MISSIONARY EFFORTS. 
31 
the homage of the heart and uniform obedience of 
the life. Instead of this, they found the laws of 
the Tabu entirely abrogated, and priests no longer 
existing as a distinct body, but merged in the 
other classes of the community. The whole nation 
was without any religion, and, in this respect at 
least, prepared to receive the dispensation of the 
gospel, recommended, as it was, by an exemption 
from all the miseries of their former system, and 
the animating prospects of life and immortality. 
Notwithstanding this, the Missionaries, in the 
commencement of their efforts to instruct the 
natives, met with some opposition from misin¬ 
formed and jealous individuals, who entertained 
groundless suspicions as to the ultimate object of 
their mission. This, however, was overruled by 
Karaimoku, Keopuolani, and other leading chiefs, 
and the king willingly allowed them to remain at 
least for a year. 
They were accompanied by several native 
youths, whom a roving disposition had induced to 
visit America, where they had been educated in a 
school for instructing the aborigines of various 
heathen nations, designated the Foreign Mission 
School , and who, having given pleasing evidence 
of piety, and understanding English, were qua¬ 
lified to act as interpreters, and assist the Mission¬ 
aries in the acquisition of the language. The 
difficult task of settling the orthography of an 
unwritten language, required all their energies ; 
but by diligent application, and the help of the 
elementary books in the dialects of the Society 
Islands and New Zealand, they were enabled, in 
the beginning of 1822, to put to press the first 
sheet of a Hawaiian spelling-book, and to present 
the natives with the elements of the vernacular 
