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tea and Huahine, and embarked accordingly this morning. The air was calm till we had got into the open sea beyond the reef, when a violent shower assailed us, and a water-spout shot from a high cloud, slender and nearly perpendicular, reaching half way downward towards the water. It was visible for about three minutes, and then dispersed. Soon afterwards our attention was arrested by another phenomenon of a similar kind, but of much more rare occurrence. This was, or appeared to be, a water-spout, slightly curved, and stretching horizontally between two clouds, connecting them together and rapidly transmitting a stream from one to the other, like that which passes between the sea and the cloud in ordinary cases. The tube was cylindrical, semi-transparent, smooth, and well defined, except towards the extremities, where, at its junction with the dense black masses of vapour between which it was suspended, the edges became ragged and fleecy. This singular conduit, as well as we could judge, might be three-quarters of a mile in length, and of proportionate though slender diameter. The higher end was directly above us, sloping at an angle of about three degrees to the eye from the zenith; so that we gazed upon the suspended flood-gate with admiration not unmingled with awe, for had it broken downwards, our frail vessel and all on board must have been instantaneously submerged. There was no agitation on the surface of the sea, the breeze was light | and fluttering, and there had been some distant thunder within the hour: the whole process of formation and dissolution took place in the atmosphere, and was effected in little more than five minutes from the time when we discovered the first symptom of it in the sky, which was otherwise lowering with clouds, on either side of the two between which this transverse pipe was projected, and into which it soon resolved itself.

We were obliged to rely upon the strenuous exertions of our rowers all day for the slow progress which could be made without a breeze to swell our sail. Not however till we had got into smooth water within the reef of Tahaa, did the patient and indefatigable natives drop their oars to take any food, except an occasional morsel, or a draught of cocoa-nut water. And no sooner had they moderately refreshed themselves at this point than they renewed their labours, and pushed towards Vauaara, the missionary station in Raiatea, where we landed in safety in the course of the night.

April 16. In the harbour here, we found the American brig Pearl, Captain Chandler, which had put in for repairs, having sprung a leak at sea; and on board of this vessel, to our great joy and surprise, we met with our friends, Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain, from the Sandwich Islands. We never expected to have seen their faces again in this world. They were however, for reasons which we had known and approved when we parted with them, on their return with their young family to America. They gave us the most gratifying account of the safe arrival and cordial reception of Mr. and Mrs. Ellis, at

Oahu, by our American missionary friends there, by the king also, the chiefs, and the people—all of whom rejoiced to welcome them as servants of the Most High God, arrived among them to teach a nation, without any religion, the only doctrines under heaven worthy of that name.

There were three captains on board this brig, as passengers to America. The ships of two of these had been wrecked, and that of the third condemned. One of them was Captain George Pollard, whose singular and lamentable story in the case of a former shipwreck (as nearly as can be recollected by Mr. Bennet), deserves to be recorded in his own manner. It was substantially as follows:

"My first shipwreck was in open sea, on the 20th of November, 1820, near the equator, about 118" W. long. The vessel, a South Sea Whaler, was called the Essex. On that day, as we were on the look out for sperm whales, and had actually struck two, which the boats' crews were following to secure, I perceived a very large one-it might be eighty or ninety feet longrushing with great swiftness through the water, right towards the ship. We hoped that she would turn aside and dive under when she perceived such a baulk in her way. But no! the animal came full force against our stern-port: had any quarter less firm been struck the vessel must have been burst; as it was, every plank and timber trembled, throughout her whole bulk.

"The whale, as though hurt by a severe and unexpected concussion, shook its enormous head and sheared off to so considerable a distance that for some time we had lost sight of her from the starboard quarter; of which we were very glad, hoping that the worst was over. Nearly an hour afterwards we saw the same fish-we had no doubt of this, from her size and the direction in which she came-making again towards us. We were at once aware of our danger, but escape was impossible. She dashed her head this time against the ship's side, and so broke it in that the vessel filled rapidly, and soon became water-logged. At the second shock, expecting her to go down, we lowered our three boats with the utmost expedition, and all hands, twenty in the whole, got into them-seven, and seven, and six. In a little while, as she did not sink, we ventured on board again, and, by scuttling the deck, were enabled to get out some biscuit, beef, water, rum, one sextant, a quadrant, and three compasses. These, together with some rigging, a few muskets, powder, &c. we brought away; and, dividing the stores among our three small crews, rigged the boats as well as we could; there being a compass for each, and a sextant for one and a quadrant for one, but neither sextant nor quadrant for the third. Then, instead of pushing away for some port, so amazed and bewildered were we that we continued sitting in our places gazing upon the ship, as though she had been an object of the tenderest affection. Our eyes could not leave her till, at the end of many hours, she gave a slight reel, then down she sank. No words can tell our feelings.

We looked at each other, we looked at the place where she had so lately been afloat, and we did not cease to look, till the terrible conviction of our abandoned and perilous situation roused us to exertion, if deliverance were yet possible.

"We now consulted about the course which it might be best to take-westward to India, eastward to South America, or south-westward to the Society Isles. We knew that we were at no great distance from Tahiti, but were so ignorant of the state and temper of the inhabitants, that we feared we should be devoured by cannibals if we cast ourselves on their mercy. It was determined therefore to make for South America, which we computed to be more than two thousand miles distant. Accordingly we steered eastward, and though for several days harassed with squalls, we contrived to keep together. It was not long before we found that one of the boats had started a plank, which was no wonder, for whale-boats are all clinkerbuilt, and very slight, being made of half-inch plank only, before planing. To remedy this alarming defect we all turned to, and, having emptied the damaged boat into the two others, we raised her side as well as we could, and succeeded in restoring the plank at the bottom. Through this accident, some of our biscuit had become injured by the salt-water. This was equally divided among the several boats' crews. Food and water meanwhile, with our utmost

economy, rapidly failed. Our strength was exhausted, not by abstinence only, but by the labours which we were obliged to employ to keep our little vessels afloat, amidst the storms which repeatedly assailed us. One night we were parted in rough weather; but though the next day we fell in with one of our companion-boats, we never saw or heard any more of the other, which probably perished at sea, being without either sextant or quadrant.

"When we were reduced to the last pinch, and out of everything, having been more than three weeks abroad, we were cheered with the sight of a low, uninhabited island, which we reached in hope, but were bitterly disappointed. There were some barren bushes, and many rocks on this forlorn spot. The only provisions that we could procure were a few birds and their eggs: this supply was soon reduced; the seafowls appeared to have been frightened away, and their nests were left empty after we had once or twice plundered them. What distressed us most was the utter want of fresh water; we could not find a drop anywhere, till, at the extreme verge of ebb tide, a small spring was discovered in the sand; but even that was too scanty to afford us sufficient to quench our thirst before it was covered by the waves at their turn.

"There being no prospect but that of starvation here, we determined to put to sea again. Three of our comrades, however, chose to remain, and we pledged ourselves to send a vessel to bring them off, if we ourselves should ever escape to a Christian port. With a very small morsel of biscuit for each, and a little

ocean.

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water, we again ventured out on the wide In the course of a few days our provisions were consumed. Two men died; we had no other alternative than to live upon their remains. These we roasted to dryness by means of fires kindled on the ballast-sand at the bottom of the boats. When this supply was spent, what could we do? We looked at each other with horrid thoughts in our minds, but we held our tongues. I am sure that we loved one another as brothers all the time; and yet our looks told plainly what must be done. We cast lots, and the fatal one fell on my poor cabinboy. I started forward instantly, and cried out, My lad, my lad, if you don't like your lot, I'll shoot the first man that touches you.' The poor emaciated boy hesitated a moment or two; then, quietly laying his head down upon the gunnel of the boat, he said, 'I like it as well as any other.' He was soon despatched, and nothing of him left. I think, then, another man died of himself, and him, too, we ate. I can tell you no more-my head is on fire at the recollection; I hardly know what I say. I forgot to say that we had parted company with the second boat before now. After some more days of horror and despair, when some were lying down at the bottom of the boat not able to rise, and scarcely one of us could move a limb, a vessel hove in sight. We were taken on board, and treated with extreme kindness. The second lost boat was also picked up at sea, and the survivors saved. A ship afterwards sailed in search of our companions on the desolate island, and brought them away."*

But

The following particulars respecting the three men left on the island are extracted from a religious tract, No. 579, issued by the Society, in Paternoster Row:-" On the 26th of December the boats left the island: this was, indeed, a trying moment to all: they separated with mutual prayers and good wishes, seventeen venturing to sea with almost certain death before them, while three remained on a rocky isle, destitute of water, and affording hardly anything to support life. The prospects of these three poor men were gloomy: they again tried to dig a well, but without success, and all hope seemed at an end, when providentially they were relieved by a shower of rain. They were thus delivered from the immediate apprehension of perishing by thirst. Their next care was to procure food, and their difficulties herein were also very great; their principal resource was small birds, about the size of a blackbird, which they caught while at roost. Every night they climbed the trees in search of them, and obtained, by severe exertions, a scanty supply, hardly enough to support life. Some of the trees bore a small berry which gave them a little relief, but these they found only in small quantities. Shell-fish they searched for in vain; and, although from the rocks they saw at times a number of sharks, and also other sorts of fish, they were unable to catch any, as they had no fishing tackle. Once they saw several turtles, and succeeded in taking five, but they were then without water: at those times they had little inclination to eat, and before oue of them was quite finished the others were become unfit for food.

"Their sufferings from want of water were the most severe, their only supply being from what remained in holes among the rocks after the showers which fell at intervals; and sometimes they were five or six days without any; on these occasions they were compelled to suck the blood of the birds they caught, which allayed their thirst in some degree; but they did so very unwillingly, as they found themselves much disordered thereby.

Among the rocks were several caves formed by nature, which afforded a shelter from the wind and rain. In one of these caves they found eight human skeletons,

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Captain Pollard closed his dreary narrative with saying, in a tone of despondency never to be forgotten by him who heard it-" After a time I found my way to the United States, to which I belonged, and got another ship. That, too, I have lost by a second wreck off the the Sandwich Islands, and now I am utterly ruined. No owner will ever trust me with a whaler again, for all will say I am an unlucky

man."

April 17. We learn from Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain, that since we left the Sandwich Islands Queen Kahumanu, with her husband, Taumuarii, being on a visit at Oahu, attempted to revive idolatry there. For this purpose she collected a great number of hogs and fowls, which she caused to be killed, cooked, and offered to the image of one of the exploded divinities. For several days she kept up the festivities of eating, drinking, and the usual excesses at such orgies, having employed, in order to rouse the spirits of the people, and inflame their passions, a band of minstrels, who brought forth all the old drums, cross-sticks, and instruments of barbarous music, that they could find, on which they made the most frightful dissonance, accompanied by their own voices, if possible more horridly untuneable, while they chanted their national songs of war, superstition, and lewdness. When all the provisions had been devoured, the foolish queen applied to the resident chiefs for fresh supplies; but they, abhorring her conduct, told her plainly, that if hogs were rained down from the clouds they might, perhaps, have some to spare; but those which grew on the earth they wanted for the use of themselves, their wives, and their children; they should not, therefore, waste them in sacrifice to dumb idols, which were only logs of wood, or blocks of stone.

in all probability the remains of some poor mariners who had been shipwrecked on the isle, and perished for want of food and water. They were side by side, as if they had lain down and died together! This sight deeply affected the mate and his companions; their case was similar, and they had every reason to expect ere long the same end; for many times they lay down at night, with their tongues swollen and their lips parched with thirst, scarcely hoping to see the morning sun; and it is impossible to form an idea of their feelings when the morning dawned, and they found their prayers had been heard and answered by a providential supply of rain.

"In this state they continued till the 5th of April following. On the morning of that day they were in the woods as usual, searching for food and water, as well as their weakness permitted, when their attention was aroused by a sound which they thought was distant thunder; but, looking towards the sea, they saw a ship in the offing, which had just fired a gun. Their joy at this sight may be more easily imagined than described: they immediately fell on their knees, and thanked God for his goodness, in thus sending deliverance when least expected; then, hastening to the shore, they saw a boat coming towards them. As the boat could not approach the shore without great danger, the mate, being a good swimmer, and stronger than his companions, plunged into the sea, and providentially escaped a watery grave at the moment when deliverance was at hand. His companions crawled out further on the rocks, and, by the great exertions of the crew, were taken into the boat, and soon found themselves on board the Surrey, commanded by Captain Raine, by whom they were treated in the kindest manner, and their health and strength were speedily restored."

She was afterwards ashamed of her infatuation, and will, probably, never again make a similar attempt.

One of the Raiatean traditions respecting Taroa, whom we have mentioned before as the reputed father of gods and men, we have lately heard; which, though sufficiently puerile, bears such analogy to one of the Hindu fables, concerning the origin of all things, that it may be noticed here. Taroa first existed in the shape of an egg, which was buoyant high up in the etherial firmament. Weary of rocking there, with every wind that blew, he pushed his hands through the shell and presently raised himself upright in it. Before this all had been darkness about him; now all was light. Looking down from this elevation he saw the sand on the sea-shore, and said to it, "Sand, come up to me." The sand replied, "I belong to the earth, and cannot fly up to you in the sky." Then he said to the rocks, "Come up to me." The rocks answered, "We are rooted in the ground, and cannot leave it to leap up to you." Thereupon he came down to them and cast his shell, which, being added to the substance of the world, prodigiously increased its bulk. He then peopled it with human beings that were produced from his back. In the end he himself was transformed into a canoe; when, being out at sea, in a great storm, and carrying a crew of islanders, the hollow of the vessel was filled with liquor, which, being baled out with calabashes, proved to be his blood, and quickly discoloured the sea, from which, however, it was carried into the air and diffused over the morning and the evening clouds to add to the glories of day-break and sunset. Whether the canoe was metamorphosed back again into the god does not appear, but Taroa's skeleton, after his mortal career on earth had been run, was laid upon the land, the back-bone upwards and the ribs resting upon the ground. These became a house for all the gods, and thenceforward the idoltemples in Raiatea, were open sheds, consisting of thatched roofs, supported on posts, according to the cage-like model of Taroa's relics.

Pahi, the chief judge, and one of Tamatoa's brothers, is said to have been the first of any of these islanders who dared to burn his gods. Being at Tahiti, during the first awakening there, when the gospel had laid hold of the hearts of many people, though the struggle between light and darkness, nature and grace, was very sharp, and the issue doubtful-one night he dreamed that an exceeding large and fierce cat had pounced upon him and torn his face in a shocking manner. He awoke in great consternation, but falling asleep dreamed the same thing again, and a third time. He then said to himself, "This is my varua ino, which has disturbed me; I will destroy it." Next day, persevering in his purpose, he seized the log of wood which he had heretofore worshipped, threw it into the flames of his oven, and baked some bread-fruit with it. The idolaters were astounded at his audacity, in burning his god, but more so when they saw him eat the breadfruit, which he took out of the hot ashes, not