lietoa, a chief of an acute and
inquiring mind and amiable disposition, who himself, with his sons, and
their wives and children, soon afterwards renounced their superstitions,
and destroyed the only idol found in Samoa. The population, when the
missionaries landed, amounted to forty thousand, who, though not so
cruel and bloodthirsty as that of other groups, were still sunk in the
lowest depths of pagan ignorance and misery.

"I have watched too the partial establishment of Christianity among the
native inhabitants of New Zealand, and its extension thence northward,
as also from the east among the islands of Western Polynesia--the New
Hebrides, New Caledonia, and the Loyalty and Britannia Islands. Still
the great work is progressing. New labourers are appearing in the
field. From all directions the heathen are crying out for instruction
in the wonderful gospel, and more and more labourers are required to
supply their urgent wants. A very remarkable feature in this great work
is the mode in which it has been accomplished. The number of educated
white men engaged in it has been comparatively very small. The most
unexpected results, the greatest triumphs have been brought about
through native agency. The natives of the Society Islands and Hervey
group especially, instructed by English missionaries, and inspired by
the Holy Spirit, have, with love in their hearts for their perishing
brethren and a burning desire for their conversion, gone forth, braving
all perils, some to the surrounding, others to far distant islands, and
their language being similar, they have at once been able to address
their heathen inhabitants. Many have died from sickness, others have
been murdered by those they came to help, but the remainder have
persevered till they have seen the cause of the gospel triumphant.

"Oh, Mr Harvey, I wish that others were impressed as I am with the
awful thought that day after day thousands upon thousands of heathen are
perishing in darkness and sin who might, did their Christian fellow-men
use more exertion, have had the glorious gospel preached to them, and
have been brought to see the light. I will illustrate the remarks I
have made," said Mr Bent, "by examples as they occur to me, keeping, as
much as my memory will allow, to the sequence of events."

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To the testimonies referred to in the foregoing chapter may be added
that giv