_Sunday, September 26th._--A day which will ever be memorable to me, here at Tavolavola. To-day I Baptized twenty-five people, and it has been indeed a day of great spiritual enjoyment to me. Before I was up in the very early morning, I heard boys in the school house reading their baptismal service over, and all through the day there are some who have never had their books out of their hands. The teachers have done their part most admirably, and I thank God for such earnest children. We had school before breakfast, and a most excellent school too. I went from class to class leaving A. P. Huqe to discourse the older men. The boys, nothing daunted by my presence, kept their instruction going, which was generally very thorough and good. The earnestness of all was quite remarkable. After school and breakfast we had Morning Prayers, a nice hearty service, and after that we started by boat for “Tahimamavi.” Here we found the people awaiting us, and soon we were assembled for school. Charles gave the old men a very good and eloquent address, and three other classes were provided for. On our way home we stopped for a few minutes to learn the news from the schooner at anchor, but they had none except that the French troops were still at Port Sandwich, and did not intend to move at present, and moreover, that the Mail Steamer had a contract to come as far North as that Port. This does not look like clearing out of the group, and the Captain told me they had not the least intention of moving at present. Before long we shall know the fate of these islands, but I sincerely trust they may not fall into the hands of the French. In the afternoon I was most pleased to see the teachers selecting boys and youths, more especially connected with them by ties of kindred, and taking them for a walk and serious talk, as is the custom at Norfolk Island. Everyone was so filled with enthusiasm that the chief himself sent to say he wished to be Baptized, but inasmuch as he has already four or five wives, and contemplates taking more, I could not listen to his petition for a moment. To put away his wives would lower him in rank at once, and in the choice between God and Mammon, he felt the difficulty of putting away any of his women, and I was obliged to leave him with his god Mammon.