Missionary records : Tahiti and Society Islands

Creator
Religious Tract Society (Great Britain)
Call Number
N 266.58 REL
Created/Published
London, [1835]
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345
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Contents

TAHITI AND SOCIETY ISLANDS. 3
CONTENTS. 5
MISSIONARY RECORDS. TAHITI AND SOCIETY ISLANDS. 11
CHAPTER II. Peculiarities of the various tribes inhabiting the Islands of the Pacific.—Physical, intellectual, and moral character of the South Sea Islanders.—Feelings of sympathy excited in their behalf.—Formation of the Missionary Society. The broad catholic principles of its founders. —Appointment and departure of the ship Duff, with the first Mission to the South Seas.— Sentiments and feelings of the Missionaries.— Arrival at Tahiti.—Reception of the Missionaries by the king and chiefs.—Temporary accommodations provided.—Grant of land for the permanent support of the Mission.—Ordination of Missionaries for other Islands.— Establishment of the Monthly Missionary Prayer Meeting.—Probable causes of the favourable reception of the Mission. 32
CHAPTER III. Circumstances under which the Mission was commenced.—Notice of an earlier attempt by Spanish Roman Catholics.—General view of the state of the inhabitants at the time.— Nature and tendency of their superstitions.— Number and character of their idols, birds, beasts, fishes, and other objects of religious veneration.—Deified men.—Influence of their superstition.—Temples, different kinds, their extent, structure, uses.—Account of the great temple of Oberea in Papara.—Sacred trees within the precincts of the temples.—The foundations laid on the bodies of human victims o ffered in sacrifice.—Pagan worship.—Priests. Prayers.—Offerings.—Victims.—Human sacrifices.—Recollections of their cruelty still retained by the people.—Manner of disposing of the bodies of the human victims.—Heathen festivals.—Depraved morals of the people.— Prevalence of dishonesty.—Intemperance. Habits of the South Sea Islanders.—Degradation of the female sex.—Operation of the tabu system. 62
CHAPTER IV. Practice of infant murder among the South Sea Islanders.—Numbers destroyed.—Means by which this cruel deed was accomplished.—Motives by which they were influenced in its perpetration.—Female infants most frequently destroyed.—Disproportion between the sexes. War, its frequency.—Human sacrifices offered during the preparation for war.—Modes of warfare.—Attach and defence.—Weapons, dress, and ornaments of the warriors.—Treatment of the vanquished.—Destruction of their villages, of the aged relatives and infants of the defeated party.—Insult of the bodies of the slain.—Customs in relation to the dead.—Selftorture and weeping.—Practice of embalming. Curious preparatory ceremonies.—Houses erected for the dead.—Means employed to pacify the spirits of the departed.—Probable population of ike island at the time the mission was established. 83
CHAPTER V. Effects produced on the minds of the natives by the different occupations of the Missionaries; at saw-pit; the forge, etc.—Study of the language.—Visit to the chiefs.—Insecure state of native society.—Account of the murder of a native.—Efforts to prevent the offering of human sacrifices, and the murder of infants.— Arrival of a ship in distress.—Desertion of part of the crew.—Kindness of the Missionaries to the captain.—Their endeavours to secure the return of the deserters.—Four of the Missionaries assaulted and plundered by the natives.—Cause of this barbarity.—Its disastrous effects upon the Mission.—Departure of eleven of the Missionaries from Tahiti.—Sentiments and feelings of those who remained.—Their decision on the subject of war. 104
CHAPTER VI. Circumstances under which the Missionaries pursued their labours.—Painful developments of native character.—Singular custom of disposing of presents.—Difference of actual Missionary work from the ideas formed of it before departing from England.—Notice of the Missionary prayer meeting.—Assassination of the High Priest.—Remarkable preservation of one of his friends.—Cruelty practised by the natives. —Treachery of Otu.—Summary of the, state of the Mission. Singular observances in connexion with the celebration of marriage among the people.—Inquiries of the people why earlier visitors to the islands gave the people no information on the subject of religion. —Difficulties attending their attempts to teach the people.—Notice of human sacrifices and agitation among the people.—Death of Mr. Lewis.—Instance of savage cruelty.—Reflections on the close of the year.—Second voyage of the ship Duff.—Capture of the vessel.— Detention of the Missionaries.—Embarkation for Rio Janeiro.—Second capture by the Portuguese.—Treatment in the voyage.—Return to Europe. 130
CHAPTER VII. Encouraging tidings from England.—Rapidity of depopulation in Tahiti.—Reflections on the state of the people.—Arrival of additional Missionaries in the Royal Admiral.—Missionary tours of Tahiti and Eimeo.—Wars on account of the image of Oro.—Providential arrival of foreigners. The Mission-house garrisoned by seamen.—Baneful effects of idolatrous wars upon the people.—Treacherous mode of obtaining human sacrifices.—Contemptuous manner in which the labours of the Mission were regarded.—Testimony of Turnbull in favour of the Missionaries.—Probable number to which the inhabitants of the Islands were reduced.—Death of Pomare the First. -Origin of his name.—Practice of burying the sick alive.—Human victims brought from Eirneo.—Afflictive privations of the Missionaries, and want of tidings from England.— Happy death of Mr. Jefferson.—Outbreaking of war in Matavai.—Departure of the majority of the Missionaries for Huahine.—Defeat of the king.—Flight of the remainder of the Missionaries to Eimeo, and breaking up of the Tahitian Mission.—Reflections.—Voyage of the Missionaries to New South Wales.— Hospitable reception and kind treatment from the governor and others in the colony. 160
CHAPTER VIII. Return of the Missionaries to Eimeo.—Their friendly reception by the king.—Painful bereavements in the Mission families.—Public profession of Christianity by Pomare II.— His request to be baptized.—His conversation with the chiefs.—Extracts of his letters to the Missionaries.—Encouraging accounts from Tahiti.—Seasons for private prayer observed among the natives.—Names of the first converts recorded.—Progress of crime and barbarity among the idolaters at Tahiti.—Conversation with the votaries of Oro at Eimeo.— Death of a native Christian.—Native Christians designated “Bure Atuaor Prayers to God.—Visit to the Society Islands.—Persecution in Tahiti.—Martyrdom of native Christians.—Acknowledgment of the true God before a public assembly.—Death of Mr. Scott.— Malice of the idolaters.—Proposed assassination of the Christians.—Their escape.—Quarrels among the idolaters.—Efforts of Pomare among the chiefs at Eimeo.—His letter to the Missionaries. 186
CHAPTER IX. Effects of the war on the Christians.—Season of fasting and prayer.—Voyage of Pomare to Tahiti.—Treachery of the idolaters.—Assault upon the Christians.—General engagement on the sabbath.—Death of the leader of the idolatrous forces.—Their entire defeat and flight.—Humanity of the victors.—Submission of the chiefs and people of Tahiti to Pomare’s sway.—Destruction of the image of Oro, the national idol.—Complete subversion of idolatry, and general profession of Christianity.— Missionary tours among the people.—Invitations to Matavai.—General religious worship. —Pomare’s prayer.—Surrender of his family idols.—Letter from Pomare.—Extension of general change among the inhabitants of the islands of Eimeo, Hauhine, Raiatea, Tahaa, and Borabora.—Arrival of Mr. Crook.—Observance of the sabbath.—General state of the Mission.—Arrival of Messrs. Ellis and Orsmond.—Effect of native services.—Arrival offurther aid from England. 220
CHAPTER X. Formation of a new station in Eimeo.—Establishment of the press.—First printing in the islands.—General desire for books.—Pleasing instances of earnestness to obtain copies of the Scriptures.—Completion of the vessel.—Reoccupancy of the Missionary station in Tahiti. —Establishment of new stations.—Commencement of Missions in the islands of Huahine and Raiatea.—Formation of Tahitian Missionary Society.—Speech of Pomare.—Establishment of a Missionary society in Huahine and Raiatea.—Probable cause of attention to religion at this time.—Attempt to introduce the culture of sugar in the islands.—Erection and opening of the Royal Mission Chapel at Tahiti.—A code of laws prepared.—Conduct of the Missionaries in reference to the same. —Establishment of a code of laws.—Baptism of Pomare.—Formation of Christian churches in Tahiti.—Remarkable effects of the preaching of the gospel in Huahine.—Desire for copies of the Scriptures.—Blind Hiro the converted priest.—Encouraging state of the Mission in Raiatea in 1819. 245
CHAPTER XI. General state of the Windward Missions.—Commencement of a Mission in Borabora.—Formation of a Christian church in Huahine.— Destruction of the idols in Raivavai.—Profession of Christianity by the inhabitants.—Voyage and wreck of the Austral chief.—Introduction of the gospelto Rurutu.—Letter from the native teachers.—Visit of a deputation from the Missionary Society.—Death of Pomare.—Voyage to the Sandwich Islands.—Commencement of a Mission in Tahaa.—Public meeting on New Years' Day, 1824, at Raiatea.—South Sea Academy established.—Testimony of the deputation after leaving the islands.—Progress of the Missions in 1825.—Arrival of Messrs. Pitman and Pritchard.—Voyage of Mr. Crook to the Marquesas.—Subsequent efforts to introduce the gospel among the inhabitants. 277
CHAPTER XII. Return of Mr. Nott.—Death of the young king. —His sister Aimata acknowledged as queen.— Relaxation of morals among the people.— Introduction of ardent spirits.—Rise of visionary heresies.—Wreck of an American ship. Conduct of the natives at Huahine and Rurutu.—Happy death of Maoae.—Advancement of civilization.—Disturbance in Tahiti.— Arrival of the Pitcairn Islanders.—War in the Leeward Islands.—Death of the king of Raiatea.—His letter to a lady in England.— General state of society.—War in Tahiti.— Retrospect of the progress of the gospel.— State of the Mission in 1834. 310

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Religious Tract Society (Great Britain). (1835). Missionary records : Tahiti and Society Islands Retrieved April 24, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-52793826

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Religious Tract Society (Great Britain). Missionary records : Tahiti and Society Islands London: , 1835. Web. 24 April 2024 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-52793826>

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Religious Tract Society (Great Britain). 1835, Missionary records : Tahiti and Society Islands , London viewed 24 April 2024 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-52793826

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{{Citation
  | author1=Religious Tract Society (Great Britain).
  | title=Missionary records : Tahiti and Society Islands
  | year=1835
  | section=viii, 334 p. ; 16 cm.
  | edition=2nd ed.
  | location=London
  | publisher=
  | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-52793826
  | id=nla.obj-52793826
  | access-date=24 April 2024
  | via=Trove
}}

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