young ironmonger at the Tabernacle attached the notion of a
worthy place of worship, were solid and well finished. He even fashioned
some chandeliers for evening service, and these so astonished the
Raiateans, that on first entering the chapel, they broke out into a cry
of amaze, "Oh, Britannia! Britannia!" and gave the name to England of
"the land whose customs were without end."

The opening of this chapel was one great step in Mr. Williams's work; the
next was the inducing Tamatoa and the other chiefs to bind themselves to
govern by a code of Christian laws, not complex, but based on the Ten
Commandments, and agreeing with those newly established by Pomare in
Tahiti, but with this difference, that Williams ventured to introduce
trial by jury, in the hope that it would tend to qualify the despotic
power of the chiefs. Tamatoa's brother, Pahi, was appointed judge, and
the community was arranged on a Christian basis. The congregation was
likewise put under regular discipline after the example of the
Independents in England, with ruling pastors and elders appointed from
among the people; and an auxiliary Missionary Society was formed for
assisting in the conversion of the other isles.

Just as this was thoroughly arranged, in about the fourth year of his
mission, Williams suffered from a malady which seemed to him and his
companion, Mr. Threlkeld, to necessitate his return home. The
information was received by the islanders with something like despair.
Old King Tamatoa came to him and said, "Viriamu, I have been thinking you
are a strange man. JESUS did not take care of His body. He did not even
shrink from death, and now you are afflicted you are going to leave us."

Prayer was offered all over the island, and in the midst of all the
preparations for departure the disease began to ameliorate, and Mr.
Williams recovered for a time, though the next year a recurrence of the
attack made him resolve upon a visit to Sydney, not only for the sake of
advice, but in the hope of establishing a market for the produce of the
Society Isles, which might give a motive to the industry he was so
anxious to promote, and likewise to obtain a vessel to be used for the
missions.

Two Raiatean teachers instructed by him were landed at the island of
Aitutake on the way, after the chiefs had pledged themselves to support
and protect them, and the voyage was continued to Australia, where there
was as usual a warm reception from Mr. Ma