ance, as no one among us had any skill in furgery; but what was wanting in experience was made up in attention by brothers Broomhall and Clode, who officiated in that department. Their efforts, however, proved ineffectual, the bone being broken in an oblique direction, and, the patient reftlefs, it could not be kept together; and with concern we add, he has totally loft the ufe of his leg. As our journal is left with the brethren who remain at Otaheite, we cannot defcend to particulars; fuffice it to obferve, that we were frequently interrupted in our building by large parties of natives (particularly Areeois) entering the diftrict. Though they did not moleft us in our work, we thought it pru dent to decline it during their stay, as we were well affured they only waited for a favourable opportunity to carry their designs against us into execution. On the 6th of March, 1798, the Nautilus Bark, Captain Bishop, vifited the ifland, and, after taking in refreshments, proceeded on her voyage for Maffafuero. This veffel was fitted out at Maccao, in China, to trade on the north-west coast of America; but, meeting with tempeftuous weather, was driven in great distress to the Ruffian fettlement at Kamfchatka, which induced the captain (having loft the season) to relinquish the object of his pursuit on the north-west coast, and fail for Maffafuero, an island on the south-west coast, in order to procure a cargo of feal fkins. After her departure our fituation became more perilous, and we were every moment under an expectation of an affault, when we were again vifited by the Nautilus, which was driven back in a violent gale of wind. There was fomething fingular and striking in this event, and we cannot but acknowledge the hand of Providence in it. When the Nautilus left Otaheite, fhe failed for Ulitea, to procure yams for her voyage. While at anchor in a harbour in that ifland, the gale commenced, which drove her to fea, and became fo violent as to render the ship unmanageable; accordingly the captain let her drive before the wind, under her mafts and yards, having all the fails furled, which brought her to the eastward of Point Venus before the gale ceafed. The veffel entered Matavia Bay in a very leaky condition. Soon after the came to anchor, two of her feamen deferted, and fecreted themfcives on fhore. The captain requested us to intreat the king to fend them on board; accordingly a deputation of four brethren waited on him for that purpofe. On their arrival at. Oparre, the district in which the king refided, they were ftripped naked, one of them dragged through a river, and his head beat against the ftones till the blood came out of his ears; they were then separated and detained; and, under the greatest apprehenfion, not only of their own lives, but for our fafety, as a large party of natives, immediately on their being feized, made off with an intent to attack our fettlement; obferving, that as they had got two of our beft warriors, (meaning thofe that were moft fkilful in handling the mufket, for we were all under the neceffity of learning the manual exercife), the others would be eafily overcome. In the evening feveral hundred natives were feen near our dwelling, and we received information by a boy, of the detention of our brethren; but, as the difpofing of all events is of the Lord, they were providentially releafed by means of the king's father, and returned home about eight o'clock at night. The news of their arriv. was no doubt a mean of preventing the meditated attack, Thus circumftanced, we held a meeting to confider what means would be moft prudent to adopt when it was proposed to remove to fome ifland in the vicinity of Otaheite, and write to the Directors by the Nautilus, and inform them of our fituation; but, as no place afforded us the leaft profpect of an atylum, this plan was given up. Several of the brethren then declared that they were wearied out by continual watching, and would no longer bear arms; that it would be rafhnefs in the extreme for fo fmall a body to ftand on the defenfive; that it was their intention to deliver their property into the hands of the na tives, by which means they fhould be freed from the anxiety and fufpenfe they had long laboured under. Indeed, this determination appeared the only way to live in peace among them; but, as it expofed the women to the brutal treatment of the natives, and left them in a defenceless state in the midst of a people of the most diffolute manners and lafcivious difpofitions, it was the unanimous opinion of the whole body, that it was a call in Providence for the married people to leave the ifland, as they could not continue there in fafety; and a way of conveyance open for them to Port Jackfon in the Nautilus, the captain having given up his intended voyage, and purpofed to winter in that port. Several of the fingle brethren alfo thought it their duty, from motives of prudence, to leave the island. We accordingly made our fituation known to the captain, and requested a paffage in his veffel, which he very humanely and readily granted, on condition of our giving a bill on the Directors for fuch a quantity of provifion to be purchased at Port Jackfon, as he intended to take on board at Otaheite, and which he could procure for two or three mufkets, but would be prevented by giving us a paffage. paffage. This being agreed to, eleven men, four women, and four children, immediately went on board the bark, which we found to be very fmall and leaky. The condition of the veffel, the dangers of the fea, and the advanced age of Mrs. Eyre, induced her to remain on the ifland, and cultivate the friendship of Iddea, giving her property to her. Indeed, we do not apprehend that Mrs. Eyre will be expofed to the treatment a younger perfon would, in all probability, experience, as old age is deemed difgraceful by the Otaheiteans, and perfons in that ftage of life are difregarded by them. While we were preparing to embark, the two feamen who deferted from the fhip came to our habitation. They informed us, that the preceding night Otoo, with about seven hundred men, armed with fpears, intended to attack us, and infifted on their joining them; which they refusing to do, were beaten and ftripped by them. We are forry to add, that while lying at anchor in the bay, information was brought us, that a war had commenced in Oparre, in confequence of the treatment the brethren received from the inhabitants of that dif trict. We fincerely hope our brethren on the island will not be involved in the calamities of the fame, as they have given up the property of the Society, and their own alfo, into the hands of Pomarre; confequently they have no inducement for the natives to moleft them. There is, however, no dependance to be placed on the friendship of Pomarre. It may not be improper to observe, that we left Otaheite on the 31st of March laft, and arrived at Port Jackfon on the 14th of May; we had a favourable, though difagreeable paffage, from the condition of the veffel, which was fo leaky, that we were obliged to be at the pump every two hours, day and night, and fome part of the voyage every hour. On our arrival at this place, we were favourably received by the Governor, who immediately put us on the public ftore, and gave us every affiftance in his power. These circumstances, we truft, will have their due weight and influence with you and the public mind. The views of each particular individual, refpecting his future operations, we prefume will be laid before you. In the mean time, we fubfcribe ourselves, Your unworthy fervants in the Lord, James Fleet Cover. Rowland Haffel. Edward Maine. James Puckey. John Cock, refufed to fign. THE New-York Miffionary Magazine, AND Repository of Religious Intelligence. NEW-YORK MISSIONARY SOCIETY. T HE Society met on the firft Tuesday of April, 1800, being the time to which they had altered their annual meeting, and after the election of officers, proceed to the tranfaction of bufinefs. In the evening of the faid day, the annual Sermon was preached by the Rev. Dr. LINN, (from Pfalm cxxxvii. 5, 6. If I forget thee, O Jerufalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Ferufalem above my chief joy,) in the Brick Prefbyterian Church, to a large and attentive audience, and a liberal collection was made for the purposes of the Society. The Rev. JOHN ABEEL WAS appointed to preach the next annual Sermon, on the firft Tuesday of April, 1801, in the New Dutch Church. Theftate of the Society, and the progrefs which they have made, will appear from the following REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS. IN their report of November 14th, 1799, the Directors ftated, in general, the arrival of the Miffionary, the R. Jofeph Bullen, among the Chickafaw Indians, and their favourable difpofition towards him, although he had not been formally acknowledged by the nation. They have it now in their power to communicate to the Society, the very pleafing intelligence, that his reception has been friendly and flattering even beyond expectation. The Indians appear to have vied with each other in their kindneffes to him, and his fon, VOL. I. No. 2. A |