Bible, which they had learnt: here the printing-press of the London Missionary Society is established. Mr. Darling joins to his duty as minister, that of compositor, and superintendent of the press; the whole Bible had not been translated, but all the New Testament had been printed; the translation was undergoing a revision by the Rev. Messrs. Nott, Davies, and others. April 18th we left Bunaania, sailing to the southward outside of the reef; we passed the south-west point, and, turning to the eastward within the reef, at two o'clock we arrived at Papara, where we were most hospitably received by Tati the chief, who gave to the officers and myself a dinner in the European style; for the boat's crew he dressed a hog. In the evening we crossed a rivulet, drank tea, and slept at the house of the Rev. Mr. Davies, missionary at Papara; he shewed us the church, which was very large and substantial, built to hold eight hundred persons; it is new, in very good condition, having blinds to the windows, and moveable seats; near to the church was the school-house, where usually two hundred scholars assembled ; of these, Mr. Davies said that sixty girls could read and write, several others could read and spell; but he lamented the difficulty those who resided at a distance had to encounter, which caused their attendance to be less frequent. April 19th, left Papara, and rowed within the reef to the eastward: we stopped at Mairipehi, to see the house and sugarplantation of Captain Henry, and of Tati. The situation of the house is excellent, seated on a rising ground facing the south—the plantation in front—to the north the hill-to the east and west, woods of timber; we also passed the unoccupied dwelling-house, building-slip, and cocoa-nut oil manufactory of Mr. Henry: proceeding near to the isthmus which joins Taiarapu to Tahiti, we reached and slept at the house of the Rev. Mr. Crook, Missionary of Taiarapu; at this place, Mr. Watson, the chaplain of the Seringapatam, was in form invited to assume the office of minister to these poor people, to succeed Mr. Crook, about to remove to New South Wales. The church is oval, with gothic shutters, in very good order; it receives all the congregation of Taiarapu, and will contain eight hundred persons; the school-house adjoining is occupied by about two hundred children. Mr. Crook's large family, of seven daughters and one son, appear to have been extremely well educated; five were grown up the neat dress, the plain neat dinner, the preserves, the modest pleasing manner, shewed the care which had been bestowed upon them; yet in these islands, not one person, except the Missionaries, could they visit or associate with. On the 20th of April we left Metoai, rowing to the eastward, partly within the reef; at the east end of Taiarapu we left the reef, and met with an opposing wind; some sea, and an exceedingly heavy rain: about two P. M., having rounded the east end, we bore up, sailing to the westward; in the evening we arrived at Tautira in Taiarapu, and were most hospitably received by Viaraatoa the aged chief. Here we dined, and slept in the Tahitan fashion. The building in which we lodged was a large oval, of seventy or eighty feet long by forty wide, open on all sides; the roof, supported by posts, was thatched; the floor, raised about a foot above the level of the ground, was strewed with new-plucked dry grass; there was a small fence about a foot high round the floor, to keep out pigs, &c., this served as a kind of base-wall to the building: the rain ceased on our arrival; we saw the pigs caught, killed, scraped, and baked. At five P.M. evening service was performed in Tahitan, a congregation of ninety persons, exclusive of the English, being collected. The scene was singular: owing to the rain in the morning, we were thoroughly wet; the clothes in our bags, too, were soaked; a part of mine had escaped, so the Rev. Mr. Pritchard preached in a Spanish poncho, and the Rev. Mr. Crook prayed and gave out the hymn, attired in a captain's uniform the natives wore their usual dress; the officers and sailors, whatever they could find that was tolerably dry; over the heads of the congregation were hanging the wet clothes and uniforms. At six, dinner was served; we sat cross-legged, or on stools, along one end of the building; the cooks spread before us, as a table-cloth, leaves of the purau fresh plucked; to each person was given a cocoa-nut shell of sauce, composed of salt water and oil; the chief sat in the centre, the baked pig was brought on a tray, and placed opposite the chief. A cook, taking a small axe, made a longitudinal cut from the rump to the head, on each side of the back-bone, cutting through the ribs, then he removed the head, lastly he separated the quarters; the head and liver were presented to the chief, the remainder was divided into small portions, waiting for directions from the chief, who orders it to be served by putting it on a purau leaf, and placing it before the guest; at equal distances were distributed roasted breadfruit, taro, sweet potatoes, cocoa-nut, shells containing water, or cocoa-nut milk. The building was lighted by lamps made of cocoa-nut shells split in half, holding cocoa-nut oil and cotton wicks; three lamps gave a strong yellow light, with a fragrant perfume; after dinner we intended to sleep, and bedsteads were provided for the Missionaries, the chaplain, and myself; after I was lain down, the chief, by way of honour, commenced champooing my legs and arms, as described by Captain Cook. In a short time all were silent, except a few natives who sat round the light conversing; the silence was occasionally interrupted by stragglers, seeking for easier beds, tumbling over the sleepers; one of the first was Mr. Guthrie the surgeon, who had been honoured by a place on a mat between the chief and his wife; but the comfort was not equal to the honour, so he arose to seek another place; the musquitos, driven in by the rain, also caused much annoyance. On the 21st, after partaking of a breakfast similar to our yesterday's dinner, we departed, steering towards the east end of Tahiti. At two P. M. we rested our crews, by stopping to dinner. At the place where we landed we saw seventy persons making cloth in one house; at sunset we arrived at Tiarei, the station of the Rev. Mr. Henry, missionary, and the residence of the Hitoti and Paofai chiefs; a new church was building under the direction of Hitoti; Mr. Henry's was an excellent house. On the 22d I ascended a hill behind the village; until I began to climb, I did not perceive its steepness, or the difficulty of ascent; a low fern grew on its side, about eighteen inches high, and the angle of inclination was near forty-five degrees; when at the top, the view was delightful: at noon we left Tiarei, sailing to the westward; at two P.M. we arrived at Point Venus, and, crossing the point, called upon the Rev. Mr. Wilson, the missionary at Matavai, where we dined. The church at this station is a long oval, built for a congregation of eight hundred persons; the church-yard is singular, being the only cemetery which has been generally adopted as a Christian burying-ground; the tombs were heavy rhomboids, of white stucco. Walking from the church towards the point, an avenue or grove of orange-trees presents itself—a memorial of the spot where the first Missionaries established themselves, and were permitted to worship God through Christ; these trees they planted: the building wherein they dwelt no longer exists, not a vestige of it is left, but their devotion is before the God who neither slumbereth nor sleepeth; the fruits of their labour will be gathered at the last day, when the Lord of hosts maketh up his jewels, and they discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. In the evening we rowed to the westward, passing Paré, and arrived on board the Seringapatam, having made the tour of Eimeo and Tahiti. "THY KINGDOM COME." A MISSIONARY HYMN. BY JAMES MONTGOMERY. SEND out thy light and truth, O God! But draw them as with cords of love: The work is well begun; In earth as heaven thy will be done. These verses are written in the metre, and to suit the tune of a hymn, composed and set to music (as it is reported) by Martin Luther, and sung by him and his companions as they entered the city of Worms, to appear at the diet of the empire; before which, though he had reason to fear treachery and cruelty equal to that experienced by his martyred predecessor, John Huss, at the council of Constance, he declared, when his friends would have dissuaded him from taking the hazard, that if there were as many devils there as tiles on the houses, he would go and face them. A missionary hymn in the same hallowed measure cannot be unworthily attempted, though the stanza is difficult to adapt to English ideas of rhythm, being thoroughly German in construction. |