CHRISTIAN ISLANDER. 33 



Now we say that this unsophisticated native 

 thinker, working thus all by himself at the 1 

 great theological argument from evidences of 

 design, could hardly have done better had he 

 been going to school to Calvin or Chalmers all 

 his days. He might have written in his Poly- 

 nesian Bible the lines which are said to have 

 been found on the blank leaf of a copy of the 

 Scriptures belonging to a great English poet. 

 And, ah ! how much better had it been for the 

 world if Byron had loved his Bible as there is 

 reason to believe the unknown Tahitian did his. 



" Within this awful volume lies 

 The mystery of mysteries : 

 And bless' d, for ever bless* d are they 

 Who read to hope, and read to pray. 

 But better had he ne'er been born, 

 Who reads to doubt, or reads to scorn." 



