POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
47 
alphabet. Soon after their arrival, the cutter sailed again 
for their island, and the two natives of Rapa returned 
to their countrymen loaded with presents from their 
new friends, and accompanied by two pious Tahitians, 
who were sent to gain more accurate information rela¬ 
tive to their country, and the disposition of its in¬ 
habitants. When the vessel approached their island, 
and the people saw their countrymen, they appeared 
highly delighted; and towards the evening, when, accom¬ 
panied by the two Tahitians, they drew near the beach 
in the ship’s boat, they came out into the sea to 
meet them, and carried the men and the boat alto¬ 
gether to the shore. This to the strangers was rather 
an unexpected reception; but, though singular, it was 
not unfriendly, for they were treated with great kindness. 
The accounts the natives gave their countrymen, of what 
they had seen in Tahiti, were marvellous to them: the 
captain of the cutter procured some tons of sandal-wood, 
and when he left, the Tahitians returned, having received 
an invitation from the chiefs and people to revisit their 
island, and reside permanently among them; a request 
so congenial to their own feelings, that they at once pro¬ 
mised to comply. 
In the month of January, 1826, the two Tahitian 
teachers and their wives, accompanied by two others, one 
a schoolmaster and the other a mechanic, sailed from 
Tahiti for Rapa. They carried with them not only spelling 
books, and copies of the Tahitian translations of the 
Scriptures, but also a variety of useful tools, implements of 
husbandry, valuable seeds and plants, together with 
timber for a chapel, and doors, &c. for the teachers’ houses. 
They were conducted to their new station by Mr. Davies, 
one of the senior Missionaries at Tahiti, who was pleased 
