and pleasant in the native tongue; but the mistake we have made by occasionally joining a word from it to those which are confessedly classical and polished, have sounded so uncouth and inharmonious, that we are compelled to pronounce it barbarous. It is true, there are many words of real beauty in the vocabulary already collected, and the idiom of the language is said by those best acquainted with it, to admit of great elegance and sublimity in figures of speech, &c. &c.; but as a whole, its sounds are certainly rude and seemingly unformed, in comparison with the sweet and flowing tones of the French, or the fulness of the more rotund and dignified Latin.

Thursday, 20th. After an early dinner, Dr. and Mrs. B. and Mr. H. embarked on board the Becket, already under weigh. The expectations of meeting the last gentleman next week, and of being his fellow passenger to Oahu, prevented the emotions of regret we otherwise should have felt in parting from one, who, although still an entire stranger, has won greatly on our esteem and good will.

Friday, 21st. Our meetings for religious conversation and prayer, continue to be interesting and profitable. They are opened by a hymn and a prayer by one of us, and after an hour's conversation on practical subjects, so far as we are yet capable of discussing them, are closed by a prayer from one of the natives, and the singing of a doxology. The closing prayers at the two last meetings, were made by two chiefs-punihele (bosom companions or inseparable friends) of the king, and were in some respects, more interesting than any we have yet heard. We had never before called on any of the chiefs who attend this meeting, (perhaps I have omitted to mention the exact character of it; it is confined exclusively to those who are known to live in the daily exercise of secret prayer, and who are professedly seek ing the salvation of their souls) partly from a wish to impress the minds of

the higher class with the truth, that in spiritual things all are on a level; and that rank in itself can claim no pre-eminence, where the soul only is interested. These were the first times we had ever heard them pray, and we were surprised at the originality and beauty of thought, often introduced with impressive sincerity and simplicity. The prayers of most of the natives are similar to each other, and common-place; (not more so, however, than those generally heard in religious meetings at home) but these seemed to flow forth, with out any appearance of imitation or design of following a model, and were interspersed with many ideas and sentiments new to us in the native language, and evidently arising from a most easy and national association of thoughts. For instance, Karaikoa in praying for the king and his party, after supplicating the Lord to pardon his sins, and to grant to him the influences of the Holy Spirit, that he might become penitent and believing, a man of a new heart and a new life, and a faithful servant of Jesus Christ, the king of kingsinstead of praying for his return, in the unqualified terms which we had often heard, he said, "if it be thy will, OJehovah, that he should be returned to the land of his fathers, speak to the winds and the waves, and take thou the charge of them, that he may arrive in safety, and we be permitted once more to see his face." And Ji, the other, toward the close of his prayer, after having besought the favour and blessing of God on all the chiefs and missionaries dwelling at Hawaii, and Maui, and Oahu, and Tanai, prayed for the common people on the different islands, in the same order; and after mentioning those of Tanai, the seat of the late insurrection, added, "O Jehovah, be thou merciful to the rebels, now a company of prisoners-forgive their sins: and forgive thou the sins of all of us. We are rebels against thee; we are all guilty prisoners, for we have killed thy Son; be thou merciful to us and forgive us, and cause

us to hear the good tidings from thy word now sounding in our ears. "The year of jubilee is come, Return ye ransomed prisoners home."

The last two lines being the chorus in a version of the hymn, "Blow ye the trumpet blow," &c. &c., which has ever been a great favourite with the natives.

26th. You have long known that dogs are esteemed a choice article of food at these islands. A passing incident will give you additional information, as to that which is held clean or unclean among the people. In order to obtain a comfortable supply of milk from our small flock of goats, we have confined the kids during the night. Last evening the boys, instead of tying them, inconsiderately put them under a large cask standing in the yard, which was so tight that on uncovering them this morning, five of the seven thus secured, were found dead. We ordered the boys to bury them at once; but the natives standing round immediately said-"No, no, give them to us-they are very good to eat, and we wish them." They accordingly bore them off, bloated and disfigured as they were from the manner of their death, and we have since heard, that stuffed with herbs and baked in the native manner, they made a delicious dinner for two or three separate parties.

Saturday, 29th. The Becket came to anchor yesterday afternoon, from Hawaii, and we are again favoured with the society of the interesting young naturalist from the Pretpriatie. Tuesday next is the day fixed for sailing for Oahu.

Monday, 31st. For a year past, except in one or two instances, we have scarce heard the sounds of the native songs and dances. But an expected heir, in a high branch of the Pitt family, has filled the minds of some of the chiefs and people, not particularly interested in the palapala and the pule, (learning and religion,) with a desire for the renewal of former expressions of joy

on such occasions-among which songs and dances, in honour of the young chief at his birth, were some of the most favourite. These persons have for some time had pieces in preparation for the event. The rehearsal of such as, technically speaking, are thus "getting up," disturb the peacefulness and quietude of our nights; and the groves around us, especially since an unclouded moon has been on the increase, are filled, till daybreak, with the dull and mo notonous drumming of the calabash and musical sticks, accompanied by the more piercing and equally rude and inharmonious intonations of the voice.

Our governess, Wahine Pio, sister of Mrs. Pitt, (Karaimoku) is the grandmother of the expected chief. She has never been distinguished for her attachment to the new system of things, and is supposed to have or dered the practisings of the hura. The common people, desirous of having the dances, have sedulously encouraged a report in circulation, that Karaimoku, still at Tanai, has sent orders to the windward islands, to have all attention to the palapala and pule, except the observance of the Sabbath, suspended for the present, and to have all the people engage in the dances, as was formerly the case, when thousands, on some occasions, have joined at one time in the same performance. These circumstances have given rise to one or two auecdotes, which have just reached me, shewing the light in which the palapala party view the subject. Kekauonohi, the youngest queen of Rihoriho, a pupil of Har riet, is the daughter of Wahine Pio. She has been indisposed for a few days, and her mother has lodged at her house for a night or two. Before sunrise this morning our warm friend Puaite, (the blind man,) who is ever awake to every thing that interests the cause of learning and piety, came to our houses, and said to Mr. Richards-"I heard a voice in the night when all were asleep in the house of Kekauonohi; it was

"Ha! Wahine Pio-Wahine Pio!" to which H. P. replied, what is it? when it continued to say 'I am the daughter, and you are the mother-I am a child, and you are an old chief-it is yours to commandit is mine to obey-it is yours to lead, it is mine to listen: but I am wise and you are dark hearted-you do not fear God nor regard his word, therefore hear me-have no hura in Lahaina-the hura is not good. W. P. I have not commanded a hura!-K. Then forbid it.-W. P. Karaimoku may desire it, and may send orders to have general hura. -K. Karaimoku will not desire one -if he does, do you not comply-I will make your peace with Karaimoku.-W. P. It shall be so, I will not have a hura, I will attend to the word of God."

Karaikoa, who has prepared a communication for Karaimoku, to go by the Becket, thus introduces his letter-"Love to you Karaimoku. We have heard a report at Lahaina we have heard that you have had a dance. I have a question to ask you is it true? If it is, I will say that I am not glad. Will you send to us to have a dance? If you do, we will not regard your orderfor the song and the dance are not good-they belong to the darkness of former days. We sung and danced enough then, in the ignorance of our hearts; the light has now come-let us do so no more, but let us attend only to the good word of God."

We are satisfied that the report in reference to Karaimoku is false, and that he has not commanded, or even countenanced, the spirit of dissipation existing in some. I know he disapproves of things of the kind, for I recollect, when taking tea with us shortly after the anniversary of the death of Tameamea last May, some one asked him why there had been no feast, nor any of the former ceremonies he replied, that they bad forgotten it till the time was past, but it was best that it should be so, for had they regarded it, it

would only have been an occasion of drunkenness and sin.

Honoruru, Island of Oahu, Feb. 14, 1825. We are again, my dear sister, visiters at this station. We embarked on the evening of the 1st, from Lahaina, and arrived here the next morning to a late breakfast. Although the night was very cool for this climate, the thermometer standing at 64° (Fahrenheit), we all kept the deck, in preference to enduring the confined air of the cabin. Part of the passage, the wind was fresh and the sea very rough, and for the first time in my life I became sea-sick; probably owing to the accession of a bilious habit, since my residence at Lahaina. Harriet was extremely ill, as were Charlie and Betsey.

Had you seen them lying on the open deck of a dirty native brig, and witnessed their extreme illness, with no attendant but myself during the whole night, you would have thought with us, that the passages we are obliged to make in such vessels, are among the greatest trials of our missionary residence at these islands.

We are all very well at present, however, and delightfully situated, (for missionaries, I mean,) with our valued friends, Mr. and Mrs. Bingham, in the stone cottage built by our brother Ellis. Oahu never before looked so beautiful; for the first time since we arrived at the islands, the whole of the extensive plain on which Honoruru and the mission houses are, is covered with verdure, and looks like one continued field of grain in the early months of the spring-the grass being coarse, and of a light, not of the dark green, of meadows in America. The greater purity of the air than that of Lahaina, is also very perceptible, and makes us feel that Oahu, so far as we are judges, is the Montpelier of the Sandwich Islands. It is owing, no doubt, to the prevalence of the trade winds, which sweep over the mountains of this island, which are not, as on most of the other

islands, high enough to form a barrier against them. Every part of the islands is thus constantly ventilated, and preserved from any degree of stagnation, to which Lahaina is subject.

We find nothing new. The mis sion family is reduced to Mr. and Mrs. Bingham, and Mr. and Mrs. Loomis; and the society in the village is also much diminished-many of the captains and mercantile agents having left the island, for Canton and America. Among others, Mr. Hummewell, of whom you have often heard me speak as a particular friend of the mission. Karaimoku and party, including two of the quondam queens of Rihoriho, arrived from Tanai, a few days before us. He was most cordial in his sa

lutation, and I am satisfied regards the missionaries as his best friends, and the best friends of the people, over whom he acts the part of a wise and powerful regent.

Our young friend Hoffman, was met on the wharf with warm embraces by his friends of the Pretpria tie. The handsome dresses and gentlemanly appearance of these voyagers of the enterprising Czar, give an additional aspect of civilization to Honoruru. Mr. H. calls with some of his friends every day. He takes tea with us this evening, after which we are to visit the observatory erected for astronomical obser vations on shore, with the special design of viewing the planet Saturn through a fine telescope.

(To be continued.)

In the Eclectic Review for the month of April last, the first article is the following:

Essays on the Evidences, Doctrines, and Practical Operation of Christianity. By Joseph John Gurney. 8vo. pp. x. 566. Price 10s. 6d. London, 1825.

The review of the volume, of which the title is here given, extends through nearly twenty octavo pages. The volume itself we have not yet seen; but the account given of it by the reviewers has been so highly interesting to us, that we

have determined to fill this depart ment of our work for the present month, first with a very short statement of the substance of the former

part of the review, and afterwards with a literal quotation of the lat ter part.

Mr. Gurney is already well known to the reading part of the Christian community, as a man of erudition and piety, in the society of Friends in Britain. Since the appearance of the volume here reviewed, he has published another "On the Religious Peculiarities of the Society of Friends," of which

as the religious system which he has adapted to these ends, so are they found, in a multitude of instances, to arise im

ture. The Scriptural Account of the Spiritual Adversary. The Scriptural Account of Man. The Scriptural Account of Jesus Christ -in his pre-existence; during his abode on earth; and in his reign. The Redemption of Mankind. Faith and Obedience."

On the first four essays of Mr. Gurney, the remarks of the reviewers-who by the way are avowed Calvinists-are very general. In most points they agree with Mr. G. In relation to sentiment, or opinion, they scarcely differ from him at all. As to the manner in which he conducts some of his arguments, they think he is inconclusive, or less accurate than he might have been. Yet, on the whole, their remarks are in a high degree commendatory. From the review of the latter part of the fifth essay, to the end of the article, we quote literally as follows:

After pointing out the internal evidence supplied by the fulfilment of prophecy, by the discoveries which the Scriptures contain respecting the character of God, and by the unbroken spiritual harmony which prevails among the sacred writers, Mr. Gurney makes the following admirably just and prac

tical remarks.

"It only remains for me to adduce, in evidence of the Divine origin of the Scriptures, the practical effect which (under the influence of the Spirit) they actu ally produce; namely, the conversion of sinners, and the sanctification and edification of believers. As these effects are

to be attributed primarily to God as their Author, and secondarily to Christianity

book in which Christianity is embodied. The Scriptures are able to make wise unto salvation, "through faith which is in Christ Jesus." Such is the declaration of an apostle, and such is the fact. Now, the believer who experiences this effect to be produced in his mind, and is able to trace it to the Bible as the instrumental cause, enjoys an evidence that the Sacred Volume has proceeded from God, which is entirely satisfactory to himself, and of which the most ingenious arguments and cavils will never be able to

dispossess him. He finds in that volume

a mine of wisdom, from which he is conand spiritual improvement. He resorts stantly deriving instruction, consolation, to it as to his daily food; he reverts again and again to the same passages without any wearisome sense of sameness, and seldom without deriving from them important practical lessons, with which he was before less perfectly acquainted. Thus is he encouraged and strengthened to pursue his Christian course; and the more his knowledge of divine things and the limits of his own religious experience are extended, the more fully he is persuaded that the contents of Scripture are no cunningly devised fables, but celestial truths. He finds in himself a witness of (to?) their reality.

"It may indeed be observed, that the evidence of the Divine origin of Scripture, which the Christian derives from

the source now mentioned, is, in some measure, confined to himself; because he obtains it chiefly by watching the condition and progress of his own mind. But this is not the case altogether; for the tree is known by its fruits. It is a matter of external observation, when the sinner is turned from the error of his ways, the proud man humbled, and the Christian character formed. It cannot be concealed from others, when the designed effect of an acquaintance with Scripture is actually produced in the individual; when the man of God is perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.' Nor can any one who entertains a just notion of the moral attributes of the Supreme Being, refuse under such circumstances to confess, that the writings from the use of which these consequences result, have originated in the power, the wisdom, and the love of God." pp. 106

-108.

6

It is no inconclusive evidence of

their Divine origin, Mr. Gurney adds, that, in the Scripture, "we