462 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
After meeting the Missionaries of the Leeward Islands 
at Raiatea^ they passed some weeks with us in Huahine. 
Their visit was peculiarly gratifying, being the first we 
had received from any of the Missionaries in the Wind¬ 
ward Islands, though we had been at Fare harbour 
upwards of three years. The season they spent with us 
was also distinguished by one or two important circum¬ 
stances. 
Paganism had been renounced in 1816, and a general 
profession of Christianity followed the commencement of 
the Mission here; there were, however, a number who 
felt the restraint Christianity imposed upon their evil 
propensities, to be exceedingly irksome. These were 
principally young persons; and though, from the in¬ 
fluence of example, or the popularity of religion, they 
had attached themselves to the Christians, they were 
probably hoping that a change would take place in the 
sentiments of the nation more favourable to their wishes, 
and relax the restriction which the precepts of Scripture 
had imposed. They did not disturb the tranquillity of 
the community. 
But when the chiefs intimated their intention of 
governing for the future according to the principles and 
maxims of the Bible, and that the new code of laws had 
received the sanction of Pomare-vahine, as well as that 
of the ruling chiefs on the island, they began to be 
apprehensive that the existing state of things was likely 
to be permanent. They then first exhibited a disposition 
to oppose their application. Several who had trans¬ 
gressed had been by the chiefs admonished and dis¬ 
missed ; the latter, at the same time, firmly declaring 
their determination to enforce the laws which they had 
promulgated. 
