RESIDENCE OF THE KOYAL FAMILY. 353

rect in her conduct, and more amiable in her manners, than the child's mother.

The king's usual abode was at Papao, near the Royal Mission Chapel, and the tomb of Pomare.

The child's mother, the queen, also lived near her husband's tomb-not in the same house as her child, but in a large native house, in which she was surrounded by a great number of chiefs and servants.

Her conduct did not give much satisfaction to the missionaries; for she chose to be tattooed, though tattooing was a custom forbidden by the laws, because it led to a great many evil practices.

Mr. Nott came over every Sunday from Matavai, to preach in the Royal Mission Chapel, which was only four miles off; and he promised to come and live near it, as soon as a house was built for him, and to undertake the education of the little king.

Pomare Vahine often took the child to another house belonging to her, near Mr. Crook at Papeete. The little king was very fond of Mr. Crook's family, which consisted of nine children, and with whom he had been a great deal ever since he was born. From being so much with them, he soon began to speak English. He also appeared to like

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REMAINING SUPERSTITION.

English people better than natives, and to prefer their food and all their ways. The missionaries were glad to observe this taste, because they hoped that, when he was older. he would delight in the things they would teach him, and hate all heathen customs. The late king Pomare had never cast off some of them; for instance, he never permitted a woman to eat in a house where he had been. The missionaries were sorry to perceive that the servants of the little king had some heathen ideas for once when the child touched with his foot some fruit that was lying on the ground, the servants said, "It must not be eaten, throw it away;" because they thought that the king, by touching it, had made it sacred. It is very long before a nation can get rid of superstition, and follow no rule but the word of God.

It was a very sad circumstance, that there was no place in all the converted islands, so wicked as that part of Tahiti, where the royal family resided. One reason of it might be, that many ships visited that neighbourhood; another was supposed to be, that the late king Pomare had been always attended by a train of the worst men in the island, who corrupted all around them by their bad example; for he had never made the resolution that King David

NEGLIGENT WORSHIPPERS.

355

has recorded in Psalm ci. ; "Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me."

The people who lived at Matavai, Papao, and Papetee, were less willing to come to school than others were, or to send their children there. It is true, they had family prayers, but many neglected secret prayer: they attended chapel in the morning, but many kept away in the afternoon, and a greater number failed to attend the week-day lecture. The people of Papeete were so ungrateful to Mr. Crook that they once endeavoured to get him banished from Tahiti, because they said he had spoken disrespectfully of the late king. This charge, however, was untrue; and afterwards the people were sorry for their conduct, and set about building a house for their faithful minister.

After this unpleasant account, it will be cheering to hear of some instances of piety in the natives of the neighbouring islands; and I rejoice to say that I can relate some delightful proofs of their love to God and man.

I have before spoken of the two gentlemen, who had been sent from England to observe the state of the islands of the South Seas. They travelled from island to island, and stayed at the houses of the missionaries in the different stations. While staying with Mr. Ellis in

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MR. ELLIS'S TEXT.

Huahine, they were present at a sermon on the text, "Israel slideth back, like a backsliding heifer; now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a large place." Mr. Ellis explained this difficult text, showing that it contained a warning to Israel not to forsake the Lord, like a heifer that would not draw the plough, and that it spoke of God's goodness to Israel in

CONVERSATION AFTER THE SERMON. 357

feeding them like a lamb in a large field; and then he entreated the people to attend to this exhortation.

After the sermon was ended, the travellers observed an earnest talking at one end of the chapel. They soon found that it was no idle conversation, but that the people were saying one to another, "O we hope that we shall not go back from the Lord! O how kind he has been to us in giving us so many blessings, and feeding us like lambs! Ought we not to serve him?" It was delightful to see people attend thus seriously to sermons, and apply them to themselves, instead of making remarks upon the preacher, or discoursing upon worldly things, as soon as the sermon was over. These people soon afterwards gave a proof of their readiness to serve the Lord, even to their own cost.

Many natives from the converted islands had already visited heathen islands; but none had yet gone so far as the Marquesas, which were a thousand miles off, and were inhabited by a very wild race. Mr. Crook had lived amongst them in his youth, and had been obliged to leave them in a year and a half. To these islands the missionaries were anxious to send two native teachers. An opportunity of conveying them occurred at this time, for a ship,