The good work is still going on amongst us, and a steady increase to the number of the faithful proves, I trust, that our labours are not in vain in the Lord. Our schools are also well attended, and the desire of the children for instruction is very pleasing. Some time ago I selected from the upper classes a few girls whom I taught to write on paper. I have sent home some of their copy-books, that you may see their first attempt the paper is bad, but we had not any other at the time. I hope their second books will be better done. They are also making progress in arithmetic and geography, having committed nearly the whole of the latter to memory. If some kind friends in England would send us an entire set of "Pinnock's Catechisms," they would be acceptable. We could make selections, and have them translated for the use of our schools.

Last May we held our annual meeting with the children of this station, and those of Avarua. Early on the morning of Wednesday, May 17th, they all assembled in the chapel; when, after singing and prayer, Mr. Gill addressed them from John, "Will ye also become his disciples?" When the service closed, the children partook of refreshments prepared for the occasion. After singing a hymn, they were formed into ranks; and, with their native banners, painted all colours, and decorated with leaves and feathers, they marched in procession from one end of the settlement to the other. On their return we again met in the chapel, where several addresses were given by teachers and others, expressive of their joy on the occasion.

One of the deacons who attended the meeting-an old man, once a heathenengaged the attention of the children by reciting, in a vehement manner, an ancient invocation to Tangaroa, their idol: he then said, "Children and youths, listen to methese were our words, and this was our manner, in the days of your fathers, who are dead; yes, they are dead. Oh, if they had lived if they had lived! how happy would they be to see what I see! I greatly compassionate you, my dear children, and greatly desire that you should know the great deliverance you enjoy.

Often you

have heard me tell of the dark deeds practised formerly, before the great love of God reached our land. I will not say much today; but listen to me a little while, and I

will just tell you of one little child whose fate I knew when I was young.

"We were often at war, one chief with another. At a certain season, some time before the great word of God shined on us, we were at war-the people of Avarua with us of Arorangi. No one was safe at that time: if a man, woman, or child, went out in the morning, perhaps they would be killed before night. During this war, of which I speak, a father and mother left their house in yonder mountain, and went somewhere by the sea-side towards Avarua. They took their little child with them, and being weary they sat down under a tree to rest; when all of a sudden they saw two men of your station not far from them. Ye children of Avarua listen to me! What to do they did not know: in a moment, however, they resolved to put the child up in the tree, and run themselves to the bush, and thus escape their enemies, and in the evening return for their child; but, alas! the little child was seen in the tree by the men. Was it compassionated? Was it saved? No, the two Avaruans took it, and with wild shouting brought it, and dashed it down on a heap of stones, when in an instant its bowels gushed out. But this did not satisfy their rage. They took up stones and crushed it to powder. Alas! alas! that child, that child! if the good word of God had come just before his time, he would have lived, and would, perhaps, now have been in our midst-my heart weeps. You, little children, and you, older youths, weep for that child, and for the dark deeds of your fathers! Blessed are your eyes, for you see this season-here you are, the children of Avarua, and the children of Arorangi, united in love! Be diligent, be attentive, be followers of God as dear children!" The old man then sat down, but the impression his speech produced was not soon forgotten.

Oh

How true, my dear friend, is prophetic testimony concerning the heathen, "Their habitation is full of cruelty, and their feet are swift to shed innocent blood." cease not to pray for the heathen!-there are yet hundreds of islands in this vast ocean, whose wretched inhabitants are still living, as these once were, unblest by the light of divine truth; but who, through the increased efforts and prayers of the churches at home, soon might, like these, enjoy all the blessings of our common salvation.

THE letter from the Directors to our churches, inviting them to assist by all possible means, in the great work of making known the Gospel to the heathen beyond them, was fully appreciated both by ourselves and the people of our charge. It is, however, but little that the poor natives of Rarotonga can do towards filling the treasury. A goodly number of those, who have tasted that the Lord is gracious, are not only willing, but anxiously desirous, to give themselves to you and to the work of the Lord. These and many others assist you by their constant supplications to the throne of Him who values obedience more than sacrifice, and whose ear is ever open to the cry of his people; but of this world's good they have not much. Those of the natives, united in classes for instruction, have been diligent during the past year in planting and weeding their patches of arrow-root for the benefit of the Society.

On the 15th of June last, we held the Annual Auxiliary Missionary Meeting, at Avarua-the station of Mr. Buzacott. At an early hour of the morning most of the people at this station assembled in the chapel. After singing and prayer, Matthea Davida was re-appointed as Treasurer. Several speeches were delivered by natives, testifying their gratitude to the churches at home, and their love to the Saviour for the blessing of grace so richly enjoyed by them. The Captains of two American whaling vessels lying off the Island attended the meeting, and gave some account of the revivals in America, together with the growing interest in missions there; exhorting the people by every practicable means to seek the extension of the blessings of the Gospel to the heathen beyond them.

Rio, one of the first native teachers to the Island, gave an address which was listened to with great interest. He said, "Blessed are our eyes, that we see these rays of light. Our fathers were born in darkness, and in darkness their years fell behind them. The various generations of chiefs have died without seeing those days; but we are now rejoicing continually in the light from heaven." Addressing the young, he said, "You ought indeed to exalt your voices high in

praise to Jehovah. He has saved you from the pit of heathenism. We, your fathers, know the character of that pit. Some of you were born there; but now you resemble stones dug out of darkness and filth, and built up, by the love of Jesus, into a house of light and glory. You do not know what we know. The reign of Satan is a dark reign -a reign of death. We, your fathers, have lived under his dominion. The place in which we are now met was once a fearful place-a place of murder. We lived in the mountains, and hid ourselves in the holes of the rocks and in the caves of the earth. Our spear was our companion-our stones of murder our choicest property. Ane! ane! ane! (Alas! alas! alas!) we ate flesh -human flesh-and drank blood; but now we are saved. Great is the love of God. Let our hearts be glad-let our voices be exalted-and let us do what we can to send the word of God to those who are as we were. The churches of Britain are doing much now; and they call on us to help them we have no real property; but we all have land, and we all know how to plant. Let us plant-continue to plant-arrowroot, to assist in this great work; and what we do with our hands, let us see that our hearts be there also: that will be wellpleasing to God."

After the meeting, the arrow-root prepared by the classes was weighed-it amounted to 1,400 lbs. (two years' subscription.) The people of this station, "Avarua," were prevented from preparing their arrow-root last year, owing to their building a new schoolhouse; their old one, together with their chapel, being blown down by a fearful hurricane, in March, 1841.

A few days after the above meeting, one of a similar kind was held at our station, "Arorangi," at the close of which, 900 lbs. of arrow-root were subscribed, together with three dollars, and twenty-four bundles of dried banana. The people of the station, with the children of our school, have planted for the ensuing year, and by their cheerfulness in the work, give proof of their desire to aid, as far as in them lies, the holy cause to which they owe so much.

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