he night
was spent in expectation every moment of an attack; but when the morning
came it was discovered that their foes had disappeared. The native
teachers, who could preach as well as instruct in school, made rapid
progress. The people began to eat the fish and other creatures which
they had formerly worshipped as gods, and dreaded to injure or even to
touch. Some daringly devoured them, others cautiously put the dreaded
morsels in their mouths, while the awestruck spectators waited as did
the people of Melita when Saint Paul was bitten by a snake, expecting to
see them swell or fall down dead. From this the natives concluded that
Jehovah was indeed the true God, and were about to cast their war-god
Popo, a block covered with a piece of matting, into the sea, and had
tied a stone round it to sink it, when the teachers rescued the image,
that they might present him as a trophy of the triumphs of the gospel.

"The Samoans, though not such gross idolaters, and certainly not so
inhuman in their practices, as most of the other islanders in the
Pacific, were much degraded both in mind and morals. They are perhaps
the finest people in a physical point of view of any, yet they had more
pharisaical pride and less consciousness of sin; and this, it is
possible, prevented them from adopting some of those cruel practices
prevalent among their neighbours.

"The teachers left by Williams laboured perseveringly. Still they could
not persuade Malietoa to abandon the war. He went on one occasion to
Upolu with all his fighting men, and three of the teachers resolved to
follow him, hoping thus to influence him the more. He had allowed his
son to join them. On their way they preached the word at several
villages through which they passed, and the people heard them gladly.
Malietoa was unmoved, and they had to return; but their journey had not
been so bootless as they supposed. Scarcely had they reached home, than
a messenger arrived from the chief of a village they had visited at
Apolulu, begging them to return in haste, as he and his people were
waiting to hear from their lips the truths of the gospel. Three of them
set out for the settlement, where they were warmly welcomed by the chief
and a thousand followers. After the usual salutations, the chief turned
to the teachers and said, `Have you brought a fish spear?' Surprised at
this strange inquiry, they replied, `No! why do you ask for that?' `I
want it,' he answered,