178 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
no period in the history of the Mission, could “the 
time to favour” the nation have appeared more 
unlikely than the present. The king’s mind ap¬ 
pears to have been first seriously exercised in 
reference to the declaration which he subsequently 
made, after the dispersion of the Missionaries, and 
their departure from the islands, when only one 
(viz. Mr. Nott) remained with him ; and when, in 
consequence of the state of perpetual alarm and 
agitation in which the people were kept by the 
war, none could be induced to attend preaching or 
instruction. It is probable that at that period 
public ordinances were altogether discontinued. 
The first public or open indications of the change, 
were given at a time which, according to human 
probabilities, was but little favourable to such 
events. The Missionaries had but recently 
returned from their banishment, and the work of 
instruction had scarcely been resumed ; it was the 
beginning, and but the beginning, of a second 
attempt to plant the gospel in those islands. The 
Missionaries, considering the whole of the twelve 
years spent in Tahiti as so much time lost, were 
commencing afresh their endeavours on another 
island, and could hardly expect that at this time, 
after such a protracted delay, God would at once 
prosper their enterprise. 
The circumstances of the nation, and of the 
Mission, were by no means favourable to such a 
change. It was not a time of peace and leisure, 
but of protracted, obstinate, and barbarous war— 
the king and his adherents were in exile, alter¬ 
nately agitated by the entreaties of their aux¬ 
iliaries to attempt to retrieve their affairs by a 
descent upon Tahiti, or expecting their retreat to 
be invaded by their audacious and rebellious 
