first time, darted with irresistible force, into the mind of Romatane: and he perceived 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 wonderful truths he had heard, frequently rising up, and stamping with astonishment that he should have been deluded so long, and expressing his determination never again to worship 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 Attutaki; besides which, he wished at once to commence the good work, and expressed a desire to purchase 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 from Mangaia. In addition to this motive, we thought that a few days' further intercourse with us might prove beneficial 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 faces on account of his absence; which they commonly do, under such circumstance, with sharp stones and shark's 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 Tarianui?' 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 instructions. 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 different business. 'I shall come,' said the chief, ' to behold your stedfastness in this good work, and your kindness to the teacher you have received.'

Having been graciously prospered to the utmost bounds of our expectation at Mitiaro, we proceeded, with grateful 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 worship the true God, and to be diligent in learning his good word. After the astonishment produced by the king's address had subsided a little, the natives replied, that as he assured them that it was a good word and brought salvation,' 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 worship 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

The name of a God, of which the King himself was the priest.

gods, should now be abandoned; but that he would visit them again, to behold their stedfastness in the good 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 affectionately, and came on board the vessel. Were three islands ever converted from idolatry in so short a time! so unexpectedly!-islands almost unknown, and two never before visited by any European ves. sel! In, as it were one day, they were induced to consent to the destruction of what former generations had venerated, and they themselves looked upon as most sacred.

Their attempts were not always devoid of danger. On one occasion the people were so excited that they shouted

'There is no peace to be made with godburners, until they have felt the effecfs of the fire with which they destroyed Oro,' and determined to make the attack on the following day. The night was a sleepless one with both parties; for the heathens were employed in listening to the vociferations of their priests, in feasting, rioting, and exulting in the anticipated 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 preparations and superstitious madness, rendered them peculiarly 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 distance of half a mile from the spot. Before they arrived at the place of disembarkation, one of the Christians, formerly a noted warrior, said to the chief, ' Allow me to select all 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 proposition 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 he thus addressed his little bond of faithful followers: Now go, and may the presence 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 bushes. 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 perceiving 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 commended 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 embraced! When the chief of Tahaa, who led the heathen, 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 prepared 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 inclination; 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 pray. ing people, yet they have conquered us with the greatest 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 prepared 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 Tahaa and Raiatea; so, that, in three days after this memorable battle, not a vestige of idol worship remained in either of those islands! All this took place solely under the superintendence of the natives themselves, for at that time there was no Missionary at either of the islands.

Of such delightful events, the volume before us contains numerous instances: take the following.

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 inqui, ries, that in his district about fifty persons had embraced Christianity, had erected a place of worship, and were anxiously waiting my arrival. This information was unexpected and delightful, and I determined immediately to visit the spot. With this intent we lowered 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, supposing 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 savage; 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 sayage now; we are Christians.'

'You

Christians!' I said. 'Where did you hear of Christianity?' 'Oh,' he exclaimed, 6 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 people 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 JANUARY 1839,

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; when he replied, 'They are the Christians, and that cloth is to distinguish them from their heathen countrymen.' 'Why,' I immediately exclaimed, 'I am the person you allude to; my name is Williams. I took the workers of religion to Savaii 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 Christianity. Upon this, one of their number, rather more forward than his brethren, replied, that he had been down to the workers of religion,' had brought back some knowledge, and was now engaged in imparting it to his countrymen; '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 poeople, peeping through the foliage of the bananas and bread-fruit trees in which it was embowered. Accompanied by my loqua. cious friend, and two or three others, I asked him, on reaching the house, who performed service there on 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 teach. er? 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 compelled to tell him that I had no Missionary. On hearing 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 theio numbers will bear a nearer proportion to the wants of the heathen,