ods to be afterwards left to their own
resources. "When their iron tools are worn out, and the use of their
stone ones is forgotten, how are they to get others?" he asks; and adds,
"it is incumbent, therefore, on Europeans, to visit them once in three
or four years, in order to supply them with those conveniences which we
have introduced to them."

The minds of those enlightened and civilised visitors were occupied with
the glory of their achievements as discoverers of hitherto unknown
lands; their remaining thoughts, which they would have called patriotic,
were principally occupied with the question how these discoveries might
be turned to account for the profit and honour of England; and if a nook
remained for a benevolent wish for "the savages," the wish was limited
to the improvement of their material condition. Otherwise, as the
English discoverer found them, so he was willing that they should
remain, satisfied with the idea that he had increased the productive
powers of the different lands he visited.

Thus, also, in the case of the wretched Omai, whose end we have seen.
It seems scarcely to have entered the minds of those who, in England,
petted and spoiled him, that he had a soul as valuable, or rather as
invaluable, as theirs; and that he needed, as all need, the transforming
influences of Divine grace to make him a future blessing, instead of a
curse, to his poor countrymen. We are told, indeed, of his being slow
to receive Christian instruction; and we read also that, among his goods
and chattels collected in England, he had a large quarto Bible, with
coloured engravings--a book, however, which was a sealed book to him and
his countrymen.

The ships now stood north, and, on December 24, discovered an
uninhabited island, with a lagoon. It was hoped that turtle would
abound here; they therefore came to an anchor. The voyagers were not
disappointed, and a considerable number were taken. Two men, while thus
employed, lost themselves in different parts of the island, and as there
was not a drop of water to be found, they suffered greatly from thirst,
especially one who would not drink turtle's blood. They were both
happily recovered. The telescopes were landed, and on December 30 an
eclipse of the sun was observed. Not a trace of any inhabitants having
ever been on the island could be discovered. There were about thirty
cocoanut trees, but the fruit was of an inferior quality. Three hundred
turtle we