Matapo, Blindness. Of this, in the same population, there are three instances.

Bupa, a shivering fit; and ahu, a burning fit-are employed to express the symptoms of intermittent fevers, which are frequent here, especially during the rainy season. They sometimes assume the form of ague.

Matapoto, a spasmodic affection of the face. It discovers itself by a pain in the forehead, which, proceeding downward, successively affects the eye, the ear, and the neck: this is followed by lock-jaw, when the patient swoons outright, and, unless prompt relief be administered, speedily expires. The natives have a specific of some efficacy, which they immediately prepare, and force into the stomach by wrenching open the jaws. This malady, which is not uncommon, is most rife after long dry weather.

Tuabu, Hump-back. Two in a hundred have this unsightly encumbrance. It is induced by a fever, which leaves a tumour on the vertebral column. Children from four to five years of age are frequently thus afflicted. If the spine curves at a certain crisis of the complaint, the patient recovers; if not, he dies. Men are generally more distorted in this manner than

women.

Ofao, taviri, aati, and obu, are names given to different symptoms of bowel disorders, which, though often produced by the nature of their food, are seldom fatal.

Perioi, signifies a cripple; of these there are few.

Avachape, means bandy-legged; this deformity is also rare, though it is the universal practice to carry young children astride upon the hips.

Tena, a relic of that loathsome disease which is the scourge of licentiousness, and which was very destructive in these islands after its introduction by European visitors.

Tabu, Scrofula. The word tabu signifies a cut or scar. Many deeply-indented and disfigured faces and necks bear testimony to the prevalence of this ravager of strength and poisoner of health.

Oniho, a kind of small-pox, mild in its form, but leaving the skin pitted. It is infectious, attacks persons of all ages, and the same subject is liable to take it repeatedly.

Aropoabu, a disease of the neck, resembling the goitres of Switzerland. We have seen a few prodigious instances of these glandular swellings.

Feb. 13. Having some leisure at present, we transcribe from our memoranda occasional information on general subjects. We shall here enumerate the few quadrupeds which are found on these islands.

Buaa, the hog. We have formerly described the only native specimen which we have seen, (ugly, stunted, and small,) and mentioned also that the breed being now nearly extinct, the loss has been more than compensated to the people by the present race, which are a cross between the British and the former, with an intermixture of the Chinese; the first and the

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We

last having been introduced by Captain Cook and other early circumnavigators who touched here. These gluttonous animals, having abundance of nutritious food, thrive amazingly, and soon become fat enough for the slaughter. have seen some weighing twelve or thirteen score pounds. These swine are characterised by their deep flanks, flat bodies, and long tusks. Some of the boars, which run wild among the mountains, are very formidable if attacked and compelled to act on the defensive. When surrounded, they will rush through the ring of their antagonists, striking right and left, and with a single well-directed blow of their sharp tusks, rip the flesh of a man's leg from the bottom to the top, or even gore him in the body till the bowels drop out through the wound.

Uri, the dog. Commodore Wallis and Captain Cook found dogs here. They had long bodies and short legs like our terriers; but that pure breed is no longer seen, a nondescript tribe having sprung up in their stead from the introduction of "mongrel, puppy, whelp, and hound, and curs of low degree," by foreign vessels. They are generally very ill-looking creatures, lean, feeble, and diseased, as might be expected from the wretched fare on which they feed, the refuse of their owners' tables. Yet hydrophobia is unknown. There is no remembrance of a mad dog having ever been seen here, notwithstanding the torrid climate.

Iore, the rat. The native rat is much smaller and of a lighter colour than the English; but the Iore paapa, the foreign rat brought from shipboard is large, and has all the bad qualities of the worst European vermin.

Moo, the lizard. Reptiles of this species are very numerous; they are small, beautiful in colouring, and perfectly harmless.

These four are the only quadrupeds that were aboriginal here. The following have been introduced.

The horse, which the natives called buaa horo fenua, the hog that runs over the ground,— when they first saw with what fleetness he could traverse the beach on which he was landed as a present to Pomare. There is but that one of the kind here, which "roams over the plain" at his ease, having never been used for riding, yet he is perfectly gentle.

The cow, buaa toro. This useful animal was brought hither by the Missionaries, who have, here and at Eimeo, small but improving herds. They thrive well, breed early and fast, and give abundance of milk. The long grass, which they find every where, is excellent food for them, and they are subject to no particular diseases. Several have been killed, and the beef proved very good; but they are yet too few and precious to be made every-day food. The natives are very much afraid of them.

The sheep is called here buaa mamoe, the inoffensive hog. There are half a dozen of these animals on the islands, brought hither by the Missionaries, but they are lean, small, and ill-shapen. The climate is too hot, and they will probably never be kept to any advantage. • Buaa seems to be a generic name for a quadruped.

tion of our Saviour, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

This feast was given by the voluntary contributions of many persons, and designed, as we were informed, among other things, particularly to express their happiness in having us (the deputation) among them. One of the speakers said, in the fulness and simplicity of his heart, that he had been praying to the Lord not to let us go away, but keep us here as long as we lived. Feasts were formerly made in this manner by the taniau. The niau is a message of royal authority, issued sometimes to a single district, and sometimes throughout the whole island. The king's messenger in such case took one of the feather-like branches of the cocoa-nut tree upon his shoulder, or a bundle of the side leaves in his hand. Thus charged with his dispatches, he went from chief to chief, putting into the hands of each a piece of cocoa-leaf four or five inches in length, and delivering with it the royal commands. Each principal chief in like manner communicated the message to those in rank below him; these to raatiras; they to their inferiors; and the latter to the people at large. By this simple process the whole island was put in motion in the course of a few hours, all classes promptly contributing their quota of provisions towards the great entertainment, or towards carrying into effect the sovereign's wishes whatever they might be. Business done thus is called taniau, or by message. Whoever accepts the bit of cocoa-leaf offered by the messenger thereby signifies his compliance with the royal mandate. Whoever should refuse to accept it would run great risk of being banished to some remote island for his contumacy; disobedience under such circumstances being "constructive treason."

CHAPTER XVI.

Two vessels in the offing-Tarouarii-Projected visit to the Marquesas Islands-Auna, Matatore, and their wives, set apart as native missionaries to the Marquesas-Birth of Tarouarii's daughter-Two brigs-Embarkation for the Marquesas-Amphibious dexterity of the islanders-Nocturnal amenity of the sea-Cockroaches Towaihae bay, Sandwich Islands-Motley appearance of natives.

FEB. 16. Two vessels appeared in the offing at day-break. They proved to be the Mermaid, sixty-one tons burthen, Captain Kent, a small sloop, and the Prince Regent, Captain Brown, a schooner. The latter, seventy tons burthen, had been built at Port Jackson, was a neat copper-bottomed bark, carrying six guns, and was now on its way as a present from the King of England to the sovereign of Owhyhee (Hawaii), under the convoy of Captain Kent. In the course of the afternoon we went on board, and were very politely received by the captains of both vessels.

Feb. 17. We accompanied Mr. Ellis on a visit to Tarouarii, King Mahine's daughter-inlaw, who expects soon to be the mother of a posthumous child, which if spared to live, will be the future sovereign of Huahine; its de

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ceased father having been heir-presumptive to the reigning queen. We were surprised to find this great lady, on whom the hopes of the nation are placed, in a small shed about seven feet square, separated from a larger dwelling, for her special convenience on the august occasion of giving birth to a prince. She was reposing upon grass spread over the floor, and there was no other furniture in the apartment but a lamp made of cocoa-nut shell, glimmering with its faint beams upon the ground, and on the posts and rafters which formed the walls and roof, presenting to the eye their deep intersecting shadows, strongly contrasted with the flickering lines and spots of feeble light between. The queen of the island, Hautia, and Hautia Vahine, her father and mother, with another female, were her attendants. The shed stood within a few paces of the sea, and had been purposely chosen according to the approved custom, for the benefit of free air, and to afford her an opportunity as soon as she should be delivered, to plunge into the sea and there sit in the water for half an hour. This strange, and we might deem perilous practice, to a woman in such delicate circumstances, is common here; and we are assured, that in most instances it is the means of restoring strength and animation to the exhausted mother, who frequently goes about her ordinary household business an hour or two after she has come out of the purifying flood.

Feb. 21. During the last few days we have made an engagement with Captain Kent to carry Mr. Ellis, ourselves, and some native teachers (whom it has been determined by the church here to send thither) to the Marquesan Islands, about a thousand miles distant from these groups. This day was fixed for holding a full religious assembly, to set apart two natives willing and qualified to carry Christianity and civilization to the barbarous Marquesans, who are represented as the most ferocious savages in these seas. About twelve hundred persons assembled in the great chapel. After a suitable hymn and prayer, Hautia the regent was called to the chair. Several short addresses were then delivered to the people by the Missionaries and the Deputation, on the nature, importance, and difficulties of the proposed engagement; the labours, privations, and perils to which those who undertook it would be exposed; and the only reward to which they must look for such sacrifices the blessing of God upon themselves and the work of their hands, in their benevolent endeavours to communicate the benefits of the gospel of peace to aliens and enemies perishing for lack of instruction.

His

Our late travelling companion, Auna, a principal chief, formerly a leader among the Areois, and a priest of Hiro, the god of thieves, then stood up in the midst of the meeting. lofty stature and commanding presence, the sanctity of his regenerated character, and above all (so far as the eye was concerned) his countenance beaming with benignity and intelligence, filled every bosom with emotions of awe,

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delight, and expectation. He looked round with an air of unaccustomed anxiety and embarrassment, and at first-perhaps for the first time in his life-hesitated in the utterance of his sentiments on a public occasion. At length, with a noble modesty, he began "Mea maitai teie-It is a good thing that some of us should go from Huahine to carry the blessings of Christianity to those people who are yet lying in the same ignorance, wickedness, and misery, as we ourselves were but a few years ago. It is our duty, then, to take to the Marquesas that (parau maitai na te atua) good word of God which has been sent to us from (Beretane) Britain by the hands of Missionaries, and which has been made so great a blessing to us. I have, therefore, (parau iti) a little speech to make to the meeting, which is this:-if I and my wife might be so favoured as to be sent on this errand to the heathen at the Marquesas but, perhaps, we are not worthy; yet, if we could be thought suitable for this great and good work, both my wife and I would be very happy to be the bearers of the gospel to those wicked islanders."

When he had thus spoken he sat down, with the most affecting humility, waiting for the decision of the assembly. Hautia, the president, immediately rose, and said, "Auna is the mar to go!" Others exclaimed, "Auna is the man!" A chief then stood up, and observed, that he also had a little speech on the subject, which was, that Auna was not only the man to go, because he could himself both teach many things, and set the example of all he taught, but because Auna was "a two-handed man:" he had a good wife, Auna Vahine, who would help her husband in every pious work, and would also teach the women to read and to pray, to clothe themselves decently, to make their own dresses, plat straw bonnets, manage their families, and bring up their children in the right way. This being universally assented to, Auna and his wife were appointed-as it were by acclamation, so greatly was the meeting moved the first messengers from this church to their heathen neighbours; neighbours, in fact, though they dwelt a thousand miles off, and neighbours in the language of the gospel, because they loved them as themselves.

Another chief was then named, Matatore, a pious, intelligent, and remarkably ingenious man in every kind of work to which he turned his hand. Several of the congregation successively stood up, and, in their "little speeches," recommended him and his partner (for he also was "a two-handed man") as suitable fellowlabourers with Auna and his wife. Matatore, disclaiming with unaffected diffidence any superior qualifications for the honourable work, added, that if his partner and himself were deemed worthy to be entrusted with it, by the Deputation from Beretane, the Missionaries, and their Christian country-people, they should be happy to undertake it. The whole congregation then looked towards Hautia, who, to the surprise of every one, remained

silent, and appeared sad; his noble countenance expressed much agitation of spirit, and he hesitated for a while to unburthen his mind in words. At length he rose, and, with an air of meekness and humility which gave inexpressible grace to the dignity of the high-born island-chief, he said, "I have a little speech, because a thought has grown up in my heart, and it has grown up also in the heart of Hautia Vahine (his wife). But, perhaps, it is not a good thought; yet I must speak it; and this is our thought. If the Missionaries, and the Deputation, and the church of Huahine think that I and my wife would be fit companions for Auna and his wife, to teach the good word of God to those idolatrous people who are as we were, and cause them to become as we are here, and in Tahiti, and Eimeo, and Raiatea, and Borabora, we should be rejoiced to go; but, perhaps we are not worthy, and others may be much hetter suited for the blessed work; yet we should love to go."

This declaration from one who, as regent, was virtually king of the island, who held valuable hereditary possessions upon it, as well as received large contributions, to support his royal state, both from chiefs and people-who, besides his political and civil functions, filled a wide sphere of usefulness in the church, as superintendent of schools, as patron and promoter of infant arts and thriving industry among his subjects, and who was himself an example of all that he recommended to others or required of them; this declaration produced a most extraordinary sensation throughout the whole assembly, but especially in our breasts-emotions never to be forgotten nor ever to be recollected without a renewal of the strange and overwhelming delight which we experienced on witnessing such a proof of the power of divine grace, in making the blind idolater, the stern warrior, the proud chief of a barbarous people, under the influence of a new and regenerating principle, willing to forsake all, deny himself, and take up his cross, that he might follow the Redeemer to regions of despair, where Christ was not named, and where his disciples might expect both "to know the fellowship of his sufferings and to be conformed unto his death." But, having already experienced "the power of his resurrection," "none of these things moved" the voluntary candidates for a perilous service; "neither counted they their lives dear unto them, so that they might finish their course with joy, and the ministry which they had received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." Of Hautia and his wife we could not but thus judge. As soon as we had a little recovered from our surprise, we rose and thus addressed the royal pair: "Hautia! we have heretofore been pleased, beyond our hopes, with everything which we have seen of the happy effects of the gospel, in this island and others, since we arrived from England to visit you. Truly the Lord has caused his good word to grow up among you and bear fruit abundantly. But nothing which we have heard, or seen, or felt,