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THE DYING CHILD.

5

The sailors in the ships they passed, listened with surprise to the sweet sounds. Many of their friends stood on the shore, and waved their hands, never hoping to see them more till they met before God's throne on high.

The ship did not leave England immediately, but sailed along the shores for several days, as it was to stop at Portsmouth on its way; therefore several ministers went in it as far as that town. One of these good ministers was Dr. Haweis, whose heart was filled with pity for the heathen.

In about a week the ship arrived at Portsmouth. Any person who wished it, had now an opportunity of returning to his home, but there was only one who desired to do so.

This was Mrs. Hudden, the wife of a missionary. She had been made sick, as well as the rest of the passengers, by the movement of the ship; and she felt so much disheartened that she wished to return home. She accordingly was put in a boat, and her husband, feeling he ought not to forsake her, went with her. It was well she left the ship so soon, for surely she never could have borne the great trials that awaited her companions. One other person left the ship for a sweeter home than England. He was a little boy of twelve years old, named Cover, the son of a missionary. He was in a consumption when he set out, but

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had been so anxious to accompany his parents, that they could not leave him behind. His body was taken on shore to be buried.

There were now one man, one woman, and one child less in the ship than when it set sail from London.

After waiting at Portsmouth a fortnight, the time of departure arrived.

Dr. Haweis joined with the missionaries and some of the sailors (most of whom were pious men) in taking the Lord's supper-and then took leave of them with many tears-all to be wiped away when they should meet again, if they remained faithful to their Lord.

CHAPTER II.

1796, 1797.

HOW THE MISSIONARIES WERE RECEIVED IN

TAHITI.

THE ship was soon out of sight of land and the missionaries expected never to see its shores again; but they knew who had said, "There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for

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the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come, life everlasting."

They employed their time partly in reading accounts of the South Sea Islands, in learning some Tahitian words, (which a sailor who had been in Tahiti had written out in a book,) in teaching each other a little of the trades they knew, and, above all, in studying God's word, and in prayer, sometimes together and sometimes alone.

All the winter long the ship was tossing on the waves. Sometimes the missionaries and their wives suffered much from cold, and storms, and sea-sickness.

They did not all intend to settle in Tahiti; so it was necessary, before they arrived, to agree which of them should stay there, and which should go to other islands.

Each of them wrote down on a piece of paper his name and the place to which he wished to go, and showed the papers to each other on a certain day.

Eighteen missionaries wished to settle in Tahiti. The five women and the two children belonged to some of these. You would doubtless like to see a list of the names of these people and their ages.

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Altogether twenty-five persons, counting the children, were to reside at Tahiti.

On March the 5th, after a voyage of seven months, they beheld at a great distance the high mountains of Tahiti. The next day, at seven o'clock in the morning, the ship was very near the shore; but as it was Sunday, the captain would not land immediately.

The natives of Tahiti saw the ship, and many, jumping into their canoes, soon reached it. About seventy-four canoes, some holding twenty people, surrounded the ship very early.

The captain tried to prevent the natives getting on deck, as he did not wish to have a crowd and confusion in his ship. But the natives easily climbed up the ship's side, for they were most active creatures, and expert climbers and swimmers.

SERVICE ON DECK.

As soon as they were in the ship, they began jumping, laughing, and shouting, to express their joy at the ship's arrival. They hoped to get a quantity of knives, and axes, and useful things-but knew not what heavenly blessings were going to be offered to them.

The missionaries looked at the savage creatures with eagerness, anxious to see what sort of people they were going to live amongst; and they did not much like their wild appearance, though pleased with their good-natured

manners.

The natives had brought a quantity of hogs and fruit with them, which they wished to sell to the ship's company for knives and other things; but no one would buy them, because it was Sunday. The missionaries tried to make the natives understand that it was the day of their God, who did not allow them to sell and buy upon it. After a short time most of the Tahitians went back in their canoes; but about forty remained on deck. Here the missionaries determined to have service. While they prayed, the natives watched them in silence. Then they sang a hymn to a charming tune, and while they were singing, the natives were so much enchanted with the sound, that they could hardly refrain from expressing their joy. The hymn begins thus:

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