NEGLIGENT WORSHIPPERS.

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has recorded in Psalm ci.; "Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me."

The people who lived at Matavai, Papao, and Papetee, were less willing to come to school than others were, or to send their children there. It is true, they had family prayers, but many neglected secret prayer: they attended chapel in the morning, but many kept away in the afternoon, and a greater number failed to attend the week-day lecture. The people of Papeete were so ungrateful to Mr. Crook that they once endeavoured to get him banished from Tahiti, because they said he had spoken disrespectfully of the late king. This charge, however, was untrue; and afterwards the people were sorry for their conduct, and set about building a house for their faithful minister.

After this unpleasant account, it will be cheering to hear of some instances of piety in the natives of the neighbouring islands; and I rejoice to say that I can relate some delightful proofs of their love to God and man.

I have before spoken of the two gentlemen, who had been sent from England to observe the state of the islands of the South Seas. They travelled from island to island, and stayed at the houses of the missionaries in the different stations. While staying with Mr. Ellis in

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MR. ELLIS'S TEXT.

Huahine, they were present at a sermon on the text, "Israel slideth back, like a backsliding heifer; now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a large place." Mr. Ellis explained this difficult text, showing that it contained a warning to Israel not to forsake the Lord, like a heifer that would not draw the plough, and that it spoke of God's goodness to Israel in

CONVERSATION AFTER THE SERMON. 357

feeding them like a lamb in a large field; and then he entreated the people to attend to this exhortation.

After the sermon was ended, the travellers observed an earnest talking at one end of the chapel. They soon found that it was no idle conversation, but that the people were saying one to another, "O we hope that we shall not go back from the Lord! O how kind he has been to us in giving us so many blessings, and feeding us like lambs! Ought we not to serve him?" It was delightful to see people attend thus seriously to sermons, and apply them to themselves, instead of making remarks upon the preacher, or discoursing upon worldly things, as soon as the sermon was over. These people soon afterwards gave a proof of their readiness to serve the Lord, even to their own cost.

Many natives from the converted islands had already visited heathen islands; but none had yet gone so far as the Marquesas, which were a thousand miles off, and were inhabited by a very wild race. Mr. Crook had lived amongst them in his youth, and had been obliged to leave them in a year and a half. To these islands the missionaries were anxious to send two native teachers. An opportunity of conveying them occurred at this time, for a ship,

called the Mermaid, touched at Huahine, and offered to take any persons to the Marquesas.

A meeting to consult upon the subject was held in the chapel at Huahine. An excellent man, named Hautia,* was regent of the island; for the queen of the island, Pomare Vahine, lived at Tahiti. Hautia sat in the chair at this meeting. The missionaries first arose, and made speeches on the subject of choosing two natives for the Marquesas.

Afterwards Auna rose-an excellent man, yet once a priest of Hiro, the god of thieves. His form was noble, and his countenance beamed with benevolence and joy.

He hesitated before he spoke. Auna did not often hesitate. It was plain that he had something to say that lay very near his heart, and that he scarcely could utter. This was the substance of his speech: "It is a good thing to send the word of God, to those who are in the same state that we once were. I have a little speech to make-if I and my wife might be so favoured as to be sent to the heathen; but perhaps we are not worthy." Auna then sat down with great humility.

Hautia, the regent, then rose, and said,

* Hautia was the man who had compared himself to a canoe upon the waves, when uneasy on account of Pomare's soul.

HAUTIA'S SPEECH.

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"Auna is the man to go." Others exclaimed, 66 Auna is the man." The whole assembly agreed that Auna and his wife were fit persons for the work, for they were not only good, and able to teach the knowledge of God, but the wife could instruct the heathen women in platting bonnets and making clothes, and thus render them industrious. A man who had such a wife as Auna, was called a two-handed

man.

Another man named Mattatore, and his wife, were chosen by the whole assembly to accompany Auna. It only remained for Hautia to express his wish upon the subject. The congregation looked towards him, and were surprised to perceive him still silent and full of sadness. At length he rose, and, with a meekness and humility which appeared very lovely in this noble and majestic chief, said, “I have a little speech, because a thought has grown in my heart, and in the heart of my wife, Hautia Vahine.* But perhaps it is not a good thought; yet I must speak it, and this is our thought. If the missionaries and the churcht of Huahine think that I and my wife are fit to be companions for Auna and his wife, and to go and teach the good word of God to *The female Hautia, his wife.

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By the church, Hautia meant those who took the Lord's Supper.