Altogether twenty-five persons, counting the children, were to reside at Tahiti.

On March the 5th, after a voyage of seven months, they beheld at a great distance the high mountains of Tahiti. The next day, at seven o'clock in the morning, the ship was very near the shore; but as it was Sunday, the captain would not land immediately.

The natives of Tahiti saw the ship, and many, jumping into their canoes, soon reached it. About seventy-four canoes, some holding twenty people, surrounded the ship very early.

The captain tried to prevent the natives getting on deck, as he did not wish to have a crowd and confusion in his ship. But the natives easily climbed up the ship's side, for they were most active creatures, and expert climbers and swimmers.

SERVICE ON DECK.

6

As soon as they were in the ship, they began jumping, laughing, and shouting, to express their joy at the ship's arrival. They hoped to get a quantity of knives, and axes, and useful things-but knew not what heavenly blessings were going to be offered to them.

The missionaries looked at the savage creatures with eagerness, anxious to see what sort of people they were going to live amongst; and they did not much like their wild appearance, though pleased with their good-natured

manners.

The natives had brought a quantity of hogs and fruit with them, which they wished to sell to the ship's company for knives and other things; but no one would buy them, because it was Sunday. The missionaries tried to make the natives understand that it was the day of their God, who did not allow them to sell and buy upon it. After a short time most of the Tahitians went back in their canoes; but about forty remained on deck. Here the missionaries determined to have service. While they prayed, the natives watched them in silence. Then they sang a hymn to a charming tune, and while they were singing, the natives were so much enchanted with the sound, that they could hardly refrain from expressing their joy. The hymn begins thus:

10

THE TWO SWEDES.

O'er those gloomy hills of darkness,
Look, my soul, be still and gaze;
All the promises do travail

With a glorious day of grace!
Blessed Jubilee,

Let thy glorious morning dawn.

Afterwards Mr. Cover preached upon

is love."

The service was concluded by singing

"Praise God, from whom all blessings flow."

"God

Soon afterwards, two men arrived in a canoe. They were white men from Sweden: one had been shipwrecked, and the other left at Tahiti, a few years before. They were dressed like savages, and their names were Peter and Andrew. The missionaries were glad to see them, because they knew a little English as well as Tahitian: so that they could explain what the natives said, and also tell the missionaries many things about the islands. However, they turned out to be very wicked men for though they had been born in a christian land, they were even worse than the heathen.

Peter and Andrew, as well as about thirty of the natives, wished to sleep that night in the ship. The missionaries watched all night by turns, as they were afraid lest their visitors should do some harm. They remained, however, quiet.

Amongst the Tahitians was one old man that seemed to be looked up to by the rest as a great person. He was a high-priest to the idol gods. His name was Mane-mane. He was very anxious to make the captain his friend; because it was a custom in Tahiti to choose some person for a friend, and to make him presents, expecting that he would return the kindness when he could. Manemane wished to have the captain for his friend, because he thought he could get the most from him. At first Captain Wilson refused the honour: but Mane-mane was so anxious to have his wish, that he woke him at daylight to ask him again. Then the captain, knowing that he was soon going away, and afraid of affronting the priest, consented. Mane-mane was delighted, changed names with him, threw a piece of his cloth round the captain, and asked him for a gun. The captain said he had none to spare, but would give him some presents by-and-by.

As it was now Monday, the captain caused the ship to approach nearer to the shore. Most of the natives in the ship threw themselves into the sea, and swam like fish to land: others came from the shore, and brought hogs and fruit to sell: some of which were bought by the voyagers.

At one o'clock the ship's anchor was cast.

12 THE LANDING OF THE MISSONARIES.

It rained so hard that no one left the ship till four o'clock, when the captain, a few of the missionaries, Mane-mane, and the two Swedes, went in a boat to land. The people on shore received the Missionaries with delight, showing their joy as they had done before in the ship.

A chief (a lord of the Tahitians) showed the missionaries an empty house, which he said should be given to them. It was very large, (about a hundred feet long,) but it was not divided into rooms, and had no furniture.

The missionaries now saw what sort of a land they were going to live in. It was more beautiful and fruitful than they could have fancied: but to them it was like a desert, for it was a heathen land, in which no pleasant fruits of righteousness grew, but only the poisonous weeds of sin. But they hoped by their teaching, through God's Spirit, it would become like Eden, the garden of the Lord.

CHAPTER III.

1797, March.

WHAT THE MISSIONARIES DID DURING THE FIRST WEEK THEY SPENT AT TAHITI.

ON Monday evening the missionaries who had been on shore returned to the ship. Their