h has taken place in these
islands, they would cease to disbelieve the statements which have been
made by missionaries and others on the subject.

"But I must go on with my account. I was going to tell you how
Christianity was introduced into Samoa,--and here the guiding hand of
God can especially be traced.

"When John Williams sailed from Tahiti on his first long voyage in the
_Messenger of Peace_, after visiting the Hervey group, and many other
islands, he touched at the Tonga, or Friendly Islands, many of the
inhabitants of which had already become Christian. The history of the
group I will give you presently. At Tonga, a chief of the Navigator
Islands, called Fanea, was met with, who had been eleven years away from
home. His wife had become a Christian, and he himself was favourable to
the new religion. He offered to accompany Mr Williams, and to
introduce him to his brother chiefs. His account of himself being found
correct, his offer was accepted, and he and his wife embarked. The
voyage was prosperous, and Sapapalii, or Savaii, an island two hundred
and fifty miles in circumference, was reached. Fanea now showed how
especially fitted he was to assist the missionaries in their task.
Calling them aside to a private part of the vessel, he requested them to
desire the teachers not to commence their labours among their countrymen
by condemning their canoe races, their dances, and other amusements, to
which they were much attached, lest in the very onset they should
conceive a dislike to the religion which imposed such restraints. `Tell
them,' said he, `to be diligent in teaching the people, to make them
wise, and they themselves will put away that which is evil. Let the
"word" prevail, and get a firm hold upon them, and then we may with
safety adopt measures which at first would prove injurious.' Fanea was
related to Malietoa, one of the principal chiefs of the island, and was
therefore, by his influence with his relatives, able to render great
assistance to the work. He expressed, however, his fears that a
powerful and perhaps an insuperable opposition would be offered by a
still greater chief, who was besides a sort of pope or high priest, the
head of such religious institution as they possessed. His name was
Tamafaigna. Fanea asked after him in a trembling voice. `He is dead,--
killed ten days,--clubbed to death, as he deserved,' shouted the people,
in evident delight, showing that they dreaded mor