offered a passage to any of us who might be desirous of visiting these islands. We had long been anxious to introduce Christianity among the inhabitants of the former, and as the present appeared a favourable opportunity, we communicated the same to the deputation. It appeared to them desirable to visit these places, and the captain's offer was accepted. Our views were then made known to the members of the church, and we proposed to them to send some of their own number, to introduce the gospel to the Marquesians. They approved of the proposal, and a public meeting was held soon afterwards. The duty or desirableness of communicating Christian instruction to the heathens around, had been discussed before, both in public and private, and some had expressed their desires to engage in this work; two pious and intelligent men, with their wives, now offered to go, and, after being approved, they were appointed by the church to this important enterprise.

The arrangements for the voyage being completed, we assembled at the chapel about ten o'clock on the forenoon of the 24th of February; the native Christians were animated by kind and appropriate addresses from the church, and were affectionately encouraged by Mr. Barff and Mr. Orsmond, the latter being on a visit with us. The native Missionaries then took leave of their fellow Christians in a most solemn and impressive manner; and, as it had been arranged by Mr. Barff and myself that I should accompany them, to aid in the commencement of their labours, I addressed the people, and, recommending Mrs. Ellis and our dear children to their kind attentions under God, I took leave of them. The meeting was peculiarly impressive and affecting; and after mutually committing each other, under deep inten

sity of feeling, to the guidance and the keeping of the God of all our mercies, the whole congregation walked from the chapel to the sea-shore, where we exchanged our last salutations; the deputation, the two native Missionaries and their wives, five other natives and myself, now embarked, and the Mermaid stood out to sea.

The weather was on the whole pleasant, and we reached the Sandwich Islands in about a month after our departure from Huahine.

While supping at our table, on the night previous to our embarkation, the captain had, in answer to Mrs. Ellis's inquiries, assured her that he expected to return in three months; but seven months passed without any appearance of our vessel. In the mean time, a piratical ship touched at Huahine; some of the pirates absconded, and remained on shore. It was found that they knew something of our vessels; but as they refused to say what they knew, surmises arose, and reports were circulated that they had met us at sea, and either sunk our vessel or murdered the passengers. Such was the influence of this report when first circulated, that it was necessary to protect the deserters from the indignation of the populace. The whole of their statements was invested with a degree of mystery, which, together with the very protracted period of our absence, augmented the distress of Mrs. Ellis and our friends in Huahine. From this painful state of anxious uncertainty, they were however relieved by the appearance of the Mermaid off Fare harbour early in the month of October, and by our landing in health and safety in the evening of the same day. The pirates had fallen in with the schooner, which had been separated from us during the early part of the voyage; they by this means

heard of our destination, &c. and this partial information accounted for the vagueness of their reports. In the elose of the same month, the invitation I had received from the chiefs in the Sandwich Islands, and the American Missionaries, to remove thither, was submitted to the consideration of the Missionaries in the Leeward Islands, and they, with the deputation, were unanimous in opinion, that we ought to proceed to that important station by the earliest opportunity.

The Active, a small schooner, commanded by Captain Charlton, arriving at Huahine soon after, was engaged to convey us to the Sandwich Islands. While we were preparing for our departure, viz. in the month of December, 1822, a marriage took place between Pomare, the young chief of Tahaa, and Aimata, the only daughter of the late king of Tahiti. The parties met at Huahine, which was midway between the residence of the families to which they respectively belonged. Young Pomare had received his name, as a mark of special favour from the king of Tahiti.

More than a week before his intended bride arrived from Tahiti, Pomare sailed from Tahaa, and landed at Fare, where he was entertained with the attention and respect suited to his rank and prospects, by the chiefs of Huahine. It was not, however, at that time supposed that his consort would become the queen of Tahiti, as her brother, with whom her father had left the government, was then living.

In the month of December, Aimata, accompanied by her mother and aunt, arrived at Huahine, on board the Queen Charlotte, a brig belonging to the king. The afternoon of the day on which the vessel anchored was fixed on for her landing, and introduction to her future

husband. We walked down to the settlement, to witness the meeting of the youthful pair. A small open house, belonging to the governor, was the place appointed for their first interview. When we reached the spot, we beheld the young chieftain, who, for his age, was remarkably stout, dressed in full native costume, with a large purau, and a flowing tiputa; he wore, also, an English beaver hat. He was seated at one end of the building on an iri, or native seat, waiting with gravity of appearance the arrival of Aimata.

The

About a quarter of an hour after we had reached the place, two or three boats from the vessel rowed towards the shore. Several of the attendants of the young princess arrived in the first; and the queen and her sister, with the youthful Aimata, landed from the second. visitors were met on the beach by the governor of the island, and a number of chief women, who conducted Aimata to the house where Pomare and his friends were waiting. They entered, and, after greeting the friends present, took their seats near where the young chief was sitting.

Pomare continued motionless, neither rising to welcome his guests, nor uncovering his head. Aimata sat close by her mother's side, occasionally glancing at the individual who was to be her husband, and who sat like a statue before her.

This was the first time either Pomare or Aimata had seen each other, and the interview was certainly a singular one; for, after sitting together for about twenty minutes, the queen and her companions rose, and repaired to the house provided for their accommodation, and Pomare and his friends returned to their encampment. During the whole of the time they had been in

each other's company, they had not exchanged a single word.

Shortly after this meeting, they were publicly married, and afterwards removed to the island of Tahiti, which has ever since been their principal residence. Pomare was about sixteen years of age, and his consort but little, if any, younger. Since the death of her brother, which took place in 1827, she has been considered queen of Tahiti, Eimeo, &c., though the regency, appointed to govern the islands during the minority of the late king, still manages the political affairs, acting, however, in the name of Aimata, instead of that of her brother.

Pomare was very young when the inhabitants of his native island embraced Christianity; the first time we saw him was in 1819, when he appeared nine or ten years of age. His establishment, however, was at that time nearly as large as it has been since. He possessed

a number of houses in different parts of Raiatea and Tahaa, and was surrounded by a numerous train of attendants; one or two chiefs of rank and influence, acting as his guardians, usually accompanied his movements. During the early parts of his life, he was frequently carried about on men's shoulders, according to the ancient custom of the kings of the Society Islands. When the king of Tahiti embraced Christianity, this, with other practices connected with idolatry, was laid aside in the Windward Isles. It was occasionally adopted by the young chief of Tahaa, more, perhaps, to gratify the pride of some of his attendants, than to afford any satisfaction to his own mind. By him it has now been discontinued for a number of years, and young Pomare is probably the last Tahitian chieftain that will ever ride in state on the necks of his people.