298 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
CHAP. XL 
Efforts of the natives to propagate Christianity—Amount 
of early contributions—Effect of annual meetings— 
Exertions of the first converts—Description of the Pau- 
motus, or Dangerous Archipelago—Visits of the people 
to Tahiti—Their reception of Christianity—The number 
and situation of the Marquesas—Their appearance and 
productions—Population, dress, and figure of the natives 
—Tatauing—Disposition—Government—War and can¬ 
nibalism—Attempts to introduce Christianity among 
their inhabitants—Pitcairn’s Island—Descendants of the 
mutineers of the Bounty—Waihu or Easter Island— 
Cape Horn—Juan Fernandez—Alexander Selkirk. 
Christianity universally received, and, we have 
reason to believe, firmly established in the Georg¬ 
ian and Society Islands, having overcome the 
combined opposition of idolatry, priestcraft, in¬ 
terest, and pride, with the barriers of depravity 
and abomination, which so long despised its 
authority, and resisted its appeals—and having 
survived the more fatal treachery of the enemies 
that have adopted its name, and assumed its garb 
—has not been confined to those islands 
Acknowledging the command of Christ to 
“ teach all nations, and preach the gospel to every 
creature/' to be obligatory on all his disciples 
imbibing somewhat of the true spirit of Chris- 
