406 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
Christianity, which they must do if they return, 
as Finau threatens all with death who do not 
abandon their new religion. 
“Leaving the Hapai group, we steered direct for 
the Samoa group, when we experienced a severe 
gale of wind, which afflicted us all with violent 
catarrh. One died, and several were reduced to 
the point of death. The wind however abating, 
by making the land and getting into warmer wea¬ 
ther, we soon recovered. 
“ Very providentially, a chief of the Samoas, 
being at Togna, with his wife and family, wished 
much to return, and applied to us for that pur¬ 
pose. We were glad of the opportunity of con¬ 
veying him home, and he proved an invaluable 
acquisition to us ; and we sincerely hope, and fully 
expect, he will prove equally valuable to the 
teachers we placed there. 
“ The Samoa Islands are eight in number, four 
in the windward group, and four in the leeward 
group ; two of which are much larger than Tahiti, 
and all are full of inhabitants. War raging at 
two of the principal islands, we thought it best to 
commence our labours on one only, which was not 
the seat of war, and to which the chief we had 
brought from Togna belonged. We used our 
utmost endeavours to induce the chiefs to give uo 
the war: they promised they would terminate it ! 
as speedily as possible, and come and learn from 
the teachers the lotu , or word of the great God. 
We placed eight teachers on the large island of 
Savai; four under the protection of the king, 
Malietoa, and four under the protection of his 
brother. Mr. Barff and I went on shore, and 
remained there two nights and three days, during 
which time (although probably no European had 
