one of the boats belonging to his vessel. The captain went on shore, intending to take the king of Hawaii prisoner, and keep him till the boat should be returned.

6. But when he had landed, the natives mustered in great numbers. Captain Cook found it necessary to retreat towards his own men, who were waiting for him in a boat near the shore. The natives followed him, shouting, throwing stones, and brandishing their weapons.

7. Captain Cook pointed his musket at them, but it only made them more tumultuous and violent. He then took aim and shot the foremost native dead. In a moment, before the smoke of his musket had blown away, the natives rushed upon him. One of them beat him down with a club, and then stabbed him with a dagger. His men fired their muskets at the natives but could not rescue him.

8. The Sandwich islands soon after became the resort of whale-ships, and of all other vessels that voyaged in that part of the Pacific Ocean. But the inhabitants did not derive any advantage from their intercourse with civilized people.

9. On the contrary, they became a great deal more vicious than ever they were before. They contracted so many diseases, that their numbers were reduced from four hundred thousand to less than a hundred and fifty thousand. There was reason to fear that the islands would be depopulated.

10. Some English and American missionaries crossed the

ocean,

in hopes to save these poor islanders from destruction. They preached the gospel to them, and established schools, in which the natives were taught to read the Bible.

11. Kaahumana, the queen-regent of the Sandwich islands, adopted the Christian religion. By her assistance, the missionaries met with great success. A number of schools were established. It appeared probable that the whole people would be civilized and christianized.

12. But Kaahumana died a few years since, and her death was a great misfortune to the Sandwich islands. Many of the natives relapsed into their former vices. But the missionaries are still labouring earnestly for their good; and unless their efforts are successful, the people of the Sandwich islands will finally be blotted from the earth by their own vices.

QUESTIONS.-1. What of Polynesia? Its inhabitants? 2. Which are the most important islands of the group? Which is the largest of the Sandwich islands? Who discovered these islands in 1778? 3. What people did Captain Cook find inhabiting the Sandwich islands? 4. What were some of their customs? 5. What took place between the natives and Captain Cook? 6. What did Cook find it necessary to do? Relate what then happened. 8. What ships soon resorted to the Sandwich islands? What was the consequence of the intercourse of the natives with the whites? 10. What of English and American missionaries? 11. What of Kaahumana? 12. Consequence of her death? What of the missionaries?

CHAP. CXCI.-OCEANIA continued.

POLYNESIA CONTINUED. THE SOCIETY ISLANDS.

1. THE Society islands likewise belong to Polynesia. They are situated about a thousand miles south of the equator, which is nearly the same distance that the Sandwich islands are north of it.

2. The largest of the Society islands is called Tahiti, or Otaheite. It is a hundred miles in circumference, and is inhabited by about ten thousand people. Like the natives of the Sandwich islands, they are generally handsome, and of agreeable manners.

3. A very interesting event took place among these islands, many years ago. The brig Bounty, belonging to the British navy, was sent to the Society islands in order to carry breadfruit trees from thence to the West Indies. Her commander was Lieutenant William Bligh.

4. He arrived at Otaheite in 1788. His crew were delighted with the island. The air was balmy and full of sunshine. Fruits grew abundantly on every tree. There was no need of toiling for bread, since there were trees enough which produced it ready made, and almost as good as if it had been baked.

5. The natives of Otaheite received the Englishmen with kindness. The women behaved with great affection towards the poor storm-beaten sailors. In short, the crew spent

their time so pleasantly, that they were very reluctant to depart.

6. They desired to spend their whole lives in these sunny islands, instead of wandering any more over the wide and dreary sea. When the Bounty sailed, they cast many a sad glance at the pleasant shores which they were leaving. They had not sailed many days, before they formed a resolution to

return.

7. A young man by the name of Christian was an officer on board the Bounty. He was not on good terms with Lieutenant Bligh, and he incited the crew to mutiny against their commander, and take possession of the vessel.

8. One morning, before sunrise, Christian and his associates entered Lieutenant Bligh's cabin, while he was asleep. They bound his hands behind his back, threatening him with death if he made the least resistance. He was then put into a leaky boat, with eighteen other persons who refused to join in the mutiny.

9. I can only say of Lieutenant Bligh and his companions, that they arrived safe in England, after severe hardships. The British frigate Pandora was then sent to Otaheite in search of the mutineers, that they might be brought to justice.

10. The frigate arrived at Otaheite and found fourteen of the mutineers. She took them on board and sailed for England, but was wrecked on her passage. Four of the mutineers were drowned. The other ten were carried to England, where three of them were hanged.

11. Christian, the ringleader of the mutiny, had not been taken prisoner by the Pandora; for he and several companions had sailed from Otaheite in the Bounty. They had taken with them a plentiful supply of hogs, dogs, cats, and fowls, and also a number of Otaheitan men and women.

12. For a great many years nobody could tell what had become of Christian and his friends, and of the brig Bounty, in which they had sailed away. As no news was heard of them, people universally believed that the vessel had gone to the bottom, with all her crew.

To what group do

QUESTIONS.-1. Where are the Society islands? they belong? 2. What is the size and population of Tahiti or Otaheite? What of the natives? 3. What of the brig Bounty? Who was her commander? 4. When did he arrive at Otaheite? How did his men like the island? 5. How did the natives treat the Englishmen? 6. What of the crew of the Bounty? What resolution did they form? 7. What did Christian do? 8. How did he treat Lieutenant Bligh and eighteen others? 9. Did they arrive in England? What ship was sent to Otaheite? 10. What happened to the Pandora? What became of the mutineers? 11. What had Christian and his companions done? 12. What was supposed to have become of them?

CHAP. CXCII.-OCEANIA continued.

STORY OF THE BOUNTY CONCLUDED.

1. BUT, after twenty years, when people had long ago done talking about the Bounty, it was found out what had become of her. In the year 1813, a British ship of war was sailing from the Marquesas islands to the port of Valparaiso, in