POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
407 
should dispel the anticipations his arrival had awakened. 
If he has continued silent^ we have inquired whether he had 
brought out any supplies ; if he has answered No^ a pause 
has ensued) after which, we have inquired whether he 
had any letters; and if to this, the same reply has been 
returned, our disappointment was as distressing as our 
former hopes had been exhilarating. We have remarked, 
that probably our friends in England did not know of 
his departure. This has been, we believe, the ordinary 
cause why so many ships have arrived in the islands 
from England, without bringing us any intelligence, 
except what we could gather from two or three odd 
newspapers that have been lying about the cabin. 
Though it has been some alleviation to believe, that had 
our friends known of the conveyance, they would have 
written; yet the relief thus afforded is but trifling, com¬ 
pared with the pain resulting from the absence of more 
satisfactory communications. Notwithstanding the length 
of time we had often been without seeing an individual 
who spoke our native language, excepting in our own 
families, we would, in general, rather the vessel had not 
at that time arrived, than that such arrival should have 
brought us no intelligence. 
No disappointment, however, was experienced on the 
present occasion. The Hope had brought out a valuable 
supply of such articles as we needed; and Mr. and Mrs. 
Hayward, in addition to the letters of which they were 
the bearers, afforded us much satisfaction by the accounts 
they gave of those of our friends whom they had seen. 
The communications from England required the united 
consideration of the Missionaries ; and this, with the 
distribution of the supplies, detained us a week longer in 
Matavai. 
