speedy dissolution, and pass on to considerations of higher utility.

The enviable state of the Otaheiteans was at one time the theme of general panegyric among our Anti-Christian Philosophists. Happy people, whose food was produced spontaneously, and who had no other object in existence than enjoyment!

The Otaheiteans, and probably all the inhabitants of Polynesia, are a degenerated race: to trace the history of their degradation is impossible, but the fact is certain. Their mythological fables are physical allegory, and imply a degree of observation and knowledge of which at present they are utterly incapable. The cause of their degradation is equally certain. It exists in the very circumstances for which they were envied by the sensual sophists of Europe their food was produced spontaneously, and they had no other object in existence than enjoyment; therefore do these islanders present to us the aweful spectacle of a whole people abandoned to lust, the most intensely selfish, the most brutalizing of all the passions. It is supposed that two-thirds of the children who are born into the world

there, are immediately murdered. The fashionables, (we may thank the impudence of modern folly for this word of distinction, which implies nothing that either is, has been, or can be, respectable); the fashionables of the island are asso

ciated together for the purpose of promiscuous intercourse, every female Areeole being bound to procure abor tion, or murder every child of whom she may be delivered. These are the customs of the Otaheiteans, of these islanders who have been held up as the exemplars of savage innocence and savage happiness! After these atrocities it would seem trifling to speak of the human sacrifices common in all the. islands, and of the live-cannibalism of Tongataboo.

In this state of sensuality, the most abandoned and most atrocious, were

they discovered by the Europeans. Let the missionaries relate the consequence.

Jan. 31st. Among the natives around are many objects of compassion, whose bodies are wasting with disease, and their Souls hurrying into eternity in a state of the tmost insensibility. It is surprising what arock disease has made since we have been on the island. Matavai is almost depopulated, in comparison to what it once was, according to the accounts given by the na

tives; and not only this district, but the whole island. Stout men are cut down in a few months; women and children share the like fate. They say the disorder that makes such havock among them came from that it is owing to the wickedness of their England; and we have told them repeatedly women, in prostituting themselves to the sailors of the vessels that come here. They understand what we say, and assent to the truth of it, but their hearts are so set upon covetousness, that the appearance of a vessel effaces all remembrance of the evils they burn with a desire to obtain something, if it have suffered, and are suffering; and they is but a rag; this induces husbands to prostitute their wives, and parents their children."

derers of children been tormented with their own abominations." We have carried among them not the comforts of civilization, not the improvements of science, not the blessings of the gospel;

Thus have these "merciless mur

but instead thereof we have communi.

cated to them that tremendous disease which seems to have well nigh done its work in Europe, and is now dispensed more severely to scourge or destroy this "cursed seed," who perhaps, like the Canaanites, are no longer to be suffered to pollate the earth.

The skill and industry which they possessed when first discovered, has mateVancouver," are the various European rially declined. "So important," says. implements, and other commodities, now become to the happiness and comfort of these Islanders, that I cannot avoid reflecting with Captain Cook on the very deplorable condition to which these good people on a certainty must be reduced, should their communication with Europeans be ever at an end. The knowledge they have now acquired of the superiority, and the supply with which they have been furnished of more useful implements, have rendered these and other European commodities, not only essentially necessary to their common comforts, but have made them regardless of their former tools and manufactures, which are now growing fast out of use, and I may add equally out of remembrance. Of this we had convincing proof in the few of their bone or stone tools or utensils that were seen

among them: those offered for sale were of rude workmanship and of an inferior kind, solely intended for our market, to be purchased by way of curiosity. I am likewise well convinced that, by a

very small addition to their present stock of European cloth, the culture of their cloth-plant, which now seems much neglected, will be entirely disregarded, and they will rely upon the precarious supply which may be obtained from accidental visitors, for this and many other of the most important requisites of social life."

The only atonement which can be made to this wretched people, for the injury we have done them, and the disease we have communicated, is to communicate also our religion, our morals, and our knowledge; our religion foremost and first, not only as of first importance, but as the necessary and only possible means of imparting morality and science. This is to be done by colonization and by force. England is indeed neither peopled nor cultivated in any due proportion to its extent, but its population is already too great for its system of society. There exists not a single profession, trade, or calling, which is not overstocked with adventurers; colonization is the remedy for the miseries which befall the unsuccessful, and for the crimes which arise in consequence. In these islands there is no pestilential climate to encounter; and it would be insulting the reader to prove the right of conquest,-the right of conquering cannibals and child-murderers! the right of preventing human sacrifices by force! Shame be to the despicable statesman, who regretted the colonization of America, because the United States renounced their allegiance to Great Britain! his understanding must have been as contracted as his heart. We could say much upon this very interesting and very important subject; but to enter into it fully, and treat it as it should be treated, would far exceed the limits of a review. It would be unjust to these poor simple missionaries, not to acknowledge the va. lue of the information which they have communicated in this volume. The book before us, with all its oddities, contains more in matter, in kernel as well as shell, than many a modern quarto.They are honest zealous men; and we have only to regret, that their zeal has not been accompanied with more know ledge, or directed with more wisdom.

*****

The remainder of this volume relates to a mission in South Africa, which has been far more wisely conducted, and which promises well. In this the main

agent has been Dr. Vanderkemp, a Dutchman of most extraordinary abili ties and character. This person studied at Edinburgh, has served in the army with distinction, and has since practised medicine; he is versed, not merely in the usual modern and ancient languages, but also in oriental learning, and in the Gaelic. His own history of his infidelity and conversion is very curious: he was an infidel of Lord Herbert's temper, disbelieving whatever his reason rejected, yet praying to be cured of this disbe lief; "waiting upon God, that he would take him by the hand, and lead him in the way everlasting."

You will have observed, says Vander. kemp, that when the Lord Jesus first revealed himself to me, he did not reason with me about truth or error, but attacked me like a warrior, and felled me to the ground by the force of his arm. On this extraordinary narrative we need offer no comment; it will be equally intelligible to the reasoner and to the mi raculist. This particular affection in no degree changed or weakened his general powers of mind; it disposed him to become a missionary, and he entered upon the work with such qualifications, both of body and mind, as perhaps never were, and never will be found again in one so disposed By his exertions, a missionary society was raised in Holland, to co-operate with that in London, and another at the Cape; to which place he was accompanied by one Dutch, and two English associates. The colonists behaved to these missionaries with unexampled liberality: they gave the two who went among the Boschemen eleven oxen, one hundred and eighty sheep, seven cows and a calf, with poultry and other stores, says the journal, too nume rous to mention. Vanderkemp twice entered Caffraria, and has brought back a more ample vocabulary of their lan guage, and a better account of the people than can be found in any former traveller. We cannot speak too highly of this indefatigable man. The English government, at the Cape, entertained a due sense of his merits, and of the usefulness of his object. Under their auspices, he has founded a Hottentot settlement near Algoa bay, upon a plan not unlike the Jesuit establishments at Paraguay. The Dutch government has since promised to protect and encourage the missionaries; and by what has been done, there seems little reason to doubt,

ordained by the bishop of Oxford, and elected fellow of Lincoln college. While at the university, he became deeply serious; this disposition he communicated to his brother Charles: they received the sacrament weekly, and obtained two or three proselytes to this practice, and to the regular course of living which they observed. The title methodist was given to Charles Wesley, in ridicule of this regularity, by a fellow of Merton, alluding to the Roman school of physicians, so called from the regimen which they always enjoined. The removal of John to a curacy, suspended for a while the growth of the society; Charles how ever again renewed it, and John returning to Oxford in 1729, resumed the whole management; no very arduous task, for besides himself and his brother, it consisted of only two persons. Certain pupils of the Wesleys soon requested permission to attend at their meetings. In 1732, Clayton, a tutor at Brazen Nose, joined them with some of his pupils also, and by his advice they began to observe Wednesday and Friday as fasts, after the custom of the ancient church. In 1735, George Whitfield of Pembroke was added to the number; "at that time they were fourteen or fif teen in number, all collegians, of one heart and mind, and must be considered as the first methodists;" they formed rules for the regulation of their time, their studies, reading the scriptures, and self examination; they visited the sick and the prisoners, and received the Lord's supper every week.

In 1735, Wesley began the custom of extempore preaching in consequence of this accident; he went to All Hallows church in Lombard-street, to hear Dr. Keylin, and the doctor not coming, the church-wardens requested him to preach he complied though he had no notes: this habit was for several years regarded as a very uncommon and wonderful thing. This year he embarked for Georgia in America, as a missionary, and there became acquainted with the Moravians. With the Indians he could do little; but so many of his own countrymen met weekly at his house in Savannah, that he considered this as the second rise of methodism. Here he and his companions, Ingham and Delamotte, agreed,

1. To advise the more serious among them to form themselves into a sort of little society, and meet once or twice a week, in order to improve, instruct, and exhort one

another. 2. To select out of these, smaller number, for a more intimate union with each other, which might be forwarded by him and his friends, conversing singly this accordingly they determined to do every with each, and altogether at his house. And Sunday in the afternoon. Here we see the first rudiments of classes and bands, which have had no small influence in promoting the success of the methodists, beyond any other denomination of christians, not imme diately favoured by the civil power.

"In the beginning of August 1737, he joined with the Germans in one of their love-feasts. This I believe was the first time he ever saw a love-feast. He speaks thus of it: It was begun and ended with thanksgiving and prayer, and celebrated in so decent and solemn a manner, as a christian of the apostolic age would have allowed to be worthy of Christ.' He afterwards introduced love-feasts into the economy of methodism. At first they were for the bands only, wards the whole society were permitted to i. e. small companies of true believers. Afterpartake with them. They are conducted in the following manner :-The meeting begins with singing and prayer, after which the stewards distribute cake and water. A collection is then made for the poor; afterwards liberty is given to all present to relate their religious experience, which is generally made a blessing to all. The meeting continues nearly two hours, and is concluded with prayer."

He returned to England in 1738.— Till now Wesley had always used a form of prayer, but now visiting a condemned criminal at Oxford, he prayed with him extempore to such good effect, that the man rose up and said, now I am ready to die. On May-day, in this year, he and some Moravians formed themselves into a religious society, which met at Fetter-lane; this he called the third pe riod of methodism.

"The rules which were agreed on were: -1. That they would meet together once a week, to confess their faults one to another, and to pray one for another that they might be healed. 2. That the persons so meeting should be divided into several bands, or little companies, none of them consisting of fewer than five, or more than ten persons. 3. That every one in order should speak as freely, plainly, and concisely as he could, the real state of his heart, with his several temptations and deliverances, since the last time of meeting. 4. That all the bands should have a conference at eight every Wednesday evening, begun and ended with singing and prayer. 5. That any who desired to be admitted into this society should be asked, What are your reasons for desiring this? will you be entirely open, using no kind of reserve? have you any objection to any of our orders? (which were then read.) 6.