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A NATIVE CONVERT IN OAHU.

be as his Master, and the servant as his Lord.” Matt. x. 25. A few days ago, the king sent for him, and questioned him concerning his new religion, when the poor man is said to have witnessed so good a confession that he was sent away from the royal presence with liberal approval.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Extracts of Letters from Messrs. Tyerman and Bennet, addressed to the Directors of the London Missionary Society, from the Sandwich Islands.

[IT will probably be most expedient, in this place, to introduce extracts from two letters, written by Messrs. Tyerman and Bennet, during their residence at the Sandwich Islands, as these will, in a few pages, give the reader a comprehensive view of the important changes which took place while they were providentially detained there. The Journal may then be continued to advantage, by omitting many minute details, which would otherwise occupy more space than can be spared in the limited compass of the present work.]

On landing, we were most kindly and affectionately received by the Missionaries, who immediately introduced us to the king, who showed us every polite attention. He was a young man, and was dressed in the European costume. He was highly delighted with the present of the schooner, sent him by the King of England, but not for its value--he possesses ten ships of his own, and

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considerable property in dollars and goods of various kindsbut as an expression of the friendship of the English, to whom he is strongly attached, and under whose protection he considers himself as holding these islands. He immediately engaged to supply the crew of the cutter with provisions so long as she may remain here, and invited Captain Kent to take up his abode in his house during the same time. Here is a good harbour, which is also a place of great resort to American whalers, for refreshment. On coming into the port, which is divided into an outer and an inner basin, we counted twenty-three ships and vessels of different descriptions. For coming to an anchor in the outer harbour ships pay forty dollars; in the inner, eighty dollars, besides pilotage. This harbour is protected by a battery, built at the head of it, which mounts fifty guns of large calibre, and another battery at the summit of a neighbouring hill, where there are ten large cannons. On landing, we found ourselves in a village called Honoruru, containing between 2,000 and 3,000 inhabitants, living in grass houses, resembling hay-ricks of different sizes, with but one small opening as the door-way, scattered over an extensive plain, which lies between the sea and the foot of the mountains. The taro plantations, which are seen near the village, afford striking proofs of great industry on the part of the people, and no small ingenuity in so directing the water, which runs down the adjacent valleys, as to convey it from one bed of taro to another, for three or four miles in extent. Here are resident an American Consul, and several persons from that country, with a view to mercantile employment; their specific object is sandal-wood, which grows in these islands, and finds an advantageous market in China. Goods of various kinds are imported here, and almost every thing

FROM THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.

397

may be obtained. Dollars constitute the circulating me

dium of these islands.

After our interview with the king, the Missionaries most affectionately invited us all to take up our abode with them at their house during our stay, to which we gratefully consented. Their house is at a short distance from the village. Here are two Missionaries, Messrs. Bingham and Thurston, with their wives; the former, with Mrs. Bingham, was at the island of Tauai when we arrived, but has since returned. Besides these pious and excellent men, there are four more, and their wives; Mr. Chamberlain, who is acquainted with agriculture; Mr. Loomis, a printer; Mr. Ruggles, who is engaged in superintending a school; and Mr. Whitney, a shoemaker: the two latter are stationed at the island of Tauai, which is about seventy miles from hence, and where a school of about thirty children has been raised. There is also a school here, containing the same number of children. All the children in both schools are clothed and boarded at the houses of the Mis

sionaries, at the Society's expense. We have had the pleasure of seeing the whole of this interesting Missionary family, except Mr. Whitney, with Mrs. W. and Mrs. Ruggles, and feel peculiarly pleased with their eminent piety and good sense.

This day three years ago the old king died, in a full and firm attachment to his idols. Soon after this, his son and successor held a public feast to commemorate this event. At this feast he publicly set at defiance the tabu, or idolatrous system, by sitting down and eating with his wives, and the wives of many other chiefs. the American Missionaries were on islands, where they arrived on the 31st of March, 1820, and were allowed by the king and his people to settle

This took place when their voyage to these

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REPORT OF THE DEPUTATION

among them. However, it does not appear that the king demolished idolatry from any preference to Christianity, or any other religion. His father charged him, immediately before his death, to support the idolatrous system, and to abstain from drinking spirituous liquors, both of which he has equally disregarded. Last Lord's day he held the third public anniversary, commemorating his father's death. We were all invited to attend; of course we declined, and did all we could to persuade him to defer it till the next day; but it was the proper day, according to the age of the moon, and his chiefs were not willing to make the alteration; it was therefore held on that day. The dinner, we understand, was conducted with great order and propriety. The king is able to display a degree of grandeur on these occasions, far beyond what you would expect in this country.

The prospects of the Missionaries are very promising. These islands are populous, and seem to be waiting for the Saviour's law. This small island contains not fewer than 20,000 souls; and the other islands of this group are populous in proportion.

A place of worship has been erected near the house of the Missionaries, fifty feet long by twenty feet wide. This is the only building of the kind in the eleven islands that form this interesting group, all of which are now under the dominion of King Rihoriho.

The Missionaries have not as yet acquired the language so as to be able to preach in it to the people; they are obliged to address them through an interpreter.

It will perhaps be interesting to you to hear that the language of the Sandwich Islands is radically the same as that of the Society Islands. Mr. Ellis, and the people who accompany us, can converse with these people with ease,