WILLIAMS'S MISSIONARY ENTERPRISES IN THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS.

THE conversion of the Polynesian Islanders to Christianity has excited little contemporary attention, beyond the sectarian classes which have contributed the pecuniary means to bring it about. Posterity, by distance judging better of the relative proportions of events to each other, and seeing effects as well as causes, will be likely to regard the circumstance with more curiosity ; for if all that is reported be true, the foundation of a very singular empire has been laid, and a great theological triumph has been achieved. The indifference of the Red Indians, the obstinacy of the Pagans of China and Hindostan, and the fierce or sullen scorn of the .Mahometans everywhere, have been the regret of the pious and the scandal of established churches in all agei. It was reserved for our own to see a few individuals, set in motion and supported by the voluntary principle, effect the conversion of communities in a few years ; and with more complete success than attended the missions of the Apostles themselves, if we regard the various ranks of society receiving the faith, and only rivalled by the efforts of the Saints in the third, fourth, and fifth centuries, if the number of the converts be made the test of sufficiency.

It may be alleged, indeed, that these conversions are superficial or delusive; that the rite of baptism is a mere form, and the answers the pretended Christians give to questions are mere rote knowledge. These objections may be partially true ; and it is highly probable that no Polynesian could stand an examination upon what may be termed the science of Christianity : but we fear that even in the most Christian countries of Europe very few of the people could pass triumphantly through a similar ordeal. These islanders have submitted to the rite of baptism ; they acknowledge the unity of the Godhead, the fall of man, the condemnation of Adam's posterity, the salvation of the believers through the death of Christ, and their future happiness in another state of being. Unless, too, the Missionaries have stated gross untruths, the Polynesiana have given more substantial proas of their con- version. They have burned their idols; they have altered or modified their laws und customs ; they have changed their mode of dress, discontinued several barbarous practices, and exhibit in many things the appearance of a new social condition. The ex- tent of their theological acquirements may be disputed—it must obviously depend on their education and natural aptitude, as well as on the capabilities of their instructors : but stronger evidence of conviction cannot be produced, or fairly demanded. If the reason of this historical anomaly be sought for, the theo- logian will resolve it into the will of Providence: which, doubt- less, must be conceded as all-sufficient. But, since Divine Provi- dence never wills an end without also willing the means, it is not beyond the province of reason to investigate the human circum- stances by which the end in question has been effected. And, in a deep and comprehensive view of the subject, the triumphant success of a few ardent, but in a worldly sense by no means intel- lectual or distinguished persons, will be traced to the temporal condition of the communities converted.

All large states which continue united for any length of time, must be held together by the tie of customs, manners, and opinion. A powerful army, an organized executive, and a regular course of policy, may for a time forcibly compel incongruous parts to form an apparent whole; but as soon as any of these compelling forces relax, or perish, (and it is in the nature of their origin that they should soon deteriorate,) the unnatural union is shortly dissolved ;

as may be observed in the conquests of CHARLEMAGNE, ZING'S KHAN, and TAMERLANE, the empire of CHARLES the Fifth, and still later, in the transient power of NAPOLEON. Of these, the territories of CHARLES, as they were acquired less forcibly,

were held together the longest ; but even the Roman empire it- self, though gained by slow degrees and amalgamated as much as possible by laws and policy, felt the first decline of military and imperial vigour, and rapidly fell into pieces as these decayed. On the other hand, the peoples of China, India, and Western Asia, seem to defy the power of war, government, and religion, and have hitherto yielded but little to that of time. Such as they were in the earliest dawn of history, such in substance are they now. The Tartar conquest of China has influenced the Tartars; the different foreign dynasties that have occupied the throne of Delhi only operated slightly upon the upper classes of society, and left the character of the people almost untouched ; the unchanging nature of the Arab tribes is proverbial ; whilst in the provincial governments of Persia, and in the Pashalicks of Turkey in Asia, we see the Satrapies of ancient history. The inhabitants of the sea-ports alone are somewhat changed; for the stirring spirit of commerce—the auri sacra fames—seems the only moving principle sufficiently powerful to break down the barriers of custom.

It is unnecessary to iavestigate the causes or the desirableness of this vie inertice ; it is sufficient to note the fact. But the mere eXistence of particular habits for any considerable period ;no extensive nation, causes their natural inveteracy to be strengii ened by artificial means. Laws and institutions, springing outo opinion or modified by it, nourish the power which originally ere them ; and, by authority, by persuasion, or by appeals to saki. terest, prolong the life of prejudice even when it is disposed todie away. In most large and half-civilized communities, to), th, leading religion, whether connected with the state or merely peg. - tected, has its priests, who form an order of the people. Theyare

an organized body, with temples, possessions, degrees of res

and some interior discipline ; all of which gives them a far pate; power over the vulgar than mere glI:sstly ingoence can attain far long. They have mostly reduced their superstition to something

like a system for the speculative inquirer; there is never anv IRk

of marvels for the populace. Hence, when the missionaries ny Christianity have attempted to convert them, they have not ooly been opposed by the almost insuperable powers of invetersie habit as well as by the interests of a strong body in the state, lie have been met by a religion as ancient, as attested, as full of miracles, and as mystical as their own. Even when the state has been tolerant or quiescent about the propagation of the new doctrines, circumstances have subjected the teachers to a fate hr more to be dreaded by an apostle than martyrdom,—namely, es• elusion, banishment, or contempt. In addition to all this, the missionaries, till of late years, were inferior in social arts to the people whom they went out to teach; and it was not to be ess pected that the vulgar should have a lofty opinion of the know. ledge which these persons could possess of another world, when they saw them thrown into paroxysms of wonder by almost every thing they beheld in this.

The latter part of these remarks does not apply to the Indians of North America ; but, in addition to the force of habit, two cir. cumstances have contributed to bar the progress of the truth amongst them. The formal courtesy of that singular race in. duced them to consider the exposition [of the Christian doctrines as an oration made for their amusement, which politeness required them to hear with attention, and bound them to repay in kind.* The solitary habits of many individuale, the wandering nature of all the tribes, and the constant wars in which they were en- gaged, prevented them from remaining long enough in a single place to have this notion eradicated by the instructions of the few missionaries who ventured amongst them.

In the case of the Polynesians, few or none of these difficulties bad to be encountered. The groups of islands are scattered over a vast ocean. The islands of each group are often separated flora each other by a distance too considerable, with their means of navigation, to allow them to possess the unity of feeling and action necessary to constitute a single state, even when they happened to acknowledge the same ruler. This, however, was rare ; and wars amongst themselves rendered them individually and collee. tively weak. Although the similarity of their language, custom, and the prevailing superstition or the taboo, would seem to point to common Malayan origin, the accidental manner in which the groups were probably peopled, by canoe; driven out of their course through stress of weather, has obliterated all pride of ancestry and prejudice of race, and prevented all appeals to antiquity. Traditions of course they have, but wanting the systematic character of the Oriental mythologies ; nor can their priests, like the Bonzes of China or the Brahmins of Hindostan, overwhelm with an enumerated series of ages : "a long time age seems the extent of Polynesian chronology. These things have prevented any natural growth of old established custom ; as the limited extent of their territory has militated against any powerful artificial formations. The orders of' priests and nobles exist, but the people are too few to allow them to develop their organizations to the full extent of which they are capable. GIBBON has observed, that although the proportionate numbers of the soldiery to the people, (which he rates at one in a hundred,) must be the same ni a small as in a large community, yet the power of an army is much greater in the latter than in the former. "The tyrant of a single town or small district would soon discover that a hundred armed followers were a weak defence against ten thousand peasants or citizens ; but a hundred thousand well-disciplined soldiers will command with despotic sway ten millions of subjects." What is true of an army is in a measure true either of a priesthood or a nobility: it requires the numbers, the dependent organization, the identity with the institutions, the connexion with the property and the respectability of the country,—all of which can only take place in a large community,—for either of the orders to offer an effectual resistance to changes springing out of a change of opinion ; especially when, as it happened in the South Sea Islands, the kings were mostly in favour of the new religion.

But a still more powerful principle was in operation. The first discoverers and subsequent visiters of most of the groups, came in floating castles, whose size and construction surpassed the powers of the natives to conceive, much more to execute. The wealth they displayed, the regular dieipline they exhibited on board, above all, the terrible engines of destruction they possessed, im- pressed upon these untutored but docile minds the notions of superior powers; and rumour rather increased than diminished. the reputation of the strangers. Instead of appearing like stupid and needy adventurers, as many Eastern missionaries must have done, they came as the representatives of a mighty and wonderful people. Our teachers have had the good sense to foster this prestige,

• The reader if FIANILIX win nerwanwe a ludicrous illustration of Ws thellug.

and " to impart those things which are requisite and necessary ell for the body as the soul." They instructed the Polyne- n: in the arts of life as well us in the mysteries of religion, and :ere able to exalt their spiritual by improving their temporal con-

dition.

The book which has given occasion to these suggestions, uncon- sciously establishes the truth of the last remarks ; although, as a missionary himself, employed for many years in converting the natives of the little-known Tahitian, Hervey, and Marquesan groups, Mr. WILLIAMS is not likely to give undue prominence to secondary causes. In reading our author's account of his own voyages from island to island to labour for the spiritual good of she natives, or his reports of those of his native collahorateurs, almost every incident impresses upon us, how much he was in-

debted to his superior civilization, and the fame civilization had bestowed upon Europe—how very little share purely spiritual influences bad in his success. To establish this opinion methodically and at large, would be to write an abridgment of the Missionary Enterprises. But a few of the more remarkable passages will amuse our readers, afford singular specimens of Polynesian sim- plicity, and go some way in proving our point. One of the most prominent places of missionary exertions, was Rarotonga, an island in the Ilervey group. This island itself had never yet been visited by a ship ; but some reports of the Cookees, (so named from Captain Coox,) and their cunning works in steel, bad reached its inhabitants. The first teacher who landed was a native convert; and though his early success was not considerable, it may be well, for the object in view, to begin with the beginning.

On reaching the shore he was conducted to the house of old Makea, the father of the present chief of that name. An immense crowd followed him ; one of whom was saying, "I'll have his hat ;" another, "I'll have his jacket ;" a third, " I'll have his shirt;" but they did not carry their threats into execu- tion; for the chief called out, " Speak to us, 0 man, that we may know the

business on which you are come." Papeiha replied, that he had come to in- struct them in the knowledge of the true God, and the nay of eternal salvation through his Son Jesus Christ ; in order that, as the inhabitants of Tahiti, the Society, and other islands had done, they also might burn the idols of wood, of cloth, and of birds' feathers, which they had made and called gods. Immedi- ately there burst from the multitude an exclamation of surprise and horror : " What ! burn the gods ! what gods shall we then have, and what shall we do

without the gods?" • • Shortly after this, Tinomana, the chief of Arorangi, a district about eight

miles from Papeiha's residence, sent for him, and expressed a wish to know something about Jehovah and Jesus Christ. This chief, with the whole of the people of his district, were living in the mountains, where Tinomana himself was born. As this was the weakest district of the three, it inhabitants were subject to peculiar oppression from their more powerful neighbours, who plundered them of their food and property with impunity. When a sacrifice was required, they would invariably seek it from this oppressed people; who, when they wanted fish, were obliged to steal down to the sea in the dead of the night and return before day-break, to avoid being plundered or murdered by parties from the other districts. Papeiha, after having explained the leading doctrines of the Gospel to this chieftain, very judiciously pointed out to him the advantage which be would derive from the reception of Christianity and showed that, by this means, peace and goodwill would so reign through the land, that he would no longer be compelled to live in the mountains, but might take up his abode near the sea, and, with his people, enjoy his possessions as securely as the inhabitants of the victorious districts. The chief was consider- thly impressed with these representations; and, after meditating for some hours upon what he had heard, lie came to Papeiha, and said that he felt greatly dis- poled to burn his gods, but was afraid, "lest they should be enraged, and strangle him in the night." Tile teacher assured him that he had nothing to spprebend, as they were destitute of any real power. In the evening, Papeiha and his party engaged in prayer ; and many of the people of the district united with them, and, for the first time since the island had been inhabited, bowed their knees to the God of Heaven, and listened to the voice of devotion. When Papeiha had spread his mat and laid himself down to rest, Tinomana brought his, and, having placed it by his side, told hint that he came to be taught to pray to Jehovah. Delighted with the request, Papeiha commenced a short prayer, which the chief repeated after him ; but, overcome with fatigue, bedropped off to sleep. He had, however, scarcely closed his eyes, when the

i

anxious chief awoke him, saying, " I've foigotten it; go over it again." After causing him to repeat it many times, once more he fell asleep, and again was twoke. This was repeated frequently through the night. In the morning. Papeiha returned home, and Tinomana accompanied him part of the distance, reciting, during the journey, the prayer which he had learned. On taking his ltave, be informed the teacher that lie was much delighted with what he had heard; and that lie would go home and think seriously upon the subject ; for, alit was a matter of great importance, it was not well to be in haste.

Papeiha had not long returned, when another opportunity was afforded him for bearing his testimony to the truth, in the presence of a multitude of heathen, on the very spot where " Satan's seat was." The people were assembled at a marae offering great quantities of food to the gods. Many priests, pretending to be inspired, were shouting and vociferating, with all the wildness of heathen frenzy, among worshippers who presented a strange and ludicrous appearance. Some had one side of their face and body blackened with charcoal, others were painted with stripes of all the colours they could procure ; while many were dressed as warriors, with large caps, adorned with white cowrie shells and birds' feathers. Our intrepid friend pressed into the midst of the assembly, and com- menced addressing them on the folly of offering such quantities of food to a

piece of wood which they had carved and decorated and called a god. Upon this, a priest stood up and affirmed that theirs was a real god, that be was a Powerful god, and that the feast they were celebrating was very sacred. Some few were converted by these native missionaries, and a slight advance was made in the arts of life ; but the majority per- sisted in their old superstitions, terming PAPEIHA and his coad- jutor "two rotten sticks driven on shore by the waves." On a vessel touching at Rarotonga, however, the face of things was changed— And as the captain showed kindness to the chief., and made several of them Presents of axes and other useful things, their opposition to the teachers was sot a little subdued. There being no quadrupeds in the island, but a few millions of rats, we sent *Ole &bike a number of pigs and goats, with a variety of other articles which our people had contributed. The teachers gave the pigs and goats to the King's grandfather; and he, on the following morning, distributed them among the various chiefs of the island. A powerful impression was thus very generally produced in favour of Christianity. " Behold," said the people, " we called these men drift wood ; and they have rich friends, who have sent an English ship to inquire after them, and bring them property, such as we never saw before. We ridiculed and called them liars, and behold they are men of truth." A few days after the vessel had sailed, a general wish was expressed by the people to renounce heathenism awl place themselves under Christian instruction. The old giandfather of Tamatoa, however, was firm in his determination to adhere to his heathen superstitions ; for, being at this time in the midst of an idolatrous feast, which was of several weeks' continuance, notwithstanding the wishes of the people, the old chieftain determined to remain at the marae and complete the sacred ceremonies. While yet there, a beloved daughter was taken danger- ously ill. The priests were immediately on the alert, presenting numerous of- ferings, and invoking the gods from morning till evening, day after day, in order to induce them to restore the child to health. The disease, *however, increased, and the girl died. The chief was so much affected at the death of his daughter, that be determined at once to abandon the gods, who were so ungrateful as to requite his zeal with such manifest unkittilnese ; and therefore scut his son early the next morning to set fire to his tnatae. Two other fluters near it caught fire, and were also consumed. The son, enraged with the gods for de- stroying his sieter, went to a large marae, before which the people were present- ing their offerings, and attempted to set it on file, but was presented by the writ shippers, who seized and dragged him away. fly such circumstances does God, in numberless instances, work upon the minds of men.

Having been taught at Itaiatea the art of making lime from coral rock, the teachers determined to plaster the chapel, and therefore desired the chiefs to send their people to cut down a large portion of fire-wood; and W hen this was done, they requested them to send to the sea for a quantity of coral rock, which was brought to the shore and piled upon the fire- wood. The people did what they were desired, but could not imagine what all this singular prucess of pre- paration was to effect. At length the teachers requested them to set light to the fire-wood ; and, as soon as it began to blaze, day could contain themselves no longer, but commenced shouting, " Oh these foreigners, they are roasting stones, they are roasting stones ! come hurricane and Idoss' slow II our bananas and our bread-fruit, we shall never suffer from famine again : these foreigners are teaching us to roast stones." The teachers told them to wait patiently and they would see the result. At daylight thefollowing morning, they hastened to the spot, and, to their utter astonishment, the burnt coral was 'educed to a beautiful powder ; and they were so surprised and delighted at its softness and whiteness, that they actually whitewashed their hats and native garments, and strutted about the settlement admiring each other exceedingly. A space in the chapel being wattled, the teachers mixed up a portion of the " roasted stone," raith some sand, and plastered it on the space which had been prep ired ; taking care to cover it up with mats, and to send the people away, lest, prompted by their curiosity, they should scratch it down before it became hard. Early on the next morning, they all hastened to see this wonderful tight.: The chiefs and common people, men, women, and children, hurried to the spot ; and when the coveting was removed, a sheet of beautifully white plastering was ptesented to their ileum :sired view. All pres-ed forcer, it to examine it ; v,iuc euielling it, some scratching it, whilst others took btUlle, and struck it, exclaimiirg, as they retired, " Wonderful, wonderful ! 'flue very stones in the sea and the sand on the shore become good property in the hands of those who worship the true

God, and regard his good word."

Passing by many circumstances, which, however curious to the studious speculator or interesting to the devout reader, might be somewhat tedious to the generality, especially told in the detailed style of Mr. WILLIAMs, we will go on to a time when the Missionaries had attained some footing in the island. The follow- ing shows the effect of European writing upon an untaught mind. And we quote the passage introducing the instance, to ternark, that a race affording such proofs of ready docility as the erections of these buildings display, would furnish a fine field for a plan of civilization upon a more extensive scale.

This induced us to determine tu erect immediately a place of worship. With this view the chiefs and people were convened, and arrangements made for cotnmencing the building ; and so great was the diligence with which the people laboured, that, although ill supplied with tools, the house was thoroughly com- pleted in two months. It was one hundred and fifty feet in length and sixty wide, well plastered, and fitted up throughout with seats. It hail six folding doors. The front windows were made in imitation of sashes, wilaefirt those in the back resembled Venetian blinds. It was a large, respectable, and substantial building; and the whole was completed withuut a single nail, or any iron work whatever. It will accommodate nearly three thousand persoss. In the erection of this chapel, a circumstance occuned which will give • striking idea of the feelings of an untaught people, when observing for the first time the effects of written communications. As I had come to the work One morning without my square, I took up a chip, and with a piece of charcoal wrote upon it a request that Mrs. Williams would send me that article. I called a chief, who was superintending his portion of the work, and said to him, " Frieod, take this; go to our house, and give it to Mrs. Williams." He was a singular-looking man, remarkably quick in his movements, and had been a great warrior ; but, in one of the numerous battles be had fought, had lost an eye; and, giving roe an inexpressible look with the other, he said," 'fake that! she will call me a fool and scold me, if I carry a chip to her." " No," I re- plied, she will not; take it, and go immediately ; I airs in haste." Perceiving me to be in earnest, be took it ; and asked, " What must I say?" I replied, " You have nothing to say, the chip will say all I wish." With a look of as- tonishment and contempt, he held up the piece of wood, and said, " How OM this speak? has this a mouth?" I desired him to take it immediately, and not spend so much time in talking about it. On arriving at the house, he gave die chip to Mrs. Williams ; who read it, threw it away, and went to the tool-chest ; whither the chief, resolving to see the result of this mysterious proceeding, followed her closely. On receiving the square from her, be said, " Stay, daughter, how do you know that this is what Mr. Williams waster " Why," she replied, "did you not bring me a chip just now?" " Yes," said the asioniehed warrior, " but I did not hear it say any thing." "If you did not, I did," was the reply," for it made known to me what be wanted ; and all you have to do is to return with it as quickly possible." With this the chief leaped out of the house; and catching up the mysterious piece of wood, ha ran through the settlement with the chip in one hand said the square an the other,

On converting the greater part of the islanders in this manner, the burning of the idols and the destruction of the marries or sacred places was suggested and accomplished. The erection of a new chapel was proposed, and effected by native assistance ; and though the size and construction might excite some surprise, it was as nothing compared to the novelty of lime-burnieg. It is needless to observe, that the deficient ontology of the Polynesians taught them upon most occasions to attribute the superior powers of the Christians to their religion.

holding them up as high as his arms would reach, and shouting as lie went, " See the wisdom of these English people ; they can make chips talk, they can make chips talk !' On giving me the equare, he wished to know how it was possible thus to converse with persons at a dietance. I gave him all the ex- planation in my power ; but it was a circumstanee involved in so much mys. terv, that he actually tied a string to the chip, hung it round his neck, and wore it for some time. boring several following days, we frequently saw him sur- rounded by a crowd, who were listening with intense interest while he narrated the wonders which this chip bad performed.

Another quotation or two, and we will have done.

ASTONISHMENT AT MECHANICAL CONTRIVANCES.

Eight or ten men wertsrequired to blow them (the bellows) ; but labour was cheap, and the natives were delighted with the employment. With this con- trivance we did all our iron-work, using a perforated .stone for a fire.iron, an anvil of the same material, and a pair of carpenter's pincers for our tongs. As a substitute for coals, we made charcoal from the cocoa•nut, tarnani, and other trees. The first iron the natives saw worked excited their astonishment ex- ceedingly, especially the welding two pieces together. Old and young, men and women, chieftain and peasant, hastened to behold the wonder ; and when they saw the ease with which heated iron could be wrought, they exclaimed, "Why did not we think of heating the hard stuff also, instead of beating it with stones? What a reign of dark hearts Satan's is!" Nothing, however, excited more interest than the pumps : even the King was so much delighted, that he frequently had his favourite stool carried on board the ship, and enter- tained himself for hours by pumping out the bilge-water.

THIS ts THE MAN, THIS IS THE MAN I Shortly after our our return from Aitukaki, we were cheered by the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Buzacott; and as they were to occupy the station we were about to leave, they took up their residence with us. The Ye' y day after they landed, Mr. Buzaeott, who is an excellent mechanic, put on his apron, turned up his sleeves, and began to work at the forge. On seeing this, the people were much delighted, especially Makea,'who exclaimed, " This is the man for us, this is the man for us !"

A case of attempt at murder having arisen, the natives were puzzled what to do under their new system. On consulting the Missionaries, the nature and working of the laws of England were explained ; and a wish was expressed on their parts to have laws likewise. The more simple affairs of theft, &c. were easily managed ; but there were peculiar and habitual practices not so easily dealt with, and some of which, as polygamy, must have given rise to the rending asunder of domestic ties.

Other difficulties were presented by the peculiar and intricate character of sonie of the ancient usages which we were anxious to see abolished. One of these was a very unnatural practice, called knkumi anga. Au soon as a son reached manhood, he would tight and wrestle with his father for the mastery ; and if he obtained it, would take forcible possession of the kainga, or farm, pre- viously belonging to his parent, whom he drove in a state of destitution from his home. Another perplexing custom was the no anga. 'When a wife was bereft, by the hand of death, of her husband, the relations of the latter, instead of paying the visit of mercy and kindness " to the fatherless and widow in their affliction," would seize every article of value belonging to the deceased, turn the disconsolate mother with her offspring away, and possess themselves of the house, the food, and the land. Another difficulty was produced by what they call tai kainga, or land-eating ; which is getting unjust possession of each other's lands; and these, once obtained, are held with the greatest pe.sible tenacity; for laud is exceedingly valuable in Rarotonga, and on nusuliject were their con. tentions more hequent and tierce. Oil investigating this last practice, we found it to be a species of oppression in which so many were involved, and also a point upon which the feelings of all were so exquisitively sensitive, that to moot it would be to endanger the peace of the island. We therefore thought it most advisable to recommend the chiefs to remain for the present in abey- ance. • Prior to the introduction of Christianity, polygamy existed to a very consi• derable extent ; and when a person having a plurality of wives offered himself as a candidate for baptism, the teachers had required that the individual should make a selection of one of them, and also provide for the support of those whom he put away. The measure suceeeded beyoud what might have been reasonably anticipated ; and of the number who had complied with this con- dition, only about twenty or twenty-five persons occasioned any trouble ; among whom, however, was the king, which increased our difficulty exceedingly. With these we conversed on she subject. Some said they had returned to each other, because they bad not been left at liberty in their choice; others alleged that they supposed the separation would be only temporary, and that, had they known it was to be permanent, they should not have made the selec- tion they did. Acting upon this information, Mr. Pittmau and myself thought the best, and indeed the only way to overcome the difficulty entirely, would be to convene the people, recommend that those who were dissatisfied should be allowed to select publicly either of their wives, and then be united to her in marriage in the presence of the whole assembly. The maintenance of the re- jected wife or wives and children was also a very serious consideration ; for it is not at Rarotonga as at Tabita and the Society Islands, where provisions are abundant, a matter of slight importance ; but a female depends almost entirely on her husband. Knowing that the King's course would form a precedent, we requested him to name publicly the individual he intended to make his compa- nion for life ; and:of his three wives he selected the youngest, who had borne him one child, in preference to his own sister, by whom he had had three children, and his principal wife, who was the mother of nine or tea. He was then mar- ried to her in the presence of his people. On the following morning, Pivai, the principal wife, took a mat to sleep upon, the mallets with which to make cloth for the husband who had abandoned her, and the beloved children she had borne him, and left the King's house to take up her residence in the solitude of widowhood. Scarcely a person in the settlement could refrain from tears at seeing so worthy and amiable a woman, the mother of so large and fine a family, in those painful circumstances; and very considerable indignation was evinced on the occasion. We ourselves deeply sympathized with her ; for she was a woman universally esteemed, and, from all that we knew of her, she was worthy of that esteem. A few days be- fore leaving, she came to our house, and, while conversing with Mrs. Williams upon the subject, said that, although her affection for her husband was very great, and she was truly distressed at the prospect of being separated from him, she had made up her mind to the painful event, convinced that it was prefer- able; for as his affections were set upon his youngest wife, if she remained she should become the occasion of his living in sin ; and rather than this she would endure the separation, distressing as it might prove. This we regarded as a pleasing evidence of the power of the Christian principle upon her mind. She took the opportunity of leaving the house while her husband was at scliool ; and on his return to it, be was much affected at finding his faithful companion gore ; for, although his affections were placed on the youngest wife, he had a rest esteem for Pivai, who had borne him so large a family, and had been so

ithful and industrious a wife for so many years. The king behaved honour- ably to her, by giving her the produce of about twenty farms, the tenants of which were to obey her orders and do her work. This devoted and affietiostt, woman spent the whole period of her widowhood, which continued for tbrt, or four years, in making native garments of the very best quality for her he husband and children ; always taking the utmost pains and displaying th, greatest skill in that which was for the former, thus testifying her unalmq affection. After about four years, the wife of Tinomana, the chief of a neightea1. ing settlement, died, and Pivai was united to him in marriage ; by which she again raised to the dignity she enjoyed prior to her painful separation from is former husband.

The literary character of this book will have been gathered frora our extracts : and 'though Mr. WILLIAMS might have condense) his matter, and expressed his information in a more pithy man, net, yet the reader will find its contents full of reality, and abounding with strange particulars of a curious subject and a curious people.