POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 5^5 
mony with the American Missionaries, have been already 
published. Towards the close of 1824, an afflictive dis¬ 
pensation of Divine providence removed us from these 
islands. This was, the severe and protracted illness of 
Mrs. Ellis ; the only hope of whose life was derived from 
the effects of a voyage to England. On our return we 
visited Huahine, anchored in Fare harbour, and had the 
high satisfaction of spending a fortnight in delightful 
intercourse with our Missionary friends, and the kind 
people of the settlement. 
Early in the month of November we again took leave 
of our friends and fellow-labourers, hoping to revisit 
them when we should return to the Pacific ; feeling, at 
the same time, that, with regard to some, perhaps many, 
we should not meet again in this world; but cheered 
with the anticipation of meeting in a region where 
parting would be unknown. When our anchor was 
raised, and our sails spread, the vessel moved slowly out 
of the harbour. The day wa-s remarkably fine, and the 
wind light, and both these afforded opportunities of 
leisurely surveying the receding shore. As the different 
sections of the bay opened and receded from my view, 
I could not forbear contrasting the appearance of the 
district at this time with that presented on my first 
arrival in 1818. 
There was the same rich and diversified scenery, but, 
instead of a few rustic huts, a fine town, two miles in 
length, now spread itself along the margin of the bay; a 
good road extended through the settlement; nearly four 
hundred white, plastered, native cottages appeared, some 
on the margin of the sea, others enclosed in neat and 
well-cultivated gardens. A number of quays were erected 
along the shore; the schools were conspicuous; and 
