16 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
negroes for sale; yet scarcely a day passed while we 
were in the town^ during which we did not meet these 
heartless traffickers in human beings thus employed. In 
the English or Portuguese families with which we had 
any opportunities of becoming acquainted^ although the 
domestic slaves did not appear to be treated with that 
unkindness which the slaves in the field often experience^ 
yet, even here, the whip was frequently employed in a 
manner, and under circumstances, revolting to every 
feeling of humanity. 
While we continued in Rio, I had several oppor¬ 
tunities of preaching on the Sabbath in the dwelling 
houses of two of the merchants whom we were visit¬ 
ing. This was shortly after the treaty of peace with 
Great Britain, which secured to British subjects resid¬ 
ing in Brazil, the right of public Protestant worship, 
but not of proselyting the inhabitants. Several of the 
English families attended; by whom proposals were 
made, requesting me to remain as a minister of religion 
among them. There were at that time fifty-seven British 
mercantile houses—two hundred and fifty English; and 
dependent upon them, six hundred servants, including 
blacks. Having, however, devoted my life to the service 
of the heathen, I felt it my duty to decline their invita¬ 
tion, and to proceed to my original destination. During 
the first week of May, we took leave of our friends, 
thankful for the attentions and kindness we had ex¬ 
perienced. Severe domestic affliction detained my col¬ 
league, the Rev. L. E. Threlkeld, at Rio, and we were 
under the necessity of proceeding alone on the remainder 
of our voyage. 
Sailing from Rio, we directed our course across the 
Atlantic, doubled the Cape of Good Hope, and, travers- 
