Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-01-10
y:svLT OF MISSIONARY LABOR.

H:sI.LT OF MISSIONARY LABOR.
We ,,rryact the following from letter ad-
.... ssed 6y the Rev. Dwight Baldwin. in be-
,.2.; Of the Missionaries of the Sandwich ISL
lids, 10 the Society of Inquiry" in the Miami
University, Oxford, O., and published in the
Cincinnati Journal and Luminary.
Ilolairy, in these Islands, was abolished
Just before the first missionaries arrived,
parls. because they heard Of its abolition,
in "a, Islands of the southern Pacific. But
,a,.rh its rites were done away, the dark
SIS aud pollution of the people still remain
Il. Against these, this mission mas al
,rays mad to contend aud an equally for
.aildbIe obstacle has been found, in some,
rom Christian lands, whose avarice and
uss have led them 20 oppose the truth, and
to wish, that this people might still be kept
in d,rkuess and sin. But the hand OF the
Lord mas evidently been with it, and ofen
AGp:ar3d signally % remove opposition out
oi the way. The influence Of the Gospel
las advanced steadily, and light and kno"l-
clge have kept pace with it. The church
as been established here, which now con.
tains abou, 800 members. This number
incIu.les most of the principal chiefs of the
islands. The laws of the islands are found
cd on he principles Of the Bible, and, in
general, are well enforced throughout the
Islands. There are now about 80 mis-.
s;oa families in the group. The novelty
of the christian religion has, in a great
measure, worn off, so that the missionary
in his tour, now, does not, ordinarily, have
so many crowd around him, as sometimes
focked 10 hear the word Of God, in former
days. Sill our congregations are large,
and is thought, that light, and christian
knowledge, are now advancing more rap
idly. among The people, than Al any former
period. We fondly an icipa'e the time, a;
no dis ant period, wien the great mass OF
this population, now slaves to appetite and
sinful Ius.s, will become the Servants and
frcemen of the Lord.
lie missionaries Of The islands probably
comprise about half the number there are
at present in the Pacific Ocean. At he
Georgian islands embracing Tahiti (O;e-
haitc) and the islands adjacent, where the
London missionary Society established a
mission near 40 years ago, there arc now
missionaries among population of l2,-
900. At the Society islands, one days
sail to the west, with population of 10 CT
$4,000, are 3 or 4 more. A; the l1crvey
Islands. 7 or 500 miles S. w. of Tahiti,
with population Of 10000, are 2 mission
aries. A, the Marquesas, to the n. f. of
Tahiti, are two missionaries, lately from
England, with no very fair prospect, how
ever, of continuing their post. \ son Of
one of the Tahi:ian missionaries has lately
gone as missionary to the Navgators
islands, which are in the vicinity of the
Friendly, AMI have population Of perhaps
$4,000. Nine missionaries were sent TO
the Friendly group, al the time mission
was established at Tahiti, three Of whom
wre killed, and the rest made their escape.
New Zealand has som" missionaries, mos:-
ly Weslcyans, from England. The Pan-
n.otu islands, east of Tahiti. with a popuIa-
tion of 10000 or more, have only few
native teachers, from Tahiti, to acqualn;
them with the way Of life. A small group
in ,he eastern part of these, the Pambla, is
entirely in the hands Of the Catholics, who
have also some establishments in the wes:-
ern part of this OCEAN. The above are all
the missionaries on the islands OF this
ocean, which commonly 60 un Ter the name
Of Polynesia. ftile prospect Of all these
missions for success, our limits will not al
low us 20 give you a very particular &C.
count. At the Hcrvev Islands where q
mission has been cs ablished but Years,
there seems to be fair prospect for "a
speedy and thorough triumph of the word
of God, over the former habits and ignor-
ance of the people. One Of our number
has lately visited the Georgian and Society
Islands. Ardent spirits, imported and Of
domestic manufacture, has made wolul ha-
VOC there, for several years past. But all
is now quiet. At all the islands, except
one, in the Society group, the manufacture.
use, and sale of Intoxicating drink is now
prohibited by law; glorious triumph Gift
continues permanently to the Temperance
cause, and one, which promises fair, that
tie institutions ofthe Gospel vii! cperpc'u.