RESPECTING RURUTU. 509 return home. They had renounced idolatry, received books, and said they would go to their chief, and persuade him also to receive and learn the word of God. Puna and Mahamene wished to detain them; but as they promised not only to return to Rurutu, but to bring their chief and as many natives as they could with them, they let them depart. "Another of the boat's crew informed us of Auura's great diligence in teaching his countrymen to read, and of his going from house to house, every night and morning, performing family prayer for them.” (Signed by the Missionaries Threlkeld and Williams.) The visit of Auura and his companions was a great event in the history of Raiatea, and their return to Rurutu was the commencement of a new era in the annals of that little island. In Raiatea the forlorn state of these adventurers excited the deepest sympathy. Their personal necessities were soon and bountifully relieved; but the compassion which the new Christians there felt towards the poor, blind, perishing countrymen of the strangers was not to be satisfied with less than offering some of their ownselves to accompany them home to carry the gospel thither, though it might be at the peril of their lives. Hence originated the first attempt to evangelize distant tribes by native converts, unaided by European Missionaries. Mahamene and Puna, aforenamed, were the willing and the chosen messengers of the church at Raiatea to the heathens of Rurutu. The effect of their teaching has already appeared. How zealously and affectionately the Raiateans espoused the cause of those whom the providence of God had cast upon their hospitality, and the grace of God had cast upon their 510 GENEROSITY OF THE RAIATEAN CHRISTIANS. Christian charity, may be happily illustrated by two passages from the minutes of proceedings at the second anniversary of their little Missionary Association, held in May, 1821. These quotations will also be interesting as specimens of genuine native style: : "Tamatoa (the king of Raiatea) said, 'My friends, let us never be weary of subscribing our little property to the Missionary Society (Mitinary Tyeté) every May. Let us give our oil and our arrow-root to God, that the blind may see, and the deaf may hear; let us not be tired in this good work. We behold the great deep; it is full of sea; it is rocky and rough underneath, but the water makes a plain smooth surface, so that nothing of its rocks and caves are seen. Our lands were rugged and rude with abominable and wicked practices, but the word of God has made them smooth. Many other countries are now rugged and rude with wickedness and wicked customs. It is the word of God alone that can make crooked places straight, and rough places smooth. Then let us be diligent in the work of our Society, and continue our diligence till the rugged world is made smooth by the word of God, as the waters cover the ruggedness of the great deep. Let us, above all, be concerned to have our own hearts washed in Jesus' blood; if so, God will become our friend, and Jesus our brother. This little property the Missionaries will send to the Missionary Society in London, that Missionaries may be sent to these poor Rurutus, that they may know the good word of God.' "Mahamene said, There were two captivities which existed formerly amongst us; the one was our captivity to Satan, the other was our captivity to the servants of the kings, or chiefs. Perhaps (said he) there is an individual present to whom the former will apply; for I know the cave KING TAMATOA'S SPEECH. 511 in which he took refuge several times when he was sought for, for a tabu (or sacrifice). But let him ask himself, if he is not still in captivity to Satan, and if he has escaped to the true refuge for sinners. The other titi raa (or captivity) was to the teuteu arii (or servants of the kings). These would enter into a person's house, and commit the greatest depredations; the raatira, or master of the house, would sit as a poor captive, and look on, without daring to say a word; they would seize his bundle of cloth, kill his largest pigs, pluck the best of his bread-fruit, take the largest of his taros, the finest of his sugar-canes, and the ripest of his bananas, and even pull up the posts of his house for firewood to cook them with. Is there not a man present who was obliged, and actually did bury his new canoe under the sand, to secure it from such desperate men? Now all these customs are abolished; we are living in peace, and without fear. But what is it that has abolished all these customs? Is it our own goodness?—is it our own strength? No; it is the good name of Jesus. We have now no need to place our pigs underneath our beds, and our little rolls of cloth for our pillows, to secure them; our pigs may run about where they please, and our little property may hang in the different parts of our house, and no one touches it. We are now sleeping on cinet bedsteads; we have now decent seats (sofas) to sit on; we have now neat plastered houses to dwell in; and the little property we have we can call our Let us look around us at the house we are in-Oro never showed us any thing of this kind. Look at the chandeliers over our heads;* look at our wives; how becomingly own. * These chandeliers, of which there were ten in the chapel, were made of wood, turned, with cocoa-nut shells for lamps. The middle one sustained eighteen lights, the others ten or twelve each; besides which, branches, holding double lights, were fixed along the walls. When these, which had 512 KING TAMATOA'S SPEECH. they appear in their gowns and bonnets! Compare ourselves this day with the poor people of Rurutu, who have lately drifted to our island, and behold our superiority. And by what means have we obtained all this? By our own industry?-by our own goodness? No; it is to the good name of Jesus we are indebted; then let us send this name to other lands, that they may enjoy the same good.' been placed, for the first time, on this occasion, were all blazing out, they presented to the natives such a spectacle of artificial brilliance as had never before been conceived, much less seen, among them, and called forth expressions of astonishment at the customs (inventions) of England, which appear to them to have no end. They, therefore, by way of distinction, call our country, E fenuu marau ore, or the land of customs. CHAPTER XXIV. Return to Huahine-Native Missionary Seminaries-Means of GraceDeputation proceed to Raiatea-Conference-Ribbons of Bark-A Borobora Convert-Dungeons for Criminals-Tobacco, Sugar, and Salt prepared-Tamatoa, King of Raiatea-Trial and Punishment for Tatooing -Yoke-fellows-Pic-nic Parties-Superstitious Respect for a Scallopshell-Raiatean Mythology-King formerly Worshipped-Feat of Juggling-Traditions-Investure of the Kings-Local Falls of RainNative Prediction. Oct. 2. YESTERDAY evening, after taking a cordial farewell of our new friends in Rurutu, and each having planted a cocoa-nut, in the enclosure before the chapel, in memorial of our visit to this lovely little island, we re-embarked for Huahine, with a favourable breeze, south-east, which continued with us all day, and has already brought us far towards our desired and destined haven. Oct. 8. We landed, on the 4th instant,-amidst thousands of welcomes from natives, hastening in canoes to meet us, or standing in crowds on the shore to receive us, -at Huahine. The vessel, in which we had performed this voyage-or rather these two voyages-to the Sandwich Islands and back hither (between six and seven thousand miles) was scarcely eighty-four tons burthen, and by no means in the best condition. But the Lord led us all the way, and mercifully hid from us some of our greatest perils until |