yes, but the
thickness of the lips and chin betray the want of cultivation; indeed,
the curious manner in which the mouth is pursed up, would seem to
indicate that an eager temper naturally kept it unclosed, and that the
restraint of sitting for a picture rendered the expression uncomfortably
prim.

The Polynesian Mission on which John Williams was sent, had been
commenced in 1796 by the London Missionary Society, partly in consequence
of the death-bed entreaties of Selina, Countess of Huntingdon, who had
been exceedingly interested by the accounts of the South Sea Islands in
Captain Cook's Voyages. The subscriptions amounted to 10,000_l._, and
were sufficient to purchase a ship called the _Duff_, which was commanded
by that Captain Wilson whose wonderful history has been noticed in the
lives of the Serampore body. Twenty-five missionaries were taken out,
and received at Tahiti with grotesque dances and caperings. The
dwelling, which had been erected when Captain Bligh was collecting bread-
fruit, was given to them, and several were placed there, while the _Duff_
carried others to the Friendly and Marquesan Islands, and, after visiting
them all a second time, returned home for reinforcements.

On the next voyage, however, with a different captain, the _Duff_ was
captured by a French privateer, the captain of which, when he understood
the purpose of the voyage, greatly regretted what he had done, and
declared that he would rather have given 500_l._ than have interfered
with it. He landed the missionaries at Monte Video, and assisted them in
obtaining a passage home, in the course of which they were again captured
by a Portuguese, whose treatment of them was a wretched contrast to that
of the friendly Frenchman.

Meantime, many disasters had befallen the unassisted missionaries, who
suffered from the hostility of a section of the natives, though the king,
Pomare, always protected them. One of their number insisted on marrying
a native woman still unconverted, separated from his brethren, and was
soon after murdered by the natives. Another was lost in a still sadder
way. He reasoned himself into doubts of the Divine power and of the
immortality of the soul, and finally left the island, nor was he heard of
again for many years, though prayer was constantly made for him, and at
length it became known that he had wandered to Serampore, where the
influence of Marshman and Carey had prevailed to bring back his faith,