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On the twentieth of January, shortly after our return from Borabora, his Majesty's ship Dauntless, commanded by Captain G. C. Gambier, touched at Huahine. We were happy to introduce the commander of the Dauntless, Capt. R. Elliot, and the officers of the vessel, to the governor and chiefs of the island, and to welcome them to our humble dwellings, as well as to experience their hospitality on board. The recollection of the polite and kind attentions of Captain Gambier, Captain Elliot, and other gentlemen of the ship, is still grateful to the Missionaries and the inhabitants of Huahine.

In a week or two after the departure of the Dauntless, the colonial government-cutter Mermaid arrived in Fare harbour, on her way to the Sandwich Islands, with a small schooner, the Prince Regent, as a present from the British government to the king of those islands. The captain intimated his intention of touching at the Marquesas on his return from Hawaii, and politely offered a passage to any of us who might be desirous of visiting these islands. We had long been anxious to attempt the establishment of Christianity among the inhabitants of the former, and as the present appeared a favourable opportunity, we communicated the same to the deputation, and it appeared to them desirable to visit these places.

It was on the 18th of February, that the deputation informed the captain of their acceptance of his offer, and also requested Mr. Barff and myself to arrange as to which of us would accompany the teachers, whom it was proposed to send. This having been fixed, we sent a letter to one of the deacons, requesting him to invite

the members of the church, and those who were baptized, to assemble in the place of worship in the evening. When they were convened, we met them, and after singing, and imploring in prayer the Divine guidance, I acquainted them with the object of our meeting-the opportunity afforded for sending two of our number to the Marquesas, on board the ship in harbour,and interrogated them as to whether we should do so or not. Hautia the governor, Auna, Taua, Pato, and Utu, all persons of influence among those assembled, expressed their joy at the proposal, and the whole lifted up their hands to signify their assent. I then said, "Whom shall we send ?" and mentioned the name of Matatore, one of the deacons of the church, a man in the prime of life, and one of the most sensible and useful men in the station, asking the members of the church if they thought he and his wife suitable persons. An answer was returned in the affirmative, and the hands of the assembly were lifted up. They were both present, and I asked them if it was agreeable to them to go. They both answered before the whole congregation, "Yes, it is agreeable." Mr. Barff then addressed them, and mentioned Tiori, a valuable teacher in one of our schools; but some of the members objected, because he was an unmarried man. Mr. Barff next proposed Puna, but the same objection was urged. He then named Auna. The church immediately replied, "It is agreed." Auna was then asked if it was agreed to by himself; he immediately replied, "It has been agreed to long ago." We had often talked on the subject two years before this, in an interesting conversation, which I held with Auna,

he said he was exceedingly desirous to go as a Missionary to some of the islands around; stating, that their inhabitants frequently appeared to his mind like persons standing on the verge of a precipice over a chasm, falling backwards into it, but stretching out their hands as they fell, and calling for assistance.

After the assembly had testified its approbation of the two men and their wives, who had been proposed, and had expressed their readiness to go, Mr. Tyerman addressed the persons present, expressing the pleasure he experienced at their decision, and offering them suitable encouragement. Mr. Barff interpreted his speech, Mr. Bennet also tendered them his congratulations, and exhorted them to vigilance. When I had interpreted his address, the meeting was closed with prayer.

On the evening of the 21st, we again assembled in the chapel. Mr. Bourne, who had arrived on the preceding day, commenced the services by prayer, and addressed the people on the duty and advantages of sending out teachers of Christianity. I then inquired, of those who had been selected, the grounds of their readiness to engage in the enterprise, and the manner in which they desired and designed to prosecute their work. Auna replied, "From a sense of the love of God, and his goodness, and a regard to the direction, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."" His companion said, Our desire is to engage in this work with humbleness of mind, with prayer, with gentleness and dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ." Mr. Barff then offered up a prayer at their designation, and afterwards exhibited the nature and duties of their office, in an address from, Behold, I send you forth as lambs in the

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midst of wolves,' "* and concluded the service in the usual manner.

The arrangements for the voyage being completed, we assembled at the chapel about ten o'clock on the forenoon of the 25th 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 also bade them farewell. The meeting was peculiarly impressive and affecting; and, after mutually committing each other, under deep intensity 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

*Matt. x. 16.

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 spread 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 statement 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 close 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 details of the first voyage to Hawaii, and some account of our proceedings there, will be given in the succeeding volume.

The Active, a small schooner, commanded by Captain Charlton, arriving at Huahine soon after,

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