418 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
CHAP. XVII. 
Public assemblies during the week—Questional and con¬ 
versational meetings—Topics discussed—The seat of the 
thoughts and affections—Duty of prayer—Scripture 
biography and history—The first parents of mankind— 
Paradise—Origin of moral evil—Satanic influence— 
A future state—Condition of those who had died ido¬ 
laters—The Sabbath—Inquiries respecting England— 
The doctrine of the resurrection—Anxiety to possess 
genuine Christian experience. 
The religious services of a general kind, among 
the natives, during the week, are not numerous. 
There is one lecture, which is on Wednesday even¬ 
ing. Numbers assemble at this time, and the 
exercise, we have reason to believe, is useful in 
keeping alive that interest in matters of religion, 
which might be diminished by the secular engage¬ 
ments of the week. The following account of one 
of these meetings is given by Captain Gambier, in 
the extracts of his journal. 
“ On Wednesday afternoon we attended a 
native divine service. It was begun with a hymn ; 
then Mr. Nott, who did duty, prayed extempore 
for some length, and then read a passage from 
the scripture, upon which he preached with great 
