276 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
common topics, and preached my first sermon in 
Tahitian in the month of November, 1818. 
I was much affected on giving up myself to 
Missionary pursuits, on leaving England, and on 
reaching the islands, hut I had never so deeply 
felt the responsibility of my situation, and my 
insufficiency for the work, as I did on the day 
when I delivered my first native discourse. The 
congregation was large, the chiefs and Mission¬ 
aries were present; and, at the appointed time, 
I commenced the services with reading and 
prayer, exercises in which I had occasionally 
engaged before. I had selected for the text what 
appeared a most suitable passage with which to 
commence my public ministry: “ This is a faithful 
saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ 
Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” 1 Tim. 
i. 15. I was enabled to conclude the service with 
less difficulty than I expected, and was happy to 
have an opportunity of declaring, though very 
imperfectly, truths that were able to make those 
to whom they were delivered, wise unto salvation, 
through faith in Christ Jesus. In continuing my 
labours, I found it necessary, on account of the 
peculiarities of the native language, to write out 
most of my discourses, and commit them to me¬ 
mory, before I could venture to address them to 
the people. 
The establishment of schools, the reducing to 
writing, and a regular grammatical system, uncul¬ 
tivated and oral languages, and the translation of 
the sacred Scriptures, have ever been acknow¬ 
ledged as important, if not essential parts of a 
Missionary’s duty ; but the promulgation of the 
gospel by the living voice has always been con¬ 
sidered by us as the primary, and, wherever prac- 
