced of
the near approach of death, for I perceive that my illness is very
great. The 11th of November is the day on which I write : I
write with great difficulty, for my eyes are now dim in death.
My compassion for my family is very great; I therefore write in
death to you, my dear friend, about my family. We do not belong
to Raiatea, neither myself nor my wife ; we both belong to Tahiti;
but from love to the word of God, and attachment to you, our
teacher, we have forsaken our lands, and now I am about to die.
It is death that terminates our close connexion. This is what I
have to say to you, my dear friend, about my family: do not let
them remain at Raiatea; take them to Tahiti in your own large
boat: convey them there yourself: let no one else. They belong to
Papeete: there are their parents and their land. My perplexity is
very great, occasioned by my dear family, crying and grieving
around me. They say, ‘Who will convey us back to our lands?”
I refer them to you ; replying Mr. Williams is our friend. We
miss you very much in my illness, and grieve greatly at your ab-
sence. Now, my dear friend, let me entreat you not to forget


164 UAEva’s LETTER.
my dying request. Do not follow the custom of my countrymen,
and say, when I am gone, ‘Oh, it is only the command of a
corpse.” This is what they say, and then seize his little property.
I have been endeavouring to lengthen out my breath to see you
again, but I cannot; my hour is come, when God will take me to
himself, and I cannot resist his will. Perhaps this is the time the
Lord has appointed for me. And now, my dear friend, the great
kindness you have shown me is at an end : your face will not see
my face again in the flesh : you and I are separated. Dear
friend, I am going now to the place we all so ardently desire.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you and your
family. TUAHINE.
P. S. Take care of my family.
His loss was severely felt, for the affairs of the station
began to get into confusion soon after his death. His col-
league, on whom the charge of the Mission devolved,
although a sensible man, was not equal to the greatness
of the work, which he himself, with much Christian sim-
plicity, confesses in the following letter.
Raiated, JMarch 17, 1828.
DEAR FRIEND, MR. WILLIAMs:
May the blessing of God and the grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ be with you. This is my communication. Where are
you? What are you doing? Is it well with you? Are you dead?
Alas! how long it is since our eyes saw each other's features'
Tuahine is dead. He will never see your face again : perhaps
that also may be the case with me. He died in November.
We have had visits from Mr. Barff and Mr. Platt. Mr. Prit-
chard is now with us, and we like him very much. Ten families
have joined us lately: they were previously living almost like
heathens. Mr. Barff has baptized them. Only two members of
our church have acted inconsistently since you left.

The KING's ARRANGEMENT. 165
Dear friend, the work of a minister in superintending a church
is a great work: it is more than I can carry : it is also a fearful
work. I am as a presumptous child, who, with his parent by his
side, thinks himself great and clever, but when unsupported by his
parent, learns his deficiency. It is well said by our Lord, that
the disciple is not wiser than his teacher.
Dear friend, I am anxiously desiring your return, for I have
expended all my little stock of knowledge; and as you are aware
I have a people to instruct who are as wise as myself: they gene-
rally, however, express themselves pleased with my addresses.....
Do not come in the vessel you are building, lest Mrs. Williams
and the children should be drowned in the sea. Hasten home,
as we expect our brethren and friends from Huahine to be present
at our Missionary meeting in May.
Your premises are overgrown with weeds; your large boat is
being eaten by the worms, and your cattle are running wild; for
the people whom you left in charge of them are neglectful. I
thought it best to tell you all this, that you may not be surprised
on your arrival.
Blessing on you, through Jesus,
UAEvA.
We continued at Rarotonga about a month after the
arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Buzacott, which time was spent in
strengthening our vessel with iron, with which Mr. B.
supplied us; in erecting his new house; teaching him the
language, and communicating important information rela-
tive to the Mission. It was a matter of deep regret to
our beloved friends, that we were compelled to leave them
SO SOOH].
The king, who intended to accompany us to Raiatea,
gave instructions to his people for the regulation of their
conduct during his absence ; made the necessary arrange-
ments with his chiefs, and nominated a Regent to act for



-
166 LEAVE RAROTONGA.
him till he should return. Every thing being prepared,
and having resided twelve months at this important station,
during the most critical period of its history, we took an
affectionate leave of our beloved co-adjutors and their
kind people, truly thankful that, on being relieved from
this heavy charge, I was resigning it into the hands of
brethren so well qualified to fulfil its duties. The inhabi-
tants of this lovely spot evinced considerable feeling at the
prospect of losing us. For more than a month prior to
our departure, little groups would collect in the cool of
the evening, and, when sitting around the trunk of some
tree of gigantic growth, or beneath the shade of a stately
banana, would sing in plaintive tones, the stanzas they had
composed to express their sorrow at our anticipated sepa-
ration. On the evening of our departure several thousands
accompanied us to the beach ; and, as the boat left the
shore, they sang with one voice, and, we think we may
add, with one heart,
Kia ora e Tama ma
I te aerenga i te moana e
“Blessing on you, beloved friends; blessing on you in
journeying on the deep.” This they repeated at very short
intervals, the sounds becoming fainter and fainter, as we
proceeded, until they were lost in the distance. The effect
was so overpowering that not a person in the boat could
refrain from weeping.
IMPROVEMENT OF THE IRAIRO TONGANS. 167
*>~~~~
Ezº.
T-2 %) s == -
T-2',4'ſ
The Messenger of Peace, as she appeared when leaving Rarotonga for Tahiti.
The Rarotongans improved much in every respect du-
ring our residence among them. The females were com-
pletely transformed in their appearance ; for, although the
teachers were both single men, they had taught them to
make bonnets; but, I must add, that their taste in forming
the shape, did not admit of equal commendation with their
desire to raise the character and promote the comfort of
the femalesex. These deficiencies, however, were supplied
by Mrs. Pitman and Mrs. Williams, who made some hun-
dreds of bonnets, and rendered many of the natives profi-
cients in the art. They made also, for the chief's wives,
European garments, and instructed them to use the needle,
with which they were much delighted. Besides this, they
met almost daily, the different classes of females, to impart
to them religious and other instruction. By myself, the
men were taught various useful arts, such as to work at
the forge, to erect better houses, and to make articles of
-
-
-


168 SUGAR BOILING, &C.
furniture, in which they have since far excelled their neigh-
bours. At Mr. Pitman's station, I constructed a turning
lathe, and the first thing I turned was the leg of a sofa,
with which the chief, to whom it belonged, was so much
delighted that he strung it round his neck, and walked up
and down the settlement, exhibiting it to the admiration of
the astonished inhabitants; many of whom exclaimed, that
if they had possessed it prior to the renunciation of idola-
try, it would certainly have been an object of worship,
and have taken the precedence of all their other idols. We
made a sugar mill” for them, and taught them to boil sugar.
|º
|º
|
illiºlin
º |
|
º
º
º
º
º ſº
ſº 'ſ
iſ "ſº
|ſ º','!'ſ
gº!
ºul".
ºf-
º
º
- ==== :* : - §§ - * ==
As the people, before our arrival, had destroyed all the
cocoa-nut trees, from which they might have procured oil,
and having no other article of commerce, we entertained
a pleasing hope that the manufacture also of cordage and
rope, from the hibiscus bark, might become a valuable
substitute. With this view, I constructed a rope machine,
taught them the art of rope-making, and encouraged them
to prepare a great quantity, some of which was sent to
* This was the seventh I had made, having constructed one upon the
same principle for most of our native Missionary stations.



















OljR VIEWS FRUSTRATED, 169
New South Wales, in the expectation of finding a market
for it; but we did not succeed according to our anticipa-
tions, and the Rarotongans are still destitute of the means
of exchange for European commodities. At my own sta-
tion, also, being desirous of adding to the few articles which
the natives were able to offer in exchange for European
manufactures, I hired a person, at very considerable
expense, to teach me the art of growing and preparing
Brazil tobacco. Having obtained this information, we in-
duced the natives to plant about a hundred and fifty acres,
and made the necessary apparatus for pressing, &c. As a
vessel was sailing at this time for New South Wales, I
wrote to inform our undeviating friend, the Rev. S. Mars-
den, of our proceedings. Delighted with the information,
he inserted my letter in the Sydney Gazette. Some
narrow-minded merchants immediately took the alarm,
and tormented the governor, until a prohibitory duty of
4s. per lb. was imposed upon tobacco from the South Sea
Islands. Thus our expense and labour were lost. It
appeared to me to derogate from the dignity of a great
nation, thus to crush the energies of an infant people.
Both Mr. Pitman and myself, were constant in our
attendance at the schools, but, having no books in their
dialect, could make very little progress; and although
they diligently attended the means of grace, there were
but few who gave evidences of a change of heart. Much
knowledge, however, was imparted, and a foundation laid
on which the two excellent and devoted Missionaries who
occupy these stations have since been honoured to raise
an elevated and spiritual superstructure.
We never reflect upon our voyage from Rarotonga
without feeling our obligations to a kind and protecting
Providence. It will be readily conceived, that a vessel

15
170 ARRIVAL AT TAHITI.
built under the circumstances I have described, very in-
sufficiently fastened with iron, caulked with the bark, and
covered partly with lime, and partly with gum from the
bread-fruit tree, instead of pitch, was not calculated to
sustain the buffetings of many storms. But, although it
blows from the E. almost constantly in those latitudes, we
were favoured, during our voyage of 800 miles, with a fair
wind, which was so light as to appear almost sensible that
it was filling sails which could not endure its fury, while
the sea was so smooth that it seemed as if reserving its
power for some bark better fitted to withstand it; or,
rather we felt that He, who said to the winds and waves,
“Be still,” continued to care for his disciples. We arrived
off Papeete harbour, at Tahiti, during the night, and in the
morning, the crews of the ships at anchor, and the friends
on shore, observed, literally, “a strange sail” at sea. Some
took us for South American patriots, others for pirates,
and others could not tell “what to make of us.” As soon
as we entered the harbour, the officers of the vessels lying
there, and our friends from the shore, hastened on board
to see the prodigy, and expressed not a little astonishment
at every part of the ship, but especially at the rudder-irons.
From Mr. and Mrs. Pritchard we received a cordial wel-
come. After introducing Makea to the Missionaries and
authorities of the island, and recruiting our strength, in a
few days we departed for Raiatea, where we arrived the
26th of April, 1828, having been absent exactly twelve
months. On landing, I was greeted by the people: “How
good it is you are come now our troubles will be at an
end what should we have done had you stayed away
much longer " I was at a loss to divine the import of
these exclamations, till I was informed that a serious disa-
greement had arisen between Tamatea and the principal

MAKEA's RETURN. | 71
chiefs of the island. In a few days, however, these differ-
ences were settled, and we prepared for our Missionary
meeting; at which from two to three thousand persons
assembled, many of whom had come from Huahine and
Tahaa ; with the noble chief, also from Rarotonga, whose
presence, together with the exhibition of the rejected idols
of his people, added much to the interest of the occasion.
This was the third time we had enjoyed the privilege of
exhibiting to the Raiateans the abandoned idols of other
islands. Many suitable addresses were then delivered,
and all present seemed delighted.
Makea, during his stay at the Society Islands, visited
Huahine, Tahaa, and Porapora, the chiefs and people of
which showed him kind attentions, and made him valuable
presents. With these, after about two months’ residence
with us, we sent him home, where he arrived in safety,
and was cordially welcomed by the Missionaries and his
people.

C H A P T E R XII.
Papeiha's Narrative—Ideas of the People on seeing him read—Arrival of
his Colleague — Arrangements for increased Exertion — The Success
which attended their Efforts — Ludicrous Incidents with a Cat – First
Place of Worship erected—War with the Heathens—The entire Sub-
version of Idolatry at Rarotonga — War at Raiatea — Accusations of
Professor Lee.
DURING our stay at Rarotonga, I obtained a minute and
interesting account from Papeiha, of the circumstances
which occurred from his first landing to the time of our
arrival; a brief abstract of which I shall present to the
reader. On reaching the shore, he was conducted to the
house of old Makea, the father of the present chief of that
name. An immense crowd followed him ; one of whom
was saying, “I’ll have his hat;” another, “I’ll have his
jacket;” a third, “I’ll have his shirt;” but they did not
carry their threats into execution; for the chief called out,
“Speak to us, O man, that we may know the business on
which you are come.” Papeiha replied, that he had come
to instruct them in the knowledge of the true God, and
the way of eternal salvation, through his Son Jesus Christ,
in order that, as the inhabitants of Tahiti, the Society, and
other islands had done, they also might burn the idols of
wood, of cloth, and of birds' feathers which they had made
and called gods. Immediately there burst from the multi-
tude an exclamation of surprise and horror: “What burn
the gods ! what gods shall we then have, and what shall
we do without the gods?”




PAPEIHA’s NARRATIVE. 173
-
The teacher and his party commenced family worship
morning and evening, at which many persons attended :
and, after the first Sabbath-day services, about twenty
joined them, among whom was Davida, the eldest son of
the present king, who has continued steadfast, and is now
rendering essential service to the Mission, as superintendent
of Mr. Buzacott's schools, and leader of the singing. Fre-
quently has Papeiha showed me the stone from which,
overshadowed by a grove of banana trees, he delivered his
first address to the wondering inhabitants of Rarotonga.
Shortly after this, Tinomana, the chief of Arorangi, a
district about eight miles from Papeiha's residence, sent
for him, and expressed a wish to know something about
Jehovah and Jesus Christ. This chief, with the whole of
the people of his district, were living in the mountains,
where Tinomana himself was born. As this was the
weakest district of the three, its inhabitants were subject
to peculiar oppression from their more powerful neigh-
bours, who plundered them of their food and property
with impunity. When a sacrifice was required, they
would invariably seek it from this oppressed people; who,
when they wanted fish, were obliged to steal down to the
sea in the dead of the night, and return before day-break,
to avoid being plundered or murdered by parties from the
other districts. Papeiha, after having explained the lead-
ing doctrines of the Gospel to this chieftain, very judiciously
pointed out to him the advantage which he would derive
from the reception of Christianity; and showed, that by
this means, peace and good will would so reign through
the land, that he would no longer be compelled to live in
the mountains, but might take up his abode near the sea,
and, with his people, enjoy his possessions as securely as
the inhabitants of the victorious districts. The chief was

15%
174 PAPEIHA's NARRATIVE.
-
considerably impressed with these representations; and
after meditating for some hours upon what he had heard,
he came to Papeiha, and said, that he felt greatly disposed
to burn his gods, but was afraid, “lest they should be en-
raged, and strangle him in the night.” The teacher assured
him that he had nothing to apprehend, as they were desti-
tute of any real power. In the evening, Papeiha and his
party engaged in prayer, and many of the people of the
district united with them, and, for the first time since the
island had been inhabited, bowed their knees to the God
of Heaven, and listened to the voice of devotion.
When Papeiha had spread his mat, and laid himself
down to rest, Tinomana brought his, and having placed it
by his side, told him that he came to be taught to pray to
Jehovah. Delighted with the request, Papeiha commenced
a short prayer, which the chief repeated after him; but,
overcome with fatigue, he dropped off to sleep. He had,
however, scarcely closed his eyes, when the anxious chief
awoke him, saying, “I’ve forgotten it; go over it again.”
After causing him to repeat it many times, once more he
fell asleep, and again was awoke. This was repeated fre-
quently through the night. In the morning, Papeiha
returned home, and Tinomana accompanied him part of
the distance, reciting, during the journey, the prayer which
he had learned. On taking his leave, he informed the
teacher that he was much delighted with what he had
heard; and that he would go home and think seriously
upon the subject; for, as it was a matter of great impor-
tance, it was not well to be in haste.
Papeiha had not long returned, when another opportu-
nity was afforded him for bearing his testimony to the
truth, in the presence of a multitude of heathen, on the
very spot where “Satan's seat was.” The people were

-
PAPEIHA's NARRATIVE. 175
assembled at a marae offering great quantities of food to
the gods. Many priests, pretending to be inspired, were
shouting and vociferating, with all the wildness of heathen
frenzy, among worshippers who presented a strange and
ludicrous appearance. Some had one side of their body
blackened with charcoal, others were painted with stripes
of all the colours they could procure : while many were
dressed as warriors, with large caps, adorned with white
cowrie shells and birds' feathers. Our intrepid friend
pressed into the midst of the assembly, and commenced
addessing them on the folly of offering such quantities
of food to a piece of wood which they had carved, and
decorated, and called a god. Upon this, a priest stood
up and affirmed that theirs was a real god, that he was a
powerful god, and that the feast they were celebrating was
very sacred. Papeiha told them that the day was not far
distant when the true God Jehovah would show them the
folly of their practices, and would make the gods they now
worshipped “fuel for the fire.” On hearing this declara-
tion there was great confusion, but they listened very at-
tively while he described the love of God in giving his
Son to die for sinners. After Papeiha had ceased, the
people asked him many questions, one of which was,
“Where does your God live 1° He replied, that Heaven
was his dwelling place, but that he filled both the heavens
and the earth with his presence. “We cannot see him,”
they rejoined, “but ours are here before our eyes, and, if
the Earth was full of your God, surely he would be big
enough to be seen.” “And should we not run against
him 7” exclaimed another. To all this Papeiha made an-
swer “ that the earth was full of air, but we did not run
against it ; that we were surrounded by light but it did
not impede our progress.” This conversation terminated,

176 HIS COLLEAGUE ARRIVES.
however, without adding to the number of converts; but
the teacher had the satisfaction of knowing that he had
borne a faithful testimony to the truth, and that many had
heard, for the first time in their lives, of salvation by the
blood of Jesus Christ.
As Papeiha carried his Testament with him, it fre-
quently elicited curious remarks. While walking about
the settlement, the people would say, “There ! there's
the god of that man what a strange god it is, he carries
it about with him, but we leave ours at the marae.” When
they saw him reading, they would say that he and his God
were talking together. Five months had elapsed when
Papeiha was cheered by the arrival of his associate Tibe-
rio. Although the labours of Papeiha had been unremit-
ting, and the converts by no means numerous, he was not
discouraged ; and now that he was cheered by the pres-
ence, and aided by the co-operation of a colleague, it was
determined that himself and his associate should employ
all their energies for the accomplishment of their object,
and, undeterred by threats or danger, should go on any
occasion to any part of the island where it was probable
that success might reward their efforts. With this view
they resolved, in the first instance, to visit all the influen-
tial chiefs in the island, and explain to them the principles of
Christian truth, pointing out not only the spiritual but the
temporal advantages which would accrue from the renun-
ciation of idolatry. In carrying their resolution into effect,
at some places they were kindly treated, but at others
they were ridiculed, and from one or two they narrowly
escaped their lives.
A few days after their return to the station a priest
came to the teachers, and expressed his determination to
burn his idol, and had brought his eldest son, a boy about

FIRST IIDOL DESTROYEID. 177
ten years of age, to place under their care, lest the gods,
in their anger, should destroy him. Leaving the child
with the teachers, he returned home, and early the next
morning came, bending under the weight of the cumbrous
god he was bringing to be burned. A crowd followed
him, calling him a madman, but he persisted in his deter-
mination to embrace the word of Jehovah, and declared
that he was unconcerned about the result. He then threw
his idol at the feet of the teachers, one of whom fetched
his saw to cut it up ; but as soon as the people observed
the saw applied to the head of the god, they all took fright
and ran away. Many even of their converts were seized
with the panic, and hid themselves among the bushes.
After a short time they returned ; and, in the presence of
an immense crowd, the first rejected idol of Rarotonga
was committed to the flames.
In order to convince the people of the utter futility of
their fears, when the idol was reduced to ashes, the teach-
ers roasted some bananas upon them, of which they eat
themselves and invited others to partake. No one, how-
ever, had courage to admit so dangerous a morsel into
their mouths, and waited, with no small anxiety, to witness
the result of the teachers' temerity; but, like the inhabi-
tants of Melita, “ after they had looked a great while, and
saw no harm come to them, they changed their minds,”
and said theirs was the truth. The crowd of spectators
returned, with feelings so different from those with which
they assembled, that, in less than ten days after this event,
not fewer than fourteen idols were destroyed. Imme-
diately afterwards, Tinomana, the conquered chief, sent
for the teachers, and on their arrival at his residence in
the mountains, he informed them that, after much deliber-
ation, he had determined to embrace Christianity, and to

178 PAPEIHA's NARRATIVE continued.
place himself under their instructions, and therefore wished
to know what was the first step to the reception of the truth.
The teachers informed him that he must destroy his ma-
raes and burn his idols, to which he instantly replied,
“Come with me, and see them destroyed.” On reaching
the place, he desired some person to take a fire-brand and
set fire to the temple, the atarau, and the unus, or sacred
pieces of carved wood, by which the marae was deco-
rated. Four great idols were then brought and laid at the
teachers’ feet, who, having read a portion of the tenth
chapter of the gospel of St. Luke, which was peculiarly
appropriate, especially from the seventeenth to the twen-
tieth verses, disrobed them of the cloth in which they were
enveloped, distributed it among the people, and threw the
wood to the flames. Thus were the inhabitants of this
district delivered from the reign of superstition and igno-
rance, under which they had so long groaned. Some of
the people were much enraged with the chief, and were
very violent in the expression of their feelings; calling him
a fool and a madman, for burning his gods, and listening
to worthless fellows, who were “drift wood from the sea,
washed on shore by the waves of the ocean.” The grief
of the women was excessively frantic, and their lamenta-
tions loud and doleful. Many of them inflicted deep gashes
on their heads, with sharp shells and sharks' teeth, and
ran about, smeared with the blood which streamed from
the wounds, crying in tones of the deepest melancholy,
“Alas! alas ! the gods of the madman Tinomana, the gods
of the insane chief, are given to the flames!” Others,
blackened with charcoal, joined in their lamentations. In
the course of a few days, all the idols in the district were
brought to the teachers; some of these were destroyed,
but the others they determined to send to Raiatea. On

paperHA's NARRative continued 179
-
the following Saturday they left Tinomana, advising him
and the other converts to have their food prepared for
the next day, and to attend worship at the station. They
did as they were requested; but came completely accou-
tred as for an engagement, with war caps, slings and
spears, fearing, lest the enraged Satanees” should attack
them. They were not however molested either in coming
or returning. From this time the destruction of the en-
signs of idolatry proceeded rapidly throughout the island.
During the next week, Pa, the principal chief of the vic-
torious party, sent for Papeiha and Tiberio; and, on their
arrival, expressed his determination to embrace the truth.
In the evening, while sitting in the house, their attention
was attracted by a singular noise, which proved to be the
yelling of a person who pretended to be inspired, and who,
like the heathens of old, endeavoured to support his pre-
tensions by distorting his features and speaking in an un-
natural tone. Approaching the dwelling, he vociferated,
“Pa, Pa, give me those two men; why do you preserve
two rotten sticks driven on shore by the waves? why do
you listen to the froth of the sea 7 I am great Tangaroa,
give them to me, and I’ll eat them.” The teachers propo-
sed to each other to joke with this gentleman ; and, as he
entered the house, to take out their knives, and demand
that they should be allowed to make an incision and search
for the great god Tangaroa, who, he said, was within
him : as it would be gratifying to all parties to see this
extraordinary personage. The chief heard the conversa-
tion, and warned the priest not to enter, as the teachers
were ready with their knives to cut him open and search
for Tangaroa. On hearing this, he scampered away with
* A name by which the Idolators were designated.
-
|


180 LUDICROUS EFFECT PRODUCED.
-
far less pomp than he came, and they heard nothing more
of him.
The teachers, after an absence of about a week, during
which they had witnessed the demolition of several maraes,
returned, accompanied by the first-born of every chief who
had destroyed his idols.
At this time, a ludicrous circumstance occurred which
will illustrate the ignorance and superstition of this people.
A favourite cat had been taken on shore by one of the
teacher's wives on our first visit; and not liking his new
companions, Tom fled to the mountains. The house of
the priest Tiaki, who had just destroyed his idol, was situ-
ated at a distance from the settlement; and, at midnight,
while he was lying asleep on his mat, his wife, who was
sitting awake by his side, musing upon the strange events
of the day, beheld, with consternation, two fires glistening
in the door-way, and heard with surprise a mysterious
voice. Almost petrified with fear, she awoke her husband,
and began to upbraid him with his folly for burning his
god, who, she declared, was now come to be avenged of
them. “Get up and pray, get up and pray,” she cried.
The husband arose, and on opening his eyes, beheld the
same glaring lights, and heard the same ominous sound.
Impelled by the extreme urgency of the case, he commen-
ced, with all possible vehemence, vociferating the alphabet,
as a prayer to God to deliver them from the vengeance of
Satan. On hearing this the cat, as much alarmed as the
priest and his wife, of whose nocturnal peace he had been
the unconscious disturber, ran away, leaving the poor peo-
ple congratulating themselves on the efficacy of their
prayer.
On a subsequent occasion, puss, in his perambulations,
went to the district of the Satanees; and as the marae

BY THE SIGHT OF A CAT. 181
stood in a retired spot, and was shaded by the rich foliage
of trees of ancient growth, Tom, pleased with the situation,
and wishing to be found in good company, took up his abode
with the gods; and not meeting with any opposition from
those within the house, he little expected any from those
without.
Some few days after, however, the priest came, accom-
panied by a number of worshippers, to present some offering
to the god, and on opening the door, Tom very respectfully
greeted him with a mew. Unaccustomed to such saluta-
tions, instead of returning it, he rushed back with terror,
shouting to his companions, “Here's a monster from the
deep here's a monster from the deep 1" Upon this, the
whole party hastened home, collected several hundreds of
their companions, put on their war caps, brought their
spears, clubs, and slings, blackened themselves with char-
coal, and thus equipped, came shouting to attack “poor
puss.” Affrighted at this formidable array of war, Tom
immediately sprang towards the opened door, and darting
through the terror-stricken warriors, they fled with the
greatest precipitation in all directions.
In the evening, these brave conspirators against the life
of a cat were entertaining themselves and a numerous
company of spectators with a dance, when Tom, wishing
to see the sport, and bearing no malice, came to take a
peep. No sooner did he present himself, than the terrified
company fled in consternation ; and the heroic warriors of
the district again armed themselves, and gave chase to
this unfortunate cat. But the “monster of the deep,” being
too nimble for them, again escaped their vengeance. Some
hours after, when all was quiet, Tom, being disturbed in
his residence with the gods, determined unwisely to renew
his acquaintance with men; and, in the dead of the night,

16
182 REIGN OF IDOLATRY TERMINATES.
returned to the house, and crept beneath a coverlet, under
which a whole family was lying, and there fell asleep.
Unfortunately his purring awoke the man under whose
cloth he had crawled, and who, supposing that some other
“monster” had come to disturb them, closed the door-way,
awoke the people of the house, and procured lights to
search for the intruder. Poor Tom, fatigued with the
two previous engagements of the day, lay quietly asleep,
when the warriors, with their clubs and spears, attacked
him most valiantly, and thought themselves singularly
brave in putting an end to this formidable “monster.”
The king, Makea, was among the last chiefs of impor-
tance who renounced idolatry. The object of his adora-
tion was a goddess, the great Rangatira; and the idolaters
manifested determined opposition to the destruction of this
idol and the burning of their marae. That, however, was
effected by the party to whom it belonged ; and thus the
reign of idolatry, although very many still retained their
idols and superstitions, was virtually terminated at Raro-
tonga.
The teachers then recommended the erection of a place
of worship, which being agreed to, the greater part of the
inhabitants assembled, most of whom came to the work
thoroughly equipped for war.” The site selected for the
building was thickly covered with trees; and, as there
were but four or five axes in the island, the clearing it was
a great work. All, however, appeared anxious to assist,
and although their tools were rude, some using large shells,
* It must be recollected, - that the inhabitants of the different districts of
this island were always in a state of hostility, and never, on any occasion,
met unarmed; that time had not yet been sufficient for the principles of
Christianity to produce mutual confidence amongst its professors, and that
numbers were still heathens.
|

PLACE OF WORSHIP ERECTED. 183
and others stone axes, yet as the people were numerous,
the work was soon effected. When the first post was
fixed, Makea, who had prepared a great quantity of food
to be apportioned to the various districts, desired Tino-
mana to implore a blessing; and, in order that all present
might see and hear, he climed a tree, and in that conspic-
uous situation offered up a sensible prayer. The shape of
the building, the burning of the lime, and the plastering of
the house, excited feelings and drew forth expressions
similar to those elicited at Aitutaki.
Those who still remained heathen were continually of.
fering provocation to the Christians, who, by not resenting
their conduct, subjected themselves to still greater annoy-
ance, and one of them, while passing through their district
to his own, was most severely beaten, and had one of his
ears torn nearly off. This led to a conflict between the
parties, in which the Christians conquered. The victors
then, as the custom was, led the captives by their long hair
down to the sea-side, not however, as formerly, to put them
to death, and feast upon their bodies, but to present them
to the chiefs; who, instead of ordering them to be injured,
advised them to embrace this good religion, by which their
differences would be terminated, and the reign of harmony
and happiness established. To this they replied, that, as
they were now convinced of the superior power of Jehovah,
and had indubitable proof of the merciful character of this
new religion by their lives being spared, they should at
once unite with their countrymen in the worship of the
only true God. The following day they demolished all the
maraes, and brought their rejected idols to the teachers.
Thus terminated the war, and, with the war, the whole
system of idolatry in Rarotonga.
A portion of land in the Christian settlement was then
-
º

184 THE WAR AT RAIATEA.
allotted to each individual; and many of them erected a
dwelling there, and became, and still continue among the
most active, consistent, and devoted Christians.” It is a
very remarkable fact, that in no island of importance has
Christianity been introduced without a war; but it is right
to observe, that, in every instance, the heathens have been
the aggressors. It was so both at Tahiti and Raiatea.
And as there were many circumstances connected with
the memorable battle between the Christian and heathen
parties at the latter place, in which the interposition of a
Divine power was most conspicuous, and which led to the
entire subversion of idolatry in that and the neighbouring
island, I shall take this opportunity of recording them.
Tamatoa, with most of the chiefs of the Society Islands,
attended by a large company of warriors, had gone to Ta-
hiti, to assist in reinstating Pomare in his government;
and when thus convened, the great work of conversion
commenced at that island Having been brought under
its influence, the chiefs, with their warriors, returned to
their respective islands, not conveying back the mangled
bodies of the victims slain in battle, to offer to the gods
whose protection they had invoked, but the Gospel of
peace. Upon the arrival of Tamatoa and his followers at
Opoa, the place “where Satan's seat was" at Raiatea,
a multitude was assembled on the sea-beach to greet them,
while the priests were running to and fro, vociferating a
welcome in the name of the gods, and expressing a hope
that they had returned laden with victims. As the chief's
canoe approached the shore, a herald was commanded to
stand upon an elevated platform, who shouted in reply,
* In giving the foregoing account of the overthrow of idolatry in the Island
of Rarotonga, my readers will not conclude that I approve of every measure
the teachers adopted. All I have done is faithfully to narrate the facts.

THE WAR AT RAIATEA, 185
“There are no victims; we are all praying people, and
have become worshippers of Jehovah the true God;” and
holding up the elementary books which the Missionaries
had written for them, as they had no printing-press at that
time, he cried, “These are the victims — these are the
trophies with which we have returned " Soon after the
arrival of Tamatoa and his party, a meeting was convened,
when the inhabitants of Raiatea were informed of what
had taken place at Tahiti, and of the conversion of their
friends to the Christian religion. They were then invited
to follow their example. About a third of the people
agreed to the proposition. Shortly after this Tamatoa
was taken exceedingly ill, and every effort to restore him
to health having failed, it was proposed by one of the
Christians to destroy Oro, the great national idol, and set
fire to the marae, suggesting that perhaps Jahovah was
angry with them for not having done this before. After a
consultation upon the proposition, it was agreed that a
party should go and carry it into effect, Summoning all
their courage, these proceeded to the great marea at Opoa,
took Oro from his seat, tore off his robes, and set fire to the
sacred house. The heathen party were so exasperated at
this circumstance, that they determined to make war upon
the Christians and put them all to death. For this purpose,
they invited the chief of Tahaa to come over with his army
and assist them in effecting their object. They erected a
house, which they encircled with the trunks of cocoa-nut
and bread-fruit trees, into which they resolved to thrust the
Christians, and then to set it on fire, and thus burn them
alive. Terrified at these and other frightful preparations,
Tamatoa sent frequent overtures of peace; but the inva-
riable reply was, “There is no peace for god-burners, until
they have felt the effects of the fire with which they de-


* 16%
186 THE WAR AT RAIATEA.
stroyed Oro.” As a last resource, the chief sent his fa-
vourite daughter; and a small shower of rain happening
to descend just as she entered the camp, a priestess of
Toimata, the daughter of Oro, commenced singing the
following stanza: —
“Thickly, thickly falls the small rain from the skies;
'Tis the afflicted Toimata weeping for her sire.”
This roused the spirit of the people to such a pitch, that
the heathens shouted simultaneously, “There is no peace
to be made wih god-burners, until they have felt the effects
of the fire with which they destroyed Oro,” and deter-
mined to make the attack on the following day. The
night was a sleepless one with both parties; for the hea-
thens were employed in listening to the vociferations of
their priests, in feasting, rioting, and exulting in the antici-
pated triumphs of the coming day; while the Christians
spent the hours in prayer, and in raising an embankment
of stones behind which to defend themselves as long as
possible. Early the next morning the heathen party, with
flying banners, the shout of the warriors, and the sound of
the trumpet-shell, bore down in an imposing attitude upon
the affrighted Christians: while they, on their bended
knees, were supplicating the protection of God against the
fury of their enemies, whose numbers, whose frightful pre-
parations and superstitious madness, rendered them pecu-
liarly formidable. A long shoal of sand stretched from
the shore of the Christian encampment; in consequence of
which the heathen party were compelled to land at a dis-
tance of half a mile from the spot. Before they arrived at
the place of disembarkation, one of the Christians, formerly
a noted worrior, said to the chief, “Allow me to select all
-


THE WAR AT RAIATEA, 187
our effective men, and make an attack upon the heathens,
while in the confusion of landing. A panic may seize them,
and God may work a deliverance for us.” The proposi-
tion was agreed to ; but the chief himself said, “Before you
go, let us unite in prayer.” Men, women, and children,
then knelt down outside their stone embankment, and the
king implored the God of Jacob to cover their head in the
day of battle, and, on concluding, thus addressed his little
band of faithful followers: “Now go, and may the pre-
sence of Jesus go with you.” Taking a circuitous route
behind the brush-wood, until he arrived opposite to the
place where the heathens were landing, the commander
extended his little army as far as it would reach, and gave
strict orders that no noise should be made until they were
emerging from the bush. The arrangement proved most
successful. The heathens were seized with consternation,
and after a short resistance, threw away their arms, and
fled for their lives; for they expected to have met with
barbarous treatment, similar to that which they would
have inflicted had they been the conquerors. But per-
ceiving that no injury was sustained by those of their
brethren who fell into the hands of the Christians, they
peeped from behind the bushes, or shouted from the trees
in which they had taken refuge, “Here am I; spare my
life, by Jesus, your new God.” The remainder of the day
was spent by the Christians in conducting their prisoners
into the presence of the chief, who remained for several
hours upon the very spot where in the morning he com-
mended his little band to the protection of God. A herald
stood by his side, and shouted, as the fugitives approached,
“Welcome welcome you are saved by Jesus, and the
influence of the religion of mercy, which we have embra-
ced l’” When the chief of Tahaa, who led the heathen, ,
-
-
-

188 THE WAIR AT RAIATEA.
was taken, and conducted, pale and trembling, into the
presence of Tamatoa, he exclaimed, “Am I dead!” His
fears, however, were immediately dissipated by his brother
chieftain, who replied, “No, brother; cease to tremble;
you are saved by Jesus.” A feast was immediately pre-
pared for the prisoners, when nearly a hundred large pigs
were baked whole, with a proportionate quantity of bread-
fruit and other vegetables. The heathen sat down to eat,
but few could swallow their food, being overwhelmed by
the astonishing events of the day. While they were thus
seated, one of the party arose, and said, “This is my little
speech: Let every one be allowed to follow his own incli-
nation; for my part, I will never again, to the day of my
death, worship the gods who could not protect us in the
hour of danger | We were four times the number of the
praying people, yet they have conquered us with the great-
est ease. Jehovah is the true God. Had we conquered
them, they would, at this moment, have been burning in
the house we made strong for the purpose but instead of
injuring us, or our wives or our children, they have pre-
pared for us this sumptuous feast. Theirs is a religion of
mercy. I will go and unite myself to this people.” This
declaration was listened to with so much delight, and
similar sentiments were so universal, that every one of
the heathen party bowed their knees that very night, for
the first time, in prayer to Jehovah, and united with the
Christians in returning thanks to Him for the victory he
had on that anxious day so graciously afforded them. On
the following morning, after prayer, both Christians and
heathens issued forth and demolished every marae in Ta-
haa and Raiatea; so that, in three days after this memo-
rable battle, not a vestige of idol worship remained in
either of those islands ! All this will acquire additional

ANSWER TO PROFESSOR LEE. 189
interest in the reader's estimation when he is informed,
that it took place solely under the superintendence of the
natives themselves, for at that time there was no Mission-
ary at either of the islands.
And here I would notice an assertion of Professor Lee,
who ascribes the progress of Christianity in the South Sea
Islands to the aid it derived from the civil power.” Now
this statement is not founded in truth. Having witnessed
the introduction of Christianity into a greater number of
islands than any other Missionary, I can safely affirm, that
in no single instance has the civil power been employed
in its propagation. It is true, that the moral influence of
the chiefs has, in many instances, been most beneficially
exerted in behalf of Christianity; but never, to my know-
ledge, have they employed coercion, to induce their subjects
to embrace it. And I feel satisfied, that in few cases, has
the beautiful prediction been more strikingly accomplished
—“And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens
thy nursing mothers.” Had the Missionaries desired the
exercise of that power, the chiefs were not in a condition
to gratify them; for they had to defend themselves against
the fury of a large portion of their own subjects, by whom
they were so fiercely attacked. I am, moreover, happy
in being able to contradict the assertion of Dr. Lee ; be-
cause, were it true, it would have detracted from the hon-
our of Christ, by the interposition of whose providence the
great work has been effected: “His own arm hath gotten
him the victory.” Further, it would have derogated from
the honour of Christianity, which has triumphed, not by
human authority, but by its own moral power—by the
* See Professor Lee's second letter, &c. p. 57.
# See also Ellis' Polynesian Researches, vol. i. p. 259,


190 ANSWER TO PROFESSOR LEE.
light which it spread abroad, and by the benevolent spirit
it disseminated ; for “kindness is the key to the human
heart,” whether it be that of savage or civilized man; and
when instead of being barbarously murdered, they were
treated with kindness, the multitude immediately embraced
the truth, for they naturally attributed this mighty trans-
formation in their formerly sanguinary chieftains, to the
benign influence of the Gospel upon their minds,
C H A P T E R XII.
A Tradition—How the Rarotongans first obtained their Knowledge of the
Europeans—They pray to their gods that Ships may visit their Islsmd—
A ship, supposed to be the Bounty, arrives—The Tides — The unsound-
ness of Captain Beechy's Theory—Peculiarities of Rarotonga–Buteve
the cripple —Their Wars, savage Usages, &c. — Female Degradation—
Grades in Society, &c.
DURING our stay at Rarotonga, I obtained information from
the natives upon a variety of subjects, some of which were
both curious and instructive. The first I shall mention
is, a legend in reference to the peopling of their island.
Upon this subject the natives have several traditions, in
one of which there is a strange account of Apopo iva roa, or
the long-boned giant, who is said to have walked to the
island upon the sea; but this, with many others, I shall
pass over and confine myself to the following, which,
divested of those portions that are evidently fabulous, I
regard as the correct account. It states that Karika, the
ancestor of the present Makea family, came originally
from an island to the westward, named Manuka. This
Karika was a mighty warrior, a “man-killer” and a great
navigator, who, in his peregrinations at sea, discovered the
island of Rarotonga. On landing, he found it uninhab-
ited; and, after remaining there some time, he again put
to sea, and, in his voyage, met with Tangiia. This man
was a chief of Faaa, a district in Tahiti, who, by cutting
down a favourite bread-fruit tree, had given offence to his
brother, Tutabu aru roa, (or Tutabu the insatiable pur-


192 TRADITION.
surer) who was so much enraged that he determined to
put Tangiia and all his family to death. On hearing this,
Tangiia launched his large canoe, and sought safety in
flight; and taking with him his family and followers,
among whom were two beautiful daughters, he sailed for
Huahine, which is about a hundred miles to the westward
of Tahiti, where he arrived in safety. He had not, how-
ever, been there many days, before Tutabu, with his tini
or thousands, entered the harbour of that island, with a
determination to destroy his brother. To escape his ven-
geance, Tangiia set sail immediately for Raiatea, but was
closely followed by Tutabu. Continuing his flight, he
sailed to Porapora, where he had scarcely landed, when
he again found his pursurer at his heels. From hence he
proceeded to Maupiti, the last of the Society Islands, but
here also Tutabu followed him ; when, seeing no possi-
bility of escaping the fury of his unrelenting foe, Tangiia,
with his tini, launched upon the trackless ocean, in search
of a refuge where he might happen to find it. After
having been a long time at sea, he fell in with Karika,
from the island of Manuka, who forwith prepared for bat-
tle; and, lashing his canoe firmly to that of the poor un-
fortunate Tangiia, was about to attack him, when he made
submission, by presenting to Karika the emblems of supre-
macy, both civil and religious, saying, “Tena mai te vaevae
roa”—“Yours is the long-legged,” or man belongs to you.
“Tena mai te vaevae poto”—“Yours is the short-legged,”
or the turtle belongs to you; which being the most sacred
fish, was considered as an emblem of supremacy in religious
affairs. “Yours is the butunga apinga, katoatoa or the source
of every treasure,” reserving to himself only his “takai kete,”
or the food with which the people of his own district might
supply him. With this Karika was satisfied, and made a
TRADITION. 193
friendly covenant with Tangiia, receiving from him one of
his beautiful daughters to wife. The brave warrior then
informed his friend of the lovely island he had discovered,
told him the direction in which it lay, promised, when he
had accomplished the object of his present voyage, to
return and settle there. Tangiia, taking leave of his for-
midable ally, steered for Rarotonga; and, on reaching it,
took up his residence on the east side. Karika returned
to the island some short time after, and, with his “tini,”
settled on the north side. But they had not long enjoyed
the comforts of repose, when, to the astonishment and con-
sternation of Tangiia, the fleet of his determined enemy
Tutabu was descried off the harbour's mouth. The “re-
lentless pursuer”
had determined to range the ocean in
search of his adversary, and now that he had discovered
him, felt confident that he should effect his destruction.
Tangiia immediately desptached a messenger to inform
his friend Karika of Tutabu’s arrival, and to request his
assistance in the ensuing battle ; hoping that, by an union
of their forces, they might conquer him. Karika accord-
ingly collected his “tini,” and went forthwith to the assist-
ance of his friend. A desperate engagement ensued in
which Tutabu was conquered and killed. They next had
to bake him ; but this they found more difficult than to
kill him ; for, although they heated a large oven thoroughly,
and put many hot stones inside him, they found on open-
ing the oven that it was cold, and Tutabu quite uncooked.
Failing here, they conveyed the body to the next district,
where they prepared another oven, using a different kind
of wood for fuel, but with no better success. This pro-
cess they repeated in every district of the island, with a
similar result, until they came to the last, at which they
succeeded. For this reason they gave to the district its


17

-
194 TRAIDITION
present name of Taana, which signifies “well done, or
baked over again.” There is in this tradition a great deal
more of the fabulous than I have mentioned especially in
relation to the canoe in which Tangiia came to Rarotonga,
which is said to have been built in the invisible world, and
to have been conveyed by the birds to the top of a moun-
tain during one night, and on the next to have been re-
moved from thence by the same extraordinary carriers to
a large canoe-house erected by Tangiia for its reception.
This celebrated ship had nine or ten remarkable names,
taken from so many striking circumstances connected with
its building, the manner in which it was conveyed to this
world, and other incidents, the relation of which might,
perhaps, gratify the curious, but, from the press of more
important matter, I can only add, that its principal name
was Tarai-po, or “built in the invisible world.”
This account, divested of the fabulous, is certainly sup-
ported by existing circumstances; for, in the first place.
the Tahitian and Society Islands have other traditions:
respecting both Tangiia and Tutabu, which state they were
both great travellers — that they had a serious quarrel
about their lands, and that they dwelt in the district of
Faaa in Tahiti. Hence it may be fairly assumed, that
such persons did actually exist, and that they were not, like
the long-boned giant, the mere creations of fancy. This
opinion is also supported by the fact, that the islands from
which these progenitors are said to have come, are about
equal distances from Rarotonga—Tahiti being to the east,
and Manuka to the west of it. The language also of the
present inhabitants is pure Tahitian, with an infusion of
the hard consonants and nasal sounds, which characterize
the dialects of the west. To these, we may add another
striking evidence, derived from the political divisions still
SUPPORTED BY FA CTS. 195
existing in the island. The people are, to the present day,
two distinct bodies, designated Ngati Karika, or the
descendants of Karika; and Ngati Tangiia, the descend-
ants of Tangiia; the former, still occupying the north side
of the island, and the latter, the east. It is also worthy
of remark, that the superior chieftainship is still vested in
the Karika family: for, although the Ngati Karika have
been beaten many times, indeed generally, by the descen-
dants of Tangiia, yet the conquerors agree in allowing
them the supremacy which they have possessed from time
immemorial. The present Makea is the twenty-ninth of
that family.* The first knowledge and intercourse of the
Rarotongans with white people, appears also to be worthy
of notice; for, although Captain Cook did not discover the
island, we found that the inhabitants had a knowledge of
him before our arrival, which they received partly from
the heathen woman, of whom I have previously spoken,
and partly from some natives, who were drifted from
Tahiti down to Rarotonga in a canoe. These arrived
while the islanders were engaged in a war; and supposing
that the island was uninhabited, two of their number went
to a distance in search of eels, where they fell into the
hands of the natives. Their companions, expecting to be
killed, launched their canoe and put again to sea, leaving
their two friends behind them. The inhabitants, however,
treated them kindly, when they began to disclose the
wonders they had seen; informing them that they were
* When we were preparing to depart for Raiatea, the uncle of Makea,
whom he appointed as Regent, delivered a most interesting address, in which
he enumerated the ancestry of the king; commencing with Makea Karika;
and for every one of whom he had a peculiar designation descriptive of his
character, as was the case with the Pharaoh's of Egypt. I much regret that
I did not obtain a correct report of this address, as I listened to it with pecu-
liar interest, -


I96 FIRST KNOWLEDGE OF EUROPEAN.S.
not the only people in the world, but that a race existed
entirely different from themselves, who were quite white,
and were called Tute or Cook; that they traversed the
ocean for months together, as on dry land; that their
canoes were immensely large, and, instead of being tied
and lashed with cinet, were held together with “Kurima”
or iron; and that though they had no outrigger, they did
not overturn. All this was astonishing information; but the
Cookees were moreover represented by the trumpeters of
their fame, as a very impious people, who cared not for
the gods, but walked with the greatest unconcern about the
maraes, and even eat the sacred food. On hearing this,
the astonished inhabitants exclaimed, “Why do you not
drive them away, and seize all their property " To which
it was replied, that they were like the gods, and were out
of their power, adding —“if we attempt to hurt them,
they blow at us.” “What,” said the Rarotongans, “will
blowing at you hurt you?” When they were informed
that “it was not blowing at them with the mouth, but with
long things they call pupuhi,” out of which comes fire and
a stone, which kill us in an instant, before we can get
near them with our spears.” These two men happened to
have a small hatchet with them, which had been obtained
from Captain Cook's vessel, and was given by them to the
chief; who, instead of applying it to its proper purpose,
kept it very carefully to cut his food.
On hearing all this important intelligence, the natives
commenced praying to their gods to send captain Cook to
their island in his large canoe, to bring them axes, nails,
and guns. The following was the substance of their prayer,
which was given to me by an old priest—“O great Tan-
garoa, send your large ship to our land; let us see the
* The native name for guns.
"THE NATIVES PRAY FOR SHIPS TO COME. 197
Cookees. Great Tangiia, send us a dead sea, send us a
propitious gale, to bring the far-famed Cookees to our isl-
and, to give us nails, and iron, and axes; let us see these
outriggerless canoes.” They then vociferated the names
of all their gods, invoking them to unite their energies in
the accomplishment of this greatly desired object; and
concluded by a presentation of food, and a promise of
making still greater offerings, if they would conduct the
ship to their island. Not very long after this, a large ship
did actually arrive ; and from the description the natives
gave me of her, I have no doubt but that it was the Bounty,
after she had been taken by the mutineers. This vessel
did not anchor; but one of the natives took his little canoe,
and summoning all his courage, ventured to go on board.
On returning to the shore, he told his astonished country-
men that it was a floating island; that there were two
rivers of water floating on it ; that two large taro planta-
tions, with sugar-cane, bread-fruit, and other trees were
growing there ; that the keel scraped the bottom of the
sea; for he dived as deep as man could go, and could not
see its termination. I account for these singular statements,
by supposing that the pumps were at work while the man
was on board, which he mistook for rivers, or streams, and
that the two plantations, bread-fruit trees, &c., were the
large boxes which were fitted up throughout this vessel for
those exotics, which it was the specific object of the Bounty
to convey from Tahiti to the West Indies. From this
vessel was obtained a pointed piece of iron, about two feet
six inches in length, which the natives immediately dedica-
ted to the gods; and finding that they could pierce the
ground so much more easily with the iron than with their
wooden tools, they were in the habit of borrowing it from
the gods; and when the food thus planted was ripe, they


17%

198 TIDES. - *
invariably carried three portions to the marae, the first of
which was dedicated as an expression of gratitude to the
gods for causing the food to grow ; the second, in payment
for the loan of the iron ; and the third as a present, to in-
duce the deities to conduct ships there, that they might
obtain more of that valuable article.
Upon a variety of other interesting topics, in reference
to Rarotonga, I must be equally brief. Some, indeed, I
must pass over altogether. An observation or two, how-
ever, upon the tides, should not be omitted. It is to the
Missionaries a well known fact, that the tides in Tahiti
and the Society Islands are uniform throughout the year,
both as to the time of the ebb and flow, and the height of
the rise and fall; it being high-water invariably at noon
and at midnight; and, consequently, the water is at its
lowest point at six o'clock in the morning and evening.
The rise is seldom more than eighteen inches or two feet
above low-water mark. It must be observed, that mostly
once, and frequently twice in the year, a very heavy sea
rolls over the reef, and bursts with great violence upon the
shore. But the most remarkable feature in the periodically
high sea, is, that it invariably comes from W. and S. W.,
which is the opposite direction to that from which the
trade-wind blows. The eastern sides of the islands are, I
believe, never injured by these periodical inundations.
I have been thus particular in my observations, for the
purpose, in the first place, of calling the attention of scien-
tific men to this remarkable phenomenon, as I believe it is
restricted to the Tahitian and Society Island groups in the
South Pacific, and the Sandwich Islands in the North. I
cannot, however, speak positively respecting the tides at the
islands eastward of Tahiti; but at all the islands I have visited
the same parallel of longitude to the southward, and in
TIDES, 199
-
those to the westward in the same parallel of latitude, the
same regularity is not observed ; but the tides vary with
the moon, both as to the time and the height of the rise
and fall, which is the case at Rarotonga. Another reason
for which I have been thus minute, is to correct the erro-
neous statements of some scientific visiters. One of these,
the notorious Kotzebue, observes, – “Every noon, the
whole year round, at the moment the sun touches the
meridian, the water is highest, and falls with the sinking
sun till midnight.”
Captain Beechy, when speaking upon the tides, states:
“The tides, in all harbours formed by coral reefs, are very
irregular and uncertain, and are almost wholly dependent upon
the sea breezes. At Oututaunoa, it is usually low-water about
six every morning, and high-water half an hour after noon. To
make this deviation from the ordinary course of nature intelligible,
it will be better to consider the harbour as a basin, over the mar-
gin of which, after the breeze springs up, the sea beats with con-
siderable violence, and throws a larger supply into it than the
narrow channels can carry offin the same time; and, consequently,
during that period the tide rises. As the wind abates, the water
subsides, and the nights being generally calm, the water finds its
lowest level by the morning.”
This statement is certainly most incorrect; for not only
have I observed for years the undeviating regularity of the -
tides, but this is so well understood by the natives, that
the hours of the day and night are distinguished by terms
descriptive of its state. As, for example, instead of asking,
“What is the time !” they say, “Where is the tide tº Nor
can the tides, as Captain B. observes, be “wholly depend-
ent upon the sea-breeze;” for there are many days during
the year when it is perfectly calm, and yet the tide rises




200 TIDES,
and falls with the same regularity as when the trade winds
blow ; and we very frequently have higher tides in calms
than during the prevalence of the trade wind. Beside
which, the tides are equally regular on the westward or
leeward side of the islands, which the trade wind does not
reach, as on the eastward, from which point it blows.
But the perfect fallacy of Captain Beechy's theory will be
still more apparent, if it be recollected that the trade wind
is most powerful from mid-day till about four or five o'clock,
during which time the tide is actually ebbing so fast that the
water finds its lowest level by six o'clock in the evening;
and that in opposition to the strength of the sea-breeze.
Captain Beechy adds, -“that the nights being calm, the
water finds its lowest level by morning;” whereas the fact
is, that the water finds its highest point at midnight, when
it is perfectly calm. How, then, can the tides be depen-
dent on the sea-breeze 1
It is to me a matter of regret, that scientific men, when
writing upon these subjects, do not avail themselves of the
facts which Missionaries might supply; for while we make
no pretensions to great scientific attainments, we do not
hesitate to assert, that it is in our power to furnish more
substantial data on which to philosophize, than could be
obtained by any transient visiter, however profound in
knowledge, or diligent in research.
Without making any further observations on the beauti-
ful appearance of the rocks, hills, and valleys of Rarotonga,
I shall hasten to observe one or two particulars in which
it differs from the Society and other Islands; leaving sev-
eral other points to be noticed in a concluding chapter.
One valuable peculiarity of this lovely island is, the extent
of its low land. In many of the islands, the mountains
approach so near to the sea, as to leave but little arable
STATE OF CULTIVATION. 201
land; but this is not, to my recollection, the case in any
part of Rarotonga. Its soil also must be exceedingly rich,
or the climate peculiarly adapted to the fruits which grow
there, for on our arrival, we were astonished to see the
taro and kape,” the ti and the sugar cane growing luxuri-
antly nearly down to the edge of the sea. The whole isl-
and was also in a high state of cultivation, and I do not
recollect having witnessed any thing more beautiful than
the scene presented to me, when standing on the side of
one of the hills, and looking towards the sea shore. In the
first place, there are rows of superb chestnut trees, (inocar-
pus,) planted at equal distances, and stretching from the
mountain's base to the sea, with a space between each
row of about half a mile wide. This space is divided into
Small taro beds, which are dug four feet deep, and can be
irrigated at pleasure. These average about half an acre
each. The embankments round each bed are thrown up
with a slope, leaving a flat surface upon the top of six or
eight feet in width. The lowest parts are planted with
taro, and the sides of the embankment with kape or gigan-
tic taro, while on the top are placed, at regular intervals,
small beautifully shaped bread-fruit trees. The pea-green
leaves of the taro, the extraordinary size and dark colour
of the kape, lining the sloping embankment, together with
the stately bread-fruit trees on the top, present a contrast
which produces the most pleasing effect.
There is a good road round the island, which the natives
call ara medua, or the parent path, both sides of which
are lined with bananas and mountain plantains; and these,
with the Barringtonia, chestnut, and other trees of wide
spreading foliage, protect you from the rays of the tropical
sun, and afford even in mid-day the luxury of cool, shady
* Arum esculentum,



202 NATIVE HABITATIONS.
walks of several miles in length. The houses of the
inhabitants were situated from ten to thirty yards or more
from this pathway, and some of them were exceedingly
pretty. The path leading up to the house, was invariably
strewed with white and black pebbles; and on either side
were planted the tufted top ti tree or dracaena, which bears
a chaste and beautiful blossom, interspersed alternately
with the gigantic taro. Six or eight stone seats were
ranged in front of the premises, by the side of the “parent
pathway.” These were relics of antiquity, some of which
were regarded with much veneration by the people; who,
while they pointed to them, would say, “Here, my father,
grandfather, or the great chief, so and so, sat.” They were
generally formed of two smooth stones, the one serving as
a seat, and the other sunk in the earth to form the back.
Here, in the cool of the evening, after the labours of the
day, with a wreath of flowers on their brow, anointed with
a sweet scented oil, and wearing a new tiputa or the shin-
ing pakaku, sat the inmates of the house to chat with any
loquacious passenger about the events of their own little
world. It was thus I met with the spiritual beggar Buteve.
In passing one evening from Mr. Buzacott's to Mr. Pit-
man's station, my attention was arrested by seeing a per-
son get off one of these seats, and walk upon his knees into
the centre of the pathway, when he shouted—“Welcome,
servant of God, who brought light into this dark island:
to you are we indebted for the word of salvation.” The
appearance of his person first attracted my attention; his
hands and feet being eaten off by disease, which the natives
call kokovi, and which obliged him to walk upon his knees;
but, notwithstanding this, I found that he was exceedingly
industrious, and not only kept his kainga in beautiful order,
but raised food enough to support his wife and three chil-
A SPIRITUAL BEGGAR. 203
dren. The substitute he used for a spade in tilling the
ground, was an instrument called the ko, which is a piece
of iron wood, pointed at one end. This he pressed firmly
to his side, and leaning the weight of his body upon it,
pierced the ground, and then scraping out the earth with
the stumps of his hands, he would clasp the banana or taro
plant, place it in the whole, and then fill in the earth. The
weeds he pulled up in the same way. In reply to his
salutation, I asked him what he knew of the word of salva-
tion. He answered, “I know about Jesus Christ, who
came into the world to save sinners.” On inquiring what
he knew about Jesus Christ, he replied, “I know that he
is the Son of God, and that he died painfully upon the
cross, to pay for the sins of men, in order that their souls
might be saved, and go to happiness in the skies.” I
inquired of him if all the people went to heaven, after
death.” “Certainly not,” he replied, “only those who
believe in the Lord Jesus, who cast away sin, and who
pray to God.” “You pray, of course,” I continued. “O
yes,” he said, “I very frequently pray as I weed my ground
and plant my food, but always three times a day, beside
praying with my family every morning and evening.” I
asked him what he said when he prayed. He answered:
“I say, “O Lord, I am a great sinner, may Jesus take my
sins away by his good blood, give me the righteousness of
Jesus to adorn me, and give me the good Spirit of Jesus
to instruct me, and make my heart good, to make me a
man of Jesus, and take me to heaven when I die.” “Well,”
I replied, “that, Buteve, is very excellent, but where did
you obtain your knowledge tº “From you, to be sure :
who brought us the news of salvation but yourself?”
“True,” I replied, “but I do not ever recollect to have
seen you at either of the settlements to hear me speak of
º


204 THEIR WARS DESOLATING.
these things, and how do you obtain your knowledge of
them 7” “Why,” he said, “as the people return from the
services, I take my seat by the way side, and beg a bit of
the word of them as they pass by: one gives me one piece,
another another piece, and I collect them together in my
heart, and by thinking over what I thus obtain, and praying
to God to make me know, I understand a little about his
word.” This was altogether a most interesting incident,
as I had never seen the poor cripple before, and I could
not learn that he had ever been in a place of worship in
his life. His knowledge, however, was such as to afford
me both astonishment and delight; and I seldom passed
his house after this interview, without holding an interesting
conversation with him.
Between each district was left a space of uncultivated
land, generally about half a mile in width. On these
wastes their battles were most frequently fought; for the
inhabitants of each district invariably used every exertion
to prevent their opponents from making encroachments
upon their kaingas, or cultivated lands, and therefore
disputed with the greatest pertinacity, every inch of the
uncultivated waste; nor did they, until entirely driven off,
yield their possessions to the hands of the spoiler. But
since the introduction of Christianity, many of these wastes
have been cultivated.
Their wars were exceedingly frequent. They had just
been engaged in a disastrous conflict, when we discovered
the island. Pa and Kainuku, with the inhabitants of the
eastern district, had been fighting with Makea and Tino-
mana, the chiefs of the north and west sides of the island,
when the latter were beaten, and Makea, with his people,
driven away from their possessions, to which, however,
peace having been restored, they had returned about a
DEVASTATION FROM WAR. 205
month or two prior to my first arrival. The sad effects of
these contests were then and are still apparent; for the
laws of savage warfare appear to be like those of civilized
countries, to “burn, kill, and destroy;” and there is not
one old cocoa-nut tree to be seen on the north-west or
south sides of the island. A few old bread-fruit trees still
rear their lonely heads, having survived the injuries which
they received from the hands of the devastating conquerors.
Walking one day with the king, among the groves of
banana and bread-fruit trees, and observing the mutilations,
I asked him, jocosely, whilst pointing to one of them, why
all the bark was stripped off? and turning to another,
inquired why so deep a gash was cut in it; and wished
to know what had become of the cocoa-nut trees, against
the stumps of which we were continually striking our feet?
To this, he replied, - “You know very well that we were
conquered, and why do you banter me ! We were fools
enough to fight with the trees as well as with men; some
we cut down ourselves, lest our enemies should eat the
fruit of them; and others our conquerors destroyed. If it
were possible, I would put new bark on all those trees,
and fill up the gashes in the trunks of the others; for,
wherever I go, they stare me in the face, and remind me
of my defeat. However, young trees are growing fast,
and I am planting cocoa-nuts in all directions; so that my
possessions will soon be equally valuable with those of our
conquerors; and I am under no apprehension of having
them again destroyed : for the Gospel has put an end to our
wars l’’
I inquired of the chief how they killed the cocoa-nut
trees with such facility, when he informed me that scarcely
any tree could be destroyed with greater ease. One of
the methods by which they effected it was singular: it


18

206 COCOA-NUT TREES EASILY DESTROYED.
was to place a beach le mer, which is a large sea-snail,
on the crown of the tree, around the sprout, and allow it
to rot there. Another mode was, to beat the crown with
a small stone. Soon after this was done, the tuft of plumy
leaves, surrounding the top of the tree, faded and fell;
leaving the barren naked trunk, of immense length, stand-
ing for years afterwards. This is accounted for in the
following manner: —
“Almost all trees belong to one of two great divisions
of the vegetable kingdom, Evogenae, or Endogena: ; the
former is so named, from the circumstance of their receiv-
ing increase of matter, which is arranged eaternally, as
regards the old layers. Buds are the organs provided for
supplying the materials constituting the stem ; and since
in this class there is an indefinite quantity; the destruction
of one or more, does not, in the slightest degree, endanger
the life of the plant. The contrary, however, is the case
in Endogenae, (to which class the cocoa-nut belongs,) one
bud alone keeping up a supply of matter necessary to
the existence of the plant, by the descent of newly formed
fibre into the innermost part of the stem, (not the exterior,
as in Evogenae.) It consequently follows that the inner-
most part is more susceptible of injury than the eacterior;
and if the central bud, the source of the newly-formed
matter, be destroyed, a stop is suddenly put to the process
of its growth, and death ensues.”
Their wars, I think, may also be considered sanguinary.
In the one which raged just prior to our first visit, the king
informed me, that “four score and ten, were slain,” on the
side of the conquerors, and “five score” on that of the
conquered. Female prisoners were frequently put to
death; and the reason assigned for this cruel practice was,
that they might, perchance, give birth, at some future
CRUEL PRACTICES 1N WAR. 207
period, to warriors. The poor little children had spears
passed through their ears, and were carried in triumph to
the marae. Of late years, as soon as an antagonist was
overcome in battle, the victor beat in his skull; and, taking
out a portion of his brains, he placed it upon bread-fruit
leaves, and carried it immediately to the gods, as an earnest
of the victim he was about to bring. This practice origi-
nated in the following incident. During an engagement,
a man named Karavai succeeded, as he imagined, in kill-
ing his opponent, Oromea, and ran off instantaneously to
the marae, with bread-fruit leaves, as an earnest of the
victim about to be dedicated to the gods; but before he
returned, Oromea, who was only stunned, recovered from
the effects of the blow, hastened to his own district, collected
his friends, and composed the following song, in ridicule
of his conqueror; which, in the evening, they triumphantly
sang, accompanied by drumming and dancing.
Tari raw kuru wa i te atua a Karavai e :
Kwa ki a vairota e 1
Kare i tutuki tika ia Oromea e /
Te koto wa ra i te Tuporo i Te manga e :
What a carrying of bread-fruit leaves is Karavai’s to his gods, O !
He has filled Vaviota tº
But has not killed completely Oromea ;
For he is now drumming and dancing merrily at Te manga, Olf
After this, in order to escape similar ridicule, the warri-
ors determined to make sure of their victim by presenting
his brains to the gods, instead of bread-fruit leaves; con-
cluding that, in this way, they would most effectually
prevent the object of their vengeance from singing and
* Name of the marae. f The name of his own district.




208 FEMALE DEGRADATION.
-
dancing in sarcastic triumph. This having been presented,
as soon as the whole of the inhabitants of the district could
be convened, they fastened a rope to the legs of the corpse,
and then dragged it as though it were a log of wood, to
the great marae, with songs of savage exultation.
Females at Rarotonga, like those of the Society Islands,
were treated as inferiors. They were neither allowed
certain kinds of food, which were reserved for the men
and the gods, nor to dwell under the same roof with their
tyrannical masters; but were compelled to eat their scanty
meal of inferior provisions at a distance, while the “lords
of creation” feasted upon the “fat of the land,” and the
“abundance of the sea.” In one respect, the treatment of
females at this island was materially worse than that
which obtained in the Tahitian and Society groups; for,
whilst in the latter, females had a share of their father's
possessions; at Rarotonga these went to the male branches
of the family, and seldom, if ever, to the daughters, on the
ground, as they alleged, that “their person was their por-
tion.” This circumstance may have contributed to render
the females of Rarotonga less fickle and fastidious than
the ladies of the Tahitian and Society Islands; for, let a
man's possessions be ever so great in the latter, if his per-
son is not attractive, they will not accept his overtures. I
think, also, that the females of Rarotonga are more faithful,
industrious, and affectionate, than those of Tahiti. During
the period of sickness, which prevailed shortly after our
arrival, we were delighted at beholding the tender sympa-
thy and unremitting attention which they showed to their
sick husbands. Enter their habitations when we would,
by night or by day, the head of the afflicted husband was
in the lap of his affectionate wife; while she beat off the


GRADES IN SOCIETY. 209
annoying flies, bathed the temples with water, or eased
pain, by the gentle pressure of the taurumi.”
At Rarotonga there is not such an equality of rank as at
Tahiti, but a man is great according to the number of his
kaingas, or farms, which contain from one to four or five
acres each. These are let to tenants, who, like the vassals
in the ancient feudal system, obey the orders of their
superior, assist him in the erection of his house, in building
a canoe, making fishing nets, &c., beside bringing him a
certain portion of the produce of his lands. This gives to
the chiefs a degree of respectability. And here we may
observe, that four distinctions of rank obtain among the
Rarotongans—the ariki, or king ; the mataiapo, or gover-
nors of districts; the rangatira, or landholders; and the
unga, or tenants. Besides the minor districts, there are
three grand divisions in the island, governed by the four
principal chiefs, Pa, Kainuku, Tinomana, and Makea, the
last of whom enjoyed a limited supremacy over the whole.
In consequence of these ancient political divisions, it was
thought desirable to have three distinct Missionary settle-
ments; by which arrangement all the inhabitants now
reside with their beloved Missionary, under their respective
chiefs, and near their own plantations, enjoying the inesti-
mable blessing of Christian instruction — while “sitting
under their own vine and fig-tree,” or rather, under their
own bread-fruit and banana groves, “none making them
afraid.”
* The taurumi differs from the Indian shampooing; it being a gentle
squeezing, or compression of the afflicted part with a soft hand, and the sen-
sation speculiarly grateful.
18%


C H A P T E R XIV.
Mr. Platt's Voyage—Intelligence from Rarotonga—The Vincennes and
the Seringapatam arrive at Raiatea — Missionary Meetings — Native
Speeches—Interesting Interview with Captain Waldegrave — Prepara-
tions for our Voyages.
THE first voyage which the Messenger of Peace took, after
being thoroughly fitted out, was to convey Messrs. Pritch-
ard and Simpson to the Marquesan Islands: the directors
having determined to endeavour to re-establish the Mission
among the savage inhabitants of that group. This voyage,
together with the time consumed in effecting the necessary
alterations in the vessel, occupied about twelve months;
at the expiration of which, she sailed for the Hervey Islands,
and my esteemed brother Missionary, Mr. Platt, undertook
to visit them. He found all the Missions in a pleasing
state, although our dear friends at Rarotonga had endured
some very severe trials. An extract from some of the
letters we received, on the return of my colleague, will
enable the reader to form a correct estimate of the pecu-
liarly distressing circumstances in which the Mission fami-
lies were for a time placed. The first is from Mrs. Buza-
cott to Mrs. Williams.
Rarotonga, December 30, 1829.
My DEAR MRs. WILLIAMs:
Had you not requested it, I should certainly have written
to you by the return of this vessel, because I know you must feel
interested in all that relates to Rarotonga. It is natural for me to


MRs. BUzAcoTT's LETTER. 211
begin by saying, how much we have been disappointed at the
unexpected delay of the vessel. We thought that Mr. Williams
was another of Pharaoh’s butlers. I cannot tell you half of our
feelings of disappointment during the months we have been ex-
pecting it; but now that we are favoured with the company of a
brother Missionary, we forget much that is past. Many and
various have been our trials since you left us. They commenced
on the part of Makea, who, after his return from Raiatea, became
exceedingly haughty and unkind. Wery little food was brought
to us, and ill-disposed persons, observing the king’s conduct,
began to steal. We were obliged to talk of leaving them ; but
when they heard of our intention, they became alarmed, and have
since been extremely kind. You recollect the contentions between
Ngatangiia and Tupapa, respecting some portions of land. These
became so violent that war was daily expected for months. The
contending parties commenced skirmishing several times, but the
judges succeeded in preventing them from proceeding to a regular
engagement. This vexed them, and then, to be revenged, they
set fire at night to the houses of the judges.
You know not what we suffered at this time, with the alarms
of war by day, and of fire by night; and, had an opportunity then
offered, I am not certain but that we should have considered it
our duty to leave them, as I was in a very weak state, and expect-
ing soon to be confined. We had built a new school-house,
which was twice burnt down, with several other houses. Many
more were set on fire also at Mr. Pitman’s station, including the
new chapel which Mr. W. built. A brother of Tumu was caught
in the act of setting fire to our chapel. He was severely pun-
ished, and we have had no house-burning since. At the same
time a tremenduous mountain torrent rushed down behind our
house, which obliged us with precipitation to remove all our pro-
perty; the bustle and fright of which was too much for me. I
was removed to Makea's new house, and confined there to my
bed for some days. Mrs. Pitman then kindly left her own home,
and came to live with us until after my confinement. Our
212 MRs. BuzAcott's LETTER.
heavenly Father was better than our fears, and compelled us to
praise him for his goodness. Our dear little girl was baptized by
Mr. Pitman about a fortnight after: her name is Sarah Ann.
Not another fortnight had elapsed, when I was seized with a violent
internal inflammation; and we again sent for our neighbours, who
came immediately to our assistance. The attack was severe: I
was twice bled ; and, indeed, every method was used that our little
skill suggested, and it pleased God to give his blessing. We had
anticipated a separation; for our means were few, the symptoms
very acute, and our stock of medicine long before exhausted; so
that our hearts were much affected by the goodness of God, in
appearing for our relief. I recovered gradually, though slowly.
You will know that we have been the subjects of privations,
when I tell you that we have seen no one, since the vessel brought
Makea back, until the arrival of Mr. Platt; but, what is still
worse, our supplies are not now come. We are both wearing the
last shoes we have ; and as we have been formerly supplied by
Mr. Pitman with shoes as well as medicine, I know not what we
shall do. Should any goods arrive for us, do request Mr.Williams
to forward them immediately. I am much obliged to you for
what you have sent, &c. : it is, indeed, very acceptable. We
think the news of a visit from Mr. Williams, is almost too good to
be true.
We are sorry to hear of the loss of your two children; but ceaso
to grieve; — it is their unspeakable gain.
Yours, affectionately,
S. W. Buzacott.
The next is an extract from Mr. Pitman to the Author: —
JNgatangiia, December 30th, 1819.
My DeAR BRoth ER :
You R kind epistle came duly to hand. We were very
much afraid that something had occurred to the vessel at the
Marquesas, but all our fears are now removed. I believe when I

MR. PITMAN’s LETTER. 2.13
wrote last, it was a letter of sympathy, in consequence of the loss
of your dear little babe, and the very next I received from you
brings the sad intelligence of the birth and death of another. Well,
my dear brother, what shall we say to these things : Shall we
murmer? shall we say God deals unkindly'. This would be sin-
ful. Are they not before the throne of God and the Lamb and
made perfectly holy even as the angels of God? Had you your
choice, what better thing or better place could you have wished for
your little ones? Let the contemplation, that they are now jewels,
adorning the crown of Immanuel, dry up your tears. We feel
much for you both, but especially for Mrs. W. May the Lord
support her mind, strengthen her faith, and give entire resignation
to his will.
Since you left us we have been exposed to war, fire, and water.
* * * * * * # * * *
After giving me a full account of these disastrous events,
which took place at Avarua, he observes:— -
They commenced with us, and set Tupe's house in a blaze,
which communicated to his son's, and then to our chapel; which,
in a few hours, was laid waste. Our house, which stood just
behind Papeiha's was in great danger, but escaped. For weeks
afterwards these bad fellows were thus engaged. Since that, our
chapel has been again rebuilt, and a school house, 90 feet by 36,
on the sea-side. The people, generally, have behaved exceed-
ingly kind to us from the beginning. They do every thing to
make us happy. Our chapel and schools are well attended ; some
of our boys are getting on, and can read pretty well. They have
read twice through the Hebrews, John, &c. Thanks to you for
translating and getting these valuable books printed for us. In
consequence of our unsettled affairs, I have not been able to do
much. I have translated nine chapters of the Acts, and by the
time you come down, I hope it will be finished, with the Scripture
catechisms, &c.

214 VISIT OF THE VINCENNES.
I am sorry to say Mrs. P. continues very poorly, but bears up
with great fortitude under her afflictions. She is not able to
attend so much to the instruction of the females as she otherwise
would.
Yours very affectionately,
C. P.
The important time had now arrived for commencing
the voyage, on which my mind had been so long set, and
for which the Messenger of Peace was built. The Rev.
T. East, and the Rev. I. A. James of Birmingham, had
generously responded to my call, and forwarded a large
supply of ironmongery for the undertaking. Every thing
appeared to favour, nothing to impede the design, and my
beloved fellow labourer, Mr. Barff, had consented to ac-
company me. My own people also entered into my pro-
positions with so much zeal, that, on the announcement of
my intentions, eight members of our church offered their
services for this enterprise of mercy. A meeting was
then held to consider the fitness of these individuals for the
work; when we were favoured with the presence of the
Rev. Mr. Stewart,” the chaplain, and a pious officer of
the United States' ship Vincennes, which was anchored off
our settlement. At this meeting many excellent speeches
were delivered by the natives. One of them contained a
pretty allusion to the visit of the Vincennes, and the ob-
jects of Captain Finch, the commander, ingeniously ap-
plied to our contemplated voyage. “A large man-of-
war,” said the speaker, “is now with us. She has come
afar with kind intentions towards ourselves and those like
us. Her object is to learn our condition and to encourage
*Mr. S. was formerly a Missionary to the Sandwich Islands, and is well
known by his interesting writings.

VISIT OF CAPTAIN WALDEGRAVE, 215
us to seek our own welfare. Her officers have their re-
ward : they are covered and crowned with gold;—they
wear gold on their shoulders and gold on their heads;
(alluding to the lace and epaulets of their uniform,) this is
their reward. My thought is, that we also send a vessel
to do those good who are more ignorant and destitute
than ourselves. Those of us who go on this expedition
will not, like these our friends, be crowned with gold as a
reward. No 1 they will receive nothing, perhaps, in this
world : still they will be crowned. Yes, theirs shall be a
crown of eternal life, given to them at last by their Lord
and Master Jesus Christ.” -
While fitting out our vessel, we were visited by one of
His Britannic Majesty's Frigates, commanded by the
Honourable Captain Waldegrave, from which gentleman
we received many kind attentions. Among other things
he very obligingly supplied us with green paint to beautify
our little vessel for our anticipated voyage. Soon after
their arrival, the Captain and his officers attended, in full
uniform, to pay their respects to the authorities of the isl-
and, as well as to Pomare, the Queen of Tahiti, who with
her husband, mother, and aunt, the Regent, was there on
a visit to Tamatoa the patriarch of royalty. After the
ceremonies of introduction, Tamatoa, the King of Raiatea,
and Pomare, his grandaughter, with other branches of
the family, entered an inner apartment, and returned
shortly afterwards with fine mats and native cloth, which
they laid at Captain W.’s feet and begged him to accept
them. A quantity of native provisions, cocoa-nuts, ba-
nanas, taro, &c., with several hogs, were brought and
placed in full view before the door; when a speaker, with
an oratorical attitude and loud voice, enumerated the
whole, which he submitted to the disposal of the Captain,


216 THE SERINGAPATAM.
as an expression of the pleasure they felt in welcoming
himself and officers to the island. Captain W. kindly re-
ceived their gifts, and made them some valuable presents
in return.
At the invitation of Captain Waldegrave, Pomare, Ta-
matoa, with Maihara, the late excellent Regent of Huahine,
and other branches of the family, dined on board the
Seringapatam, and I was requested to accompany the
party, and to act as interpreter. After dinner, we were
conducted through the immense vessel, every part of
which excited the astonishment of the visiters. Captain
W. expressed himself pleased with the manner in which
his sable friends had behaved. The Queen of Tahiti and
Maihara were well dressed, wearing black silk gowns and
handsome bonnets of fine English straw, trimmed with
ribbons and flowers, which had been given to them by
Captain Laws, commander of the Satelite, sloop-of-war,
who visited the island some months before ; which gentle-
man also took a lively interest in our labours, attended the
examination of our schools, and distributed with his own
hands, valuable presents of scissors, knives, ribbons, &c.,
to those scholars who excelled. Indeed, I very gladly
embrace this opportunity of stating, that the commanders
and officers of those vessels-of-war, both from England
and the United States of America, which have visited the
stations occupied by myself, have, without exception,
evinced the same friendly disposition.
The countenance of such gentlemen has been of inesti-
mable advantage in the prosecution of our arduous labours,
by strengthening the confidence of the people in their
Missionaries; but more especially by counteracting the
base insinuations and vile misrepresentations of run-away
sailors and others, who have occasionally caused us much
-
A RUN-AWAY CONVICT. 217
inconvenience ; of which the following instance may afford
a good illustration. A convict from New South Wales
had escaped to the islands. He was certainly a well
educated and clever rogue; and having fixed his residence
at the neighbouring island of Tahaa, he ingratiated himself
into the favour of the chiefs and people, by telling them
that they were selling their hogs and provisions at a price
far too small, in receiving but eight or ten yards of print,
&c., for a pig, whereas, in England, one joint was sold
for more than they obtained for the whole; and that the
Missionaries, from interested motives, were keeping them
in the dark upon these subjects; but that if they would
allow him to manage their trade with the shipping, he
would procure for them five or ten times as much. All
this was grateful to the chiefs and people, who, in conse-
quence, appointed him their agent. Thus countenanced,
he soon began to speak disrespectfully of the Missionary;
and carried his insolence so far, that one week-day after-
noon, he entered the chapel, and upbraided him with not
having told the people to demand higher prices for their
property. Inflated with ideas of his own importance, he
drew up a list of every article they had to dispose of, with
the price attached. For instance, he set down, as one
item, a large pig, for which they were to demand a new
black coat, and other things in proportion. The natives
met to consider the subject—were highly delighted with
the proposal, and despatched a messenger, with the list of
prices, to Tamatoa for his approbation, without which they
could not execute their plans. The good old chief sent
the paper for my opinion. I returned it, saying, that he
and his chiefs were at full liberty to act as they pleased,
for a document from a rogue was beneath my notice. In
consequence of this, Tamatoa and his chiefs returned the

19

218 ADVANTAGES DERIVED FROM
following answer to their brethren :-"that, if the man
would bring his ships with his black coats and beautiful
shawls, he should have all the pigs and arrow-root in the
island; but if his ships, his black coats, and shawls, were
only in his mouth, he was a liar, and unworthy of regard;
being one of those bad men, against whom captains of
vessels-of-war had lately warned them.”
As the Seringapatam arrived a few days before our
Annual Missionary Meeting in May, we enjoyed the com-
pany of Captain Waldegrave and his officers, during the
services of the day, which commenced about ten o’clock,
and continued, with slight intermissions, till six. After
morning service, Captain Waldegrave, his officers, and
ourselves dined at the king's house; while the whole con-
gregation were feasting in an open space outside ; where
the ground was overlaid with fresh grass, and the company
screened from the rays of the sun by awnings of native
cloth. More than a thousand persons dined together, all
of whom were seated on sofas, chairs, or stools of their
own manufacture, around tables groaning under the weight
of baked pigs, fish, bread-fruit, bananas, sweet potatoes,
pudding of arrow-root, cocoa-nut, &c. Satisfaction
beamed on every countenance, and the people “eat their
food with gladness.” After dinner, and even while eating,
several natives addressed the company, contrasting, in
striking and animated language, their present comfort and
happiness with their former misery and degradation.
At about half past two or three o'clock, we re-assembled
in our chapel, to conduct the business of our auxiliary. In
order to give our respected guests a greater degree of in-
terest in the proceedings of the day, I not only wrote in
English the order of the meeting, with the resolutions to
be proposed, but engaged to interpret the address of each
A MISSIONARY MEETING!. 219
speaker. Tamatoa, the king, took the chair, and called
upon one of the native Christians to give out a hymn, and
implore the Divine presence. He selected for the occa-
sion, the Jubilee hymn, “Blow ye the trumpet, blow,”
which had been translated into the native language. After
this, the venerable chairman, who himself was formerly
worshipped as a god, opened the business in an interesting
speech ; and then requested the native secretary to read
the list of subscriptions.” The resolutions were then
proposed, seconded, and carried by a show of hands, with
the regularity observed at similar meetings in our own
country. One of these expressed pleasure at the presence
of Captain Waldegrave and his officers, and tendered to
them the thanks of the chiefs and people for their obliging
attentions. To these gentlemen, the native Christians,
who proposed and seconded this motion, addressed their
observations, and Captain Waldegrave replied, by expres-
sing the sincere pleasure he had derived from seeing them
in such a state, and by pointing out the inestimable advan-
tages of knowledge in general, but especially of that con-
tained in the Scriptures. He then, after having kindly
recommended the people to continue their attendance on
the instructions of the Missionaries, his countrymen, to
whom they were so much indebted, assured them that he
should not fail to inform his numerous friends in England,
who took a lively interest in their welfare, of what he had
* The people having no coin, contribute arrow-root and cocoa-nut oil.
These we generally sold to merchant ships that touched there, and trans-
mitted the money to the Treasurer in London. On one occasion, I had the
pleasure of forwarding, for between two and three years, no less a sum than
800l., and about 271, of which was contributed in one year by the school
children only. The whole of the amount I have sent from my station at
Raiatea is about 700l.


220 SPEECHES OF THE NATIVES.
seen and heard. After this, the teachers, who were about
to leave country, relatives, and friends, to convey the glad
tidings of salvation to the still barbarous inhabitants of
distant islands, took an affectionate farewell of their breth-
ren, whom they entreated them to bear on their hearts
when at a throne of grace. It was a day of peculiar
delight to the people ; and the circumstance of our being
about to embark on the greatest Missionary enterprise we
had yet undertaken ; –the parting addresses of the teach-
ers : — the presence of so many respectable visiters, with
the important advice and appropriate counsels of the Hon-
ourable Captain Waldegrave, contributed to invest the
proceedings with unprecedented interest.
Being occupied as interpreter of the addresses, I was
prevented from taking them down according to my usual
practice. An accurate idea, however, may be formed of
their character, by a few extracts from those of the pre-
vious year :-
On that occasion the first speaker arose and said: “My friends,
let us this afternoon remember our former state — how many chil-
dren were killed, and how few were kept alive; but now none are
destroyed. Parents now behold with pleasure their three, five,
and even their ten children; the majority of whom would have been
murdered, had not God sent his word to us. Now hundreds of
these are daily taught the word of God. We knew not that we pos-
sessed that invaluable property — a living soul. Neither our wise
ancestors, nor Oro, nor any of our former gods, ever told us so.
But Jehovah caused compassion to grow in the hearts of the
good Christians of England, who formed a Society, purchased a
ship, and sent Missionaries to tell us that we had souls — souls
that will never die; and now we are dwelling in comfort, and hope
for salvation through Jesus Christ. But do all the lands of dark-
ness possess the same knowledge? Do all know that they have
SPEECHES OF THE NATIVES. 221
mever-dying souls 7–that there is one good and one bad place for
every soul after death? Do all know that Jesus Christ came
into the world to save sinners? No! some are worshipping idols;
some are killing themselves, and others their chrildren. Then let
us send them Missionaries, to teach them the good word which
we have been taught.”
The following address was delivered by Fenuapeho, the
chief of Tahaa, who led on the heathen party in the battle
at Raiatea, of which I have given an account. He said:—
“Praise to God well becomes us; but let it be heart praise.
All the work we do for God must be heart work . . . . . . . . We
were dwelling formerly in a dark house, among centipedes and
lizards, spiders and rats; nor did we know what evil and despi-
cable things were around us. The lamp of light, the word of
God, has been brought, and now we behold with dismay and dis-
gust these abominable things. But stop. Some are killing each
other this very day, while we are rejoicing; some are destroying
their children, while we are saving ours; some are burning them-
selves in the fire, while we are bathing in the cool waters of the
Gospel. What shall we do? We have been told this day by
our Missionary that God works by sending his word and his ser-
vants. To effect this, property must be given. We have it; we
can give it. Prayer to God is another means: let us pray fer-
vently. But our prayer will condemn us, if we cry, “Send forth
thy word, and make it grow,” and do not use the means. I shall
say no more ; but let us all cleave to Jesus.”
Mahamene, one of the teachers who laboured many
years at Rurutu, spoke as follows:–
“There were two captivities amongst us formerly: the one was
a captivity to our gods; the other was our captivity to the teuteu
arii, or king's servants. Perhaps there is an individual present to

19%

222 SPEECHES OF THE NATIVE5.
whom the former will particularly apply; for I know the very
cave in which he hid himself several times, when he was sought
after to be offered up as a sacrifice to the gods.” Has he obtained
shelter in the true Refuge for sinners? The other captivity was
to the servants of our chiefs. These would enter our houses, and
commit the greatest depredations. The raalira, or master of the
house would sit as a poor captive, without daring to speak, while
they would seize his rolls of cloth, kill the fattest of his pigs, pluck
the best of his bread-fruit, and take the very posts of his house for
fire-wood with which to cook them. Is there not a person present
who buried his new canoe in the sand, to hide it from these des-
perate men? But now all these customs are abolished: we live
in peace, without fear. But what has abolished them all? Is it
our own goodness? is it our own strength 7 No! it is the Gospel
of Jesus. We do not now hide our pigs underneath our beds, and
use our rolls of cloth-for pillows to secure them ; our pigs may
now run where they please, and our property may hang in our
houses, no one touching it. Now we have cinet bedsteads; we
have excellent sofas to sit on, neat plastered houses to dwell in,
and our property we can call our own.”
Another, who is now at the Navigators Islands, said: —
“God has made two great lights, the sun and the moon, and
placed them in the heavens; and for what has he placed them
there? To thrust away the darkness. So the Missionary Society:
it is like a great light; its object is to thrust away the darkness
and wickedness of the world, and to teach all the way of salvation
by Jesus Christ. Let us give our little property to assist in
kindling this greatlight, that it may arise and shine upon the peo-
ple who are now sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death.”
Ahuriro, an intimate friend of the late Pomare, observed :
“God could work without us. He said, ‘Let there be light,
* This person was sitting at the time in front of the speaker.
SPEECHES OF THE NATIVES. 223
and there was light.” But he is pleased to work by us. Let us
then give what we have willingly to assist the parent Society in
England. God the Father has work, God the Son has work,
God the Spirit has work in the redemption of man. Shall God
work, and we sit still? Shall Jesus Christ pray, and we be
silent?”
Another commenced by a few comparisons, to show
that all sought means to accomplish the object they had
in view, as the fisherman his nets, baits, &c.; after which
he said: —
“So will those who love Christ: they will devise means to send
his Gospel to other lands, that they also may know the Saviour.
I have been seeking a name by which to call the property thus
subscribed, and I think it may be called Property to seek lost souls.
Are not the souls of those living in darkness lost souls 7 and is not
this property the means by which they will obtain the light of life 2
It is the thought of lost souls that animates good people in their
labours. They do not collect property for themselves: it is for
lost souls. We give property for every thing. If we want a
canoe, we give property for it; if we want a net, we give property
for it; and are not lost souls worth giving property to obtain ºf
Think of lost souls, and work while it is called to-day.”
As that of Tamatoa is a genuine and curious specimen
of native eloquence, and illustrates the ingenuity with
which the people apply their ancient legends to new
and useful purposes, I requested him to supply me with a
copy of it, and the following is as literal translation as I
can give. It appears to have been used when addressing
their kings at their inauguration, and, also, by a little
variation of phraseology, at the deposing of a chief whose
reign had been one of tyranny and bloodshed:—
“An under chief of Tautu spoke concerning his king, Tautu


224 TAMAToA's speech.
opiri.” The legend of Natooſat says, concerning Tautu opiri,
that in his reign, the roots of the bread-fruit tree were adzed
smoothly from off the pathway, it was even polished with shark's
skin. The great seat Reuea was sat upon, the sweet toned
bambo flute, Taneuaş was played, and men grew wrinkled with
age, using a staff to support them as they walked. This king
died lamented by his people, having spread the garment of peace
over them; for the heads of men were not cut off with bamboo
knives during his reign, but the heads of pigs, and the food of
peace was eaten. The foreheads of the beautiful women were
made red with the mati berry, and their bright black hair was
anointed with sweet scented oil." Behold, the peaceful reign of
this king was long; and let not the still more blessed reign of
Jesus, the best of all kings, be short among us.
Tautu opiri begat a son. Te hau roa or Long-reign, and then
long was the peace enjoyed between the great Tahaa and Raia-
tea.” The roots of the bread-fruit tree were adzed, and the
pathway polished with shark's skin, the great seat Reuea was sat
upon, the flute Taneua was played, men grew wrinkled with age,
and this king died lamented by his people, having spread the gar-
ment of peace, &c., &c. The peaceful reign of Te hau roa was
long, and shall that of Jesus, the true long-reign, be short?
*The name of the chief.
i The name of his district.
f The pathways in the island being exceedingly narrow are rendered rug-
ged by the roots of the large trees, which shoot across them, hence the allu-
sion in the text became a common figure to express a state of unimpeded
peace, when everything in their political and social intercourse went smoothly
Orl. -
| A great seat hewn out of one tree, on which the principal chief sat at all
their great festivals.
§ Taneua, a celebrated flute which they blew with their noses.
T Expressions intimating that their amusements were enjoyed without in-
terruption.
** Adjacent islands encircled in one reef.


-
TAMATOA's SPEECH. 225
Long-reign begat a son and called him Te petipeti, or the
Beautiful, and then delightful was the peace enjoyed between great
Tahaa and Raiatea. The roots of the trees were adzed off smooth,
&c., &c. Behold the peaceful reign of Beautiful was long, and
shall that of Jesus, the true Beautiful, be short among us? No,
never let it be shortened. It exceeds all others in beauty.
Te petipeti begat a son whom he called Light-heart, and then
light and happy were the hearts of the people in the peace between
great Tahaa and Raiatea. The roots of the trees were adzed
smoothly off, &c., &c. And this king died lamented by his peo-
ple, having spread the garment of peace over them. And shall
that of Jesus, whose Gospel gives true lightness of heart, be short
among us? No, let it never be shortened.
At length twin brothers were born, Tautu and Taumata, Snap-
pish-lips, and Scowling-eyes; and then jealousy began, and des-
perate war was waged. The polished pathway was made rugged,
the seat Reuea was never sat upon, the conch shell of war was
blown, instead of the flute Taneua ; men were slain, instead of
growing wrinkled with age; the women were not beautiful with
the mati berry, and the heads of men were cut off instead of those
of the pigs. Thus was the peaceful reign of Tautu destroyed,
thus was the protracted happiness of Long-reign shortened, and
the lovely reign of Beautiful deformed. Thus were the light
hearts of the people made sad: for misery and bloodshed reigned,
and the invisible world was peopled with men from our earth.
Let us all grasp firmly the good we now enjoy, lest the peaceful
reign of Jesus should end, and the days of darkness and blood-
shed return.”
It appears that some of the officers of the Seringapatam
were rather sceptical as to the capability of the native
speakers to compose the addresses which they delivered ;
and even asserted that they were mere parrots, repeating
only what I had taught them, and, moreover, that they


226 INTERVIEW WITH CAPTAIN WALDEGRAVE.
believed in Christianity solely because the Missionaries
had assured them of its truth. Others, however, maintained
that they were not deficient either in good sense or scrip-
tural knowledge. In order to decide the question, early the
next morning, Captain Waldegrave, the Rev. Mr. Watson
the chaplain, and other gentlemen, called at my house.
After a little consideration, I suggested that the more satis-
factory method of forming a correct opinion, would be for
them to favour us with their company to tea, when I
would introduce twelve or fifteen of our people, who, I
was assured, would feel happy in replying to any question
that might be proposed to them. The proposition met
with their approval, and after tea, fifteen natives came into
the room and took their seats. -
I then informed them that the gentlemen present were
desirous of ascertaining the extent of their knowledge upon
some important topics, and for this purpose would propose
to them a few questions. Captain Waldegrave then asked,
“Do you believe that the Bible is the Word of God, and
that Christianity is of Divine origin?” The natives were
rather startled at the question, having never entertained a
doubt upon that point. At length one replied, “Most cer-
tainly we do. We look at the power with which it has
been attended in effecting the entire overthrow of idolatry
amongst us, and which we believe no human means could
have induced us to abandon.” The same question being
proposed to a second, he replied, “I believe the Scriptures
to be of Divine origin, on account of the system of salva-
tion they reveal. We had a religion before, transmitted
to us by our ancestors, whom we considered the wisest of
men; but how dark and black a system that was, com-
pared with the bright scheme of salvation presented in the
Bible Here we learn that we are sinners; that God
THE INTERVIEW. - - 227
gave his own Son Jesus Christ to die for us; and that,
through believing, the salvation he procured becomes ours.
Now, what but the wisdom of God, could have devised
such a system as this?” The question being repeated to
an old priest, then a devoted Christian, instead of replying
at once, he held up his hands, and rapidly moved the joints
of his wrists and fingers; he then opened and shut his
mouth, and closed these singular actions by raising his leg,
and moving it in various directions. Having done this, he
said, “See, I have hinges all over me: if the thought
grows in my heart that I wish to handle any thing, the
hinges in my hands enable me to do so; if I want to utter
any thing, the hinges to my jaws enable me to say it ; and
if I desire to go any where, here are hinges to my legs to
enable me to walk. Now,” continued he, “I perceive
great wisdom in the adaption of my body to the various
wants of my mind ; and when I look into the Bible, and
see there proofs of wisdom which correspond exactly with
those which appear in my frame, I conclude that the
Maker of my body is the Author of that book.” Another
replied to the question by saying, “I believe the Bible to
have come from God, because it contains prophecies which
have been exactly fulfilled.”
Captain W. then inquired “who the prophets were !”
Native. “Persons inspired of God to foretel events ages
before they occurred.”
Captain. “Can you name any one of them 7”
Native. “Yes: Samuel, David, Isaiah, Daniel, Jonah,
and many others.”
Captain. “You have mentioned Isaiah: can you tell
me any of his prophecies" -
Native. “O, yes: he was the prophet who wrote so
much about our Lord and Saviour, and who said that he


228 THE INTERVIEW.
should be numbered with the transgressors;– and we
know that Christ was crucified between two thieves.
There was the prophecy and its fulfilment.”
A variety of questions were then put respecting Jonah,
and other prophets; after which one of the natives ob-
served, that many of the types were the prophecies of
Christ. These then became the topic of conversation ; in
the course of which allusion was made to the brazen ser-
pent ; and Captain W., after examining them upon the
historical circumstances connected with that type, inquired
to whom it applied ?
Native. “To Christ; for he himself said, “As Moses
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the
Son of Man be lifted up.’”
Reference was then made to the paschal lamb ; and
questions upon the history of that type having been re-
plied to, the Captain asked wherein that applied to Jesus
Christ to which a native answered, “A bone of the pas-
chal lamb might not be broken ; and in the nineteenth
chapter of the Gospel of John we read, that the soldiers
came and brake the legs of those who were crucified with
Jesus; but when they came to him, and saw that he was
already dead, they brake not his legs; for the Scripture
saith, ‘A bone of him shall not be broken.’”
After this, questions were proposed upon the leading
doctrines of Christianity, and when we arrived at the
doctrine of the resurrection, they were asked, “With
what body shall we be raised " In reply to this, those
beautiful verses of the 15th chapter of the 1st Epistle to
the Corinthians were immediately quoted: “It is sown in
corruption; it is raised in incorruption,” &c. The Captain
rejoined, that what they had said was very good; but still
he wished them to be a little more explicit, and to give
-

THE INTERVIEW. - 229
him some idea of the body with which we should arise.
This occasioned considerable consultation among them :
but at length one exclaimed, “I have it. St. John, in his
1st Epistle, the 3d chapter, says, that “when he shall
appear, we shall be like him.” Our bodies will then be
like Christ’s.” The Captain still pressed the question;
when, after another consultation, a native replied, “Being
like Christ cannot mean being like his body when it hung
upon the cross, but it must mean being like to his glorious
body when he was transfigured upon the mount.” At the
conclusion of these interrogations, a copy of the New
Testament was passed round, and opened indiscrimi-
nately; when each was desired to read a verse, and reply
to questions on its import and connexion.
This interview lasted upwards of three hours; and at
the conclusion the gentlemen expressed themselves highly
gratified; and Captain W. assured the natives, that, if he
returned in safety to England, he should not fail to inform
his countrymen of what he had seen and heard; and I am
happy to add that he has done so, on various occasions, in
the most favourable manner. I think I may also affirm,
that the questions were proposed, not with the design to
perplex, but to obtain accurate information as to the
extent of knowledge which our converts possessed; and I
deem it right also to state, that I am not conscious of
having assisted them, on that occasion, by a single hint,
but that I acted solely as interpreter. -
And here I may observe, that had Captain Beechy of
the Blossom condescended to adopt the same means of
obtaining correct information, he would not have penned
the following paragraph : —“Ignorance of the language
prevented my obtaining any correct information as to the
progress that had heen made generally towards a know-

20
230 THE VISIT OF LORD BYRON.
ledge of the Scriptures by those who were converted; but
my impression was, and I find by the journals of my
officers it was theirs also, that it was very limited, and
that few understood the simplest parts of it. Many cir-
cumstances induced me to believe that they considered their
religious books in the same light as they did their house-
hold gods, &c.” The Honourable Captain Waldegrave,
Captain Laws, and other gentlemen were equally igno-
rant of the language, but they employed the method which
common sense dictated to supply that deficiency: and the
result was, as might have been expected, that they ob-
tained more correct information.
The visit of Captain Lord Byron to the Sandwich Isl-
ands, appears to have been equally beneficial with that of
Captain Waldegrave to the Society group. In reference
to the former the American Missionaries, when writing to
the Secretary of the London Missionary Society, observe:
“The visit of Lord Byron has, we believe, been exceedingly
pleasing to the people; and we are very happy to say that he has
performed a truly honourable part in his interview with the chiefs,
and also with the mission.
“The affability, the kindness, and amiable deportment he has
uniformly manifested has been much admired, and has not only
gained him many personal friends, but done great credit to his
country. You will be gratified to know that, at the national coun-
cil held here but recently, he very distinctly approved of the atten-
tion of the natives to the instructions of the Missionaries, and
assured the chieſs that they ought to feel grateful for the important
benefits they had received through the instrumentality of their
Christian teachers.”

C H A P T E R X. V.
Sail for the Navigators Islands—Touch at the Hervey Group — Mangaia —
Native Service–War between the Christians and Heathens—Usages of
the Mangaians in War — The Author's Advice solicited upon various
Topics — Female Degradation — New Chapel opened — Last Visit to
Mangaia — Remarkable Providence—War prevented.
-
IN about a week or ten days after the Seringapatam
sailed, the Messenger of Peace was ready for sea; and
after getting the teachers on board, we took an affection-
ate leave of our dear wives and children, spread our sails,
glided through the reef, and with excited feelings launched
upon the deep. When we contemplated the length of the
voyage, the probable dangers to which we should be
exposed, the protracted period of separation from our dear
families, and the possibility that we might fall victims to
the ferocity of the heathen, we naturally experienced some
anxiety. The plan however had been sketched; the sub-
ject had been considered in all its bearings, and had
received the unqualified approbation of our judgement.
Our feelings therefore were made to yield, and we pur-
sued our adventurous way, encouraged by the remem-
brance of the gracious protection which had hitherto been
afforded us, and the abundant success that had crowned
our former efforts. The present undertaking, we con-
cluded, might be attended with results equally beneficial,
and still more extensive ; which we well knew would
amply compensate for all our labour and fears. There




232 REACH MANGAIA.
were with us seven teachers, and we intended to augment
the number from the Hervey Islands, which we proposed
to visit on our way. We cleared the harbour on Mon-
day, the 24th of May, 1830. After touching at Porapora
and spending a day with Mr. and Mrs. Platt and family,
we shaped our course for the Hervey group ; and, in four
or five days, we reached in safety the island of
M A N G A IA.
Arriving off the settlement, about ten o’clock on Sab-
bath evening, we apprized our friends of the circumstance,
by firing a small cannon; on hearing which, they kindled
fires in answer to our signal, and as beacons to us during
the night. Early the next morning, we hastened on shore;
and as we approached we could not but admire the plea-
sant situation selected for the settlement; it being a slop-
ing hill on the western side of the island, which gradually
rose from the sea. The large chapel in the centre, formed
a conspicuous and interesting object, whilst the neat white
cottages of the native Christians, stretching along to the
right and left, partially hid by the banana groves, among
which they stood, gave variety and animation to the scene.
The teachers' dwellings, we were delighted to find, were
neat and respectable, the yard was paved with white peb-
bles, and the whole was enclosed within a good fence. An
excellent road had been formed through the settlement,
on each side of which stood the native cottages. On
being conducted to the house of the principal chief, we
found a baked pig, smoking hot, upon a table cloth of
leaves, with a liberal supply of yams, taro, and other
vegetables, awaiting our arrival. Having made a hearty
meal, the chief presented us with a small quantity of na-
tive cloth, as an expression of the pleasure he felt in receiv-


NATIVE SERVICE. 233
ing under his roof persons from a far country, who had
brought him the word of salvation.
We had no sooner returned to the houses of the teach-
ers, than the whole of the professors of Christianity were
introduced to us; every one bearing a small present of
native cloth or food, and giving us a welcome by a hearty
shake of the hand.
We were delighted with the appearance they pre-
sented ; the females being dressed in beautifully white
cloth, which Faaruea the teacher's wife from Raiatea, had
taught them to make, and in bonnets of their own manu-
facture; whilst the men wore their native tiputas, with
the addition of a straw hat. In the afternoon we held a
public service, when about eight hundred were present,
many of whom were still heathen ; and these presented
a striking contrast to the Christian part of the community,
having long beards and long hair, and being dressed with
all the fantastic wildness of heathen taste. They behaved,
however, with decorum, while I preached to them from
my favourite text, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy
of all acceptation,” &c. As their language bears a close
affinity to the Rarotongan, I addressed them in that dia-
lect. The congregation sang most lustily, and although we
could not admire the harmony of their music, the energy
with which they exerted their lungs was gratifying, for they
endeavoured to compensate for the absence of harmonic
sounds by the hearty manner in which they raised their
sonorous and powerful voices. Before day-break the fol-
lowing morning, we were awoke by the chitchat of a num-
ber of persons outside the house, who, it appears, had
brought their mats, and slept on them under our bedroom
windows, in order to be near to us. Faaruea and his wife,
teachers whom I had originally intended for the Naviga-

20%
234 HISTORY OF MANGAIA.
tor group, had, at the earnest solicitation of the inhabi-
tants, been left by Mr. Platt at this island, until we should
call for them. To these the chiefs and people had, by this
time, formed so strong an attachment, especially the fe-
males to the wife of Faaruea, that the heathen universally
united with the Christians in entreating that I would allow
them to remain. Unable to resist their importunity, and
convinced that it was wiser to take good care of stations
already formed, than to neglect them in order to extend
our labours, I consented to their request, although I was
grieved at losing so valuable a labourer from the Naviga-
tors Islands Mission.
It will be recollected that, on our first visit, the teacher's
wives met with such rude treatment that we were obliged
to abandon our intention of leaving them, and also that, on
our return home, we took the first opportunity of sending
two single men to commence the work of instruction
among this wild and violent people. I have already given
an account of the providence that had prepared the way
before them, and the kind reception with which they con-
sequently met. Tiere, one of these, died about two years
and a half after his arrival; to him the people were strongly
attached, and would, in all probability, have soon embra-
ced the truth, had his life been prolonged : his death, there-
fore, was a great loss to the Mission. The good work,
however, had proceeded gradually since that period, so
that, on our arrival, we found five hundred persons enjoy-
ing the blessings of Christian instruction.
We were grieved to hear from the teachers that they had
suffered much annoyance from the heathen, who frequently
came on the Sabbath and performed their dances and
games, in contempt of the Christians, near the place where
they were accustomed to worship. They were also kept



WAR BETWEEN CHRISTIANS AND HEATHENS. 235
in a continued state of distressing anxiety, by the repeated
threats of the heathen to burn their houses, murder their
teacher, and “make use of his skull as a drinking cup.”
This led to a disastrous conflict, which terminated in favour
of the Christians; they losing three, and the idolaters
eighteen or twenty of their number. It appears to have
been a very hard contested battle ; for, contrary to the
general usage in the islands, the people of Mangaia do not
practise bush-fighting, but meet in an open plain, from
which every shelter is removed. They then arrange them-
selves in rows four deep. The first is armed with long
spears; the second with clubs, to defend the spearmen;
the third is composed of young men with slings, the stones
for which are all made round and smooth ; and the fourth
row consists of women. These not only carry baskets of
stones and weapons with which to supply the warriors,
but they also attack the enemy while engaged with their
husbands; and it appears, by various accounts which I
received, that they are exceedingly fierce. The young
chief of a neighbouring island, who was present at this
conflict, informed me that, while in the heat of the battle, he
was greatly annoyed by the fury with which the wife of
his antagonist assailed him. He exclaimed, “Woman, de-
sist ; I am not come to fight with women.” She vocife-
rated in a frantic manner, “If you kill my husband, what
must I do?” and immediately threw a stone, which struck
him on the head, and felled him to the ground; and had it
not been for the prompt assistance of his own people, he
would have lost his life by the hands of her husband.
I was distressed at hearing that, contrary to what had
taken place in other islands, some of the Christian party
-
* A native curse.

236 CONDUCT OF THE CHRISTIANS.
had acted with great cruelty towards their enemies, by
hewing them in pieces while they were begging for mercy.
I account for this barbarity from the existence of the ono,
or systematic revenge, which prevailed so universally
through the whole of the islands of the Pacific ocean; for
most probably one of their relatives had been killed or in-
jured by the person then in their power, or by some of his
family; and it was a legacy bequeathed from father to
son to avenge that injury, even if an opportunity did not
occur until the third or fourth generation. This circum-
stance also shows, that although Christianity is embraced,
the savage disposition cannot, in all cases, be entirely eradi-
cated in a few months. Instead, therefore, of expressing
astonishment at this solitary instance of brutality, we should
rather wonder that so little has been shown in the islands
generally since the introduction of Christianity. Had the
Christians of Mangaia imitated the conduct of the chiefs
and people of Tahiti and the Society Islands, in the exer-
cise of mercy and kindness, in all probability the heathen
party would not have resisted for so many years every
effort to bring them under the influence of the Gospel.
In a meeting held with the Christians, our advice was
solicited upon several topics; among which was “rat-eat-
ing.” As Mangaia was not so abundantly supplied with
fish as some other islands, and as there were no animals
except rats, until I visited it, these formed a common arti-
cle of food; and the natives said they were exceedingly
“sweet and good;” indeed a common expression with them,
when speaking of any thing delicious, was, “It is as sweet
as a rat.” They find no difficulty in catching them in
great numbers; which they do in many ways, but princi-
pally by digging a hole, and strewing in it a quantity of
candle-nut (aleurites,) and when a sufficient number of rats

FEMALE OCCUPATION, 237
were in the hole, they drew a net over it, and secured
them all. Having obtained as many as they wish, they
singe the hair off on hot stones, wrap them up in leaves,
and bake them. Saturday was their principal rat-catching
day, as they were desirous of having “animal food” to
eat with their cold vegetables on the Sabbath. They now
wished to know our opinion as to whether it was sinful to
eat them. I informed them that we were in the habit of
looking upon rats as exceedingly disgusting; but not per-
ceiving any thing morally evil in the practice, I could do
no more than recommend them to take great care of the
pigs—and goats I had brought, by which means they would
speedily obtain an abundant supply of “animal food,” far
superior to that which they esteemed so “sweet and good.”
Another subject presented for our consideration was
the employment of the females. The taro (arum esculen-
tum.) which forms a staple article of food at most of the
islands, is generally cultivated in Swampy places; and the
work of planting, and keeping the taro beds in order, is
assigned to girls under sixteen years of age, and to women
who have passed the prime of life. Ladies are seldom
seen in these plantations until their beauty begins to fade,
when they are required to return to their “occupation,”
and wade for hours in mud from two to three feet deep.
The wife of the native teacher, intent upon the elevation
of her sex, requested, through the medium of her husband,
my opinion of this practice. Through her representations
I was induced to plead for their emancipation, with all
the eloquence I could command ; and the result was, an
agreement that in future they should not be compelled to
do this “dirty work.” This decision gave them much joy;
and, in commemoration of the event, they prepared on the
following day a sumptuous feast, at which four or five hun-
23S STATE OF THE ISLAND IN 1831.
dred sat down, and to which I was invited. Not a rat
was seen on the table;” but pigs roasted whole, fish of
various kinds, and a profusion of vegetables, with aqua
pura from the spring, and cocoa-nut water, constituted
the repast.
After having spent several days in this island, preaching
to the people, visiting the heathen chiefs, attending the
schools, and giving advice and instructions to the teachers,
we prepared for our departure, thankful for what had
been effected, and encouraged to..believe that a copious
shower of blessings would ultimately descend upon the
inhabitants of this beautiful island.
When I next visited Mangaia, in 1831, I was accom-
panied by my excellent brother Mr. Buzacott, and Makea,
the king of Rarotonga. We found that a large new
place of worship had been erected, and that the people
were anxiously waiting for us to open it. It was a
fine building, of an oval shape, about one hundred and
twenty feet in length. The large posts which supported
the roof, eight in number, the ridge pole and rafters were
most beautifully carved, and tastefully coloured with vari-
ous native preparations. It is impossible, however, so to
describe them as to enable the reader to form a correct
idea of their appearance, or of the taste and ingenuity dis-
played in their execution. These posts are twenty-five
feet high, and from twelve to eighteen inches square; and
when we considered the tools with which the work was
done, which were principally old nails, pieces of iron hoop,
and a few chisels, the hardness of the wood, and the depth
of the carving, we were amazed both at the patience and
* That is, not a baked one; there were plenty of live ones running about
in all directions.


THE NEW CHAPEL. 239
skill of the native artificers. The effect on entering the
place was exceedingly striking. On the following day, a
congregation assembled to the number of fifteen or sixteen
hundred persons. Mr. Buzacott read a portion of Scrip-
ture, and engaged in prayer; after which, I addressed
them from Haggai, ii. 7, -" I will fill this house with my
glory, saith the Lord of hosts.” Many of the heathen
attended, and those who were not able to gain admittance
crowded round the doors and windows. These were
very decorous in their behaviour; and when addressed
upon the value of salvation, and earnestly invited to come
and worship the God whose house they had assisted in
erecting, they appeared to listen with great attention.
Finding that vast numbers were still obstinate in their
resolutions to remain in heathen darkness, we determined
to visit them at their own respective districts, and speak
to them upon the momentous concerns of their souls and
eternity. After a pleasant walk over a mountain, and
across a beautiful valley, around which the huts of the
natives were erected, we arrived at the chief’s house. He
received us with great respect, and immediately despatched
a messenger to invite, or rather to desire the people to
assemble. They instantly obeyed the summons; and in
a short time, two or three hundred were convened, who
were dressed most fantastically. The females wore wreaths
of entwined leaves, and ornamental flowers of varied hue,
with necklaces of berries, while their persons were pro-
fusely anointed with scented oil. The men also had ex-
pended their ingenuity in decorating their persons. To
this company the truths of the Gospel, together with the
present and future advantages of embracing it, were
explained with the greatest possible simplicity, and they
were urged to an immediate acceptance of proffered mer-
240 ZEAL OF THE RAROTONGA CHRISTIANS.
cy: especially the chief, who was an old man, and who
was informed that death would very soon remove him out
of this world to another, in which his eternal doom would
be unalterably fixed. They behaved with decorum, listened
with attention, and promised to remember what had been
said, but declined an immediate acceptance of our invita-
tion. The chief expressed his obligation for the honour
conferred upon him by our visit, and again assured us that
he would seriously consider what he had heard ; and
although we feared that little permanent impression had
been made, we proceeded to the next district, with the
satisfaction of knowing that bread-corn had been cast upon
the waters, which would be found after many days. Pass-
ing over another high hill, and across another fertile valley,
we arrived at the house of the principal chief, when we
were informed that he, with the greater number of his
people, had gone to the Christian settlement to see us. We
therefore hastened home; and on our arrival, were delighted
to find the old man and his party in company with Makea
and the Rarotongan Christians, who were exhorting them
to become worshippers of the true God, and to seek that
salvation which is to be obtained alone by believing on the
Lord Jesus Christ. Being informed that Mr. B. and myself
had been to his district, for the purpose of conversing with
him upon the same important subjects, he was evidently
much pleased; and, like Agrippa of old, “was almost per-
suaded to become a Christian.” Finding him and his peo-
ple in such good hands, we thought it wise, after saying a
few words, to retire, and leave them to the merciful vio-
lence with which the Christians of Rarotonga would per-
suade them to embrace the truth; and I believe they slept
but little during the night; for when, at twelve o'clock,
we stretched ourselves on our mats to rest our weary limbs,

THE AUTHOR's LAST VISIT TO MANGAIA. 241
neither the zeal of our companions nor the interest of the
listening heathen appeared in any measure to have abated.
After spending several interesting and laborious days at
Mangaia, in visiting the heathen settlements, preaching to
the people, and examining the school-children, we departed,
hoping and praying for the blessing of Him “who alone
giveth the increase.”
Without noticing my several Subsequent visits to this
island, which were similar in their character and results
to those I have already described, I shall proceed to speak
of my last, which was made under peculiar circumstances,
and attended with very important consequences. In the
latter end of 1833, I left Rarotonga for Atiu, Aitutaki,
and other islands. Pa and Tinomana, chiefs of Rarotonga,
were with me on that occasion, beside many other natives
whom I was conveying to their respective homes. The
wind being contrary for several days we could make no
progress; and having so many people on board, our pro-
visions failed : I was therefore compelled to run for the
nearest island, which was Mangaia, then distant about
seventy or eighty miles. We reached it on the following
day; but, to our astonishment, no canoes came off to bid
us welcome ; and I concluded that the native Missionaries
had lost their reckoning, and were keeping the Monday
for the Sabbath. At length, however, a canoe approached
us, having in it but a solitary individual. On his reaching
the ship, I inquired what had become of the people, and
why they had not put off as usual; when he informed me,
that it was a day of fasting and prayer; for the heathens
were about to make an attack upon them on the following
morning. Shortly after this, the teachers came on board,
from whom I obtained correct information of the state of
the island; and found, that of late, the Christians had been







21
242 PREPAIRATIONS FOR WAIR.
exceedingly zealous for the conversion of their heathen
brethren ; and had, with this intent, tried many plans,
which were rejected with taunts and insults. The Chris-
tians, bent upon the accomplishment of their object, had
determined to make a tour of the island, and to endeavour
to bring in at least one convert each. The heathen party
hearing of this, and suspecting that the Christians intended
to come and take them by force, resolved to anticipate
their visit by a formidable attack upon their settlement.
For some time many exasperating reports were carried
from the one to the other, by which both parties were
inflamed, and the island kept in a state of continual fer-
ment. When I heard this, and found that the attack was
to be made on the following day, I perceived who had
sent the foul wind, and for what purpose I was conducted
to Mangaia; and, after humbling myself before God, for
having in “my haste” been angry with the wind, I deter-
mined immediately to visit every heathen settlement in
the island. Taking with me the three chiefs from Raro-
tonga, we stepped into the canoe, dashed over the reef
upon the crest of a curling billow, and landed at an unin-
habited part of the island. Our walk was particularly
fatiguing, being several miles along a very rugged coral
beach, with the piercing rays of the mid-day sun beating
upon us from above, and their glare reflected from the sea
on the one side, and from the rocks on the other. We
then ascended the cliff, which was about a hundred and
fifty or two hundred feet in height, walked over a flat
surface of rocks, broken fragments of coral, and other
marine substances, and again descended into a most beau-
tiful valley, the sides of which were far more precipitous
and romantic than those toward the sea. Having crossed
this valley, ascended another hill, and entered a second

WAR PREVENTED. 243
beautiful vale, we reached the dwelling of the first heathen
chief, who, having had intimation of our approach, was
prepared to meet us with ceremony and respect. He was
a fine young man, of fair complexion and open countenance,
and, like most of his brethren, of very commanding aspect.
I introduced the Rarotonga chiefs to him, and then stated
that the object of my visit was to advise and request him
not to unite with those who intended to attack the Chris-
tians on the following day. To this he readily assented.
I then spoke to him about his soul, and the desirableness
of placing himself under Christian instruction; to all of
which he replied, Reka kee te taeake, “delightfull exceed-
ingly pleased am I, my brother.”
Each of the Rarotonga chiefs then addressed him. One
gave an account of the introduction of Christianity into
their island, and another pointed out the blessings they
were now enjoying. Tinomana stated that he was formerly
a conquered chief, and, with his oppressed people, lived in
the mountains; but that now he possessed a large settle-
ment of beautiful white houses by the sea-side, with a
spacious chapel in the centre, and a Missionary of Jesus
Christ to teach him. “My people,” said he, “can now go
to the sea to catch fish, or to the mountains to procure
food, without the slightest fear; and we are enjoying a
state of peace and happiness, of which, formerly, we never
heard.” One of them concluded his beautiful address, by
stepping forward, and seizing the heathen chief by the
hand, and exclaiming, —“Rise, brother, tear off the garb
of Satan, and become a man of God " I think, if ever I
felt the thrilling influence of what is termed the sublime,
it was at that moment. The unaffected dignity of the
action, the nobleness of the sentiment, together with the
holy energy and persuasiveness of his manner, produced

244 VISIT TO MAUNGANUI.
feelings which I cannot describe. The effect, however,
on the mind of the heathen chief was not so powerful as
might have been wished; for he stated to us, in reply, that
while he was delighted with the honour conferred upon
him, he was so connected with his brother chiefs, that he
was scarcely at liberty to act without them ; and requesting
us to see them all before we pressed him for a reply to
our proposition, he promised “to think well over again.”
what he had heard. Wishing to see the principal chief
that night, we passed by the other inferior ones; and cros-
sing three other hills and valleys, we at length arrived,
fatigued and panting, at the residence of Maunganui. He
also had received information of our approach ; and,
adorned with his heathen trappings, came to the back part
of the house ; and having beckoned me away from my
party, he took me by the hand, and said, - “Friend, have
you any axes” I replied in the affirmative. He then
wished to know if I had brought any for him ; and on
learning that I had not, he inquired whether the Christians
had prevented me. I informed him that my business
related to matters of far greater importance than axes,
and that we must take our seats, and commence at once.
Squatting down upon the mats spread for us, upon a broad
pavement of stones in front of the house, and regaled by
the breezes which came loaded with the fragrance of the
blossoms of the chestnut and other trees, we refreshed
ourselves with a delicious draught of cocoa-nut water, out
of the bottle in which it grew, and proceeded to the
consideration of the business upon which I had come.
Addressing the chief, I expressed my regret that he, with
so many of his brethren, still refused the invaluable bles-
sings of Christianity; but was yet more grieved to find,
that, on the following day, they were about to make war


VISIT TO MAUNGANUI. 245
upon the Christians, which it was the immediate object of
my visit to prevent. He replied that he was truly glad
that I had come, and that my arrival was most opportune.
He had been informed, that the opposite party intended to
take him by force and make him a Christian ; and not
being inclined to yield, he had determined to fight; but
since I had come for the purpose of dissuading him from
so doing, he would lay aside all thoughts of war. We then
pressed on him the important subject of religion, and
wished him to accompany us to the Christian settlement,
and place himself under the instruction of the teachers.
To this, he said he would consent immediately, if I would
make him king; assuring me, that the supremacy was
originally his father's. I informed him, that if Christianity
had found him in the possession of supremacy, it would
have acknowledged him as supreme ;* but as that was not
the case, it was not my business to depose one chief and
set up another; and if this was the only condition on which
he could be induced to embrace the true Saviour, he must
live and die a heathen, and his soul be lost for ever. My
companions spoke to him faithfully and affectionately, but
he appeared to remain steadfast to his purpose.
Supper was then prepared for us, which consisted of a
pig, yams, and taro. We seated ourselves around our
table-cloth of fresh-plucked leaves, and with a cocoa-nut
shell of sea-water, as a substitute for mustard, salt, and
sauce, we enjoyed our feast exceedingly.
The meal being ended, I gave an address to the people,
read a portion of Scripture, and engaged in prayer, during
which, the heathen were exceedingly attentive. We sat
* Supremacy in this island is little more than nominal power, being in-
vested in the Kai tapere (district eaters, or heads of districts.) The chief
authority, I think, was originally held in connexion with a religious office.
21%
246 AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION.
up till midnight, conversing upon important topics, and
persuading the deluded people to receive the truth. The
chief's wife, in particular, awakened our sympathy by
stating that she had long wished to become a Christian ;
because, when she compared herself with the Christian
females, she was much ashamed ; for they had bonnets,
and beautiful white garments, while she was dressed in
“Satan's clothes;” they could sing and read, while she
was in ignorance. She also expressed pity for her children,
who were uninstructed in many interesting things, which
the Christian children knew ; and she wished much, if her
husband would not allow her to become a Christian, that
he would send the children to our settlement. Overcome
with fatigue and sleep from the labours of the day, we
spread our mats on the grass floor; where I should have
enjoyed a sound and refreshing night's rest, had not the
heathen chief spread his mat so near to mine, that several
times during the night I was awoke, by finding my head
and face enveloped in his long hair, which was not only
annoying, but calculated, also, to excite some little alarm.
We arose at day-break, and, after a short address and
prayer, took our leave of this chief and his people, with
no other satisfaction than that of having prevented the
anticipated war, and of having spoken faithfully upon the
momentous concerns of salvation. At other places which
we visited on our return, we were more successful; for
at the first settlement we reached, the old chief and his
brother, having been informed of our intention to visit
them, had not only an oven of food awaiting our arrival,
but had determined to accompany us, and embrace the
Gospel. With that intention, as soon as I was comfortably
seated, the chieftain came, and putting his head on my knee,
said, “Begin.” I inquired what I was to begin, when he


INTERESTING MEETING. - 247
replied, “To cut off my hair, to be sure.” I informed him
that I was not skilful in that art, neither had I my scissors
with me ; but that we should find all that was needed at
the settlement. Accompanied by these two veterans in
Satan’s service, we proceeded to the next district, where
we were treated with respect and heard with attention,
although not cheered by any present success. At length
we reached the residence of the most powerful and influ-
ential district chief. He received us with great cordiality,
had a large portion of food prepared, and sent for the
neighbouring chiefs and people; to the former of whom,
seven in number, I was ceremoniously introduced. Taking
them by the hand, I stated the object of my visit to each.
After some consultation among themselves, the principal
chief addressed me, and said, they would prefer that all
the heathen should become Christians together ; and that
they would hold a meeting, as soon as possible, to consider
the subject. If, however, that could not be accomplished,
they would then dissolve the covenant now existing between
the chiefs, that each might follow his own inclinations. At
the same time they entreated me to remain with them
until Saturday, as they thought that my presence would
materially affect their deliberations. “In the mean time,”
he said, “we who are now present, do give permission to
any of our people, who feel disposed to accompany you to
the settlement, and place themselves under instruction.”
On hearing this, several immediately came forward, and
expressed their intention to take advantage of the permis-
sion thus given. The moment they had avowed their
* The heathen wear very long hair; and, as the Christians cut theirs short,
to cut the hair had become a kind of first step in renouncing heathenism; and
when speaking of any person having renounced idolatry, the current expres-
sion was, “Such an one has cut his hair.”

248 RETURN TO THE SETTLEMENT.
determination, the heathen commenced a most dismal
howling, and clung around those who were about to leave
them, kissing them and weeping over them, as though they
were going to be slain. This weeping and wailing had
scarcely concluded, when we were attracted by a burst
from another quarter. It appeared that one of the Raro-
tonga Christians, in his address to the heathen party, grew
warm, and expressed himself with great energy; which
excited the fears of the chief that force was about to be
used to compel him to accompany us. This produced in
him great agitation, on perceiving which, his two daughters,
who were fine young women, about eighteen or twenty
years of age, rushed in, tore their hair, fell upon his neck,
and with frantic gesticulations, in the most piteous and
heart-rending tones, bewailed the affliction which was
about to come upon their father. I endeavoured to pacify
them, by assuring them that nothing of the kind was in-
tended; that we were few in number compared with
them ; that we had no weapons but our tongues; and
that we were in their power rather than they in ours.
Taking our leave, and accompanied by eight or ten
heathen families, we hastened to the Christian settlement,
where we arrived in safety, after a long and heavy walk;
for the rain had descended during the night, and made the
clayey hills so slippery, that, notwithstanding the assist-
ance of two stout men, I had several falls. On our ar-
rival, we found the congregation waiting for us; when,
after scraping off a little of the dirt, washing my shoes,
and turning my clay-dyed stockings inside out, I hastened
to the chapel, and addressed about sixteen hundred peo-
ple, many of whom were heathen.
As the wind had become fair, and as there was no an-
chorage for the ship, I could not conveniently remain until
NATURAL CURIOSITY, 249
Saturday. I therefore sent a present of an axe to each of
the chiefs, with a pair of scissors and some ribbon for their
wives and daughters; and arranged that the native teach-
ers, instead of ourselves, should meet them on the follow-
ing Saturday. The result of this meeting was the disso-
lution of the league, and the removal of the greater part
of the heathen to the Christian settlement. The stragglers
for awhile behind gradually followed; so that by the last
communications I find there are now very few, if any,
idolaters remaining. Thus, after ten years' patient and
persevering effort, God was pleased, by a contrary wind,
to effect this long wished-for object, and in this way to
secure all the glory to himself.
The productions of Mangaia are the same as those of
the other islands. The sugar-cane, however, is particu-
larly fine. Their idolatry and idolatrous practices vary but
little from those of their neighbours. The only natural
curiosity I discovered, was a cavern upon the top of one
of the hills, which was entered by two comparatively
small apertures. These, although not many yards apart
on the top, were thought not to communicate. I wished
much, on one occasion, to have descended ; but the na-
tives objected so strongly, lest any accident should befal
me, that I desisted. I however sounded one of them, and
found it above a hundred feet deep. One of these holes is
called Ruatapu, or sacred hole; it being the repository of
the dead bodies of the chiefs; the other is the general re-
ceptacle for all. A native from Aitutaki descended, and
he assured me, that the holes not only communicated, but
that the cavern appeared very large ; and that bones in-
numerable were strewed in all directions.
The formation of some of the rocks and valleys struck
me as very peculiar; the sides of the former being quite


250 NATIVE INGENUITY.
perpendicular, as though the low land had originally been
of equal height, but had, by some undermining process or
concussion of nature, sunk from its elevation, leaving these
rocks as a kind of solid wall, two or three hundred feet
high, to afford protection to the fertile plain below. The
valleys generally contain from thirty to fifty acres each,
and are entirely laid out in taro plantations. These are
gradually raised above each other, from the lower to the
upper part of the valley from whence water is conveyed
to them in wooden pipes.” When I saw the excellent
order in which they were kept, I ceased to wonder that
the men wished the females to continue to cultivate them,
for not a weed was to be seen.
But the circumstance most worthy of notice in this isl-
and is the ingenuity of the inhabitants. This is displayed
in the fabrication and patterns of their cloth, in the con-
struction of their spears, bowls, and other articles; but
more especially in the exquisite carving of the handles of
their stone axes. This they effect with a regularity, taste,
and beauty which is surprising, when it is recollected,
that the only tools they formerly possessed were sharks'
teeth and shells; and that even now a nail or a sailor's
knife is the extent of their carving implements. Their
cocoa-nut drinking-cups, also, were most of them covered
with carved or painted figures; and, as soon as they learnt
the art of writing, they added to these passages of Scrip-
ture. I think there was not a cup in the king's house
* Not having the means of boring these pipes, they procure hollow trees,
which answer the purpose admirably.

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C H A P T E R XVI.
Atiu — Religious Services there—Devotedness of the Teachers' Wives—
The Author's Narrow Escape–Distressing Situation–Fishing Excur-
sion—Suberb Cavern–Mauke and Mitiaro–A dreadful Massacre –
Rarotonga- An Epidemic rages—Aitutaki—Interesting Incidents-
Native Contributions.
A TI U.
LEAviNg Mangaia, we proceeded to this island, which,
after two days' pleasant sail, we reached in safety.
We received a most cordial welcome from the teachers
and people, who conducted us to the settlement, which
occupied an elevated and beautiful situation, it being a
fine extensive plain, upon the top of the mountain which
forms the body of the island. The dwellings are open to
the fresh breeze of the sea, of which they command a full
view on every side ; indeed, the chapel is the first object
descried on approaching this island.
On our arrival, we were happy to meet the teachers, with
the principal chiefs and people of the neighbouring islands
of Mauke and Mitiaro. The object of their visit to Atiu
was, first, to attend the opening of the large new chapel;
and, secondly, to be present at the marriage of Roma-tane,
the king, who was about to be united to the daughter of
the chief of Mauke.
On the following day we opened the chapel, which
would accommodate about 1500 people. My colleague,
Mr. Barff, preached from Ps, xcvii. 1. “The Lord reign-


TEACHERs' wives. 253
eth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be
glad thereof.” After this, I administered the Lord's Sup-
per, for the first time, to twenty communicants, among
whom the chief, who, it will be recollected, was so deeply
impressed with the folly of idolatry, by the representa-
tions of Isaiah on that subject. I was truly thankful to
find that he had continued firm in his principles and con-
sistent in his conduct. Our time at this island was mostly
fully occupied, night and day, for the people would not
allow both my colleague and myself to be asleep at the
same time ; but as soon as one was overcome, they awoke
the other; and in this way we were employed, alternately
during the nights, teaching them to sing, and explaining
to them passages of Scriptures, which they had noted for
that purpose.
The same improvement was apparent in the females at
this island as at Mangaia, through the exertions of the
wives of the native teachers, who were exceedingly devo-
ted women. The character of these two females may
be illustrated by a little incident, which was mentioned to
me in the course of conversation. From the scarcity of
fish at this island, the people generally reserve what they
catch for their families; and the teachers were therefore
obliged to go on the Saturday, to procure some for the
Sabbath. This the wives lamented, and told me that, at
times, their husbands were out from morning until night.
“You,” they said, “resemble springs, from which know-
ledge is always bubbling up ; so that you have nothing but
to open your mouths and out it flows; but our husbands
find difficulty in preparing for the services of the Sab-
bath.” To obviate this, they begged I would write out
some heads of discourses for them ; at the same time in-
forming me, that, for months past, while their husbands
22

--
254 THEIR 1) I WOTEIDNESS.
were fishing, they took their slates, and having recalled a
text, from which they had heard some of the Missionaries
preach, they endeavoured to retrace the ideas then ad-
vanced, and to collect parallel passages of Scripture, to
illustrate them. By these means they had generally a
slate full of something for their husbands to work from on
their return.
In our examination of the school children, we were
pained to find that only a few of them could read. All,
however, as well as the adults, had committed to memory,
most correctly, a long and instructive catechism, written
by Mr. Orsmond, which contained a comprehensive sys-
tem of divinity, expressed in striking and beautiful lan-
guage.
On my next visit to this island my life and labours had
nearly terminated. On reaching the reefs we perceived
that the sea was not breaking with its usual violence, and
I therefore determined to land in the boat. This was
effected without much difficulty; but on returning, before
we could get a sufficient distance from the shore, another
billow rolled in and overwhelmed us, and the boat with
her crew was dashed upon the reef. Unfortunately, I
fell toward the sea, and was conveyed by the recoil of the
billow to a considerable distance from the shore, where I
was twirled about in a whirlpool, and sank to a great depth.
Being so long under water, I began to fear that I should
rise no more. At length, however, I arose to the surface;
and finding that there was time for me to reach the reef
before the next wave burst upon it, I swam in that direction.
On perceiving my situation, two natives sprang into the
sea, and, as a considerable time elapsed before the next
billow arrived, I succeeded, by their assistance, in escaping
its fury. The people were standing upon the reef, weeping
NATIVE MANUFACTURES. 255
bitterly, under the apprehension that I was lost; and on
reaching the shore, they gathered around me, and demon-
strated their great joy at my preservation, by touching my
clothes or kissing my hands. Thus, for the sixth time, was
I rescued from a watery gravel
The reefs at the water's edge are overhanging and shel-
ving, forming hollows and caverns underneath; and the
danger most to be dreaded is that of being forced, by the
violence of the waves, into these submarine chasms. From
such a situation escape is impossible.
Nothing particularly worthy of special notice occurred
in any of my subsequent visits to Atiu, except in the last,
at the latter end of 1833. On this occasion I was accom-
panied by Mr. Armitage, who was sent out by the London
Missionary Society some years before, to teach the people
the art of making cloth from the cotton, which grows
there with great luxuriance.* Mr. A., after making all
- -
* While the anxiety of the Directors of the Society to promote the industry
of the native converts admits of the highest commendation, I do not think



256 FEARS FOR OUR WESSEL.
the efforts which ingenuity could devise, or perseverance
realize, for the accomplishment of his object in the Tahi-
tian Islands, and not succeeding, accepted an invitation
from the king Makea, seconded by Messrs. Pitman and
Buzacott, to visit Rarotonga; and as the people of that
island did not possess articles of barter so abundantly as
the Tahitians, it was thought by us all that there was a
reasonable prospect of success. Mr. Armitage, therefore,
generously consented to leave his wife and family of ten
children, and go for twelve months to Rarotonga. Mr. S.
Wilson also accompanied us. He is a son of our excel-
lent brother Missionary, and, I am truly happy to say, is
devoting himself to the work of preaching salvation to the
heathen. His good father, thinking it might be of advan-
tage to him, in the future prosecution of his labours, ex-
pressed a wish that he should accompany me in the voy-
age.
On the day after our arrival at Atiu a heavy gale of
wind arose, and, there being no anchorage, our little vessel
was driven out of sight of land; and as there was no one
on board who understood navigation, I never expected to
see her again. Day after day we waited and watched,
with the utmost anxiety, but nothing was descried in the
surrounding horizon. Saturday arrived, and not having
taken a change of clothes with us, ingenuity was racked
how to get those washed which we wore. The teachers'
daughters, however, accomplished this exceedingly well,
by using the root of a shrub, called tutu, which produces a
that it is generally desirable to attempt the introduction of complex manufac-
tures among an infant people. A nation in such a state should rather be en-
couraged to direct its energies to the production of the raw material, and to
exchange that with the mother countries for manufactured articles.

RETURN OF OUR SHIP. 257
strong lather, equal to that of soap, and it is a most admi-
rable substitute for that valuable article.
We set apart a portion of every morning, and retired to
the chapel for social prayer, to seek direction from above
in our distressing circumstances; and I can truly say that
we found these services seasons of refreshing from the
presence of our God. After having given up all hope of
again seeing our vessel, we held a consultation as to
whether we had better build a boat with what materials
we could obtain on the island, and sail to Rarotonga; or
remain where we were. After much deliberation and
prayer, we concluded that, as a peculiar providence had
placed us there, it appeared to be the path of duty to wait
patiently, till God, in the exercise of the same providence,
should afford us the means of removal; and determined to
employ ourselves as fully as possible for the benefit of the
people, as this would materially assist in making us con-
tented and happy in our painful situation. For this pur-
pose Mr. Armitage selected wood with which to make
spinning-wheels, while I made arrangements for the erec-
tion of a new school-house ; and just as we had commen-
ced, a little boy reported that, in the dusk of the evening,
he had seen a speck upon the horizon, and we waited with
no small anxiety for the morning's dawn. Long before
daylight I was upon the brow of the hill; and when the
sun arose I perceived, with feelings of inexpressible delight,
the object of our solicitude. Our joy, however, was awa-
kened principally by the consideration that our families
would now be spared the distressing anxiety which other-
wise they must have endured, for months, on our account.
On going on board the vessel all the account I could get
from the crew was, that the gale became so furious during
the night, that it had blown them away, and in the morning


22%

258 FLYING-FISH.
they found themselves out of sight of land; and that after
being tossed about for many days, a strong wind in the
opposite direction had driven them back again. The only
loss that had been sustained was the death of one of the
calves I was conveying to our brethren at Rarotonga. The
people of the island wept when they saw the vessel, but,
unmoved by their tears, we returned thanks to God, for de-
livering us out of our distresses, hoisted our sails, took leave
of the kind but disappointed people, and pursued our voy-
age.
During our involuntary residence at Atiu, we determined,
one night, to accompany the natives on a fishing excursion.
Flying-fish were the objects of our pursuit, and these are
caught only after dark. We arrived at the sea-side at
about eight o'clock. The teachers and their families, and
indeed most of the inhabitants of the settlement, were of
the party, and brought their sleeping-mats, with an inten-
tion of lodging upon the sea-shore, while we spent the
night in chasing the poor fish. With these expeditions
many idolatrous ceremonies were formerly connected. On
the present occasion, we all knelt down upon the coral
bank, and one of the natives, according to their usual prac-
tice, offered up a suitable prayer. The canoes were then
dragged from the rocks, thirty feet above the level of the
water, down a broad sloping ladder, and launched over
the surf into the sea. Double canoes are always used on
these occasions, three of which formed our expedition.
Mr. Armitage was seated on one, Mr. Wilson on another,
and myself on the third. The rowers being ready, a flam-
beau was lighted. The principal man then took his sta-
tion on the fore part of the canoe. He was provided with
a net, attached to a light pole, twelve or fifteen feet long,
and kept open by a ring of elastic wood, in the shape of
METHOD OF CATCHING THEM. 259
an ace of spades. Every preparation being made, the
rowers commenced pulling with all their strength, and the
headsman stamped upon the box of the canoe, which being
hollow, produced a considerable sound. This, together
with the splashing of the oars, frightened the fish, which
darted from the back of the reef, where they were quietly
feeding, towards the ocean. The torches answered two
purposes; for while they enabled the headsman to discover
his prey, they also dazzled the eyes of the fish; and, as
they dashed past his canoe on the surface of the water,
he thrust forward his net, and turned it over upon them.
The quickness of the natives' sight, and the rapidity and
dexterity of their motions, were truly astonishing. At
times, they catch vast quantities in this way. The fish,
however, on that night, did not happen to be numerous;
and at the end of two hours we returned, having taken
but twenty. The other canoes were even less successful.
On landing, every fish was brought and laid at our feet ;
and had the canoes been laden, the whole would have been
at our disposal. We returned to the settlement, much
gratified with our entertainment.
- ---
The natives of Atiu, Mauke, and Mitiaro, have a method
of smoke-drying the flying-fish, by which they can preserve
them for any length of time. I am not aware that at any

260 NATURAL CAVERN.S.
other islands this practice is adopted. They have also, with
very considerable ingenuity, so constructed their canoes,
as to be enabled to use boat-oars, which they prefer, as
being far less exhausting than their paddles.
Racked and restless with anxiety, we occasionally took
a ramble about the island ; and in the course of one of
our walks, mention was made by the natives who accom-
panied us, of caverns; and, upon inquiry, I found that there
were several in the island, of very large dimensions: we
determined, therefore, to visit one of them. Taking with
us a supply of reeds for flambeaux, we arrived at the
mouth of the largest, which is called Taketake; when we
descended about twenty feet, through a chasm in the rocks,
at the bottom of which were several majestic openings.
Through one of these we entered, and proceeded I sup-
pose a mile, when we descried no end to its interminable
windings. Innumerable openings presented themselves on
all sides as we passed along, many of which appeared to
be equal in height, beauty, and extent, to the one which
we traced. The roof of this cavern was a stratum of
coral, from ten to fifteen feet in thickness, through which
the water percolated. It was supported by massy and
superb columns, and was thickly set with stalactites, from
an inch to many feet in length. Some were of great size
and beauty; others were about to communicate with the
floor, and either constitute the basis of a young column, or
join those growing up from beneath. The stalagmites,
however, although beautiful, were not numerous. The
floor is composed of the same material, and is an attractive
object; for it presents the appearance of rippled water,
when gently agitated by the wind. At some points of our
progress many openings came into view, with fretwork
ceilings and innumerable supports, the sparkling of which,

SUBTERRANIEO'LS WONDERS. 261
as they reflected the light of our torches, gave a depth and
density to the darkness of the mansions they served to
embellish. Fain would we have wandered longer in these
gloomy places of nature, the dark and drear abodes of
silence and solitude, as we longed to explore wonders on
which the light of day and the eye of man had never rested.
But our torches failing, we were compelled to satisfy our-
selves with a cursory glance at one only of the many dreary
yet beautiful ways, which invited our entrance. That one,
however, was enough to fill us with admiration and delight.
But description is impossible. The fantastic forms and
sparkling concretions might have enabled a vigorous fancy
to find resemblances amongst them to many majestic works
of art; but the effect was produced, not so much by single
objects, or groups of them, as by the amplitude, the depth,
and the complication of this subterranean world. The
solemn and sublime obscurity which sleeps around you,
adds not a little to the impressiveness of the scene.
I was much astonished, that, notwithstanding I had been
in the habit of visiting this island for many years, I had
never before heard of these superb caves. The natives
informed me that there were six or seven others, but that
the one we explored was the most splendid and extensive.
On visiting the two small islands of
MAUKE AND MITIARO,
we found the natives, who possessed but few axes, were
burning down trees, for timber to erect chapels. When
the tree fell, they burnt off the branches, and then pro-
ceeded to burn the trunk into various lengths. Having
with me a large supply of ironmongery, furnished by my
esteemed and valued friends, the Rev. T. East, and Rev.
J. A. James of Birmingham, I gave them some tools, en-

262 MAURE AND MITIARO.
couraged them to persevere with their work, and promised
to return, and open their chapels in six or eight months.
On my next visit, I had the satisfaction of seeing two
well-built, substantial places of worship, which had been
erected with the tools, and the doors of which were swung
on the hinges that I had presented to them in the name
of my kind Birmingham friends. The pulpit at Mauke
was a most remarkable specimen of native ingenuity and
perseverance, for it was hewn entirely out of one large
tree. An hour or two before service commenced, I went
to the chapel, accompanied by the principal chief; and,
after commending his diligence, I said to him, “How came
you to build so large a place 7 there are not people enough
in your island to fill it !” Instead of answering me, he
hung down his head, and appeared much affected. I asked
him why he wept ; observing, because it was with us rather
a day of joy than sorrow, that we were about to dedicate
this house to God. “Oh,” he replied, “I weep, in conse-
quence of what you say, that there are not people enough
in the island to fill this one house; if you had but come
about three years before you first visited us, this house and
another like it would not have contained the inhabitants.”
On inquiring what had become of the people, he informed
me, that about three years prior to my first arrival, a disease
had raged among them, which though not very fatal, was
nearly universal. This was accompanied by a famine, the
result of a severe storm, which swept over and devasted
the island; and, while enduring these complicated suffer-
ings, the warriors of Atiu came upon them in a fleet of
eighty canoes, killed the people indiscriminately, set fire to
the houses which contained the sick, and having seized
... those who attempted to escape, tossed them upon fires
kindled for the purpose. “By these means,” said the chief,

NATIVE TEACHERS. 263
“we have been reduced to the remnant you now behold ;
and had you not come when you did, our sanguinary de-
stroyers would have repeated their visit, killed us all, and
taken the island to themselves.” The person who con-
ducted this murderous expedition was Roma-tane, whose
conversion to Christianity by my discourse upon the folly
of idolatry, I have already described. And it is a deeply
interesting fact, that this chieftain, who, with savage aspect
and devastating cruelty, had led his ferocious tribe against
the almost defenceless people of Mauke, was not only the
first person whose voice they heard inviting them in accents
of persuasive energy to receive the Gospel of peace, but
also among the very first who there united in commemora-
ting the Saviour's death. It was truly a delightful sight,
to behold the once sanguinary chieftain, with his no less
blood-thirsty warriors, sitting down at the same sacramen-
tal table, with the remnant of a people to whom his very
name had been a terror, and whose race he had almost
exterminated. Thus verifying what a speaker, at one of
our native Missionary meetings, observed, “That, by the
Gospel, men became Christians, and savages brethren in
Christ.”
The teacher, Haavi of Mauke, with his wife, as well as
Taua of Mitiaro, have proved their worth by upwards of
twelve years’ laborious and devoted service. The inhab-
itants of Mauke are now in a very prosperous state ; and
in few places are the advantages resulting from Christi-
anity more apparent, for order, harmony, and happiness
prevail, abundance and comfort are enjoyed.
When I last visited this island Mrs. Williams and my
family were with me ; and as the natives had never seen a
European female or child, their presence excited consider-
able interest; and crowds hastened to the beach to bid

264 MITIAIto.
them welcome. The passage over the reef was a for-
midable undertaking for Mrs. Williams; but clasping
Samuel with one arm and her infant in the other, she
committed herself to the skill of the natives, and was con-
veyed in safety over the rising billow to the shore.
The island of Mitiaro is very low, and the soil has,
consequently, so little depth, that the productions are at
times exceedingly scanty; and the teacher, Taua, with
his large family of nine or ten children, have occasionally
suffered severe privations.
He is, however, a pious, sensible, and laborious man.
His colleague, I am sorry to say, fell into sin; and over-
come probably by shame, put to sea in a canoe, and was
never afterwards heard of.
Leaving Mitiaro, we sailed for
R A R O TONGA,
where we arrived, after a pleasant sail of two days, and
received a cordial welcome on the beach from our esteemed
friend and brother, Mr. Buzacott, whose tearful eyes,

-
FEARFUL RAWAGES OF DISEASE. 265
and downcast look, intimated that they were in the fur-
nace of affliction. This received confirmation from the
appearance of the people ; for instead of being greeted by
the smiles and shouts of the thousands who lined the
shore on our former visits, only a small company of chil-
dren, and a few walking skeletons, who had exerted their
utmost strength to reach the landing-place were to be
seen. On inquiring the cause of this, it was with the
deepest sorrow we heard that a most dreadful and deadly
disease was raging among the people, and sweeping them
away as with a deluge; that at Mr. Buzacott's station
about two hundred and fifty persons had been its victims;
an equal or greater number at Arorangi; and about a
hundred at Mr. Pitman's, where its ravages had but recently
commenced. So prevalent was this terrible visitation
that scarcely an inhabitant of the island entirely escaped
its influence. The settlements, formerly so beautiful, were
overgrown with weeds, and a general gloom of desolation
overshadowed the place, so distinguished during my for-
mer visits for cheerfulness and activity. We accompanied
Mr. Buzacott to his house, when, instead of being greeted
with the animated smile which was wont to play upon
the countenance of his devoted wife, a flood of tears gave
vent to her feelings as she grasped my hand, and wel-
comed me to their house of mourning. As soon as feel-
ing had a little subsided they commenced their tale of
wo, to which we listened with the deepest sympathy.
The few natives who had strength to move came also to
see me, and seating themselves at my feet, they seized my
hand, or clasped my leg, and mourned in the bitterness of
their souls. Many of the women, while wringing their
hands with agony, said to me, “I only am left of all my
family; my husband and all my children are gone, and here



23

266 The CHIEF PA.
am I, friendless, husbandless, and childless.” The almost
universal reply to my inquiries after any one was, “He is
dead.”
From this gloomy spot we hastened to our esteemed
friends, Mr. and Mrs. Pitman, at whose station the dis-
ease was then raging, and whom we were truly thankful
to find in a better state of health than might have been
anticipated. Their account, however, of the fearful rava-
ges of the disease was truly appalling; and as we walked
through the settlement we found many houses without an
inmate; all had been swept away. Those who, by any
possible exertion, could get out of their sickly dwellings,
came to disburthen their distress, and once more grasp
my hand before they died; and others, too feeble to walk,
were either led to the doors to see us as we passed, or
were carried by their friends on their mats, that they
might catch a parting glance ere they closed their eyes in
death. And while we could have wished that our shadow,
passing by, might have healed them, yet our principal
solicitude was, that our few words of exhortation and
sympathy might be blessed to the survivers, and be the
means of directing the dying to Him “who bore our griefs
and carried our sorrows.”
Pa, the intelligent and now excellent chief of Mr. Pitman's
station, was lying dangerously ill, and having a strong desire
to see me once more, sent a request that I would visit
him. I returned a kind answer, but declined acceding to
his wish, on the ground that, as I was prosecuting an im-
portant voyage to a new and populous group of islands, I
did not think it prudent to enter their sickly habitations,
lest, by any means, I should convey the disease with me.
On hearing this, he desired his attendant to carry him to
the side of the pathway, where he was laid, sheltered from
THE ORIGIN OF THE DISEASE. 267
the rays of the sun by the shade of a large Barringtonia
tree. Here we found him awaiting our arrival; and in
the course of an interesting conversation, I was delighted
to discover that his views of Gospel truth were clear, and
that his hope of salvation was built upon Christ alone. He
regarded the affliction in the light of a judgement, which
the people, by their late wickedness in opposing the truth,
in reviving heathen practices, and in burning the house of
God, had merited at his hands. After commending him
in prayer to the great Disposer of events, we bade each
other an affectionate farewell, never expecting to meet
again on earth. God, however, was pleased to rebuke his
disease, and restore him to health ; and I am happy to add,
that he is at present a devoted, intelligent, and valuable
member of the church.
The Missionaries had been unremitting in their exer-
tions on behalf of their afflicted people ; and very provi-
dentially, a stock of medicine, forwarded by the Directors,
had arrived about two months prior to the breaking out of
the disease. This supply was more valuable than gold :
but for it, humanly speaking, multitudes more must have
died. My esteemed colleague, Mr. Barff, had with him a
quantity of valuable medicines, a large portion of which
he most cheerfully gave to our afflicted brethren.
Mr. Buzacott and Mrs. Pitman had suffered severely
from the disease, but were mercifully restored.
The natives said that the pestilence was brought to their
island by a vessel which visited them just before it com-
menced its ravages. It is certainly a fact, which cannot
be controverted, that most of the diseases which have
raged in the islands during my residence there, have been
introduced by ships; and what renders this fact remarka-
ble is, that there might be no appearance of disease among

26S AITUTAKI.
the crew of the ship that conveyed this destructive import-
ation, and that the infection was not communicated by
any criminal conduct on the part of the crew, but by the
common contact of ordinary intercourse. Another fact,
worthy of special notice, is, that FIRst intercourse between
Europeans and natives is, I think, invariably attended with
the introduction of fever, dysentery, or some other disease
which carries off numbers of the people. At the island of
Rapa, nearly half the whole population were thus swept
away. It is an affecting consideration, that civilized man
should thus convey physical as well as moral contamination
with him, wherever he goes.
Taking an affectionate leave of our beloved brethren
and their afflicted people, we expressed our tenderest sym-
pathies in their sufferings, and united in fervent prayer,
“that the Lord would repent him of the evil, and say to
the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough.” We
left Rarotonga, which is endeared to me by so many
pleasing recollections, and directed our course for the last
of the Hervey Island group, which was
AITUTAKI.
From hence we expected to take two teachers and their
wives, whom Mr. Platt had left there on his late voyage.
As soon as the object of our visit was communicated to the
people, they immediately called a meeting, which they in-
vited us to attend, when they presented a pressing request,
that one of the teachers, with his wife, might be allowed
to remain with them. Being much disconcerted at the
prospect of losing them, I negatived the request. The
people, however, especially the females, who had formed
a strong attachment to the teacher's wife, were so clamor-

IMPORTUNITY OF THE WOMEN. 269
ous, and so importunate in their entreaties, that we found
it impossible to refuse. Hundreds of these, attired in their
best apparel, came in a body to implore me not to persist
in my determination. They stated that, as their former
teacher's wife was dead, they would have no one to instruct
them, and then asked me if 1 had not one “little bit of
compassion” for them, and whether the men only had
souls, that they alone were to be cared for, and the women.
left entirely destitute of a teacher. They pleaded so
pathetically, and so justly, that, after consulting with my
esteemed colleague, we deemed it advisable to accede to
their request. To this conclusion we the more readily
came, from observing the immense advantage the females
had derived from this devoted teacher, during the few
months she had resided with them, and their continued
need of her superintendence and instruction. As soon as
the announcement was made, joy beamed in their counte-
nances; they rushed forward to kiss our hands, and ran
in all directions to communicate the delightful intelligence.
As we were deprived of two of our best labourers, with
their wives, Faaruea, whom we had left at Mangaia, and
now of Wahineino, it occurred to us that our deficiency
might be, in a measure, supplied by the selection of two
pious and useful men from among the people of Aitutaki,
who, although not competent to take the charge of a sta-
tion, would be valuable assistants to their better instructed
brethren, or even more so as pioneers among the savage
tribes we intended to visit. We therefore called a meeting
of the people, stated to them our intentions, and wished to
know if there were any among them who were willing to
engage in this work. Two of their number offered their
services; and, after much conversation with them, and

23%

270 TWO NATIVES SET APART.
many inquiries about them, we concluded that they were
likely to prove both suitable and efficient.
In an interesting meeting, in which they were set apart
to their work, questions were proposed to them on the
leading doctrines of the Gospel, and other important topics,
which they answered satisfactorily. With the farewell
address of one of them we were much gratified. He ex-
pressed his sincere pleasure at the prospect of being enga-
ged in so good a work, saying there was nothing he so
much desired as to be employed in telling others, more
ignorant than himself, about Jesus Christ and the way of
salvation; that he was willing to forsake friends, and house,
and lands, yea, even three of his children: for the word of
God had told him, “He that forsaketh not all that he hath,
cannot be my disciple; and he that doeth the will of my
Father in Heaven, the same is my mother, and brother,
and sister.” He was therefore willing, he said, to venture
his life, and forsake his all in so glorious a work. He
concluded his affectionate and interesting address with an
earnest request, that they would continue to hold fast the
good word themselves, and pray that he might be faithful
unto death. Preparations were instantly commenced for
their departure, when a voluntary contribution was made
by the people for the purpose of supplying their brethren
with all the useful and necessary articles it was in their
power to procure.
During our stay, our time was fully occupied in exam-
ining the school children, explaining difficult passages of
Scripture, and supplying information and advice upon sub-
jects of a civil, judicial, and religious character. For these
purposes we held numerous meetings; the first of which
was with the children. There were about 400 present.
EXAMINATION OF THE NATIVES. 271
We found them exceedingly fluent in repeating their cate-
chisms, and ready in replying to our questions, but were
grieved that so few of them could read. We then pro-
ceeded to examine a class of men, sixty or seventy in
number, who read very readily the seventh chapter of the
Acts, which contains a considerable portion of Old Testa-
ment history. The knowledge they evinced in the answers
which they gave, both surprised and delighted us; for it
must be recollected, that the only complete portions of the
Scriptures which the people of Aitutaki possess is the Acts
of the Apostles; they have none of the Old Testament;
and the other portions of the New are in detached sheets
of the various Epistles, which, in consequence of the exten-
sive demand, I was obliged thus to divide, instead of giving
to each a complete copy. They are therefore indebted to
the oral instruction of the teachers for all the historical in-
formation they possess; but the Aitutakians are an exceed-
ingly inquisitive people, quick of apprehension, warm in
their temperament, and retain with great tenacity the in-
formation which is communicated. This may in a measure
account for their extensive knowledge, as compared with
the means which they have enjoyed.
After concluding our service with the men, we met a
class of females, who read the 2d chapter of the Acts
These were not so numerous as the men, neither did they
read so well, or answer so readily. When, however, we
considered, that they had been without a female Missionary
for several years, we could not be otherwise than pleased
with their progress. We had still one more class to meet,
and this was composed of about thirty old women; some
lame, others blind, and all tottering on the brink of the
grave. One or two of them could read, having learnt
after they were upwards of sixty years of age: all of them

272 CLASS OF OLD WOMEN.
could repeat a catechism, which contained the leading
principles of Christianity; and several, although they had
lived so many years in the practice of heathen wickedness,
gave most pleasing evidence of a preparation for that
change which they were shortly to experience.
This incident will appear the more interesting, when it
is recollected, that the old people of both sexes, prior to
the introduction of Christianity, were treated with the
greatest cruelty; for, as soon as they became burdensome,
their friends, or their own children, relieved themselves
from further trouble, by putting an end to their existence;
and even after the introduction of the Gospel, they were
far from treating their aged relatives with that kindness
which its principles and spirit require. Commiserating
their degradation and wretchedness, Mrs. Williams called
together a few of the most active members of the church
at Raiatea, and sent them through the settlement, to ascer-
tain the number and circumstances of these objects of her
solicitude ; and on finding they amounted to between
seventy and eighty, she immediately engaged the female
communicants to prepare for them suitable clothing. She
then called them together, divided them into classes, placed
teachers over them, and arranged to meet them herself
every Monday afternoon, when they prayed together, and
were examined in the discourses they had heard on the
preceding Sabbath. This proved a real blessing; for
their friends and relatives, perceiving the kindness shown
to them, and the interest taken in their welfare by Mrs.
Williams, paid them much more respect than formerly;
and by the Divine blessing on these measures, all of them
obtained a considerable portion of scriptural knowledge,
many became members of our church, and not a few died
most happily. Twice a year they prepared a feast, at

BLESSINGS OF THE GOSPEL. 273
which we were always invited to attend and give an ad-
dress. At public service they generally sat together on
two long seats in front of the pulpit ; and on all occasions
they were particularly attentive, which, with other con-
siderations, rendered them not the least interesting portion
of my audience. Vahineino, the teacher's wife, whom the
Aitutakians were so anxious to retain, was one of Mrs.
Williams' most efficient coadjutors in this work of mercy;
and, immediately on her arrival at Aitutaki, she commenced
her benevolent operations among the aged and infirm there;
and I was pleased to find that she had a class of between
thirty and forty. Thus various and numerous are the
blessings of the Gospel, which it imparts with a liberal
and equal hand to people of all climes, and under all cir-
cumstances; the new-born infant, the hoary headed man,
and the despised old woman, are alike the objects of its
tender regards.
During my previous visit to this island, I was explaining
to the people, one evening, the manner in which English
Christians raised money to send the Gospel to heathen
countries. On hearing this, they expressed their regret at
not having money, that they also might enjoy the privilege
of “helping in the good work of causing the word of God
to grow.” I replied, “if you have no money, you have
something to buy money with.” This idea was quite new
to them, and they wished to know at once what they pos-
sessed which would buy money. I said to them, “The
pigs I brought to your island on my first visit have multi-
plied so greatly, that all of you have now an abundance;
and if every family in the island were to set apart a pig,
* for causing the word of God to grow, and when the ships
come, to sell them for money, instead of cloth and axes, a
valuable contribution might be raised.” The idea delighted



274 CONTRIBUTION OF PIG.S.
them exceedingly, and early the next morning, the squeak-
ing of the pigs, which were receiving a particular mark in
the ear for this purpose, was heard from one end of the
settlement to the other. In the interim, a ship had been
there, the captain of which had purchased their pigs, and
paid for them most honourably: and now, to my utter
astonishment, the native treasurer put into my hands 103!.,
partly in bills and partly in cash This was the first money
they ever possessed, and every farthing of it was dedicated
to the cause of Christ
The circumstance which renders this narration of the
work of God at Aitutaki, Atiu, Mangaia, and Mauke, par-
ticularly interesting is, that all the beneficial changes which
have been effected at these islands, are the result of the
labours of native Missionaries, no European Missionary
having ever resided at either of them.
We now took our departure, accompanied by the teach-
ers, with their wives and children — altogether thirty per-
sons. The kind people of Aitutaki loaded us with provis-
ions; and, after commending each other to God in prayer,
we took an affectionate leave of them, and hoisting our
beautiful flag,” whose dove and olive branch were emblem-
atical both of our name and object, we spread our sails,
and pursued our course, watched by the interested multi-
tude we had left, until we appeared as a speck in the
horizon, and were lost in the distance.
* This flag was made and sent to me by some kind ladies at Brighton;
the ground was blue, having a large white dove, with a green olive-branch
in its mouth, most beautifully executed; and the thought occurred to me at
the time, that could these kind ladies have seen the Messenger of Peace,
bearing ten native Missionaries to their sphere of labour, with the work of
their own hands flying at her mast-head, it would have afforded them pecu-
liar delight. -
ź№È
-==№È
===£®
-THE MESSENGER OF PEACE LEAVING AITUTAKI





C H A P T E R XV II.
Leave Aitutaki—Savage Island—Difficulty in obtaining Intercourse–Sav-
age appearance of the People—Reach Tongatabu—Cordial Reception
by the Wesleyan Missionaries–Account of their Labours—Arrange-
ment entered into with them — A Sabbath at Tonga—Meet with Fauea
--Productions.
IN order to gain as much information as possible about
the inhabitants of the group which we were intending to
visit, we determined, instead of steering direct for the
Navigators Islands, to proceed first to Tongatabu ; for,
while we endeavoured to repose implicit confidence on
the promised protection of a faithful God, we did not
deem it to be less our duty, to take every precaution for
our own safety which prudence might suggest, and there-
fore resolved to proceed to that island, as there had been,
from time immemorial, frequent intercourse between the
inhabitants of the Navigators and Friendly Groups. The
Wesleyan Missionaries also were labouring at Tongatabu,
with great success, whom we were anxious to visit.
Having to pass an island discovered by Captain Cook,
which, in consequence of the ferocious character of its in-
habitants, he called Savage Island, we determined to
touch there, and leave with them the two Aitutakian
teachers, to impart the knowledge of that Gospel, by
which, savage as they are, they will ultimately be civilized
and blessed.
After a pleasant sail of five or six days, we reached the
island in question, which we found to be of the second


-
276 DIFFICULTY OF INTERCOURSE.
class, the altitude of its most elevated land not exceeding
a hundred feet. It is neither beautiful nor romantic. The
shores were iron-bound, and the rocks in most places per-
pendicular, with here and there a recess, by which the
natives had intercourse with the sea. We observed, also,
as we sailed along the coast, a number of chasms and
caverns of various sizes and depths. Arriving opposite to
a sandy beach, and perceiving some natives on shore, we
waved a white flag, which is the signal used to obtain
friendly intercourse. Instead, however, of launching their
little canoes, and accepting our invitation, they waved one
in return ; and, on perceiving this, we immediately low-
ered our boat, and made for the shore; but on approach-
ing it, we found the natives arranged in hostile array, as
if to repel an invasion. Each of them had three or four
spears, with his sling, and a belt full of large stones.
When they had arrived within one to two hundred yards
of the reef, our natives lay upon their oars, spent a few
moments in prayer, and then proceeded to the shore, mak-
ing signs to the savages to lay down their weapons. This
they did readily, when they perceived that there were no
Europeans in the boat;” and, coming down to the extreme
point of the reef, they bade our people welcome, by pre-
senting the utu, or peace-offering. This custom appears
to be very general among the inhabitants of the Pacific
Isles, and consists in presenting to the visiter a bread-
fruit, a piece of cloth, or some other article, with the
sacred cocoa-nut leaf, which they call Tapaau, attached
to it; on receiving which the stranger returns some trifle,
*In our first intercourse with a savage people, we seldom went in the boat
ourselves; for when the heathen see that people of their own nation and
colour only are there, suspicion is at once disarmed, and communication
more easily opened.

A WILD OLD CHIEF. 277
as a token of amity, and a kind of ratification that the in-
tercourse shall be peaceable. This ceremony having been
performed, the natives launched some of their canoes,
and advanced towards our vessel, but evinced by their
cautious movements, and the respectful distance they kept,
that they indulged the most fearful apprehensions. An
old chieftain, however, was at length induced to venture
into the boat, and with him they hastened to the ship.
His appearance was truly terrific. He was about sixty
years of age, his person tall, his cheek-bones raised and
prominent, and his countenance most forbidding; his whole
body was smeared with charcoal, his hair and beard were
both long and grey, and the latter, plaited and twisted
together, hung from his mouth like so many rats' tails. He
wore no clothing, except a narrow slip of cloth around
his loins, for the purpose of passing a spear through, or
or any other article he might wish to carry. On reaching
the deck the old man was most frantic in his gesticula-
tions, leaping about from place to place, and using the
most vociferous exclamations at every thing he saw. All
attempts at conversation with him were entirely useless, as
we could not persuade him to stand still even for a single
second. Our natives attempted to clothe him, by fasten-
ing around his person a piece of native cloth ; but, tearing
it off in a rage, he threw it upon deck, and stamping
upon it, exclaimed, “Am I a woman, that I should be en-
cumbered with that stuff!” He then proceeded to give us
a specimen of a war-dance, which he commenced, by pois-
ing and quivering his spear, running to and fro, leaping
and vociferating, as though inspired by the spirit of wild-
ness. Then he distorted his features most horribly, by
extending his mouth, gnashing his teeth, and forcing his
eyes almost out of their sockets. At length he concluded


24

278 A LANDING, EFFECTED,
this exhibition by thrusting the whole of his long grey
beard into his mouth, and gnawing it with the most sav-
age vengeance. During the whole of the performance
he kept up a loud and hideous howl.
Retaining the old chief as a hostage, our boat again
approached the shore, and our people were permitted to
land. The islanders gave them some food, and were
friendly in their intercourse, taking care, however, to have
their war weapons in readiness for a moment of exigency.
A person, apparently of some importance, now arrived,
and gave the teacher to understand that we had better take
the vessel to another part of the island. On their return
to the ship, we gave our wild guest a present, which con-
sisted of a hatchet, a knife, a looking-glass, and a pair of
scissors ; none of which, however, did he appear to prize,
not knowing their use ; but just as he was leaving the
vessel, he caught sight of a large mother-of-pearl shell, which
one of our people was handling, and springing forward,
he seized it from him, and appeared, from his frantic ex-
pressions of joy, to have obtained an article of superla-
tive value. Thus laden, he was returned to the shore,
where he received the hearty congratulations of his wife
and people on his happy escape from a most perilous
situation.
Night coming on, we stood to sea, hoping in the morn-
ing to hold more beneficial intercourse with the degraded
inhabitants of this island; but the next day also was spent
in fruitless attempts to obtain it. A landing, however, was
effected by the two teachers from Aitutaki, whom I had
intended for this island, and some of our own people :
when, after having been handled, smelt, and all but tasted,
perceiving a vast multitude of natives approach, thoroughly
equipped for war, they thought it advisable to return with-

THE TEACHERS DISCOURAGED. 279
out delay to the ship; but succeeded in getting one indi-
vidual on board, who represented himself as a chief of
some importance, although the only badge of distinction
we could discover was a few shells, and part of an old
clasp-knife handle, dangling to a narrow girdle around his
waist. All the men were in a state of nature, and ap-
peared quite unconscious of any impropriety. Very few
of the women were seen, for they ran away into the
woods on the approach of our people. Not able, however,
to restrain their curiosity, some ventured near enough to
take a peep at the strangers, as they were probably the
first persons wearing European clothing they had ever
SCCI1.
The teachers from Aitutaki, with their wives, were so
much discouraged and alarmed at the prospect of settling
among these wretchedly degraded islanders, that they re-
quested us to allow them to accompany their brethren
from the Society Islands, to whom they would act as
assistants, and with whom they were willing to labour at
the Navigators or any other station. We, of course, ac-
ceeded to their request, not, however, apprehending that
their lives would be in danger, though, in all probability,
they would have been plundered of every thing they pos-
sessed.
The only way that now remained by which we might
in some degree accomplish the object of our visit, was to
endeavour to induce a native or two to accompany us to
the Society Islands, keep them for a short time, load them
with presents of useful articles, and then restore them to
their home. This we succeeded, after considerable diffi-
culty, in effecting. As soon, however, as the youths per-
ceived that we were losing sight of their island, they
became most frantic in the expressions of their grief,
280 DEGRADED STATE OF THE INHABITANTS.
tearing their hair, and howling in the most affecting man-
ner. We had recourse to every expedient to inspire their
confidence and assuage their grief, but for the first three
or four days their incessant howlings were of the most
heart-rending description; we could neither induce them
to eat, drink, or sleep. When animal food was offered to
them they turned away with disgust, and howled most
piteously; for having never seen it before, they concluded
that we were cooking and eating human flesh, that we had
taken them on board for the same purpose, and that when
our present stock was exhausted they were to be put to
death and devoured. Their fears, however, were in some
measure removed on the third day, by seeing a pig killed;
and from that time they gradually became more tranquil,
were reconciled to their new companions, and even de-
lighted with the prospect of seeing other countries. We
were induced to be extremely cautious in our intercourse
with the inhabitants of Savage Island, from having been
informed that the islanders had seized a boat belonging to
a vessel which had touched there a few months before,
and murdered all the crew. They are certainly the most
wretched and degraded of any natives I have ever seen,
except the aborigines of New Holland. But this ought to
increase our compassion, and also our zeal to introduce
that religion which alone will be effectual in taming their
ferocious dispositions, reforming their savage habits, and
rendering intercourse with them safe and beneficial. Facts
abundantly prove that the Gospel is the grand catholicon
for healing the social, the civil, and the moral maladies of
IIlan.
On leaving Savage Island, we steered a direct course
for Tongatabu, which is about 350 miles west; a full sight
of which we gained as soon as we passed Eua, a moun-

TONGATABU. 281
tainous island which lay in our track. Entering the chan-
nel from the east, between the main land and a row of
beautiful islets which stud and adorn the reef on the north,
we steered our devious and dangerous way, amidst shoals
and rocks, without pilot or chart, until we reached our
destination, off the interesting Missionary settlement, Nu-
kualofa, where, in July, 1830, we dropped our anchor.
On reaching the shore we received a most cordial wel-
come from our Wesleyan brethren, Messrs. Turner and
Cross, who, with their excellent wives, kindly invited us to
take up our abode with them during our stay. To this we
readily agreed, and were delighted with the opportunity
of observing the untiring diligence with which they were
prosecuting the objects of their Mission, and the encour-
aging prospects of success which sustained and animated
them in their labours.
Early the next morning, Mr. Barff and myself accom-
panied Mr. Turner to the native school, which was held in
the old plastered chapel, erected by those who had been
converted to Christianity through the labours of our native
Missionary who before had occupied the station. The
progress which many had made in reading and writing
was most gratifying; some of them wrote a free and in-
telligible hand, and numbers were employed in copying
portions of the sacred Scriptures, which our Wesleyan
brethren had translated into the Tonga language. This
building having become too small, the Christians were now
engaged in erecting a larger one, on which the king and
his party were at work when we visited it. This is a
complete Tonga house, which, being encircled with reeds,
and executed with great neatness, looks exceedingly well,
yet is far inferior, in appearance and value, to the chapels
in the Society Islands, which we plaster and whitewash


24%

282 THE PORT AU PRINCE PRIVATEER.
with lime made from the coral rock. The site on which
the building was erected, was the most elevated spot on
the island, and this, with other circumstances, gave it ad-
ditional interest. Tongatabu, although nearly a hundred
miles in circumference, is perfectly flat; and rises only a
few feet above the level of the sea. The only elevated
spot is this small hill, which is not, I think, above fifty feet
in height; whether natural or artificial I did not ascertain.
It was the fortress to which the people of the district re-
tired in times of war, and is particularly memorable in the
annals of Tonga warfare, from the circumstance of its having
been the place where the inhabitants first experienced the
deadly power of a cannon ball.
In the year 1806, a privateer called the Port au Prince,
was taken by the natives of the neighbouring Island of
Lefuga, and nearly all the crew were murdered. A
young man named Mariner, and a few others were
spared. The arms and ammunition of this vessel fell into
the hands of the natives, who, headed by Finau, the cele-
brated chief of the Vavau Islands, came over to Tonga-
tabu to engage in a terrible battle. Mariner accompanied
his friends, and had the management of the cannon com-
mitted to him. The Tonga army encamped upon the top
of this hill, and entrenched themselves by digging two
deep ditches around it, the earth of which formed em-
bankments that remain nearly perfect to the present day.
Upon the top of these they erected strong reed fences,
and thus fortified and intrenched, they awaited in confident
security the attack of the invaders. But the action was
no sooner began, than they found, to their consternation
and dismay, their houses falling down upon them, their
canoes, which they had taken into the intrenchment for
safety, shivered to pieces, the splinters of which were

THE WESLEYAN MISSIONARIES. 283
killing and wounding in all directions; and their reed
fences, which presented an effectual barrier against the
stones and spears of their own warriors, offered no de-
fence against the force of a cannon ball. As the circum-
stances of that memorable event were still fresh in our
recollection, we viewed the place with feelings of peculiar
interest ; and I could not help contrasting the difference
of the scenes which in future would be witnessed upon the
top of that hill. It was here the affrighted Tongatabuans
first heard the thunder of a British cannon, whose deadly
operations were directed by a British subject ; and I re-
joiced to reflect, that on this very spot they would soon
hear the still small voice of the Gospel, whose life-giving
truths would be proclaimed to them by subjects of the
same kingdom. It was here they experienced the deadly
power of the cannon ball, which destroyed their property,
mangled their bodies, and spread horror and dismay
amongst them. Here also I was delighted to think, that
they would soon feel the effects of the Gospel, which, by
its moral power, would elevate their character, ameliorate
their miseries, and diffuse among them joy, and peace, and
happiness.
On the day after our arrival at Tongatabu, we received
information from Mr. Samuel Henry and others, which
induced us to re-consider and re-arrange our plans. Our
original intention was, to have gone to the Fiji Islands
and New Hebrides, previously to visiting the Navigators
group ; but, from the painfully distressing accounts now
received, we resolved to proceed at once to the latter.
The interesting station at which we had arrived was
formerly occupied by native Missionaries, connected with
the London Missionary Society, who were induced to re-
linquish it to the Wesleyan brethren. The circumstances

|
284 DISTINCT SPHERES DESIRABLE.
which led to this, were communicated to us at a fraternal
meeting, where we learned that they had received from
the people an invitation, in which the native teacher himself
(not being aware of any difference of sentiment among
Missionaries) most cordially united. Thus our brethren
had a settlement prepared for them, a commodious chapel,
with the king and three or four hundred people professing
Christianity, ready to treat them kindly, and receive in-
struction from their lips. Mr. Turner was delighted with
the circumstance, liberally rewarded the teacher, and, in
conversation with us, commended in warm terms, his con-
sistency and devotedness. It was pleasing to hear such
a testimony to the character of one of our native Mission-
aries, and most gratifying to reflect, that the labours of
this devoted individual were the foundation of all that
success which has since crowned the efforts of our breth-
ren, the Wesleyan Missionaries, in these islands. At this
conference also, the brethren expressed a wish, that, as
the Fiji Islands were so near to Tongatabu, and politically
connected with it, we should leave that field open to them,
and urged upon us the extent and importance of the Navi-
gators, on the ground that the affinity of the languages,
and other circumstances, appeared to assign that group
to our Mission, and the Fijis to theirs.
Feeling the great importance of keeping our spheres of
labour distinct, we readily accede to their proposition; and
Mr. Barff and myself on the one part, and Mr. Turner and
Mr. Cross on the other, agreed that we should occupy the
Navigators Islands, and they bend their attention to the
Fijis. But as we had two native Missionaries for this
latter group, and as we had now an opportunity of send-
ing them, we would do so, with a distinct understanding,
that whenever Wesleyan Missionaries should arrive from
DISTINCT SPHERES DESIRABLE. 285
England for the Fiji Islands, they should proceed, if they
pleased, to the very spot where our native Missionaries
were labouring. Mr. Barff and myself both assured them
that we should feel as much pleasure in being instrumental
in preparing the way for the labours of their Missionaries,
as for those from our own Society. And here I may just
remark upon the desirableness of every Society having a
distinct sphere of labour among a heathen people. Much
as I should rejoice in being associated with an Episcopa-
lian, a Baptist, or a Methodist brother, who did not attach
primary importance to secondary objects, yet the interests
of every Mission, especially in the earliest stages of its
progress, seem to me to require another line of conduct.
The natives, though comprehending but very imperfectly
our objects, would at once discern a difference in the
modes of worship, and their attention would of necessity
be divided and distracted. Being also of an inquisitive
disposition, they would demand a reason for every little
deviation, which would lead to explanations, first from the
one party, and then from the other, and thus evils, would
arise, which otherwise might never have existed. There
would have been another great inconvenience, in the pre-
sent instance, had we both gone to one group of islands,
from the circumstance of the Wesleyan Missionaries having
adopted a different orthography and alphabet, as well as
different elementary and other books. I do, therefore,
sincerely hope, that the Directors or conductors of all
Missionary Societies, will ever be ready in this way, to
sacrifice denominational peculiarities, to the great object
of their institution.
The first Sabbath we spent at Tonga was one of much
interest. At daylight, all our teachers, with the crew of
the vessel, met for worship; when a sermon was addressed



286 A SABBATH AT TONGA.
to them in the Tahitian language. After breakfast, we all
attended the worship of the Tongatabuans. The congre-
gation consisted of between three and four hundred people,
and Mr. Turner preached to them with great fluency in
the native language, which we perceived was far from
being so soft and melifluous as the Tahitian. After this,
the two brethren, Turner and Cross, administered the or-
dinance of baptism to upwards of thirty persons, men only.
When native service was concluded, at the request of the
brethren, I preached in English to the Mission families and
Europeans from the vessels. In the afternoon, Mr. Cross
preached again to the natives, and then baptized about
thirty females, principally the wives of those who were
baptized in the morning. Towards evening, a third service
was held for the benefit of the natives, when about thirty-
eight couple were publicly married. As the Tongatabuans
in their heathen state had several wives, the Wesleyan
Missionaries required each convert to put them all away
except the one who might be the object of his preference,
and to whom, after they were baptized, he was publicly
married. This accounts for the number of marriages
solemnized on this day. They have also pursued the plan
of giving Christian names to those whom they baptize.
The queen they call Mary Tupou, and the king Jeremiah
Tupou. The American Missionaries at the Sandwich Isl-
ands, and the Church Missionaries of New Zealand have
done the same. This appears to us the introduction of a
new feature into the Polynesian language, which its genius
does not admit, and to which there is nothing analagous.
It may be said that many of the natives have two names,
as Tupou-total of Tongatabu, Makea-nui of Rarotonga, and
a variety of others. But these are mere appendages to
the name, descriptive of the office or occupation of the in-
A PROVIDENCE. 287
dividual : totai added to Tupou's name is, literally, the
sailor; nui to Makea is, the great, answering to the appel-
lation Necho and Epiphanes, which were appended to the
names of Pharaoh, Antiochus, and others. Now we should
not think of prefixing a Christian name to that of Pharaoh,
and calling him Jeremiah Pharaoh, or to that of Cleopatra,
and calling her Elizabeth Cleopatra, as the Missionaries
...to whom I have referred have done. There is also a
native dignity in the name itself, which is lost when thus
associated; and, as the idiom of this language will not
admit such an incongruous combination of terms, I do
sincerely hope that all the Missionaries will use every effort
to transmit it to posterity, pure, simple and beautiful as
they found it.
On the following day a circumstance of peculiar inter-
est and importance occurred. Simple and comparatively
insignificant in itself, it was one of those numerous pivots
in the arrangements of Divine Providence, upon which
the most momentous events are frequently poised ; one
of those little cogs in the wheels of the complicated ma-
chinery which are essential to its operations. A man
came to us, and stated that he was a chief of the Naviga-
tors Islands; that he was related to the most influential
families there; that he had been eleven years absent from
his home, and was anxiously desirous of returning; and,
having heard of our intention to convey the Gospel to his
countrymen, he offered, if we would take him with us, to
employ his utmost influence with his relatives, the chiefs,
and with his countrymen generally, to induce them to
receive the teachers kindly, and attend to their instruc-
tions. This we considered a most favourable incident :
but, as so many represent themselves as of greater im-
portance than they really are, we determined to inquire
into the truth of his statements before we complied with
-



28S MURDER OF MISSOINARIES IN 1799.
his request, and desired him to come again to us on the fol-
lowing morning. As Tupou, the king, and others confirmed
what he had said, and also informed us that his wife was
a Christian, and that he, although not having made a pub-
lic profession of Christianity, was frequent in his attend-
ance on the means of grace, and decidedly friendly to the
lotu,” we determined to make the best use we could of
an instrument which God had thus placed at our disposal;
and therefore, when he came to us the next day, we
received him with respect, made him a trifling present,
and informed him of our willingness to take him, with his
wife and family, to his native land. He left us much de-
lighted, and went home to prepare for his journey. His
name was Fauea. He appeared to be an active, intelli-
gent man, and proved to us an invaluable acquisition.
During the week we were much engaged in preparing
and fitting boarding nettings to our vessel, which consist
of nets, three or four yards deep, made of rope about the
thickness of the little finger, which are fastened to upright
supporters all round the vessel, to prevent the natives
from coming on board.
It has been already stated that Missions were com-
menced simultaneously by the London Missionary Society
at the Marquesan, Tahitian, and Friendly Islands. In the
year 1797, Captain Wilson placed ten Missionaries at
at Tongatabu. These remained at their stations, without
receiving any material injury from the natives, until the
breaking out of a civil war, in April, 1799, when Messrs.
Bowel, Gaulton, and Hooper, who appear to have been
pious and devoted men, were barbarously murdered. The
other Missionaries were plundered of their property, and
saved their lives only by flight. After being in perilous
circumstances for several months, they were delivered by a
* A name for the new religion.

PRODUCTIONS. 289
very remarkable providence. The ship Betsy, letter of
marque, touched at Tahiti, having with her a Spanish
prize, which Mr. Harris, one of the Missionaries, undertook
to navigate to New South Wales, on the condition that Cap-
tain Clark would call at Tongatabu, to see the brethren.
Finding on his arrival the dangerous situation of the Mis-
sionaries, Captain Clark very humanely offered to convey
them all, free of expense, to New South Wales. Thus
the Mission was abandoned.
During our stay at Tonga, we left the settlement, on
one occasion, to visit the spot where our three unfortu-
nate brethren fell; but, the distance being great, a deluging
rain compelled us to return.
In our various perambulations we observed that the soil
generally was very rich, and that many large tracts of land
were under cultivation. The banana and mountain plan-
tain groves were large and numerous. The fruit of these
trees forms an important part of the food of the Friendly
Islanders, although they depend principally upon the yam,
of which invaluable esculent they raise immense quanti-
ties; and the Tongatabuans excel all their neighbours in
the cultivation of it. Still we observed large portions of
land lying waste, the present number of inhabitants not
requiring them ; but the natives informed me that a few
years before, the whole island was in a high state of cul-
tivation, until their frequent wars, combined with succes-
sive attacks of dysentery and other diseases, had so fear-
fully reduced the population. It is earnestly to be hoped
that, by the blessing of God on the labours of his devoted
servants, all the inhabitants will soon be brought under
the salutary influence of that Gospel — in the train of
which, blessings of every kind will follow; for “godli-
ness is profitable unto all things.”

25

C H A P T E R XVIII.
Hapai Islands–Volcanic Island–Escape Shipwreck—Finau's Despotism
—Alamentable Account of a Native Teacher—An Account of the Intro-
duction of Christianity at the Hapai Islands—The intrepid Conduct of the
Chief–Idols hung.
AFTER spending a fortnight most pleasantly and profitably
with our kind friends, we prepared for our departure.
On leaving Tongatabu we could not proceed in a direct
course to the Navigators, having first to visit the Vavau
Islands; to which group our colleague, Mr. Orsmond, had
some time ago sent three native Missionaries. One of
these removed to Tongatabu, and was made very useful
there; but as the others had disgraced themselves exceed-
Ingly, Mr. Platt (who succeeded Mr. Orsmond) selected
one of their brethren to supply their place. As Mrs. Cross
was in delicate health, and it was thought that a voyage
might be beneficial to her, Mr. Cross expressed a wish that
himself and Mrs. C. might accompany us to the Hapai
Islands; and as we should pass them in our way to Vavau
we felt much pleasure in acceding to their request.
We cannot take leave of Tongatabu without acknowl-
edging the kindness shown to us by our Missionary brethren
and their wives. From Tupou, the king, also, we received
great attention; for the vessel had not been long at anchor,
before he sent a messenger to request that all the teachers
and their wives might be allowed to take up their residence
with him. This they did, and were gratuitously supplied
by him with every necessary during the whole of our stay
VOLCANIC ISLAND. 291
at Tongatabu. He also made us a present of two fine
pigs, and some yams. The teachers' wives, all of whom
were well dressed in European clothing, and wore bonnets
manufactured by themselves from native materials, had
attracted considerable notice ; and, at the special request
of the queen, they made her one of similar shape and ma-
terials, and began immediately to instruct her and her
female attendants in the art. By uniting their efforts, the
queen's bonnet was completed before the Sabbath; and.
for the first time in her life, she appeared at worship in
European custume, presenting a most striking contrast to
the awkward half-dress of her countrywomen. Some few
months afterwards I received a letter from Mr. Turner,
wherein he informed me that the females had much im-
proved in the art of making bonnets, and had generally
adopted the practice of wearing them.
On the morning after our departure from Tongatabu,
we saw two islands of considerable height, in the vicinity
of which were several of those detached reefs, which ren-
der this part of the ocean exceedingly dangerous in thick
and stormy weather. As we approached, we saw heavy
clouds of smoke ascending from the burning mountain of
Tofua, which the natives called Koe aft a Devolo. “The
Devil's fire.” But our attention was too much engaged
with the numerous reefs and islets which presented a bar-
rier in every direction, to regard any other object, until
some fishermen pointed out to us an opening between two
islands. Through this we steered, congratulating ourselves
on our escape, and after sailing at a rapid rate, for several
hours, and passing a number of small islets, we descried
the island of Lefuga, and entertained the pleasing prospect
of dropping anchor in an hour or two near to the residence
of Mr. Thomas, when in a moment, we were thrown into



292 ESCAPE SHIPWRECK.
the utmost consternation, by finding ourselves again in-
volved amongst reefs, sunken rocks, small islands, and
sand banks, more numerous and dangerous than those
from which we were rescued before. These stretching
out before us, prevented our proceeding. Unfortunately,
our pilot had directed us to take the wrong channel, but
as we had still two or three hours day-light and a strong
wind, by manoeuvring and tacking about till eight o'clock
in the evening we at last extricated ourselves, to the no
small relief of all on board, and succeeded in reaching an
anchorage. Early the next morning, we sailed for Lefuga,
and met Mr. Thomas on the beach, ready to welcome us
to the hospitalities of his house. On landing with Mr. and
Mrs. Cross, we were happy to find that a great work was
going on among the people. We were also informed that
Finau, the chief of the Vavau Islands, with many of his
people, was at Lefuga. This was agreeable news, as his
presence would prevent the necessity of our visiting that
group. -
From the boat, Mr. Thomas conducted us to the re-
sidence of the chief Taufaahau, who received us with
much ceremony and treated us with great respect. On
being informed who we were, and what was the object of
our visit, he expressed himself delighted to see us. We
next waited upon Finau, accompanied by Messrs. Thomas
and Cross, who kindly acted as our interpreters. He wore
no badge of royalty of any description, and being of low
stature, dark complexion, and forbidding aspect, his appear-
ance furnished no indication of his rank. When led into
his presence, we found his majesty and many of his chiefs
amusing themselves with a fovourite game, which consisted
of throwing a large spear into the air, so that it might fall
perpendicularly, and pierce the top of a post of soft wood
set up for the purpose. In this Finau appeared to excel.




THE FAILLEN TEACHERS. 293
As soon, however, as he saw us, he laid down his spear
and came toward us, and when told by Mr. Thomas
whom we were, he conducted us to his temporary abode,
which was a hut made of cocoa-nut leaves, standing in
front of twenty or thirty others of similar construction.
The whole party then sat down, Finau being surrounded
by his chiefs, when he was informed that we were Mission-
aries, and that having laboured for many years in the
Tahitian and Society Islands, the inhabitants of which had
derived great advantage from our instructions, we were
desirous of imparting to him and his people the same
benefits, and for this purpose had sent, some few years
ago, three persons to the Island of Vavau ; but having
learned, with much grief, that two of these had disgraced
their profession by returning to the evil practices which in
their own island they had abandoned, we had now with us
an individual whose character had been tried, and who
we hoped would prove a blessing to him and his people.
We wished, therefore, to know whether he was willing to
receive him, and submit to his instructions. The chief
listened with great attention, and replied by saying, that
the persons who were formerly sent, endeavoured to in-
struct him and his people, but they would not be taught ;
when the teachers, finding all their efforts ineffectual,
ceased to make them, and at length became like them-
selves. As to receiving the new teacher, he said, he
would speak his sentiments freely, and not deceive us. If
he was placed at Vavau, he would protect him, but he
would neither embrace Christianity himself, nor allow his
people: for he would put to death the very first person,
man, woman, or child, who did so. We did not think it
desirable to argue the point with this imperious chieftain,
but contented ourselves with expressing our sorrow that he
25%

294 FINAU's DEspotism.
should so resolutely oppose that which would have proved
so great a blessing ; and added that we should pray to
God on his behalf, who had power to subdue his spirit, and
means at his command to induce him to change his mind
on so important a subject.
On inquiry, we ascertained that the general conduct of
Finau had been in accordance with his terrible threat.
Many of the Vavauans, (among whom were some of the
principal chiefs,) anxious to be instructed in the principles of
Christianity, had left their wives and families, their houses
and plantations, and had come to reside at Lefuga, to enjoy
the advantages of Mr. Thomas' instructions. Here we
found them in a state of comparative poverty and de-
pendence; greatly preferring this to the renunciation of
Christianity, between which and a cruel death at the mur-
derous hand of their despotic chieftain, there would have
been no alternative, had they returned to Vavau. We
ourselves were eye-witnesses of the unrestrained tyranny
which Finau exercised over his people. While at Lefuga,
we sent for Taute, the only survivor of the three teachers,
but Finau, not being willing that we should speak to the
unfortunate man except in his presence, remained with us
during the interview. The poor unhappy creature came
to us, pale and trembling, dressed like the heathen among
whom he was living. His appearance excited our deepest
sympathy, and for a time he was overcome. As soon as
his feeling subsided a little, he gave us a most interesting
account of Porapora, who, grieved with his conduct, and
that of his companion, had removed to Tongatabu, where
his labours had been exceedingly useful, and his death very
happy. Zorababela, his other colleague, had died in his
sins at Vavau. We then referred to his own awful con-
dition, which he acknowledged, and said that he was truly


FINAU's DESPotism. 295
miserable, that he knew he was lost, and could not en-
tertain a hope of salvation. Wishing to reclaim this wan-
derer, we offered to take him home, and urged him to
accompany us; to which he replied, that he had a wife
and child whom he could not leave, and he knew that the
chief would not allow him to go. For some time Finau
was silent, but no sooner did he perceive that our conver-
sation was producing a favourable impression upon the
unfortunate backslider than he spoke to him very sternly,
and threatened him with severe penalties if he listened any
longer to our exhortations, or altered his conduct in con-
sequence of them.
After this interview with Finau, we returned home with
Messrs. Thomas and Cross, to consult upon our proceed-
ings with reference to Vavau ; when, after a little consid-
eration, we determined not to leave the teacher at that
station, but to take him with us to the Navigators Islands,
where the field was more extensive and the prospects
were so encouraging. We were reconciled to this disap-
pointment by the consideration, that the excellent and
judicious Mr. Thomas was in the vicinity, to take advan-
tage of the first opportunity that offered ; beside which,
he had under instruction a number of Vavauans, who
were anxiously desirous of conveying to their perishing
and deluded countrymen the knowledge and blessings of
the Gospel, and who would enter the door immediately,
if, in the providence of God, it should be thrown open to
them. We spent the evening very pleasantly and profita-
bly, in conversation with our brethren, and their excellent
wives, upon the difficulties, duties, and encouragements of
a Missionary life. During this intercourse they informed
us, that nearly a hundred persons had become candidates
for the ordinance of baptism, and were then under a
course of instruction, preparatory to its administration;

296 THE INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY.
and that many others were waiting till the great festival,
then in preparation, was over, when they intended to
make a more decided profession of religion. A conside-
rable number attended the schools daily, and had made
great progress in reading and writing. We united most
cordially with our friends, in acknowledgements to the Au-
thor of all our mercies, for the success which had attended
their labours, and for the pleasing and extensive prospects
of usefulness open before them. The fields were literally
white unto the harvest.
The wind being favourable we determined to take ad-
vantage of it ; and the following morning we prepared for
our departure.
As the introduction of Christianity to this group of isl-
ands was attended with circumstances of peculiar interest,
a brief notice of them may be acceptable. The HAPAI
group, of which Lefuga is the principal, is a cluster of
between thirty and forty small coralline islands, eighteen
or twenty of which are inhabited, and subject to the au-
thority of one principal chief, named Taufaahau. When
we saw him he was about thirty years of age, of most
noble appearance and commanding aspect; with a coun-
tenance expressive of the superior discernment, great de-
cision, and undaunted resolution, which, in a very extraor-
dinary degree, distinguished and adorned his character.
Having heard of the progress and effects of Christianity
at Tongatabu, he determined to visit that island, and form
his own judgement of the new religion. From his youth,
we were told, that this truly wonderful man had despised
the whole system of idol worship. But when he visited
Tongatabu, he resolved to abandon at once the gods of
his forefathers, and place himself under Christian instruc-
tion. He therefore solicited Mr. Thomas to accompany


A NOBLE-MINDED CHIEF. - 297
him to the Hapai Islands; but as it was thought desirable
by his brethren that the chief should give some proof of
his sincerity, before Mr. Thomas removed to so great a
distance, they agreed to send, in the first instance, a native
convert, named Peter, on the condition, that should the
chief remain stedfast, perform his promises, and after a
specified time send a war-canoe to fetch Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas, they would then accede to his request.
Taufaahau returned to his dominions, and immediately
commenced the work of destruction upon the gods and
the maraes. Having effected this at his own island, he
proceeded through the group, exhorting and persuading
the chiefs and inhabitants to follow his example. His
efforts were successful in all the islands, with the excep-
tion of three or four; the chiefs and people of which were
exceedingly indignant at such impious innovations, and re-
solved, if possible, to counteract the effects of his unprece-
dented conduct. For this purpose, they determined to
celebrate a great festival, in honour of the gods whom the
chief was then desecrating; and accordingly sent their
fishermen to catch turtle and other sacred fish. Taufaa-
hau, resolving to anticipate and naturalize this movement,
drove a large herd of pigs into the sacred inclosure, con-
verted a most beautiful little temple, which stood in the
middle of it, into a sleeping apartment for his female ser-
vants, and suspended the gods by the neck to the rafters
of the house in which they had been adored The idola-
ters, ignorant of his proceedings, came, with great cere-
mony, attended by their priests, to present their offerings,
and found, to their astonishment, a number of voracious
pigs, ready to devour any thing they had to offer, and the
gods, disrobed of their apparel, hanging in degradation,
like so many condemned criminals. They retired from


298 IDOLS HUNG.
the spectacle with great indignation; but as they were
comparatively few, and knew the character of the man
with whom they had to contend, their rage spent itself like
the foaming billow when it dashes upon the shore. The
chief conducted us into this once sacred spot, the area of
which did not exceed half an acre, and was adorned by
several beautiful cordia, Barringtonia, and other trees; it
also contained three houses, which were converted into
dwellings for his” female attendants. Of these the mid-
dle house was the smallest, but it was the most complete
and beautiful that could have been erected with their
means and materials, and surpassed any structure I had
seen in the Pacific. I expressed my surprise to the chief,
that they should bestow such immense labour in preparing
so beautiful a residence for such wothless objects. “It is
true,” he replied, “they are worthless, they are pieces of
wood, they are devils; but we were formerly in the dark:
it is only lately that our hearts have been made light in
* Females were looked upon as so polluting, that they were never allowed
to enter the sacred precincts; and even the presence of the pigs in the in-
closure was not considered so dreadful a desecration as that of women.


FINAU AND TA UFAAHAU. 299
the knowledge of the true God.” On observing five god-
desses hanging by the neck, I requested this intrepid chief
to give me one of them, which he immediately cut down
and presented to me. I have brought it to England, with
the very string around its neck by which it was hung: and
I prize it the more highly, because it was one of the tro-
phies of the moral conquests of the Gospel, achieved by
Christians of another denomination. It shows us, that
God does not intend to convert the world by any one sec-
tion of his church : but by whomsoever the Gospel is
preached in simplicity and godly sincerity, the stamp of
his gracious approbation will be impressed in the success
which will crown their laborious and devoted efforts.
After this truly wonderful man had given such indubitable
proofs of his sincerity, he despatched a large war-canoe to
Tonga, to fetch the devoted Mr. and Mrs. Thomas; who,
committing themselves to the gracious protection of Him
by whose love they were constrained, took an affectionate
leave of their brethren, stepped on board the canoe, and
cheerfully consented to dwell alone, at a distance of 200
miles from their brethren, and among a people just emer-
ging from barbarism. It is to my mind a most interesting
consideration, that the Missionary who was to publish to
them the glad tidings of peace, was conveyed in a vessel
which had often been laden with sanguinary warriors,
whom it had carried to the deadly conflict.
Shortly after Mr. Thomas' arrival, Finau, having heard
with deep regret that his relative Taufaahau had renoun-
ced the religion of his fathers, selected one of his largest
and best war-canoes, and sent it by one of his priests, as
a present, to induce him to return to the worship of the
gods, to which this noble-spirited chief thus replied, “Tell
Finau, that I thank him for his present. You may, how-

800 MARRIAGE CEREMONY.
ever, drag it upon the beach, and cut it up, it will make
excellent firewood;” by which he intimated that however
much he valued the canoe, he considered it so much fuel,
if the price by which it was to become his, was to be a
renunciation of the Gospel, and a return to the worship he
despised. By such means, this interesting chieftain has
gained, through the blessing of God upon his wise and
resolute conduct, a most complete victory over the super-
stitions of his people.
As no chapel had been erected, the chief had given the
largest building in the island to be used for that purpose,
and although it would accommodate several hundred per-
sons, Mr. Thomas informed us, that the number which
attended on the Sabbath preceding our arrival was so
great as not only to fill the house, but also to form a large
circle around it. The building was formerly devoted to
their dances and other amusements: the drums, and other
instruments of merriment, were still hanging in all direc-
tions about the house.
At the time of our arrival at Lefuga, the natives were
about to hold a most singular marriage ceremony, for
which preparations had been making upwards of twelve
months. People from all the adjacent islands were con-
vened. Finau also, with a large retinue, had come from
Vavau; so that a formidable fleet of large double canoes,
most tastefully decorated with feathers and shells, was
anchored in state off the settlement. Several others of
equal dimensions had left Tonga the day before we sailed;
but as they had, native-like, loitered on the way, to get a
turtle in one place and a pig in another, we had arrived
and sailed again, before they reached their destination.
The preparations for this feast were certainly very great.
In one enclosure which we passed, we saw at least a


MIARRIAGE CEREMONY, 301
hundred large hogs and in all parts of the settlement
numbers of immence turtle were waiting the day of des-
truction. On the arrival of Finau and his followers, from
Vavau, seventy hogs, ten large turtles, and a thousand
yams were baked for them. This was intended only as a
small repast to commence with. A luncheon upon the
same scale was in readiness for the Tonga party when
they should arrive. The occasion of this feast was re-
markable. Some time before, Taufaahau had a beautiful
young woman, a sister of Finau's wife, presented to him.
They had been living together for several months, although
no marriage ceremony had been performed; for the formal
celebration of marriage does not take place until months
after it has been consumated. In the present instance,
however, the chief had determined to repudiate her, and
send her home. But as this would have been deemed dis-
graceful to the wife, unless the marriage ceremony had
first been performed, and as all such affairs are interwoven
with the politics of the surrounding islands, the chief had
determined to counteract every ill-feeling, by the honour
he would confer in the magnitude of his preparations.
We visited the young woman upon whose account these
arrangements were made. She appeared about nineteen
years of age, of fine person, handsome features, and agree-
able manners. A pleasing pensiveness was apparent in
her looks and general deportment; for the prospect of the
marriage feast appeared to have excited in her mind feel-
ings the opposite of those generally evinced by the anima-
ted countenances of English ladies, on the eve of keeping
the marriage festival.
Polygamy prevailed to a great degree in the whole of
the Friendly Islands: and in order to overcome the evil,
and show his people a good example, this man of master
26 -

302 A FINE EXAMPLE for AMEric A.
mind put away all his wives, and remained single for a
considerable time; and when the desired effect was pro-
duced, he selected one, to whom he was publicly married.
He has maintained a most decided and consistent profes-
sion of Christianity, ever since he embraced it, and at
the present moment is one of the best and most efficient
local preachers in the Mission. But the last, though
not the least display of noble-mindedness and Christian
principle, was the circumstance of his emancipating all
his slaves. This he did, in consequence of having heard
from the Missionaries that slavery was inconsistent with
Christianity. I have been the more minute in these ob-
servations, because I admire the man, or rather, the grace
of God in him.
C H A P T E R XIX.
Sail for the Navigators — Fauea expresses his Fears about Tamafainga –
Reach Savaii–Astonishment of the Natives at seeing Europeans—Tama-
fainga killed—Character of Fauea.—Intercourse with the Natives—Most
favourable Reception – The War — Malietoa-The Author's narrow
-
Escape.
WE now again bent our course for the Navigators or
Samoa Islands. Fauea, the chief, was in high spirits,
from the prospect of speedily seeing his home, from which
he had been so long absent; yet there appeared an ex-
pression of great anxiety in his countenance. We had
not been long at sea, when he came and sat himself down
by my side, and said that he had been thinking of the great
work before us, and although he had no doubt but that
the chiefs would gladly receive us, and the common people
all readily attend to Christian instruction, yet there was a
person there, called Tamaſainga, and if he opposed us, he
feared that our progress would be impeded. I asked him
who this Tamaſainga was ; when he informed me that he
was the man in whom the spirit of the gods dwelt ; that
he was the terror of all the inhabitants; and that, if he
forbade it, the people universally would be afraid to place
themselves under our instruction. This was rather dis-
couraging information; we had, however, no alternative
but to proceed, looking to God alone for guidance, pro-
tection, and success. We glided pleasantly along for
some little time, with a fair wind ; but it soon became
adverse, and we encountered, for forty-eight hours, a most


304 FAUEA’s FEARs RESPFCTING TAMAFAINGA.
furious storm, which rent our sails, and crippled us exceed-
ingly. An influenza also broke out among our people,
which laid aside nearly all on board; and it was not until
the seventh day after leaving Lefuga, in the month of
August, 1830, that the cloud-capped mountains of the
beautiful Island of Savaii, which is the largest of the
Navigators group, were descried. As the wind still blew
furiously, and all our people were ill, we determined, if
possible, to find an anchorage, and ran to the leeward side
of the island for the purpose; but could not succeed. As
soon, however, as we neared the shore, a number of na-
tives came off to us in their canoes, of whom Fauea asked
a variety of questions, to all of which he received satisfac-
tory answers. At length, with a tremulous voice, as if
afraid to hear the reply, he said, “And where is Tama-
fainga " “Oh " shouted the people, with evident delight,
“He is dead, he is dead! He was killed only about ten
or twelve days ago!” Frantic with joy at this unexpected
intelligence, Fauea leaped about the vessel, and ran to-
wards me, shouting, “ Ua mate le Devolo, ua mate le
Devolo ;” “The devil is dead, the devil is dead our work
is done: the devil is dead ' " Astonished at this singular
exclamation, I inquired what he meant' when he replied,
“The obstacle we dreaded is removed : Tamaſainga is
dead; they have killed him: the people now will all re-
ceive the lotu.” On hearing this we could not be other-
wise than deeply affected with the seasonable interposition
of a gracious Providence ; and we were encouraged to
hope that the time to favour the people, yea, the set time,
was come. And here appears to me the most remarkable
feature in this providence. Had this individual been put
to death a month or two prior to our arrival, time would
have been afforded for the chiefs of the various districts


NATIVES SURROUND THE SHIP. 3{}5
and islands to have met, and nominated a successor, who,
from the nature of his office, would of necessity have op-
posed our designs; but as he had been killed only a few
days, the time had not been sufficient to convene a meet-
ing, and consequently there was no person in possession of
that important office.
From this intercourse we were convinced that Fauea.
was really a chief; for his countrymen addressed him as
such, the common people kissed his hands, and the chiefs
saluted him by rubbing noses.
Finding ourselves sixty or eighty miles to leeward of the
residence of Malietoa, the principal chief of the settlement
which we intended to make our head-quarters, we had to
beat against a very strong wind; and,on Sabbath-day, being
thoroughly exhausted, our people all ill, and our sails much
torn, we determined, if possible, to find an anchorage; and
for that purpose, sailed into several bays, but without
success. At length we thought we had succeeded, and
dropped our anchor, hoping to enjoy a quiet night, to rest
ourselves and our sick people, and after employing a day
or two in repairing the damages which the vessel had sus-
tained in the gale, to prosecute our voyage. As soon as
the anchor was dropped, a number of natives came off to
us, bringing with them females, and articles for barter.
Fauea informed them that, as ours was evaa lotu, a praying
ship, women would not be received; and that, as it was
We aso sa, a sacred day, they must bring off food, and other
articles for sale in the morning. This was to them extra-
ordinary information. Fauea, however, gave them to
understand who we were, and what was the object of our
visit ; and having gathered them in a circle around him
on the quarter deck of our little ship, he informed them of
the number of islands which had become Christian, naming


26%

306 SUIRPRISE OF THE NATIVES
Tahiti, Rarotonga, Tongatabu, and others; and then speci-
fied some of the advantages which the inhabitants of those
islands were deriving from the introduction of this new
religion; to all which they listened with great interest, and
expressed considerable pleasure at the prospect of being
instructed, especially if by so doing an end would be put
to their fearful wars. “Can the religion of these wonderful
papalangisº be any thing but wise and good?” said our
friend to his naked countrymen, who by this time had filled
the deck, and who, with outstretched necks and gaping
mouths, were eagerly catching the words as they fell from
his lips: “Let us look at them, and then look at ourselves ;
their heads are covered, while ours are exposed to the
heat of the sun, and the wet of the rain : their bodies are
clothed all over with beautiful cloth, while we have nothing
but a bandage of leaves around our waist: they have clothes
upon their very feet, while ours are like the dogs':- and
then look at their axes, their scissors, and their other pro-
perty, how rich they are " They all appeared to understand
and appreciate this reasoning, and gazed on us with great
interest and surprise. Some of them then began to exam-
ine the different parts of our dress, when, not meeting with
any repulse, one pulled off my shoe. Startled at the ap-
pearance of the foot with the stocking on, he whispered to
Fauea, -“What extraordinary people these papalangis
are ; they have no toes as we have 1° “Oh 1” said our
facetious friend, “did I not tell you that they had clothes
upon their feet? feel them, and you will find that they have
toes as well as ourselves.” On finding out the secret, he
was exceedingly delighted, and began chattering away to
his countrymen about the wonderful discovery he had made.
All of them then came round us, and in a moment the other
- - -
* Foreigners,
AT SEEING EUROPEAN.S. 307
shoe was off, and both my own feet and those of my excel-
lent brother underwent a thorough examination.
After coming to an anchor, we had sent the teachers,
their wives and families, with all our sick people on shore.
The chief of the bay received them with kindness, and
supplied them with some food. A crowd, greater than
that which surrounded us, collected about them ; and the
wife of Fauea was equally diligent with her husband in
describing to the natives the wonders she had seen, and
the value of the religion now brought to their islands.
When the food was spread out, she stood up herself, and
asked a blessing in an audible voice, in the presence of
the assembled multitude. In the midst of all this interest-
ing work, our vessel dragged her anchor, and we were
driven to sea, with about forty fathoms of chain out, so that
we were compelled, most reluctantly, to send the boat
immediately and bring our people off again. After several
hours of hard labour, we succeeded in hoisting in both
chain and anchor. -
As the wind moderated during the night, we made con-
siderable progress, and on Tuesday morning we found
ourselves in the straits, between two of the largest and
most beautiful islands we had yet beheld, having on the
one side Savaii, being two hundred and fifty miles in cir-
cumference, and on the other, Upolu, which is about two
hundred. At the mouth of the straits, which are six or
eight miles wide, are two small islands. One of these,
called Aborima, is a huge rock, about two miles in circum-
ference, and two or three hundred feet in height; the other,
a beautiful little spot, called Manono, is the residence of
chiefs, and distinguished persons. It is exceedingly fertile,
and clothed with the richest verdure; but as I propose to
give a geographical description of all the islands of this



308 THE CHARACTER OF FAUEA.
group in the account of my next voyage, I shall abstain
from further remarks on that subject in this part of my
narrative.
By ten o'clock, we reached the settlement of Sapapalii,
where we intended to commence our labours, and to which
Fauea belonged. In all our conversations with that indi-
vidual, we were impressed with his intelligence, shrewd-
ness, and good sense; but never more so than on the morn-
ing we arrived at the place of our destination, when he led
us to a private part of the vessel, and requested us to
desire the teachers, not to commence their labours among
his countrymen, by condemning their canoe races, their
dances, and other amusements, to which they were much
attached, lest in the very onset, they should conceive a
dislike to the religion which imposed such restraints.
“Tell them,” said he, “to be diligent in teaching the peo-
ple to make them wise, and then their hearts will be afraid,
and they themselves will put away that which is evil. Let
the “Word ' prevail, and get a firm hold upon them, and
then we may with safety adopt measures, which at first
would prove injurious.” Thus we were constrained to
admire the goodness of God, in providentially bringing to us
an individual, whose character and connexions so admira-
bly fitted him to advance the objects we had in view.
Our vessel was soon surrounded by canoes, and the
deck crowded with natives, who were so agile, that they
climbed like monkeys, over our boarding-nettings, although
these were ten feet in depth. At length we welcomed on
board Tama le langi, son of the skies, the brother of Ma-
lietoa, the principal chief of Sapapalii, and relative of Fauea.
After the usual salutations, we requested Fauea to state to
his relative the object of our visit, and also our wish im-
mediately to land our people, with their wives and families,
1)|ELIGHTFUL PROSPECTS. 309
many of whom were suffering severely from long confine-
ment in the vessel. A consultation was then held by the
chiefs as to what should be done, when it was determined
to send forthwith a messenger to Upolu, the seat of war,
to inform Malietoa of our arrival, and to request his pres-
ence as soon as possible. It was also arranged that the
teachers and Fauea should accompany Tamalelangi to the
shore, and return on the following morning, if every thing
was favourable, for their families and property. A canoe
was accordingly despatched to Upolu for Malietoa, and
the teachers accompanied his brother to the settlement.
The pleasing prospect of accomplishing the object of our
voyage, excited feelings of the liveliest gratitude, and we
followed our friends with ſervent prayer, that God would
graciously allow us to realize all the bright anticipations
which the occurrences of that eventful day had led us to
indulge. - -
An interesting incident occurred in the course of the day
which gave us rather an exalted idea of the character of
the people. Tamalelangi, and his brother, not knowing
who we were, had brought off some pigs, bananas, and
cocoa-nuts for sale; but, on seeing his relative Fauea, and
on being informed of the kindness he had received from
us, and the object of our visit, he ordered the pigs, with
every thing in his canoes, to be arranged on the deck, and
then presenting them to us, stated, that had they known
us, they should not have brought off any thing for sale ;
and that in the morning they would bring a more abundant
supply. Every canoe around the ship followed his example.
Our wishes were realized, and a full reward for all our
perplexity, anxiety, and toil was granted, when, early on
the following morning, the teachers returned from the
shore, accompanied by the noble young chief, and about

310 THE AUSPICIOUS COMMENCEMENT.
fifty canoes. They gave us the most flattering account
of their reception, and seemed elated beyond measure with
the prospect of success. In about two hours, the eight
teachers, five women, and ten children, took their property
with them, and left the vessel grateful and rejoicing. The
poor heathen were as much delighted as themselves. Thus
auspiciously, in the month of August, 1830, was this im-
portant Mission commenced.
As we were expecting Malietoa from Upolu, we could
not accompany the teachers, but promised to come on
shore, either in the evening or on the following morning.
While we were engaged in landing the canoes, our atten-
tion was arrested, by observing the mountains on the op-
posite shore enveloped in flames and smoke ; and when
we inquired the cause of it, were informed, that a battle
had been fought that very morning, and the flames which
we saw were consuming the houses, the plantations, and
the bodies of the women, children, and infirm people who
had fallen into the hands of their sanguinary conquerors.
Thus, while we were landing the messengers of the Gospel


-
MALIETOA. ARRIVES. 3 11
of peace on the one shore, the flaines of a devastating war
were blazing on the opposite; and under these striking
circumstances, was this interesting Mission commenced.
This disastrous war was occasioned by the death of
Tamaſainga ; for although all parties heartily rejoiced at
the event, yet, as he was related to the most influential
families in the islands, they were bound, by the custom of
the country, to avenge it. Several skirmishes had already
taken place, and a general and terrible encounter was ex-
pected in a few days. It appeared that the people of Upolu,
wearied with the outrages and oppressions of this tyranni-
cal monster, whose rapacious grasp neither wives, daugh-
ters, nor property escaped, who had power of life and death,
and who was actually worshipped as a god, had waylaid
and murdered him.
About four o’clock in the afternoon, in a heavy shower
of rain, the celebrated old chieftain Malietoa arrived. He
appeared about sixty-five years of age, stout, active, and of
commanding aspect. Fauea saluted him with the greatest
possible respect, bowing sufficiently low to kiss his feet,
and making his child kiss even the soles of his feet. He was
immediately invited into the cabin; and having no clothing
except the girdle of ti leaves, worn by the people generally,
and being excessively cold and wet, we gave him a large
piece of Tahitian cloth, in which he wrapped himself, and
with which he appeared much pleased. We then stated
our object to him. With this he professed to be highly de-
lighted, and said that he had heard of the lotu, and being
desirous of instruction, was truly glad that we had come
to impart it. We expressed our deep regret at finding him
engaged in so sanguinary a war, and inquired whether
these differences could not be settled amicably, and the
dreadful contest terminated. He replied, that as a person


312 CAUSE OF Tille WAR.
related to himself, and to all the principal chiefs, had been
killed, they must avenge his death; and that if he left the
war unfinished, and his enemies unsubdued, he should be
degraded in the estimation of his countrymen as long as he
lived; but he promised that he would take care there
should be no more war after the present ; and that as soon
as it was terminated he would come and place himself
under the instruction of the teachers. He informed us,
that he had met the enemy early in the morning, when an
encounter ensued, in which he drove the opposing party into
the mountains, burnt their houses, and desolated their plan-
tations, the destructive blaze of which we had seen, while
assisted by Tamalelangi, we were landing the Mission-
aries on the opposite shore. How differently were these
two brothers employed at the same moment — the one
with his ferocious warriors, dealing misery and destruc-
tion upon the objects of their savage vengeance—the
other, with his delighted people, conveying to their shores,
with expressions of frantic joy, those who would teach
them the principles, and impart to them the blessings of
the Gospel of peace We advanced every argument we
could command, to induce the old chieftain to make peace,
but he persisted in declaring that he could not do other-
wise than prosecute the war, until he had conquered his
enemies. We then made him a present of two strings of
large blue beads, which the natives prize above every other
article, an axe, a chisel, a knife, and some Tahitian cloth,
after which he took his leave, promising to come off in the
morning, with his largest and best canoe, to convey us on
shore.
While Malietoa was on board, a circumstance occurred,
which, from that moment to the present, I have never
thought of, but with mingled feelings of horror and grati


LANDING AT SAP APALII, 313
tude. The natives, heathen-like, had surrounded our ves-
sel, with great clamour, and, climbing over the boarding-
nettings, very soon filled the ship. This had excited in the
young man I had as captain, some apprehension, and, un-
known to me, he loaded a small brass blunderbuss with
eight bullets, and returned it to its usual place. The old
chief perceiving this weapon, and thinking it would ma-
terially assist him in the conquest of his enemies, took it
down, and began to examine it. He cocked it, with its
muzzle directed towards myself, and was just about to
pull the trigger, when John Wright, our interpreter, said,
“Stop, perhaps it is loaded.” At this moment the captain
rushed from the deck into the cabin, and exclaimed, “Oh,
Sir, you have nearly been blown to atoms why did you
let the chief touch that blunderbuss ; I have just loaded it
with eight bullets " Thus have I been preserved from
dangers and from death, by sea and by land, some design-
ed and some otherwise : but both from the one and the
other has a gracious Providence protected me.
During the night our vessel was drifted by the current
to a distance from the settlement so considerable, that in
the morning we were entirely out of sight, and Malietoa
could not, in consequence, perform his promise of fetching
us. Supposing the distance not above ten or twelve miles,
and it being a dead calm, we determined to go on shore in
our own boat. But we erred in our estimate ; and al-
though we left the vessel at between nine and ten o’clock
in the morning, it was past eight in the evening when we
landed. Providentially, it remained calm until we were
within two or three miles of the shore, or we could not
have reached it, as all our crew were ill. Mr. Barff and
myself were compelled to tug at the oar during several
hours; besides which, in the severe gale we had encoun-

27

314 CORDIAL RECEPTION.
tered, something had fallen upon the boat, and made her
so leaky, that it was with difficulty we could keep her
above water. Being seen from the shore before sunset,
Malietoa despatched a canoe to our assistance, which con-
ducted us to the landing-place. An immense crowd had
assembled to witness, I believe, the very first Englishmen
who set foot upon their shores. What an advantage it
would have been to the pagan aborigines of every country,
if the first civilized beings by whom they were visited, had
gone on the same errand of mercy, and conveyed to them
the same blessings which it was our object to impart to
this interesting people !
The scene which presented itself on our landing was
unique, and most remarkable. The natives had kindled a
large fire to serve as a beacon, and multitudes had supplied
themselves with torches of dry cocoa-nut, and other leaves,
to conduct us to the chief's dwelling. A passage was
opened for us through the dense crowd, who were kept
in order by a sort of native police, armed with spears and
clubs, and stationed there for the purpose; and though we
compassionated the unlucky sufferers, we were not a little
amused to witness the severe blows which were occasion-
ally dealt out by these officials, upon the thick craniums of
those who transgressed their orders. In the meantime,
some were busily employed in supplying the fire, some in
conveying various articles from the boat, others in carry-
ing them to our lodgings, whilst a crowd, anxious to testify
their good feeling, as soon as orders were given, rushed
into the water to haul up the boat. The majority, how-
ever, had enough to do to gaze upon the wonderful stran-
gers, and for this purpose they climbed the cocoa-nut and
other trees, upon the trunks and branches of which they
were seen in clusters, by the red glare of the fire and the
THE AUTHOR CARRIED BEFORE MALIETOA. 315
torches, peeping with glistening eyes and wondering look,
from amongst the rich dark foliage which surrounded them.
In these circumstances we proceeded to pay our re-
spects to Malietoa. Mr. Barff and myself had each a
guard of honour, nor did we meet again until we arrived
at the chief’s residence. The natives vied with each other
to show us every possible attention, some by carrying flam-
beaux, while others with their formidable weapons kept
all intruders at a respectful distance. As we were walk-
ing along, having intimated to the young chief that I was
exceedingly fatigued from labouring the whole of the day
in the boat, he uttered something to his people, and, in an
instant, a number of stout fellows seized me, some by my
legs, and others by my arms, one placing his hand under
my body, another, unable to obtain so large a space, poking
a finger against me, and thus, sprawling at full length upon
their extended arms and hands, I was carried a distance
of half a mile, and deposited safely and carefully in the
presence of the chief, and his principal wife, who, seated
on a fine mat, received us with all the etiquette of heathen
royalty. A beautiful mat having been spread for us, we
squatted down upon it, and stated to his majesty, that we
had not come to transact business with him then, but simply
to pay our respects before we retired to rest. He ex-
pressed himself pleased to see us, gave us a cordial wel-
come to the shores of Savaii, and requested that we would
take up our abode at his house; but, as our people were
so unwell, and our stay would be short, we begged to be
allowed, while we remained, to reside with them. On
going from the house of Malietoa to that allotted by his
brother for the residence of the teachers, we passed a
dancing-house, in which a number of performers were en-
tertaining a large company of spectators. On looking in,


316 RINIDNESS OF THE NATIVES.
we observed two persons drumming on an instrument
formed of a mat wound tight round a framework of reeds,
and six young men, and two young women, jumping about
with great violence, and making motions with their hands
and feet in time with the drummers, while others con-
tributed to the rude harmony, by singing a song in honour
of the arrival of “the two great English chiefs.” We
saw nothing bordering upon indecency in the performance,
which, however, required so much exertion, that the bodies
of both the males and females were streaming with per-
spiration.
On arriving at the teachers' residence, we were grieved
to find most of them suffering from influenza. Two of
these we bled, and administered to others such medicines
as we thought would afford them relief. They were de-
lighted with the treatment they had received from the
people generally, and with the circumstance that although
their property had been distributed in many different
canoes, and conveyed from them by various hands, not a
single article was missing. At first, indeed, the teachers
had endured considerable apprehension about their chil-
dren, some of whom were not brought to them until seve-
ral hours after their arrival. Upon inquiry, however,
they found, that those natives who had been so fortunate
as to obtain a child to bring on shore, instead of carrying
it direct to its parents, first took it to their own residence,
killed a pig, prepared an oven of food, gave the child a
thorough good “feeding” of the best they could procure,
and having kept it as long as they dared, they brought it
to the anxious parents. All this was most delightful intelli-
gence, and our hearts must have been insensible indeed, if
it had not excited feelings of the liveliest gratitude.
The teachers' wives prepared for us a cup of tea, the
KINDNESS OF THE NATIVES. 317
very first ever made on the island of Savaii, and after
family prayer, they screened off an apartment with native
cloth, where we stretched our weary limbs upon our
mats, and using a bundle of dried grass for a pillow, closed
our eyes in sleep, thankful to God for having prospered
our way far beyond our most sanguine expectations.


27%

CH A P T E R XX.
An interesting Meeting—Interchange of Presents—Ceremonies observed
on the Occasion—A Display of noble Feeling between the two Brothers
—A newly purchased Bride—Marriage Ceremony—Female Degrada-
tion—Matetau–His Person–His desire for a Missionary—Remarks
—Fauea's Character.
MALIEToA, being anxious that four of the teachers should
take up their abode with him, had sent repeated messages
on the preceding day to that effect; to which our people
replied, that as we were expected on shore very shortly,
they wished to defer a removal until we arrived. On be-
ing informed of this, we determined to place four of the
teachers under his care, and to give the others in charge
to his brother, who brought them on shore. Having
made this arrangement, we thought it advisable to divide
the present we intended to make into two equal parts;
the one for the elder, the other for the younger brother.
This consisted of one red and one white shirt, six or eight
yards of English print, three axes, three hatchets, a few
strings of sky blue beads, some knives, two or three pairs
of scissors, a few small looking-glasses, hammers, chisels,
gimlets, fish-hooks, and some nails. Every thing being
prepared, we proceeded to the chief's large dancing-house,
where we found a great concourse of people waiting to
witness this important interview with le alii papalangi, or
the English kings.
On our arrival being announced, Malietoa sent two of
his own daughters to spread mats for us to sit upon. They
INTERESTING MEETING. 319
were fine looking young women, about eighteen and
twenty years of age, wearing a beautiful mat about the
waist, a wreath of flowers as a head-dress, and a string of
blue beads around the neck. The upper part of their
person was uncovered, and anointed rather profusely with
scented cocoa-nut oil.
As soon as we had taken our seats, Malietoa made his
appearance, bringing in his hands two beautiful mats, and a
large piece of native cloth, one end of which was wrapped
round him, and the other formed a train, which an elderly
female bore lightly from the ground. Having placed these,
with the usual ceremony, at my feet, he returned, and
shortly after came in the same manner, and laid similar
articles at the feet of my colleague. He then took his seat
opposite to us, the people having formed a circle around
us; and, in the first place, we thanked him for his present,
but added, that to obtain his property was not the object
of our visit, for we had come exclusively to bring him
and his people the knowledge of the true God, and to
place on their island persons to teach them the way of
salvation ; and we now wished to know whether he was
willing that they should remain, and whether he would
allow his people to be instructed ' He replied, that he
was truly thankful to us for coming, and that he would
receive the teachers, and treat them with kindness. We
then explicitly inquired whether he and his people would "
consent to be instructed, or whether there would be any
obstruction thrown in the way 7 To this he made an-
swer, “I and my people must now go over to Upolu to
the war; but immediately after my return I will become
a worshipper of Jehovah, and place myself under the in-
struction of the teachers. In the mean time, this house”
"The house in which we were assembled, and which was the largest build-



320 INTERESTING MEETING.
is yours, as a temporary place in which to teach and wor-
ship; and when we come from the war we will erect
any building you may require, and all the people who
remain at home can come to-morrow, if they please, and
begin to learn about Jehovah and Jesus Christ.”
After these assurances, we informed the chief that we
should place our people under the special protection of
himself and his brother, and expected that he would pre-
serve the teachers' wives from insult, and their property
from pillage. This, both of them most readily promised
to do. Malietoa then requested that four of the teachers
might be directed to come and reside with him, and the
others to remain with his brother; and, having promptly
consented to this, he pointed out two houses which he in-
tended to present to them for their residence, and said, if
they desired it, they could have another. We then in-
formed him that either Mr. Barff or myself would endeav-
our to visit them again in ten or twelve months, and, if we
found that he had fulfilled his promises, English Missiona-
ries would come to carry on the work, which those now
settled among them might commence.
We then desired one of our people to open a basket,
and place before the two chiefs the articles we had brought
as a present. The scene that followed, both amused and
delighted us; for, as soon as the articles were laid out, the
chief took up first an axe, and, placing it upon his head,
exclaimed, “Taafetai le toi tele; – “Thank you for this
large axe:” and, observing the same ceremony with every
other article, he concluded by saying, “Thank you for all,
thank you for all.” He then said that, delighted as he
was with his valuable present, he thought far more of us
ing in the settlement, was a kind of public property, in which all business was
transacted, and their dances and amusements of various kinds performed.
NATIVE GENEROSITY. 321
than of our gift; – that though he was always a great
man, yet he felt himself a greater man that day than ever
he was before, because two great English chiefs had come
to form his acquaintance, and bring him good. “This,”
continued the delighted chieftain, “is the happiest day of
my life, and I rejoice that I have lived to see it. In future,
I shall consider ourselves and you as ainga tasi, one family,
and hope you will do the same.”
Just at this moment our attention was arrested by an
incident, in which a nobleness of feeling was displayed by
the two chiefs that gave us an exalted idea of their general ſ
character, and such as we could scarcely have º:
to find among a people who had been represented as in
so savage a state. After our presents were laid before
- Malietoa and his brother Tumalelangi, the latter examined
the articles minutely, took out a knife and gave it to his
son, and a looking-glass and a pair of scissors for each of
his wives; when, having replaced the whole of the other
articles in the basket, he laid them down, in the presence
of his elder brother, Malietoa, and said, “I was not aware
that a distinct present would have been given to me. I
expected that all would have been yours. Allow me,
therefore, to pass all over to you, - you are my elder
brother, and I shall be pleased at receiving whatever you
think well to give me.” Malietoa was evidently gratified
with this mark of respect shown to him in the presence of
such an assemblage ; but, with a noble disinterestedness,
equal to that evinced by his brother, he replied, “No,
brother ; these alii papalangi, English kings, have given it
to you ; it is all yours, and you must keep it.”
At the close of this important and interesting interview,
Malietoa informed his people, who had been gazing with
wonder upon the novel proceedings, that a large quantity
- -



-
822 ADVICE TO THE TEACHERS.
of valuable property had been given to him, and that the
English chiefs, to whom he was indebted for it, would
want something to eat on their return : “for,” said he,
“there are no pigs running about upon the sea, neither is
there any bread-fruit growing there.” Upon hearing this,
the whole company instantly arose and scampered away;
and in about an hour they returned, bringing with them
fifteen pigs of various sizes, with a large quantity of bread-
fruit, yams, and other vegetables; the whole of which the
chief presented to us, and observed, that it would have
been much more, but for the war, during which, every
thing was quickly consumed. Immediately after this, he
sent for the teachers, four of whom with their wives and
families, took up their residence with him; the other four
remained with his brother.
We spent the evening of the day with the teachers in
prayer and conversation, and were much pleased with the
spirit they evinced. We endeavoured to impress upon
them the advantage of being of one heart and one mind,
in their great work; particularly cautioning them against
little petty jealousies, and every thing that had the appear-
ance of two parties. We advised them, if the chiefs
wished to build two places of worship, to use every effort
to induce them to unite in erecting one only in some
central spot; but should they persist in having two, we
recommended them to assist in the building of both, and to
interchange every Sabbath in conducting the worship, that
nothing having the semblance of opposite interests, or
identification with either party, might be apparent. They
all saw the propriety of this advice, and promised to act
in accordance with it. This cannot be impressed too
powerfully upon the minds of Missionaries. Those petty
jealousies, which sometimes exist in the hearts of truly

KIND PROPOSAL. 323
good men, are much to be deplored ; they mar their com-
fort, and are as a millstone around the neck of their use-
fulness.
Gratified with the events of the day, and thankful to God
for having so abundantly prospered our undertaking, we
once more stretched our weary limbs upon our mats; but
our rest was much disturbed by a company of warriors,
who had just arrived from some other parts of the island,
and who kept up a rude and noisy dance, to still ruder
music, during the whole of the night.
Early the next morning, Malietoa sent a messenger, re-
questing us to come to his house. We immediately obeyed
the summons, and found his majesty seated upon the pave-
ment, which surrounded his residence. A mat being spread
for us, we sat down, and inquired the business for which
we were summoned ; when he replied, that having been
informed that our water-casks were empty, as it would be
inconvenient to fill them at his settlement, where there
was no safe anchorage, he wished to acquaint us that there
was a fine harbour at Upolu, where we could obtain, with
ease, as much water as we required. We thanked him
for his information; but intimated that, as it was the seat
of war, we might be exposed to danger from both parties,
for at the islands with which we were acquainted it was
a common thing to strip a friend of all that he possessed,
to prevent his property from falling into the hands of his
enemies, and this also might be their practice. He replied,
there was no danger, and that he himself would go to pro-
tect us, and assist in procuring all that we wanted, but
that we must wait a day or two, as he could not possibly
accompany us immediately. It being rather an unusual
thing with natives to have any very pressing engagements
to prevent their prompt attention to any object they had


324 A NEWLY PURCHASED Bill DE.
in view, we were anxious to learn the cause of the delay;
when we were informed that he had sent some axes, and
other things which we had given him, and purchased a
handsome young wife, who had just arrived, and that the
ceremony of marriage was now about to commence. A
group of women, seated under the shade of a noble tree,
which stood at a short distance from the house, chanted,
in a pleasing and lively air, the heroic deeds of the old
chieftain and his ancestors; and opposite to them, beneath
the spreading branches of a bread-fruit tree, sat the newly
purchased bride, a tall and beautiful young woman, about
eighteen years of age. Her dress was a fine mat, fastened
round the waist, reaching nearly to her ankles; while a
wreath of leaves and flowers, ingeniously and tastefully
entwined, decorated her brow. The upper part of her
person was anointed with sweet-scented cocoa-nut oil, and
tinged partially with a rouge prepared from the turmeric
root, and round her neck were two rows of large blue
beads. Her whole deportment was pleasingly modest.
While listening to the chanters, and looking upon the novel
scene before us, our attention was attracted by another
company of women, who were following each other in
single file, and chanting, as they came, the praises of their
chief. Sitting down with the company who had preceded
them, they united in one general chorus, which appeared
to be a recital of the valorous deeds of Malietoa and his
progenitors. This ended, a dance in honour of the mar-
riage was commenced, which was considered one of their
grandest exhibitions, and held in high estimation by the
people. The performers were four young women, all
daughters of chiefs of the highest rank, who took their sta-
tions at right angles, on the fine mats with which the
dancing-house was spread for the occasion, and then inter-
MARRIAGE CEREMONY, 325
changed positions with slow and graceful movements both
of their hands and feet, while the bride recited some of
the mighty doings of her forefathers. To the motions of
the dancers, and to the recital of the bride, three or four
elderly women were beating time upon the mat with short
sticks, and occasionally joining in chorus with the recitative.
We saw nothing in the performance worthy of admiration,
except the absence of every thing indelicate — a rare omis-
sion in heathen amusements. We were informed that
most of the wives of the principal chiefs were purchased ;
and that if a sufficient price is paid to the relatives, the
young woman seldom refuses to go, though the purchaser
be ever so old and unlovely. I prayed that, by the bles-
sing of God upon our labours, the day might speedily arrive
when these interesting females should be elevated from
this terrible degradation, and, by the benign influence of
Christianity, be raised to the dignity of companionship with
their husbands, and occupy that station in the social and
domestic circle which the females of Tahiti, Rarotonga,
and other islands, have attained since the introduction of
the Gospel.
As I purpose, at the conclusion of the narrative, to give
a geographical description of the islands, together with an
account of some of the remarkable usages of the people, I
shall defer noticing many other interesting incidents, which
occurred at this period, till I come to speak upon those
topics. - -
Having now accomplished all we could, we thought of
our beloved wives and children at home, and prepared for
our departure. After commending our friends to the
gracious protection of God, and supplicating his special
blessing upon their labours, we walked down to the beach,
accompanied by the teachers, their wives and children,


28
326 MATETAU DESIRES TO HAVE A MISSION Air Y.
who wept bitterly at parting from us. Some of them had
been members of our churches eight or ten years, had
acted consistently, and had thus proved themselves worthy
of our esteem. Many hundreds also of the natives crowded
round us, by all of whom we were treated with the great-
est possible respect, and these rent the air with their affec-
tionate salutations, exclaiming, Ole alofa i le alii, “Great
is our affection for you English chiefs.”
Matetau, the chief of the neighbouring Island of Manono,
having come to see us, we were desirous of showing him
respect by making him a present, and therefore requested
him to accompany us to the vessel. He was described as
equal in rank, and superior in war to Malietoa. This we
could easily believe, for he was one of the largest and
most powerful men I ever saw. His muscular and bony
frame brought forcibly to our minds those of ancient frame,
“the shaft of whose spear was like the weaver's beam.”
Men of ordinary size would be as grasshoppers in his hand.
This chief spent a day and a night with us, and was ex-
ceedingly urgent that we should give him a teacher, and
pressed his claim by assuring me that he would feed him,
and place himself under his instruction, and make all his
people do the same. Having no teacher left, I satisfied
him by promising that on my next visit, I would bring him
one ; but as he had observed, by way of inducing me to
do so, that he would make his people place themselves
under his instruction, I thought it advisable at once to tell
him, that he must not force them, contrary to their own
wishes, but having set them the example himself, and ex-
horted them to follow it, then to leave them to their own
convictions and inclinations; but the employment of any
kind of coercion to induce men to become Christians, was
contrary to the principles of our religion.

FEMALE I) EGRADATION. 327
Arriving off the beautiful little island of Manono, we
presented our gigantic guest with two axes, two hatchets,
four knives, two pair of scissors, a small looking-glass, and
some blue beads, on receiving which, he seized us by the
head, gave us a hearty rub with his nose, leaped hastily
into his canoe, and sailed away, highly delighted with his
present, and not less so with the prospect of having a
teacher to instruct him. By the unexpected return of his
canoe, we perceived that the reason of his hasty departure
was to express his gratitude by bringing us some food for
our long voyage. While Matetau was on board the second
time, we perceived the canoe of Malietoa paddling towards
us, on the prow of which was seated the newly purchased
bride. We instantly backed our sails, and waited the ap-
proach of the illustrious pair. On coming on board, Ma-
lietoa informed us that he was going to the war, which he
would conclude as soon as possible, and return to Sapa-
palii, and that he was taking his new wife with him, lest
she should run away home again during his absence, in
which case he should have to re-purchase her.
The meeting again of these two chiefs on board our
vessel, relieved us from great perplexity, for the influenza,
with which our people had all been so dreadfully afflicted,
had proved fatal to one of our number, who was then
lying dead. Being so near land, we did not like to bury
the body in the sea, and we were apprehensive of taking
it to the shore, lest should any disease break out among
the natives, it might be attributed to this circumstance,
and excite their superstitious fears. On stating to the
chiefs our perplexity, Malietoa relieved us, by proposing
to convey the corpse to a small island, about half a mile
from the main land, and have it interred there.
The person who had died was deformed, and we have


328 DEATH OF ONE OF OUR MEMBERs.
invariably found that severe colds and influenza are par-
ticularly fatal to such people. He had been in my employ
for several years, and I have good reason to believe, that,
although of a hasty temper, he both knew and loved the
truth. I regretted not being with him in his last hours,
that I might have known the state of his mind, and ad-
ministered to him the consolations of the Gospel. It is,
however, a matter of joy and satisfaction to every child
of God to be assured, that neither his own eternal felicity
nor that of departed friends depends upon a happy death,
but upon a holy life
Having thus given a brief and hasty account of the
principal events which occurred during our first voyage
to the Navigators or Samoa Islands, it may neither be un-
interesting nor unprofitable to pause, and erect an Eben-
ezer of praise to that God who protected our lives, directed
our course, and opened before us so “great and effectual
a door:” thus permitting us to realize more than the full
accomplishment of our most sanguine expectations ! We
scarcely expected to secure any more than a safe and
peaceable settlement for our teachers; and even that had
not been obtained on the first visit at any other islands
where Missionaries had been previously established. In
some places, indeed, the teachers landed at the peril of
their lives; and in almost all the Hervey Islands, they
were plundered and ill-used; while here, they were wel-
comed with open arms, both by chiefs and people, who
vied with each other in expressions of kindness and de-
light ! Instead of losing their property, four excellent
dwellings were given to them, and the very best and
largest house in the settlement was set apart for public
worship and instruction. In addition to this, we ourselves
were permitted to land in safety, and live amongst the
REMARKS. 329
people, not only without molestation and dread, but dis-
tinguished by every mark of their attention and respect,
and importuned by neighbouring chiefs to furnish them
also with Missionaries. Thus auspiciously was this inter-
esting and important Mission commenced, through the
merciful interposition of an over-ruling Providence, who is
pleased to make use of human instrumentality in accom-
plishing his mightiest works. No doubt much of this suc-
cess was attributable, under God, to Fauea, with whom
we met so providentially, and who was so admirably adapt-
ed to further our important embassy. His relationship to
the principal chiefs was a circumstance of no small mo-
ment, for it was almost certain that had we not met with
him, we should not have gone to the place we did, and of
course should not have known Malietoa. He was a man
of great decision, and not easily diverted from his purpose.
Having once expressed my fear lest Malietoa and his
countrymen should not receive the teachers, he replied:
“If they do not receive them kindly and treat them well, I
will go to a strange land and die there.” Fauea also pos-
sessed such soundness of judgement and fluency of speech
as would rivet the attention of listening multitudes for
hours together, and always secure him the victory in a dis-
pute. After reaching his home, he and his wife were con-
stantly engaged in describing the triumphs of the Gospel
at Tongatabu, where Tupou, the greatest chief in the
island, had embraced it, and at the Haapai Islands, where
all the people had become Christians. Facts, so well at-
tested and so forcibly described, had immense weight with
the natives. Of this we had an interesting proof. When
they were told by him, that those who had embraced this
religion, could communicate their thoughts to each other
at a distance, and while residing even at a remote island,

28%
-
$30 FAUEA's CHARACTER.
they flocked to the teachers' houses to learn this mysterious
art, many of them coming eight or ten times each day to
be taught their letters.
We considered that Fauea's wife possessed more princi-
ple than her husband, who was an ambitious and aspiring
man, and evidently promoted our designs, chiefly on ac-
count of the temporal advantages which would result from
the introduction of Christianity among his people. He had
also penetration enough to see that his family would be
raised in the estimation of his countrymen, by forming an
intimacy with English chiefs ; and that his own name
would be transmitted to posterity as the person who con-
ducted the Missionaries to their islands. But whatever his
motives and character might have been, his zealous and
unceasing endeavours eminently forwarded our designs.
All these circumstances considered, we cannot but con-
clude, that, in first going to Tongatabu, we were led by an
unerring hand, and that our meeting unexpectedly with
such an efficient assistant as Fauea, was a remarkable and
interesting intimation of Providence that the set time for
God to accomplish his purposes of mercy to the Samoa
islanders was come. There are two little words in our
language which I always admired, try, and trust. You
know not what you can or cannot effect, until you try;
and if you make your trials in the exercise of trust in
God, mountains of imaginary difficulties will vanish as
you approach them, and facilities will be afforded which
you never anticipated


C H A P T E R XXI.
Compelled by contrary Wind to leave Savage Island—Arrival at Rarotonga
– Visit to Arorangi— Beauty of the Settlement—Arrival at Rurutu—
Incidents there—Arrival at Tahiti–Visit to Afareaitu-Meeting there
—Vara's Character and Death — Me – The Warrior and the Drop of
Blood.
LEAVING the Samoa group, we directed our course to
Savage Island, for the purpose of landing the two young
men whom we had taken away, and who, though now re-
conciled to us, were exceedingly anxious to return. Very
favourable impressions had been made on one of them,
but the other resisted every attempt to instruct him.
Much to our discomfit, we were so baffled by calms and
light winds, that we were a fortnight in sailing three hun-
dred miles | In consequence of this unexpected detention,
our provisions and water began to run short, and having
to perform a voyage of eighteen hundred miles against the
prevailing wind, we were compelled to take advantage of
a favourable breeze which sprang up, and abandon our in-
tention of visiting Savage Island.
The two youths were a little disappointed at not being
conveyed home, but when I informed them that, by ac-
companying us to Raiatea, they would receive some valu-
able presents, they readily acceded to our proposal.
A few months after our return home, the Messenger of
Peace was engaged to convey Mr. and Mrs. Crook and
family to New South Wales, and the two youths were
committed to their care, and by them safely landed on the





832 ARRIVAL AT RAROTONGA.
shores of their own benighted island. As I had no oppor-
tunity of visiting them again previous to my embarkation
for England, I am not aware of the effect their visit has
produced upon their savage countrymen.
Hoping that our favourable wind would continue, we
steered for Rarotonga, which we happily reached in seven
days, having sailed in that time a distance of eight hundred
miles due east ! an extraordinary occurrence in those lati-
tudes, where the trade wind, with few variations, prevails
from the eastward. On arriving off Arorangi, the settle-
ment of which Papeiha had the charge, we passed close
to the shore, and were truly glad to perceive, from the
multitude assembled on the sandy beach to greet us as we
passed, that “the plague was stayed.” The neat white
cottages that peeped at us through the banana and other
trees as we glided along, together with the spacious chapel
in the centre of the settlement, presented a most delightful
and animated scene. Passing swiftly on we reached
Avarua about four o’clock in the afternoon, where we
came safely to anchor, and on landing were met by my
excellent brother Mr. Buzacott, the king, and a multitude
of people, who, with joy beaming on their countenances,
were waiting to welcome us to their shores. On inquiring
about that terrible disease which was raging with such
awful fatality when we last visited them, they replied.
“Oh, you carried it away with you, for we began to re-
cover immediately after your visit, and Rarotonga is again
Rarotonga;" and then they leaped about and shouted for
joy. I was truly glad to find that they were busily em-
ployed in subduing the weeds, and in restoring their island
again to its previous beautiful order. Makea and the
people generally were inexpressibly delighted at hearing
that I had found Manuka, the island, it will be recollected,
BUTEVE. 333
from which, according to their tradition, came the great
and mighty Karika, the progenitor of the present Makea
family.
We spent two or three such happy days with our breth-
ren and their kind people, that the toils and dangers of our
voyage were entirely forgotten. A few interesting inci-
dents also occurred, which I shall briefly notice.
In passing from Avarua to Ngatangiia, our old friend
Buteve, the cripple, seated himself on his stone chair by
the way side, and on seeing us approach, he crawled upon
his knees into the middle of the path, and talked in lively
terms of the goodness of God in “stilling the raging tem-
pest.” He informed us, that on one occasion, when an
armed party were passing by, he crawled out, and placing
himself in their front, said to them, “Friends, why do ye
desire war, in the peaceful reign of Jesus, the Son of God
Had we not enough of that when we were Satanees 7
Return to your habitations, and cease, by your turbulent
spirits, to disturb the peace and comfort which the Gospel
has introduced amongst us.” “Instead of listening to me.”
said Buteve, “they called me names, and brandished their
spears. I told them that they might spear me, but that
they could not spear God, who could conquer them when
99
he pleased ; and this,” added the cripple, “he has now
most effectually done. Our own wickedness brought this
terrible judgement upon us; but having repented of our
folly, God has heard our prayers, rebuked the disease, and
Rarotonga is again Rarotonga.”
Having received a pressing request from Papeiha, the
teacher, and Tinomana, the chief, to visit their station,
although anxious to return home, we felt that it would be
unkind not to gratify them, and certainly we were well
repaid for the sacrifice. The site of this newly formed
- -

334 ARORANGI.
settlement was an extensive plot of flat land, stretching
from the sea to the mountains. The houses stood several
hundred yards from the beach, and were protected from the
glare of the sea by the rich foliage of rows of large Bar-
ringtonia and other trees which girt the shore. The settle-
ment was about a mile in length, and perfectly straight,
with a wide road down the middle ; on either side of
which were rows of the tufted-top ti tree, whose delicate
and beautiful blossoms, hanging beneath their plume-crested
tops, afforded an agreeable shade, and rendered the walk
delightful. The cottages of the natives were built in
regular lines, about fifty yards from the border of this
broad pathway, and about the same distance from each
other. The chapel and school-house stand in the centre
of the settlement; and by their prominence, both in size
and situation, the natives would appear to express the
high value they attach to the means of religious instruc-
tion. Every house has doors and venetian windows, which
are painted partly with a lamp-black, procured from the
candle-nut, and partly with red ochre or other prepara-
tions. The contrast between these and the snowy white-
ness of the coral lime gives the whole a chaste and anima-
ted appearance; and as the houses are all new, and of
nearly equal dimensions, the settlement possesses a uni-
formity which is seldom found among the South Sea
Islanders. The portion of ground between the pathway
and the house is either tastefully laid out and planted as
a garden, or strewed with black and white pebbles, which
gives to the whole an air of neatness and respectability
creditable alike to their ingenuity and industry.
Having spent a day most delightfully with these kind-
hearted people, we returned to Avarua, and took our de-
parture, rejoicing that the wind had permitted us to call at

THE CHAPEL AND 5 CENERY, AT ARORANGI.



LEAVE RAROTONGA. 335
Rarotonga, and witness the pleasing contrast between the
sickness, death, and dejection, which prevailed when we
last visited the island, and the health, prosperity, and
happiness by which they had been succeeded. -
As the wind continued fair we called at Mangaia and
Rurutu.” At the latter island we were informed that
Punah the teacher, with his wife and family, and several
natives, had left for Raiatea, six months before, in a large
boat, which he had built for the purpose ; but as they had
not reached it prior to our sailing, we concluded that they
were lost at sea. We were gratified to find, that ever since
their teachers left them, this interesting people had con-
tinued to observe all their religious services, and that
Auura the chief officiated as minister; and it was a de-
lightful proof of their religious principle, that, although
without a guide, they had also kept up their Missionary
prayer-meetings and anniversaries. During the previous
year they had contributed seven hundred and fifty bam-
boos of cocoa-nut oil to the Society. While here we
several times preached to the people, many of whom we
baptized, with their households. They were unanimous
in their request that I would bring them another teacher,
with a pious and intelligent wife, saying that one-handed
*I have not spoken of any of my visits to Rimatara, a beautiful little island,
about seventy miles west of Rurutu. We first heard of it from Auura ; and
Christianity being established at Rurutu, we succeeded in imparting the same
blessing to the inhabitants of Rimatara. My esteemed colleagues, Messrs.
Threlkeld and Orsmond, were the first Europeans who visited it.—As Mr.
Threlkeld has been most grossly libelled and misrepresented in New South
Wales, I feel much pleasure in stating that he was my coadjutor for seven
years; and from the intimate intercourse which subsisted between us, I can
confidently assert that a more worthy and devoted Missionary no Society ever
had, and a man of more inflexible integrity and honourable principle is rarely
to be met with.

336 NATIVE LETTER.
people were very good, but that two-handed people were
much better; and I regretted exceedingly that I was not
able to send them one before I left the islands.
Leaving Rurutu, we reached Tahiti, a distance of three
hundred and fifty miles, in forty-eight hours! It is worthy
of special notice, that after the fair wind sprang up, two
hundred miles west of Savage Island, we sailed, in the
short space of fifteen days, a distance of about seventeen
or eighteen hundred miles to the eastward– an instance
perhaps unparalleled in the history of tropical navigation.
On arriving at Tahiti we were cordially welcomed by our
brethren, who, having heard of numerous shipwrecks
since we sailed, had entertained serious apprehensions on
our account. Their fears, however, were now removed,
and they were delighted to hear of the success of our en-
terprise.
As soon as our friends at Aimeo heard of our being at
Tahiti, we received from Mr. Orsmond's station, the fol-
lowing letter:—
Afareaitu, September 24, 1830.
DEAR FRIENDs, WILLIAMU AND Miti Papu,”
May the blessing of the true God attend you, and of Jesus
Christ our Saviour. By the goodness of our Father, we have the
the prospect of meeting again. God has led you out to heathen
islands and brought you back in safety. His goodness never
fails. This is a little speech to you two, in which all the brethren
of Aſareaitu unite. Inform us about the islands where you have
left our two brethren, Hatai and Faaruea. May all our hearts be
one in extending the knowledge of the good name of Jesus. We
rejoice that the deep has not swallowed you up, as it has done
some others, and that you have not been ill-treated by people in
* Messrs. Williams and Barff.

vARA’s CHARACTER. 337
the lands of darkness, as others have been. The power of God
has preserved you, Let us be more diligent than ever, brethren,
in endeavouring to despel the darkness from heathen lands: let
them see the bright light. May the powerful hand of God soon
pluck up every poisonous plant of heathenism, that our prayer
may be speedily realized, “Thy kingdom come.”
This is our little request: come and make known to us fully
all the particulars of your journey, that our hearts may be made
warm. We wish to see your faces; but if you cannot come,
write to us as much as you can. That is all we have to say.
May great blessing attend you two, through Jesus Christ.
THE BRETHREN AT AFAREA ITU.
Desirous of gratifying these friends, we went over to
Aimeo, and spent a most delightful afternoon and evening
with them. After Mr. Barff and myself had stated the
interesting particulars of our voyage, at a meeting con-
vened for the purpose, Vara, the venerable chief of the
station, arose and said, that although he was generally
dumb, he was now compelled to speak, for his heart was
warmed within him, and he lamented exceedingly that he
was not a young man, to go on such an errand of mercy.
He thought he was never more delighted than during the
time he was listening to our statements: and then, ad-
dressing himself to us and his beloved Missionary, Mr.
Orsmond, he added, “Do not despise these islands be-
cause their inhabitants are not so numerous as those of
the Navigators and other groups, but take great care of
these churches, and let them supply brethren to bear the
news of salvation to more populous lands.” This was al-
most the last meeting that Vara ever attended, for he was
then suffering under the illness by which, soon after, he
was called to his rest. This chief was a delightful in-
29
338 varA's character.
stance of the power of the Gospel. In the time of their
ignorance he was a procurer of human sacrifices, and on
one occasion Pomare sent to him an order to obtain one
immediately. Vara was rather at a loss to satisfy this
imperious demand; and on going in search of a victim,
his own little brother followed him at a distance, and cried
after him. As soon as he saw him, he turned round,
struck his head with a stone, killed him, and, having put
him into a large basket made of cocoa-nut leaves, sent
him to Pomare. When his mother bewailed the death of
her child, and charged him with cruelty for killing his
brother, he abused her, and said, “Is not the favour of the
gods, the pleasure of the king, and the security of our pos-
sessions, worth more than that little fool of a brother 1 –
better lose him than the government of our district l”
How affectingly correct is the scriptural representation of
man in a heathen state, “without natural affection, im-
placable, unmerciful.” Another office held by Vara was
to rally dispirited warriors; and many a night has he
walked from house to house, to rouse the savage spirit of
the people by assuring them, on the authority of a pre-
tended communication from some god, of their success in
an approaching battle. But this implacable and unmerci-
ful heathen became a humble and devoted Christian, and
to the day of his death he adorned his profession. He
received Christian baptism from the hands of our venera-
ble and highly esteemed brother Missionary, Mr. Henry,
but was for many years a member of the church under the
care of Mr. Orsmond, Vara's eyes being bad, he could
not learn to read; hut having been in the habit of treasur-
ing in his memory passages of Scripture, he had obtained
a correct and extensive knowledge of the great and essen-
tial doctrines of the Gospel. He was visited many times


v.ARA's DEATH. 339
in his dying moments by Mr. Orsmond, whose account of
his death I will here subjoin :- 2
“On seeing that his end was fast approaching, I said to him, .
“Are you sorry that you cast away your lying gods, by which you
used to gain so much property?” He was aroused from his
lethargy, and with tears of pleasure sparkling in his eyes, he ex-
claimed, ‘Oh, no, no, no. What! can I be sorry for casting
away death for life? Jesus is my rock, the fortification in which
my soul takes shelter.”
“I said, ‘Tell me on what you found your hopes of future bless-
edness '' He replied, ‘I have been very wicked, but a great
king from the other side of the skies sent his ambassadors with
terms of peace. We could not tell, for many years, what these
ambassadors wanted. At length Pomare obtained a victory, and
invited all his subjects to come and take refuge under the wing of
Jesus, and I was one of the first to do so. The blood of Jusus is
my foundation. I grieve that all my children do not love him.
Had they known the misery we endured in the reign of the devil,
they would gladly take the Gospel in exchange for their follies.
Jesus is the best king ; he gives a pillow without thorns.”
“A little time after, I asked him if he was afraid to die, when,
with almost youthful energy he replied, ‘No, no. The canoe is
in the sea, the sails are spread, she is ready for the gale. I have
a good pilot to guide me, and a good haven to receive me. My
outside man and my inside man differ. Let the one rot till the
trump shall sound, but let my soul wing her way to the throne of
' Will he not through eternity sing hallelujahs to God and
the Lamb, because of the South Sea Mission ?”
Jesus.
After having remained a Sabbath with our beloved
friends Mr. and Mrs. Simpson, we sailed for Huahine,
where Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Platt were spending a few
days with Mrs. Barff, anxiously waiting our arrival. It is
superfluous to add that it was a happy meeting. Safe
and happy ourselves, our joy was complete when we found
340 The BLIND WARRIOR.
our wives and families in health, and our stations in pros-
perity. Thus terminated this important voyage, the blessed
results of which, will I believe, be as valuable as the soul
and as enduring as eternity.
On arriving at Raiatea, a scene not very dissimilar to
that I have just related, came under my immediate obser-
vation. In my own church was an old blind warrior,
called Me. He had been the terror of all the inhabitants
of Raiatea, and the neighbouring islands; but in the last
battle which was fought before Christianity was embraced,
he received a blow which destroyed his sight.
A few years after my settlement at Raiatea, Me was
brought under the influence of the Gospel, and when our
church was formed, he was among the first members ad-
mitted. His dilligence in attending the house of God was
remarkable, whether he was guided by some kind friend,
who would take one end of his stick while he held the
other. The most respectable females in the settlement
thought this no disgrace, and I have frequently seen prin-
cipal chiefs, and the king himself, leading him in this way
to chapel. Although blind, he attended our adult schools
at six o'clock in the morning, and by repeating and care-
fully treasuring up what kind friends read to him, he ob-
tained a great familiarity with the truths of the New
Testament. And here I may observe that the natives
generally are exceedingly kind to blind and aged people,
in reading to them portions of Scripture which they are
desirous of retaining, and I do not know a more interest-
ing scene than is presented at times in our adult schools,
Here you will see a pious female, surrounded by three or
four of her own sex, decrepid with age, to whom she is
reading and explaining some important passages in the
word of God;—there you may observe a principal chief

ADULT SCHOOLS. 341
or his wife engaged in the same way. In one place you
would find a little boy, in another an interesting little girl,
seated among old warriors, and either teaching them the
alphabet, instructing them in spelling, or reading over some
portions of Scripture. On the first Sabbath after my re-
turn I missed old Me ; and not receiving the hearty grasp
of congratulation from him to which I was accustomed, I
inquired of the deacons where he was, when they informed
me that he was exceedingly ill, and not expected to sur-
vive. I determined, therefore, to visit him immediately.
On reaching the place of his residence, I found him lying
in a little hut, detached from the dwelling-house, and on
entering it, I addressed him by saying, “Me, I am sorry
to find you so ill.” Recognising my voice, he exclaimed.
“Is it you ? Do I really hear your voice again before I
die? I shall die happy now. I was afraid I should have
died before your return.” My first inquiry related to the
manner in which he was supplied with food; for in their
heathen state, as soon as old or infirm persons become a
burden to their friends, they were put to death in a most
barbarous manner. Under the pretence of carrying the
victim of their cruelty to a stream of water to bathe, his
relations would hurl him into a hole previously dug for the
purpose, and then throw a heap of stones upon the body.
Even for a considerable time after Christianty was em-
braced, we found it necessary, when visiting the sick and
afflicted, to make strict inquiry as to the attention they re-
ceived. In reply to my question, Me stated that at times
he suffered much from hunger: I said, “How so? You
have your own plantations;” for, although blind, he was
dilligent in the cultivation of sweet potatoes and bananas.
“Yes,” he said, “but as soon as I was taken ill, the people
with whom I lived seized my ground, and I am at times

29%
342 ME's illNEss.
exceedingly in want.” I asked him why he had not com-
plained to the chief, or to some of the Christian brethren
who visited him, and his affecting reply was, “I feared lest
the people should call me a tale-bearer, and speak evil of
my religion, and I thought I would rather suffer hunger or
death than give them occasion to do so.” I then inquired
what brethren visited him in his affliction to read and pray
with him. Naming several, he added, “they do not come
so often as I could wish, yet I am not lonely, for I have
frequent visits from God;— God and I were talking to-
gether when you came in.” “Well,” I said, “and what
were you talking about !” “I was praying to depart and
be with Christ, which is far better,” was his reply. Having
intimated that I thought his sickness would terminate in
death, I wished him to tell me what he thought of himself
in the sight of God, and what was the foundation of his
hope. “Oh,” he replied, “I have been in great trouble
this morning, but I am happy now. I saw an immense
mountain with precipitous sides, up which I endeavoured
to climb, but when I had attained a considerable height, I
lost my hold and fell to the bottom. Exhausted with per-
plexity and fatigue, I went to a distance and sat down to
weep, and while weeping, I saw a drop of blood fall upon
that mountain, and in a moment it was dissolved.” Wish-
ing to obtain his own ideas of what had been presented to
his imagination, I said, “This was certainly a strange sight,
what construction do you put upon it !” After expressing
his surprise that I should be at a loss for the interpreta-
tion, he exclaimed, “That mountain was my sins, and the
drop which fell upon it, was one drop of the precious
blood of Jesus, by which the mountain of my guilt must
be melted away.” I expressed my satisfaction at finding
he had such an idea of the magnitude of his guilt, and

ME's DEATH. 343
such exalted views of the efficacy of the Saviour's blood,
and that although the eyes of his body were blind, he
could, with the “eye of his heart,” see such a glorious
sight. He then went on to state, that the various sermons
he had heard were now his companions in solitude, and the
source of his comfort in affliction. On saying, at the close
of the interview, that I would go home and prepare some
medicine for him, which might afford him ease, he replied,
“I will drink it, because you say I must, but I shall not
pray to be restored to health again, for my desire is to de-
part and be with Christ, which is far better than to remain
longer in this sinful world.” In my subsequent visits, I
always found him happy and cheerful, longing to depart
and be with Christ. This was constantly the burden of
his prayer. I was with him when he breathed his last.
During this interview, he quoted many precious passages
of Scripture ; and having exclaimed with energy, “Oh
death, where is thy sting l’ his voice faltered, his eyes be-
came fixed, his hands dropped, and his spirit departed to
be with that Saviour, one drop of whose blood had melted
away the mountain of his guilt. Thus died poor old Me,
the blind warrior of Raiatea. I retired from the over-
whelming and interesting scene, praying as I went that my
end might be like his.




C H A P T E R XXII.
Distresses at Raiatea—Tamatoa-His Character and Death—Sail again
for Rarotonga–New Chapel–Beautiful Appearance of the Settlement—
Makea's Generosity—Ancient Usages Revived—The Effects of a Dis-
course — A Hurricane—Mrs. Buzacott's Distress—Mrs. William's nar-
row Escape—A Thousand Houses Destroyed — The Island Devasted.
THE following year, 1831, spent at my own station, was
one of distress and anxiety; but as the details would fill a
volume, I must content myself with a bare notice of the
leading events of that period. Fenuapeho, the chief of the
neighbouring island, having been lost at sea, the govern-
ment devolved upon Tapoa, the grandson of a terrible
warrior of that name, an inveterate enemy of Christianity;
the circumstances of whose death, which occurred at a
critical period, I have narrated at page 85. On his attain-
ing the sovereignty, the exiles from all the islands, together
with the disaffected, and a few restless-spirited old war-
riors, rallied round this young chief, intoxicated him with
ideas of his greatness, and represented to him that, by a
desparate effort, he might depose the reigning family,
make himself chief of all the Leeward Islands, and be as
renowned as his grandfather. Every effort was made
that kindness could suggest, or ingenuity devise, to induce
him and his followers to desist from their obstinate and
ruinous course, but in vain; and a collision between the
parties appeared inevitable. The anxiety and agitation
occasioned by these distressing circumstances so preyed
-
TAMATOA. 345
upon the mind of our chief, Tamatoa, who was already
enfeebled by age, that they accelerated his death.
There were some circumstances in the life of this cele-
brated chieftain which, although a digression, may be in-
troduced here with propriety. He was the patriarch of
royalty in the Society Islands, his eldest daughter having
the government of Huahine, and his grand-daughter being
the present queen of Tahiti. He was a remarkably fine
man, being six feet eleven inches in height. Respecting his
Christian consistency, different opinions have been expres-
sed; but, for my own part, I confidently hope that he was
a subject of Divine grace. I will, however, relate a few
particulars of his history, and leave the reader to draw his
own conclusion. In his heathen state he was worshipped
as a god, and to him the eye of the human victim was
presented before the body was carried to the marae.
When visited by the Deputation, Mr. Bennet requested me
to ask him, which, of all the crimes he had committed, lay
heaviest upon his mind ; and, after some hesitation, he re-
plied — that of allowing himself to be worshipped as a
god, when he knew that he was but a man. Before he
was brought under the influence of the Gospel, he was
much addicted to the use of the intoxicating juice of the
kava root, which appears to produce a narcotic effect, so
peculiar that the slightest noise is exceedingly distracting
to persons under its influence. Immediately it was known
that the king had been drinking, the women ceased to beat
their cloth, and all sounds in the immediate vicinity were
to be hushed. Children also were carefully removed from
the premises, lest he should be annoyed in the slumbering
fit which had been induced by the stupifying draught. It
appears that he was exceedingly desperate while in a state
of intoxication, and that on the slightest disturbance, he


346 TAMATO.A.
would seize a club, spear, or any other weapon, rush out
of the house, and wreak his vengeance on friend or foe,
man, woman, or child, whom he might happen to meet.
In this way several persons had fallen victims to his fero-
city. On such occasions his look and manner must indeed
have been terrible. The flashing fury of his eye, the curl
of his thick lip, the lowering aspect of his brow, together
with the growling tone of his voice, and the violent gestures
of his herculean frame, were calculated to strike the stout-
est heart with terror. Once, when thus aroused, he rushed
out of his dwelling, and not being able to find a weapon,
he struck an unoffending person such a violent blow with his
fist, that he knocked his eye out, and mutilated his own
hand so much that he lost, in consequence, the first and
second bones of his forefinger. After ardent spirits were
introduced by vessels from England and America, he be-
came exceedingly addicted to this new method of intoxica-
tion, and when under their influence, was equally violent
and terrible. Thus he continued till he embraced the
Gospel; but then he made a solemn vow to Jehovah that
he would never again, to the day of his death, taste either
the one or the other. I knew him intimately for fifteen
years, and I am convinced that he kept his vow most
sacredly. The effect of his example upon the people was
exceedingly beneficial; for while the stations of my breth-
ren were suffering severely from this poison of the soul as
well as the body, we were entirely free from it, and during
the above-mentioned period of fifteen years, I saw but one
or two persons in a state of intoxication. Tamatoa was
constant in his attendance at an adult school; and, at six
o'clock in the morning, he always took his seat on my right
hand, read his verse in rotation with others of the class,
and always evinced great pleasure when his answers to
HIS DEATII. 347
my questions upon it afforded me satisfaction. At the
catechetical exercises, the prayer meetings, and the more
public ordinances of God’s house, his seat was always
occupied. He certainly delighted in receiving Christian
instruction, and invariably encouraged whatever was cal-
culated to promote the civil and religious improvement of
his people.
I visited him frequently in his last illness, and found his
views of the way of salvation clear and distinct, and his
spirit resting on Christ alone. Just before he expired, he
exhorted his son, who was to succeed him, his daughter,
and the chiefs assembled on the mournful occasion, to be
firin in their attachment to the Gospel, to maintain the
Laws, and to be kind to their Missionary. Extending his
withered arms to me, he exclaimed, “My dear friend, how
long we have laboured together in this good cause ! noth-
ing has ever separated us ; now death is doing what noth-
ing else has done, but ‘who shall separate us from the
love of Christ l’”
Thus died Tamatoa, once the terror of his subjects, the
murderer of his people, a despotic tyrant, and a most big-
oted idolater |
With such facts as these before us, illustrating the moral
power, and the transforming influence of the Gospel, what
reflecting or benevolent individual can be indifferent to its
propagation
The death of Tamatoa, instead of producing a favoura-
ble impression upon the minds of the opposite party,
strengthened their determination to persist in their unrea-
sonable demands, and for months I was racked with anx-
iety to ascertain the path of duty. I wished much to have
remained at Raiatea, until these differences had been ad-
justed, but other circumstances rendered this impossible.
-


348 ARRIVAL AT RAROTONGA.
My brethren, Pitman and Buzacott, had agreed to translate
the New Testament with me into the Rarotonga dialect,
and as each had accomplished his portion, it was necessary
that we should spend a few months together in revising
and perfecting the whole, prior to my embarkation for
England. The time also for visiting the out stations, espe-
cially the Navigators Islands, had arrived, and as the period
of Mrs. Williams’ confinement was approaching, and she
had lost so many children at Raiatea, she hoped, by a
change of place and scene, to be spared the distress of
consigning a seventh sweet babe to a premature grave.
The vessel also required considerable repairs, and as the
stores sent by the kind friends in England had arrived, I
was supplied with every article to complete her outfit.
For these reasons, on the 21st of September, 1831, we
again sailed for Rarotonga. We reached it in safety, after
a pleasant voyage of six or seven days, and found the Mis-
sion families in good health, but much in want of the sup-
plies we were conveying to them.
The improvements effected by the people's dilligence,
since our former visit, were so many and interesting, that
the settlement at Avarua surpassed in order and neatness
any other of our Missionary stations. A new chapel had
been erected, of considerable elevation, and superior con-
struction, having at each end porticoes, which were ap-
proached by flights of steps of hewn coral. The school-
house, which was about a hundred feet in length, stood by
its side, and both it and the chapel were encircled by a
neat stone wall. In front, and at equal distances, some toa
or casuarina trees reared their stately heads, through the
graceful foliage of which the snow-white buildings pre-
sented themselves, and at the back were two houses larger
than the generality of those which composed the settlement,
BEAUTY OF THE SETTLEMENT. 349
surrounded also with stone walls, and having spacious
gardens in front. These were the dwellings of the chief
and Missionary. The pathways through the gardens to the
houses were strewed with whitecoral and blackpebbles, and
you were shaded from the piercing rays of the sun by the
ti trees and bananas, which were planted on either side.
Stretching away to the right and left for at least a mile in
each direction, we saw the neat white cottages of the
natives, built on the same plan as those of the chief and
Missionary, but on a smaller scale. A wide pathway ran
through the middle of their settlement, on either side of
which stood the native dwellings; these, with their windows
and doors neatly painted, and with front gardens tastily laid
out, and well stocked with flowers and shrubs, gave to the
whole scene an air of comfort and respectability.
Having to address the people, I took for my text, Psalm
cxxvi. 3: “The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof
we are glad.” The congregation was very large, and Pa-
peiha, Tinomana, and many of the people of their station,
had come to welcome us. We were gratified at perceiv-
ing that the interior of the chapel corresponded with its
exterior, and was fitted up more in the English style than
any hitherto erected. It had galleries all round supported
by pillars very neatly turned. It was also pewed through-
out, and the pulpit was richly ornamented. It was capable
of accommodating two thousand people, and though on
close inspection the workmanship appeared rather rough,
it did credit to the ingenuity of Mr. Buzacott, who designed
the plan and superintended the erection, as well as to the
diligence of the people by whom it was built.
Makea was exceedingly liberal, for he had between two
and three hundred pigs baked to entertain his friends and

30

350 MAKEA's GENERosity.
people at the opening, besides those which he had given
to the workmen during its erection.
After consulting with my brethren, I determined, in
company with Mr. Buzacott and Makea, to visit the neigh-
bouring islands, before we commenced either the revision
of the translations, or the repairs of the vessel. Having
performed this voyage, the particulars of which will be
found in the accounts already given of the islands of Aitu-
taki, Mangaia, Atiu, and Mauke, we prepared to haul the
vessel on shore, and commence the intended repairs and
alterations, which were to lengthen her six feet, and give
her a new stern ; and after having examined the harbours,
we selected Makea's station for the purpose. As we at-
tended assiduously to this work on one part of the day,
and to the translations during the remainder, we proceeded
rapidly and successfully for the first fortnight, when new
troubles arose. At a meeting of the chiefs and people,
whether convened by accident or design we could not
ascertain, a proposition was made and carried to revive
several of their heathen customs, and immediately after,
the barbarous practice of tatooing commenced in all direc-
tions, and numbers were seen parading the settlement,
decorated in the heathen trappings which they had aban-
doned for several years. The effects of these unwise and
unholy measures were felt in the schools, from which
many of the promising young people of both sexes were
unhappily drawn aside. At Mr. Pitman's station, two
young chiefs, who had been particularly useful, and of
whom he entertained pleasing hopes, publicly declared
their determination to adopt the former customs, and in
order to induce others to join them, they used some inso-
lent expressions to their Missionary. Many devoted young
ANCIENT USAGES REVIVED, 351
persons immediately stood up in Mr. Pitman's defence, and
declared that they would remain steadfast in their attach-
ment to him, and continue to receive his instructions.
Upon these the two young chiefs and their party poured a
torrent of the bitterest sarcasm, and thus attempted to
shame them out of their decision. These transactions
were entirely new at Rarotonga, and caused, for a time,
much perplexity and pain. The Missionaries, however,
thought it wise to allow the people to take their own
course, concluding that these young chiefs must have
powerful supporters, or they would not have had the te-
merity to act as they did.
Intending to spend the Sabbath with Mr. Pitman, Mrs.
Williams and myself went to Ngatangiia, on the Friday,
when our friends gave us a full account of their difficulties.
I was truly thankful that I was there at the time, to sym-
pathise with my brethren and assist them in their troubles.
On the Sabbath morning, I took for my text the 30th
and 31st verses of the 17th chapter of the Acts of the
Apostles, and adapting my discourse to existing cir-
cumstances, preached one of the most spirit-stirring dis-
courses I could compose, in which I endeavoured to con-
vince the people that their practices were attended with
peculir aggravations, and that God would not now, as in
the days of their ignorance, wink at such wickedness. A
very powerful impression was produced, and early the
following morning a meeting was convened, which Mr.
Pitman and myself were invited to attend ; when both Pa
and Kainuku declared that the revival of the evil practices
did not originate with them. The former expressed his
abhorrence of the evil, his unabated attachment both to
his Missionary, and to Christianity, and his grief on ac-
count of the manner in which his son had acted towards
º


352 AN IMPORTANT MEETING.
Mr. Pitman. Tupe, the judge, spoke next, and gave a
most interesting account of himself, from the time at which
he became a Christian. He stated, that he was one of
the last to receive the Gospel, and had held out against it
longer than any other chief on the island, but that from the
moment he became convinced of its truth, he embraced it,
and had determined to understand its principles, and, as
far as possible, act up to its precepts. He further ob-
served, that at an early period after his conversion, he
was invested with an office by the native Missionaries,
and since the establishment of the law he had been se-
lected by his brother chiefs as principal judge; but that
having endeavoured in the discharge of his public duties,
fearless of consequences, to act conscientiously and impar-
tially, he had been maligned and suspected, had suffered
the destruction of his property, and twice had had his
house burnt down. He concluded his powerful and pathetic
address by saying, that while he held the office of judge,
nothing should deter him from an impartial discharge of
its duties.
As Mr. Pitman did not like to interfere, I addressed the
meeting, after which we left them to adopt their own
measures. They then passed a unanimous resolution,
to send a messenger to request Makea to prohibit the
heathen customs. A few days after this the chief's son
came, and expressed to Mr. Pitman his deep sorrow at
having been so led away, and his companion in delin-
quency addressed to him a sensible and penitential letter
to the same effect. Thus at Ngatangiia, the torrent which
threatened to inundate the island with wickedness was
stemmed. At Arorangi, the pious and excellent chief,
Tinomana, would not listen for a moment to the proposal
to resuscitate any relic of heathenism, and by his decided
-

THE HURRICANE. 353
opposition he put a stop at once to all further disturbance
and perplexity. Makea and his party, however, did not
agree to the request of Pa and his brother chiefs, and the
evil-disposed persons in his station were allowed to follow
their own inclinations.
About a fortnight after this, God was pleased to teach
them terrible things in righteousness, by visiting their gar-
den island with a most furious and devastating hurricane ;
the effects of which were long felt, and the remembrance
of it will be trasmitted to posterity.
We were spending a few days with Mr. Pitman, revising
our translations, when, early on Saturday morning, 21st
December, I received a note from Mr. Buzacott, inform-
ing me that a very heavy sea was rolling into the harbour,
and that although there was no immediate danger, yet if
it increased, of which there was every probability, the ves-
sel must sustain injury. I set off immediately for Avarua,
and on my arrival was alarmed and distressed at the
threatening appearance of the atmosphere, and the agita-
ted state of the ocean. I instantly employed a number
of natives to carry stones, and raise a kind of breakwater
around the vessel. One end of the chain-cable was then
fastened to the ship, and the other attached to the main-
post of our large school-house, which stood upon a bank,
ten feet high, about forty or fifty yards from the sea; and
having removed all the timber and ship's stores to what
we supposed a place of safety, and taken every precau-
tion to secure my ship and property from the destructive
effects of the coming tempest, I returned to Ngatangiia,
fatigued and distressed. As I was leaving Avarua, I turn-
ed round to take, as I feared, a last look at the little ves.
sel, when I saw a heavy sea roll in, and liſt her several
feet; she, however, fell very gently to her place again.
30%

354 The HURRICANE.
The next day was the Sabbath, and it was one of gloom
and distress. The wind blew most furiously, and the rain
descended in torrents, from morning until night. We
held, however, our religious services as usual. Towards
evening the storm increased; trees were rent, and houses
began to fall. Among the latter was a large shed, form-
erly used as a temporary school-house, which buried my
best boat in its ruins. We had waited with great anxiety
during the day to hear from Mr. Buzacott, and as no in-
formation had arrived, we entertained a hope that the sea
had subsided. But, instead of this, about nine o'clock, a
note came to apprize me that it had risen to a most alarm-
ing height, that the vessel had been thumping on the
stones the whole of the day, and that, at six o'clock, the
roof that covered her was blown down and washed away.
To complete the evil tidings, the messenger told us that
the sea had gone over the bank, and reached the school-
house, which contained the rigging, copper, and stores of
our vessel, and that if it continued to increase, the whole
settlement would be endangered.
As the distance was eight miles, the night terrifically
dark and dismal, and the rain pouring down like a deluge,
I determined to wait till the morning. We spent a sleep-
less night, during which the howling of the tempest, the
hollow roar of the billows as they burst upon the reef, the
shouting of the natives, the falling of the houses, together
with the writhing and creaking of our own dwelling, under
the violence of the storm, were sufficient not merely to de-
prive us of sleep, but sufficient to strike terror into the
stoutest heart.
Before daylight on the Monday morning I set off for
Avarua, and in order to avoid walking knee-deep in water
nearly all the way, and to escape the falling limbs of trees,

THE HURRICANE. 355
which were being torn with violence from their trunks, I
attempted to take the sea-side path; but the wind and rain
were so violent that I found it impossible to make any
progress. I was therefore obliged to take the inland road,
and by watching my opportunity, and running between the
falling trees, I escaped without injury. When about half
way, I was met by some of my own workmen, who were
coming to inform me of the fearful devastation going on
at the settlement. “The sea,” they said, “had risen to a
great height, and had swept away the storehouse and all
its contents; the vessel was driven in against the bank,
upon which she was lifted with every wave, and fell off
again when it receded !” After a trying walk, thoroughly
drenched, cold and exhausted, I reached the settlement,
which presented a scene of fearful desolation, the very
sight of which filled me with dismay. I supposed, indeed,
that much damage had been done, but I little expected to
behold the beautiful settlement, with its luxurient groves,
its broad pathways, and neat white cottages, one mass of
ruins, among which scarcely a house or tree was standing.
The poor women were running about with their children,
wildly looking for a place of safety; and the men were
dragging their little property from beneath the ruins of
their prostrate houses. The screams of the former, and
the shouts of the latter, together with the roaring sea, the
pelting rain, the howling wind, the falling trees, and the
infuriated appearance of the atmosphere, presented a spec-
tacle the most sublime and terrible, which made us stand
and tremble, and adore. On reaching the chapel, I was
rejoiced to see it standing; but as we were passing, a re-
sistless gust burst in the east end, and proved the premoni-
tory signal of its destruction. The new school-house was
lying in ruins by its side. Mr. Buzacott's excellent dwell-

356 THE HURRICANE.
ing, which stood upon a stone foundation, was rent and un-
roofed. The inmates had fled, and the few natives who
could attend were busily employed in removing the goods
to a place of safety. Shortly after my arrival, a heavy
sea burst in with devastating vengeance, and tore away
the foundation of the chapel, which fell with a frightful
crash. The same mighty wave rolled on in its destructive
course, till it dashed against Mr. Buzacott's house, already
mutilated with the storm, and laid it prostrate with the
ground. The chief's wife came and conducted Mrs. Buza-
cott to her habitation, which was then standing; but shortly
after they had reached it, the sea began to dash against it, and
the wind tore off the roof, so that our poor fugitive sister
and her three little children were obliged to take refuge in
the mountains. Accompanied by two or three faithful
females, among whom was the chief's wife, they waded
nearly a mile through water, which in some places was
several feet deep. On reaching the side of the hill, where
they expected a temporary shelter, they had the severe
mortification of finding that a huge tree had fallen upon
and crushed the hut. Again they pursued their watery
way in search of a covert from the storm, and at length
reached a hut, which was crowded with women and chil-
dren who had taken refuge in it. They were, however,
gladly welcomed, and every possible assistance was ren-
dered to alleviate their distress.” Mr. Buzacott and my-
self had retired to a small house belonging to his servants,
which we had endeavoured to secure with ropes, and into
which all our books and property had been conveyed.
* As soon as Mr. Buzacott heard that Mrs. Buzacott and the children had
been compelled to leave the chief’s house, he went in search of them, and,
after experiencing considerable anxiety on their account, was truly grateful
to find them safely housed.
THE HURRICANE ABATES. 357
One wave, however, had dashed against it; we therefore
sent off a box or two of books and clothes to the moun-
tains, and waited with trembling anxiety to know what
would become of us. The rain was still descending in
deluging torrents; the angry lightning was darting its fiery
streams among the dense black clouds, which shrouded us
in their gloom ; the thunder, deep and loud, rolled and
pealed through the heavens; and the whole island trembled
to its very centre, as the infuriated billows burst upon its
shores. The crisis had arrived: this was the hour of our
greatest anxiety; but “man’s extremity is God's opportu-
nity;”
tiful sentence more signally illustrated than at this moment,
for the wind shifted suddenly a few points to the west,
which was a signal to the sea to cease its ravages, and
retire within its wonted limits ; the storm was hushed ;
the lowering clouds began to disperse, and the sun, as a
prisoner, bursting forth from his dark dungeon, smiled
and never was the sentiment expressed in this beau-
upon us from above, and told us that “ God had not for-
gotten to be gracious.” We now ventured to creep out of
our hiding-places, and were appalled at beholding the fear-
ful desolation that was spread around us. As soon as
possible, I sent a messenger to obtain some information
respecting my poor vessel, expecting that she had been
shivered into a thousand pieces; but, to our astonishment,
he returned with the intelligence, that although the bank,
the school-house, and the vessel were all washed away to-
gether, the latter had been carried over a swamp, and
lodged amongst a grove of large chestnut trees, several
hundred yards inland, and yet appeared to have sustained
no injury whatever! As soon as practicable, I went myself,
and was truly gratified at finding that the report was
correct, and that the trees had stopped her wild progress,


358 MRs, williams' NARRow Escape.
otherwise she would have been driven several hundred
yards farther, and have sunk in a bog.
I was now most anxious to return to Ngatangiia, being
greatly concerned and distressed for Mrs. Williams; for,
in the height of the storm, I had despatched a messenger,
to request Mr. Pitman to send us help; but he returned
with the dismal tidings that the ravages of the tempest
were as devastating there as at Avarua. I therefere has-
tened back, and when about half way, was met by a
native, with a letter from Mrs. Williams, begging me to
return immediately, as she was apprehensive of serious
consequences, from the fright she had sustained. On
arriving at Ngatangiia, the scene of desolation was almost
as terrific as that at Avarua. Mr. Pitman's house, although
standing, was unroofed and severely shattered, and Mrs.
Williams, with Mr. and Mrs. Pitman, had taken refuge in
a small new cottage belonging to Pa, the principal chief,
which was now almost the only tenantable dwelling in the
whole settlement. I was truly thankful to find that Mrs.
Williams' fears were not likely to be realized ; and we
fondly entertained a hope, that our babe would yet be
spared to us. It appeared that she had had the narrowest
possible escape from a horrible death; for shortly after I
left, Mrs. Pitman, who was sleeping in the next room, per-
ceiving the roof of the house writhe under the pressure of
the tempest, urged Mrs. Williams to get up immediately;
and she had no sooner risen from the bed, than a violent
gust of wind burst in the end of the dwelling, which fell
with a crash upon the very spot on which she was lying
two minutes before. - Wrapping themselves in blankets,
they rushed out of the falling house, and stood in an open
space, while natives were sent to seek for a hut or cottage,
where they might find a temporary shelter. One of them
EFFECTS OF THE HURRICANE. 359
shortly returned, saying, that there was a small house
standing belonging to one of Mr. Pitman's servants. To
this they instantly repaired, but before they reached it, a
cocoa-nut tree had fallen upon it, and severed it in two.
They were again obliged to seek safety, by exposing them-
selves to the fury of the raging elements, rather than ap-
proach houses or trees. At length a messenger came run-
ning to inform them that Pa's house was standing, and
the way to it tolerably free. On their arrival the chief
showed them every attention, and had his house made as
secure as possible with ropes; but here, also, they were
kept in great terror, by a stately cocoa-nut tree, which was
bowing and bending over their heads. They succeeded,
however, in getting a bold and active young man to climb
up and cut off the branches; whom they rewarded for his
temerity. In the evening we had time to collect our
thoughts, and reflect upon our situation. The chapels,
school-houses, Mission-houses, and nearly all the dwellings
of the natives were levelled to the ground.” Our property
was scattered by the winds and waves, among a people
who were formerly the most pilfering of any with whom
we were acquainted, and many of whom still retained this
propensity. Every particle of food in the island was des-
troyed. Scarcely a banana or plantain tree was left, either
on the plains, in the valleys, or upon the mountains; hun-
dreds of thousands of which, on the preceding day, covered
and adorned the land with their foliage and fruit. Thou-
sands of stately bread-fruit, together with immense chestnut
and other huge trees, that had withstood the storms of ages,
were laid prostrate on the ground, and thrown upon each
other in the wildest confusion. Of those that were stand-
* I should think very few short of a thousand houses were destroyed in this
terrific hurricane. -



360 THANKSGIVINGs for PRESERVATION.
ing many were branchless, and all leafless. So great and
so general was the destruction that no spot escaped; for
the gale veered gradually round the island, and performed
most effectually its devastating commission. But in this,
as in all God's afflictive dispensations, mercy was mingled
with judgement; for had the gale been at its height during
the night, or had it lasted much longer, the consequences
would have been greatly aggravated.
At the close of this memorable day, the 23d of Decem-
ber, 1831, we united at the footstool of Divine mercy, to
express our gratitude to God for having preserved us amidst
such imminent peril, and for having stilled the raging of
the storm. We then spread our mats upon the ground,
which was covered with a thick layer of dried grass; and
stretching our weary limbs, we enjoyed a few hours of
sound and refreshing sleep, after the excitement and ex-
haustion of this distressing day. Of Mr. Pitman's kind
concern for Mrs. Williams we still entertain the most
grateful remembrance; for although exceedingly weak and
nervous himself, he used his utmost exertion to save her
from suffering either in body or mind.
Early the following day we commenced repairing Mr.
Pitman's house, which we strengthened with tie-beams and
braces; and as soon as it was habitable, Mr. Pitman sent
to Avarua, to offer our houseless brother and family an
asylum, which they gladly accepted.
C H A P T E R XXIV.
The Messenger of Peace driven on Shore—The Effect of the Hurricane upon
the Minds of the People —The Death of our Seventh Babe-More Dis-
asters—A great Feast—Singular Ceremony in apportioning the Food—
Five Calamities—Value of Ironmongery—The Messenger of Peace Re-
paired and Launched—Voyage to Tahiti, &c.—Evils of ardent Spirits—
The Destruction of the Stills — Establishment of Temperance Societies—
Return to Rarotonga—Introduction of Horses, Cattle, &c.
ANxious to know something satisfactory about my poor
ship, on Friday following I went to Avarua, and was both
astonished and rejoiced, at finding that she had sustained
no injury whatever. She had, however, worked herself
into a hole about four feet deep, and when lifted by the sea,
had broken off large branches from the trees, twelve and
fifteen feet high. The whole of her stores, masts, rigging,
blocks, pitch, and copper, were strewed over the low land.
Some of these were buried under the ruins of the houses,
and others beneath a mass of fallen trees. I much feared
whether I should be able to recover enough to refit the
vessel again; but by great perseverance, in digging away
the sand, in repeatedly traversing the settlement, in turning
over the rubbish thrown up by the sea, and the ruins of the
houses, we succeeded beyond our most sanguine expecta-
tions. My most serious loss was seventy sheets of copper;
for one of the boxes was rent to pieces by the violence of
the waves, and of the hundred sheets which it contained,
only thirty were ever recovered; some of which were crum-
pled and battered in the most singular manner.
31 - ---



362 EFFECTS UPON THE PEOPLE.
As soon as the consternation produced by the hurricane
had subsided, a large meeting was convened, when it was
agreed to commence immediately a temporary house of
worship, to build a dwelling for Mr. Buzacott, and to repair
that of the chief. At this meeting the great body of the
people charged the chiefs with having brought this distress
upon them ; regarding it as a judgement from God, for
having revived the evil customs which they had for years
abandoned. As this feeling was general, a resolution was
unanimously passed, that all the late innovations should be
suppressed, and that the observance of the laws should be
strictly enforced. One of the chiefs, a good meaning but
ignorant man, proposed that he and his brother chiefs
should all be tried, and sentenced to some punishment, as
an atonement for the sins of the people.
The effects of the severe dispensation upon the minds of
the natives generally were various. Some took disgust, left
the settlement, and went to live at their respective districts,
saying, that since the introduction of Christianity, they had
been visited with a greater number of more direful calami-
ties than when they were heathens. They enumerated
five distinct distresses that had come upon them since they
had renounced idolatry. The first of these, was the severe
sickness that raged shortly after the arrival of Mr. Pitman
and myself, in 1827. The second, was a dreadful malady,
which carried off so many hundreds, in 1830. The high-
est mountain was set on fire in a thunder-storm, and it
burnt so furiously, for nearly a fortnight, that the affrighted
people thought the day of judgement was at handlºthis was
the third. The fourth was an extraordinary prevalence
of caterpillars, and of an insect of the mantis family; the
former devoured their taro, and the latter destroyed their
cocoa-nut trees: and now the crowning catastrophe was
the relentless hurricane, which had swept over and devas-

THE FIVE CALAMITIES. 363
tated their island, and thus completed their misery. Many,
however, looked upon all these visitations as judgements,
and were subdued and humbled under them. An address,
delivered at the meeting of which I have spoken by a
truly excellent old man, will afford an illustration of this.
As a foundation for his remarks, he selected that passage
in the Gospel of Luke, “Whose fan in his hand,” &c.
and, referring to the five calamities, as means employed by
Jesus Christ for the spiritual benefit of a sinful and obsti-
nate people, he said, “Had we been improved by the first
judgement, we might have escaped the second. Had we
been properly impressed by the second, we might have
escaped the third, and should have been spared the fourth.
But as all the preceding judgements had failed, in the ac-
complishment of the desired object, we are now visited by
a much more signal display of Divine power. Still his
fan is in his hand, and he has not exhausted the means he
possesses of cleansing his floor. Let us then humble our-
selves, under this display of his power, and not provoke
him still more by our obstinacy.” He then proceeded to
notice the manner in which the Lord had mingled mercy
with his judgements. “True,” said the good old chieftain,
“our food is all destroyed, but our lives are spared; Our
houses are all blown down, but our wives and children
have escaped ; our large new chapel is a heap of ruins,
and for this I grieve most of all, yet we have a God to
worship ; our school-house is washed away, yet our teach-
and holding up a portion of the
New Testament, he continued, “we have still this precious
book to instruct us.” This address produced a most salu-
tary effect upon the people. A great stimulus was also
given to their exertions by a circumstance that will afford
interest to my kind and valued friends at Birmingham.
ers are spared to us;”

364 A TIRYING DISPENSATION.
The poor afflicted people, having to rebuild chapels and
school-houses in all the stations, together with dwelling-
houses for their chiefs, their Missionaries, and themselves,
and having scarcely any tools to work with, I determined
to appropriate a small portion of the cask of ironmongery,
sent by my Birmingham friends, for the purpose of assist-
ing and encouraging them in their distressing circumstan-
ces. I therefore not only supplied my esteemed brethren
and Makea with a few axes, to lend as a general stock,
but also made a present of an axe, a hatchet, or a saw to
most of the chiefs of importance. This transfused into
them such energy, that in a very few weeks the fallen
trees and rubbish were cleared away, and comfortable
temporary houses erected in all the settlements. I men-
tion this, to show our friends the great value of the articles
they have from time to time transmitted to us. What I
gave away would not, I suppose, cost in Birmingham
more than five or six pounds; but the value, in our cir-
cumstances, was inestimable. -
As my brethren, Buzacott and Pitman, were both at Nga-
tangiia, I determined to spend the Sabbath at Arorangi. In
this journey I perceived, in all parts of the island, immense
trees of every kind strewed upon the ground in wild con-
fusion, like the bodies of prostrate warriors, after some
terrific and murderous battle. The enchanting little set-
tlement at Arorangi was also a heap of ruins. The school-
house, however, had not been completely destroyed, and
this the natives contrived to repair by the Sabbath; so
that we had a comfortable house in which to worship. I
endeavoured to improve the awful catastrophe, by speak-
ing from that beautiful passage in the 32d chapter of
Isaiah, 2d verse:– “And a man shall be as a hiding-

A TRYING DISPENSATION. 365
place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest.”
&c. &c.
How true are the poet's words when he exclaims,
“Woes cluster; rare are solitary woes.”
On the following Saturday, we were called to mourn over
the loss of our seventh dear babe. The shock sustained
by Mrs. Williams on the day of the hurricane, had occa-
sioned its death before it was born. The season was
tedious, distressing, and dangerous to the mother. God,
however, in judgement remembered mercy. Prior to the
birth of the babe, and for some time after, the life of the
mother appeared nearly extinct. In the course of a few
hours she revived a little, and we were cheered by the
prospect of her surviving. We had entertained fond
hopes that this dear babe would have been spared to us,
but in this we were again disappointed ; and while we
endeavoured to bow with submission to the will of an all-
wise and gracious Father, we found it difficult to restrain
the tear of parental affection ; and even now, when we
speak of our seven dear infants, whose little bodies are
slumbering in different isles of the far distant seas, our ten-
derest emotions are enkindled, but our murmurings are
hushed into silence by the sweet conviction, that they are
gone before us to heaven. Just before the lid of the little
coffin was fastened down, all assembled to take a last
look, when our feelings were much excited by an expres-
sion of our then youngest child, who, at that time, was
about five years of age. Thinking in the native language,
and speaking in English, after looking intensely at the
beauteous form of the lifeless babe, he burst into tears,
and in accents of sweet simplicity, cried out, “Father,
mother, why do you plant my little brother'ſ don't plant
31%

866 THE SYMPATHY OF THE PEOPLE.
him, I cannot bear to have him planted.” Our kind and
beloved friends, mingled their tenderest sympathies in our
affliction, and did every thing that the sincerest affection
could suggest to alleviate our distress.
I wrote a note to inform Makea of the circumstance,
when he immediately collected all the people of his settle-
ment, and accompanied them to Ngatangiia, to condole
with us in our affliction. No individual came empty
handed ; some brought mats, others pieces of cloth, and
others articles of food, which they presented as an expres-
sion of their sympathy. A few of the principal women
went in to see Mrs. Williams, laid their little presents at
her feet, and wept over her according to their custom.
The affection of this kind people remains unabated. In a
recent visit paid to Rarotonga, by my esteemed colleague,
Mr. Barff, he perceived that the congregation of three
thousand people to whom he preached were all habited
in black clºthing." Upon inquiring the reason of this
unusual and dismal attire, he was informed by Mr. Buza-
cott, that, on the recent death of his little girl, the King
and chiefs requested that they and their people might be
permitted to wear mourning, as they did not wish to ap-
pear in their ordinary gay habiliments while the family of
their Missionary was in affliction. Such an instance of
delicate respect could scarcely have been expected from
a people, who, twelve years ago, were cannibals, and ad-
dicted to every vice.
On the following night, two more disasters befel us,
which although of a different character, and not to be
compared with those I have enumerated, were still ren-
* Made from the paper mulberry, Morus Chinensis, and coloured with pre-
parations from the candle-nut, aleurites triloba.
MORE DISASTERS. 367
dered important by the circumstances in which we were
placed. I had taken with me from Raiatea, a cask of co-
coa-nut oil, holding 180 gallons, with which to make chu-
nam, to put on the bottom of the vessel instead of copper,
to protect it from worms, and render it water-tight. A
worthless young man, in stealing a portion of it, neglected
to drive in the spile, and of course it all ran out, and there
being now, in consequence of the hurricane, very few co-
coa-nuts at Rarotonga, I had no means of obtaining a fresh
supply. The second misfortune was the loss of my best
boat, worth at least £20. This was stolen in the night by
four men and a woman, who went in her to sea. I have
no doubt but that they perished, for as the wind blew, it
would drive them in a direction where there was no land
for thousands of miles. Thus drearily closed the eventful
year of 1831.
The chiefs and people of Mr. Pitman's station undertook
to return, on my behalf, the compliment which Makea and
his party had paid to me, who, with ourselves, had hoped
that the child would have lived, and that it would have
proved a visit of congratulation, instead of condolence.
About three hundred pigs were killed for the occasion,
some of which were very large, and all of them baked
whole. The vegetable food was not proportionate in
quantity, nearly all having been destroyed by the hurricane.
The whole of this was presented in my name to Makea,
and there was much that was novel and singular in the
distribution of the food. Great ceremony was observed ;
and it was divided into ten portions, placed in a row, ac-
cording to the number of countries and islands which were
to share in the sumptuous provision of the day. The first
was assigned by the orator to William the IV., the great king
of Britain. Mr. Pitman, Mr. Buzacott, and myself, being
-


368 A GREAT FEAST.
Englishmen, were looked upon as his Majesty's represen-
tatives, and of course had the honour of taking his portion.
The speaker assuming an oratorical attitude, then shouted,
with a stentorian voice, that the next portion was for the
“great chief of America.” As the mate of my vessel was
of that country, and was looked upon as the representative
of the President, he took possession of this portion. The
kings of Hawaii, Tahiti, Raiatea, Aitutaki, Mangaia, and
Tongatabu, then came in for their shares; and individuals
from these various islands, as soon as the orator had an-
nounced the name, stepped forward to receive them. The
scene altogether was far from being destitute of interest.
A few days after, the kind-hearted native teacher Papeiha,
and his wife, with Tinomama the chief, and nearly all the
people of the Arorangi station, came in like manner to pay
their respects to us.
Between two and three months elapsed before we could
do much to the vessel, as the natives were fully employed
in erecting their dwellings and performing the public work.
We therefore devoted our time to the translations. At
length we commenced with great spirit, and in the month
of May the repairs and alterations were completed, and
the vessel was ready to be launched. But before she
could again float upon her own element, we had to lift
her out of a hole, and drag her several yards over a
swamp. And here our ingenuity was put to the test. The
method, however, by which we contrived to raise the ves-
sel, was exceedingly simple, and by it we were enabled to
accomplish the task with great ease. Long levers were
passed under her keel, with the fulcrum so fixed as to give
them an elevation of about forty-five degrees. The ends
of these were then fastened together, with several cross-
beams, upon which a quantity of stones were placed, the
THE WESSEL REPAIRED, 369
weight of which gradually elevated one end of the vessel
until the levers reached the ground. Propping up the bow
thus raised, we shifted our levers to the stern, which was
in like manner elevated, and by repeating this process
three or four times we lifted her in one day entirely out
of the hole. The bog was then filled up with stones, logs
of wood were laid across it, rollers were placed under the
vessel, the chain cable passed round her, and, by the united
strength of about two thousand people, she was compelled
to take a short voyage upon the land, before she floated in
her pride upon the sea.
Having been detained so much longer than I anticipated,
we were not able, from want of provisions, to proceed at
once to the Navigators Islands; and as our friends at
Rarotonga were in necessitous circumstances, we were
compelled in the first place to visit Tahiti. Accompanied
by Mr. Buzacott, we sailed for the Society Islands, where
our brethren gave us a most hearty welcome. They had
been very anxious on our account; for, in addition to my
long absence, and the terrible hurricane, which they also
had experienced, newspapers had been received from
Sydney, stating that portions of a vessel, which appeared
by the description to answer to ours, had been seen float-
ing about near the Navigators Islands, which had excited
their serious apprehensions for our safety. On arriving at
Tahiti we heard such distressing tidings of the state of
Raiatea as rendered it desirable that I should, if possible,
spend a month there, while Mr. Buzacott remained at
Tahiti, and employed his time in assisting Mr. Darling to
print for him the Epistles of St. Peter, and in acquiring a
little knowledge of the art.
On arriving at Raiatea, I was perfectly astounded at
beholding the scenes of drunkenness which prevailed in


370 ORDER RE-ESTABLISHED.
my formerly flourishing station. There were scarcely a
hundred people who had not disgraced themselves; and
persons who had made a consistent profession of religion for
years had been drawn into the vortex. The son and succes-
sor of old Tamatoa was a very dissipated young man, and
when he succeeded to the government, instead of follow-
ing his father's good example, he sanctioned the introduc-
tion of ardent spirits. Encouraged by him, and taking
advantage of my absence, a trading captain brought a
small cask on shore, and sold it to the natives. This
revived their dormant appetite, and like pent-up waters,
the disposition burst forth, and with the impetuosity of a
resistless torrent, carried the people before it, so that they
appeared maddened with infatuation. I could scarcely
imagine that they were the same persons among whom I
had lived so long, and of whom I had thought so highly.
As the small cask which had been imported was suffi-
cient only to awaken the desire for more, they had actually
prepared nearly twenty stills, which were in active opera-
tion when I arrived. A meeting was immediately called,
which I was requested to attend, when resolutions were
passed that all the stills should be forthwith destroyed. A
new judge was nominated, the laws were re-established,
and persons selected to go round the island and carry the
resolutions into effect. In some districts these met with
considerable opposition, but in others they succeeded with-
out difficulty. The following week they were despatched
again, when they destroyed several more; but in their last
journey they were accompanied by the late excellent Mai-
hara of Huabine, the favourite daughter of our good old
king, who had come to Raiatea, with some respectable
officers from her own island, for the purpose of completing
the destruction of the stills. This they very happily accom-
NATIVE LETTER. 3.71
plished; for, on their return from their last circuit of the
island, they reported that every still was demolished, and
every still-house burnt to the ground. Some of the natives,
however, determined to purchase ardent spirits from the
ships; while the majority wished me to form a Temperance
Society, with a view to its entire abolition ; but as I could
not remain to superintend its operation, I did not think it
advisable to accede to their request. This, however, has
been effected since I left ; and a letter, just received from
the formerly dissipated young chief, afforded me much
satisfaction. It is dated Raiatea, April 30, 1836:—
DEAR FRIEND :
Blessing on you, Mr. Williams, from the true God, through
Jesus Christ, the King of Peace, the Saviour in whom alone we
can be saved.
This is my little communication to you. The spirits about
which your thoughts were evil towards me, I have entirely done
away with, because my heart is sick of that bad path, and I am
now “pressing towards the mark for the prize of my high calling.”
These are now my thoughts — that God may become my own
God. This is really my wish. I am commending myself to
God, and to the word of his grace.
Whether there be a real change of heart or not in this
individual I cannot say, but I am truly thankful,-and in this
feeling every friend of Missions will participate, – that the
people, with their chief, have been brought to see their
folly, and abandon the use of that which was unfitting
them for earth and heaven, by rendering them poor, profli-
gate, and miserable. The circumstances under which the
use of ardent spirits was abandoned at Tahiti were of the
most interesting character. The evil had become so alarm-
ing that the Missionaries felt that something must be

372 THE QUEEN AND THE NEW TESTAMENT.
attempted, and therefore determined to set the people an
example, by abstaining entirely from the use of ardent
spirits, and by forming Temperance Societies. These
worked exceedingly well, especially at Papara, the station
occupied by our venerable and indefatigable brother, Mr.
Davies. The beneficial results were so apparent to the
natives themselves, that all the inhabitants of the district
agreed that no ardent spirits should be introduced into
their settlement. Most of the people of the other districts,
observing their prosperity, followed their example. At
this time the Parliament met; for since they have been
brought under the influence of Christianity, the representa-
tive form of government has been adopted. On this occa-
sion, and before the members proceeded to business, they
sent a message to the queen to know upon what principles
they were to act. She returned a copy of the New Tes-
tament, saying, “Let the principles contained in that book
be the foundation of all your proceedings;” and immediately
they enacted a law to prohibit trading with any vessel
which brought ardent spirits for sale; and now there is
but on E island in the group, Porapora, where these are
allowed.
Having accomplished at Raiatea the destruction of the
stills, and the re-establishment of law and order, we prepared
to depart for Rarotonga, having on board a valuable cargo,
consisting of several barrels of flour, which we very oppor-
tunely procured from an American ship, and other provis-
ions for our necessitous families; together with horses,
asses, and cattle. The two former excited the unbounded
astonishment of the natives. Like their brethren of the
Tahitian Islands, they called them all pigs. The horse
was e budka apai tangata, the great pig that carries the
man; the dog they called ebuaka aoa, or barking pig; and




INTRODUCTION OF CATTLE. 373
the ass, e budka turituri, or the noisy pig. This last, how-
ever, was honoured with another name, which was, ebuaka
taring a roa, or the long-eared pig. The horses and asses
have greatly facilitated the labours of the Missionaries, and
the cattle have proved an invaluable addition to the com-
forts of the Mission families.*
* It was upwards of ten years after our arrival in the islands before we
tasted beef; and when we killed our first ox, the Mission families from the
adjacent islands met at our house to enjoy the treat; but to our mortification,
we had so entirely lost the relish, that none of us could bear either the taste
or smell of it. One of the Missionaries' wives burst into tears, and lamented
bitterly that she should become so barbarous as to have lost her relish for
English beef.



32
CHA P T E R X. XIV.
Second Visit to the Navigators—Te-ava's Prayer-Arrival at Manua-
Salutations of the People—Find some Raivavains—Orosenga and Ofu-
The Desire every where expressed for Missionaries–Sail for Tutuila-
Interesting Interview at Leone Bay—The Author carried on Shore-A
Chief prays upon the Deck–Run-away Sailors baptizing the People.
AFTER landing our stores at Rarotonga, Te-ava, a pious
and intelligent member of Mr. Buzacott's church, was set
apart to the important office of a Missionary; being de-
signed for the station of Manono, the island of which the
gigantic Matetau, to whom I promised a teacher, was
chief. Makea also was anxious to accompany me. Hop-
ing that many advantages might result from his presence,
we readily acceded to his wish. Every thing being
ready, on Thursday evening, October 11, 1832, we direct-
ed our course once more for the Samoa Islands.
On the following Tuesday, I requested Te-ava to con-
duct our morning's devotions; and being much pleased
with the novelty and excellency of his prayer, and the
pious fervour of his manner, I wrote it down immediately
after, and have preserved the following extract:-
“If we fly up to heaven we shall find thee there; if we dwell
upon the land, thou art there; if we sail upon the sea, thou art
there; and this affords us comfort; so that we sail upon the ocean
without fear, because thou, O God, art in our ship. The King of
our bodies has his subjects, to whom he issues his orders; but if
he himself goes with them, his presence stimulates their zeal;

THE ROUTE DETERMIN EFD. 375
they begin it with energy, they do it soon, they do it well. O
Lord, thou art the King of our spirits; thou hast issued orders to
thy subjects to do a great work, thou hast commanded them to go
into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature; we,
O Lord, are going upon that errand; and let thy presence go with
us to quicken us, and enable us to persevere in the great work until
we die. Thou hast said, that thy presence shall go with thy peo-
ple, even unto the end of the world. Fulfil, O Lord, to us this
cheering promise. I see, O Lord, a compass in this vessel, by
which the shipmen steer the right way; do thou be our compass,
to direct us in the right course, that we may escape obstructions
and dangers in our work. Be to us, O Lord, the compass of
salvation.
On our former voyage, we visited only two of the islands,
Savaii and Upolu, the largest in the cluster, but the farthest
west. On this, I determined to touch at every island in
the group ; and as we were sailing from the east, I resolved
to take them in rotation.
On the morning of the 17th we descried land ; having
run a distance of nearly eight hundred miles in five days,
without having had occasion to shift our sails, since we bid
adieu to our friends at Rarotonga. Thus pleasant is it,
frequently, to sail westward, wafted by the trade winds of
tropical climes. The land we saw proved to be the island
of Manua, the most easterly of the Samoa group, and
about two hundred and fifty miles from that on which our
Missionaries were residing. On nearing the shore, a num-
ber of canoes approached us, in one of which some natives
stood up and shouted, “We are Christians, we are Chris-
tians;* we are waiting for a falau lotu, a religion-ship, to
bring us some people whom they call Missionaries, to tell
us about Jesus Christ. Is yours the ship we are waiting
*The phrase they used was, literally, “Sons of the word.”


376 ARRIVAL AT MANUA.
for 7”. This was a delightful salutation, and showed that
the knowledge of the Gospel had preceded us. A fine
looking man now sprang on board, and introduced himself
as a Christian, or “Son of the word.” On learning that
ours was “a religion-ship,” he expressed himself highly
delighted, and ordered his people to present us with all the
cocoa-nuts and other food that was in the canoe. He then
asked us for a Missionary; and upon being informed that
we had only one, and that he was intended for Matetau,
of Manono, he manifested deep regret, and begged that I
would supply him as soon as possible. We gave him a
trifling present, and some elementary books, said a few
words of encouragement, and bade him adieu ; promising
to bring him a Missionary as soon as circumstances would
permit.
Our boat now returned to the ship, conveying a native
of the island of Raivavae, which lies about three hundred
and fifty miles south of Tahiti. On expressing my sur-
prise at seeing him there, a distance of about two thou-
sand miles from his home, he informed me, that he and
his party were returning in a boat from the neighbouring
island of Tuquai, when they lost their way, and were
driven about at sea for nearly three months, during which
distressing period twenty of their number died. It ap-
peared from their statement that they had erected a chapel,
and since their arrival had been regular in their observance
of the ordinances of the Christian worship; that Hura was
their teacher, and that most of them could read the eight
portions of the Tahitian Scriptures, which they had care-
fully preserved, and highly valued.
Just as we were leaving Manua, a fine young man
stepped on board our vessel, and requested me to give
him a passage to Tutuila, a large island about forty miles
A DELIGHTFUL SALUTATION, 377
distant. He stated that he was a Christian, and that he
wished much to carry to the people of his own island the
good news of which he was in possession. I, of course,
readily acceded to his request.
Leaving Manua, we sailed over to Orosenga and Ofu,
two islands separated by a narrow channel, about two
miles from Manua. On entering the bay a canoe came
off, having on board an old chief. We inquired whether
he had heard of the new religion, which was making such
progress at Savaii and Upolu, and upon being answered in
the negative, we told him our object in visiting the Samoa
Islands. Having listened with apparent surprise, he earn-
estly entreated me to leave him a teacher, promising to
treat him with the greatest kindness, and to “give him
plenty to eat.” Finding that this was impossible, he beg-
ged for one of my native sailors, as a hostage, to insure my
return. He also importuned me to remain with him a few
days; but this I declined, being anxious to reach Savaii by
the Sabbath. He was urgent that I should supply him
with a musket and powder; but I informed him, that ours
was a religion-ship, and that we had books to teach men
the knowledge of the true God, and the way of salvation,
but no muskets, with which they might destroy each other.
I then pressed him to abandon his barbarous wars,” and
become a worshipper of Jehovah, whose religion was one
of peace and mercy. This, the old chieftain said, was
very good, and pleased his heart: but as he had no one to
teach them, how was he to know. Having made our
visiter a trifling present, we directed our course for Tu-
tuila.
Early the following morning we made Tutuila, and were
* The adjoining island is almost depopulated, the inhabitants having been
slain by these people.


.32%
37.8 MISSIONARY DESIRED.
very soon surrounded by a vast number of canoes, some
of which contained twenty or thirty men. These appear-
ed so excessively wild, that we did not suffer many of them
to board us. This, however, we could scarcely prevent;
for although we were sailing seven or eight miles an hour,
they paddled so fast, that they kept pace with us, clung to
the side of the vessel, and were so expert, that notwith-
standing our precautions, they sprang on board the ship.
A canoe now came alongside with an Englishman, who
called himself William Gray, and said that he had been at
Tutuila about three years. As the natives were very
clamorous for powder and muskets, we inquired of Gray
whether they were at war, and found that two powerful
chiefs were expected shortly to engage in a severe conflict.
Upon asking him whether the people of Tutuila had heard
of our Missionaries, and had become Christians, he in-
formed me that very many had renounced heathenism at
Savaii and Upolu ; but that only a few had done so at
Tutuila.
Having obtained all the information we could from this
individual, we prosecuted our voyage down the south coast,
the varied beauties of which struck us with surprise and
delight as we glided past them. At length we reached a
district called Leone, where the young man whom we had
brought from Manua resided. On entering the mouth of
the spacious and beautiful bay, we were boarded by a
person who introduced himself as a “son of the word.”
We gave him a hearty welcome, and learned, in reply to
our inquiries, that in his district about fifty persons had
embraced Christianity, had erected a place of worship,
and were anxiously waiting my arrival. This informa-
tion was unexpected and delightful, and I determined im-
mediately to visit the spot. With this intent we lowered

INTERESTING INTERVIEW. 379
our little boat, and approached the shore. When about
twenty yards from the beach, as the heathen presented .
rather a formidable appearance, I desired the native crew
to cease rowing, and unite with me in prayer, which was
our usual practice when exposed to danger. The chief,
who stood in the centre of the assembled multitude, sup-
posing that we were afraid to land, made the people sit
down under the grove of bread-fruit, cocoa-nut, and other
trees which girt the shore. He then waded into the water
nearly up to his neck, and took hold of the boat, when,
addressing me in his native tongue, he said, “Son, will
you not come on shore ? will you not land amongst us?”
To this I replied, “I do not know that I shall trust myself;
I have heard a sad account of you in this bay, that you
have taken two boats, and that you are exceedingly sav-
age ; and perhaps when you get me into your possession
you will either injure my person or demand a ransom for
my release.” “Oh,” he shouted, “we are not savage now ;
we are Christians.” “You Christians!” I said. “Where did
you hear of Christianity ?” “Oh,” he exclaimed, “a great
chief from the white man's country, named Williams, came
to Savaii, about twenty moons ago, and placed some tama-
fai-lotu, ‘workers of religion, there, and several of our peo-
ple who were there began, on their return, to instruct their
friends, many of whom have become sons of the word. There
they are ; don't you see them " Looking in the direction
to which he pointed, I saw a group of about fifty persons
seated under the wide-spreading branches of large tou and
other trees, apart from those whom he had ordered to sit
down along the beach. Every one of this group had a
piece of white native cloth tied round his arm. I inquired
of the chief what this meant 7 when he replied, “They
are the Christians, and that cloth is to distinguish them from


380 INTERESTING INTERVIEW.
their heathen countrymen.” “Why,” I immediately ex-
claimed, “I am the person you allude to ; my name is
Williams. I took the workers of religion to Savaii about
twenty moons ago!” The moment he heard this, he made a
signal to the multitude, who sprang from their seats, rushed
to the sea, seized the boat, and carried both it and us to the
shore. Upon landing, Amoamo, the chief, took me by the
hand, and conducted me to the Christians; and after the
usual salutations, I inquired where they had heard of Chris-
tianity. Upon this, one of their number, rather more for-
ward than his brethren, replied, that he had been down to
the “workers of religion,” had brought back some know-
ledge, and was now engaged in imparting it to his country-
men; “And there is our chapel,” said he, “don’t you see
it!” Turning to the direction in which he pointed, I saw
a small rustic place of worship, which would hold about
eighty or a hundred people, peeping through the foliage
of the bananas and bread-fruit trees in which it was em-
bowered. Accompanied by my loquacious friend, and two
or three others, I asked him, on reaching the house, who
performed service there on the Sabbath day ! To this he
instantly replied, “I do.” “And who,” inquired I, “has
taught you?” “Why,” said he, “did you not see a little
canoe by the side of your boat, when we carried you on
shore just now ! that is my canoe, in which I go down to
the teachers, get some religion, which I bring carefully
home, and give to the people; and when that is gone, I
take my canoe again, and fetch some more. And now
you are come, for whom we have been so long waiting !
Where's our teacher" give me a man full of religion, that
I may not expose my life to danger, by going so long a
distance to fetch it.” I was truly grieved at being com-
pelled to tell him that I had no Missionary. On hearing


REMARKS. 381
this, he was affected almost to tears, and would scarcely
believe me ; for he imagined that the vessel was full of
Missionaries, and that I could easily supply the demand.
This, however, was impossible; but I trust that the day is
not distant, when Missionaries will not be doled out, as
they now are, but when their numbers will bear a nearer
proportion to the wants of the heathen. And why should
not this be the case ? How many thousands of ships has
~,
England sent to foreign countries to spread devastation
and death The money expended in building, equipping,
and supporting one of these, would be sufficient, with the
Divine blessing, to convey Christianity, with all its domestic
comforts, its civilizing effects and spiritual advantages, to
hundreds of thousands of people. -
It will not be supposed that these poor islanders knew
much about the principles of the religion they had em-
braced, neither was there any thing in their dress or per-
sons, except the piece of white cloth round their arms, to
distinguish them from their brethren: yet, rude and un-
seemly as their appearance was, I could not but look upon
them with feelings of the liveliest interest, and regard them
as an earnest of the complete victory that the Gospel
would shortly obtain over the superstitions, the idolatries,
and the barbarities of the inhabitants of the whole group.
Another circumstance which added great interest to
this scene was, the striking contrast between my reception
and that of the unfortunate La Perouse ; for if he be cor-
rect in the name he has given to the bay, this was the
same in which his lamented comrade, M. De Langle, and
eleven of his crew, were most barbarously murdered.
After viewing their rude chapel, I accompanied the
chief to his dwelling, when I inquired if he also had be-
come a worshipper of Jehovah. To this he replied in the
-
-
-




382 MORE NATIVE CONVERTS.
negative; but added, “If you will give me a worker of
religion to teach me, I will lisilisi, (become a believer,) im-
mediately.” It was with sincere regret that I was com-
pelled to say, that it was out of my power to do so; but
still I exhorted him to unite with the Christians, and to
give them all the countenance he could. Thus were this
people, who had been esteemed most ferocious, and who
had ill-treated or massacred some of the crews of all the
vessels which they had intercourse, prepared to receive us.
On returning to the ship, I found that Makea and our
people had been much entertained by natives from the
adjoining valley, who were anxiously waiting to present
an earnest request, that I would pay them a visit. As
soon as I stepped on board, the chief seized me most cor-
dially; but esteeming me greater than himself, he only
rubbed his nose on my hand. He then assured me, that
he and nearly all his people were Christians; that they
had erected a spacious place of worship, in imitation of
the one built by the teachers at Sapapalii, from which
place he had lately come, and brought the lotu ; and that
he was daily engaged in teaching his people what he him-
self had been taught by the Missionaries. Upon my say-
ing, that, from my knowledge of the native character, I did
not place implicit confidence in all that I heard, he adopted
a most effectual method of convincing me of the truth of
his assertions; for, placing his hands before him in the
form of a book, he recited a chapter out of our Tahitian
primer, partly in the Tahitian dialect and partly in the
Samoan; after which he said, “Let us pray;” and kneel-
ing down upon our little quarter-deck, he repeated the
Lord's Prayer, in broken Tahitian. The artless simplicity,
and apparent sincerity of this individual pleased us exceed-
ingly. We gave him some elementary books, made him
-
ENGLISTI SAILORS BAPTIZE SOME NATIVES. 383
a trifling present, and promised, if possible, to call and
spend a day or two with him on our return from Savaii.
On the following day we reached Upolu, when natives
from various parts of the island approached us, saying that
they were “sons of the word,” and that they were wait-
ing for the “religion-ship of Mr. Williams to bring them
Missionaries.” In one of these we perceived two English-
men. Upon being admitted on board, and learning who I
was, thinking that it would afford me pleasure, they began
to describe their exploits in turning people religion, as they
termed it. Wishing to obtain all the information I could
from these men, I inquired the number of their converts,
which they stated to be between two and three hundred :
and having asked how they effected their object, one of
them said, “Why, Sir, I goes about and talks to the peo-
ple, and tells 'em that our God is good, and theirs is bad;
and when they listens to me, I makes 'em religion, and
baptizes ‘em.” “Sure,” I exclaimed, “you baptize them,
do you ! how do you perform that 1° “Why, Sir,” he
answered, “I takes water, dips my hands in it, and cros-
ses them in their foreheads and in their breasts, and then
I reads a bit of a prayer to 'em in English.” “Of course,”
I said, “they understand you.” “No,” he rejoined, “but
they says they knows it does 'em good.” -
In addition to this, I found that these two individuals
had pretended to heal the sick, by reading a “bit of a
5
prayer” over them, for which they extorted property from
the people. I remonstrated with them upon the fearful
wickedness of their conduct; and they promised that they
would not again pursue such a course. This is only a
specimen of many similar interviews which we had with
persons of the same class, and shows the great impor-
tance of Christian exertion on behalf of British seamen.

C H A P T E R XXV.
-
Arrival at Manono—Joy of Matetau—Reach Savaii—Sabbath Services
there — Malietoa's Address—Interview between Makea and Malietoa-
An important Meeting held–Makea's Speech-Malietoa's Replies to the
Author's Questions—The Teacher's Narrative—Consultation with the
Teachers—Advice given upon various important Topics—Snakes-
Earthquakes.
ON Saturday afternoon we reached Manono, and as we
were passing this little garden island, my colossal friend,
Matetau, came off to us. After embracing me cordially,
and rubbing noses quite as long as was agreeable, he said,
“Where's my Missionary 1 I have not forgotten your
promise.” “No more have I,” was my rejoinder, – “here
he is.” I then introduced Te-ava and his wife, when he
seized them with delight, saluted their noses with a long
and hearty rub, and exclaimed, lelei, lelei, lava, “good
very good, I am happy now.” Having stated to the chief
that I was anxious to reach the Missionary station before
dark, and that he must either accompany me and return
in a few days, or go on shore, he said, “I must hasten back
to tell my people the good news, that you have come and
brought the promised Missionary.” Again rubbing my
nose, he stepped into his canoe, and skimming over the
billows, sailed towards the shore, shouting, as he approached
it, that Mr. Williams had brought them their Missionary.
We reached the station of Malietoa about five o'clock,
when the teachers and people manifested extravagant joy
at seeing us. As the twelve months during which we had


ARRIVAL AT SAVAII. 385
promised to return had elapsed, they had entertained fears
lest they should never see me again. When I informed
them that my detention had been occasioned by the dread-
ful hurricane we had experienced at Rarotonga, they stated
that it had extended to all the Navigators Islands, and had
been most destructive in its ravages. -
After the first expressions of joy, which the South Sea
Islanders invariably show by weeping, had subsided, I de-
sired the teachers to inform me what had occurred during
the important period of their residence among the people,
when I learned that Malietoa, his brother, the principal
chiefs, and nearly all the inhabitants of their settlement
had embraced Christianity; — that their chapel would ac-
commodate six or seven hundred people, and that it was
always full; and that in the two large islands of Savaii
and Upolu the Gospel had been introduced into more than
thirty villages. In addition to this, they stated that the
great body of the people were only waiting my arrival to
renounce their heathen system. This was most delightful
information, and drew forth tears of gratitude to God for
having in so short a time granted us a rich reward.
As the old king, Malietoa, was from home, catching
wood pigeons, a sport which the chiefs are extremely fond,
a messenger was despatched to inform him of our arrival.
At about half-past six o'clock, all the Missionaries left
home to visit numerous houses in the settlement, for the
purpose of conducting family worship ; many of their con-
verts not having acquired sufficient knowledge to officiate
themselves.
Although Malietoa was absent, I determined to take up
my residence at his house, knowing that it would afford
him pleasure to find me there on his return.
At about nine o'clock the next morning, I went to the



33

386 SAMOA FASHIONS.
chapel, accompanied by the teachers and Makea. It was
built in the Tahitian style, but thatched with the leaves of
the sugar cane, instead of the Pandanus. There were but
few seats in it, and the floor was covered with plaited
cocoa-nut leaves. The congregation consisted of about
seven hundred persons, and notwithstanding their singularly
uncultivated and grotesque appearance, it was impossible
to view them without feelings of the liveliest interest, while,
with outstretched necks and open mouths, they listened to
the important truths, by regarding which they would be
delivered from the appalling gloom in which they had for
ages been enveloped. Divine service was commenced
by a hymn in the Tahitian language, which was sung by
the teachers only. One of them then read a chapter of the
Tahitian Testament, translated it into the Samoan dialect,
and engaged in prayer with great ease and fluency. This
concluded, I addressed to them a short discourse, and as
I spoke in Tahitian, one of the teachers acted as interpreter.
My wild audience appeared to listen with profound atten-
tion, and conducted themselves with great propriety. Our
noble-looking chief, Makea, excited much interest; for, in
addition to his size and commanding aspect, he was dres-
sed in European costume, with a red surtout which was
presented to him by Mr. Buzacott just before our departure.
On returning home, I inquired of the teachers why they
had not taught the people to sing, when they informed me
that they began to do so, but as the females sang the
hymns at their dances, they thought it better to desist. On
inquiry, we learned that the teachers' wives had also at-
tempted to instruct the Samoa females in the manufacture
of white Tahitian cloth, of which they had made large
quantities for the chiefs, but that the women were so
idle that they could not be induced to learn the art,
-
MALIEToA's ARRIVAL. 387
although the cloth was exceedingly admired. We also
found that they had unsuccessfully endeavoured to per-
suade them to cover the upper part of their persons, of
which they were excessively vain. Indeed, they were
continually entreating the teachers' wives to lay aside their
European garments and fadsamoa, that is, adopt the Samoa
fashions, which was to gird a shaggy mat around the loins,
loop the corner of it on the right side, anoint themselves
profusely with scented oil, tinge themselves with tumeric
rouge, fasten a row of blue beads around the neck, and fad-
riaria, strut about and show themselves; and they en-
forced their wishes by assuring them, that if they did so,
all would admire them.
At about one o'clock, Malietoa arrived. He was neatly
dressed in a white shirt and waistcoat, and wore a beau-
tifully wrought mat as a substitute for trowsers. He
looked exceedingly well, and the contrast between his ap-
pearance then and at our former interview, when he came
direct from scenes of war and bloodshed, was very striking.
After the usual salutation, he expressed his sincere pleas-
ure in again welcoming me to the shores of Savaii, where
they had been most anxiously expecting me for several
months. He then said that it afforded him the greatest
satisfaction to be able to present to me all my people in
health, and to say that neither their persons nor property
had suffered injury. He added, that he was truly thankful
that the good word of Jehovah had been brought to his
islands, and that so many had embraced it, and “now,”
continued he, with an animation which indicated his de-
light, “all the people will follow, for by your return, they
will be convinced that the lotu is true, and will believe the
assurance of the teachers. For my own part,” he added,
“my heart is single in its desire to know the word of Je-



3SS THE TEACHER's ADDREss.
hovah.” After thanking him for so faithfully fulfilling his
promise, and explaining the cause of our detention, I intro-
duced my companion, Makea, the king of Rarotonga. The
old chieftain viewed him with an eagle's eye, and after
various inquiries, gave him a cordial welcome to his island,
and complimented him by saying, that he was the finest
man he had ever beheld, and was not to be equalled by
any chief in the Samoa group.
In the afternoon I preached to a congregation of not
less than a thousand persons, and found it a delightful em-
ployment to tell the wonderful story of redeeming love to
a multitude on whom the light of the Gospel was just
beginning to dawn; and earnestly did I pray that soon
“they might be able, with all saints, to comprehend the
breadth, and length, and depth, and height, of that love
which passeth knowledge.”
At the conclusion of the service, one of the teachers
arose, and thus addressed the assembly: —“Friends, for
a long time we have been subject to ridicule; and some
have even represented us as deceivers, and endeavoured
to confirm their representations by saying, ‘Where is Mr.
Williams? he will never return: if he comes again we
will believe.” Here then, is our minister, for whom you
have been waiting: you can ask him any questions you
please, in confirmation of what we have told you. More-
over, there is an impostor” who has taught the people to
keep Saturday as the sacred day, and some of you have
listened to his advice. Here is our minister from England,
the dwelling place of knowledge; he and his brother Mis-
* This individual was a native of Upolu, and had visited Tahiti, where he
had obtained a little knowledge of Christianity; and being an artful fellow,
he had, like the run-away sailors, taken advantage of the general excitement,
and had practised much deceit upon the people.
MALIEToA's REPLY. 389
sionaries are the fountains from which its streams have
flowed through these islands. Ask him now, respecting
the points concerning which you have doubted. He is
our root.”
In reply to this address, Malietoa, after a short interval,
came forward, and delivered a most sensible speech, the
substance of which was, that the Missionaries should not
regard what any insignificant person might say, and that
he hoped all suspicious feeling would subside; “for sure-
ly,” he exclaimed, “they will now be convinced that what
they have heard is the truth. Let all Savaii, all Upolu,
embrace this great religion; and as to myself,” he said,
“my whole soul shall be given to the word of Jehovah.
and my utmost endeavours employed that it may speedily
encircle the land.” At the conclusion of the chief’s ad-
dress, I desired one of the teachers to inform the people
that, as I expected to remain with them a week or a fort-
night, I should feel much pleasure, either publicly or pri-
vately, in answering any inquiries. It was therefore ar-
ranged that a public meeting should be convened on the
following day. We spent the evening of this memorable
Sabbath very profitably, in dedicating two of the Mission-
aries' children, born upon the island, to God in baptism.
The teachers expressed a wish that the service might
be private, lest the Samoans, who imitated every thing
they saw, should do the same to their own children. After
this, the teachers went, as usual, to a number of houses
in the settlement to conduct family worship, and I em-
ployed the interval in composing two or three hymns in
the Samoa language.
Early on Monday morning, a present of pigs, bread-
fruit, &c., was brought to us, and at ten o’clock, a mes-
senger came to request our attendance at a meeting, con-


33%

390 A MEETING.
vened in the large public building. On our arrival we
found it completely filled within, and surrounded by a
crowd who could not gain admission. A vacant space
was preserved in the centre for Makea and myself. Malie-
toa was seated opposite to us, at a distance of several
yards, when, after exchanging salutations, I told him that
I had come according to my promise, and that I was ex-
ceedingly delighted to find that he had fulfilled all his en-
gagements, and had, with so many of his people, embraced
Christianity. To this the old chieftain made a long and
sensible reply; after which, Makea ontertained and de-
lighted the people with an account of the introduction and
effects of Christianity at Rarotonga. “Now,” he said,
“we enjoy happiness, to which our ancestors were stran-
gers: our ferocious wars have ceased ; our houses are the
abodes of comfort; we have European property; books
in our own language; our children can read; and, above
all, we know the true God, and the way of salvation by
his Son Jesus Christ. He concluded his important and
most effective address, by earnestly exhorting Malietoa
and his brother chiefs to grasp with a firm hold the word
of Jehovah ; “for this alone,” he added, “can make you
a peaceable and happy people. I should have died a
savage had it not been for the Gospel.”
Makea's address produced a most powerful impression.
His appearance convinced every one that he was a great
chief; and his colour, that he was one of their own people;
and in their estimation, he was more splendidly attired than
any European they had ever seen,” which they attributed
to his having become a worshipper of Jehovah. In reply,
Malietoa stated his full conviction of the advantage which
*Makea wore his red surtout, which Mrs. Buzacott had kindly made and
presented to him.
THE MEETING. 391
would grow out of the good word. “We,” he said,
“should never have known each other, but for that word.”
He then declared his strong attachment to Christianity,
and his determination to hold it with a firm grasp, as
Makea had exhorted him. Encouraged by this, I inform-
ed Malietoa and his people that the Christians in England,
with whom I was connected, were willing to send English
Missionaries, if they sincerely desired to receive them ;
and I therefore wanted an explicit declaration of their
wishes, as they had had sufficient time to form an opinion
of the spirit and principles of Christianity. To this Ma-
lietoa instantly replied, with most emphatic energy, ‘We
are one ; we are only one ; we are thoroughly one in our
determination to be Christians.” Proceeding with my in-
terrogatories, I said, “What is your wish '" but, full of his
subject, before I finished my question, he replied, “Our
wish is that you should fetch your family, and come and
live and die with us, to tell us about Jehovah, and teach us
how to love Jesus Christ.” I said, “But I am only one, and
there are eight islands in the group, and the people are so
numerous that the work is too great for any individual;
and my proposition is, that I return immediately to my
native country, and inform my brother Christians of your
anxiety to be instructed.” “Well,” replied the chieftain,
“go, go with speed ; obtain all the Missionaries you can,
and come again as soon as possible ; but, oh we shall be
dead, many of us will be dead, before you return.” There
was something to my mind thrillingly affecting in the above
expression ; and callous indeed must have been the indi-
vidual who could witness such a scene, and listen to such
sentiments, without emotion. I went on to state that as
the English Missionaries would have wives and property,
I wished to ascertain whether Malietoa would be able to

392 MALIE to A's ADDREss.
protect them. With an expression of surprise, and appear-
ing somewhat hurt, he inquired, “Why do you ask that
question ? have I not fulfilled my promises 7 I assured
you that I would terminate the war as soon as possible ;
this I did, and there has been no war since. I gave you
my word that I would assist in erecting a chapel; it is
finished. I told you I would place myself under instruc-
tion, and I have done so. Twenty moons ago, you com-
mitted your people, with their wives and children, and pro-
perty, to my care; now inquire if, in any case, they have
suffered injury. And do you ask me whether I will pro-
tect English Missionaries, the very persons we are so anx-
ious to have / Why do you propose such a question ?”
Feeling at once that I had committed myself, I instantly
replied, “You cannot suppose that I ask for my own con-
viction; the faithful performance of your promises is per-
fectly satisfactory to my own mind; but you know that the
English are a very wise people, and one of their first ques-
tions, in reply to my application for Missionaries, will be,
‘Who is Malietoa' and what guarantee have you for the
safety of our people " And I wish to carry home your
words, which will be far more satisfactory than my own.”
“Oh!” he exclaimed, “that is what you wish, is it?” and
significantly moving his hand from his mouth towards me,
he said, “Here they are, take them ; here they are, take
them : go, and procure for us as many Missionaries as you
can, and tell them to come with confidence; for if they
bring property enough to reach from the top of yonder
high mountain down to the sea-beach, and leave it exposed
from one years end to another, not a particle of it shall be
touched.” The chief then requested me to state what was
esteemed sa, or bad, according to the principles of the
Christian religion, promising to abandon every practice

THE TEACHER's NARRATIVE. 393
which the word of God condemned. In reply I informed
him, that there were very many things, the evil of which
they would see, as soon as they were a little more en-
lightened ; and that therefore our first object was to supply
them with knowledge. Still there were some practices,
the sinfulness of which I thought they could not but per-
ceive, although deficient in Christian knowledge. I then
referred to war, revenge, adultery, theft, lying, cheating,
their obscene dances, and many of their pastimes, and con-
cluded by exhorting them to be constant in their attend-
ance upon the teachers, who could give them information
upon all these topics, having been under the instruction of
myself and my brother Missionaries for many years. Just
before the meeting dispersed, Malietoa stated to the people
that they might, in future, place confidence in the teachers,
because my statements and theirs were in perfect accord-
ance. He then requested me to bring the ship into the
harbour, and not to be in haste to leave them, as their love
would not soon abate. I was sorry, however, to find that
the harbour was too shallow and full of rocks to allow us
to anchor in it.
To facilitate my intercourse with the natives, I em-
braced the first opportunity of obtaining from the teachers
a history of their proceedings, during their residence at the
Samoas. The whole of this was so interesting, that it is
with regret I omit any part of it; but for want of space I
can only present the reader with a few of the most strik-
ing particulars. Among these, I may notice the reception
of the Gospel by Malietoa and his family. Prior to the
conclusion of the war, he sent one of his sons to assist the
teachers in erecting the chapel. This they completed a
short time before the termination of the disastrous con-
flict. On Malietoa's return, the day was fixed for opening

--
394 SINGULAR EXPERIMENT.
it; but just before that, he called his family together, most
of whom had reached manhood, and stated, that he was
about to fulfil his promise to me, and become a worship-
per of Jehovah. With one accord they replied, that if it
was good for him, it was equally so for them, and that
they would follow his example. But to this he objected,
and declared that if they did so, he should adhere to the
old system. “Do you not know,” he said, “that the gods
will be enraged with me for abandoning them, and en-
deavour to destroy me, and perhaps Jehovah may not
have power to protect me against the effects of their
anger. My proposition therefore is, that I should try the
experiment of becoming his worshipper, and then, if he
can protect me, you may with safety follow my example;
but if not, I only shall fall a victim to their vengeance —
you will be safe.” The young men manifested great re-
luctance to comply with this request, and wished to know
how long a time he required to make this singular experi-
ment. He informed them, that he desired a month or six
weeks; and after some debate, they unwillingly acquiesced
in his proposition. It was, however, a time of general
and intense excitement, and messengers were frequently
despatched to different parts of the island, to announce
the triumph of Jehovah's power. At the expiration of the
third week, however, the patience of the young men was
exhausted, and, going to their father, they stated, that he
had tried his experiment sufficiently long; that no evil
had befallen him ; and that therefore they would imme-
diately follow his example. He gave his consent; when
not only his relatives, but nearly all his people, abandoned
their heathen worship. This appeared to me a most sin-
gular and interesting incident. In the first place, it evinced
a noble disinterestedness and great magnanimity in Ma-


---
SINGULAR EXPERIMENT. 395
lietoa ; and also showed us, that the watchful eye of God
was open to all such events, and that he governed them
for the furtherance of his purposes of mercy. Had any
indisposition befallen this chieftain during the time he was
thus “trying his experiments upon Jehovah's power,” an
effectual barrier might have been raised against the pro-
gress of the Gospel among that people; and if Malietoa
had died, our teachers would very probably have fallen
victims to the fury of the heathen.
A day was immediately appointed on which the young
men should publicly renounce their heathenism ; and, as
the people generally have no idols to destroy, they adopted
rather a singular ceremony in the abandonment of their
former system. In order to render this intelligible, I must
inform the reader that every chief of note has his etu.
This was some species of bird, fish, or reptile, in which
the spirit of the god was supposed to reside ; and on this
occasion one of the class was cooked and eat, by which
act, in the estimation of the natives, the etu was so thor-
oughly desecrated that it could never again be regarded
as an object of religious veneration. The first chief who
embraced the Gospel was a person whom the teachers met
when they visited Malietoa at the seat of war. This in-
dividual, having been impressed with their conversation,
returned to his district, and held a faita-linga, or consul-
tation, with his people. The result of this was a request
that the teachers would come, and be present at the cere-
mony of renouncing his heathen worship. On their arrival
they found a large concourse of people, and, after the usual
salutations, the chief inquired if they had brought with
them a fish-spear. They asked why he wanted that; when
he replied, that his etu was an eel, and that he wished one
to be caught, that he might eat it, in order to convince all

396 RENUNCIATION OF IDOLATRY.
of his sincerity. An eel was therefore caught, and, being
cooked, was eat by many who had formerly regarded it as
their etu. The teachers then wrote the names of these in
a book, kept for that purpose, delivered an address, and
engaged in prayer. This, I presume, gave rise to the
custom, which since then has been adopted by all who
wished to embrace Christianity. The etu of Malietoa's
sons was a fish called anae, and on the day appointed a
large party of friends and relatives were invited to partake
of the feast. A number of anae having been dressed, and
laid upon newly plucked leaves, the party seated them-
selves around them, while one of the teachers implored a
blessing. A portion of the etu was then placed before
each individual, and, with trembling hearts, they proceeded
to devour the sacred morsel. The superstitious fears of
the young men were so powerfully excited, lest the etu
should gnaw their vitals and cause death, that they imme-
diately retired from the feast, and drank a large dose of
cocoa-nut oil and salt-water, which was certainly a most
effectual method of preventing such an evil. The favour-
able result of these experiments of the chief and his sons
decided the people of the settlement to place themselves at
once under the instruction of the teachers. Like the
ancient Miletans, they expected that the daring innovators
would have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly, but
seeing no harm come to them, they changed their minds,
and said that Jehovah was the true God.
Subsequently to this, a large meeting was convened, to
consult respecting the destruction of Papo, which was
nothing more than a piece of old rotten matting, about
three yards long, and four inches in width; but as this
was the god of war, and always attached to the canoe of
their leader when they went forth to battle, it was regarded

TIIE DESTRUCTION OF PAPO. 397
with great veneration. At the meeting in question, one
person had the temerity to propose that it should be
thrown into a fire. This, however, excited a burst of dis-
approbation ; and it was ultimately agreed that as drown-
ing was a less horrible death than burning, this should be
his fate. For this purpose, a new canoe was launched,
several chiefs of note were selected, among whom was
Fauea, the chief we brought from Tongatabu ; and then,
with great ceremony, a stone was tied to Papo, and he
was placed on the canoe, to be consigned to a watery
grave. The teachers heard of this just after the chiefs had
left the shore, and immediately paddled off in another
canoe, and succeeded in overtaking the chiefs before Papo
was committed to the deep. They then requested Fauea
to give it to them, that they might reserve it until I arrived,
when they would present it to me; and to this they agreed.
On reaching the island, I came into possession of this relic,
and have placed it in the Missionary Museum.
The report of Papo's being drowned produced a very
general excitement, and from that period to the time of
my arrival, applications from Manono, Upolu, and all parts
of Savaii, for a visit from the teachers had been incessant.
From some places, one or more intelligent individuals
came and resided for a week or two with the Missionaries,
and carried from them to their waiting countrymen the
little information which they had obtained, and when that
was exhausted, would return for a fresh supply.
One part of the conduct of the teachers appeared to me
worthy of special commendation. They had invariably
refused to hold their religious services in the large public
buildings, assigning, as a reason, the disgusting and infa-
mous character of the dances and amusements conducted
there. War had been often rumoured, and several times


- 34
398 WAIR THREATENED.
it was on the eve of breaking out. On one of these occa-
sions, the heathen, exasperated at Tangaloa for inviting a
teacher to reside at his settlement, threatened to attack
him if he was not sent away. As Tangaloa refused to
do this, they prepared for battle; but as soon as they saw
that Malietoa had come with a large party of his followers
to the assistance of his friend, they were intimidated and
withdrew. On another occasion, some of the people of
Manono threatened to put Malietoa to death. He had
gone over there to visit some friends, when the chief who
retained Tamafainga's head, proposed to unite with him
in exacting a general tribute for it. To this, however,
Malietoa objected, saying, that he was a worshipper of
Jehovah, and that with his consent, no tribute should be
paid to the head of Tamaſainga, nor a successor appointed.
This exasperated the interested party so much that they
agreed to assassinate him. He heard of this, and after
spending a few days with Matetau, returned home. The
party expected to be assailed immediately, and therefore
sent their women, children, and property to their fortress,
put themselves in an attitude of defence, and waited anx-
iously during several weeks for the anticipated attack.
This, however, Malietoa had no intention of making; but
had he not embraced the Christian religion nothing could
have prevented him from avenging the insult, for the indi-
vidual who proposed to kill him, had, a few years before,
put Malietoa's favourite daughter to death in a most bar-
barous manner. He happened to take her in war, and
being a fine young person, and the daughter of a great
chief, he wished her to become his wife, but to this she
would not consent, and it was also opposed by his own
people, who said, that it was a base thing in him to take
by force the daughter of so great a chieftain. Upon this,

FORBEARANCE OF MALIETOA. 399
he seized his club, and declaring that if he did not have
her, no one else should, he struck her upon the head, and
killed her on the spot. Malietoa had not forgotten this,
and his sons urged him to embrace the present opportunity
of avenging the death of their sister; but he replied, that
having embraced the lotu, which was a religion of peace,
he was determined, if possible, to live and die under its
influence.
The teachers informed me that they experienced much
anxiety during the existence of these “rumours of wars,”
but that for two months they had enjoyed tranquillity, and
that my expected arrival, together with the “new religion,”
had engrossed the attention of the people.
The remaining part of the day was spent in conversing
with the teachers upon various important topics. One
subject considered was, the propriety of removing some
of the Missionaries to other parts of the island, or to Upolu ;
and after much consultation, we determined that they had
better remain together at present, and itinerate as much
as practicable ; but as there was so much danger in sailing
among the islands in the Samoa canoes, it was resolved
that they should immediately build a large boat, which
they could accomplish with ease, as Te-awa had brought
with him a pair of smith's bellows, and as I could furnish
them with iron and a saw. They completed their task in
a few weeks; and the boat has proved invaluable in the
prosecution of their labours. As it was our invariable
practice to impart all the mechanical knowledge we could
to our native missionaries, before we took them to their
stations, they experienced no difficulty in effecting this im-
portant object. A second topic was the erection of a good
substantial chapel, as a model for all the other settlements.
I gave a decided preference to the Samoa buildings, as

400 INTER view with the chier's wives.
more substantial, and better adapted for places of worship
than the Tahitian; the latter being long and narrow, the
former nearly round. Beside this, the natives knew how
to build their own houses, but not such as the Tahitian,
the erection of which the teachers would be required not
only to superintend, but in a great measure to complete
with their own hands. I also recommended them to plas-
ter it, to fix doors, and venetian windows, and to cover
the floor with good mats, in order to impress the natives
with the importance of the object to which it was set apart.
Another very important point considered was, the extent
to which the teachers should advise the chiefs who became
Christians to interfere with the amusements of the people.
I gave it as my opinion, that they ought to prohibit all the
exhibitions and amusements which were infamous and
obscene; but that their sham-fights, fencing-matches, exer-
cises in darting the spear, pigeon-catching, and other pas-
times which were not immoral, had better be tolerated;
persuaded that when the Christian religion was embraced
from a conviction of its spiritual nature and excellence,
those of them that were improper would soon fall into
disuse.
In the aſternoon, I was honoured with the company of
his majesty's five wives. Three of these were about forty-
five years of age, the others were much younger. By my
invitation they seated themselves upon the ground, and,
after asking a blessing, they ate heartily and cheerfully
what was placed before them. In the course of conver-
sation, I found that a species of serpent abounded in the
Samoa Islands; and having expressed a wish to take a
specimen with me to the Society islanders, who had never
seen one, the ladies immediately ran out of the house, and
returned about half an hour afterwards, each having a live


HGNORANCE OF THE NATIVES. 401
snake twined about her neck. The manners of these
females were pleasing; and, while I gazed upon their
good-natured countenances, and listened to their cheerful
conversation, I could not but rejoice in the hope, that the
period had arrived, when they would be raised from the
state of barbarous vassalage into which sin and superstition
had sunk them. During the evening, while conversing
with the king, and other persons of distinction, I made
some allusion to the dreadful hurricane at Rarotonga, and
found that, at the Samoa Islands, it had raged with great
fury, accompanied by a violent shock of an earthquake;
four of which, the teachers informed me, had been experi-
enced within the seventeen months they had resided there.
They also told me, that, during these shocks, the natives
rushed from their houses, threw themselves upon the
ground, gnawed the grass, tore up the earth, and vocifer-
ated, in the most frantic manner, to Mafuie to desist, lest
he should shake the earth to pieces. Some said that the
devolo was angry with them for allowing the lotu to be re-
ceived at their islands, and begged the teachers to hide
their Bibles until his rage had ceased. On asking their
opinion of this phenomenon, they informed me, that Tiitii
ataranga supported the island of Savaii with his left hand,
and that had it been his right, long ago he would have
shaken it to pieces; but that, in a quarrel with Mafuie,
the latter broke his left arm, which rendered it feeble,
and which accounts for the universal weakness of that
arm in men. Thus ignorant are the heathen of the works
as well as the word of God.
34% - ... "


C H A P T E R XXVI.
Visit to Amoa-A beautiful Settlement—A Company of Female Christians
—Their Appearance–The Chapel erected by themselves—Visit to Ma-
lava-Disagreement between Matetau and Malietoa-An intelligent
young Chief–Sail for Manono-Curious Incidents on board—Recon-
ciliation effected between the Chiefs.
ON the following morning we left Sapapalii for Amoa, a
station about eight miles distant, at which the inhabitants
had built a chapel, and were all receiving Christian in-
struction. In going thither, we passed through a settle-
ment called Safatulafai, which is one of the most beautiful
in the group, and which astonished and delighted me. We
could more easily have imagined ourselves in an English
park, than in a heathen village. A broad road of hard
sand ran through it; a spacious building for their public
business and amusements occupied the centre; and, at
various distances, there were lawns of beautiful green-
sward, which were appropriated to club-fights, fencing,
wrestling, and boxing-matches. The path-way was over-
shadowed by the wide-spreading branches of the tamanue
and other gigantic trees, while the neat houses of the in-
habitants were partially concealed by the foliage of the
bread-fruit trees and bananas, among which they were
embowered. This settlement was kept in excellent order,
and had an air of respectability which could not have
been looked for among a people, in other respects, so bar-
barous. Before we reached Amoa, we passed through

VISIT TO AMOA. 403
two or three other settlements, which, although large,
were inferior to Safatulafai. But what rendered these
most interesting was, that in one of them a chapel was
finished, and in a second the inhabitants were preparing
to erect another. After spending a short time with the
chiefs, and addressing to them a few words of encourage-
ment, we proceeded on our journey, and reached Amoa,
which we found to be an extensive settlement, but inferior
-in beauty to that through which we had passed. It was
governed, as is frequently the case, by two chiefs of nearly
equal rank. These were active young men, and very
zealous in the cause they had espoused ; and we were
gratified to learn, that their example had been followed by
all the inhabitants. After receiving the cordial welcome
of chiefs and people, we went to the chapel, and found it
rather a rough edifice, capable of accommodating about
four hundred persons. A meeting was then held in the
spacious public building, which answered all the purposes
of town-halls in England. After several large baked pigs
had been presented to us, the chiefs stated that they felt
greatly honoured by our presence, and that, had I not sent
to apprize them of my visit, they should have hastened to
Sapapalii. -
After my reply, they asked a variety of questions, similar
to those proposed at the meeting with Malietoa ; and, just
as this conversation terminated, our attention was arrested
by the approach of about seventy females, bringing gifts,
and following each other in goose-like procession. These
were preceded by four men, each of whom was bearing
upon his shoulders a baked pig. On entering the house,
the men approached Makea and myself, and deposited
their burdens at our feet. Each of the women then laid
down her present, and these were so numerous, that,




404 FEMALE CHIRISTIANS.
gigantic as my friend Makea was, he and myself were
speedily concealed by the cocoa-nuts, bread-fruit, and
yams, which were heaped up before us. On removing a
portion from the top of the pile, that we might catch a
glimpse of our friends on the other side, we perceived
that the principal woman and her daughter had seated
themselves by the two chiefs, one of whom she requested
to be her spokesman. Through him she stated, that they
had heard of my intention to come to Amoa; but as the
Christians of her settlement were only females, they could
not expect to receive a visit from so great a chief as
myself, and had therefore come to pay their respects to
one from whom they had received the word of Jehovah.
She then expressed her regret that their offering was so
small, and accounted for it by saying, that none of their
husbands had yet become “sons of the word;” but still
she hoped that I would accept it, as an expression of
gratitude for my having brought to them the knowledge of
salvation. This was a novel and interesting event, and
before replying to her address, I asked the teachers what
they knew about her and her female friends. “Oh,” said
they, “we know her well, her settlement is five miles
away, and some time ago she came and resided with us a
month, during which she was exceedingly diligent in her
attendance on our instructions. She then returned, col-
lected all the women of her district, and so interested
them by her statements, that very many have been induced
to follow her example, and renounce their heathen worship.
From that time to the present,” they added, “she has been
constant in her periodical visits; for as soon as her little
stock of knowledge is expended, she returns, and stays
with us a few days to obtain more, which she treasures
up, and carefully carries back to her waiting companions.”
THEY ERECT A CHAPEL. 405
The teachers also told us that she had built a place of
worship, in which, when neither of them could attend,
this female chief conducted Divine service. After listen-
ing to this intelligence with surprise and delight, I expressed
to her the gratification I had derived from the interview,
and exhorted them all to be particularly circumspect in
their conduct, “that by their chaste conversation they
might win their husbands” to Christ. Having returned as
handsome a present as I could make, our interview closed.
The whole of the party presented a singular appearance;
for although they had decorated themselves in the very
best style, and looked exceedingly handsome, in the esti-
mation of themselves and their countrymen, we hoped that
their ideas upon this subject would soon be improved.
The principal personage was tall and well proportioned.
Her dress consisted of a shaggy mat dyed red, bound
round her loins, which did not reach below her knees.
The upper part of her person was uncovered, and anointed
rather freely with sweet-scented oil, slightly tinged with
turmeric rouge. Rows of large blue beads decorated her
neck, and formed bracelets for her arms. Her head was
shorn very bare, with the exception of a single tuft about
the size of a crown piece over the left temple. From this,
hung a little lock of hair about six inches in length, which
dangled carelessly about her cheek. Several of the party
were the unmarried daughters of chiefs. The costume of
these differed from that worn by the married women.
While both parties appeared equally proud of their blue
bead necklaces and bracelets, which they valued as highly
as English ladies do their diamonds and pearls, the un-
married females wore a white instead of a red mat, had
dispensed with the oil and turmeric, and retained a rich
profusion of graceful curls on one side of their head, the


406 THEIR COSTUME.
other being shorn quite bare. Those of inferior rank con-
tented themselves with a wreath of flowers, a little rouge
and oil, a blue bead or two about the neck, and a girdle
of fresh-gathered leaves. Their whole deportment was
consistent with modesty and propriety.
My time, during our stay at Savaii, was fully occupied
in paying visits similar to the above; but my limits forbid
me to give an account of them. I must therefore content
myself with presenting but one more specimen of my en-
gagements at this place. This was a visit to Malava, a
settlement about eight miles from Sapapalii. During our
journey we passed through one of the nuu devolo, devil's
villages. I thought, when I first heard the expression,
that it was an opprobrious term ; but upon inquiry, I
found that it was not so understood by the natives; for,
on asking a man who had not joined the Christian party,
whether he was a “son of the word,” he replied, “No, I
am a man of the devil.” This, with other circumstances,
convinced me that the term was used simply for the sake
of distinction and not of reproach. In passing through
this village, I observed, under the eaves of most of the
houses, small pieces of white cloth, which were designed to
intimate that a sacred ceremony was then being observed
within, and that no person must enter the house upon pain
of death.
On reaching Malava, we were conducted to the “gov-
ernment house;” and here we were met by the chief, who,
after shaking hands with us, instead of rubbing noses,
withdrew. He was rather tall, about the middle age, and
of sedate appearance. As he wore a white shirt, a finely
wrought mat as a substitute for trowsers, and a hat, he pre-
sented a more civilized appearance than most of his breth-
ren. During his short absence, I learned from the teachers
VISIT TO MALAWA, 407
that he was one of the few who appeared to be actuated
by principle, and that, in maintaining his profession, he
had evinced undaunted courage. After about a quarter of
an hour's absence, he returned, accompanied by about a
hundred men and women, the former carrying pigs and
vegetables, and the latter pieces of cloth ; and having
seated himself, he said, “I feel highly honoured by a visit
from so great a chief, a chief of religion. I am now a
worshipper of Jehovah, my heart and thoughts are in love
with the good word, and my sincere desire is that, speedily
it may spread through the land, and that not a Faka-Devolo,
a devil's man, may remain.” He then begged my accept-
ance of the food, which had been prepared in expectation
of my coming; when I expressed my thanks, and the grati-
fication with which I had heard his sentiments; adding,
that as I did not come there to obtain property, of which
we had plenty at home, I would only accept of a little of
the food, and three or four pieces of the cloth, for the pur-
pose of showing their friends in England what clothing
they wore, but the rest he must allow me to return. To
this, however, he would not listen. I therefore sent the
food on board the vessel, and presented the cloth to Makea.
Before the meeting terminated, the chief and people of
of another settlement, about three miles distant, came to
beg for a Missionary; and two messengers from a large
settlement, about six miles further, on the same errand,
and also to solicit the honour of a visit. But although the
spirit was both willing and delighted, yet the flesh was too
weak to allow me to gratify them. After this, we held an
interesting religious service in their chapel, which was the
largest and best I had seen, with the exception of that at
Sapapalii, and would accommodate nearly five hundred
persons. This concluded, we returned home, about ten



-
408 ATTEMPT-AT RECONCILLATION.
o'clock at night, almost insensible to fatigue, from the
pleasure we had enjoyed in the engagements of the day.
Malava was so important a station that the Missionaries
had consented to allow one of their number to reside at it,
and as Boki had been instrumental in the conversion of
that people, he was selected for the purpose.
On reaching home, my attention was called to a circum-
stance which occasioned me a little perplexity. For some
months past, a serious disagreement had existed between
Malietoa, and Matetau of Monono ; and the teachers were
very anxious that they should be reconciled before I left.
In order to effect this, I had despatched the vessel to fetch
Matetau, supposing that he would esteem it an honour to
have an English ship sent for him ; but, unfortunately, he
refused to come. Upon hearing this, Malietoa's indigna-
tion was aroused; and being convinced that the continued
hostility of these powerful chiefs would endanger the peace
of the islands, I determined, if possible, to effect a recon-
ciliation, and with this view, proposed to Malietoa that he
and his brother Tuiano, with two or three of the teachers,
should accompany me to Manono, whither I intended to
convey Te-ava, Matetau’s Missionary. To this he at first
strongly objected, but, after describing the spirit of Chris-
tianity, as contrasted with that of heathenism, and stating
that it was honourable in us and pleasing to God to be the
first to seek reconciliation, he instantly said, “Then I'll go,
we'll go to-morrow.”
This important point being settled, I prepared to retire
to rest; but, although it was past midnight, and I was ex-
cessively fatigued, I was kept from reclining upon my
welcome mat, by the conversation of one of the most in-
teresting and intelligent young chiefs with whom I had yet
had intercourse. His name was Riromaiava. He was
AN INTERESTING CHIEF. 409
nearly related to Malietoa, and esteemed by the old chief-
tain so highly that he consulted him upon every subject of
importance. He had just then returned from a journey,
and was impatiently waiting my arrival. On entering the
house, to my surprise, he saluted me in English, with
“How do you do, Sir 7” I instantly replied, “Very well,
I thank you, Sir: how do you do?” “O,” he answered,
“me very well: me very glad to see you; me no see you
long time ago; me away in the bush making fight; oh!
plenty of the fight, too much of the fight ! Me hear that
white chief bring the good word of Jehovah, me want
plenty to see you; me heart say, ‘How do you do?’ me
heart cry to see you.” He further told me that he had be-
come a Christian, and added that his sincere desire was to
know and love the word of God. Upon inquiring whether
he had learned to read, he replied, that he had been trying
for several months, but that his “heart was too much fool,”
and that he had not yet succeeded. I encouraged him to
persevere, and told him that the knowledge of reading was
so valuable that no labour could be too great in order to
its acquisition. He assured me that he would persevere,
and never be tired until he had mastered it. After this he
asked me a variety of questions about England, the usages
of civilized society, the principles of Christianity, and nu-
merous other topics, which convinced me that he was
worthy of the esteem in which he was held, and of the re-
putation he had obtained. Perceiving that I was overcome
with fatigue, he retired, after requesting me to take a meal
at his house in the morning, before I sailed for Manono ;
and being so much interested with his intelligent conver-
sation, I accepted his invitation. In the course of the
morning he gave me a fearful account of the cruelties prac-


35

-
410 HIS INTELLIGENCE.
tised in the late war; and having stated that very many
of the women, children, and infirm people were burned, he
exclaimed, in a pathetic manner, “Oh, my countrymen, the
Samoa man, too much fool, plenty wicked; you don't
know. Samoa great fool, he kills the man, he fights the
tree. Bread-fruit tree, cocoa-nut tree, no fight us. Oh
the Samoa too much fool, too much wicked.” He then
inquired very affectionately after Mrs. Williams and my
family; and being informed that I had two sons, called
John and Samuel, and that the age of the latter was about
that of his own little boy, he begged that he might be
allowed to give him that name; to which I consented. He
further entreated me to fetch Mrs. Williams, and reside at
Samoa, as he greatly desired to be poto (very wise,) and
had never till then met with one who could give him all
the knowledge he desired. In reference to Mrs. Williams
and the children, he asked me if “Williams woman and
Williams boy” did not grieve very much at my being so
very far away from them for so many months upon the
sea? “Yes,” I replied, “but Mrs. Williams is as anxious
as myself that the poor heathen should know about Jesus
Christ and salvation, and therefore willingly makes the
sacrifice.” With tears in his eyes, he then exclaimed,
“We plenty sorry for them; they must have plenty of cry
for you all these moons.” After exchanging presents, I
took my leave of this intelligent young chief, promising to
give him as much of my company as my numerous en-
gagements would afford. He told me that his patrimonial
estate was at Upolu ; that it was a most beautiful settle-
ment; but that, having been beaten in a late war, he was
obliged to take refuge with his relative, Malietoa. He ex-
pected, however, soon to be reinstated in his possessions,
SAIL FOR MANON O. 4 II
and hoped he should then be able to obtain a wise Mis-
sionary to instruct him.*
On the following day we embarked for Manono, accom-
panied by Malietoa, Tuiano, several other chiefs, and two
of the teachers. The natives evinced much feeling at our
departure ; and having seated themselves by the sides of
the path which led to the place of embarkation, they arose
as I passed, kissed my hand, and entreated me to return
as speedily as possible, to tell them more about Jehovah
and Jesus Christ. A foul wind prevented our reaching
Manono before the next day, and this afforded me an op-
portunity of discovering that Malietoa still retained many
of his heathen usages; for although it rained heavily during
the night, he would not descend from the deck, which his
friends accounted for on the ground that his presence ren-
dered a place sacred. In addition to this, we learned that
no female must touch food that had been brought near to
him. Upon remonstrating with the natives on the folly
of these practices, they assured me that there was nothing
superstitious in them, or connected with the worship of
the gods, but that they were simply ceremonies of respect
which were shown to the principal chiefs.
They were curious in examining the different parts of
the ship. My bed-cabin, with the bedding, pleased two
of the ladies so much that they were anxious to occupy it;
but not wishing it to be soiled with their oily skins, I
directed them to the lockers, as a comfortable sleeping-
place. “True,” they replied, “but these are not so soft
and pretty as yours;” and they went and patted the pil-
lows, and put them to their cheeks, saying, “ Lelei malu,”
* The chief had acquired his knowledge of English from a sailor who had
been left at the islands sick, and who was a very decent, well-behaved man.


412 A RECONCILIATION EFFECTED.
“good, soft.” However, they appeared to sleep very
soundly on the lockers, except when the ship tacked, and
they were rolled off upon the cabin floor.
On reaching Manono, I hastened on shore and succeeded
in inducing Matetau to accompany me to the vessel. After
introducing him to Malietoa, I stated that my object in
bringing them together was to effect a reconciliation, and
establish a friendship between them; for as they were
most influential chiefs, and as teachers had been placed
with them both, their disagreement would be most disas-
trous to the cause of religion. I then proposed to leave
them for a short time to themselves, and hoped they would
be able to accomplish the much desired object. In about
an hour they came to me and said, “We two have now
but one heart,” and that in future they would unite their
influence to prevent war, and extend religion. I then gave
the teacher and his wife in special charge to Matetau, who
ordered his property to be carefully placed in his own
canoe; and when we had knelt upon the deck, and com-
mended them to God in prayer, they departed for the shore.
I was truly thankful thus to have been enabled to recon-
cile these two powerful chiefs, and to commence a Mission
upon this important little island under circumstances so
favourable. On the Monday week I again visited Manono :
but being too unwell to land, I sent to inquire after the
welfare of Te-ava, who addressed to me the note of which
the following is a translation:-
JManono, JNovember 5th, 1832.
DEAR FRIEND:
I like this place very well; the chief is very kind, and the
people supply me with plenty of food. We held our services yes-
terday in the largest house in the settlement, which was quite full.
The chief, with many of the people, have made a public profession
NU MEROUS APPLICATIONS. 413
of Christianity. This morning we met to teach the alphabet, when
the house was again filled, and the people were all anxious to be
taught. We are happy and comfortable. May the Lord protect
you while sailing on the sea. We think very much about Mr. and
Mrs. Buzacott.
Blessing on you, through Jesus.
TE-AvA.
After landing Malietoa and his party at the Missionary
station, I proceeded to different parts of the Islands of
Savaii and Upolu, in search of a harbour where to anchor,
refit, and procure water for our return voyage. This oc-
cupied five or six days; and wherever we went we found
the people anxious to be instructed. Indeed, the applica-
tions to visit different settlements were so numerous that
I could have advantageously spent six months there instead
of one. Every where they urged their claim by saying,
“Our chapel is finished, and all we want is a Missionary.”
At length, by the guidance of the natives, we found a very
commodious harbour, and they informed me of two others.
Thus in one island we discovered three harbours, although
it had been reported by La Perouse, Kotzebue, and others,
that there was no safe anchorage in the whole group.
On arriving off the harbour at Apia I went in with the
boat to examine it ; and on finding it spacious, convenient,
and safe, we made a signal to the vessel to stand in, which
she did, and dropped anchor in about six fathoms of water.
The Messenger of Peace was very soon crowded to excess
by natives; but as Malietoa sent his Tuulaa-fale, or orator,
with me, silence was commanded, when, with great parade,
he declared who I was and what I wanted. He then an-
nounced that Malietoa had given me his name, and that
the respect due to him must be shown to me.
Having made arrangements for procuring a supply of



35%

414 INCIDENTS AT APIA.
water, I went on shore, and was conducted to the house
of Punipuniolu, the principal chief. After exchanging
salutations, he made numerous inquiries respecting myself,
and then asked my opinion of the harbour. Having told
him, in reply, that it was one of the best I had seen, he
requested me to communicate this to captains of ships, as
he greatly desired to be visited by them. To this I replied
that I had no objection; but as the captains would imme-
diately inquire whether the chief was a Christian, I should
be compelled to inform them that he was not so. “Oh,
no,” he exclaimed, “you must not tell them that, for I had
resolved, before your arrival, to follow Malietoa's example;
and if you will wait until to-morrow morning, by which
time I shall have conferred with my people, you can come
on shore, and make me a Christian.” Accordingly, on the
following morning, I met the chief, and about a hundred
and fifty other persons. On entering his house I was
saluted with the greatest respect, by the name of Malietoa,
and addressed in the language used to chiefs of the highest
rank. As soon as I was seated, Punipuniolu said, “I have
resolved to renounce the religion of my forefathers, and
wish you to make me a Christian.” I informed him that
nothing but a change of heart could make him a Christian,
and that this was the work of God; but, at the same time,
I should rejoice to receive his public declaration in favour
of Christianity, to write his name in a book, and to offer
up to Jehovah my sincere prayers on his behalf. The
chief then requested that those who wished to follow his
example would remain in the house while I prayed, and
that the others would withdraw. On hearing this, about
twenty retired, but they returned at the close of the prayer,
when the chief thus addressed the assembly: “Let none of
us speak contemptuously of religion. Some of you have
WALK INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE COUNTRY. 415
preferred remaining in the devil's worship. Do not you
revile my proceedings; neither will I yours.” A short time
after this, while walking about the settlement with the
chief, he appeared much dispirited ; and on inquiring the
cause, he replied, “Oh, I am in great perplexity I have
taken a most important step ; I have become a worshipper
of Jehovah, but I am quite ignorant of the kind of worship
I must offer, and of the actions which are pleasing or dis-
pleasing to him, and I have no one to teach me.” I then
gave him all the information which circumstances would
permit, and wrote to request one of the teachers to come
and reside with him for a short time.
During the few days I remained on the island I took
several long walks into the interior of the country, of
which the following brief specimen must suffice. After
proceeding about three miles through an almost untrodden
forest, where stately trees grew in wild luxuriance, we
reached an open space, which proved to be the site of a
small village. Here and there was an extensive grass-plat,
interspersed with numerous half-grown bread-fruit trees,
and surrounded by the houses of the natives, with regular
intervals between them. Our appearance startled the se-
questered inhabitants, for I was probably the first Euro-
pean they had ever seen. The chief received me with
much respect, and ordered mats to be spread upon the
grass, and refreshments to be brought. I then told him
my errand, and inquired whether he had embraced Chris-
tianity. He replied that he had heard of the lotu, and, in
common with all his countrymen, desired instruction ; but,
having no teacher, he was very ignorant. Having in-
formed him that one of the teachers would come shortly,
and reside for a time with Punipuniolu at Apia, he pro-
mised to attend his instructions. We returned by a cir-



416 DEPARTURE.
cuitous route, and observed that, although exceedingly
rich, very little of the land was under cultivation beyond
that in the immediate vicinity of the settlement. The
chief requested me to stay and witness the poula langi, or
“heavenly dance,” which he was preparing for our enter-
tainment; but as evening twilight had gathered around us
and as we did not suppose that it savoured much of heaven,
I declined the invitation.
Having visited several settlements in this island, and re-
ceived numberless applications to visit others, we prepared
for our departure; and as we had to pass Manono, I de-
termined to call there once more. On reaching it, I was
delighted to find that three of the teachers were spending
a few days with their newly arrived brother. They in-
formed me that they had just opened two new chapels at
Upolu, and that the prospects of Te-ava were most en-
couraging, as nearly all the inhabitants of Manono had
placed themselves under his instruction. After making
arrangements with them for visiting various parts of Upolu,
especially Apia, the settlement of Punipuniolu, I took leave
of them, and thus closed my second visit to the Samoa
group.
C H A P T E R X. X W II.
Runaway Convicts, &c. —Tragical Occurrences—Retributive Justice—
Two Vessels taken at Heathen Islands–Kindness of English Captains
- Meet with the Widow of Puna – Her Narrative—Ship springs a Leak
—Danger to which we were exposed—Vavau-Its Dreariness—Arrival
at Tonga—Character and Labours of the Wesleyan Missionaries—Arri-
val at Rarotonga–Flourishing State of the Stations and Schools—The
Ingenuity of the Children in procuring Slates and Pencils—Letter of one
of the Children.
DURING my second visit to the Navigators Islands, many
facts were communicated to me, some of which I think it
necessary to notice.
The first, is the number of runaway sailors, and other
Europeans, who reside among the people, and do them in-
calculable mischief. Many of these were convicts from
New South Wales, who had stolen small vessels, and had
thus made their escape. The Missionaries informed me,
that, subsequent to their settlement, a gang of them came
there in a fine schooner, which, after stripping off her sails,
and every article of value, they scuttled and sunk a few
hundred yards from the shore.
Some time before this, another gang came, in a stolen
vessel, to the Society Islands; and, although treated with
the utmost kindness by the chief, Mahine, they contrived,
after plundering his house of all his property, among which
was a blunderbuss and a small cask of powder, to decamp
at midnight in Mr. Barff's whale-boat. Shortly after they
had left the shore the boat was missed, and two others,


418 TRAGICAL OCCURRENCE.
-
with native crews, were immediately despatched in search
of them. Unfortunately, one of these fell in with them;
when the unsuspicious natives said, “Friends, we have
come to fetch you back; you must not steal the Mission-
ary's boat and the chief's property.” In reply, they re-
ceived the contents of a blunderbuss, which blew the head
of one of them to pieces. Two more were killed by the
same weapon, and a fourth severely wounded. The only
other person present was a little boy, who jumped into the
sea and hid himself behind the boat; when the wretches,
supposing that they had completed the work of destruction,
hoisted their sail and departed. The boy then climed into
the boat, and, assisted by the wounded man, rowed to the
shore. On my return from one of my voyages, I found
several of these men at Raiatea. They immediately came
to me, and represented themselves as shipwrecked mari-
ners. In reply to my inquiries, they said they were
wrecked in 73 degrees north, and were only three weeks
in reaching the Society Islands. I replied immediately,
that their tale was a foolish fabrication; that I was con-
vinced they were convicts; and that I should write by the
first opportunity to inform the Governor of their arrival.
They left Raiatea the day after, or perhaps some of our
people would have been murdered, as those of Huahine
were. Subsequently, these ungrateful wretches reached
the Navigators Islands, where they entered, with savage
delight, into the wars of the natives; and having fire-arms
and powder, they made fearful havoc among them. How-
ever, “vengeance suffered them not to live;” for the
leader of this murderous gang very soon fell a victim to
his temerity. On one occasion, seeing a number of the
opposite party clustered together, he fired his blunderbuss,
heavily loaded with bullets, and killed nine upon the spot,

A MONSTER OF INIQUITY. 419
besides wounding others | The natives, however, did not
give him time to reload his murderous weapon; but rushed
upon him and killed him with their clubs. The chief for
whom he was fighting entertained so high an opinion of
his bravery, that he cut off his head, and carefully sewed
the fractured parts of the skull together with fine cinet.
He had this in his possession when I was there ; and it
was said that he worshipped it as his etu. A second of
these wretched men was drowned in endeavouring to make
his escape; a third fell in battle shortly afterwards; but
to the monster of iniquity, whom the natives put to death
before my arrival, a longer time had been allowed. Of
this individual I received the most terrific accounts. It
was stated, that he had killed upwards of two hundred
persons with his own hands ! Being an excellent marks-
man, no one could escape who came within the range of
his musket. The natives fled as soon as they perceived
him ; and, to avoid detection, with fiendish ingenuity he
smeared himself with charcoal and oil. He seldom left
the fort of the party for whom he was fighting without
killing a number of the enemy, whose heads were invaria-
bly cut off, and ranged before him during his meals. He
often seated himself upon a kind of stage, smeared with
blood, and surrounded with the heads of his victims. In
this state, his followers would convey him on their shoulders,
with songs of savage triumph, to his own residence. The
party for whom he fought, was, however, conquered ; and
he saved his life by fleeing to the mountains, where he
lived three months upon roots, or whatever else he could
obtain. At length he came to Manono, and threw himself
upon the mercy of the chiefs, who spared him, upon the
condition that he should never again engage in their wars.
But a few months after this, having received authentic in-
-




420 THE FATE OF THE MURDERER.
formation of his secret intrigues with the opposite party,
the chiefs held a consultation, at which it was determined
to put him to death. One of their number, a powerful
young man, was charged with this commission; and, select-
ing a few faithful followers, he proceeded, at midnight, to
the murderer's house, and, by a single blow, severed his
head from his body. Mr. Stevens, surgeon of the unfor-
tunate Oldham, whaler, which was taken at Wallace's Is-
land, was sitting by his side at the time. From him I re-
ceived much information. Providentially, this gentleman
left the vessel the day before the crew was massacred. I
conveyed him to Rarotonga and Tahiti, where, by his
medical skill, he rendered essential service to the Mission
families.
When I was at Manono, I found the people at one part
of the island exceedingly shy, and on landing, the chief
sent a messenger requesting me to come to his residence.
He then stated that having ordered an Englishman to be
killed, he feared that I should be angry and avenge his
death. After giving me a full account of the character
and practices of this monster, I told him that the King of
England would not allow his subjects, who conducted them-
selves well, to be injured with impunity in any part of the
world, but that as this individual had been such a murderer,
they had nothing to fear, for the Government of my country
would approve their conduct.
While at the Navigators, I heard of two vessels having
been taken at islands on which the people were still hea-
then. In the one case all the crew, and in the other the
greater part of them, fell victims to the excited feelings of
the natives. In both instances, however, the English were
the aggressors. In the one, a chief's son was threatened
with death, and in the othcr, the drunken captain and crew
THE WID (SW OF PUNA. 421
were in the act of dragging the chief's wife on board their
ship. A short time after this disastrous event, a man-of-war
visited the island, when sixty of the inhabitants were killed.
Surely if the natives are to be so severely punished for
avenging their injuries, some method ought to be adopted
to prevent our countrymen from inflicting them.
The native Missionaries informed me of an interesting.
visit they had received from Captain Swain of the Eliza-
beth, whaler, who not only treated them with much respect,
but gave them a variety of useful articles. He also made
valuable presents to the chiefs, and encouraged them to
pay great attention to the instruction of the teachers.
Hearing that I was expected soon, he left a letter for me,
in which, after stating many things in commendation of the
teachers and people, he informed me, that in addition to
his own inclination to encourage Missionary labours, he
had orders from his owner, Mr. Sturges, who belongs, I
believe, to the Society of Friends, to visit Missionary sta-
tions for his supplies, and to afford Missionaries every
assistance in his power. Alexander Birnie, Esq., has done
the same for many years. To such owners and captains
we feel our obligations, and desire to record their kind-
ness.” -
While at the Navigators, I heard that the widow and
Family of Puna, formerly our native Missionary at Rurutu,
were residing at Niua-tabutabu, or Keppel's Island. I
therefore determined to go and convey them to their
homes. On reaching the island, I found them in very des-
* I am truly happy to say, that of late years several captains have been in
the habit of visiting the islands, whose arrival both the natives and ourselves
hail with delight. Among these may be mentioned Captain Morgan, Captain
Emment, Captain Thomas Stavers of the Tuscan, Captain Lee, and several
others.


36

422 THE GROUP OF ISLANDs.
titute circumstances, and after having given vent to her
feelings, the widow supplied me with the following most
affecting history of her sufferings. Her husband, herself,
and family, with ten natives of Rurutu, and two Ameri-
cans, put to sea, in a little decked vessel of their own
building, for the purpose of returning to Raiatea; but,
having lost their way, they were driven about for nearly
six weeks, when they descried a large low island, called
by the inhabitants Manaiki. As the natives appeared
friendly, one of the Americans and two of the Rurutuans
went on shore, having promised to hoist a white flag if
they were treated with kindness. No flag, however, was
hoisted, and although they sailed about the island for nearly
a fortnight, all they heard concerning their unfortunate
companions was, that the king had dedicated them to the
gods; but whether as sacrifices, or whether, from their
being the first strangers who had ever visited his island,
he had simply made them sacred, Puna could not ascertain.
I think it not at all improbable that their lives were
spared, and that they may have been instrumental in im-
parting a knowledge of Christianity to the inhabitants.
At length the boat was driven by a strong wind to another
island of the same group, called Rakaana, which I should
suppose from the widow's account to be about twenty-five
miles from Manaiki, and to belong to its inhabitants, who
visited and lived upon the produce of each island alter-
nately. Here Puna's party landed, and saw houses and
canoes, but no inhabitants. In the former there were
many preserved bodies, with flowing black hair, which
looked as if alive. The natives, the widow informed me,
were strong and robust, and resembled the inhabitants of
the Päumotas, who are a shade or two darker than those
of the Society Islands. The canoes were very large, and
- -
runA’s ILLNESS AND DEATH. 423
built entirely of the cocoa-nut tree. Of this group I re-
ceived information from the Aitutakians some time pre-
viously, as a canoe full of people had drifted, fifty or sixty
years before, from thence to Aitutaki. The cluster is said
to consist of five islands, four of which are named Manaiki,
Rakaana, Mautorea and Pakara. I suppose them to be
about two days sail N. E. of Aitutaki.
Again putting to sea, Puna and his party were driven in
various directions for upwards of two months, when they
reached Keppel's Island, lat. 15° 56', long. 174° 10', 1900
miles from Rurutu. Here the people wished to plunder
them, but were prevented by Maatu, the king. They re-
mained at this island four months, during which time they
kept the Sabbath, and observed all their accustomed re-
ligious services. One person of influence joined them,
and was desirous that they should reside at his district,
where he promised to erect a place of worship ; but Puna
was taken ill, and not expecting to recover, he was ex-
ceedingly anxious to be where he could enjoy intercourse
with a Missionary, and hearing that some resided at Ton-
gatabu, about three hundred miles distant, he again launch-
ed his little schooner. They were driven, however, by a
foul wind to Niuafou, an island about ninety miles west of
that from which they started, and here poor Puna died the
day after he landed. He was a laborious and valuable
teacher. Of his piety I entertain no doubt. He and his
colleague, however, never agreed, which gave rise to seri-
ous evils at Rurutu, and occasioned me more anxiety than
I experienced in reference to any other of our stations.
He committed his wife and family to the chief of the
island, and spent his dying moments in exhorting him to
place himself under Christian instruction. The day after
his death the natives dragged the little vessel on shore,


424 SHIP SPRINGS A LEAK.
and set her on fire for the purpose of obtaining the iron
with which she was fastened; and some runaway sailors
broke open Puna's box, and stole his property, but they
quarrelled in dividing it, when one of them received a
blow which terminated his life. Puna's peaceful death
and parting exhortations produced so powerful an impres-
sion upon the chief's mind, that he determined to embrace
a religion which imparted such blessedness. But his peo-
ple were so exasperated at his renunciation of idolatry,
that they entered into a conspiracy and put him to death.
Having taken the widow and family on board, we made
as direct a course as we could for Rarotonga, when, after
proceeding about three hundred miles, a serious disaster
befel us. At midnight the mate awoke me with the start-
ling announcement – “You must get up immediately, Sir,
the ship has sprung a leak, is half full of water, and is
sinking fast.” I ran on deck instantly, and found, to my
consternation, nearly four feet of water in the hold. I at
once perceived that no time was to be lost, and that every
individual must exert himself to the utmost; for the alter-
native was pump or sink. We all, therefore, set to work
forthwith, some with buckets and others at the pumps;
and in about an hour, I was relieved from my intense
anxiety by finding that we had gained six inches. Thus
encouraged, we continued our arduous and united efforts
until morning, by which time we had succeeded in pump-
ing the ship dry. Still, however, the water came in so
fast, that, in a few minutes, we were compelled to resume
our labours. And now the first thing to which we directed
our attention was, to put our pumps into the best possible
repair; and as the ship might sink in a moment, we also
determined to get the boats in readiness. This being ac-
complished, we filled a few bags with buiscuits, and some


A RRIVAT, AT WAVAU. 425
bamboos with water, and put them, with a number of
cocoa-nuts, into a convenient place to prevent confusion
in the event of being compelled to leave the ship. As
there were two boats, we then divided the crew into two
parties, and made every arrangement which prudence
dictated in our distressing circumstances. I was truly
thankful at being enabled to maintain a coolness and tran-
quillity during the whole of this exigency. The greater
part of the night was spent in an unsuccessful search for
the leak ; and our perplexity was much increased by the
wind becoming contrary and exceedingly violent, Against
this we contended for several days, pumping the whole
time without intermission. At length we reached Vavau,
and hoping to discover our leak, we worked our devious
way for several hours amidst a multitude of small islands
in quest of an anchorage, but did not find one until sunset.
Early the following morning, we commenced a thorough
search for the leak within and without, but although the
natives dived under the keel, and swam all around the
vessel, no fracture nor defect could be discovered ; we
therefore put to sea again,” and having to contend against
a contrary wind, we were five days, instead of twenty-four
hours, in reaching Tonga. Very providentially, I found
there Captain S. Henry; and the day after our arrival,
Captain Deanes of the Elizabeth, English whaler, came to
anchor. Aided by these two gentlemen with their crews
and the natives, we succeeded in heaving down the vessel,
and, after a close scrutiny, discovered the cause of our
danger in a large augur hole in the keel, into which the
bolt had never been driven. This had been filled with
mud and stones in the hurricane at Rarotonga, which had
* We found the water run in much faster when we were lying at anchor,
than when at sea; indeed, the leak began when we were in a perfect calm,
---


36%
426 CHANGE AT WAVAU.
kept the vessel from leaking six months, during which
time, she had sailed several thousand miles. A stone was
very fortunately wedged in the hole, or it would have been
impossible, in the estimation of the captains and carpenter,
to have kept the vessel from sinking.
With my short visit to Vavau, I was much delighted.
It will be recollected that, on my former voyage to the
Friendly Islands, I met Finau at Lefuga, who not only re-
fused to embrace Christianity himself, but threatened with
death any of his people who did so. My satisfaction then
may be imagined at finding this once despotic but now
docile chieftain, with all his people, receiving the instruc-
tions of Mr. Turner. At the time of my arrival, they
were erecting a large place of worship to accommodate a
congregation, which, on the preceding Sabbath, consisted
of more than two thousand persons. All this had been
effected in two years. At my former visit to the Hapai
Islands I found a number of respectable Vavauans there in
exile, who had forsaken all to enjoy the instructions of Mr.
Thomas. There they acquired a fitness for future useful-

I) REARINESS OF WAVATſ. 427
ness; and when, by the conversion of Finau, they were
permitted to revisit their own island, they began at once
to impart to their countrymen the inestimable knowledge
they possessed. Thus was the wrath of man made to
praise God.
With Mr. and Mrs. Turner I spent a most pleasant even-
ing. Their prospects of usefulness were very encouraging,
and their hearts appeared to be thoroughly in their work.
The Vavau group is composed of a great number of
barren rocks, of compact crystal limestone, from thirty to
more than a hundred feet in height. Many of these are
inaccessible and uninhabitable to human beings. In some
of them there are little sandy coves, where the natives, in
numbers corresponding with the extent of the habitable
spot, erect their dwellings.
Vavau appeared a most dreary place. We saw nothing,
as we worked our winding way, but high, precipitous, and
weather-beaten rocks, which, although bold, were barren.
These were the undisturbed possessions of innumerable
sea-fowl and vampire bats, whose screams, mingling with
the hollow roar of the sea, as it engulfed itself in the nu-
merous excavations and caves which had been scooped
out by the billows, were the only sounds which disturbed,
while they appeared to enhance, the awful stiflness of the
place. On reaching the Missionary settlement, you are
agreeably surprised to find a beautiful and fertile plain, in-
habited by human beings, not one of whom appeared until
we were near the anchorage. -
In my visit to Tongatabu, I was truly delighted to find
that the Missionaries had received a printing press, and
that it was most actively engaged in preparing the word
of life for the people. Its invaluable operations were com-
menced in April, 1831, and by November, 1832, twenty-


428 MISSIONARY DWELLINGS.
-
nine thousand one hundred copies of small books, containing
five millions seven hundred and seventy-two thousand pages,
had been struck off. Such facts furnish delightful evidence
of the untiring diligence of the Missionaries who supplied
the matter, and of the perseverance of Mr. Woon, who
had charge of the mighty engine. Indeed, if sterling piety,
and entire devotedness to the cause of God among the
heathen can ensure success, our Wesleyan brethren at the
Friendly Islands will have a distinguished portion.
After spending a fortnight of most pleasing and profitable
intercourse at this place, our vessel being ready for sea,
we sailed for Rarotonga, which we reached in safety, in
January, 1833, having been absent fifteen weeks.
After this, I remained several months at Rarotonga,
during which period we completed the revision of the
translation which I brought to England, and of which I
am happy to add, the British and Foreign Bible Society
has printed Five Thousand Copies. This precious treasure
I shall have the unspeakable satisfaction of conveying back
with me. During this period, also, the chapels were rebuilt,
Mr. Buzacott's new Mission premises erected, and the
settlements put into excellent order. The accompanying
plate may give the reader an idea of our dwellings. The
framework is of wood, and the spaces between the posts
wattled and plastered with lime made from coral. By
the exercise of a little ingenuity we contrived to render
them both comfortable and respectable. Mixing red ochre
with the coral whitewash we obtained a salmon colour for
our walls, and by pounding the charcoal of soft wood and
mixing it with lime we procured a French gray. The
graceful foliage of the banana, young bread-fruit, and
cocoa-nut trees, by which they are surrounded, invests our
premises with an appearance of neatness and elegance. It
Mr, BUZACOTT'S RESIDENCE, in imitation of which the KING'S was built.




STATE OF THE SCHOOLS. 429
was my determination, when I originally left England, to
have as respectable a dwelling as I could erect, for the
Missionary does not go to barbarize himself, but to civilize
the heathen. He ought not therefore to sink down to
their standard, but to elevate them to his.
In addition to this, I prepared a small elementary book,
and a catechism in the Samoa language, ten thousand
copies of which Mr. Barff printed before I left the islands.
The schools were, at this time, in a pleasing state of
prosperity. In that of Papeiha, there were about five
hundred children, in Mr. Buzacott's, seven hundred, and in
Mr. Pitman's, upwards of nine hundred ; and on the
morning of our departure, they wrote to me on their slates
several hundreds of letters, expressive of their regret at
my leaving them. One of these, written by a little boy
about nine years of age, I desired him to copy upon
paper. The following is a translation.
“Servant of God, - We are grieving very much for
you ; our hearts are sore with grieving, because you are
going to that far distant country of yours, and we fear
that we shall not see your face again. Leave us John to
teach us while you go, then we may expect to see you
again ; but if you take John too, we shall give up all hope.
But why do you go? You are not an old man, and worn
out. Stay till you cannot work any longer for God and
then go home.”
The progress which these children had made in writing
was not more gratifying than the ingenuity which they had
displayed in providing themselves with a substitute for
slates and pencils. We taught them to write at first by
means of sand-boards, but of course, they could not by
this mode acquire any great facility in the art. They
frequently expressed their regret at this, and as our supply


430 INGENUITY OF THE CHILDREN.
of slates was very small, they determined, if possible, to
find a substitute. Having formed the resolution, they were
observed one morning, on leaving the school, running in
groups up the mountains, and shortly after, returning with
flakes of stone which they had broken off from the rocks.
These they carried to the sea beach and rubbed with sand
and coral until they had produced a smooth surface. Thus
far successful, they coloured the stones with the purple
juice of the mountain plantain, to give them the appear-
ance of English slates. Some of the boys completed the
resemblance by cutting theirs square and framing them,
so that, without close examination, you could scarcely de-
tect the difference. The next desideratum was a pencil,
and for this they went into the sea, and procured a number
of the echinus, or sea-egg, which is armed with twenty or
thirty spines.
These they burnt slightly to render them soft, that they
might not scratch; and with these flakes of stone for a
slate, and the spine of the sea-egg for a pencil they wrote
exceedingly well: and hundreds of them took down the
principal portions of every discourse they heard.

C H A P T E R XXVIII.
Discovery of the Samoa Group—French Navigators—Names of the Islands
-Kotzebue–Manua — Orosenga–Oſu — Tutuila–Opolu – Manono
- Aborima – Savaii-Importance of the Group—Eligibility for a British
Settlement—Soil—Trees–Various uses of the Candle-nut, Bread-fruit
and Cocoa-nut Trees— Botany of the Islands — M. Betero — Birds—
Vampire Bat—Snakes and Lizards—Fish–Fishing–Turtle.
IN various parts of my Narrative, I have given the reader
to understand that many points of importance were re-
served for the conclusion. To these I shall now call his
attention ; and that which appears to demand our first
consideration is, the geography of the Navigators Islands.
This extensive and populous group is situated in the
South Pacific Ocean, and extends four degrees east and
west. It was discovered on the third of May, 1678, by
the French circumnavigator Bougainville, who gave it the
designation it now bears, most probably on account of the
superior construction of the canoes of the natives, and
their surprising dexterity in the water. The group is
called by the inhabitants, Sa-moa, and consists of eight is-
lands: — Manua, Orosenga, Ofu Tutuila, Upolu, Manono,
Aborima, and Savaii. In addition to these there are
several small islands off the coast of Tutuila and Upolu.
In the year 1788, this group was visited by the unfortu-
nate La Perouse, whose colleague M. de Langle, and a
number of his men were barbarously murdered by the na-
tives. This tragical act conveyed such an impression of




432 NAMES GIVEN TO THE ISLANDS.
their treachery and ferocity as deterred subsequent voya-
gers from venturing among them. And for many years
they appear not to have been visited by a vessel from any
part of the civilized world.
The names given by the French navigators are so con-
fused and incorrect, that it is utterly impossible to know
the islands which they intended to designate. Upolu they
call Oyolava, and the large island of Savaii, Pola. Manua
they call Opoun, Orosenga and Ofu, Fanfou and Leone.
Now Leone is the name of a bay at Tutuila, which island
they call Mauna.
Indeed there is not one island named correctly, and I
am quite unable to divine where Bougainville and La Pe-
rouse obtained the names under which they describe them.
In this respect, as well as in every other, Captain Cook's
superiority is strikingly displayed. The accuracy of his
directions is such, that you may follow them with as much
confidence as you travel the high roads of England; and
the excellent sense of this prince of navigators is manifested
in his retaining the native names of the places at which he
touched. This is of singular advantage to persons visiting
the numerous islands of the Pacific.
In our most popular nautical works, especially in Nories
Epitome, it will be seen that the names there given differ
from those attached to the same islands in his charts of the
Pacific, but neither of them are correct.
The Russian prodigy, Kotzebue, says that he visited this
group; but, with all his skill in misrepresenting and vitu-
perating the Missionaries, he has failed to correct one error
or to supply a single deficiency of his French predecessors.
But while he has not done this, he takes great credit to
himself for introducing yams among this people, and thereby
preventing them from being driven to the dire necessity of
MANUA, OROSENGA, AND OFU. 433
eating human flesh ; whereas the Samoa islanders were
never addicted to that horrid practice, and as for yams,
they had them before Kotzebue was born. -
As I may not have occasion to refer to this individual -
again, I shall embrace the present opportunity of saying,
that his “New Voyage round the World,” so far as it re-
lates to Tahiti, is one tissue of falsehoods, containing ac-
counts of persons who never existed, and lengthened histo-
ries of events which never occurred.
MANUA. Sailing to the eastward, after passing a small,
uninhabited island, about seventy miles east of the whole
group,” this island 169° 1' W. long., 14° 9 S. lat. presents
itself. It is circular, and so elevated as to be visible at a
distance of forty or fifty miles. The shore is lofty and
bold, and there appeared to be but little low land. I did
not observe any dangers off the coast. The whole group,
however, requires to be properly surveyed. The inhabit-
ants of Manua are regarded as a conquered people, and
are, in consequence, despised and oppressed by the other
islanders. Indeed, in most of the groups of the Pacific,
one island was subject to peculiar oppression, and supplied
the others with human sacrifices and slaves; and in single
islands, particular districts were thus subjected. This was
the case with the district of Arorangi at Rarotonga, the
chief and people of which dwelt in the mountains.
ORosBNGA and OFU next appear. These are two com-
paratively insignificant islands, nearly united at right angles.
The inhabitants were not so numerous as at Manua; in-
* I was also informed of a very dangerous reef about four degrees east-
ward of the group. Off Keppel’s and Boscawen's Islands there are several
sunken rocks, at a distance of six miles from the shore, upon which the sea
appeared to break at intervals of about a quarter of an hour, and we were
close to them before they were observed. There is also a dangerous reef
about 25 miles N. N. E. of these º
3




434 TUTUILA, UPOLU.
deed, most of the people of Oſu have been destroyed by
those of Orosenga. The coast appeared to be free from
danger.
Tutuila is about fifty miles west of Orosenga, in 170°
16' W. long., 14° 20' S. lat. This is a fine, romantic isl-
and, of from eighty to a hundred miles in circumference.
It was here that the unfortunate M. de Langle lost his life;
and, on this account, the bay, in which he was murdered,
received the name of Massacre Cove. In sailing down the
south coast we observed several fine bays, two of which
attracted our particular observation. One was called
Rango-pango. Into this, vessels of a hundred tons burden
might run and anchor with safety. Leone is the name of
the other, which is so spacious and deep that ships of any
burden might anchor there with perfect safety, except dur-
ing a strong south wind. It was in this bay that I was so
kindly received. See page 380.
Upolu, the first island of the group, is in circumference
between 150 and 200 miles. The mountains on this isl.
and are very high, and in clear weather may be seen for
fifty or sixty miles. These are richly clothed with verdure
to their summits; and in the north-east parts of the island,
they present a variety, in their form and character, which
in some situations, renders their appearance romantic and
sublime; in others, soft, luxuriant, and beautiful. It has
been stated that there were no harbours in this group;
but, at this island alone, we found three, and there may be
others. The one at Apia, in which we anchored, is spa-
cious, commodious, and safe ; and as it faces the north, it
admits, with the prevailing trade-wind, of easy ingress and
egress. The bottom is sandy, and at twenty yards from
the shore, there are about five fathoms of water. A river
MANONO, ABORIMA. 435
falls into the bay, so that any quantity of excellent water
may easily be obtained there.
MANONo lies next, and is about five miles in circumfer-
ence. It is attached, by a shoal and reef, to the south-west
extremity of Upolu ; the reef passes round it, and rejoins
Upolu on the opposite side. This island offers several good
harbours for vessels of forty or fifty tons burden. There
is shoal water to a considerable distance from the shore :
but I am not aware that any rocks exist to render approach
dangerous. On the north side of the island there is a good
roadstead. Manono, although small, is of great import-
ance; for as its inhabitants have been victorious in every
struggle, it has obtained a kind of political superiority over
the whole group. It has many dependent settlements on
the larger islands of Savaii and Upolu, and, when engaged
in a contest, draws such assistance from these as to form a
force which no single chief can withstand. Hence the in-
habitants of Manoho are called the Malo, or victorious
people. Notwithstanding this, it is affirmed that they have
never been the aggressors in a conflict. The island is
badly supplied with water, but the natives have sunk wells,
and have thus succeeded in obtaining it.
ABORIMA is about two miles in circumference, from two
to thee hundred feet in height, and is situated half-way be-
tween Manono and Savaii. It received its name, which
signifies the hollow of the hand, from its remarkable shape.
Most probably it is the crater of an extinct volcano. It
is precipitous and inaccessible, except at one small open-
ing ;
and the people of Manono, to whom it is subject,
use it in time of war as a fortress for their families and
property, and, in the event of defeat, as a retreat for them-
selves. For these purposes it is well adapted, as it is so
completely protected on all sides by the inaccessible rocks,


436 ABORIMA, SAVAII.
that it is only necessary to guard the narrow entrance.
This is done most effectually, -first, by throwing tripping
lines across it, so that men stationed on the jutting rocks
that flanked the passage could easily overturn every canoe
that entered it; and, secondly, by constructing a platform
or bridge on the rocks that overhung this opening, from
which they could hurl huge stones upon the invaders.
Although, therefore, the people of Manono had been at
times driven from their own island, this retreat was so
effectually guarded, and so well provided with food, that
they never had been, and scarcely could be subdued.
Barren and sterile as are the sides of the rocks, a very
different appearance is presented when you arrive opposite
to the point where the crater has emptied itself. Here
the whole of the interior opens at once to the view, and
any thing more beautiful or unique I never beheld. The
island is a basin, most regularly scooped out, and ascend-
ing with a gentle slope from the centre to the circumfer-
ence; and although, on approaching it, nothing meets the
eye but sterile cliffs, when you catch a glimpse of the am-
phitheatre within, you discover there a glorious contrast
to the dreariness and desolation without. Not a barren
spot is to be seen, but one verdant mass of tropical vege-
tation, the whole of which, from the peculiar form of the
island, presents itself at a single view, and fills the be-
holder with delight. If any thing could enhance the
beauty of the scene, it is the group of native dwellings
which, half revealed among the trees of cocoa-nut, bread-
fruit, and banana, form the settlement. But I must hasten
to notice
Savan, the last and largest of the group, which is said
to be 250 miles in circumference. The mountains of this
superb island are very lofty, and visible at a distance of
IMPORTANCE OF THE GROUP. 437
sixty or seventy miles. These gradually increase in height
from the sea to the centre of the island, and all of them
are covered and crowned with noble forests. Savaii, in
beauty, extent, and importance, yields to few of the many
charming islands that bestud and adorn the bosom of the
Pacific.
The straits between Upolu and Savaii are from ten to
fifteen miles wide, and, at their southern entrance, are
Manono and Aborima. They may be passed by vessels of
the largest class with perfect safety, and are entered either
between Savaii and Aborima, or between Manono and
Aborima, both openings being sufficiently wide, and per-
fectly free from rocks and shoals.
The Navigators group is, with the exception of the
Sandwich Islands, the largest and most populous in the
Pacific at which Missions have been commenced, and in
a few years they will, no doubt, rise into considerable im-
portance. As they lie in the vicinity of the Friendly Isl-
ands, the extensive Fiji group, the New Hebrides, New
Caledonia, and numerous other solitary islands, intercourse
between them could be easily maintained, and thus a civil-
izing and religious influence might be exerted upon the
countless thousands of benighted heathen, who dwell be.
- tween the Samoas and the coast of New Holland; and
whether we view this group as a mart for commercial º
terprise, a field for scientific research, or a sphere for the *N
exercise of Christian benevolence, we must regard it with
feelings of the liveliest interest.
A few years ago, it was much wished by the inhabitants
of New South Wales, that the British Government would
form a settlement at one of the South Sea Islands, where
ships might refresh and refit, without being exposed to
danger. The fate of the unfortunate Oldham, whaler, and
-




37%
438 EXTENT AND FERTILITY OF THE SOIL.
the numerous tragical events which were constantly occur-
ring at these islands, gave rise to this suggestion. Although
thé danger has ceased where Christianity has been intro-
duced, yet, should such an establishment be determined
upon, the Navigators group is a most eligible place for its
formation. Its central situation, the excellence of the
harbours, the abundant supply of water and provision, the
amazing extent of rich and arable land, and the quantity
and variety of the timber, are important prerequisites for
an establishment of this description, and such as must
ensure its prosperity.
For their ExtENT or surface these islands deserve con-
sideration. There are many valleys, containing thousands
of acres of rich soil, entirely untilled; indeed, the portion
of country under cultivation is very inconsiderable; for,
as the fruits grow so abundantly without labour, the Sa-
moans, like the Tahitians, display but little ingenuity in
agriculture. In this they are greatly surpassed by their
neighbours, the Tongatabuans, who subsist almost entirely
upon produce raised by themselves; while the Tahitian
and the light-hearted Samoan can work or play, rove
abroad or stay at home, dance or sleep, with the assurance
that the beautiful grove of bread-fruit trees, in which his
cottage is embowered, will afford him an abundant supply;
and, if these should prove insufficient, that the mountains
abound with bananas, plantains, wild yams, and other
esculents, more than enough to supply the deficiency.
Notwithstanding this, however, the Samoans cultivate vast
quantities of taro, because they prefer it to the yam.
The soil, is so exceedingly rich, that coffee, sugar, cot-
ton, and every other tropical production may be raised in
these islands to almost any extent; and as they are well
watered, and abound with springs, lakes, and streams,
machinery might, in many places, be worked with the

TREES. 439
greatest facility. This, of course, enhances the value of
these superb islands incalculably.
The TREEs at the Samoas, as at Tahiti, exhibit great
beauty and variety. Some are remarkable for their size ;
and others for their flowers, or fragrance, or fruit. Most
of them are evergreens. Indeed, there are but two or
three deciduous trees on the islands. In general, the new
and old leaves, the bud and the blossom, the young fruit
and the ripe, appear together, and adorn these through the
whole circle of the year. Some of the trees are exceed-
ingly valuable as timber. This is the case with the tama-
nu (calophyllum.) These grow to an amazing size. I
have seen them five feet in diameter. The natives select
this wood for their canoes, stools, pillows, bowls, and other
articles, which are wrought, with immense labour, out of
the solid mass. It has been used by us in ship-building;
and, as it is durable, and holds a nail with great tenacity, it
is very valuable for that purpose. Its value is further en-
hanced, by the circumstance, that iron lasts much longer in
the tamanu than in any other wood. We have also made
furniture of it. It has a veiny and beautiful grain, and is
susceptible of high polish. In the hands of European
cabinet-makers it would vie with some of our most ad-
mired woods. This might become an important article of
COIY) IſlerC62.
The amaï, or miro, is another tree of note in the various
islands of the Pacific. The leaves of the miro were always
used in religious ceremonies, and ambassadors invariably
carried a branch of it as an emblem of their authority.
The wood is of a close texture, of a dark brown colour,
very little variegated, but susceptible of a high polish. It
is easily worked, and makes beautiful furniture.
The tou (cordia) is a low, wide-spreading tree, and is




440 VALUE OF SOME OF THE TREES.
generally planted near the dwellings of the chiefs. Its
wood closely resembles rose-wood, in colour and grain,
but is not so hard. It makes beautiful furniture. I have
frequently thought that it would be exceedingly valuable
for musical instruments, as the wooden drums made from
it by the natives, produce a far more sonorous and mellow
sound, than those constructed from any other tree. On
this account the tou is highly prized by them.
To those already mentioned I might add several other
trees, especially the toi, with the botanical name of which
I am unacquainted. This tree grows to a considerable
size and height. The wood, towards the heart of the tree,
is of a blood red, and the lighter parts are beautifully
waved, like satin-wood: it takes a high polish. The toa
also, (casuarina) abounds in all the islands, attains to a
large size, and is covered with exceedingly graceful foliage.
The wood is reddish brown, and very hard. We have
used it for sheaves of blocks, for cogs in our sugar-mills,
and for other similar articles; and I think it would be
valuable for a variety of purposes for which hard wood is
required in England. The ingenuity of the natives is dis-
played in working this wood, which they do with wonder-
ful facility, considering their miserable tools, of shell, stone,
and bone. Their clubs and spears, many of which are
most exquisitely carved, are made of this wood.
The above, and numerous other trees which the islands
produce in great abundance, might be added to the list of
those most valued in Europe. From many of them gums
and dyes are procured, which might become articles of
importance in our own and other civilized countries. Se-
veral of the trees possess a high value to the islanders; and
I have frequently admired, on the one hand, the benefi-
cence of God, who has united so many useful qualities in
CANE) LE-NUT TREE, 441
a single plant; and, on the other, the ingenuity of the
natives in discovering and applying these to the purposes
of necessity and comfort. Of this remark I shall select an
illustration. The candle-nut tree (aleurites triloba) abounds
in the mountains; and as its leaves are nearly white, they
form a most agreeable contrast to the dark rich foliage of
the other trees among which it is interspersed. It bears
a nut about the size of a walnut, which is used as a sub-
stitute for a candle. Having stripped off the shell, they
perforate the kernel, and string a number of these on a rib
of the cocoa-nut leaflet, and then light them. By burning
large quantities of this nut in a curiously constructed oven,
the natives obtain a very fine lampblack, with which they
paint their canoes, idols, and drums, and print various de-
vices upon their ornamental garments. They also use the
colouring thus obtained in tatooing their skin. Besides
this, the tuitui furnishes a gum with which they varnish
the cloth made from the bark of the bread-fruit tree, thus
rendering it more impervious and durable. From its inner
bark a juice is procured, which is a valuable substitute for
paint-oil, and, when mixed with lampblack, or with the
dye from the casuarina and other trees, it becomes so per-
manent that it never washes off.”
But among all the trees that adorn the islands of the
Pacific, the Bread-fruit deserves the pre-eminence for its
beauty and value. It frequently grows fifty or sixty feet
high, and has a trunk between two and three feet in diame-
ter. The leaves are broad and sinuated, something similar
in their form to those of the fig tree. They are frequently
eighteen inches in length, and of a dark green colour, with
* Finding that the cocoa-nut oil, when mixed with paint, did not dry, we
extracted an oil from the candle-nut, which answered the purpose much
better,


442 BREAD-FRUIT TREE.
a glossy surface resembling that of the richest evergreens,
The fruit is oval, about six inches in diameter, and of a
light pea green. It always grows at the extremity of the
branches, and hangs either alone, or in clusters of two or
three. There are sometimes several hundreds of these
upon one tree, and their light colour, contrasted with the
dark, glossy leaves among which they hang, together with
the stately outline and spiring shape of the tree, render it
an object which, for its beauty, is not surpassed in the
whole vegetable world. The value of this wonderful tree,
however, exceeds its beauty. It is every thing to the
natives, their house, their food, and their clothing. The
trunk furnishes one of the best kinds of timber they pos-
sess. It is the colour of mahogany, exceedingly durable,
and is used by the natives in building their canoes and
houses, and in the manufacture of the few articles of furniture
they formerly possessed. From the bark of the branches
they fabricate their clothing; and, when the tree is punc-
tured, there exudes from it a quantity of mucilaginous fluid,
resembling thick cream, which hardens by exposure to the
sun, and, when boiled, answers all the purposes of English
pitch. The fruit is, to the South Sea islander, the staff of
life. It bears two crops every season. Besides this, there
are several varieties,” which ripen at different periods, so
that the natives have a supply of this palatable and nutri-
tious food, during the greater part of the year. The leaves
are excellent fodder for the cattle, and they are so exces-
* There are very many varieties of the Bread-fruit, for each of which the
natives have distinct names; and there stood in our garden a tree which was
regarded by them as a very great curiosity. Its two main branches differed
considerably, the leaves on the one side of the tree being much more deeply
sinuated than those of the other, and the fruit on the one branch being oval,
while that on the other was nearly round. This was an accidental circum-
stance, for the natives do not understand grafting.
VARIETY OF THE BREAD-FRUIT AT THE SAMOAS. 443
sively fond of it that it is necessary to protect the young
trees by high and strong fences.
At the Navigators Islands we found a variety, with which
the Hervey and Tahitian islanders are unacquainted. This
had a number of seeds ranged around the core.” The tree
which produces this fruit does not grow to so great a size as
the others, and the leaves are not sinuated. I observed
that the rustic native cottages generally stood amidst a
grove of these beautiful little trees, the fruitful branches
of which embowered them, and shielded their inmates from
the piercing rays of the sun. The inhabitants of these
fertile spots can lie upon their mats, and, without labour
or care, behold their bread growing before their eyes.
Many other particulars respecting this invaluable tree might
be noticed, but I have already exceeded the limits I had
assigned to myself for remarks upon the botany of the isl-
ands, and as so many have written upon the subject, it is
unnecessary for me to traverse the ground again.
The same observation is applicable to the cocoa-nut tree.
Its appearance, its character, and its uses, have been so
minutely described by others, especially by the Rev. W.
Ellis, that I shall only add a remark or two, to illustrate
the wisdom and goodness of the kind Father of the human
family, in making this provision for their wants. The bread-
fruit tree requires depth of soil, and consequently cannot
grow upon low coral islands. But those who dwell upon
these spots, are not left to perish ; for where the bread-
fruit tree will not exist, there the cocoa-nut tree flourishes ;
* When I informed the Raiateans of this circumstance, it excited consider-
able amazement, and the first thing Makea inquired for, on arriving at the
Samoas, was the bread-fruit with seed in it, that he might see the wonder for
himself.
i Eliis's Polynesian Researches.


444 ſ'OCOA-NUT TREE.
and the latter is as valuable to the inhabitants of the coral,
as the former is to those of the mountainous islands. Of
the trunk of the cocoa-nut tree the natives obtain timber
for building their houses and canoes. With the leaves
they thatched their dwellings, and make baskets. Round
that part of the stem of each leaf which is attached to the
trunk of the tree, there is found a remarkably fine and
strong fibrous matting, which is a singular provision for
the security of the long leaves against the violence of the
winds. The cloth thus woven in the loom of nature is
altogether a most curious substance; the regularity with
which the fibres cross each other, and the singular manner
in which they are attached, give it the appearance of being
a product of human ingenuity. It is obtained in pieces of
about two feet in length, and ten or twelve inches wide,
and is used by the natives for a variety of purposes, but
principally for sails and clothing. It is of a wiry texture;
and, when worn, would be exceedingly distressing, if the
skin of the natives was tender. The principal value of
this tree, however, consists in the supply it yields, both of
food and water. In many of the coral islands there are
neither streams nor springs; and were it not for the cocoa-
nut, the inhabitants must perish. On a sultry day, when
the very ground burns with heat, a native, by climbing the
cylindrical trunk of one of these trees, can pluck a dozen
unripe nuts, each containing a pint or more of water, as
cool and refreshing as from the limpid stream.* Is it pos-
sible to reflect upon the wonderful adaptation of the fruits
* The cocoa-nut milk, as it is obtained in England, conveys no accurate
idea of the delicious beverage used by the natives; for as the nuts are old
and dry, the fluidis rancid. In the tropics, the water is drank before the ker-
nel is formed, when it is perfectly clear, and combines a degree of acidity and
sweetness, which renders it as refreshing as lemonade.
VALUE OF THE FRUIT. 445
of the earth to the climate where they grow, and the cir-
cumstances of man, without exclaiming, “How manifold
are thy works, O God! in wisdom hast thou made them all !”
As I have already intimated, the cocoa-nut tree can be
killed with great ease. In the year 1832, myriads of in-
sects, of the mantis family, appeared at Rarotonga and the
surrounding islands; and vast numbers of these invaluable
trees were distroyed by them. The following is a repre-
sentation of the insect.
I shall conclude these remarks by observing, that per-
haps few more extensive or more inviting fields are open to
the botanist than the South Sea Islands. This will be ap-
parent, when I inform my reader that, in 1832, the Tahitian
and Society Islands were visited by M. Bertero, an Italian
botanist, an accomplished and scientific man, who astonished
not only the natives, but ourselves, by the cures he effected
with medicinal herbs. When a patient came to him for
relief, M. Bertero, without going twenty yards from the
spot, would often point out some herb, which, used accord-
ing to his directions, produced in numberless instances the


38
446 ORNITHOLOGY OF THE ISLANDS.
most beneficial effects. This gentleman was enthusiastic,
and indefatigable in the pursuit of his object; and during
the eight or ten months of his sojourn at the islands, he
obtained two thousand new specimens, I regret exceed.
ingly to state, that the vessel in which he sailed for the
west coast of South America perished at sea, and that
this gentleman was unhappily lost, together with his
valuable collection. This regret is heightened by the cir-
cumstance, that he had imbibed principles which could
have afforded him no consolation, when baffling with the
wave that was about to engulf him.
“”Tis religion that can give
Sweetest pleasures while we live;
'Tis religion must supply
Solid comfort when we die.”
At the Tahitian and Hervey Islands there are but few
varieties of the FEATHERED TRIBEs ; and these are not re.
markable either for the beauty of their plumage or for the
sweetness of their notes. At the Navigators they are far
more numerous; but even there the ornithologist may soon
complete his catalogue. I was certainly surprised to find
that owls abounded at this group, as not a single specimen
is found at the islands to the east of it. There are also
several species of the turtle-dove at the Samoas, and I
obtained one, the plumage of which was exquisitely beau-
tiful; bright blue-green and vermilion being the prevailing
colours. These, together with paroquets, water-hens, wood-
pigeons, wild ducks, and a few others, comprehend all the
varieties of the feathered tribe found in the Samoa Islands.
The vampire bat abounds at this group; and it is a singu-
lar fact, that they are also numerous at Mangaia, but un-
known at every other island eastward of the Navigators.

SNAREs AND LIZARDs. 447
At Savage Island, they are regarded by the natives as a
great delicacy. Some that I was conveying to Rarotonga
as a curiosity died on board the ship, and the two Savage
Island youths skinned, broiled, and ate them. The Samoas
venerated them as etus; and if Satan is worshipped for
his ugliness, I do not wonder that this creature was selec-
ted to represent him. -
Snakes also, which are unknown at the Tahitian and
Hervey groups, abound here. I was informed that there
were several species of them, some of which are beauti-
fully variegated. Those procured for me were of a dark
olive colour, about three feet long. There are also water-
snakes, some of them beautifully marked with longitudinal
stripes of yellow and black, and others with rings, alter-
nately white and black. The natives esteem both the land
and sea-snake good food. In the disorder occasioned by
the leak in our ship, and her subsequent sinking at Tonga-
tabu, I lost my snakes, and many other curiosities which
I was conveying home.
Very large lizards are found on the mountains of Savaii
and Upolu ; and from the description I received, I should
conclude that they were guanas. None, however, of these
reptiles are venomous.
Another peculiarity in the natural history of this group
is, that a wild dog is found in the mountains. I regretted
exceedingly that I could not obtain one. From the des-
cription I received, it appears to be a small animal, of a
'dark, dirty gray, or lead colour, with little or no hair, and
large erect ears.
The coast abounds with fish and turtle, and the Samoans
are exceedingly expert in catching them. The methods
they adopt are similar to those of the Tahitian and Society
Islanders, who, I think, have more contrivances, and those



448 NATIVE METHODS OF FISHING.
more ingenious, than the natives of other groups. The
Hervey Islanders, however, surpass them in taking the flying
fish. The Samoans make fish-hooks of bone, pearl, turtle,
and other shells. They also make fishing-nets of the bark
of the hibiscus, the bread-fruit, the banian, and other trees.
But the most ingenious method of fishing which I saw at
the Samoas was the following: — a number of hollow
floats, about eight inches in diameter, and of the same
height, were attached to a strong cord, at a short distance
from each other. To each of these a line was fastened,
about ten inches long, at the end of which was a piece of
fish bone, made very sharp at both ends, and suspended by
the middle; so that when the fish seized the bait, the bone
pierced it in contrary directions, and thus secured the prey.
The floats answered two purposes; to attract the fish by
their whiteness, and to show when it was caught.
The rau roa is another method by which vast quantities
of fish are taken. This is formed of a number of cocoa-
nut and other leaves, fastened firmly together, which are
dragged from moderately deep into shallow water, where
the fish are encircled and captured. The natives generally
select creeks and bays for using the rau roa. They also
adopt the practice of intoxicating fish; and for this pur-
pose, throw in a quantity of bruised seeds of the hutu, or
Barringtonia tree. The albicore, boneto, ray, swordfish,
and sharks are among the larger sea-fish eaten by the
natives; in addition to these, they have an almost endless
variety of rock-fish, which are remarkably sweet and good.
Salmon abound in many of the islands, but these are
caught in the salt water. They exactly resemble the
English variety in size and shape, but the flesh is white.
Crabs, lobsters, and rock-oysters, with a vast variety of
other shellfish, are found amongst the coral reefs and rocks.
In the rivers and lakes there are prawns, shrimps, and eels.
IMPORTANCE OF THE NAVIGATORS ISLANDS. 449
*Turtle are far more numerous at the Samoas than at
Tahiti, or the Hervey group. There are also two varie-
ties; the hawksbill and the green. Of the shell of the for-
mer, which in England is called tortoiseshell, the natives
make finger-rings, fish-hooks, and neck and ear ornaments;
but, having lately learned that it was a valuable article of
barter, they estimate it more highly than they did. The
turtle was considered by the Rarotongans and Tahitians
as most sacred. A part of every one caught was offered
to the gods, and the rest cooked with sacred fire, and par-
taken of by the king and principal chiefs only. I suppose
no woman, in any of those islands, ever tasted that luxury,
prior to the introduction of Christianity.
In concluding this brief notice of the natural history of
the Navigators Islands, I would remark, that there is not,
in the whole range of the Pacific, a finer group ; and I am
persuaded that, as soon as the progress of religion amongst
the inhabitants shall afford additional facilities for properly
exploring them, a vast amount of interesting information
will be obtained, and more beauties and wonders will be
disclosed,

38%

C H A P T E R XXIX.
Distinct Races of Polynesians—Islands inhabited by each Race–Malay
origin of the inhabitants of Eastern Polynesia–Reasons for this Theory—
Three objections answered—Origin of the Inhabitants of Western Poly-
nesia doubtful—Conjectures respecting them—Spiritual condition of the
two Races — Physical character of the Eastern Polynesians—Superiority
of the Chiefs, with reasons for it—Intellectual capacities of the People—
Opinions of Themselves–Mental Peculiarities—Wit and Humour-
Proverbs and Similies–Ingenuity – Good Sense – Eloquence-Desire
of Knowledge-Influence of Religion upon the Intellect- Appropriate
use of Scripture.
ORIGIN or THE South SEA Is LANDERs. I have already
stated that the numerous Isles of the Pacific are peopled
by two races of men, who, although possessing many
characteristics in common, exhibit numerous traces of a
distinct origin. This clearly appears in their physical con-
formation, colour, and language. The one race is allied
to the negro, having a Herculean frame, black skin, and
woolly, or rather crisped hair; while the hair of the other
is bright, lank, and glossy, the skin of light copper colour,
and the countenance resembling that of the Malay. The
latter inhabit Eastern Polynesia, which includes the Sand-
wich, the Marquesan, the Paumotu, the Tahitian and So-
ciety, the Austral, the Hervey, the Navigators, the Friendly
Islands, New Zealand, and all the smaller islands in their
respective vicinities; while the former race, which we
may designate the Polynesian negro, is found from the
Fijis to the coast of New Holland, which, for the sake of
ORIGIN OF THE EASTERN POLYNESIANS. 451
distinction, we shall call Western Polynesia. It will ap- -
pear, then, that the natives on the eastern part of New -
Holland, and the intertropical islands within thirty degrees -
east of it, including New Guinea, New Britain, New Ire-
land, the Archipelago of Lonsiade, Solomon's Isles, New
Caledonia, the New Hebrides, and the Fijis, differ essen-
tially from the copper-coloured inhabitants of the other
islands. There is indeed, in most of the islands, a partial \
intermixture of the races; but the great mass of the peo-
ple clearly exhibits the distinction I have made. Hitherto,
Missionary labours have been entirely confined to the
copper-coloured natives. We have now, however, pro-
ceeded so far west, as to reach the negro race, and our
next effort will be to impart the same blessings to them.
To this, we are encouraged by the fact, and a fact *
interesting can scarcely be found, that nearly the whole
nation of Polynesian Asiatics is now converted to the
Christian faith.
The point, then, for consideration is, the origin of these
islanders. In tracing that of the copper-coloured Polyne-
sians, I find no difficulty. Their physical conformation,
their general character, and their Malay countenance, fur-
nish, I think, indubitable evidence of their Asiatic origin.
But to these proofs must be added, the near affinity be-
tween the caste of India and the tabu of the South Sea
Isles; –- the similarity of the opinions which prevailed re-
specting women, and the treatment they received in Poly-
nesia and Bengal, more especially the common practice of
forbidding them to eat certain kinds of food, or to partake
of any in the presence of the men;– their inhuman con-
duct to the sick; — the immolation of the wives at the
funeral of their husbands; and a great number of games
and usages. These, I think, are clear indications of the



452 AFFINITY TO THE MALAYS.
Asiatic origin of this people; but the correspondence be-
tween the language spoken by the Malays and the Polyne-
sians is a still more decisive evidence. Many of the words
are the same in all the dialects of the South Sea Islands;
but the identity is very remarkable in the speech of the
New Zealanders, Rarotongans, and others, who introduce
the nasal sound, and the hard consonants. Of this I will
furnish a very few examples.
EXAMPLE.S.
ENglish. RARotonga. Malay.
The eye mata mata
Food manga mangan
Dead mate mate
A bird inanu inanu
Fish ika ika
Water vai wai
The Polynesians employ the Malay numerals with scarcely
any variation; but, as the Samoa islanders frequently in-
sert the s and the l into their words, these are most like
the Malay. This will be apparent from an example.
English. Tahitian. Rahotonga. SAMoA. . Malay
Ten ahuru ngauru safulu saſulu
Moon Inarania. lilaiania. malama malama
These are the principal circumstances upon which I found
the belief that the copper-coloured Polynesians, and the
various tribes inhabiting the Indian Archipelago, have the
same origin.
To this theory there are three objections, which have
been considered formidable, – the distance of the Malay
OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 453
coast from Tahiti; – the prevalence of the easterly trade-
winds within the tropics; — and the unfitness of the native
canoes for performing long voyages. But I think I can
show that these difficulties have been much exaggerated.
Let us consider for a moment the first objection, — the
distance from the Malay coast to Tahiti, the Sandwich, and
other islands. That distance is about a hundred degrees,
or seven thousand miles; and it is thought to have been
impossible for the natives to perform such a voyage with
their vessels, and imperfect knowledge of navigation. If
no islands intervened, I should at once admit the conclu-
siveness of this objection; or, if we were to assert that
they came direct from the Malay coast to islands so far
east, the assertion could not be maintained ; but if we can
show that such a voyage may be performed by very short
stages, the difficulty will disappear. Suppose, then, that
the progenitors of the present islanders had started from
the Malay coast or Sumatra, what would have been their
route 7 By sailing five degrees, or 300 miles, they would
reach Borneo ; then, by crossing the Straits of Macassar,
which are only about two hundred miles wide, they would
arrive at the Celebes. These are eight degrees from New
Guinea, but the large islands of Bessey and Ceram inter-
vene. The distance from New Guinea to the New He-
brides is twelve hundred miles ; but the islands between
them are so numerous, that the voyage may be made by
short and easy stages. Five hundred miles from the New
Hebrides are the Fijis; and about three hundred miles far-
ther on, the Friendly Islands. Another stage of five hun-
dred miles brings you to the Navigators; but, between
these two points, three other groups intervene. From the
Navigators to the Hervey Islands, the distance is about
seven hundred miles, and from thence to the Society group



454 ANSWER To THE FIRST objecTiON.
about four hundred more. Thus, I think, every difficulty
vanishes; for the longest stage, in the voyage from Suma-
tra to Tahiti, would be from the Navigators to the Hervey
group, seven hundred miles; and the Rarotongans them-
selves say that their progenitor, Karika, came from thence.”
The two opposite points have yet to be reached;— the
Sandwich Islands, and New Zealand. The former are
about two thousand five hundred miles north of Tahiti; but
the voyage, if made by way of the Marquesas, would not
be difficult, because the distance would thus be diminished
from six to eight hundred miles, and the voyagers taken
so much to the eastward, that they would be waſted with
great velocity before the prevailing trade wind. With
this supposition the native traditions agree; one of which
states, that, after the Island of Hawaii was produced by
the bursting of an egg, which an immense bird laid upon
the sea, a man and woman, with a hog, a dog, and a pair
of fowls, arrived in a canoe from the Society Islands, and
became the progenitors of the present inhabitants; and,
in another, it is stated, that a number of persons arrived
in a canoe from Tahiti, and, perceiving that the Sandwich
Islands were inhabited only by gods or spirits, they took
up their abode at Oahu. Certainly such traditions, in the
absence of all evidence to the contrary, ought to be ad-
mitted in confirmation of the theory I am advocating.
In reaching New Zealand from Tongatabu, or the Fiji
Islands, comparatively little difficulty would be experien-
ced. The distance is about twelve hundred miles; but if
the wind happens to be from the north-east, which is a
frequent occurrence, the voyage could be performed in a
few days. My own boat was on one occasion driven from
* See page 192 to 195.
-
REPLY TO THE SECOND OBJECTION. 455
Tahiti to Atiu, and on another from Rarotonga to Tonga-
tabu, a distance altogether of fifteen hundred miles; and,
on my last voyage, I conveyed home some natives of Aitu-
taki, who had been drifted in a single canoe to Proby's Is.
land, which is a thousand miles west of their own.
Thus, I think, I have disposed of the first objection to
my theory, and I now proceed to the consideration of the
second ; – the prevalence of the easterly trade-winds.
This has been deemed by many a conclusive argument
against the Asiatic origin of the South Sea Islanders; but
I do not attach to it so much importance. I am fully
aware of the general prevalence of these winds, and of
the impossibility of the native canoes working against them ;
but, after some observation, I am satisfied that the direc-
tion of the wind is not so uniform as to prevent the Malays
from reaching the various islands and groups, in which
their descendants are, I believe, now found. At least,
every two months there are westerly gales for a few days,
and, in February, there are, what the natives call, the
westerly twins, when the wind blows from the west several
days, then veers round the compass, and, in the course of
twenty-four hours, comes from that point again. I have
frequently seen it continue for eight and ten days; and,
on one occasion, for more than a fortnight ; so that the
difficulty presented by the supposed uniform prevalence of
the easterly winds, is quite imaginary. In addition to this,
as I have already shown, the longest stage in an easterly
direction, in performing a voyage from Sumatra to Tahiti,
would be seven hundred miles; and I myself, in my first
voyage to the Navigators, sailed sixteen hundred miles due
east in a few days.
The third objection, derived from the construction of the
native canoes, will appear, upon a little consideration, as




456 THIRD OBJECTION ANSWERED.
groundless as the others. In Marsden's History of Suma-
tra, a variety of facts are recorded, which prove, that long
before they were visited by Europeans, there had been, in
the Eastern Archipelago, some extensive and powerful
maritime states. “In 1573, the king of Achian appeared
with a fleet that is described as covering the straits of Ma-
lacca. He ordered an attack upon three Portuguese fri-
gates that were in the road protecting some provision
vessels; which was executed with such a furious discharge
of artillery that the Portuguese were presently destroyed
with all their crews. In 1582, the king appeared again
before Malacca, with a fleet of a hundred and fifty sail. In
1615, he again attacked the settlement, with a fleet of five
hundred sail, and sixty thousand men.” Where then is
the difficulty of allowing that a people thus advanced in
the art of Navigation should perform voyages all over the
Pacific A recent writer informs us that “the north coast
of New Holland has been known by the Malays for many
years. A fleet to the number of two hundred proas, an-
nually leaves Macassar for the fishery there: it sails in
January, during the westerly monsoon, and coasts from is-
land to island until it reaches the north-east of Timor,
when it steers S. E. and S. S. E, which courses carry
them to the coast of New Holland. The body of the
fleet then steers eastward, leaving here and there a division
of fifteen or sixteen proas under the command of an in-
ferior rajah, whose is the only proa that is provided with a
compass. After having fished along the coast to the east-
ward, until the westerly monsoon breaks up, they return;
and, by the last day of May, each detached fleet leaves
the coast, without waiting to collect into one body. On
* Marsden's History of Sumatra, p. 431.
ANOTHER THEORY UNNECESSARY. 457
their return, they steer N.W., which brings them to some
part of Timour; from whence they easily retrace their
steps to Macassar, where the Chinese traders meet them,
and purchase their cargoes.” It should then be re-
collected that the progenitors of the South Sea islanders
would not migrate in the paltry canoes now used by many
of their descendants, but in vessels similar to those in
which they attacked and sunk the Portuguese frigates, and
assailed the settlement at Malacca. Besides this, we have
good evidence that formerly the Tahitians and Society
Islanders had canoes far superior to those now in use, in
which they performed some extraordinary voyages; and a
traditionary account states, that one of their ancestors
visited all the Friendly Islands, and even Rotuma, or Wal-
lace’s Island, which is two thousand miles west of Tahiti,
and brought from thence the celebrated old seat Reua.f
Thus, I think, every difficulty is removed, and that we
need not have recourse to the theory, advocated by some
writers, and countenanced, to a certain extent, by Mr. Ellis,
that the Polynesian islanders came from South America.j:
I would far rather say, -provided their physical conforma-
tion, the structure of their language, and other circumstan-
ces established the identity of the Polynesians, and the
aborigines of America, -that the latter reached that con-
tinent through the isles of the Pacific. This, however, is a
topic upon which, although interesting, I cannot enter;
but so convinced am I of the practicability of performing
a voyage from Sumatra to Tahiti in one of the large
native canoes, that, if an object of sufficient magnitude
*Survey of the North and West Coasts of Australia, by Capt. King, R. N.
—pages 135 to 138.- 1818.
# See Tamatoa's speech, page 224.
# Ellis's Polynesian Researches, vol. 1. p. 122; Tour, 443.

39
458 ORIGIN OF THE POLYNESIAN NEGROES.
could be accomplished by it, I should feel no hesitation in
undertaking the task.
I fear that my remarks upon the origin of the Polynesian
negroes will not be equally satisfactory with those which
relate to the other race. This, indeed, is a dark and mys-
terious chapter in the history of man; and all I shall do
is to throw out a conjecture respecting them, and to express
a hope that when we obtain a knowledge of their language
and traditions, a portion of the obscurity in which their
origin is now enveloped will be cleared away. It is stated
that the inhabitants of the mountainous parts of several
of the Asiatic islands have black skin and crisped hair,
and if so, it would be interesting to ascertain in how many
other points they differ from the Malays; whether they
keep themselves distinct from that people; and whether
some of their progenitors might not have reached the South
Sea Islands in the same manner as we suppose the Malays
to have done. I think I have shown that no sufficient ob-
stacle existed to prevent this, and the only difficulty is to
account for the existence of this distinct nation between
the Malayan Archipelago, and the islands to which the
Malays have migrated. The hypothesis I would venture
to suggest is, that the negro race inhabited the whole of
the islands prior to the arrival of the Malay Polynesians:-
that the latter, being a fierce and treacherous people,
succeeded in conquering and extirpating them from the
smaller islands and groups, but were unable to effect
this in the larger ones; and that consequently they were
left in quiet possession of the islands which their posterity
still inhabit. But, while the origin of this numerous nation
is involved in much mystery, there are some points of
greater importance in relation to them, concerning which
there can be none. There the people are, many millions

CLAIMS OF TIIE POLYNESIAN NEGRO. 459
of them ; and, dark as is their colour, they are enveloped
in a moral gloom of deeper hue, constitute a branch of
the guilty family of Adam, are involved in the common
condemnation, and present a powerful claim upon the
Christians of England for that Gospel which has, under
God, conveyed to the other race the blessings of civiliza-
tion, and the light of immortality. To that people, I shall,
on my return, direct my principle attention, and I trust
that British Christains, encouraged by the result of their
efforts on behalf of the other race, will be still more anx-
ious for the conversion of this, and never relax their efforts,
or suspend their prayers, till all the islands that stud the
vast Pacific shall be enlightened and blessed with the Gos-
pel of salvation.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICs. – The physical differences
between some of the tribes of the copper-coloured Poly-
nesians are considerable; but viewed collectively, they are,
I think, amongst the finest specimens of the human family.
The men are strong and tall, being frequently upwards of
six feet high, with limbs firm and muscular, but not heavy
and clumsy. Indeed, the form of many of them exhibits
all that is perfect in proportion, and exquisite in symmetry.
This is especially the case with the chiefs, and more re-
markably so with those of Tongatabu and the Friendly
Islands, whose form and bearing are as stately as their
movements are natural and free. The women are inferi-
or to the men; but yet they often present the most elegant
models of the human figure. Both the men and women
are distinguished by vivacity, and their movements by
extraordinary quickness and ease.
Captain Cook attempted to account for the superior size
of the chiefs, by supposing that they were a distinct race;
-




|
460 THEIR INTELLECTUAL CAPACITY.
but in this we think he was incorrect. It may perhaps be
attributed in part to their progenitors, who were probably
raised to the chieftainship on account of their physical
superiority, or of some achievements which resulted from
it;-partly to their mothers, who were generally selected
by the chiefs for their form and stature;— and partly to
their treatment during the years of childhood and youth.
As soon as the son of a chief was born, two or three of
the finest and most healthy women were selected to nurse
it; and while performing this office, which they frequently
did for three years, they were provided with abundance
of the best food. A child of Tinomana of Rarotonga,
had four nurses, and he was a little monster. With this
commencement, their subsequent training corresponded. I
think these causes sufficient to account for the superiority
of the chiefs, many of whom are certainly splendid speci-
mens of human nature.
INTELLECTUAL CAPA cities. –It is a remarkable fact,
that almost every race thinks itself the wisest. While, in
the pride of mental superiority, civilized nations look upon
barbarous tribes as almost destitute of intellect, these
cherish the same sentiments towards them ; and even
Britons have not been exempted from degrading represen-
tations. So far back as the time of Cicero, we find evi-
dence of the low estimate in which we have been held.
In one of his epistles to his friend Atticus, the Roman
orator recommends him not to obtain his slaves from
Britain, because “they are so stupid, and utterly incapa-
ble of being taught, that they are unfit to form a part of
the household of Atticus.” At the present day, the Chi-
nese do not form a much higher opinion of our capacities;
and even with the South Sea islanders, it is common to

- EVIDENCES OF MENTAL CAPACITY. 461
say, when they see a person exceedingly awkward, “How
stupid you are ; perhaps you are an Englishman.”
It will depend, however, upon the standard by which
we measure intellectual capacity, whether we pronounce
the South Sea islanders inferior to other races. If depth
of thought, and profundity of research be the only satis-
factory evidences of superior minds, I shall yield the point
at once. But if wit, ingenuity, quickness of perception, a
tenacious memory, a thirst for knowledge when its value
is perceived, a clear discernment and high appreciation of
the useful; readiness in acquiring new and valuable arts;
great precision and force in the expression of their thoughts,
and occasional bursts of eloquence of a high order, be
evidence of intellect, I hesitate not to affirm, that, in these,
the South Sea islander does not rank below the Euro-
pean ; and that many of them would, if they possessed
equal advantages, rise to the same eminence as the lite-
rary and scientific men of our own land An illustration
or two of their mental capacity may not be inappropriate.
The following incident will furnish an example of their
wit and humour. A few years ago, a venerable and es-
teemed brother Missionary came to England, and, being
rather bald, some kind friends provided him with a wig.
Upon his return to the islands, the chiefs and others went
on board to welcome him ; and, after the usual saluta-
tions, one of them said to the Missionary, “You were bald
when you left, and now you have a beautiful head of hair;
what amazing people the English are ; how did they make
* They give us full credit for our superiority in some other respects; but
they laugh at the awkwardness of Englishmen in doing those things at which
they are so expert, such as climbing, swimming, producing fire by rubbing
two sticks together, &c.



39%

462 THEIR WIT AND HUMOUR.
your hair grow again?” “You simple people,” replied
the Missionary, “how does everything grow? is it not by
sowing seed?” They immediately shouted, “Oh, these
English people they sow seed upon a bald man's head to
make the hair grow " One shrewd fellow inquired
whether he had brought any of the seed with him " The
good Missionary carried on the joke for a short time, and
then raised his wig. The revelation of his “original head”
of course drew forth a roar of laughter, which was greatly
increased, when one of the natives shouted to some of his
countrymen who were near, “Here, see Mr. , he has
come from England with his head thatched; he has come
from England with his head thatched ”
Of the pun they are very fond, and use it frequently. I
could give numerous examples of this ; but the point of
such witticisms is so much blunted by translation, that I
think I should not do their authors justice by presenting
them to the English reader.
Their proverbs and similes, generally drawn from familiar
objects, are often very striking and appropriate. Several
of these have been furnished in the speeches introduced
elsewhere; but one or two others may be added. There
is a fish, common in the tropics, called the aumea, which
is remarkable for its large mouth and open gills. By the
natives it is believed that the food seized by the former
often passes out at the latter; and, in allusion to this, a
chief, when delivering an important commission, would
say to the bearer, “Do not imitate the aumea;” and, when
exhorting each other to a cordial and profitable reception
of religious truth, they would frequently remark, “Do not
let our reception of the word of life resemble the eating
of the aumea, but let it sink into the heart.” For several
hours before a storm, a hollow roar upon the reef is the
THEIR GOOD SENSE. 463
unerring indication of its approach ; and as soon as this is
heard, the sea urchin, or echinus, prepares for the tempest,
by crawling to a place of security, and fixing itself so
firmly to the rock, that the bursting billows cannot detach
it. The natives observing this, have a proverb which,
rendered literally, is, “The roaring of the sea, and the
listening of the echini :” but in signification is similar to
that of Solomon. “The prudent man foreseeth the evil,
and hideth himself.” A current expression, in reference
to any boast, display, or bluster, is E. upaupa tumu ore ia,
“That’s a splendid thing without a foundation :” alluding
to the parasitical plants which abound in the islands.
These are merely specimens of hundreds equally appro-
priate of the same class.
The ingenuity of the natives is displayed in the fabrica-
tion of their cloth, the exquisite carving of their weapons,
and the construction of their canoes, houses, fishing appa-
ratus, &c.
Of their good sense, I have given a specimen in pages 64
and 65; and will only mention another instance of it. I
was standing one day by Tamatoa, when the fishing
canoes returned with a quantity of salmon. These were
deposited in his presence ; and one of the domestics, by
his master's order, began to set apart a number for the
various chiefs, according to the usual custom. While he
was doing this, a petty chief took a large fish from the
pile ; on seeing which, the servant immediately seized it,
and muttered something in a very growling tone of voice.
Tamatoa noticed this, and asked the man why he did so.
“That fellow,” he replied, “refused to give me some bread-
fruit the other day, and now he comes to take our fish l’”
The king then ordered him to select two of the finest
salmon, and give them cheerfully to the chief. The man



464 THEIR ELOQUENCE.
grumbled, and, very reluctantly, obeyed the order. Shortly
afterwards, Tamatoa again called his servant, and said,
“You foolish fellow, do you not perceive, that, by this act, -
the unkindness of that man will be reproved, and that he
will be ashamed to refuse you anything the next time you
go?” I immediately turned to the king, and whispered,
“Why you are as wise as Solomon; for he says, “If
thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he
be thirsty, give him water to drink; for thou shalt heap
coals of fire upon his head.’” “True,” he replied, “that's
the way to conquer people.”
In eloquence they excel. I have not only seen all the
passions of the human mind called into exercise, but have
myself been so wrought upon by their addresses, as to
forget where I was, and in what I was engaged. Many
specimens have already been given in their speeches; and
the concluding paragraph of the following prayer, which
was offered up on the Sabbath prior to our embarkation
for England, may be added to them.
Having preached to a large congregation, and feeling
rather exhausted, I called upon one of the members to
engage in prayer, prior to the administration of the Lord's
Supper: and being delighted alike with the piety and
beauty of his expressions, I wrote them down, as soon as
the service was concluded. He commenced by saying, —
“Oh God, the high and blessed Jehovah, we praise thee for all
the goodness thou hast wrought towards us: and now that we are
assembled round this table, do thou be with us. While we see
the bread broken in our presence, may the eye of the heart be
looking at the body of the Lord Jesus, as broken upon the cross
for us; and when we see the wine poured into the cup, may the
ear of the heart be listening to the voice of the Lord Jesus, say-
NATIVE PRAYER. 465
ing, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which was shed
for the remission of sins.’ Let not what the Apostle says be ap-
plicable to us; never may we eat and drink condemnation to our-
selves. Forbid that we should take nails, and fasten the Lord
Jesus again to the cross : once he has been put to pain for us;
may that suffice ; may we never take the spear of sin, and pierce
again his side, thus crucifying him afresh, and putting him to an
open shame. In partaking of this sacred feast, may our hearts be
warmed, may our love to the Saviour be made greater, and may
our faith be made stronger.”
He then prayed affectionately for his beloved Missionary
and his family, and for the church, of which he had been
a member twelve years; and closed with the following
beautiful petitions for us, who were to embark for England
on the following morning: —
“O God, tell the winds about them, that they may not blow
fiercely upon them; command the ocean concerning them, that it
may not swallow them up: conduct them in safety to their far
distant country, and give them a happy meeting with their rela-
tives, and then conduct them back again to us; but should we
never meet again around the table of the Lord below, may we all
meet around the throne of glory above.”
That the natives are anacious to obtain, and quick in re-
ceiving instruction, have been abundantly shown in the
preceding narrative. I think it right, however, to remark,
that, while there is ample evidence of their having possess-
ed good powers of mind, previous to the introduction of
Christianity, with that period a new era commenced, not
only in their moral history, but also in their intellectual.
The process of instruction under which they have been
brought, the new wants and desires created by the supply



466 INFLUENCE of christiANITY upon intellect.
of knowledge, the excitement produced by a series of dis-
coveries, many of which were so wonderful and sublime
that they could not fail both to quicken and enlarge their
faculties, and, above all, the elevating power of vital re-
ligion, have made them mentally, as well as spiritually,
“new creatures in Christ Jesus.” This has often appeared,
in our evening conversations with the natives; for the Mis-
sionary keeps open house, which, at the close of the day,
is often a full house, so many come to ask questions, and
acquire knowledge; but still more strikingly in their ad-
dresses and sermons. Perhaps no minister, even the most
gifted, could select their illustrations or make their quota-
tions with greater judgement and force. In the latter
point, I have often been struck with their holy ingenuity:
and perhaps I may be pardoned for giving the following
instance of this excellence. A few weeks after 1 had taken
leave of Raiatea for England, I had occasion to return to
that island; and a short time subsequent to my arrival, I
found that a meeting had been convened which I was re-
quested to attend. I knew not its object, until the king's
speaker arose, and told me, that they had met to request
me to abandon my intention of visiting England. After
many interesting addresses, a chief arose, and with great
gravity said, “Mr. Williams, I have been reading to-day
what Paul wrote to the Philippians, “I am in a strait be-
tween two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ,
which is far better; nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is
more needful for you.' Now we all know that you must
wish to see your friends, and visit your native country, after
so long an absence; this is very reasonable; but don't you
think, if Paul was willing to stay even out of heaven to do
good to Christians on earth, that you ought to forego the
pleasure of visiting England to do good to us!" This was
AFFECTING APPEAL. 467
a touching appeal, and feeling it deeply, I replied by ex-
pressing my pleasure at receiving this proof of their affec-
tion, and promised, on revisiting Tahiti, to consult Mrs. W.,
and, if we could not remain ourselves, to persuade one of
our brother Missionaries to reside with them until our re-
turn. I had no sooner made this declaration than another
arose, and, after thanking me for promising to endeavour
to find a substitute, exclaimed, “But although we have ten
thousand instructers in Christ, we have not many fathers,
for, in Christ Jesus, you have begotten us through the
Gospel.”
Since the former sheet went to press I have had an op-
portunity of conversing with an esteemed brother Mission-
ary, the Rev. W. Medhurst, who has laboured many years
in Java, and he informs me that in the island of Ceram
there is a race of men which, from his description, I find
resembles the negro Polynesians; that they build canoes
by lashing them together as the South Sea islanders do;
and that they exist as a distinct nation from the Malays, by
whom they are caught and sold as slaves. These facts
appear to countenance the hypothesis I have ventured to
suggest. See page 451.




C H A P T E R XXX.
The two Languages of the South Sea Islanders—The eight Dialects of the
Eastern Polynesians–Comparison of each Dialect with the Tahitian-
Tabular view of the Differences between them—Their Precision and Perfec-
tion–Nice Distinctions in the Pronouns–Causative Verb–Pronuncia-
tion—Introduction of New Words—Government–Power of the Chiefs
—Punishment of Theft–Wars—Their Frequency–Weapons–Can-
nibalism not practised by the Samoans-Amusements.
LANGUAGE. – The language is the next point which claims
our attention. That of the Polynesian negroes differs from
the dialects of Eastern Polynesia in one remarkable fea-
ture; which is, that, in the former, many of the words
and syllables terminate with a consonant, whereas in the
latter, both the one and the other invariably end with a
vowel. Of the first I know but little ; but with the other
I am perfectly familiar, and to it therefore I shall confine
my observations.
In this language there are eight dialects; and, for the
sake of clearness, I shall select the Tahitian as the stand-
ard, and compare the others with it. I do this, however,
not because I think it is the original; for the Hervey
Island dialect appears to possess superior claims to that
title, as it is so much more extensively spoken, and bears a
closer affinity to the other dialects, than the Tahitian; but
because the latter was first reduced to system. The isl-
anders who speak the different dialects of this language
are, the Tahitian and Society, the Sandwich, the Marque-
THE DIALECTS. 469
san, the Austral, the Hervey, the Samoa, the Tongatabuans,
and the New Zealanders.
The Sandwich island dialect differs from the Tahitian in
the frequent introduction of the k and l, and the rejection
off, as in the following words:
good. love. house.
TAHITIAN. maitai aroha fare
HAw AIIAN. maikai alofa fale
The Marquesan differs from the Tahitian in admitting
the k, and rejecting the r, without supplying its place, as
TAHITIAN. maitai aroha fare
MARQUESAN. motaki aoafa fae
The Austral islanders, including Rurutu, Raivavae, Tu-
puai, and Rimatara islands, situated about four hundred
miles south of Tahiti, have a distinction of their own, but
have been taught to use the Tahitian Scriptures, which
they read fluently, and understand as well as if written in
their own tongue. The peculiarity of this dialect appears
in the rejection of the f, and h, without supplying any sub-
stitutes; and, trifling as this may appear, the difference of
sound it occasions is amazing.
again.
TAHITIAN. maitai aroha fare faahou
AUSTRAL. maitai aroa. are aaou
The Hervey island dialect is spoken, not only throughout
that group, but at the Maniki group, to which Puna, the
native Missionary, was drifted ; and by the Paumotus,
even as far up as Gambier's Islands. This differs very
little from the dialect of New Zealand. The Hervey or
Rarotonga dialect is distinguished from the Tahitian by
two particulars; in the first place, by the rejection of the
fand h, and, secondly, by the introduction of the k and nga

40

470 The DIALEcts.
There are also two other peculiarities in the Tahitian—a
remarkable break, or separating catch, when two vowels
come together, and a hard sound. These are supplied in
the Rarotonga by the k and nga ; as for example, va'a,
canoe, becomes in that dialect, vaka; and aro, lost, becomes
ngaro.
food.
TAhitu AN. maitai aroha fare inau.
RARotongAN. meitaki aroa are manga
The Samoa dialect differs from the Tahitian in exchang-
ing the r for the l, and the h for the s. It also adopts the
nassal sound, and rejects the k. The frequent use of the
f, s, and l, renders the Samoa dialect peculiarly soft and
mellifluous; much more so, indeed, than any other of the
dialects. This is the only dialect in which the sibilant is
used.
The Tongatabu differs from the Tahitian in rejecting the
r, and introducing the l and k ; and from all the other dia-
lects by the use of the j. In the latter point, it becomes
somewhat assimilated to the Fiji language. The Tonga
dialect is spoken at the Hapai and Vavau groups, and at
many of the adjacent islands.
The New Zealand is the eighth dialect of this language.
In its leading peculiarities it agrees with the Rarotonga;
indeed, the only difference is, that the New Zealanders
retain the h, which the Rarotongans reject. A few words
perhaps in each of the dialects will enable the reader to
trace their affinity. (See List in following page.)
The pronouns in seven of the dialects are the same; but
in that of Tongatabu they differ materially from the others,
and bear a greater affinity to the Fiji.
That a language spoken by savages should be supposed
to be defective in many respects, could not create surprise;
-
English. Tahitian. Hawaiian. Marquesan. Austral Island Hervey Island Samoan. Tongatabu. |New Zealand. Fijian.
God Atua Atua. Atua Atua Atua Atua Otua Atua Kalau
Man ta-a-ta kanaka kanaka ta-a-ta ta-nga-ta ta-nga-ta ta-nga-ta ta-nga-ta tamata
Woman va-hi-ne wa-hi-ne ve-ine va-ine va-ine fa-fine fa-fine wa-hine leva
Spirit Wa-Tu-8. u-ha-ne ku-ani Warua, Vale-rua. ata-mai lau-ma-lie wairua. alo
Good mai-ta’i maikai mo-ta-ki mai-ta'i mei-ta-ki le-lei lelei pai vinaka
Bad ino ino hau-fau ino kino le-anga kovikovi kino Iha
Cloth a-hu ka-pa ka-hu au ka-ka’u ofu kofu kakahu Suli, talo
Canoe Val-a. wa-ka va ka Vasa, va-ka Va.-a, waka waka vauka
Deceit haavare wahahee tivava a-aware pikikaa pepelo lohi hanga-reka lasu
Moon inara.nla. mahina meanna, Inaranta, marama, masina mahina mal'anna, pula
Great rahi, nui nui nui ra’i ra'i, maata lasi, tele lahilahi nui lebu
Small iti uutu iti iti ngiti itiiti jii nohinohi leilei
Compassion aroha aloha kaofa aroa. aroa. alofa jitofa aroha soloma
Word, Speech parau Kolelo peeau parau tuatua tala, ubu lea - korero WOSa
to kill taparahi pepehi kukumi ta. ta fasi ta’i ta. avita
Cold to’eto’e almu kamaii to’eto’e toketoke ma’alili mokojia makaridi
Morning po’ipo’i tatahi ata oioi poipoi popo'ngi tai-ao po-ngi-po-ngi
King Ari'i Ali’i pakaiki ari’i ariki ali’i eiki ariki turanga
to hear,believe fa’aroo holohe oko a’aro’o akarongo fa'alongo fakalongo wakarongo bakarongota




472 THE DIALECTs.
but the fact is, contrary to all we might have anticipated,
that the Polynesian dialects are remarkably rich, admit of
a great variety of phraseology, abound in turns of peculiar
nicety, and are spoken with strict conformity to the most
precise grammatical principles. Of this I shall furnish a
few examples. In the first place, the Polynesians employ
three numbers, the singular, the dual, and the plural, with
which the inflections of their verbs agree.
singular. dual. plural.
To speak parau pararau paraparau
To do rave ratave raverave
Their pronouns are beautifully complete, having several
remarkable and valuable distinctions unknown to us. An
instance is found in what we may term the inclusive and
exclusive pronouns: for example, in English, we say, “It
is time for us to go; and the expression may, or may not
include the person addressed. Now, in the Polynesian
dialects there are two pronouns which mark this difference,
matou and tatou. If the person spoken to is one of the
party going, the tatou would be used; if not, the matou. A
short time since I was dining at Bath, when the lady of
the house desired the servant to bring a plate, and, politely
addressing me, said, “Put your bones upon the plate, Sir.”
Now, common as this expression is, it is certainly rather
ambiguous. In the language of the Polynesians, however,
there would be no such ambiguity, for they have two pro-
nouns to express the difference, tooe and taoe : the former
of which would be used, if my own bones were meant;
and the latter, if those of the pheasant, of which I had been
partaking.
There is also a causative verb, as matau, fear; had ma-
tau, to make afraid; mat au hia, to be feared; had matau
hia, to cause to be feared.
INTRODUCTION OF NEW WORDS. 473
The distinction of sounds, also, is very delicate, and has
occasionally placed the Missionary in rather awkward cir-
cumstances. On one occasion, an excellent brother was
preachiug for me, and, happening to aspirate a word which
ought not to be aspirated, he addressed the people as be-> .
loved savages, instead of beloved brethren. Notwithstand- -
ing this, no person speaks incorrectly, and we never hear
such violations of grammar and pronunciation as are com-
mon in England.
There are but fourteen or fifteen letters in any of the
dialects of this language; and as we spell the word pre-
cisely as it is pronounced, no difficulty is experienced in
teaching the children spelling. All we have to do is to
instruct them in the sounds of the letters, and when these
are acquired, they spell the longest words with ease. As
the natives are never at a loss to express their thoughts or
emotions, or to describe any of the qualities of matter with
which they are acquainted, we have been obliged, in ef.
fecting our translations, to introduce but few new terms.
These principally relate to the ordinances of the Christian
religion, and to articles and ideas unknown prior to their
intercourse with Europeans. Before admitting a new word,
we have generally considered whether it could be Polyne-
sianized ; that is, whether vowels could be inserted between
every two consonants without destroying its identity; and,
secondly, whether any terms exist in the native tongue
with which it was likely to be confounded. When we
could adopt English words, we preferred doing so; but these
cannot be accommodated to the South Sea dialects so ea-
sily as words from the Greek. Of this the term horse may
afford an illustration. This, by the introduction of vowels,
so entirely loses its identity, that horse would become
horeti; but as the omission of one p and the s from the

40%

474 GOVERNMENT.
Greek word hippos gives us hipo, we adopt that word, be-
cause it harmonizes with the language, can be easily pro-
nounced by the natives, and retains a sufficient resemblance
to the original to preserve its identity. Arenio for lamb,
and areto for bread are examples of the same kind. In
designating baptism, to avoid all disputes, we have adopted
the original, baptizo. These phrases are very soon under-
stood by the people; for they are not only referred to in
our discourses, and explained daily in our schools, but the
natives themselves are constantly conveying such informa-
tion from one to another.
Gover NMENT.-The governments of the various islands
present many points of resemblance, but almost every
group has some peculiarities. At Tongatabu, the chiefs
are elected and their power limited; while, at the surround-
ing islands, they are hereditary and despotic. At the
Samoas every settlement is a little independent state,
governed by its own chief or chiefs, who did not appear to
me to possess very extensive authority. Indeed, I was in-
formed, that, if a chief was oppressive, it was not an un-
frequent occurrence for the tribe to assemble, and con-
demn him to death. In this case, his son, or some other
relative, was generally nominated as his successor. During
war an aged chieftain was appointed both to preside in
their councils and to act as generalissimo.
There appears to be no principal chief exercising kingly
authority over the whole group, as at the Society and
other islands, unless Tamaſainga, whose office was in
many respects peculiar, might be so considered. Yet a
power of this kind must have been vested somewhere;
for a month or two prior to my arrival, an influential chief,
who had endeavoured to excite a war, was put to death,
after a regular trial. This trial lasted three days; and the
METHOD OF SUBMISSION. 47 5
execution took place on the day after it was terminated.
I suppose the authority in such cases to have been vested
in Malietoa and others; for immediately after this event,
the whole tribe came to Sapapalii, each carrying a stick
of firewood, a stone, and some leaves; and on arriving in
front of Malietoa's dwelling they prostrated themselves,
and held out the token of their submission. The chief then
ordered them to arise, and cast away these emblems of
their degradation; and having done this, they entered his
house, kissed his feet, and, after receiving assurances of
pardon, presented cloth and mats as an atonement, and
returned home. As wood, stones, and leaves are used in
preparing the native ovens, they may have been designed
to signify that the culprits were at the mercy of the chief,
and that they had brought the materials with which they
might be baked, if he commanded it; or the act may have
been intended simply to intimate that they were his slaves,
to cook his food, and perform his servile work. This cus-
tom prevails also, with a slight variation, both at Tongatabu
and the Fiji Islands.
Thieving is punished so severely at the Samoas that it is
seldom practised among themselves; but they have no
scruples or fears in pilfering from ships and foreigners. A
very important distinction, however, exists between the
malo and vaivai, or the victorious and the vanquished.
The former, or weak ones, generally “go to the wall,” and
their settlements are plundered almost at discretion by the
stronger party.
WARs. – The wars at the Navigators group were ex-
ceedingly frequent. Of this some idea may be formed by
the following circumstance. The island of Aborima was
the national fortress of the people of Manono. These,
although ignorant of the art of writing, kept an account





476 WAR FREQUENT.
of the number of battles they had fought by depositing a
stone, of a peculiar form, in a basket, which was very
carefully fastened to the ridge pole of a sacred house for
that purpose. This was let down, and the stones were
counted when I was there, and the number was one hun-
dred and ninety-seven l How much does such a people
need that Gospel which alone can subdue the fierce pas-
sions of our nature, and cause wars to cease from the ends
of the earth ! In these conflicts the club, the jagged spear,
and the sling were their usual weapons; but the bow does
not appear to have been used in their battles. The ac-
companying plate will give an idea of the instruments of
war used at these and other islands. The Samoans are
exceedingly expert in hurling the spear, as the following
incident will evince. Matetau was one day on board a
ship, when the captain wished him to aim at a ring, about
four or five inches in diameter, which he had made on the
foresail. The chief took his station on the quarter-deck,
about eighty feet from the spot, poised his spear for a
moment or two, and then darted it through the centre of
the ring. -
Although not addicted to cannibalism, which they speak
of with great horror and detestation, the wars of the
Samoans were exceedingly cruel. That which raged
during my first visit, continued with unabated fury for
several months; and when it terminated, many of the
vanquished party were thrown indiscriminately into large
fires. During this distressing period, the native Mission-
aries informed me that canoes were constantly arriving
with the remains of those who had fallen in the contest;
and that on these occasions the dismal howlings and lam-
entations of the relatives, their frantic behaviour, the
frightful lacerations they inflicted upon themselves with
|
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2 3 8
No. 1. A Samoa hand club. 2. A Samoa spear. 3. A Tongatabu club. 4. A Kingsmill
Island, spear, 18 feet long, armed with sharks' teeth. 5. A Samoa club. 6. A Rarotonga
ºpear. 7. A Kingsmill Island dagger, with sharks' teeth. 8. A Tongatabu hand club,
9. A Mangaia spear.



























-
478 WAR WEAPONS.
shells and sharks' teeth, together with the horrid appear-
ance of the victims, kept them in a state of intense excite-
ment and distress. The extent of the desolation produced
by their conflicts may be estimated by the circumstance,
that I sailed along the beautiful coast of Ana, the seat of
war, about eleven months after its termination, and did not
observe a house or an inhabitant for at least ten miles.
Paraiſara, whom I met at Manua, informed us that they
scalp their victims, and present the scalp, with some ava,
either to the king or to the relatives of those who have
fallen in battle, by whom it is highly prized. A circum-
stance of this kind occurred in the war already referred to.
A scalp was brought to a young woman whose father had
been killed. This she burnt, and having beat it to powder,
she strewed the ashes upon the fire with which she cooked
her food, and devoured the meat with savage satisfaction.
To so great an extent is the principle of revenge carried
in all the islands of the Pacific How truly benign the
spirit of the Gospel appears when contrasted with such a
system, and what a happy world ours would be if all man-
kind were under its blessed influence
AMUseMENTs. – Aware of the volatile disposition of the
Samoa islanders, we were not surprised to find that a con-
siderable portion of their time and attention was devoted
to games and pastimes. These they appear to enjoy ama-
zingly; and to this, perhaps, their comparative freedom
from care may greatly contribute; for, while millions in
other lands are racked with intense anxiety as to what they
shall eat, what they shall drink, and where withal they shall
be clothed, the light-hearted Samoan scarcely gives these
\things a thought; and, while civilized man is undermining
the very foundations of the earth, and traversing the ocean
for years together, in voluntary exile from country and home,
AMUSEMENTS. 479
exploring all regions and braving all climes to obtain food
and raiment, the Samoan plucks, at pleasure, a few leaves
from his trees and makes a garment ; gathers some bread-
fruit from his luxuriant grove ; spends an hour or two in
A cap from Aitutaki, worn formerly by the master of the ceremonies at the
native dances; but now, by the chief judge of the island.
catching the fish which swarm his shores; and thus, with-
out care or exertion, obtains that for which others labour
and groan. Thus, free from solicitude, he spends his days
in mirth. Wrestling, boxing, club-fighting, canoe-rowing,


480 COMPOSITIONS. -
fowling, and dancing are their favourite pastimes; but as
minute discriptions of these have been furnished by Cap-
tain Cook, Mr. Ellis, and others, I shall dismiss them with
one or two passing observations. The evening dance of
the Samoans is their principal amusement, when songs are
sung, which were previously composed and set to music
by the women. These are sometimes poetical. The fol-
lowing is an average specimen: —
“Piotaulua º has risen; Taulua" also has risen;
But the war star has ceased to rise;
For Sulueleele, with the king, has embraced the sacred word,
And war has become a sa..”.
These compositions, weaving chaplets of flowers, and
forming other decorations, with which to appear at the
evening exhibitions, furnish the females with much em-
ployment.
The social habits of the Samoa islanders, their diseases,
their surgery, their method of embalming, their manufac-
tures, marriage ceremonies, and a variety of similar topics,
I am obliged to pass over for the present. The Plate
which is here introduced will give an idea of the articles
they manufacture.
The comb is made of the stem of the cocoa-nut leaflet.
The fish-hooks are made from bone, mother-of-pearl,
turtle-shell, &c.
The Samoa basket is made from the palm-leaf, or pan-
danus odoratissimus.
That from Tonga, of a more substantial material, called
kiekie.
* Names of stars. f King's daughter. # An evil thing.
i
PLATE
OF NATIVE MANUFACTURES.
Fish-hooks.
Samoa basket.
Tonga basket.
481












482 SAMOA PECULIARITIES.
But although we must omit much that is interesting,
there are few points in which the Samoas differ so mate-
rially from their brethren, that an observation upon them
seems necessary. One of these is the practice of purchas-
ing their wives. One young woman was introduced to
me, for whom her husband gave the amazing price of
upwards of two hundred pigs, besides a quantity of siapo,
or native cloth.
The system adopted when a person has several wives,
is to allow each to enjoy in rotation three day's supremacy;
and this arrangement is so well understood by them, that
there is comparatively little quarrelling among the numer-
ous sharers of the husband's affections.
The modes they adopt to ornament their persons are
peculiar. Few of the women were tatooed, but many of
them were spotted. This is what they call sengisengi,
and is effected by raising small blisters with a wick of na-
tive cloth, which burns, but does not blaze. When these
are healed, they leave the spot a shade lighter than the
original skin. Thus indelible devices are imprinted. They
adopt this method at the Samoas, and tatooing at other
islands, to perpetuate the memory of some important event,
or beloved and departed relative.
The inhabitants of almost every group, however, have
their peculiar ideas as to what constitutes an addition to
beauty. In the Solomon's Islands the natives pierce the
sides of their noses, and introduce rings made of turtle
shell. I saw a man from this group, who had upwards of
twenty of these hanging from his nose. At the Austral
group, they are famous for boring their ears; and intro-
ducing pieces of stick, and other substances, size after size,
until the hole becomes an inch or an inch and a half in
diameter. In the Tahitian and Society Islands, from the
IDEAS OF BIEAUTY. 483
moment of the child’s birth, the mothers were constantly
employed in performing two operations; the one was
compressing the forehead, and back part of the head to
give it a flat, rather than an elongated shape; and the
other was flattening the nose, both of which, in their esti-
mation, added much to the beauty of the person. The
natives have frequently said to me, “What a pity it is,
that English mothers pull the children's noses so much,
and make them so frightfully long.”

C H A P T E R XXXI.
Religions of the Polynesians—Difference between the Superstitions of the
Samoans and the other Islanders— Objects of worship – Deified Ances-
tors — Dedication of Children — The Christian and Heathen Mother-
Idols—Etus—Tangaloa-Modes of Worship—Invocations-Mutila-
tions—Human Sacrifices — Occasions for which they were required-
Mode of procuring them—Affecting Incidents—Future State-Terms
of Admission to their Paradise–Cruel Rite of the Fijians—Prevalence
of Infanticide–Illustrations of this — Contrast between the former and
present State of the Children—Scene at School Anniversary-Recovery
of a Daughter—Alleged Reasons for Infanticide–Method of Performing
it—Necessity for, and Power of the Gospel.
RELIgion.— The religious system of the Samoans differs
essentially from that which obtained at the Tahitian, So-
ciety, and other islands with which we are acquainted.
| They have neither maraes, nor temples, nor altars, nor
offerings; and, consequently, none of the barbarous and
\ sanguinary rites observed at the other groups. In conse-
quence of this, the Samoans were considered an impious
race, and their impiety became proverbial with the people
of Rarotonga;” for, when upbraiding a person who neg-
lected the worship of the gods, they would call him “a
godless Samoan.” But, although heathenism was presented
to us by the Samoans in a dress different from that in which
we had been accustomed to see it, having no altars stained
with human blood, no maraes strewed with the skulls and
bones of its numerous victims, no sacred groves devoted
* This is an additional proof that intercourse existed between them prior
to their acquaintance with Europeans.

DEIFIED ANCESTORS, 485
to rites of which brutality and sensuality were the most
obvious features, – this people had “Lords many, and gods
many;”—their religious system was as obviously marked as
any other with absurdity, superstition, and vice;— and its
followers stand as much in need of the Gospel as the can-
nibal New Zealander, who feasts on the quivering limbs of
his victim, or the infatuated Tahitian, whose gods were
gorged with the blood of the sacrifices which were pre-
sented upon their altars. When, however, we consider
the importance which the Tahitians and Rarotongans at-
tached to their idols, maraes, and religious ceremonies, and
the intimate manner in which these were interwoven with
their political, civil, and social institutions, we cannot won-
der that they should regard those as impious, whose worship
was destitute of such appendages.
In order, however, to furnish a sketch of the religion of
the Polynesians as correct and comprehensive as my limits
will permit, I shall offer some observations upon four
points — their gods; the nature of their worship ; their
ideas of a future state; and the means they adopt to se-
cure final happiness.
The objects worshipped by them were of three kinds —
their deified ancestors, their idols, and their etus. Many
of their ancestors were deified for conferring supposed
benefits upon mankind. It was believed, for example, that
the world was formerly in darkness; but that one of their
progenitors, by a most absurd process, created the sun,
moon, and stars. For this he was worshipped, until the
light of Christianity dawned upon them, and revealed the
Maker of all things.
Another tradition stated that the heavens were originally
so close to the earth that men could not walk, but were
compelled to crawl. This was a serious evil; but, at

41%

486 DEDICATION OF CHILDREN.
length, an individual conceived the sublime idea of eleva-
ting the heavens to a more convenient height. For this
purpose, he put forth his utmost energy; and, by the first
effort, raised them to the top of a tender plant, called teve,
about four feet high. There he deposited them until he
was refreshed; when, by a second effort, he lifted them to
the height of a tree called kauariki, which is as large as
the sycamore. By the third attempt, he carried them to
the summits of the mountains; and, after a long interval of
repose, and by a most prodigious effort, he elevated them
to their present situation. This vast undertaking, however,
was greatly facilitated by myriads of dragon flies, which,
with their wings, severed the chords that confined the
heavens to the earth. Now this individual was deified;
and, up to the moment that Christianity was embraced,
the deluded inhabitants worshipped him as “the Elevator
of the Heavens.”
Besides this class, they had the god of the fisherman, of
the husbandman, of the voyager,” of the thief, and of the
warrior. All these are said to have been men, who were
deified on account of their eminence in such avocations.
Many mothers dedicated their children to one of these
deities, but principally to Hiro, the god of thieves, and to
Oro, the god of war. If to the former, the mother, while
pregnant, went to the marae with the requisite offerings,
when the priest performed the ceremony of catching the
spirit of the god, with the snare previously described, and
infusing it into the child even prior to its birth, that it
might become a clever and desperate thief. Most parents,
however, were anxious that their children should become
brave and renowned warriors. This appears to have been
*See description of idols, page 117.
THE CHRISTIAN AND HEATHEN MOTHER. 487
the very summit of a heathen mother's ambition, and, to
secure it, numerous ceremonies were performed before the
child was born ; and after its birth it was taken to the
marae, and formally dedicated to Oro. The spirit of the
god was then caught, and imparted to the infant, and the
ceremony was completed by numerous offerings and
prayers. At New Zealand, stones were thrust down the
throat of the babe, to give it a stony heart, and make it a
dauntless and desperate warrior.
How striking the contrast between the feelings and
wishes of the Christian and the heathen mother The
one devotes her babe to the God of love and mercy; the
other dedicates hers to the god of murder, or of fraud; the
one would give her infant a heart of stone; the other prays
that it may receive a heart of flesh. Who hath made us
to differ, and what thanks does He demand Every hour
should witness our devotedness, and every passing breeze
should be loaded with our praises to Him, whose gracious
hand has fixed the bounds of our habitation, and spread
open before us the volume of his truth. “The lines,” in-
deed, “are fallen to us in pleasant places; we have a
goodly heritage.” And can we better express our grati-
tude, than by efforts to enrich others with the blessings
which we ourselves so fully enjoy . If Christians would
but estimate the extent of their obligations by the magni-
tude of their mercies, “the earth would soon be filled with
the knowledge of the Lord.”
Idols formed the second class of objects regarded with
religious veneration. These were different in almost every
island, and district. I do not recollect to have seen two
precisely similar representations of the same deity, except
those placed on the fishing canoes. Some were large, and
some were small; some were beautiful, while others were


488 ETU’s.
exceedingly hideous. The god-makers do not appear to
have followed any pattern, but were left to display their
folly according to their own fancy; and “professing them-
selves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the
glory of the incorruptible God into an image, made like to
corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and
creeping things.”
The third object of worship was the etu, the nature of
which I have already described. It consisted of some
bird, fish, or reptile, in which the natives believed that a
spirit resided. This form of idolatry prevailed much more
at the Samoas than at any other islands. There, innumer-
able objects were regarded as etus, and many of them
were exceedingly mean. It was by no means uncommon
to see an intelligent chief muttering some prayer to a fly,
an ant, or a lizard, which happened to alight or crawl in
his presence. On one occasion, a vessel from New South
Wales touched at the Samoas, the captain of which had
on board a cockatoo that talked. A chief was invited to
the ship, and shortly after he entered the cabin, the captain
began a colloquy with the bird. At this he was struck
with amazement, trembled exceedingly, and immediately
sprang upon deck, leaped into the sea, and called aloud to
the people to follow him, affirming the captain had on
board his devolo, which he had both seen and heard.
Every native dashed at once into the sea, and swam on
shore, with haste and consternation; and it was with much
difficulty that they could be induced to revisit the ship, as
they believed that the bird was the captain's etu, and that
the spirit of the devil was in it. While walking, on one
occasion, across a small uninhabited island, in the vicinity
of Tongatabu, I happened to tread upon a nest of sea-
snakes. At first I was startled at the circumstance, but
TANGAL0A. 489
being assured that they were perfectly harmless, I desired
a native to kill the largest of them as a specimen. We
then sailed to another island, where a number of heathen
fishermen were preparing their nets. Taking my seat
upon a stone under a tou tree, I desired my people to bring
the reptile, and dry it on the rocks; but as soon as the
fishermen saw it, they raised a most terrific yell, and seizing
their clubs, rushed upon the Christian natives, shouting,
“You have killed our god, you have killed our god ſº I
stepped in between them, and with some difficulty stayed
their violence, on the condition that the reptile should be im-
mediately carried back to the boat. This incident shows, not
only that they worship these things, but that they regard them
with the most superstitious veneration. Thus “they feed
on ashes; a deceived heart hath turned them aside ; they
cannot deliver their souls, nor say, ‘Is there not a lie in
our right hand * * What an unspeakable privilege, to
know the only true God, in all his glorious perfections; and
when comparing him with the contemptible deities of the
heathen, to be able, unpresumptuously to say, “And this
God is our God, for ever and ever
In addition to these objects of adoration, the islanders
generally, and the Samoans, in particular, had a vague
idea of a Supreme Being, whom they regarded as the
creator of all things, and the author of their mercies.
They call him Tangaloa ; and I was informed that, at their
great feasts, prior to the distribution of the food, an orator
arose, and, after enumerating each article, exclaimed,
“Thank you, * great Tangaloa, for this l’’ This idea of a
|*
* This is the only group of islands we visited where the natives have a
word for “Thank you.” Neither at the Sandwich, Tahitian, or Hervey
group, have they any such expression.



490 MODES OF WORSHIP.
Supreme Being appears among the few remaining traces
of the great original truths, which were too deeply fixed
in the mind, and too widely spread amongst the tribes
of man, to be wholly lost. What an apostolic employ-
ment and privilege has the individual, who goes forth to such
a people, with the announcement, “Whom ye therefore
ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you!”
The worship presented to these deities consisted in
prayers, incantations, and offerings of pigs, fish, vegetable
food, native cloth, canoes, and other valuable property.
To these must be added, human sacrifices, which, at some
of the islands, were fearfully common. An idea may be
formed of their addresses to the gods from the sentence
with which they invariably concluded. Having presented
the gift, the priest would say, “Now, if you are a god of
mercy come this way, and be propitious to this offering:
but, if you are a god of anger, go outside the world, you
shall neither have temples, offerings, nor worshippers
here.” The infliction of injuries upon themselves, was
another mode in which they worshipped their gods. It
was a frequent practice with the Sandwich islanders, in
performing some of their rites, to knock out their front
teeth; and, the Friendly islanders, to cut off one or two of
the bones of their little fingers. This, indeed, was so com-
mon, that scarcely an adult could be found, who had not in
this way mutilated his hands. On one occasion, the daugh-
ter of a chief, a fine young woman about eighteen years of
age, was standing by my side, and as I saw by the state of
the wound that she had recently performed the ceremony,
I took her hand, and asked her why she had cut off her
finger ? Her affecting reply was, that her mother was ill,
and that, fearful lest her mother should die, she had done
this to induce the gods to save her. “Well,” I said,

CRUEL RITES. 491
“how did you do it?” “Oh,” she replied, “I took a sharp
shell, and worked it about until the joint was separated,
and then I allowed the blood to stream from it. This was
my offering to persuade the gods to restore my mother.”
When, at a future period, another offering is required,
they sever the second joint of the same finger; and when
a third or a fourth is demanded, they amputate the same
bones of the other little finger: and when they have no
more joints which they can conveniently spare, they rub
the stumps of their mutilated fingers with rough stones,
until the blood again streams from the wound. Thus “are
their sorrows multiplied who hasten after other gods.”
But the most affecting and horrible of their religious
observances was that of presenting human victims.
This system did not prevail at the Navigators; but at )
the Hervey group, and still more at the Tahitian and So-
ciety Islands, it was carried to an extent truly appalling.
There was one ceremony called Raumatavehi raa, the
feast of restoration, at which no less than seven human
victims were always required. This festival was cele-
brated after an invading army had driven the inhabitants
to the mountains, and had desecrated the marae by cutting
down the branches of the sacred trees, and cooking their
food with them, and with the wooden altars and decora-
tions of the sacred place. As soon as the retirement of
the invaders allowed the refugees to leave their hiding-
place, their first object was to celebrate this “Feast of
Restoration,”
which was supposed to restore the marae to
its previous sanctity, and to reinstate the god in his former
glory.
A few years ago, I sent to England a very sacred re-
lic called Maro ura, or the Red sash. This was a piece of
network, about seven inches wide and six feet long, upon



492 HUMAN SAC irit"ICES.
which the red feathers of the paroquet were neatly fast-
ened. It was used at the inauguration of their greatest
kings, just as the crown is with us, and the most honoura-
ble appellation which a chief could receive was, Arii ma-
ro ura, “King of the Red sash.” A new piece, about
eighteen inches in length, was attached at the inauguration
of every sovereign : to accomplish which several human
victims were required. The first was for the mau rad
titi, or the stretching it upon pegs in order to attach to it
the new piece. Another was necessary for the fatu raa,
or attaching the new portion: and a third for the piu raa,
or twitching the sacred relic off the pegs. This not only
invested the sash itself with a high measure of solemn im-
portance, but also rendered the chiefs who wore it most
noble in public estimation. On the eve of war, also, human
victims were invariably offered. Perhaps a correct idea of
this dreadful system may be suggested by a brief relation
of the circumstances under which the very last Tahitian
victim was slain, and presented to the gods. Pomare was
about to fight a battle which would confirm him in, or de-
prive him of his dominions. To propitiate the gods, there-
fore, by the most valuable offerings he could command,
was with him an object of the highest concern. For this
purpose, rolls of native cloth, pigs, fish, and immense quan-
tities of other food were presented at the maraes; but
still a tabu, or sacrifice, was demanded. Pomare there-
fore sent two of his messengers to the house of the victim,
whom he had marked for the occasion. On reaching the
place, they inquired of the wife where her husband was.
She replied, that he was in such a place, planting bananas.
“Well,” they continued, “we are thirsty, give us some
cocoa-nut water.” She told them that she had no nuts in
the house, but that they were at liberty to climb the trees,

HUMAN SACRIFICES. 493
and take as many as they desired. They then requested
her to lend them the o, which is a piece of iron wood,
about four feet long and an inch and a half in diameter,
with which the natives open the cocoa-nut. She cheer-
fully complied with their wishes, little imagining that she
was giving them the instrument which, in a few moments,
was to inflict a fatal blow upon the head of her husband.
Upon receiving the o, the men left the house, and went in
search of their victim ; and the woman, having become
rather suspicious, followed them shortly after, and reached
the place just in time to see the blow inflicted, and her
husband fall. She rushed forward to give vent to her
agonized feelings, and take a last embrace. But she was
immediately seized, and bound hand and foot, while the
body of her murdered husband was placed in a long
basket made of cocoa-nut leaves, and borne from her sight.
It appears that they were always exceedingly careful to
prevent the wife, or daughter, or any female relative from
touching the corpse; for so polluting were females con-
sidered, that a victim would have been desecrated by a
woman’s touch or breath, to such a degree as to have ren-
dered it unfit for an offering to the gods. While the men
were carrying their victim to the marae, he recovered
from the stunning effect of the blow, and, bound as he
was in the cocoa-nut leaf basket, he said to his murder-
ers, “Friends, I know what you intend to do with me,
you are about to kill me, and offer me as a tapu to your
savage gods; and I also know that it is useless for me
to beg for mercy, for you will not spare my life. You
may kill my body; but you cannot hurt my soul; for I
have begun to pray to Jesus, the knowledge of whom the
Missionaries have brought to our island; you may kill my
body, but you cannot hurt my soul.” Instead of being
42

494 HUMAN SACRIFICEs.
moved to compassion by his affecting address, they laid
him down upon the ground, placed a stone under his
head, and, with another, beat it to pieces. In this state
they carried him to their “savage gods.” I forbear to make
any comment upon these facts, and leave them to find
their own way to the hearts of my readers, and to show
them how much the heathen need the Gospel. One of the
assassins, whose business it was to procure human sacrifi-
ces, sailed with me in my last voyage, and not only con-
firmed the foregoing statement, but detailed many other
transactions equally tragical, in which he had been en-
gaged. But painful as the incident is, it is a relief to
know that this was the very last sacrifice ever offered to
the gods of Tahiti; for, soon after it occurred, Christianity
was embraced, and the altars of the “savage gods” cease
to be stained with human blood. I may also add, that
this individual was selected because, to use his own simple
phrase, he had “begun to pray to Jesus,” and perhaps it
is not too much to hope that, while his mangled body was
being presented to the sanguinary gods, his spirit was en-
tering into the presence of that Saviour, to whom, amidst
much ignorance, he had begun to pray. “Whosoever
calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
The manner in which human victims were sought, is
strikingly illustrative of many passages of Scripture, which
portray the character of heathenism. As soon as the
priest announced that such a sacrifice was required, the
king despatched messengers to the chiefs of the various dis-
tricts; and upon entering the dwelling, they would inquire
whether the chief had a broken calabash at hand, or a rot-
ten cocoa-nut. These and similar terms were invariably
used, and well understood, when such applications were
made. It generally happened that the chief had some
HUMAN SACRIFICES. 495
individual on his premises, whom he intended to devote
to this horrid purpose. When, therefore, such a request
was made, he would notify, by a motion of the hand or
head, the individual to be taken. The only weapon with
which these procurers of sacrifices were armed was a
small round stone concealed in the hollow of their hand.
With this, they would strike their victim a stunning blow
upon the back of the head, when others, who were in
readiness, would rush in and complete the horrid work.
The body was then carried amid songs, and shouts of
savage triumph, to the marae, there to be offered to the
gods. At other times, the king's gang of desperadoes
would arm themselves with spears, surround the house of
their victim, and enjoy the sport of spearing him through
the apertures between the poles which encircled the
house. In these circumstances, the object of their savage
amusement, frenzied with pain and dread, would rush
from one part of the house to the other ; but wherever he
ran he found the spear entering his body, and at length,
perceiving no possibility of escape, he would cover him-
self in his cloth, throw himself upon the floor, and wait
until a spear should pierce his heart. There were various
other occasions, besides those I have named, on which
victims were presented; and the same system prevailed
with but little diversity in all the Hervey Islands. At Ra-
rotonga, two human victims were invariably offered at the
birth of the son of a principal chief.
Another circumstance which rendered this practice still
more dreadful was, that as soon as one of the family had
been selected, all the other male members of it were
looked upon as devoted to the same horrid purpose. It
would avail them nothing if they removed to another
island, for the reason of their removal would soon be

496 FUTURE STATE.
known there ; and whenever a sacrifice was required, it
would be sought amongst them. I had in my own service
an individual who was the last of his family, of which
every other male member had been offered in sacrifice,
and he had been eight times hunted in the mountains with
dogs; but, being a cunning fellow, and an extraordinary
runner, he had eluded his pursuers, until the inhabitants
of his island embraced the Gospel, and the “gods were
famished out of the land.”
These very people, who a few years ago were addicted
to all these horrid practices, now sit by thousands in places
of Christian worship, erected by themselves, clothed, and
in their right mind, and listen with intense interest to the
truths of the Gospel. A spectacle more truly sublime it
is scarcely possible for the human mind to contemplate.
The ideas of a future state which the Polynesians had
formed, were very peculiar. They believed in its exist-
ence, but were ignorant of the value and immortality of
the soul, and knew not that eternity would be the measure
of its sorrows or its joys. The Tahitians believed that
there were two places for departed spirits: one called
Roohutu moanoa, or sweet-scented Roohutu, which, in many
points, resembled the paradise of the Rarotongans; and
the other was Roohutu mamu-namua, or foul scented Roo-
hutu, their description of which is too disgusting to be in-
serted here. The Rarotongans represented their paradise
as a very long house, encircled with beautiful shrubs and
flowers, which never lost their bloom or fragrance, and
whose inmates enjoyed unwithering beauty and perpetual
youth. These passed their days without weariness or
alloy, in dancing, festivity, and merriment. This was their
heaven, and the highest point to which their conceptions
of blessedness had attained. Christian, turn your thoughts


ADMISSION TO PARADISE. 497
for a moment to the heaven of purity and bliss, which the
Bible unveils to your view, and learn the extent of your
mercies. The hell of the Rarotongans consisted in their
being compelled to crawl round this house, observing the
pleasures of its inmates, while racked with intense, but
vain desires of admittance and enjoyment. It appeared
to me, from the limited information I could obtain upon
the subject, that the heaven of the Samoa islanders nearly
resembled that of the Rarotongans.
The terms of entrance to this paradise, and the reasons
of exclusion from it, were entirely ceremonial, and mon-
strously absurd. The natives appear not to have formed
a conception of any moral prerequisites for a future state;
and, indeed, this was consistent enough with the sensual
bliss they desired, and for which no such preparation was
requisite. In order to secure the admission of a departed
spirit to future joys, the corpse was dressed in the best
attire the relatives could provide, the head was wreathed
with flowers, and other decorations were added. A pig
was then baked whole, and placed upon the body of the
deceased, surrounded by a pile of vegetable food. After
this, supposing the departed person to have been a son, the
father would thus address the corpse: – “My son, when
you were alive I treated you with kindness, and when you
were taken ill, I did my best to restore you to health; and
now you are dead, there's your momoe o, or property of
admission. Go, my son, and with that gain an entrance
into the palace of Tiki,” and do not come to this world
again to disturb and alarm us.” The whole would then
be buried ; and, if they received no intimation to the con-
trary within a few days of the interment, the relatives be-
* The name of the god of this paradise.


42% -
498 HORRID RITE or THE FIJIANs.
lieved that the pig and the other food had obtained for him
the desired admittance. If, however, a cricket was heard
on the premises, it was considered an ill-omen; and they
would immediately utter the most dismal howlings, and
such expressions as the following: —“Oh, our brother;
his spirit has not entered the paradise; he is suffering from
hunger, he is shivering with cold !” Forthwith the grave
would be opened, and the offering repeated. This was
generally successful.
The Fiji islanders present more costly sacrifices. There,
the chiefs have from twenty to a hundred wives, accord-
ing to their rank; and at the interment of a principal chief,
the body is laid in state upon a spacious lawn, in the pre-
sence of an immense concourse of spectators. The prin-
cipal wife, after the utmost ingenuity of the natives has
been exercised in adorning her person, then walks out,
and takes her seat near the body of her husband, when a
rope is passed round her neck, which eight or ten power-
ful men pull with all their strength, until she is strangled
and dies. Her body is then laid by that of the chief.
This done, a second wife comes and seats herself in the
same place. The process is repeated, and she also dies.
A third and a fourth become voluntary sacrifices in the
same manner: and all of them are then interred in a com-
mon grave, one above, one below, and one on either side
of the husband. The reasons assigned for this are, that
the spirit of the chief may not be lonely in its passage to
the invisible world; and that, by such an offering, its hap-
piness may be at once secured. Thus gross and horrible
is the darkness that covers the earth.
INFANTIcipe. — This practice did not prevail either at
the Navigators or Hervey groups; but the extent to which
it was carried at the Tahitian and Society Islands almost

INFANTICIDE. 499
exceed credibility. Of this, however, I may enable the
reader to form some estimate by selecting a few out of
numberless circumstances which have come within my
own knowledge. Generally, I may state that, in the last-
mentioned group, I never conversed with a female that
had borne children prior to the introduction of Christianity,
who had not destroyed some of them, and frequently as
many as from five to ten. During the visit of the Depu-
tation, our respected friend, G. Bennett, Esq., was our
guest for three or four months; and, on one occasion,
while conversing on the subject, he expressed a wish to
obtain accurate knowledge of the extent to which this
cruel system had prevailed. Three women were sitting in
the room at the time, making European garments, under
Mrs. W.'s direction; and, after replying to Mr. Bennet's
inquiries, I said, “I have no doubt but that each of these
women have destroyed some of their children.” Looking
at them with an expression of surprise and incredulity, Mr.
B. exclaimed, “Impossible such motherly, respectable
women” could never have been guilty of so great an
atrocity.” “Well,” I added, “we’ll ask them.” Address-
ing the first, I said to her, “Friend, how many children
have you destroyed 7” She was startled at my question,
and at first charged me with unkindness, in harrowing up
her feelings by bringing the destruction of her babes to
her remembrance; but, upon hearing the object of my in-
quiry, she replied, with a faltering voice, “I have destroyed
nine.” The second, with eyes suffused with tears, said,
“I have destroyed seven ;” and the third finformed us that
* It is a fact, which I have often observed, and one worthy of special notice
that the influence of religion is manifested, not only in the character, but even
in the countenance, by changing the wild and vacant stare of the savage
into the mild expression of the Christian.



500 - INFANTICIDE.
she had destroyed five. Thus three individuals, casually
selected, had killed one-and-twenty children – but I am
happy to add, that these mothers were, at the time of this
conversation, and continued to be so long as I knew them,
consistent members of my church.
On another occasion, I was called to visit the wife of a
chief in dying circumstances. She had professed Christi-
anity for many years, had learnt to read when nearly sixty,
and was a very active teacher in our adult school. In the
prospect of death, she sent a pressing request that I would
visit her immediately; and, on entering her apartment,
she exclaimed, “O, servant of God come and tell me
what I must do.” Perceiving that she was suffering great
mental distress, I inquired the cause of it; when she re-
plied, “I am about to die; I am about to die.” “Well,”
I rejoined, “if it be so, what creates this agony of mind.”
“Oh, my sins, my sins,” she cried ; “I am about to die.”
I then inquired what the particular sins were which so
greatly distressed her, when she exclaimed, “Oh, my chil-
dren, my murdered children I am about to die, and I shall
meet them all at the judgement-seat of Christ.” Upon this
I inquired how many children she had destroyed; and, to
my astonishment, she replied, “I have destroyed sixteen 1
and now am about to die.” As soon as my feelings would
allow me, I began to reason with her, and urged the con-
sideration that she had done this when a heathen, and
during “the times of ignorance, which God winked at ;”
but this afforded her no consolation, and again she gave
vent to her agonized feelings by exclaiming, “Oh, my chil-
dren, my children " I then directed her to “the faithful
saying, which is worthy of all acceptation, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” This impart-
ed a little comfort; and after visiting her frequently, and
INFANTICIDE. 501
directing her thoughts to that blood which cleanseth from
all sin, I succeeded, by the blessing of God, in tranquilli-
zing her troubled spirit; and she died, about eight days
after my first interview, animated with the hope, “that her
sins, though many, would all be forgiven her.” And what,
but the Gospel, could have brought such consolation ? I
believe that, without the grand truth of pardon by the
blood of Christ, I might have reasoned with her from that
time to the present in vain. But I forbear all comment;
for if such facts fail to demonstrate the value of Missions,
no observations of mine will do so.
Frequently have our feelings been most powerfully ex-
cited, at the examination of our school children; and scenes
more affecting than some which have been witnessed on
such occasions it is scarcely possible to conceive. One of
these, which occurred at my own station at Raiatea, I will
briefly describe. Upwards of six hundred children were
present. A feast was prepared for them, and they walked
through the settlement in procession, most of them dressed
in European garments, with little hats and bonnets made
by those very parents who would have destroyed them, had
not Christianity come to their rescue. The children added
much to the interests of the day, by preparing flags with such
mottos as the following: “What a blessing the Gospel is l’
“The Christians of England sent us the Gospel.” “Had it not
been for the Gospel, we should have been destroyed as soon
as we were born.” On some, texts of Scripture were in-
scribed: “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the
sins of the world.” “ Suffer little children to come unto
me,” and other similar passages. Insensible indeed must
he have been, who could have witnessed such a scene
without the liveliest feelings of delight. After proceeding
through the settlement, they were conducted to the spa-



502 INFANTICIDE.
cious chapel, and opened service by singing the Jubilee
hymn in the native language. The venerable old king then
took the chair. He had been worshipped as a god, and had
led fierce warriors to the “battle and the fight,” but he
evidently felt that he had never occupied a station so de-
lightful or honourable as that of presiding at the examina-
tion of the children of his people. These were placed in
the centre of the chapel, and the parents occupied the
outer seats. Each class was then called up and examined :
and after this, individuals from the different classes were
selected, and questioned by the Missionary. While this
was proceeding, the appearance of the parents was most
affecting. The eyes of some were gleaming with delight,
as the father said to the mother, or the mother to the father,
“What a mercy it is that we spared our dear girl"
Others, with saddened countenances, and faltering voices,
lamented in bitterness that they had not saved theirs; and
the silent tear, as it stole down the cheeks of many, told
the painful tale that all their children were destroyed. In
the midst of our proceedings, a venerable chieftain, gray
with age, arose, and with impassioned look and manner,
exclaimed, “Let me speak; I must speak 1" On obtain-
ing permission, he thus proceeded, “Oh that I had known
that the Gospel was coming oh that I had known that
these blessings were in store for us, then I should have
saved my children, and they would have been among this
happy group, repeating these precious truths; but, alas! I
destroyed them all, I have not one left.”* Turning to the
chairman, who was also a relative, he stretched out his
arm and exclaimed, “You, my brother, saw me kill child
* This chief was an arioi of the highest rank, and the laws of his class re-
quired the distruction of all his children. In this infamous society there were
a variety of orders, not unlike those which exist among the Freemasons.
INFANTICIDE. 503
after child, but you never seized this murderous hand, and
said, “Stay, brother, God is about to bless us; the Gospel
of salvation is coming to our shores.’” Then he cursed
the gods which they formerly worshipped, and added, “It
was you that infused this savage disposition into us, and
now I shall die childless, although I have been the father
of nineteen children.” After this he sat down, and in a
flood of tears, gave vent to his agonized feelings.
- This scene occurred in my own place of worship. I
saw the man, and heard him utter these expressions. I
shall leave the fact to speak for itself. Many other in-
stances equally affecting might be added, but I shall con-
tent myself with mentioning but one more. This related
to a chief woman, who had been united in marriage to a
man of inferior rank; and it was the universal custom to
destroy the children of such an union. The first babe was
born and put to death. The father wished the second to
be spared, but the mother, and the mother's relatives de-
manded its destruction. The third was a fine girl. The
father pleaded and entreated that it might be saved, for his
bowels yearned over it, but the mother, and the mother's
relatives again carried their point, and the babe was doom-
ed to die. One of the numerous modes of infanticide was,
to put the babe in a hole covered with a plank to keep the
earth from pressing it, and leave it there to perish. This
method was adopted in the present instance. The father
happened to be in the mountains at the time of the child's
birth and interment; but, on his return, he hastened to the
spot, opened the grave, and finding that the babe was not
dead, he took her up, and gave her in charge to his brother
and sister, by whom she was conveyed to the island of
Aimeo, about seventy miles distant, where they trained her
up. The husband died, without having informed his wife


504 INFANTICIDE.
that their daughter was still alive. After Christianity was
embraced, the mother was, on one occasion, bewailing
most bitterly the destruction of her children; when a
woman who happened to be present, and who was ac-
quainted with the fact of the child's disinterment, astonish-
ed and overwhelmed her with the announcement, that her
daughter had been saved, and was yet living at Aimeo.
A short time after receiving this extraordinary intelligence,
she sailed to Aimeo, and on reaching the shore, hurried
with excited feelings to the house of her relatives, and as
she approached it, beheld with wonder and delight, a fine
young girl standing in the doorway. At once she recog-
nized her own image in the countenance of the child. It
was her daughter. She clasped her to her bosom – but I
must leave imagination to fill up the scene as she exclaimed,
“Rejoice with me, for this my daughter was dead and is
alive again.” The mother is gone to her rest, but her
daughter is, at the present time, an active teacher in our
schools, and a consistent member of a Christian church
The reasons assigned for this inhuman practice afford
an affecting comment upon that passage, “The dark places
of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty;” The
first cause alleged was their wars. These were so fre-
quent, sudden, and desolating, that mothers have often
told me, that to avoid the horrors and distress thus entailed
on those who had families, they destroyed many of their
children.
A second cause, as we have already intimated, was in-
equality of station. If a woman of rank was united to a
man of inferior grade, the distruction of two, four, or six
infants was required, to raise him to an equality with her;
and when this had been effected, the succeeding children
were spared.
}}EMAND FOR THE GOSPEL. 505
A third reason adduced for the practice was, that nursing
impaired the personal attractions of the mother, and cur-
tailed the period during which her beauty would continue
to bloom.
The modes by which they perpetrated this deed of dark-
ness were truly affecting. Sometimes they put a wet
cloth upon the infant's mouth; at others, they pinched
their little throats until they expired. A third method was,
to bury them alive. And a fourth was, if possible, still
more brutal. The moment the child was born, they broke
the first joints of its fingers and toes, and then the second.
If the infant survived this agonizing process, they dislo-
cated its ankles and the wrists; and if the powers of en-
durance still continued, the knee and elbow joints were
then broken. This would generally terminate the tortures
of the little sufferer; but if not, they would resort to the
second method of strangulation. We had a servant in
our employ for fifteen years, who previously performed in-
fanticide as her trade; and we have many times listened
with feelings of the deepest agony, while she has described
the manner in which she perpetrated the horrid deed.
What a truly affecting picture do these facts exhibit of
human nature, where the light of Divine truth has not
beamed upon its darkness — where the religion of the
Gospel has not exercised its benign influence They show
that the sun may shine for ages, with all his boundless
beneficence, and yet fail to kindle in man a spirit of be-
nevolence ; that the earth may pour forth her abundance,
and not teach man kindness; that the brute creation, im-
pelled only by instinct, may exhibit parental fondness, and
man fail to learn the lesson. By no species of ingenuity
could we instruct the beasts of the field thus barbarously
to destroy their young. Even the ferocious tiger prowls


43

506 POWER OF THE GOSPEL.
the forest for their support, and the savage bear will fear-
lessly meet death in their defence. But the facts now
stated are only in harmony with innumerable others, which
prove that, in every place, and under all circumstances,
men need the Gospel. Whether you find them upon the
pinnacle of civilization, or in the vortex of barbarism; in-
habiting the densely populated cities of the east, or roam-
ing the wilds of an African wilderness; whether on the
wide continent, or the fertile islands of the sea; surrounded
by the icy barriers of the poles, or basking beneath a
tropical sun; all need the Gospel; and nothing but the Gos-
pel can elevate them from the degradation into which they
have been sunk by superstition and sin. You may intro-
duce among them the arts and sciences, and by these means
refine their taste, and extend the sphere of their intellec-
tual vision : you may convey to them our unrivalled con-
stitution, modified and adapted to their peculiar circum-
stances, and thus throw a stronger safeguard around their
persons and property, and elevate them from a state of
barbarous vassalage, to the dignity and happiness of a free
people; but if you withhold the Gospel, you leave them
still under the dominion of a demoralizing and sanguinary
superstition, aliens from God, and ignorant of the great
scheme of redemption through his Son.
Let science, then, go with her discoveries; and philoso-
phy, with her wisdom; and law, with her equitable sanc-
tions and social benefits; and let them exert their united
influence to bless and elevate our degraded world; but let
it be the honour and ambition of the Christian to convey
that GLoRrus gospel, by which alone the regeneration,
and happiness of mankind can be fully, and permanently
secured.
C H A P T E R X X XII.
Providential Interpositions at the Samoas–Rapid Progress of the Gospel—
Debates on the Subject—Native Arguments—Extraordinary Preparation
of the People—Rarotonga—Striking Contrast between its Condition in
1823 and 1824–Recent Intelligence from Mr. Pitman–Various Tempo-
ral Advantages of Missionary Labours—Useful Arts — Animal and Vege-
table Productions Introduced into the Islands–Prospective Advantages—
Connexion of Christianity and Civilization —Commercial Benefit of Mis-
sions—Safety to Shipping–Dangers to which Seamen are exposed where
there are no Missionaries — Instances –- Missions Commended to the
Statesman—The Philosopher—The Noblemen.
BEFor E bringing my Narrative to a conclusion, I cannot
forbear offering a few observations upon the occurrences
I have narrated. And in the first place, I would refer to
the gracious interpositions of Divine Providence, which so
remarkably prepared, and prospered our way at the Nav-
igators Islands. Is it possible to reflect upon the manner
in which Mrs. Williams gave her consent to the enter-
prise — to our meeting with the chief at Tongatabu — to
the death of Tamafainga—and to other striking particu-
lars already narrated, without exclaiming, “Here is evi-
dence of something more than accident ; this is the finger
of God tº When a Missionary is called to select a suita-
ble place at which to commence his work of mercy, it is
essential that he should possess correct and extensive in-
formation upon a variety of topics: such as, the character
and habits of the people; the influence of the chiefs; the
feelings of different parties; the relative importance of


508 RAPID PROGRESS OF THE TRUTH.
places, &c. Upon all these, in reference to the Navigators
Islands, we were totally ignorant, until we met with Fauea
at Tongatabu; who gave us correct and ample informa-
tion upon every point. In addition to this, he conducted
us to his relative, Malietoa, whom otherwise we should
not have known; and with the knowledge I have subse-
quently obtained, his station appears to me to have been
the best adapted in the whole group for the commence-
ment of our labours. The rapidity of the work is another
circumstance of too great importance to be overlooked.
Wherever, I went, I was received with the greatest respect,
and all classes manifested a desire for Missionaries. How
different were the circumstances of the brethren at Tahitil
what years of toil and anxiety they endured before this
desire was created: and at New Zealand, also, to what
privations, labours, and perils were the devoted Mission-
aries of the Church Missionary Society called for nearly
twenty years, before any thing like a general desire for
instruction was evinced by the inhabitants. At the Nav-
igators, on the contrary, in less than twenty short months,
chapels were erected, and the people anxiously waiting
for instruction. Our Saviour has taught us to appreciate
the importance of this state of a people, under the beauti-
ful similitude of a corn-field “white unto the harvest.” I
would by no means affirm that many, or even that any of
the Samoans had experienced a change of heart, neither
do I believe, that, in the majority of the people, the de-
sire for Missionaries arose from a knowledge of the spirit-
ual character and supreme excellency of the Gospel; for,
doubtless, they were actuated by various motives. Some
thought that, by their embracing Christianity, vessels
would be induced to visit them; others imagined that
thus they would be preserved from the malignity of their
NATIVE MEETING. 509
gods; many hoped by adopting the new religion to pro-
long their lives; and a few valued it chiefly as the means
of terminating their sanguinary and desolating wars. Some
were undoubtedly convinced of the folly and superstition
of their own religious system; and a few had indistinct
ideas of the soul and salvation. But as the natives held
numerous meetings for several months to consider this
subject, at which it was debated with all becoming grav-
ity, an account of one of these may enable the reader
to judge for himself. On this occasion there was a large
concourse of people ; when a venerable chief arose and
said, “It is my wish that the Christian religion should
become universal amongst us. I look,” continued he, “at
the wisdom of these worshippers of Jehovah, and see how
superior they are to us in every respect. Their ships are
like floating houses, so that they can traverse the tempest-
driven ocean for months with perfect safety, whereas, if
a breeze blow upon our canoes, they are in an instant up-
set and we sprawling in the sea. Their persons also are
covered from head to foot in beautiful clothes, while we
wear nothing but a girdle of leaves. Their axes are so
hard and sharp, that, with them, we can easily fell our
trees, and do our work; but with our stone axes we must
dub, dub, dub, day after day, before we can cut down a
single tree. Their knives, too, what valuable things they
are ; how quickly they cut up our pigs, compared with
our bamboo knives | Now I conclude that the God who
has given to his white worshippers these valuable things
must be wiser than our gods, for they have not given the
like to us. We all want these articles; and my proposi-
tion is, that the God who gave them should be our God.”
As this speech produced a powerful impression, a sensible
priest, after a short pause, arose and endeavoured to weaken


43%

510 NATIVE ARGUMENTs.
it by saying, that he had nothing to advance against the
lotu, which might be good or bad, but he wished them
not to be in haste. “The people who have brought us
this religion,” he added, “ may want our lands and our
women. I do not say that such is the case, but it may be
so. My brother has praised the wisdom of these white
foreigners. Suppose, then, we were to vist their country,
and say that Jehovah was not the true God, and invite
them to cast him off, and become worshippers of Tanga-
roa, of the Samoa Islands, what reply would they make?
Would they not say, Don't be in haste; let us know some-
thing more of Tangarora, and the worship he requires?
Now I wish the Samoans to act just as these wise English
people would, under the same circumstances; and to
know something more about this new religion before they
abandon that which our ancestors venerated.” But what-
ever might have been their motives, it is certain that the
new religion was highly esteemed by all classes; that the
desire for Missionaries was intense; that at many stations
the people had erected places of worship; were accus-
tomed to prepare their food on the Saturday, and to as-
semble at six o'clock on the Sabbath morning, sit in silence
for an hour or more, and repeat this a second, and even a
third time, during the day. Does the history of the
Church furnish a more striking or beautiful fulfilment of
the prophetic declaration, “The isles shall wait for his
law 7" So anxious indeed were the people for some one
to conduct their religious services, that they made collec-
lections of mats, food, &c., which they gave to run-away
sailors, some of whom read portions of the English Scrip-
tures or prayer book; and others were vile enough to sing
infamous songs in the English language, and to assure the
poor people that this was worship acceptable to God.
STRIKING CONTRAST. 511
In reference also to Rarotonga, I cannot forbear draw-
ing a contrast between the state of the inhabitants when
I first visited them in 1823, and that in which I left them,
in 1834. In 1823, I found them all heathens; in 1834,
they were all professing Christians. At the former period,
I found them with idols and maraes; these, in 1834, were
destroyed, and, in their stead, there were three spacious
and substantial places of Christian worship, in which con-
gregations, amounting to six thousand persons, assembled
every Sabbath day. I found them without a written
language, and left them reading in their own tongue the
“wonderful works of God.” I found them without a
knowledge of the Sabbath ; and when I left them no man-
ner of work was done during that sacred day. When I
found them, in 1823, they were ignorant of the nature of
Christian worship ; and when I left them, in 1834, I am
not aware that there was a house in the island where
family prayer was not observed every morning, and every
evening. I speak not this boastingly, for our satisfaction
arises not from receiving such honours, but in casting them
at the Saviour's feet; “for his arm hath gotten him the
victory,” and “HE SHALL BEAR THE GLORY.”
What has been said of Rarotonga is equally applicable
to the whole Hervey Island group ; for, with the exception
of a few at Mangaia, I believe there does not remain a
single idolater, or vestige of idolatry, in any one of the
islands. I do not assert, I would not intimate, that all the
people are real Christians; but I merely state the delightful
fact, that the inhabitants of this entire group have, in the
short space of ten years, abandoned a dark, debasing, and
sanguinary idolatry, with all its horrid rites; and it does
appear to me that if nothing more had been affected, this
alone would compensate for all the privations, and labours,
and expense by which it has been effected.

512 RECENT ACCOUNT.
I am happy to add, that a short time since, I received
letters from Messrs. Buzacott and Pitman, which inform
me that the people are in a still more pleasing state than
when I left them. But I will allow my brethren to speak
for themselves. After giving me a full account of Papeiha's
prosperity, of whom he sent the accompanying likeness,
Mr. Buzacott writes thus, in reference to his own station:
“I am truly happy to inform you that we are still in a pleasing
state of prosperity. The excitementº which commenced when
you were with us, still continues, and although we have been dis-
* This was partly produced by a very interesting incident. Many of the
people had become slack in their attendance on the Sabbath-day, and the
chiefs sent a message to inform us that they were about to send the consta-
bles to make the people come to worship. It being, however, contrary to
our views to allow coercion, we replied by requesting them not to do so, but
to allow us to try some other method. The most pious and active Christians
were immediately selected, who appropriated Saturday for the purpose of
visiting every house, to hold religious conversation with the inmates. This
was so exceedingly successful, that the chiefs have never since proposed to
send the constables.

MR. BUZACOTT's LETTER. 513
appointed in some instances, yet our most sanguine expectations
have been more than realized. All the members of our churches .
continue steadfast, and their zeal, in visiting the sick and endea-
vouring to do all the good they can, affords us much pleasure.
You will be delighted to hear that Makea, we hope, is a decided
Christian. He has continued for a long time past to manifest a
deep concern for his eternal interests, and gave a most pleasing
and satisfactory account of his conversion and religious experience
at our last church meeting, when he was reguarly admitted to
membership.”
Mr. Buzacott, with a camera obscura made by himself,
has taken and forwarded to me the accompanying likeness
of Makea.
§§
Mr. B. continues to observe, “that the greatest harmony and
peace prevail in the island, and we hope that very many are seek-
ing the best things, and that the word preached is ‘a saviour of
life unto life.”



514 STATE OF RAROTONGA.
“We have nearly finished another new chapel. It is intended
to be opened next week. It is upon the same plan as the one
which fell in the memorable hurricane. It is, however, much
firmer. Nothing has been spared to make it secure either in
work, or iron, or timber.
“I send you a specimen of our printing.” Ono makes an
excellent printer. He takes off the whole of the work from me,
and what he does, requires very little correction. He has printed
the Hymns entirely himself.”
Every part of Mr. Pitman's letter is so truly interesting,
that I scarcely know what portion to extract from it. He
observes:–
“I know it will be a source of great pleasure to you, to hear
that the cause of Christ is prospering amongst us; all is harmony,
and things wear a more pleasing aspect than ever. We have
numerous candidates and inquirers, many of whom have been
admitted into our little church. Among those, you will be glad
to hear, is Pa, who, I hope, is sincere in giving himself up to the
Lord. On being admitted, he gave pleasing testimony to the
work of grace, which I hope will prove to have been the genuine
feelings of his heart. The admission of members is a source of
great anxiety. We take, however, every possible precaution to
prevent the entrance of hypocrites.
“The change at our outstation is truly astonishing. The trouble
the Tupuna people have ever given, you know by experience:
now they are peaceable and quiet; diligent in their attendance on
Divine worship, and at the schools; and very active in everything
that is proposed for their welfare. They have erected a nice
chapel, and invited our good friend Iroi to become our minister.
* Mr. Buzacott obtained an old press from one of the original stations, and
some old type, both of which he repaired, and having taught himself printing,
then instructed the native youth of whom he speaks.
f A truly excellent Christian, a brother of Tupe, the chief judge.
STATE OF RAROTONGA. 515
“Tupe, the judge, is an invaluable assistant to me in my labours.
He has but little, very little to do in his official capacity.
“Mr. Armitage has been exceedingly active since his arrival
here. He has made looms and spinning-wheels for each of the
stations, and taught the people weaving. The concern is going
on well. About 350 yards of strong calico have been wove. We
shall use every endeavour to make it answer.
“Our schools still continue to prosper. At Titi Kaveka, we
have nearly 500 children. Notwithstanding which, when I counted
those in my own school yesterday morning, there were 1034: fifty-
six were absent.”
Mr. Buzacott also informs me that his school contained
nearly a thousand children, and Papeiha's about seven
hundred ; so that in the island of Rarotonga only, there
are upwards of three thousand children daily receiving
Christian instruction. Thus may the word of the Lord
run and be glorified, until the natural beauties of every
island in the Pacific shall be surpassed by the moral
triumphs of the Gospel.
In reference to the islands generally, it may be observed,
that the blessings conveyed to them by Christianity have
not been simply of a spiritual character; but that civiliza-
tion and commerce have invariably followed in her train.
This, I think, must have appeared throughout the Narra-
tive, and will, perhaps, be still more evident by the follow-
ing concise enumeration of the useful arts, the animals,
and the vegetable productions, which have been introduced
by the Missionaries into the various stations they have
occupied.
Use FUL ARTs. VEGETABLE PRopUcTIONs. ANIMALs.
Smiths work. A variety of valuable esculents. Goats.
House building. Pumpkins, melons, sweet potatoes, Sheep.
Ship building. &c. &c. Horses.



516 ADVANTAGES OF MISSIONS.
Useful ARTs. VEGETABLE PRoductions. ANIMALs.
Lime burning. Oranges. Asses.
Turning. Lemons. Cattle and
Sofa, chair, and bed- Limes. pigs into
stead making. Pine apples. several
Growth and manufac- Custard apples. islands.
ture of Tobacco. Coffee. Turkeys,
Sugar boiling. Cotton. Geese,
Printing. Indigo. Ducks and
Fowls.
Upon these statements a few observations may be neces-
sary. In communicating to the people the useful arts specifi-
ed above, I have spent many hundreds of hours, not merely
in explaining and superintending the different processes,
but in actual labour. For this, however, I have been
amply repaid by the great progress which the natives have
made in many of these departments of useful knowledge,
but especially in building small vessels of from twenty to
fifty tons. More than twenty of these were sailing from
island to island when I left, two of which belonged to the
queen, and were employed in fetching cargoes of pearl,
and pearl-shells, from a group of islands to the eastward
of Tahiti. These were exchanged with the English and
American vessels for clothing and other articles.
The manufacture of sugar is increasing rapidly. I speak
within compass when I say, that, during the year I left,
upwards of a hundred tons were exported from Tahiti
only. The culture of tobacco was completely stopped, as
I have already stated, by the prohibitory duty which the
selfish and short-sighted merchants of New South Wales
persuaded the Governor to impose upon that article.
Cattle were left by Captain Cook at Tahiti, but they
perished, and those from which the islands have been
stocked were conveyed by the Missionaries. When I
ARTICLES INTRODUCED. 517
visited New South Wales, His Excellency Sir Thomas
Brisbane, kindly gave me several. Some of these our in-
valuable friend, the Rev. S. Marsden, exchanged for
others of his best Yorkshire breed, which have multiplied
exceedingly at Raiatea and Rarotonga.
Several of the vegetable productions were introduced
by Captain Cook, and we have not only added many
others, but conveyed those left by him to islands which he
did not visit. Wheat cannot be grown in the islands.
English potatoes will not propagate themselves. Cabba-
ges do not seed, but we can preserve them by planting
the sprouts. We have tried many of the English fruits,
but without success. A solitary strawberry once came
to perfection, and we divided the precious morsel into
three portions: Mrs. Williams, myself, and our son, taking
each a share. Seeds of the indigo plant were furnished
us by Captain Laws of H. M. sloop Satellite, and we
doubt not but that this will shortly become an article of
great commercial importance. Coffee plants were con-
veyed by the Missionary ship Haweis, from Norfolk Island,
and are now growing luxuriantly. Several of the trees
have borne for some time past, and I firmly believe that,
in a few years, cargoes of coffee, as well as of arrow-
root, cocoa-nut oil, and sugar, will be shipped by our con-
verts at the Missionary stations in the South Sea Islands.
Ought not a great and mighty nation like England, with
the generosity which is allied to true greatness, to put
forth her hand, and help her infant offspring, who has been
raised from barbarism, and brought into national existence,
by the benevolent efforts of her own subjects, especially
as her own beloved sovereign is styled the Protector of
the Polynesian Isles?
From these facts it will be apparent, that, while our best


44 --

518 CIVILIZING, EFFECTs
energies have been devoted to the instruction of the peo-
ple in the truths of the Christian religion, and our chief
solicitude has been to make them wise unto salvation, we
have, at the same time, been anxious to impart a know-
ledge of all that was calculated to increase their comforts,
and elevate their character. And I am convinced that
the first step towards the promotion of a nation's temporal
and social elevation, is to plant amongst them the tree of
life, when civilization and commerce will entwine their
tendrils around its trunk, and derive support from its
strength. Until the people are brought under the influence
of religion, they have no desire for the arts and usages
of civilized life; but that invariably creates it. The Mis-
sionaries were at Tahiti many years, during which they
built and furnished a house in European style. The natives
saw this, but not an individual imitated their example. As
soon, however, as they were brought under the influence
of Christianity, the chiefs, and even the common people,
began to build neat plastered cottages, and to manufac-
ture bedsteads, seats, and other articles of furniture. The
females had long observed the dress of the Missionaries'
wives, but while heathen they greatly preferred their own,
and there was not a single attempt at imitation. No
sooner, however, were they brought under the influence
of religion, than all of them, even to the lowest, aspired
to the possession of a gown, a bonnet, and a shawl, that
they might appear like Christian women. I could pro-
ceed to enumerate many other changes of the same kind,
but these will be sufficient to establish my assertion.
While the natives are under the influence of their super-
stitions, they evince an inanity and torpor, from which no
stimulus has proved powerful enough to arouse them but
the new ideas and the new principles imparted by Christi-

OF CHRISTIANITY. 519
anity. And if it be not already proved, the experience of
a few more years will demonstrate the fact, that the Mis-
sionary enterprise is incomparably the most effective ma-
chinery that has ever been brought to operate upon the
social, the civil, and the commercial, as well as the mora!
and spiritual interests of mankind.
Nor are the heathen the only parties benefited by such
exertions. The whole civilized world, and our own country-
men especially, share the advantages. Without dwelling
upon the improved state of religion in our churches; the
holy and elevated feelings which have been called into ex-
ercise ; the noble instances of Christian benevolence which
have been displayed; and the reflex influence of the Mis-
sionary enterprise upon home exertions; we may simply
glance at the commercial advantages which have resulted
and are still resulting from these labours. In the South
Sea Islands alone, many thousands of persons are at this
moment wearing and using articles of European manufac-
ture, by whom, a few years ago, no such article had been
seen ; indeed, in the more advanced stations, there is
scarcely an individual who is not attired in English cloth-
ing, which has been obtained in exchange for native pro-
duce. Thus we are benefited both in what we give and
in what we receive. From a barbarous people very little
can be obtained, and even that at the greatest possible
hazard. When a vessel enters their harbours, every pre-
caution must be employed. She is encircled with netting
half way up the rigging, her guns are loaded, and every
person on board is obliged to be on the alert, fearing an
attack, and not knowing the moment at which it may be
made.
Besides these dangers, the natives, in a barbarous state,
possess not the knowledge requisite for turning the capa-

520 VALUE OF MISSIONS
bilities and productions of their islands to good account.
The sugar-cane was indigenous to Tahiti; but it is only
since the inhabitants have been Christianized, and taught
by the Missionaries, that they have manufactured sugar,
and thus converted the cane into a valuable article of com-
merce. At present, the Samoa islanders have nothing to
dispose of but a little cinet,” and small quantities of tor-
toiseshell. In a very few years, however, should our labours
be successful, they will be taught to prepare hundreds of
tons of cocoa-nut oil, and large quantities of arrow-root,
annually; to manufacture sugar; to cultivate their land;
and to supply our shipping with provisions. Thus, wherever
the Missionary goes, new channels are cut for the stream
of commerce; and to me it is most surprising that any in-
dividual at all interested in the commercial prosperity of
his country can be otherwise than a warm friend to the
Missionary cause. -
The shipping of our country, too, derive as much advan-
tage from Missions as its commerce. This will appear if
it be recollected, that the intercourse between Europeans,
( and the untaught islanders of the Pacific is always danger-
ous, and has often proved fatal. The adventurous Magel-
lan fell at the Ladrone Islands; Captain Cook was barba-
rously murdered at the Sandwich group ; the ship Venus
was taken at Tahiti; M. de Langle and his companions
were killed at the Samoas; the Port au Prince was seized
at Lefuga; and the crew of the Boyd was massacred at
New Zealand. And now at all these islands, with the
exception of the Ladrones, there are Missionary stations,
whither numbers of vessels direct their course annually,
the crews of which look forward with delight to the hour
when the anchor shall be dropped in the tranquil lagoons,
* Cord made from the cocoa-nut husk.
TO COMMERCE & SHIPPING. 521
and they find a generous welcome and a temporary home.
That outrages do still occur where there are no Mission-
aries, Captain Beechy's account of his intercourse with the
inhabitants of Easter and Gambier Islands, and the massa-
cre of the entire crew of the Oldham, at Wallace’s Island,
with other similar events of more recent occurrence, plainly
demonstrate ; whilst the fact, that, in those islands, or ports
where Missionaries are settled, such acts of violence have
been prevented, is established by evidence equally decisive.
An incident or two may illustrate these points.
About two years before we left the islands, an individual,
who had been a convict, came to Raiatea in his own vessel;
and having cheated the natives of every other island at
which he had touched of their harbour dues, and pilotage,
a message was sent to request our chiefs not to allow him
to depart until they were paid. Acting upon this informa-
tion, the native officer, a high-spirited young chief, refused
to quit the vessel until he had received the dues; when
the captain immediately presented a loaded pistol to his
head, which so exasperated him that he came on shore,
and collected a large body of people, who armed them-
selves, and returned to the vessel with a full determination
to be avenged. The whole population was roused to in-
dignation, and their temper and proceedings were most
alarming. Tamatoa, myself, and very many of the res-
pectable inhabitants were absent at the time; but Mrs.
Williams, having been informed of the circumstance, in-
stantly wrote to the captain, to beg him to pay what was
due,” and hastening down to the beach, she prevented
more people from going off to the ship, and sent a boat
* The sum, I believe, was eight dollars, which the captains of his Majesty's
ships thought that the native authorities had a right to demand, for the ac-
commodation which their excellent harbours afforded.

44%
522 A SHIP RESCUED.
with some respectable natives, to convey to those on board
an earnest request from her that no violence might be
offered to the captain, and that they would immediately
come on shore. The work of plunder had commenced,
and in a moment or two more, many lives must have been
sacrificed, as the natives were only waiting for the signal
to take possession of the ship, and the captain was stand-
ing with loaded pistols ready in an instant to fire into a
barrel of gunpowder, to blow up the vessel and all on
board. This, however, was happily prevented by the
prompt interference of even a Missionary's wife. This, I
believe, is the only instance in which a ship has been in
danger at any of our Missionary stations; and in this case
it would have been prevented, notwithstanding the con-
duct of the captain, had either Tamatoa or myself been at
home. The whole affair was so instantaneous, that it had
well nigh come to a tragical termination before Mrs. Wil-
liams heard of it. On the following day I collected the
few articles which had been taken by the natives, and sent
them after the vessel.
When my venerable brother Missionary, Mr. Nott, came
to England, in 1825, the ship called at Ua, an island near
Tongatabu. Being in want of provisions, a boat was low-
ered, and the captain, with the chief mate and a passenger,
approached the shore. While bartering with the heathen,
they and their property were all suddenly seized. Axes
were held over their heads, knives applied to their throats,
and a rope with a noose hung over them, to signify what
they must expect, if they attempted to escape or resist. A
ransom for each was then demanded, and the chief mate
was sent to fetch it. During the whole of this awful night,
the captain and his friend were kept in the greatest terror,
by a strict guard and fearful threats. In the morning, the

THE ESSEX WHALER. 523
boat was sent with property to the value of 30l. or 40l.,
which the chief accepted, as an equivalent for the captain,
who was permitted to return to his ship; but the passenger
was detained, until more property should be sent. As soon
as the captain stepped on board, he exclaimed, “Oh, Mr.
Nott, we see now, more than ever, what has been done by
you and your brother Missionaries, in the islands where
you have resided, and the labour you must have endured,
in bringing the natives from what they once were to what
they now are l’’
A short time previous to this, the Essex whaler was
struck by a whale, and immediately foundered. The crew
took to the boats, and were driven to the terrible necessity
of casting lots for, and eating each other. On his subse-
quent voyage, the captain of this very ship called at Raia-
tea; and, after giving me an account of the horrors they
endured, observed, that, had he then known the improved
state of Tahiti, and its adjacent islands, from which they
were not distant above ten days’ sail, he could have saved
his crew ; but supposing that the inhabitants were still
savage, he thought it safer to steer for South America,
which kept them at sea ninety days, and compelled them
to suffer horrors and perform acts, the bare recital of
which can scarely be endured.
I forbear any further illustrations or remarks, and sim-
ply add, that, in the small island of Huahine, about thirty
sail of shipping anchor in the course of the year; and, at
Tahiti, little short of a hundred. Here the exhausted
crews recruit their strength, by roaming at pleasure
amongst the luxuriant groves, and inhaling the fragrant air;
and here, also, the ships are sheltered, refitted, and sup-
plied with stores to any extent.*
* Cattle have increased to such an extent that beef can be obtained at 2d.


524 MISSIONARY HONOUR THE GREATEST.
Apart entirely from the value of Christianity, no en-
lightened statesman can regard labours which secure such
results as those I have enumerated, with indifference: for
new havens are found at the antipodes for our fleets; new
channels are opened for our commerce; and the friends
of our country are every where multiplied.
To the philosopher, too, such exertions present their
claim : for new fields of discovery have been opened, new
regions explored, and wilds previously inaccessible to the
traveller, penetrated by the Missionary. In addition to
this, languages before unknown have been mastered and
reduced to a system ; man has been presented under cir-
cumstances the most peculiar and interesting; and new
facts have been added to his natural and moral history.
An enterpise, beneficial in so many ways, presents a
universal claim, and we hope the day is fast approaching,
when the merchant will not only consecrate the gains of
his merchandise to its promotion, but when he shall also
add the facilities which commercial intercourse affords to
further the great design: when the man of science shall
make his discoveries subserve this godlike work; and
when not only the poor, but the rich and noble will feel
honoured in identifying themselves with Missionary opera-
tions, and in consecrating their influence, their wealth, and
even their sons and their daughters to this work. And
why should not the son of a nobleman aspire to an office
that an angelic spirit would deem an honour? Why
should not such become active agents in an enterprise
which is to regenerate and bless our world? They as-
pire after military and naval glory, but here they may
obtain distinctions far higher than these : — here, instead
per pound. The natives, I regret to say, in consequence of the great de-
mand, are beginning to exact exorbitant prices.

MISSIONARY HONOUR THE GREATEST. 525
of inflicting death in the acquisition of their laurels, they
would scatter life and comfort and peace to unborn millions.
And is there more glory in spreading misery than in convey-
ing mercy? Is it more honourable to carry the sword of war
than the Gospel of peace 7 Is it a higher dignity to bear
a commission from an earthly sovereign than from the
King of kings' Oh! that the minds of the noble youth of
our country could be directed to this field of labour and of
love; and that the soldiers of the cross were as high in the
estimation of our nobility as those who bear commissions
from our king. It will be a blessed day for our world,
when the first nobleman's son, influenced by a spirit of
piety, and constrained by the “love of Christ,” shall de-
vote himself to go among the heathen “to turn them from
darkness to light.” But whether such forward it or not,
the work will go on; enlargement and deliverance will
come, until the earth, instead of being a theatre on which
men prepare themselves by crime for eternal condemna-
tion, shall become one universal temple to the living God,
in which the children of men shall learn the anthems of the
blessed above, and be made meet to unite with the spirits
of the redeemed from every nation, and people, and ton-
gue, in celebrating the Jubilee of a ransomed world.
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