THE SPELLING-BOOK. 223 
printed, to his encampment on the opposite side of 
the bay. 
When the benefits which the Tahitians have 
already derived from education, and the circulation 
of books, are considered, with the increasing advan¬ 
tages which it is presumed future generations will 
derive from the establishment of the press, we can¬ 
not but view the introduction of printing as an 
auspicious event. The 30th of June, 1817, was, 
on this account, an important day in the annals 
of Tahiti; and there is no act of Pomare’s life, 
excepting his abolition of idolatry, his clemency 
after the battle of Bunaau’ia, and his devotedness 
in visiting every district in the island, inducing the 
chiefs and people to embrace Christianity, that 
will be remembered with more grateful feeling 
than the circumstance of his printing the first 
page of the first book published in the South Sea 
Islands. 
The spelling-book being most needed, was first 
put to press, and an edition of 2600 copies soon 
finished. The king with his attendants passed by 
the printing-office every afternoon, on their way to 
his favourite bathing-place, and seldom omitted to 
call, and spend some time in watching the progress 
of the work. He engaged in counting several of 
the letters, and appeared surprised when he found 
that, in sixteen pages of the spelling-book, there 
were upwards of five thousand of the letter a. An 
edition of 2300 copies of the Tahitian Catechism, 
and a Collection of Texts, or Extracts from Scrip¬ 
ture, were next printed; after which, St. Luke’s 
Gospel, which had been translated by Mr. Nott, 
was put to press. 
While the spelling-book was in hand, Mr. and 
Mrs. Orsmond arrived in the islands, and took up 
