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that the morrow is the sacred day, that they must not plant their gardens, build houses, make canoes, beat cloth, sell sandal wood, shoot birds, or follow any of their games or play, but go to the place of worship and hear the word of God! Few public criers have such commissions! We have very good congregations on the Sabbath days, and also on Wednesday evenings; frequently about one thousand attend, though not more than five hundred can be accommodated inside the chapel; but this is not perhaps one-fifth of the population of the village of Honoruru, where for several Sabbaths past we have had a meeting in the evening, either at the king's large house or in one of the public school-houses, which is in general well attended. Messrs. Bingham, Thurston, and myself, each share in the labours of preaching, which enables us to be more extensively useful; and we sometimes have preaching in two different places at the same time. The work of teaching goes

on pleasingly, though not so rapidly as we could wish.

The arri val of the missionaries from America will render very consideraable aid to this department of labour. Auna, whom we left here on our former visit, is actively engaged in teaching the people to read, and, together with his wife, exerts, we believe, a very favourable influence over the people at large. Taua, the native teacher we

have brought with us this time from Huahine, is, by the chiefs' request, attached to the king's mother and her connexions, to teach - them to read and write. The king's mother and her husband are chiefs of considerable influence, and are very friendly; we trust, Taua and his wife will be of great service to them. We receive almost daily applications for books; as the edition lately printed is found inadequate to the demands of the people, the brethren intend soon to print another edition, adding sixteen pages, which will render it a very useful little book.

"There are about sixteen merchants, including the American consul, who reside here constantly, to transact business with the natives and with the shipping that are continually arriving. Honoruru, possessing the most convenient harbour of any of the islands, is a place of very considerable commerce; sixteen large vessels have arrived during the short period that we have been here, most of them whalers, who put in for refreshments; among them are two English ships, viz. the Indispensable, Captain Brooks, and the Princess Mary, Captain Clark, both of London,

"The great population, and the very frequent arrivals of vessels, which generally want fresh supplies of provisions, firewood, &e, render those articles very dear. The common price for a hog is from six to ten dollars. Potatoes are about one and a half dollar per bushel; firewood, ten sticks per dollar, and other articles in proportion. A dollar a day is also the common price of 1 abour, though the natives sometimes work for less.

"A very considerable reinforcement of labourers is almost daily expected from America, among whom there will be perhaps five preachers; but it will be some time before they will be able to speak to the people; and even were they able to begin their la bours immediately on landing, the field is wider than they could occupy. The population is stated 150,000 in all the islands, probably it exceeds a hundred thousand, to all of whom a preacher has now free access; but to many, even when additional aid shall arrive, only occasional visits can be paid, and those probably at distant intervals.

"The prospects of usefulness here are very great and encouraging; the set time to favour this people seems indeed fully come. The indications that God is about to smile upon them in a remarkable manner are daily becoming more numerous and striking. The ear of the people seems given to the words of instruction. The balance with respect to all the people of authority and influence is decidedly turned in favour of Christianity. The united and continued prayers of the American churches in behalf of this people appear to have been most signally answered in the very pleasing attention which they pay to the outward means of grace. Let British churches unite their prayers with those that arise from the western shores of the Atlantic, and.I feel convinced that the grácious influences of the Holy Spirit will be poured out upon them, in all its mighty energies and operations. His holy influence alone seems wanting, in order to another nation's being, as it were, born in a day. May God in mercy stir up the churches, both of England and America, to united, fervent, special prayer, not only for this nation, but for every groupe and every solitary island upon the bosom of the vast Pacific, till they shall all become evangelized; till all shall rejoice in the pure rays of gospel truth, and bask in the beams of the Sun of Righteousness, which shall chase away the ignorance, darkness and cruelty, that now envelop their de

lightful abodes. I have since our arrival here, had several interviews with a native of the Marquesas (lately arrived from thence), with whom I could converse intelligibly. He informed me several Tahitians had occasionally visited them; that the chiefs and people were desirous missionaries should be sent to them, and that they would not molest them. It has long been a matter of deep regret to us all, that they should remain so long in the neighbourhood of the Society Islands, unvisited, degraded by idolatry and wretchedness, without a friendly guide to conduct them to the temporal and spiritual enjoyment of all those inestimable blessings which Christianity is calculated to impart."

The affectionate welcome of the American Missionaries to their fellow-labourer, is thus expressed :—

Honoruru, Feb. 19, 1823, "Dear brother Ellis,-Safely and seasonably arrived at this new missionary field, as the scene of your future labours in the gospel of our common Lord, you will permit us as your brethren to tender our sincere congratulations and affectionate welcome. We have with admiration witnessed some of those striking movements of Providence which led the way and brought you hither to unite your experience, your counsels, your prayers, your labours, and your influence with ours, in the great work of giving to this nation the inspired word of God, with ability to read it intelligibly, and leading them to the obedience of the truth as it is in Jesus; and we regard your arrival and settlement here as an important means of comfort and aid to us, and an accession of strength to the cause of missions here; and as one of the special tokens of God's mer ciful designs towards the benighted and degraded inhabitants of the Sandwich Islands.

"We have long ago opened our arms and our bosoms to receive you; we now gladly hail your arrival; and with unfeigned satisfaction and unreserved approval, as your brethren and fellow-labourers, embrace you as a minister of Christ, and as a missionary of his cross; and while we feel and cherish an ardent desire that we may ever be mutual helpers and comforters in the toils and trials of a missionary life, you will in all matters relative to the acquisition of the language, the translating and publishing of the Scriptures, recommending important measures to the government, devising and executing plans for urging forward the intel

lectual and moral improvement of this nation, allow us with spe cial confidence to rely on your experience and opinion, your counsels, and your aid. Fully persuaded as we are that no interest separate from, or opposite to, that which we seek in the sacred cause will ever be embraced in your designs, it shall be our steady aim to afford every facility in our power for the promotion of your most extended usefulness in these islands of the sea, whose salvation we would unitedly seek. 'Thine are we David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse, peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers, for thy God helpeth thee.'- 'Lift up thine eyes and look around on the fields, for they are white already to the harvest; and he that reapeth receiveth wages and gathereth fruit unto life eternal, that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.'

"We are, dear brother, very affectionately yours in the labour and fellowship of the Gospel, HIRAM BINGHAM, ASA THURSTON.

The King's letter.

Oahu, 31st March, 1823.

"Great affection to you dwelling together in Britain. These are my words to you, which I now make known.

"We have recently learned to read, and have become acquainted with it. We have respect unto God, and desire Jehovah for our God. We also regard Jesus Christ, as a Saviour for us, that our hearts [or thoughts] may be like yours.

"Ours is a land of dark hearts. Had you not compassionated us, even now we should be quite dark. But, no, you have compassionated us, and we are enlightened. We are praying unto God, and we are listening to the word of our salvation. We also keep the sacred day of Jehovah, the Sabbath, which is one good thing that we have obtained; one good thing that we have lately known to be a temporal good. Mr. Ellis is come here to this place, we desired his coming, we rejoice. He is teaching us that we may all be saved.

"Write ye unto me, that I may know what you write (or, your writing to me.) Pray ye also to God for us, that He would give salvation for us, that our bodies, (ways, actions, walk, conversation, &c.) may be made good, that our souls may be saved by Jesus Christ. Great affection for you all.

(Signed) TAMEHAMEHA, King of the Sandwich Islands."

Scientific Department.

GEOLOGY.

Our Scientific readers are aware that Professor Buckland has published an important and interesting volume, under the appropriate title of Reliquiæ Diluvianæ. It is principally a registry of facts. The deductions from them differ essentially from the views of Mr. Penn, in his able work formerly noticed; and on a future occasion we may be induced to examine their difference. We have pleasure however in observing, that the Professor is likewise an unaffected and sincere asserter of the authority of the Divine Records. Indeed the object of his whole volume is to confirm, beyond a possibility of doubt, the scriptural history of the Deluge. In addition to the phenomena observed in the various caves and fissures which he has examined, he gives the following classification of universally occurring facts which go to establish his grand general conclusion.

"1. The general shape and position of hills and valleys; the former having their sides and surfaces universally modified by the action of violent waters, and presenting often the same alternation of salient and retiring angles that marks the course of a common river: and the latter, in those cases which are called valleys of denudation, being attended with such phenomena as shew them to owe their existence entirely to excavation under the action of a flood of water.

“2. The almost universal confluence and successive inosculations of minor valleys with each other, and final termination of them all in some main trunk which conducts them to the sea; and the rare interruption of their courses by transverse barriers producing lakes.

"3. The occurrence of detached insulated masses of hori zontal strata, called outliers, at considerable distances from the beds of which they once evidently formed a continuous

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