whole district to which the man belongs: they seat him on a high seat, and feed him with abundance of the finest food of their island. When one man sees another carrying a friend or a new comer on his shoulders, he attacks him: a fight ensues for the possession of the prize: if the man who formerly possess ed it is victorious, he goes home with his man on his shoulders, receives a hearty welcome, and is regarded by the whole of the district as a brave fellow and a good man; whereas, if he loses the prize, he is looked upon by all his friends as a coward. It was for this that they rushed down to the boat; but Auura, calling to them, prevented them from executing their design.

A Meeting was appointed for the discussion of the question of receiving the Teachers and their Doctrine. Of this Meeting, Mahamene and Puna give the following

account :

Auura spoke thus to the Chiefs and King. "Friends! this is my desire, and therefore am I come to this land; that you may know the Name of the Son of God, and the work of the Holy Spirit in enlightening our hearts, and the mercy of God toward us. This is my desire-let the Evil Spirit be this in stant cast into the fire. Is it agree able to you, King and Chiefs? shall we burn the Evil Spirit even now? [that is, the idols of the Evil Spirit]. Shall we overthrow his kingdom? Do not any more let us worship him-never more let us implore him: let him have no more reign in our hearts: let him have nothing in this land, that has noTeachers, Let the government of these little lands become Jehovah's, and His alone: then ay heart will rejoice through you. Behold! you thought I had been eaten up, in the depths of the sea, by the Evil Spirit; but behold! I am not destroyed by him. He is the great foundation of all deceit. did not know that God would give me to that land Raiatea, where the Word of God flourishes and grows; and behold, God has guarded me back again. Will it be agreeable to you that we should all assemble together, at one place, and all eat together?" The King and Chiefs answered thus:"It is perfectly agreeable to us. We will receive and hold fast the Word of Life. We are pleased, because of your

saying, burn the evil spirits in the fire. Let every thing made by our hands, as a god, be charred in the fire. Behold you say, O Auura, we have spirits or souls, we never knew that man possessed a spirit, no, never!" Auura then answered thus:-"I have one word more to say to you. These two men"-the Teachers-"are chosen bythe Church at Raiatea. God caused the thought to grow in the hearts of the Missionaries; and, behold, they have sent them to teach us to read: because of their great love to us, these two are sent. The Missionaries think very much of them, for the Missionaries are verycompassionate toward us. The people of Raiatea thought, in their regard to these two men, that they would be killed in our land, and that the boat would be seized, by us.

The Raiateans think our land is a barbarous land: therefore do not ill use kindness to them; and then it will be these men, but behave with the greatest well." The King and Chiefs answered

It is perfectly agreeable to us. Now do!" Up start two men, inspired by the Evil Spirit. One of the evil spirits said" It's agreeable:-it's agreeable: we will hold the good Word!" [Speaking feignedly.] The other man, who was also inspired by the Evil Spirit, thus spake

"I have seen the foundation of the firmament, up in the sky. Taaroa [the Great Idol, or principal God] brought me faith." Auura then said " There answered the Evil Spirit. Thus then Do leap up, that we may see you flying up into the sky. Do so, now-immediately. Truly thou art even the very FOUNDA TION of deceit. The people of Rurutu have been completely destroyed through you and through you alone: and now you shall not deceive us again: we will not be deceived again through you. We know the True God-begone! If the Son of God stood in our presence, you would be ashamed." When Auura had done speaking, he sat down.

Mahamene then addressed the Assembly :

You have agreed, and your desire is to Jesus, that He may save your spirits. Ye are the lands, for which the Christians at Raiatea, Otaheite, Eimeo, Huaheine, Borabora, and England, have prayed. The Churches, wherever there are Missionaries, have compassion upon the lands that have no Teachers: there

fore they subscribe property, that the Word of God may be sent to the lands that are without Teachers. The Missionaries of Raiatea have sent us two, to teach you letters, and the Name of the True God. May you be saved through Jesus Christ!

He was followed by Puna :

Dear Friends, this is my thought toward you, and affection grows in my heart now toward you, in your living in darkness, and in the shade of death. Behold! you are eating the food of death -the poisonous fish-and drinking the bitter waters. Behold! we are here before you, to make known to you the True God, that you may know Him. This I say to you, O King and Chiefs. Prepare one place where you may all eat together, you and your wives and your children, and your King, at one eating place and there, the Evil Spirit, who has just now inspired that man, shall be completely ashamed. He has no refuge: cast away every disgraceful thing from among you, for that is the reason he remains among you. You worship him, and he is accustomed to deceive you; but, now, be fervent in prayer to God that you may escape. Should you not listen to that Word, you will die; and you will bear the wrath of God; and you will be led by the Evil Spirit into the fire of hell but if you regard the Word and the Name of the Son of God, you will in that means be saved. May you be saved through Jesus Christ!

This challenge of eating toge ther, as the test of the True Religion, was accepted. The Natives would be prepared for the issue by what occurred at the landing of the Christians. The decision of this question took place the next day. The Missionaries say

The Priests predicted, that any woman, eating either hog or turtle, would be eaten by the Evil Spirit; or any one, eating on a SACRED place, would surely die, and be eaten also: if such persons died, according to these predictions, then they would not destroy their idols; but if no one sustained any injury, they would then utterly destroy all their gods. They met accordingly ; and, after satisfying their appetites, without sustaining any injury, proceeded to demolish totally the Morais, which was all completely effected that day.

On the arrival of the boat at Raiatea, with the trophies of victory from Rurutu, a general desire prevailed to see these objects of adoration. Wishing to gratify all, and to fan the Missionary Flame, we set apart an evening for the exhibition of the Rurutu Idols. The large Place of Worship was lighted up: and, after suitable Service, the several Idols were exposed to view by three of the Native Christians. The first was the great National God, TAAROA, which was exhibited by Paumoana: this idol. is a rude figure, made of plaited sinnett, in the shape of a man; with an opening down the front, through which it was filled with little gods, or the family-gods of the old Chiefs, the points of spears, old slings, &c. of ancient warriors: it was laughable to see him take little gods, by the dozen, out of the great god; and hold them up to public view: he made some appropriate remarks on the great power of Jehovah, in turning that people from dumb idols; saying, that it was not by human strength: formerly, he observed, war must have ensued, and blood must have been shed, before the but these had been obtained without Evil Spirits would have been given up; either, by the power of God alone. Temauri then arose, and exhibited RooTEABU, an idol inferior to the former, and made some suitable remarks. Uaeva next exhibited all the FAMILY GODS, turning them first to one side, and then to the other, inviting every eye to behold them; and remarked on the superiority of this war to all the wars in which they had ever been engaged, ascribing the victory to Jesus, the Great Conqueror.

to meet with those who love Jesus Christ!

what me do-will Jesus Christ let me perish ?" Here he was so completely overwhelmed, as not to be able to say any more for a considerable time: then, quieting himself a little, he said, with much feeling, "Me never do noting good for Jesus, yet him die for sinners: O may be, him die for me."

Another, after relating how her mind had been first awakened to serious concern, and that a friend, to whom she had communicated her feelings, had advised her to pray, added, "She den go back, and bow down on her sinful knee, and tell God she no wish to keep on sin; but she no worthy to come, for she had done no good ting, but only eat sin, and drink sin, and peak sin, and tink sin, all her sinful life; and now, Massa,' she said, in great agony, and tears of disappointment, "sin no leave me yet, Massa."

A blind man came from the country, some miles, for the same purpose. He said, "Me live in country, Massa: me no peak so good as town negro, but mush praying people dere. Em tell me many tings, but me no hear good-em tell me pray-me try-me no like it-say it no do yet, me young man. Me feel some trouble: me come to town: den me hear de word preach: an, O Massa, him bite me mush. Me fever, me sick-headache; but me never have noting, no trouble like dat, Massa. Den me come again, den me eat it, an it sweet me mush-de word sweet mush." Had he known the language, he would probably have said, "My heart presumes I cannot lose, the relish all my days."

The following anecdote shews how highly these people value their religious privileges :

A Slave wished his Owner to give him permission to attend with God's people 66 No, I will to pray his answer was, rather sell you to any one who will buy you." "Will you," said he, "suffer me to buy myself free, if me can?" "If you do, you shall pay dearly for your freedom: as you are going to pray, 2501. is your price." The common price for a slave, if a good servant, is 1407. "Well, Massa, it a great deal of money, but me must pray: if God will help me, me will try and pay you!" He has been a long time working hard; and, at last, sold all himself and wife had, except his blanket, to purchase liberty to pray in public, or, in other words,

Of their eagerness to obtain Baptism, Mr. Coultart says―

I often feel it painful indeed to re fuse them immediate admission; but we wish to obtain the consent of their Owners, and to have as extensive a knowledge of their characters as possible, before we receive them. Some of them weep when they are told to stop a little longer, and say, "Massa, suppose dead take me, how me die, when me know dis my duty, an me no do it!" I. can only say, I wish to know that it is their duty, and then I shall not object.

He adds the following story:A Female Negro called on me, from a distance of fifty or sixty miles. Here she is, dressed in a clean little jacket, as they are called in Scotland, and such as servant girls wear there, without stockings or shoes, though in the last stage of pregnancy. She has come to hear some word about Jesus, she says; for she has seen no servant of God for eight long years. She looked at the Chapel that was building-she looked at me-and then wept, till she had no more power to weep.

When she recovered, she told me that she and her husband and small family were sold eight years ago to the person who owns her now, and her residence fixed on the same estate, where

66

nothing but badness is to be seendere me hear no good word-mé see no O Massa, me poor soul good work. quite perish him quite sick for de word." When she went first to the estate, her Owner asked her if she prayed. "Yes," was her reply. “Oh, that is bad," he said: " you will spoil all my Negroes. Your religion is a bad thing-you must not spread it here!" "O Massa," she replied, “religion no' a bad ting. If your Negro love God in him heart, him find someting else to do than tief your fowl and your suger: RELIGION A GOOD TING, WHEN NEGER HAB PLENTY OF IT."

In answer to some inquiries respecting the statements that are given by these Converts, when applying for the privileges of Christian Communion, Mr. Coultart