74 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
leading events, and a short account of the princi¬ 
pal persons mentioned in the Old Testament, in 
the form of a scripture history, for the use of these 
scholars. In the course of the following year, a 
spelling-book, which Mr. Davies had composed 
and used, was sent to England. Here it was 
printed, and afterwards transmitted to the islands, 
for the use of the schools. 
No long period had elapsed since the first 
establishment of the Mission, without a vessel's 
touching at Tahiti. By many of these the Mis¬ 
sionaries had been able to write to the directors 
and to their friends in England, and from several 
they had secured a small supply of such articles as 
they most needed. Bu + since the arrival of the 
Royal Admiral, in July, 1801, although the direc¬ 
tors had repeatedly sent out articles to Port Jack- 
son for Tahiti, yet the Missionaries had received 
neither supplies nor letters from England. Many 
vessels had sailed from Port Jackson, where the 
supplies were lying, and had afterwards touched at 
the island; but the captains, having no intention 
of doing so when they sailed, had refused to take 
the goods on board. Of tea and sugar, and many 
other comforts, they had long been destitute; 
and their apparel was scarcely such as to enable 
them to appear respectable in the company of any 
of their countrymen who might visit the island. 
Several of them were some years with only 
one pair of shoes ; and often, in their journeys 
undertaken for the purpose of preaching, and in¬ 
structing the natives, they had travelled barefoot. 
In addition to these privations, the gloom and 
discouragement that depressed their spirits, on 
account of the total want of success attending 
their labours, must have been increased, in a 
