CAUTION OF TIIE MISSIONARIES. 33 
been candidates upwards of one or two years. Their 
views of the doctrine have been in general correct, 
in their conduct there has been nothing unchristian 
or immoral, and they have uniformly expressed 
their desires to become the true disciples of Christ ; 
but during that period we have not baptized them, 
merely because we have apprehended they did not 
feel the necessity of that purification of heart, of 
which baptism is only the external sign. When 
we first administered that ordinance, we had no 
idea of the natives thronging in such numbers to 
receive it, and consequently, had not deliberated 
on the term of that probation which we afterwards 
deemed it desirable to institute. 
Tif, 
