he met with.

and if we had

Captain Cook shot several of us; provoked him further he would have

shot more of us.

his; yours is in

But your visit to us is not like

love to our souls." "In this manner," writes Daniel Wheeler," the time was occupied for the space of two hours, when a hymn was sung, and afterwards a short prayer made by one of the chiefs; when the company dispersed with as much order and quietness as the breaking up of a Friends' meeting in England. I could have said on the spot, 'It is good for us to be here,' for the love of the blessed Master flowed through my heart, and softened the creature as into clay fit for the potter's use."

On one occasion, when Charles Barff had invited Daniel Wheeler to tea, the latter expressed to him his fear lest the young women who came so freely on board the Henry Freeling, should take the same liberty on other vessels where it would not be so safe to do so. 66 "Yours," replied Charles Barff, "is called 'The Praying Ship,' which is the reason of their venturing on board as they do." To the great comfort of Daniel Wheeler, who con

"

sidered it as a singular interposition of Divine Providence," this kind missionary offered to accompany himself and son to Raiatea, Tahaa and Bolabola, for without the help of an interpreter no intercourse could have been had with the inhabitants. At nine o'clock a.m., "Tenth Month 30th," they sailed from Fare Harbour, Eimeo, and reached the first of these Islands the same

evening.

CHAPTER VI.

VISITS RAIATEA, IN THE SOCIETY ISLES, AND OAHU,

IN THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.

In thy palm-shadows, Oahu,

And Honolulu's silver bay,
Amidst Owhyhee's hills of blue,

And taro-plains of Tooboonai,

Are gentle hearts, which long shall be
Sad as our own as thought of thee,—
Worn sowers of Truth's holy seed,
Whose souls in weariness and need

Were strengthened and refreshed by thine.

For blessed by our Father's hand
Was thy deep love and tender care,
Thy ministry and fervent prayer,
Grateful as Eschol's clustered vine
To Israel in a weary land!

WHITTIER.

RAIATEA, the largest of the Society Islands,

was reached in safety after a passage of about four hours, and a kind welcome was given to the strangers by Judith Platt, the wife of the missionary, in the absence of her husband. “A considerable number of the natives," writes Daniel Wheeler, "with Tamatoa, the king, or

chief of the chiefs, with some of the governors of the island, soon made their appearance. All the seats in the room, which was large, were occupied, and many of the guests were seated on the floor. They came to greet us on our arrival, and bid us welcome." At the native meeting, held on the following Sabbath, a remarkable evidence of the presence of the Lord seemed graciously given, in which, after a profound silence following the reading of his certificates, the ambassador for Christ addressed the assembly "in the love of the everlasting Gospel." "This was the most attentive audience," proceeds the Journal," that I have yet stood before, as a spectacle: my heart was greatly enlarged, and utterance abundantly given me, far beyond what I can convey an idea of here; tending to turn the people more and more to the teachings of the Holy Spirit of the great, heavenly, and only true Teacher in their own hearts, which would tell them all things that ever they did, and by which they must be converted and born again, or they

could not enter the Kingdom of God. The solem

nizing power of Truth with which we were highly favoured, and of which I trust there were many sensible witnesses, reigned over all; under the covering of which the meeting broke up in great quiet and order. . Many of all ages and both sexes crowded round us to shake hands, in numbers beyond all practicability of ascertaining.”

The next islands visited were those of Tahaa and Bolabola, of the latter of which a sad account is told, the people having given themselves up to intoxication, converting even their bread-fruit into spirit by distillation. One of their principal chiefs had relapsed into idolatry and other abominable practices, and had taken a hostile position, carrying away many of the people with him. This party was invited by Daniel Wheeler to attend a meeting; and as the chief had objected to enter a meeting-house, the missionaries "took up their station under an immense tree, under the widespread branches of which several hundred persons could be sheltered from the scorching heat of the sun. The chief, at the head of a large banditti of females, first made his appearance, and on coming