ANNUAL EXAMINATIONS. 323 
have not been in vain. Several children and 
young persons, who have died, have left behind 
them the most consoling and satisfactory evidence, 
that they had departed to be with Christ; and 
others have been at an early age admitted mem¬ 
bers of the Christian church. 
The annual examinations of these schools are 
among the most exhilarating and interesting festi¬ 
vities now observed in the islands. They are 
usually held in the chapel, in order to afford ac¬ 
commodation to a greater number of persons than 
could gain admittance to the schools. Sometimes 
the adults are examined as well as the children, 
but, in general, only the latter. Their parents 
attend, and witness the procedure with great 
satisfaction. An entertainment and a procession 
usually terminate the exercises of the day. The 
change that has taken place has not rendered the 
people unsocial or melancholy, but has introduced 
to their families, and more general intercourse, a 
degree of cheerfulness and reasonable enjoyment 
unknown before, especially in reference to the 
rising generation. 
One of these anniversaries, held at Burder’s 
'Point, the Missionary station in the district of 
Atehuru, in the year 1824, was unusually inte¬ 
resting. This district had formerly been distin¬ 
guished for the turbulent and warlike dispositions 
of its inhabitants, and the ardour of their zeal in 
the service of their idols—the magnitude of the 
idol temples —the sanguinary character of their 
worship—and the presence of Oro, the war-god of 
the South Sea Islanders. Within the precincts 
of the Missionary station, not far from the place 
of worship, one of the great national maraes for¬ 
merly stood,—where the image of Oro had often 
y 2 
