224 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
their residence at Afareaitu; increasing thereby 
the enjoyment of our social hours. 
The first sheet of St. Luke’s Gospel was nearly 
printed, when the Active, with six Missionaries 
from England, arrived. Among them were our 
fellow-voyagers, Mr. and Mrs. Threlkeld, and our 
esteemed friends Mr. and Mrs. Barff; we had 
parted with them in England, and were truly 
rejoiced to welcome them to the distant shores of 
our future dwelling-place. By the same vessel, a 
supply of printing paper was sent from the British 
and Foreign Bible Society. Its arrival was most 
providential. The paper sent by the Missionary 
Society was only sufficient, after the elementary 
books had been finished, to enable us to print 
1500 copies of the Gospel; but the arrival of the 
liberal grant from the Bible Society enabled us at 
once to double the number of copies. Although 
the demand has increased, and larger editions of 
the subsequent books have been necessary, the 
British and Foreign Bible Society has generously 
furnished the paper for every subsequent portion 
of the Scriptures that has been printed in the 
islands. 
The composition and press-work of the elemen¬ 
tary books, and of the greater portion of the 
edition of nearly 3000 copies of St. Luke’s Gospel, 
was performed almost entirely by Mr. Crook and 
myself. In the mean time, two natives were 
instructed to perform the most laborious parts; 
and, before the books were finished, they were 
able, under proper superintendence, to relieve us 
from the mechanical labour of press-work, — a 
department in which, they with others have been 
ever since employed; receiving regular payment 
for the same. In all works subsequently published. 
