We

pose of cheering the hearts and encouraging the labors of American Christians, by a fair exhibition of what God has done in the fa vored islands, where his power has been so signally manifested. It is to be remembered. also, that the testimony now published, was written nine months later than the other; that is, after a longer residence of four months among the people concerning whom it is given, and a subsequent interval of five months for comparison and reflection. Yet not a sin

ever, in this place, to offer a few explana tions.

Soon after the great change in the South Sea Islands became known in Great Britain, it was determined by the Directors of the London Missionary Society, to send out a Deputation, as soon as convenient, to take a view of things on the spot;-to aid the missionaries in organizing new churches;-to aid the converted inhabitants in fixing their social institutions;-to suggest practical improvements; and to make a report of facts, and proceedings, and to recommend measures, in the face of Europe and the world. It may be questioned, whether a more honorable service has been assigned to men, since the apostolic age. The Directors were looking out for suitable men to be employed in this agency, for more than a year, when the Rev. Daniel Tyerman, of the Isle of Wight, and George Bennet, Esq. of Sheffield, were appointed. They sailed from London in May, 1821;-reached Tahiti in October;-resided at that and the neighboring islands till March, 1822;--and then entered upon the visit, which is described in their letter. We published, in our number for February, the principal part of a letter from Mr. Tyer. man to a lady in England. This, however, should not supersede the publication of the following testimony of himself and his colleague to the same facts; a testimony given with great deliberation, for the express pur VOL. XIX.

the testimony is more full and explicit.

Perhaps some of our readers may inquire how it is, that idols were still detected and brought forth to be burned, and that the people were waiting for the king to give a decided countenance to the missionaries, when idolatry had been abolished almost three years before, and the missionaries had been established at the islands more than two years. The explanation is briefly this. Where the idols were so very numerous, and there were so many household gods, it is not to be supposed that all would be destroyed at once. Though the burning was general, some idols would be clandestinely preserved. After the destruction of the idols and consecrated places, the people were as destitute of any just views of religion as before. They were, also, as much addicted to their vices. From want of knowledge of the language, missionaries are never able at first to convey religious truth to the minds of heathens. In the case before us, though the rulers of the Sandwich Islands admitted the missionaries to reside there, and have treated them with kindness, great pains have been taken by unprincipled foreigners to prejudice all classes of the natives against evangelical exertions, and to excite suspicion of the motives, which brought the missionaries thither. This evil was always anticipated. It must always be met, in similar cases; and met patiently and 13

firmly. In the mean time, it was to be supposed, that the minds of the chiefs and people would remain in a state of indifference, till they knew more of religion, and in a state of suspense, as to what part they should ultimately take. The final issue, however, is not doubtful. Christ will be acknowledged and obeyed in these islands, and in the whole world, which now lies in wickedness.

Some persons may think the progress of the missionaries slow, in having added to their Spelling Book only eight pages in six months. This is to be accounted for, we presume, from the extreme difficulty of ascertaining the true pronunciation of an unwritten language, and from the desire to have the words printed rightly at first, and before any copies are put into circulation. Those who have attended most to this subject know, that it requires great caution and diligence.

Some persons, seeing the English names of Pitt, Adams, and Cox, applied to leading men at the islands, may think that Englishmen, or Americans, have been employed by the king, as governors of different parts of his deminions. This is not the fact. The chiefs, who bear these names, are full-blooded natives. Pitt and Adams have learned to speak the English language.

Our readers will perceive, that the missionaries have introduced a new orthography of several names, which occur in the following communications. This is done to produce uniformity, by adopting the alphabet, which will be used hereafter. In forming an alphabet for a language never before written, the first point to be aimed at is, to assign but one sound to each letter. If we could suppose our own language to be brought into such a state, the advantages would be so great as to defy all calculation. The sounds of the vowels, which the missionaries have fixed upon, are as follows: a, as in father; e, as a in late; i, as e or ee in convene, redeem; o, as in over; u, as oo in pool, or o in remove; ae, as ay in ayes; ai, as i in idol, mile; ao, as a in far, closely followed by o; au as ow in vow; ei, eu, and ou, the sounds of those letters, as above described, pronounced in quick succession. The missionaries have inadvertently written some of the names as heretofore; Owhyhee, for instance; which, we presume, should be Owaihi, the first aspirate being so slight as very properly to be omitted.

English Missionary Deputation.

By another letter to yourself, sent by the ship Lady Blackwood, in the early part of May, by the way of South America, you will probably learn the interesting fact, that, in the wise providence of God, the English Missionary Deputation, composed of the Rev. Mr. Tyerman and George Bennet, Esq., accompanied by the Rev. Mr. Ellis, missionary at Huahine, and several natives of the South Sea isles, who have been taught the Christian religion,have been directed to these favored shores, and allowed to witness with us what God has here begun to do. This singular, and truly desirable, though unexpected event, was brought about in connexion with the sending of a schooner, built at Port Jackson, by the way of the Society Islands, as a present from his Britannic Majesty to the king of the Sandwich Islands.

Acknowledgment of Favors.

We are now happy very gratefully to acknowledge the reception of your kind, interesting and refreshing letters, and a variety of pamphlets and newspapers, by the Tarquin, the Houqua, and the Pearl, together with the needful supplies forwarded gratuitously by the Houqua, for our aid and comfort. To all, by whom we are so kindly favored and so greatly obliged, our cordial thanks are due; but we can make them no better return, than by praying for their prosperity, and applying ourselves with increasing diligence, energy and activity to our appropriate and important work of communicating gratuitously, by our feeble instrumentality, to the perishing heathen, the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ.

We would not forbear to mention here the receipt, by the ship Tartar from China,

of a precious letter from Mr. Oliphant, a respectable American gentleman at Canton, breathing the spirit of the age, the spirit of expansive and operative benevolence, accompanied by a donation to the mission, of goods and various articles of convenience, to the amount of about three hundred and eighty dollars. With many kind words of encouragement and consolation, he begs our acceptance of "this trifle," with the assurance, that if it should diminish our privations and promote our comfort, and in any way aid us in bringing the interesting islanders to Christ, his abil ity and opportunity to bestow the favor will afford him unspeakable satisfaction.

You will rejoice to learn, also, that, by the return of the ship L'Aigle, capt. Starbuck, from London, we have lately received from the Rev. Mr. Burder, Secretary of the London Missionary Society, a very friendly and comforting letter, together with the Gospels Matthew, Luke, and John, the History of the Apostles, and a volume of hymns, in the Tahitian tongue; a small vocabulary of the Malay language, in English and Malay; a New Zealand gramınar and vocabulary; and several numbers of the late missionary publications, containing much interesting intelligence respecting the progress and prospects of Christian missions among the heathen, fitted, like that contained in the ever welcome "Missionary Herald," to call forth the prayers and offerings of the friends of Christ.

Languages of Polynesia.

In comparing the languages of New Zealand, Tahiti, and Owbyhee, we are, at every step, gratified to see the striking resemblance, which they bear to each other, and the very great facility, which the knowledge of one affords in acquiring a knowledge of the other: but we are disappointed in not finding a similar resemblance between these languages and the Malay; as it has been the opinion of some, that the Malay is the origin of these, and most of the other dialects of Polynesia. But we are not prepared, at present, to speak very freely on this point.

Expected Associates in the Mission.

It is about six months since we learned that you were seeking a passage for missionaries to these islands; and from that time we have observed a weekly prayer meeting with special reference to those, who might be appointed to be our helpers; -to their passage across the mighty waters; and to their entrance among the heathen. This we resolve to continue till we shall greet them with welcome, and join

with them in grateful thanksgiving to Almighty God for his goodness to them, his mercy to us, and his grace to the heathen to whom they are sent.

Important increase of Christian Influence.

While we have been thus waiting, we have, in the kind providence of God, been called upon to rejoice and give thanks to him, for the seasonable and important aid rendered to the mission, by the assiduous labors of Mr. Ellis, for the last four months, both in investigating the language, and in preaching to the people; and also for the efforts of Messrs. Tyerman and Bennet to encourage our hearts, to strengthen our hands, and to exert a salutary influence on the mind of the king and chiefs and people, in favor of our great object.

And we believe you will rejoice to learn that, at the request of this government, and with the most cordial approbation and consent of this mission, and by the express and official advice and appointment of the Deputation, as agents for the London Missionary Society, brother Ellis will probably be stationed here, to use all his talents and influence in the promotion of the cause in which we are engaged; to aid us in acquiring a thorough knowledge of the language, in translating the Scriptures, and in furnishing the nation with books and with other means of improvement, much earlier than it could possibly be done without such assistance.-Auna and his wife, two natives of Huahine, well instructed, are also stationed here as Christian teachers.

The nation, we are happy to say, is now ready to receive instruction, and to receive additional teachers. During six months past, the desire for instruction seems to have increased with the means. We have been enabled to print, and put into their hands, 16 pages of a spelling book, containing, besides a copious list of words, several lessons in reading, which exhibit some of the leading doctrines of the Gospel.-A considerable number of pupils are already thoroughly acquainted with these pages, and they are sought by others, so that we are obliged to distribute a considerable part of the edition, which amounted to 500 copies, before the remaining 16 pages can be finished. We have, during the last six months, been able to preach more frequently to chiefs, and to greater numbers of the people, by an interpreter, than has been usual in any former period. Lately Mr. Ellis has preached three times a week, almost entirely in the dialect of this coun try: and our assiduous Hopoo appears to be useful in holding forth, in his own way,

vation; visited the high-priest Hevaheva, (Haverhaver, as we have before called him,) at Waimea (Wymaah;) and preached, at different places, the Gospel of the kingdom to small collections of natives. In a few instances, they discovered a pleas

Desire of the Chiefs to learn.

Soon after the first sheet of the spellingbook was put to press, Gov. Adams, from Owhyhee, enlisted as a pupil, with a

desire to learn to read and write his own language; and he continues diligently and successfully to apply himself to this pursuit, though he has returned to Owhyhee, and has now only an ordinary Tahitian youth to instruct him.

The next principal personage, who enlisted, for the same purpose, was Kamamaiu the queen, about two months ago. She has read through the 16 pages which we have printed, and is able to write an intelligible note, and to read the answer; so that she begins to find a pleasure in corresponding with Mrs. Bingham by the pen. The king, though he occasionally looked at the book, did not seem to consider himself a pupil.

The next persons of rank, were Opiia, as she is usually called, one of the wives of the late Tamahamaha, and her present husband, Laanui; who, two months since, || hearing that we had a prayer meeting at our house, on the first Monday in the month, came and spent most of the day with us, that they might enjoy it. Of late they have repeatedly had morning and evening prayers in their family, assisted by Auna, or some other person: and they are diligently learning to read and write. Immediately after the prayer meeting above mentioned, they embarked for Owyhee, with Kaahumanu (Kaahoomanoo) and Taumuarii (Tamoree,) and many others; accompanied by Auna and his wife. On this tour, at several places in Owhyhee, by the express order of Kaahumanu and Taumuarii, the idols, which had been laid aside and not destroyed, were brought forth and burned. In the windward part of Owhyhee, 102 idols were, by their command, committed to the flames in one day.

Tour round the Island of Oahu, (Woahoo.) ||

but the general sentiment expressed by the people, and even by the high-priest himself, was this: "We are waiting for the king to turn, and make public declaration that he approves the message you bring, and the object you propose."-This was, we believe, the general state of suspense throughout the islands.

Within a few weeks, the expedition to Owhyhee has returned to this place; and since its return, Cox has made many inquiries on the subject of religion. He is the fifth principal person, who engages, as a regular pupil, to learn to read and write his own language. While at Aluai (Atooi,) some months since, he attended regularly to the rudiments of reading and writing in English. On the 25th ult. he began more openly than before, to patronize the school. On Saturday the 27th, he expressed a desire to attend public worship the next day: but was too ill to attend. Kaahumanu, though informed, at the same time, that the morrow was the Sabbath, and invited to attend public worship, went, the next morning, with Taumuarii to Waititi (Witete,) and drew a great multitude after her, to spend the Sabbath there in playing in the surf. In the afternoon, Messrs. Bingham and Thurston, and Hopoo, followed them, and at evening proposed to preach to them, in case they desired to hear the word of God. They consented, and the Lord's prayer was expounded to them. Kaahumanu asked Hopoo what he meant by saying to one of her servants, in the morning, that if he did not keep the Sabbath, he would be burned. Hopoo had said to one of them, as they were going to their sports, that men who do not observe the Sabbath of the Lord, will go i ke ahi a roa," (to the endless burning.) The same evening a prayer meeting was held at the house of Opiia and Laanui. Messrs. Thurston and Ellis attended and conducted the meeting, and one or two of our pupils engaged in prayer.

Seriousness of Cox.

a meeting at his house in the evening, and to pray with him and tell him of the great salvation. Between forty and fifty of the natives assembled. Mr. Ellis preached