3H0 FEEJEE GROUP. 



ragement. Neither is there a prospect of their making much progress 

 for some time to come. The chiefs are averse to the new religion, 

 because they do not choose to adopt, as they say, other gods at their 

 time of life, and lest they should lose their authority over their people, 

 whom they govern now through the medium of their gods or priests. 

 They refuse to allow any one of the natives under their rule to join 

 the mission, or receive instruction. From my own observation, I am 

 very well satisfied that the common people, if permitted, would readily 

 seek the change that would insure any thing like security from the 

 tyrannical customs they are now suffering under. 



The opinion is becoming general, that where a missionary resides 

 wars do not take place; and the moment will arrive when the change 

 in this group will be more rapid than that which has heretofore 

 attended their exertions elsewhere. Although this may yet be at 

 some distance, it must certainly ensue, whenever the intercourse 

 with the whites shall have so much increased as to make it desirable 

 for the chiefs to acquire the art of writing, and they have formed a 

 proper estimate of our power. Should the king of one of the powerful 

 districts be converted, his whole tribe will follow the royal example. 



The missionaries have already been settled from one to five years 

 at the different stations. A press has been established at Rewa, and 

 catechisms have been published in the Ambau, Somu-somu, and Rewa 

 dialects. The book of Mark, with some elementary works, have also 

 been published in the dialect of Rewa and Lakemba. 



All the missionaries with whom I had intercourse, were of opinion 

 that the natives of this group were far more intelligent than those of 

 other parts of Polynesia. There are few of them that could not 

 express themselves with great clearness and force. My own expe- 

 rience, and that of the officers generally, is conclusive as to the last 

 point, for the interpreters frequently made use of expressions that I 

 am well persuaded did not emanate from themselves. 



Since we left the Feejee Islands, a letter has been received from 

 David Whippy, giving a history of the transactions that have 

 occurred in this group up to 1841. I shall relate the substance of 

 this, as it will illustrate the intrigues and cruelties incident to the 

 character and government of this savage people. 



The pilots all reached Levuka safely, three days after they left us, 

 and found all things well, except the garden, which, David says, had 

 come to nought. He was not aware that we ourselves had gathered 

 some of the fruits of it. 



Shortly after their return, the mountaineers showed hostile inten- 



