42 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
the afternoon, we went together to the little chapel 
which stood in the midst of the plain of Hono- 
ruruj not far from the dwelling of the Missionaries. 
It was partly filled with natives. While we were 
singing a Tahitian hymn, the king and queen 
entered, and seated themselves in the middle of 
the place. The singing of the natives, who had 
come with us, appeared to surprise and please 
them; and they occasionally whispered to each 
other, as it proceeded. I then read the third 
chapter of the Gospel of St. John, and offered 
an extempore prayer, during which the king and 
Sandwich Islanders remained sitting. I then de¬ 
livered a short discourse from the sixteenth verse 
of the chapter I had read. The audience was 
attentive, and at the close of the service rose and 
departed. On being asked, as they went out, 
whether they understood what had been said, 
they answered yes ; though it is probable that they 
understood but imperfectly, as the whole was in 
the Tahitian language. 
While on board the Mermaid, with the king 
and several of the chiefs, on the day following, 
the captain informed me that he was going to 
make a voyage to some other part of the Pacific, 
before he returned to Huahine, and that probably 
it would be two months before he could take us 
back. This was distressing intelligence, not on 
our own account, so much as that of Mrs. Ellis 
and our friends, who had been distinctly informed 
by the captain, that before a period so remote, 
our return might be confidently expected. I 
communicated the tidings to the deputation, who 
were not less surprised than I had been, and who, 
while they expressed their regret on Mrs. Ellis's 
account, observed, 66 Perhaps the Lord has 
