SCO MEMOIR OF DR. HARVEY. 



selves for the day of rest, which is rigidly observed by all. 

 To-day was bright and fine, and I walked on another part of 

 the reef, where I observed in one place an extensive field of 

 coral, recently dead, standing a few inches out of the water, as 

 if, within a short period, the bed had been raised sufficiently to 

 kill the coral animals ; a thing not impossible in these islands 

 where earthquakes are common. Here the Nullipores were 

 plentiful, but the other Algas were few and far between, and 

 there were few shells. In the evening the voice of hymns came 

 up from all the scattered houses of the village. 



29th. (Sunday.) In the morning I attended the service for 

 the natives, which consisted of an abridgment of the Liturgy, 

 with hymns, extempore prayers, and a sermon." 



The history of the conversion of the Friendly and Fiji 

 islanders, from the darkest state of cannibalism and heathen 

 barbarity, to that of comparatively Christianized civilisation, has 

 become so well known since Dr. Harvey's visit, that the details 

 of his journal in this respect have lost much of their freshness. 

 The sketches, therefore, here presented to the reader will be 

 confined chiefly to such as have a personal relation to his six 

 months' residence and explorations. A letter written at this 

 time to Mr. Ward will sufficiently show how deeply he was im- 

 pressed by what he heard and witnessed concerning the natives, 

 and his anxious desire to aid the missionaries in their good work 

 as far as lay in his power. His appeal regarding the medical 

 fund was at once responded to, and the supply of medicines 

 kept up till within the last few years, when its continuance was 

 believed to be no longer necessary. 



To N. B. Ward, Esq. 

 Tongataboo, Friendly Islands, July 29th, 1855. 



My dear Ward, 



I have become much interested in the missionary work 

 which is now going on in these islands, since I have seen for 

 myself some of the fruits already gathered in by the Wesleyan 

 Missionary Society. You know my predilections are not in 

 favour of sectarianism, and hitherto I have abstained from 

 supporting any but the missionary societies of the English 

 Church ; nor should I now depart from this line of conduct, did 



