JOIN THE AMERICAN MISSION. 43 
thoughts of mercy towards this people, and has 
work for us to do here, that we are deprived for 
the present of the means of returning.” 
On the 10th of May, Auna came up to the 
Mission-house, and informed me that Kaahumanu, 
and Taumuarii, the king of Tauai, had requested 
him and his wife to take up their abode with them 
in the Sandwich Islands, and had desired that I 
would return to Huahine for my family, and then 
come and dwell with them. As soon as the 
intelligence was made known to Messrs. Tyerman 
and Bennet, we unitedly communicated it to our 
friends the American Missionaries, who unanimously 
expressed their desires that we should comply 
with the wishes of the chiefs, and expressed their 
opinion that it would facilitate the introduction 
of Christianity among the people. Other chiefs 
afterwards expressed a corresponding desire; the 
king also said it would be well; and as it appeared 
that our coming would strengthen the hands of 
our American brethren, facilitate their acqui¬ 
sition of the language, and aid the accomplish¬ 
ment of an object equally desired by us all, we 
assured the chiefs of our willingness to comply 
with their wishes. Shortly after this, Auna ac¬ 
companied Kaahumanu and Taumuarii, to Maui, 
and Messrs, Tyerman, Bennet, Bingham, and my¬ 
self, made a tour of Oahu, which, while it made 
us acquainted with the number and circumstances 
of the people, excited our sympathies on their 
behalf, and enabled us, as opportunity offered, to 
address them on the subject of religion, favoured 
us also with the means of observing the extent and 
varied appearance of the country. In company 
with Captains Lewis and Brown, and Messrs. 
Jones, Dix, and Moxley, we sailed as far as 
