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has work for us to do here, that we are deprived for the present of the means of returning.”

On the 10th of May, Auna came up to the missionhouse, and informed me that Kaahumanu, and Taumuarii, the king of Tauai, had requested him and his wife to take up their abode with them in the Sandwich Islands, and had desired that I would return to Huahine for my family, and then come and dwell with them. As soon as the intelligence was made known to Messrs. Tyerınan and Bennet, we unitedly communicated it to our friends the American missionaries, who unanimously expressed their desires that we should comply with the wishes of the chiefs, and expressed their opinion that it would facilitate the introduction of Christianity among the people. Other chiefs afterward expressed a corresponding desire; the king also said it would be well; and as it appeared that our coming would strengthen the hands of our American brethren, facilitate their acquisition of the language, and aid the accomplishment of an object equally desired by us all, we assured the chiefs of our willingness to comply with their wishes. Shortly after this, Auna accompanied Kaahumanu and Taumuarii to Maui, and Messrs. Tyerman, Bennet, Bingham, and myself made a tour of Oahu, which, while it made us acquainted with the number and circumstances of the people, excited our sympathies on their behalf, and enabled us, as opportunity offered, to address them on the subject of religion, favoured us also with the means of observing the extent and varied appearance of the country. In company with Captains Lewis and Brown, and Messrs. Jones, Dix, and Moxley, we sailed as far as the district of Eva, or Pearl river, and travelled on foot the rest of the way. Religious services were continued regularly in the little chapel; but after the effects of their novelty had subsided, few of the natives attended; we had also frequent occasions to lament the inebriation of the king and many of the chiefs, as well as the extensive prevalence and disastrous effects of intoxication among the people; but were encouraged by the diligence and perseverance of Kaahumanu, his favourite queen. In the mean time we were acquiring the language, and were enabled more distinctly to communicate our instructions to the people.

After some weeks' absence, Auna returned, and informed us that they had been to different parts of

Hawaii, that the governor was diligently learning to read and write, and that a young chief, whose name was Lanui, was anxiously desiring to know the Word of the true God; that one Sabbath-day, when there were great crowds of people around, and Auna proposed to retire to a secret place among the bushes for prayer, he said, "No, let us read and pray in my house;" the place was crowded with people, who listened attentively to the reading and prayer. Kaahumanu directed them to fetch the gods that were lying hid in the holes of the rocks and caves, at a distance from the shore. They brought forth great numbers, and in one day burnt no fewer than one hundred and two idols.

Our friends had a small school of fifteen children, whom they were industriously endeavouring to instruct. The king and queen, and several of the principal persons, had become our pupils, and we spent part of every day either in teaching them to read and write, or in conversation on the subject of religion. They were, as might be expected, extremely ignorant; but they were in general willing, and often expressed themselves desirous to be informed. We endeavoured familiarly and with the utmost plainness to exhibit, not the subtleties of theology, or the dogmas of any particular sect, but the great facts and principles of revelation-and were pleased to perceive that they appeared to have obtained an outline of the leading truths of Christianity. On the evening of the 7th of July, which was the Sabbath, when Mr. Bingham and myself went to the king's house, he informed us that he would never again neglect the observance of the Sabbath, but would worship Jehovah; and that he did not intend to drink rum. Our number of hearers now frequently amounted to three hundred persons, to whom we preached twice on the Sabbath, and once during the week: our meetings were enlivened by the introduction of hymns in the native language. A spirit of inquiry was excited among the chiefs and people, and several seemed earnestly desirous to know and serve the living God. Among them Keeaumoku was conspicuous; he not only attended public worship, but collected the people together by ringing a large bell every evening, and invited us to attend and preach to them.

Among the strangers now at Oahu was Mr. Matheson, a gentleman who came as passenger on board an Ameri

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can ship from South America to Canton. In his "Narrative of a Visit to Brazil, Chili, Peru, and the Sandwich Islands, in the years 1821 and 1822,” he gives the following account of a visit to the establishment of Keeaumoku, who was also called Cox by the foreigners:

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August 5.-This morning I went to Cox, intending to purchase some goats. I expected to find him, as usual, either sleeping, or smoking, or drinking, or busy trafficking, like myself. The door of his hut was halfopen, and I was about to enter unceremoniously, when a scene too striking ever to be forgotten, and which would require the hand of a master painter to do it justice, suddenly arrested my whole attention.

"About a dozen natives of both sexes were seated in a circle on the matted floor of the apartment, and in the midst of them sat John Honoree, the Hawaiian catechist. All eyes were bent upon him; and the variously expressive features of each individual marked the degree of interest excited by what was passing in his mind. So absorbed, indeed, were they in their reflections, that my abrupt appearance at the door created for some time neither interruption nor remark. The speaker held in his hand the Gospel of St. John, as published at Otaheite, and was endeavouring, by signs and familiar illustrations, to render its contents easy of comprehension. His simple yet energetic manner added weight to his opinions, and proved that he spoke, from personal conviction, the sincere and unpremeditated language of the heart.

"The chief himself stood in the background, a little apart from the rest, leaning upon the shoulder of an attendant. A gleam of light suddenly fell upon his countenance, and disclosed features on which wonder, anxiety, and seriousness were imprinted in the strongest characters. He wore no other dress than the maro round the waist; but his tall athletic form and bust, seen bending over the other's shoulders, and dignified demeanour, marked at one glance his rank and superiority over all around. One hand was raised instinctively to his head, in a pensive attitude. His knitted brows bespoke intense thought; and his piercing black eyes were fixed upon the speaker with an inquiring, penetrating look, as much as to say, 'Can what you tell us be really true" I gazed for some minutes with mute astonish

ment, turning my regards from one to the other, and dreading to intrude upon the privacy of persons whose time was so usefully employed. At last the chief turned round and motioned with his hand, in a dignified manner, for me to withdraw. I did so, but carried away in my heart the remembrance of a scene to which the place, the people, and the occasion united in attaching a peculiar interest.

"I learned afterward that Cox had promised to build a school-house, and present it to the missionaries for their use; a donation which, considering his acknowledged love of money, affords no mean proof that his inquiries into the truth of the new religion had not been altogether fruitless."

The chiefs prohibited their people from working on the Lord's-day; and Keeaumoku, Karaimoku, Kauikeouli, the young prince, Kaahumanu, Taumuarii, Piia, Naihe, and almost every chief of rank and influence, were numbered among our pupils, or regular worshippers of the true God. Astonished and gratified by the wonderful change we had been permitted to witness during the period of our detention, and having received every expression of attachment, and desire for our return, from the missionaries and chiefs, we took leave of them on the 22d of August, and sailed for Huahine in the Mermaid, which had returned about three weeks before.

Shortly after our arrival, a public council of the king and chiefs of Hawaii had been held at Oahu. Auna and his companion from Huahine were invited to attend, and had an opportunity of answering the inquiries of the king and chiefs relative to the events which had transpired in the Society Islands, and of testifying to the feelings of friendship and esteem entertained by Pomare and the rulers of those islands, much to the satisfaction of the latter-who were convinced that the reports which had been circulated among them respecting the hostile intentions of the southern islanders, and the dangerous influence of Christian missions there, were totally groundless. The complete removal of those prejudices, which had been excited and nurtured by these means, was one great advantage of our visit. On our return, we conveyed friendly letters from the king and chiefs of Hawaii to those of the Society Islands, and

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an agreeable correspondence has been ever since maintained.

Early in February, 1823, I returned to Oahu with my family, experienced a kind reception from the king and chiefs, and was privileged to commence my missionary pursuits in harmonious co-operation with my predecessors, the American missionaries, who were diligently employed in their benevolent exertions for the spiritual well-being of the nation; avoiding, as they have uniformly done ever since, all interference with the civil, commercial, and political concerns of the people, and attending solely to their instruction in useful knowledge and religious truth.

The difficulties attending the acquisition of the language and other circumstances had hitherto confined the labours of the missionaries almost entirely to the islands of Oahu and Tauai; but in April, 1823, a reinforcement arriving from America enabled them to extend their efforts, particularly towards Maui and Hawaii. In order that arrangements for the establishment and permanent maintenance of missionary stations in the latter—the largest, most important, and populous island of the group-might be made with all the advantages of local knowledge, it was agreed that three of the American missionaries and myself should visit and explore that interesting island, to investigate the religious and moral condition of the people, communicate to them the knowledge of Christ, unfold the benevolent objects of the mission, inquire whether they were willing to receive Christian teachers, and select the most eligible places for missionary stations. These, though the principal, were not the only objects that occupied our attention during the tour. We availed ourselves of the opportunities it afforded to make observations on the structure of the island, its geographical character, natural scenery, productions, and other objects of curiosity; and to become more fully acquainted with the peculiar features of the system of idolatry, the traditions, manners, and customs of the inhabitants,-a detailed account of which is given in the following narrative.

Before entering upon the tour, a few remarks on the orthography of the Hawaiian names which are occasionally introduced, explaining the reasons for its adoption, and assisting in the pronunciation of native words, will probably be acceptable to most of our readers.