POLYNESIAN RESEARCFIES. 
151 
There are special meetings^ held once a week^ for 
the instruction of those who desire to make a public 
profession of the Christian faith by baptism^ and an¬ 
other for the candidates for communion. In addition 
to these, there is a public meeting for general conver¬ 
sation, or rather for answering the questions of the 
people, held every Monday afternoon or evening. 
This meeting originated in that held on the 26th 
of July 1813, for the purpose of writing the names 
of those who were desirous of publicly professing 
Christianity; and was designed for the more particu¬ 
lar instruction of such individuals, though it has 
since assumed a more general character. This has 
been one of the most important and efficient means 
of promoting general and religious improvement in the 
islands. The greater part of the inhabitants of the 
settlement in which it is held, and many from remote 
districts, having assembled in the place of worship; 
we usually took our seats near a table at one end of 
the building. Soon after the Missionaries have en¬ 
tered, a native, perhaps in some distant part of the 
house, stands up, and, addressing them by name, asks a 
question, states a difficulty that may have perplexed his 
mind, begs an explanation of a passage of Scripture, 
or makes an inquiry relative to some subject or por¬ 
tion of the sacred volume, &c. Our answers generally 
lead to farther questions, either from the first inquirer, 
or other individuals in the assembly. The conversa¬ 
tion is sometimes continued until a late hour; and 
both the queries and the replies are usually listened 
to with great attention. We always endeavoured to 
divest these meetings of all formality and reserve; and 
studied to render them engaging, by accompanying our 
