SABBATH SERVICES. 441 
fersnt persons at distant places. All agree re¬ 
specting the boat, clothing, sword, &c. of the 
party who arrived at Kearake’kua. Among others, 
the late king Rihoriho gave us a detailed account 
of their landing, &c. only a short time before he 
embarked for England. We feel but little doubt 
of the fact; but the country whence they came, 
the place whither they were bound, the occasion 
of their visit, and a variety of interesting particu¬ 
lars connected therewith, will probably remain 
undiscovered. 
The 31st was the Sabbath. The stillness of 
every thing around, the decent apparel of those 
who were seen passing and repassing, together 
with the numbers of canoes all drawn up on the 
beach, under the shade of the cocoa-nut or kou 
trees, combined to mark the return of the la tabu , 
or sacred day. An unusual number attended 
family prayers at the governor’s house in the 
morning; and, at half-past ten, the bell was rung 
for public worship. About eight hundred people 
assembled under the ranai, and I preached to them 
from Heb. xi. 7. And, after a succinct account 
of the deluge, I endeavoured to exhibit the ad¬ 
vantages of faith, and the consequences of wicked¬ 
ness and unbelief, as illustrated in the salvation of 
Noah, and the destruction of the rest of mankind. 
After the conclusion of the service, several 
persons present requested me to remain till they 
had made some inquiries respecting the deluge, 
Noah, &c. 
They said they were informed by their fathers, 
that all the land had once been overflowed by the 
sea, except a small peak on the top of Mouna- 
Kea, where two human beings were preserved 
from the destruction that overtook the rest, but 
