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discourse, a tear was seen occasionally to start in her eye, and more than one made their way down her deeply wrinkled cheeks upon her mantle. I had not, in my long absence, so entirely forgotten the native language, as not to understand much that was said. After some time this sentence was uttered, "We are all sinners-but we have a God and Saviour who will forgive us our sins if we ask it of him. It is our duty to pray for this to Godand he hears the prayers of all who approach him in sincerity." And I happened at the moment to look again upon this object-her attitude and aspect was the same, except that her lips moved in the evident and almost audible repetition of the sentence. She again repeated it, as if to be certain that she heard and understood it correctly; and as she did so, a bright and peaceful smile spread over every feature--tears gushed rapidly from her eyes, and she hid her face in the folds of her garment.-Could I be deceived in the interpretation of this case? Could I be mistaken in the causes and the nature of those varied emotions under the circumstances under which they were beheld; and in one, of whom I had never heard, and whom I had never before seen? No, I could not: and if so--what is the language they speak? They plainly say that this poor woman, grown gray in the ignorance and varied degradation of heathenism, by "the lamp let down from Heaven," sees

herself to be a sinner, and is oppressed to sadness and to sighing under a sense of her guilt. But she hears of pardon and salvation freely given to all who will freely receive--hears of the glorious liberty of the gospel, and of all the rich privileges it confers even to nigh access and intimate communion with the Father of Spirits-hears and believes, and sinks before her God, in tears of gratitude and of joy!

"The simple appearance and every deportment of that obscure congregation whom I had once known, and at no remote period, only as a set of rude, licentious and wild pagans, did more to rivet the conviction of the divine origin of the Bible, and of the holy influences by which it is accompanied to the hearts of man, than all the arguments and apologies and defences of Christianity I ever read.

"Towards evening, my friend S

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myself, went again on shore, and remained till late, learning from our missionary friends the most gratifying intelligence, in corroboration of the opinion formed in the morning, of the state of the people. An entire moral reformation has taken place in the vicinity of this station. Though latest established and long far behind others in success and interest, it bids fair now to be not a whit behind the very chiefest in its moral and religious achievements. Instruction of every kind is eagerly

and universally sought: and not less than 10,000 people were assembled only last week at an examination of schools. The Mission

House is daily crowded with earnest inquirers in every right way; evil customs and atrocious vices are abandoned; a strict outward conformity to good morals observed, and numbers, it is hoped and confidently believed, have yielded and are yielding themselves to the sweet charities and pure affections of genuine piety."

As the number of missionaries at the islands has been found to be insufficient for the wants of the whole population, the American Board have sent out a third reinforcement, to take part in the labours and cares of their earlier missionaries. This reinforcement sailed from New Bedford, Mass. in the ship New England, December 28th, 1830; and consisted of the Rev. Messrs. Dwight Baldwin, Reuben Tinker, and Sheldon Dibble, and Mr. Andrew Johnstone, with their wives. The three first named are ordained missionaries, and Mr. Johnstone is sent out to sustain a portion of the labour which has hitherto fallen to the share of Mr. Chamberlain, as superintendent of all the secular concerns of the mission.

I shall hereafter write to you on the influence which religion has exerted upon their intellectual habits, as well as upon their natural character and prospects. But I cannot refrain from noticing at present, the disin

genuous and ignorant declamation of those who have called it an "idle scheme of philanthropy," to try to christianize the heathen. Do they know what has been done at the Sandwich Islands? If not, let them learn it; if they do, then let them cease to pronounce judgments, which, they must be sensible, can never bear the test of close examination. Yours,

E. E.

MY DEAR L.-It seems necessary that I should assign some reason, for delaying so long, a consideration of the climate, soil, scenery, and productions of the Sandwich Islands. Though their natural situation could not be altered in any important respects, yet their productions have been varied, and will be undoubtedly still more varied by the progress of civilization. The object I now have in view, will lead me to speak particularly of the capabilities of the islands. It was impossible that a people so ignorant, so indolent, and so degraded as were these islanders, should cultivate the soil to the best advantage, or even know what it was best capable of producing. It is my design at present, to speak of the introduction of new productions, as well as of those anciently known to the natives; and the notice of each will be brief, be

cause incidental mention has been made of them in my former letters.

The islands are almost entirely volcanic. A small portion is of coral formation. You have already had a description of their great volcano, which is unquestionably one of the greatest and most terrific natural curiosities on the earth. Indeed, it throws all others into comparative insignificance. It is the opinion of some of the most sagacious observers, that these entire islands were originally thrown up from the bed of the ocean, by the action of subterranean fires. The scenery upon them is, therefore, of the boldest kind. Their highest mountain is of about the same elevation as the highest in North America. Besides these scenes of grandeur, however, there are many views of great beauty, which have been described by visitants. The soil, which is of such volcanic structure, is apt to be good after a sufficient length of time. About onethird part probably is of the best quality, another third is indifferently good and variously mixed, and the rest is at present a barren waste. Some regions of country recently explored on the island of Maui, have been described as possessing uncommon beauty and fertility. The greatest inconvenience is the scarcity of water, both in respect to domestic use and the products of the soil. most every thing that grows is nourished and brought to maturity by irrigation. Water can

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