AND SPEECH OF A CHURCH MEMBER. 51 natives of Raiatea, of established piety, to be left as teachers, wherever it may be found practicable. Eight of his parishioners have given their names to him in view of this enterprise; and he chose this opportunity to communicate the fact to the members of the church; and to ask their opinion of the fitness of the individuals for the undertaking, and the propriety of their entering upon it. The introduction of the subject led to a number of sensible, and excellent speeches. One of them contained a very pretty allusion to the visit of the Vincennes, and the policy of Captain Finch, with an application to the contemplated voyage of Mr. Williams. It was much as follows: "A large manof-war is now with us. She has come from afar with kind motives and designs of good to ourselves and those like us. Her object is to learn our condition, and to encourage us to seek our own welfare. Her officers have their reward: 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) it is their reward. My sentiment is that we too, send out a vessel to those more ignorant and poorer than ourselves, to do them good. Those of us who go on this expedition, will not, like these our friends, be crowned with gold for their reward. No! they will receive nothing in this world perhaps still they shall be crowned. Yes! theirs shall be the crown of eternal life, to be given them, at last, by their Lord and Master Jesus Christ!" The evening has been spent, as usual, at the mission-house. I have become much attached both to 52 GENERAL ASPECT Mr. and Mrs. Williams. Mrs. Williams is an amiable and intelligent woman-well educated and of good manners; and Mr. Williams is admirably fitted, in every respect, for a missionary; and long has been, and still is the instrument of immense good among this people. LETTER 'VIII. DEPARTURE FOR THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. U. S. Ship Vincennes, at sea, YESTERDAY morning, we hove short before breakfast; and at nine o'clock took our anchor to bid farewell to the Society Islands. A native pilota fine looking and respectable man-conducted the ship to the open sea. Mr. Williams also politely accompanied us beyond the reef. The from the harbor is not by the passage egress through which we entered, but round the north end of the island, six or eight miles from the settlement, on the opposite side. The channel is of easy and safe navigation; and the regular trade wind fair the whole distance. After gliding past the reef, and exchanging affectionate salutations with Mr. Williams, we filled away, in the direction of Borabora, twentyfive miles distant. This island is of a striking contour, and readily distinguished from any other of the group, by a central mountain, rising almost perpen dicularly on every side, a height of more than two thousand feet. It is partially divided into two elevations or shafts, with a curvature on the southern side from the base to the top, giving it the appearance at a distance of a thin shell of rock. There is a ship channel between Borabora and Tahaa, fifteen miles southeast of it; but we passed to the westward of both, and then ran north, with Maurua, the most leeward of the cluster, in sight, at a distance of thirty miles. Before evening we were near Tubai, a small coral island covered with cocoanut and pandanus, the last of the group; and at sunset, took a departure from it, with the hope of a speedy run over the two thousand five hundred miles separating us from the Sandwich Islands. From the outline of our visit, at the Georgian and Society Islands, which I have thus given, you will perceive, dear H—————, that I have left you to consult Hthe recent publication of Mr. Ellis for all that is most important, in the history, present state, and prospects of their inhabitants. In the letters I have written, however, there is sufficient evidence, I trust, to prove them decidedly and interestingly a civilized and Christian people; and to present a conclusive and delightful demonstration of the power of the gospel on the nature, habits, and life of untutored man. Their geographical location is such, that it may be long before they rise, as a nation, to any great degree of commercial or political importance, or by agricultural improvements-beyond those introduced in supply of a home consumption-and by trade, become richly furnished with the luxuries of wealth VOL. II. 6 54 MISREPRESENTATIONS OF THE and refinement. Still, they possess every resource essential to the competence, comfort, and respectability of this life, while a knowledge of the Revelation of God, and the means of grace, unfold to them the hope and inmortality of that which is to come. Their chapels and schools-their habitations and dress their Bibles and their hymn books-their family circles and domestic altars, with a freedom from public licentiousness and open crime, speak volumes, in contrast with the state in which they once were, for the happiness they now enjoy. If the aspect of the people in general, and the animated declaration and lively sensibility-even to tears seemingly of deep feeling-of those who have a full remembrance, and who largely shared in their own experience of the evils of heathenism, are to be accredited, the islanders themselves are far from being insensible to the benefit and blessing of the change they have experienced; and would not for worlds be deprived of the light and mercy they have received, or again be subjected to the mental and moral darkness, and various degradation from which they have escaped. Yet there are those, who have visited the South Seas-men bearing the Christian name, with a reputation for science, and holding stations of honor -who have affected to discover a greater degree of depravity, and more wretchedness at Tahiti and Raiatea, than was known in the reign and terror of idolatry; and have ventured to proclaim to the world, that Christianity has here--for the first time in eighteen hundred years—had the effect of rendering STATE OF THE ISLANDS. 55 the inhabitants vindictive and hateful, indolent and corrupt, superstitious and unhappy, and more pitiable, in all their circumstances, than when fully in a pagan state! And that the wars, introduced and encouraged by the MESSENGERS OF PEACE, have nearly exterminated the race! Whence the data for such a sentiment could have been drawn, must forever remain a mystery, at least to all, who, like ourselves, have had the advantage of a personal observation in the case. The last wars in the islands were previous to any influence gained, by the missionaries, over either chiefs or people. Since the establishment of Christianity there has been an uninterrupted peace; and as to other bloodshed, the Rev. Mr. Nott assured me, that he had not heard of a murder among the na tives for fifteen years. Theft is occasionally known, though we met with no evidence of it; and instances of secret vice and licentiousness doubtless occur; and may, when diligently sought, be found-though not honorably boasted of-by foreign visitors: but do these facts justify the assertion of a general and utter depravity? and do they forfeit the claim of the nation to the epithet, pure morals and genuine piety of a Christian people? As well might the traveller, in visiting New York or London, because he has suffered from a thief, or discovers a haunt of debauchery, gravely state in his journal, that there is not an honest man, or a virtuous woman in the United States, or in Great Britain-an assertion which I have heard made of the Society Islands-and that the state of the one na |