white stranger, who had insulted their gods; and they predicted hosts of
calamities that were to happen, in consequence of their having allowed
the teller of lies to work so much mischief against them.

"My husband then being called upon for his defence, first declared to
the judges the attributes of the Deity he worshipped: that He created
the vast heavens, the stars, the mountains, the rivers, and the sea; His
voice spoke in the thunder, and His eye flashed in the lightning. He
then dwelt on His goodness to man, especially to the Sandwich Islanders,
whom He had created for the purpose of enjoying the fine country around
them and of beholding the beauty of the heavens where He dwelt. Then he
referred to the gods they had worshipped, and asked how they were made,
and what such senseless things could do for them; commenting on their
inability to serve them in any way, or do them any harm; and went on to
speak of the benefits he had been able to confer upon them, through the
influence of the all-powerful God he worshipped; and asked them if he
had ever done them anything but good. Lastly, he promised them
innumerable benefits, if they would leave their useless gods, and turn
to the only God who had the power to serve them.

"It is impossible for me to do justice to the animated manner in which
he delivered this discourse. It produced great effect upon the majority
of his hearers; but there was a powerful minority it still more strongly
influenced against him; and they continued to interrupt him with
terrible outcries.

"Most of the leading chiefs were against his suffering any harm. They
bore in mind the advantages he had conferred, by his skill in medicine,
and superior wisdom in various other things, which the people would lose
were he put to death. They also remembered the hope he held out of
future benefits, which of course they could not expect, if they offered
him any violence.

"The result was, that my husband was suffered to go harmless from the
meeting, to the great disappointment of his enemies, who could scarcely
be kept from laying violent hands upon him. The danger he had escaped,
unfortunately, did not render him more prudent. Far from it. He
believed that he was a chosen instrument of the Most High, to win these
savages from the depths of idolatry and paganism; and continued, on
every occasion that presented itself, to endeavour to win souls to God.

"The school increased, several of the pare