THE latest published communications, of a special nature, respecting the mission at Tauai, may be found at pp. 122 and 382 of vol. xxi; the former describing the civil commotions, which happened in the early part of 1824; the latter exhibiting the island, in the summer of 1825, as under a pious and judicious government, and the mission as in successful operation.

Kaikioeva* was then governor: as he was during the period embraced by the following journal. He had built a church 30 feet by 90, and had declared his intention of establishing schools in every part of the island.

The commencement of the journal will show, that the church had not been erected in vain; and the progress of the journal,- || which relates chiefly to a tour performed by Mr. Whitney and the governor around the island,--will evince, that the enterprising and zealous ruler, with the aid of the missionaries, had succeeded in giving to his subjects generally, the means of elementary instruction. The reader will remark, with pleasure and surprise, the amiable vivacity and energy of this aged chieftain, who has so recently emerged from an idolatrous barbarism.

Attendance on Preaching.

April 2, 1826. Every Sabbath brings evidence of increasing attention to the word of God. Our large church was so completely filled, that it was not without difficulty I could force a passage through the crowd to the pulpit. Hundreds were obliged to remain without, and many, I fear, returned as ignorant of my message, as they were when they came. The attentive look, the falling tear, and deep solemnity, wrought much upon my sensibility. With an awful view of myself and people, as in the presence of the Judge and Saviour of the world, I was permitted to speak with unusual freedom.

This man has frequently been mentioned as guardian to Kauikcouli, the young prince.-Ed.

3. After Monthly Concert, I attended a weekly conference, held for the purpose of questioning the people as to their recollections of the sermons preached on the preceding Wednesday and on the Sabbath. It was not a little gratifying, to hear some of them repeat not only the text, but the divisions, and a considerable part of the body, of the discourse. With pleasure I review these weekly conferences with my people, as affording some of the happiest moments of my life.

5. A young man called this evening, to tell me (as he said) his thoughts. He said, "I am a sinner, and am in great fear. I, have been wicked. I see it now. You told me to forsake my sins, and love God; but I did not care then; now I feel." I gave him the necessary directions, and he retired with the resolution to serve God in his youth. I trust he is not far from the kingdom of heaven. Inquiries on the subject of religion are made daily, and almost hourly; but alas! too few of the inquirers exhibit genuine repentance. 6. Rode out this morning for the benefit of my health, which, I sometimes think, is beginning to suffer. Passing a little cluster of houses, I saw a number of natives collected, and among them a venerable looking old woman, whom they called grandmother. I left my horse, and went to her, but soon perceived she was blind. "It is the white man," said a by-stander, "give him your hand." I seated myself by her side, and said, "You are very old." "Yes," she replied, "I am old, and worn out. My children are dead, and many of my grandchildren. My great grandchildren are numerous, and some of them are with me. lived to see five kings of this island; they are all gone: I am left. When I was young, people were much more numerous than they are now; but they I inquired how she had escaped during have died ignorant, and I am like them." the late war. "My friends," she replied, "led me to the mountains, and left me in a bush, where I lived five days without food. Then they led me home, and still keep me, a poor, blind old creature." I then gave her religious instruction, which seemed, however, to have but little effect upon her: but some of the young people followed me a considerable distance with their inquiries.

Address of the Governor.

I have

12. An unusual number attended the lecture to-day, many more than could get into the house. The governor sent word to me, that he wished to address

them, which he did in a manner tender and pathetic.

The old man (probably not far from seventy,) rose, leaning on his staff, and said, "Brethren, friends, chiefs, and people, listen. I have a thought for you. I am about to go round the island, with our teacher, to instruct our ignorant friends in the word of God. Some of you will go with me; others will stay here; but whether you stay, or go, be strong in the good word. It is indeed good. I am glad that I have heard it. Let all of us attend to it with our hearts. You must encourage me, and I will encourage you. Pray for me, and I will pray for you; and when we meet again in this house, we will bless God for his goodness. Be strong."

This venerable chief seems to have no higher ambition, than to be useful; and we feel it to be a great blessing to have his influence on our side.

Tour around the Island.

It is not easy to divide the journal kept during this tour, so as to indicate the subjects of principal interest. Such as are fond of observing life and manners, as they appear among a people who are just beginning to feel the elevating and expanding influence of Christianity, will find here a variety of incidents well deserving their attention.

19. Left my family at an early hour,to accompany the chief and suit in the tour of the island. As he had left Waimea some days ago, I passed several villages without stopping, and found him at Toloa, about 15 miles from Waimea.

The people of this place were collected in front of the house, where the old chief lodged, in order to hear his instructions. With much propriety he addressed them from the words, "Jehovah is the true God; he is the living God, the everlasting King. This God is our God forever and ever." After he had spoken about forty minutes, exposing the foolish superstitions of past years, and recommending the religion of Jehovah, he put these questions to them;-"Do you think with me? Will you forsake your old ways? Will you keep the Lord's day? Will you not steal? Will you not commit adultery? Will you not kill?" To all of these inquiries appropriate answers were given by every one present. He then said,"This is right. Return to your houses, and eat, and in the cool of the day come again, and hear what our teacher has to say." He then prayed, affection

ately commending the people who were present, and all the chiefs and people of this and the other islands, together with their teachers, to God. After a long ceremony of shaking hands with men, women, and children, they retired. In the evening I found_delightful employment in preaching from the words, "The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost."

The next morning the company proceeded, and is thus described by Mr. Whitney.

Our company consisted of more than a hundred persons of all ranks. The wife of the chief, with her train of female attendants, went before. The governor, seated on a large white mule, with a Spaniard to lead him, and myself by his side, followed next. A large company of aipupu, or cooks, attendants, &c. came on in the rear.-The road being rough, and the chief having never mounted a horse before he set out on this tour, he was obliged to dismount several times, for fear of being thrown.

We passed over a mound of sand, white with human bones. I asked whether they were slain in battle; and was informed that this was the place for burying the dead, and that the wind had blown the sand away from the bones. "But why," said I, "is this ground chosen?" "Because it is soft, and the people are lazy," was the reply.

We arrived at Mahaulipu, about 10 o'clock. The people had assembled, and were waiting for us, and the chief addressed them in much the same manner as yesterday. In the afternoon they met again to hear me, but I was too ill to preach, or even to sit up; and the chief addressed them again, and prayed with them.

21. Went in a canoe to Tipu, where I preached. As the road from Tipu to Huleia passes over a rugged cliff, we proceeded to that place also, in the canoe. Towards evening the people collected in multitudes to hear us. The chief occupying much time in his exhortations, I did not preach, but requested the people to come in the morning.

In the evening, the governor's wife said to me, privately, "What do you think of the chief's talk?" I replied, that it was very good. "But don't he say too much about Kauikeouli, (the king,) and not enough about Jesus?" "I wish,' continued she, "that he should say more about Jesus on the cross."

22. Soon after sunrise, I addressed a large company from the words, "Look

unto me, all ye ends of the earth." | Every eye was fixed, and almost every mouth was open, as if to catch the word as it fell from my lips. It is an unspeakable pleasure to preach to such a congregation. After service, I could hardly get away from them, every one seeming determined to shake hands with the stranger.

Rode past two little villages, whose inhabitants had not returned from the meeting mentioned above. About noon, arrived at Hanamaulu. Sun very oppressive.

Was introduced to a man, who was formerly employed by the chiefs to procure human victims for their sacrifices. The manner of his catching them was, to leap upon them in an unguarded moment, and break their bones, in which art he was so expert, as to leave but few to escape. Another old man sitting by said to me he had been debelo, that is, the devil, meaning, that he had been engaged in the devil's service. He had been a sorcerer and a dancing-master "But," said I, "have you done with debelo now?" "No, not entirely; here is some of it;" pointing me to a finger nail, which he had never cut, and which was at least an inch and a half long, a relic of superstition. I said to him, "You are now old and gray headed; you had better leave the devil's service; and engage with a new master." The old man hung down his head, and said, "Yes, I have begun to pray, and perhaps I shall be good by and by."

23. Sabbath. Very rainy; but the people came in from the neighboring villages, to attend service. Our house, a large one, was quite full.

In the evening I said to the governor's wife, "I am quite tired of your smoking. She pleasantly asked, "Is it forbidden in the Scriptures?" I told her it was not, but that all of them made it a sin by using it to excess. With a good-natured laugh, she said, "Here is my pipe; I will smoke no more." Her example was soon followed by several others, together with the governor himself.

Had a very pleasant hour with the governor, conversing on the subject mentioned on the 21st, [speaking of the king, more frequently than of Jesus Christ.] With the simplicity of a child, and the earnestness of a scholar, he is ready to listen to every word of instruction.

24. The next village in our course was Wairua. Here we were not a little disappointed at seeing so few people. The schoolmaster, a worthy native, says he meets with much oppo

VOL. XXIII.

sition, owing to the influence of the head-man of the place.

25. The schoolmaster followed me some distance, inquiring with tears, after the best means of securing the friendship of the people, and doing them good. He appeared to feel his own deficiency, and to rely on the only adequate source of strength.

The governor and company had passed on to the next village, where they were met by all the inhabitants, with their calabashes of poe, baked hogs, fish, potatoes, &c. in abundance.

We stopped a short time to examine the school, and requested the people to follow us to the next village, to which they very readily consented. Here the governor talked a long time, in a hot sun. In the cool of the day, they again assembled, and I preached to them. The multitude were very attentive; but all at once their attention was diverted by my cook, who jumped up from one end of the crowd, and began to cut up his wood for the tea-kettle. I gave him a reproving look, when he immediately threw down his axe, and all were silent. On reprimanding him afterwards he said, "I am ashamed, but I thought it was night, and that you were hungry: I did not mean to disturb the company.'

وو

In the evening, several called, who appeared truly desirous to come to the Saviour. I shall never forget the trembling anxiety, with which some of them said, "We have dark hearts; tell us what we must do."

26. Many of the people collected to give us their parting aroha. The head man, his wife, and several of the people accompanied us to the next village, Ania. As the sun was passing behind the western hills, the horn blew for worship. Never did I enjoy a more precious season, while dispensing the word of life. Never did a starving man appear more anxious to gratify his appetite, than did my audience to understand what they heard. In the evening our house was thronged with the multitude, inquiring, "What do these things mean?" At length I said to them, "You must go, it is time to rest." They went, but many stopped without the house, and at intervals, through the night, I heard them conversing on what they had heard.

At this place, a native youth, educated in my family, by the name of Eli Smith, has a fine school of upwards of sixty scholars. He exerts a good influence in the village.

27. Entered the district of Kalau, and put up for the day at Anahola. Here the people had collected from all

24

under some large trees, one of whose branches required us to stoop a little as we went under. At the moment of passing, the chief's mule turned off to the left, where the limb was still lower, and brought him upon his back, but the || faithful Spaniard caught him, and prevented his coming to the ground.Preached in two villages, and after passing several deep ravines, arrived, much fatigued, at Hanana.

30. Sabbath. At an early hour, the horn blew for worship, and the people were seen flocking in all directions to listen to the word of life; although the || chief of this place has ever shewn much dissatisfaction with the new state of things. I preached from the text, "Unto you is the word of this salvation sent."

(To be continued.)

Southern Endia.

PALAMCOTTAH.

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

In the last number of this work, p. 155, some account was given of the character and influence of the Seminary at Palamcottah for the education of native youths. Some additional extracts will be inserted here from the same journal, showing the progress of Christianity in that town, and the district around it.

The success of missionary efforts in this part of India has been great. In 1823 the attention to religious instruction increased; and in August of that year, eight persons, who had for several years been impressed with the truth of the Gospel, had forsaken idolatry, been instructed in Christianity, and suffered many cruelties from their heathen neighbors, were baptized.

In October of the same year, people came from a village afterwards called Arooloor, begging to be instructed in Christianity, as they found no satisfaction in heathenism. A brahmin, who owned the village, gave them ground on which to build a chapel, and Christian instruction was furnished. In December, David, a Christian native, went to Satangkoolam to preach and read Tracts, and 21 families decided to embrace Christianity. Great persecution was suffered, but many families continued to re

nounce idolatry, and to desire to hear the word of God, and become Christians, whatever might befal them. Earnest requests for Christian instruction continued to be sent to the missionaries from neighboring villages, until they, unable to attend to the instruction of so many themselves, were obliged to select some of the most pious young men in their Seminary to go and teach the word of God. These went forth, and found a ready reception, and great willingness to hear and learn among all. They also visited the most famous places of idolatry during the heathen feasts,-discoursing, and reading, and distributing Tracts and Gospels to vast crowds, many of whom expressed themselves much pleased at the new light which they received by these instructions.

In about three months from the time when our young men were sent out thus,-the missionaries say,-the villages in which new congregations had arisen, were no less than ninety; and they have now (in September 1825,) increased to one hundred and twenty-five; in these villages more than a thousand families are under Christian instruction.

The following causes may have operated, under the blessing of God, to bring about this change in the minds of the people

1. The preaching of the Gospel by ourselves and our native assistants. 2. The distribution of Tracts. 3. The intercourse of the heathen with our new congregations, and with the native Christians of the Tanjore mission; who were formerly 10,000, though reduced, from various causes, in the last fifteen years, to less

than half that number. 4. The attention paid to the grievances of the Christians. 5. The liberation of the people from various burdensome labors which they had to perform at the idolatrous festivals.

Under the sufferings of which I have spoken, our people were, from the beginning, exhorted to exercise patience and forbearance toward their enemies, as it becomes professors of Christianity; and I must say that they have endured much. Though, in cases where application for redress seemed necessary to the maintenance of public peace and justice, they received relief; yet, in the meanwhile, they endured beatings, spoliation, and wanton imprisonments, with a steadfastness which cannot but ascribe to a reality in their Christian profession.

The Readiness of the Natives to renounce
Idolatry.

The following extracts, taken from the journals of Messrs. Rhenius and Schmid, show how the light of the Gospel diffused among the natives has operated to destroy all reliance on their idolatrous rites, and to create in them a disgust for their foolish superstitions. They see that all the ceremonies and doctrines of paganism are unmeaning and without effect; and they often say to the missionaries, that they are tired of having no religion," that they "are ignorant;-they have been so long like beasts; but they now wish to be instructed in the knowledge of the living God."

Two men came from Pooliyoorkooritchy, near Nanganchery, requesting, in the name of 26 families, to be received into the Christian church. On inquiry, they said, that they had trusted in idols and devils, and lived in lies and deceit; but that they had seen no advantage from it: they were, after all, miserable; and therefore, wished to know and serve God. They had first become acquainted with these things some months ago, when they heard our young men read Tracts in the street along our compound; and they afterward had conversation with our people in their neighborhood on the subject. After all the searching which have made into their views and designs, I cannot but say, at present, that they are sincere: their answers to my inquiries were very pleasing. One of the men had still his amulet on his arm: during our conversation I adverted to it, asking him whether he still placed confidence in such things. He assured me that all such confidence had vanished from his mind, and that he wished only to trust in the living God. His companion instantly broke the string, and the man himself delivered the whole into my hands. This amulet had been ten years upon his arm. Thus the Redeemer's kingdom is enlarging, from day to day; the word of the Lord is spreading; and the Tracts are being read all over the country.

Some of the people of Kovindapaty, a shanar village near the mountains, brought me to their former temple of Peroomal, which

they have converted into a place of Christian worship. The stony idol was cast out, and lying outside, to be worshipped no more. What a sight!-an idol, which several generations have worshipped as God, now cast out as a thing for nought! "We have so long," said they, "worshipped this stone, from ignorance; but we see now that it was vanity and sin." I asked whether they were not afraid, when they tore it out of the ground. "No," said they: "why should we be afraid? If it were God, it would have reproved us when we cast it out; but it is only a stone taken from yonder mountains: No; we wish to learn the way of the living God, and to serve Him," My palanquin boys were astonished at the sight; and I trust have received fresh excitement to forsake their idols at Palamcottah too. I blessed God for the fulfilment of his promises. In the evening, the little place was filled with men and women, both from this village and from two neighboring hamlets: I preached to them till late. There are a few other smaller temples here, which they intend to break down to-morrow. The head shanar here has been long the principal servant of the devil in this place, but is now the foremost in destroying his works. The temple, in which I now sit, is comparatively small, and with a Palmyra-leaf roof: but the Lord of heaven and earth manifests his presence to us here.

On the next day Mr. Rhenius writes,-

Breakfast being finished, the head-man requested me to witness the destruction of another temple of his: so we went into the village. Outside of his compound there was a small Ammen temple, which was already in ruins; but there were still the baskets, with the rings, the corals, the cap, &c. which the devotees of Ammen used to wear at their idolatrous feasts. All these things they collected together, broke the rings with their feet, and then put the whole into a fire kindled for the purpose. We then went into the head-man's compound, where he had a small temple of Dharma Rajah, built by his forefathers. Having declared that he was perfectly convinced of the folly and wickedness of idolatrous worship, he laid first his hands upon the roof, and pulled off a piece, and then the rest destroyed it altogether. There are still a few more temples here and in the forementioned villages; but, on these, the inhabitants, who still remain heathens, have a claim; those temples they did not touch; and I advised them to let them alone, until they all should turn unto the living God.

The people having thus destroyed, of their own accord, these abominations, we assembled together, to give thanks unto the Lord, and to devote ourselves unto Him. On this occasion, I informed them more particularly, of the manner in which sin and all trouble came into the world, and in which the Lord has saved us from sin. The dedication of our souls and bodies to the living God, in Christ Jesus, was solemn. They afterward signed a paper, declaring the reality of their intention to serve Him. They were glad at all they did; and at the prospect of being now more fully instructed in the things pertaining to God and Christ Jesus. There are, in all these three villages,