1835. 



MR. WILSON PAPIETE. 



54S 



performed. This is the established custom at all the missionary 

 stations at Otaheite on Wednesday mornings : on other morn- 

 ings one or two hours after daylight are employed in the schools. 

 The congregation was numerous, and very attentive. I noticed 

 that all the principal men of the district, besides Hitote who 

 came from a distant part of the island, were present. 



Mr. Wilson''s manner pleased me much ; it was the sincere, 

 and naturally impressive manner of a kind-hearted, honest 

 man, earnestly performing a sacred and paramount duty. I 

 went to see the new chapel after the morning-service was ended ; 

 but only the floor-timbers and the posts for the roof were then 

 fixed in their places. The natives were irregular in their 

 work, sometimes doing much, at others little, just as they felt 

 disposed. Being a voluntary work, they took their time 

 about it. 



Mr. Darwin and I breakfasted with Mr. Wilson at his 

 house : it happened that Mr. and Mrs. Henry were about to 

 make a journey to some distance ; that a favourite son was 

 undertaking a new and difficult mission at the Navigator''s 

 Islands, and that we were both about to take leave of the pious 

 teacher of the heathen : and for each he asked a blessing, in 

 an extempore prayer of some length, the result of unaffected, 

 genuine piety. A kinder, or less exceptionable prayer, so far 

 as I could pretend to judge, than that unprepared one by 

 Mr. Wilson, I could not have wished to hear. That it was 

 unprepared I feel certain, because he had not expected us to 

 be present, and the manner in which our prospects were inter- 

 mingled with those of the others he mentioned, showed that 

 there was no premeditation. There was no affected expres- 

 sion, or unusual tone : it was the sincere devout manner of a 

 pious plain-spoken man. 



When under sail we tried to approach the entrance of 

 Papiete Harbour, but baffling winds prevented our anchoring 

 until three in the afternoon ; and then, anticipating the royal 

 visit, we tried to make such preparations as our little vessel 

 could accomplish. Dressing the ship with flags, and pre- 

 paring to man yards, was all we were able to do : salute we 

 could not, on account of the clironometers. 



