242 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES, 
CHAP. IX. 
Increased desire for books—Application from the blind—Account of Hiro, 
an idolatrous priest—Methods of distributing the Scriptures—Dangerous 
voyages—Motives influencing to desires for the Scriptures—Character 
of the translation—Cause of delay in baptizing the converts—General 
view of the ordinance—Baptism of the king—Preparatory instructions— 
First baptism in Huahine—Mode of applying the water—Introduction 
of Christian names—Baptism of infants—Impressions on the minds of 
the parents—Interesting state of tlie people—Extensive prevalence of a 
severe epidemic. 
A NUMBER of elementary books^ and several hundred 
copies of St. Luke’s Gospelj printed atEimeo, and reserved 
for the Leward Islands^ had been distributed among the 
people. But these were soon found inadequate to meet 
their daily increasing wants; and the great desire of all 
classes for books^ furnished a powerful stimulus to hasten 
the printing, and we were soon enabled to furnish a 
supply of spelling-books. 
I have often been amused with the perseverance and 
ingenuity manifested by the people to procure books, or 
at least a substitute for them. The bark of the auti, or 
paper mulberry, was frequently beaten to a pulp, 
spread out on a board, and wrought and dried with 
great care, till it resembled a coarse sort of card. This 
was sometimes cut into pieces about the size of the leaves 
of a book; and upon these, with a reed cut in the shape 
of a pen, and immersed in red or purple vegetable dye, the 
