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THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS THAT OCCURRED DURING THE MISSION TO TAHITI.

The Duff set sail.

Arrived at Tahiti.

The Duff left Tahiti for a time.

Returned there.

Set sail for England.

Eleven Missionaries left Tahiti.

Mr. Lewis was disowned by his brethren.

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Mr. Broomhall left Tahiti.

The missionaries fortified their house.
Pomare I. died.

Six missionaries, with their wives and chil-
dren, left Tahiti for Huahine.

All the missionaries (except two) left Huahine for Port Jackson.

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One missionary returned to Eimeo.

The rest of the brethren arrived there in Pomare declared he was desirous to become a Christian.

1796. August 10.

1797. March 6.

1797. March. 1797. July. 1797. August. 1798. March.

1798. August.

1798. September.

1798. December.

1799. November.

1799. December.

1800. June.

1801. July.

1801. July.

1802. June.

1803. Sept.

1808. November.

1809. October.

1810. October. 1811.

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1812. July.

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The great battle of Bunaauai between the

christian and heathen natives was fought. 1815. Nov. 12.

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1817.

Mr. Ellis, Mr. Williams, and six other new
missionaries, arrived in Eimeo.
One missionary returned to Tahiti after
nine years' absence of the whole company. 1817.
The Gospel of Luke (the only book of the
Bible then translated) was printed in
Eimeo.

The first meeting of the Tahitian Missionary
Society was held.

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The Missionaries in Eimeo dispersed, and

settled in different islands.

Pomare II. was baptized.

Pomare III. was born.

Pomare II. died.

Aimata, the young king's sister, was mar

ried to the chief of Tahaa.

The parliament of Tahiti first met.

Pomare III. was crowned.

He died, and Aimata became queen.

Queen Pomare Vahine married the second

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1818.

1818. May.

1818.

1819. May.

1820. June.

1821. December.

1822. December. 1824. February.

1824. April.

1827. January.

1832. December.

1833.

Temperance Societies were first established. 1833. August.

A revival of religion took place in several

stations in Tahiti, and a reformation in all. 1835.

The whole Bible was printed in the

Tahitian language.

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THE missionaries have given English names to most of the stations. The native name is generally the name of the district.

TAHITI.

*Ma-ta-vai, or Waugh Town.

Pa-pa-o, Hankey City in
Pa-re.

Pa-pe-e-te, Wilks' Harbour.

Bu-na-a-u-ai, Burder's Point
in Atehuru.

Pa-pa-ra, Haweis Town.
Ma-ta-o-ai, Bogue Town.
Te-i-a-re-i, Roby Town.

Here the missionaries first landed, and here was the principal harbour.

Here the Royal Mission Chapel was built, Pomare II. was buried, and the royal family resided chiefly after the establishment of Christianity.

This is now the principal harbour.

Here the war took place between the christian and heathen natives in 1815. Here Mr. Bicknell and Mr. Tessier died.

Here the rebel chiefs resided near Mr. Orsmond in 1833.

EIMEO.

Pa-pe-to-ai, Blest Town.

A-fa-re-ai-tu, Griffin's Town.

Here the missionaries resided
several years after they fled
from Tahiti. The South Sea
Academy has been removed
to this spot.

Here Mr. Ellis printed the
Gospel of Luke.

The vowels are pronounced in the following manner.

a is pronounced like the French a.

e

i

u

ai

the French e.

the French i.

the English dipthong oo.

the English i.

A SHORT ACCOUNT OF TAHITI, AND THE NEIGHBOURING ISLANDS.

THERE are two clusters of islands.

Those to the east (or the Windward Islands) are called the Georgian Islands.

Those to the west (or the Leeward) are called the Society Islands.

Climate. The heat is as great all the year round, as in the hot days of July in England. The thermometer varies in the shade, at noon, from seventy-eight to eighty-four degrees. There are, however, always refreshing sea-breezes.

The rainy season generally occurs in January, February, and March; but there are heavy showers at all seasons, and sometimes there are

terrible

hurricanes, which destroy both trees and houses.

TAHITI.

Tahiti is divided into two parts.

The smallest part is called Tai-a-ra-bu.

The narrow piece of land (or the isthmus) which joins these two parts, is only one mile and a half

432 A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE ISLANDS.

across, and is very low, and flat: so that it is supposed, that the two parts of Tahiti were once separate islands, and that the earth, which was washed down the mountains by the rains, and streams, has at length filled up the space between.

Both parts of the island are full of high mountains. They are clothed with grass and trees to their very tops, and become more verdant the higher you climb. The highest mountain, Orofena, whose top is hid in the clouds, is about seven thousand feet high. There are no mountains so high in any of the other islands.

There are many long fruitful valleys in Tahiti, and there is also much low land by the sea-shore; but in the lower part of Taiarabu the high rocks are quite close to the shore. Taiarabu is wilder than the other part, and is even more thickly covered with groves.

There is a very curious lake amongst the mountains, filled with water from the streams that pour into the valley. It is about a mile round, and would be more beautiful than it is, if the water were not green and muddy. None can reach it, but those who are not afraid to creep along the edge of precipices, and they are rewarded for their toil by the silence, and beauty of this solitary spot.

The reefs of coral, that surround most of the islands, are walls beneath the ocean's brim, formed by little insects, who work underneath the water. The water between these reefs and the shore is smooth, and is called the lagoon. There are generally some openings in the reefs, through which boats, or even ships, can pass.

There are many little coral islands near the large

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