216 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
after this, we were also favoured with a visit from 
Messrs. Darling and Bourne, who accompanied 
the captain of the Westmoreland from Tahiti, in 
the ship’s long-boat. After meeting the Mission¬ 
aries of the Leeward Islands at Raiatea, they 
passed some weeks with us in Huahine. Their 
visit was peculiarly gratifying, being the first we 
had received from any of the Missionaries in the 
Windward Islands, though we had beeir at Fare 
harbour upwards of three years. The season they 
spent with us was also distinguished by one or two 
important circumstances. 
Paganism had been renounced in 1816, and a 
general profession of Christianity followed the 
commencement of the Mission here; there were, 
however, a number who felt the restraint Chris¬ 
tianity imposed upon their evil propensities, to be 
exceedingly irksome. These were principally 
young persons ; and though, from the influence of 
example, or the popularity of religion, they had 
attached themselves to the Christians, they were 
probably hoping that a change would take place 
in the sentiments of the nation more favourable to 
their wishes, and relax the restriction which the 
precepts of scripture had imposed. They did not, 
however, disturb the tranquillity of the community. 
But when the chiefs intimated their intention of 
governing for the future according to the principles 
and maxims of the Bible, and that the new code 
of laws had received the sanction of Pomare- 
vahine, as well as that of the ruling chiefs on the 
island, they began to be apprehensive that the 
existing state of things was likely to be permanent. 
They then first exhibited a disposition to oppose 
their application. Several who had transgressed 
had been by the chiefs admonished and dismissed; 
