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the lagoon, as far as an opening in the reef, and thence brought back again; the farce of fanatical prayers and lugubrious ceremonies being performed by the priests, over the corpse, on the water as well as on land. The royal remains were at length laid out to rot in state upon one of the platforms already described as the usual depositories of "the mighty dead."

Many of the sacrifices which were formerly offered by these Gentiles were, in their design at least, expiatory. When a subject had offended the king, and dreaded his vengeance, he fled into the mountains, or crossed to another shore, and did not dare to approach the sovereign till his wrath had been allayed by a peace-offering. This was generally done by some prudent relative, who watched the opportunity to take a good fat hog to his majesty, and say,—“ Let this pig reconcile you to such an one." According as that present was accepted or refused the culprit judged of his safety or peril if he appeared again in the presence of the king. When swine, fowls, fruits, and human victims were taken to the altars of their mercenary and vindictive divinities, it was frequently in atonement for some crime committed, or in anticipation of one meditated by the devout worshippers. A woman, intending to effect abortion during pregnancy (which was atrociously common), or to murder her offspring as soon as it should be born, presented herself, if possible, a day before the time, at the marae, with a rou maire-a sprig of sweet-scented fern-in her hand, which she threw down upon the sacred stones, saying, “I intend to give you a man to-morrow; do not be angry with me."

Marriages among the higher orders were often contracted in the following manner. A person who had a beautiful daughter brought her, while yet a child, to a chief, saying, with the utmost frankness, "Here is a wife for you!" If the great man liked the girl's appearance, he took her off her father's hands, and placed her with some trusty dependant, to be trained and fattened, like a calf for the slaughter, till she had attained a suitable age. When her master chose to take her for his wife, the betrothed and their friends met at the marae. The girl appeared there with a cord about her neck, supported by one of her nearest kin, and accompanied by a man holding some leaves of sweet-smelling fern in each of his hands, which he pressed on either side of his head, above the ears. When the procession reached the altar, these

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leaves were cast upon the ground. The priest, having muttered his prayers, took up one of the sprigs of fern, and, while each of the dead ancestors of the bride (so far back as they were remembered) was named, he doubled down or tore off one of the side leaflets. Then, while the names of her living relatives were mentioned in due order, one of the remaining leaflets was successively pointed out as the number of each. When that which represented the nearest in blood of those who were at hand occurred, that kinsman stepped forth, loosed the rope from the bride's neck, and delivered her to her husband. The friends on both sides then presented the couple with hogs, bundles of cloth, wooden dishes, canoes, &c., &c., according to their rank and ability. In less time than the honeymoon requires to fill and empty her horn, the chief probably grew weary of his spouse, and said to her, Atira (it is enough), haere e jo (go away). The woman was then abandoned, and what often became of her may be easily guessed. In this manner the great people took and put away as many wives as they pleased, or could get.

The priests of these islands were not confined to the exercise of their devotional functions; they were also warriors and statesmen, who acccompanied their kings both at the council-board and in the field-by sea as well as by land. On the water the priests carried their idol in a separate canoe; in which the image was sometimes placed on a high stool, sometimes laid down when immediate danger was apprehended, and sometimes held up in the hands of his bearer, during a battle. This sacred canoe always led the van of the rest, and the priests were accustomed to fight to the most desperate extremity in defence of their palladium, for while this was uncaptured the conflict might be maintained, but as soon as it was lost, the party to which it belonged would fight no more. The moment the god fell into the adversary's hands, his divinity forsook him, and so did his adherents. Panic-struck, they fled in all directions.

The superstition of these islanders was indeed interwoven with every thing that was done by them, whether national and on a large scale, or personal and domestic; from affairs the most important, to those that were least significant. Before a Tahitian would put off in his canoe from the beach, to go a fishing, he made a point to pray to his god for success. Was this the case with an ignorant, degraded, idolatrous race of barbarians, whose religion was as base as their

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deities were impotent? What excuse, then, will those offer, for their uniform disregard of God in all their ways, who profess the only true religion in the world, and yet exclude that religion from every thing they do?

Feb. 5. The last three days have been so tempestuous that we could do little more than hold our meetings, religious and social, within doors, and collect such points of information concerning the former practices of these people as we have recorded under the foregoing date. Yesterday evening about fifty natives came into Mr. Orsmond's house to hold a free conversation with us. Many exceedingly curious (and some very subtle) questions were asked, which showed comprehensive thought, acute reasoning, and fine moral feeling, to be no uncommon qualities of mind here, little as the higher intellectual powers have hitherto been brought into exercise. As to original capacity, we cannot doubt that the reclaimed savages, who are receiving instruction of every kind as little children, need not be ashamed to measure their standard with that of the bulk of mankind in civilized countries. We have often been astonished when we have visited their schools, and been assured-as in this island—. that not more than three or four persons knew so much as the letters of the alphabet eleven months ago—we say we have been astonished to find scores, both among adults and children, who can now read the New Testament with fluency and correctness; while the progress of intelligence keeps pace with the acquisitions of memory. At the conversation

meeting, yesterday evening, a man, who was sitting among the rest upon the floor, suddenly cried out, in great agitation of spirit, "What shall I do? I have continually before my eyes the likenesses of my children whom I killed in their infancy when I was a heathen. Wherever I go they meet me ; and I seem to see them as plainly as I did when I took them from my wife's arms, immediately after they were born, and destroyed them. I know not what to do!" Suitable repentance, and fruits meet for repentance in his future conduct, were, of course, earnestly and faithfully recommended to the self-accused and self-condemned sinner. He had been the murderer of four of his offspring, but was happily himself rescued from the service of him "who was a murderer from the beginning" in time to prevent him from laying violent hands on four more who have since been born to him, and 21 *

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RECENT CHANGE IN THE NATIVE LANGUAGE.

whom, we trust, he is now endeavoring to train up in the service of Him who came "not to destroy men's lives, but to save them." This afternoon, the weather being more favorable, we (Mr. Tyerman and Mr. Ellis) returned to Raiatea.

Feb. 6. The morning being fine, we embarked again in our boat for Huahine, but were obliged to put back before noon. Our conversation, while at sea, turned upon the language of these islanders. On inquiring whether the change from paganism to Christianity had been favorable to its improvement or otherwise, we were informed that, hitherto, it had made little difference, except in the vocabulary, by rendering obsolete many obscene terms which formerly were much employed, and naturalizing some words, such as Himeni, a Hymn, Sabati, the Sabbath, and scriptural names, as Jehova, and Jesus Christ, &c., necessary for Christian worship. The language, expurgated of the abominations above mentioned (which were necessarily associated with the worst possible taste), is becoming more delicate and refined, both in pronunciation and rhythm, in proportion as purer, nobler, and more graceful modes of thinking and speaking have naturally resulted from familiarity with worthier subjects for thought and speech, among the natives. The violent harangues to which war and danger formerly gave birth, and the bitter invectives which were wont to be uttered in the quarrels, jealousies, and recriminations of private life, are now-the former never, and the latter rarely, heard; yet the Tahitian tongue lacks neither nerve nor copiousness; nor are opportunities wanting to display all its excellencies on glorious themes and great occasions-as in courts of justice, national and religious assemblies, but especially on missionary anniversaries. And (which might hardly be expected) there is as much diversity of talent, among the untaught orators of these little islands of the west, as may be found among the leaders of the British senate; we make no invidious or absurd comparisons as to quantity. Their speeches, whether argumentative or declamatory, are seldom long. They feel much annoyed by a tedious talker, and when such a one gets up, they will say to each other, "Now we must look about for our patience." Though very careful not to wound, in public debate, the personal feelings of those to whom they are opposed, they can be sufficiently sarcastic in

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conversation. If asked, "Did you not like such a speaker?" "Oh, yes!” “And did you not like such a speech?" "Yes, to be sure; and we like the bleating of a billy-goat."

Feb. 7. It was not till evening that we were able to put to sea again, in the hope of reaching Huahine by rowing hard all night-that island lying thirty miles distant, and the surge being still greatly agitated by the recent long-prevailing high winds. We were on board sixteen persons, Europeans and natives, exposed in an open boat, with little provision in case of need, and the probability, were a hard gale to come on (which the lowering aspect of the heavens portended), of being driven we knew not whither on the limitless ocean. But, after a sufficient trial of faith and patience to make us feel ourselves wholly at the mercy of Him "who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters, who maketh the clouds his chariot, and walketh upon the wings of the wind," the moon arose, and the remainder of the night was serene above, and not uncomfortably turbulent below. At five o'clock in the morning we landed at Huahine; a number of the kind hearted people were standing on the shore, who welcomed our return with their joyful iaoraanas; these we heartily re-echoed, and added our hallelujahs to the Lord, who, amidst the perils of the deep, had delivered us from all our fears.

Feb. 8. At the afternoon meeting, in the chapel here, about fifty candidates for baptism underwent a final examination, previous to their reception by that rite into the church of believers. Thirteen of these were young men and women, who, being above the age of childhood when their parents had taken upon themselves Christian vows, refused to follow their example then, but who are now to be baptized on their own voluntary confession. The candidates this day examined have been nearly three years under preparatory instruction, as well as on their good behavior in the sight of all their countrymen; and, having given satisfactory evidence both of their knowledge of gospel-principles and their conformity to gospel-precepts, are to be admitted into full fellowship with the people of God in this place.

Feb. 9. Among the peculiarities of the Tahitian language is one which (so far as we are aware) has no parallel in any other. The numerals have what may be called the distinction of tense; the prefix A being the sign of the past and