sufferings. They were also subjected to many hardships and privations with regard to the customary articles of food, though they have seldom made mention of them.

The success of the Sandwich Island mission was very animating from the first, but the year 1825 was marked by such signal blessings of God respecting it, as render a more extended notice desirable. In the space of little more than one year, nearly eighty thousand tracts were issued from the mission press. More than twenty thousand of the islanders were now brought under the influence of Christian instruction. A translation of the Gospel of Matthew was completed and presented to the nation. Several of the natives were learning the art of printing; and a very large number were successfully employed as teachers of schools. No less than nine chiefs, embodying a great portion of the civil influence of the islands, had publicly professed their faith in Jesus, and heartily entered upon their duties toward God and their fellow men. Not less than a dozen churches had been erected by the natives themselves for the worship of Jehovah, which were crowded with attentive hearers. The materials for one of them were borne upon the shoulders of the people from distant mountains; and in this service they were seen moving along in one interesting procession, to the number of two thousand. More than twenty thousand were able to read

the word of God as soon as it could be placed in their hands, and were longing to come into speedy possession of the rich treasure. The Spirit had been poured out upon Honolulu, and Lahaina, and different parts of Hawaii; and, as the fruits of these heavenly visitations, more than two thousand islanders, lately buried in the deep gloom of a barbarous paganism," were erecting the family altar for the morning and evening worship of the true God. Great and surprising changes had taken place in individual character. The intemperate Kalaimoku had been transformed into a sober, humble follower of Jesus; the conceited, haughty, jealous, cruel Kaahamanu, whose favour the natives used to propitiate by peaceofferings, as if she were a demon, was now as actively benevolent as she was once actively cruel, and as much devoted to God as she was once to Satan. Society, in general, felt the transforming power of religion. Formerly, as you have been told, scarcely any thing could be kept from the rapacity of thieves. Against these, neither locks nor guards, nor the utmost precaution and vigilance were effectual. But now, so great was the moral change, that, although every thing around the missionary stations was exposed, nothing was lost. He that used to steal, stole no more. He that used to wallow in intoxication, forsook his cups; the quarrelsome became a peace-maker; the grovelling and debased became enlight N

ened and happy. Neighbourhoods that were once distracted and embroiled, were now united in peace and harmony. Such was the transformation so soon effected in the midst of a barbarous nation! Truly, it is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes! Yours,

E. E.

MY DEAR L.-You have seen with what bright prospects, the year 1826 opened upon the missionary stations at the Sandwich Islands. The progress of instruction, both in learning and religion, was rapid and sure. There were many on the islands, who gave evidence of loving the Lord Jesus in sincerity; and even among those whose lives afforded little proof of true piety, there was almost every where found, the listening ear and the attentive mind. It was the opinion of the missionaries, that the prospect of converting that people, taking them as a whole, was as great as could be found among an equal number of the unconverted in England or America. In some respects, the prospect was even greater. Curiosity was excited and attention was aroused all over the islands. But trials are allotted to every condition of man. Religion could not prevail there without exciting the opposition of wicked men. It is painful to record their actions, but it is a proper and necessary

task. Without knowing these, you cannot know the whole history of the mission, about which you are reading. Profligate foreigners were the principal opposers, whom it had to encounter. That you may know something definite concerning them, I will relate to you some events, in which they have been chief actors. Some of them were before, and some of them after the date, to which the history of the mission has been brought down; but as they were all indicative of a similar spirit, they are treated of in a continuous manner in the present letter.

The first instance relates to the outrages committed by the officers and crews of vessels touching at the islands. Some of these, before the missionaries arrived there, held a licentious and unrestrained intercourse with the native females. But when religious instruction began to take effect, and the light of divine truth to shine upon such abominations, the chiefs passed a law against them. This prohibition was extremely offensive to the corrupt seamen; and as they had good reason to think that it was effected by the influence of the missionaries, they were not slow in showing decided marks of hostility to the mission. Sometimes they attempted or threatened to take the lives of the missionaries, sometimes they stole or destroyed their property; and they never, scrupled to invent and circulate malicious falsehoods to injure

their character. The chiefs and common people were likewise great sufferers in these abuses.

The case of the whale-ship Daniel, is particularly worthy of notice. As this will be detailed at some length, in order to give you a specimen of the influence exerted on the islands by wicked foreigners, it may be proper to premise that it is by no means the only instance of the kind. The conduct of one officer of a vessel has been held up to public reprobation; and that of another, belonging to the United States' Navy, has been subjected to a legal investigation before the tribunal of his country.

He

The outrage of the riotous crew of the ship Daniel, occurred in the year 1825, at Lahaina. A little after sunset, October the fifth, two men called on Mr. Richards, and expressed a desire to converse with him alone. readily followed them to the door. They immediately introduced the subject of the new law, prohibiting abandoned females from visiting ships, and said that the law was an improper one, and that he was the means of its being enacted. He utterly disclaimed all connexion with the passing of the law, except that publicly and privately he had inculcated on the chiefs and on the people, the principles of the Scriptures, among which was included the Seventh commandment. They said, he could procure a repeal of the law, and