I

have no home, neither father nor mother. thought of nothing more, but want of father or mother, and to cry day and night." While Obookiah was with his uncle, he began to think of leaving his native island for some other part of the globe. About this time, a ship belonging to New-Haven, touched at the island on her return voyage from the North-West Coast-in which he made an arrangement to take passage for America, and in the year 1809 was brought to New-Haven. "Here he began early to express a strong wish to be instructed, and to obtain a Christian education. He visited the house of God on the Sabbath, and lingered about the College, trying to catch something to gratify the thirst of his mind for knowledge; and when he found that he could understand little or nothing, and that the treasures of knowledge which were open to others, were locked up from him, he sat down and wept on the threshold of the College buildings." Here he was found by the Rev. Edwin W. Dwight, then a resident graduate at the College, and for the first year the Principal of the Foreign Mission School, who spared no effort in the instruction of his new pupil. By a pleasing coincidence of circumstances, Mr. Mills, on his arrival at NewHaven, became the companion of Mr. Dwight, and was deeply interested in this heathen boy. He soon conceived the plan of educating him as a Missionary to his native islands; and took him in the course of the winter to his father's,

at Torringford, and afterwards to Andover, patiently instructing him in the knowledge of what is useful in this life, and momentous to the life to come. We are happy in being able to submit Mr. Mills's own narrative of this providence, contained in a letter to the Rev. Gordon Hall, then a student in the Theological Seminary at Andover, and late a Missionary in the island of Bombay. Though it relates to some other events besides his first acquaintance with Obookiah, we shall transcribe it chiefly entire.

"New-Haven, December 20, 1809.

"VERY DEAR BROTHER,

"I received your kind letter, and feel much indebted to you. I have been in this place about two months. When I came, I found my worthy friend E. Dwight here: I roomed with him about two weeks, and then removed my quarters to the Rev. Mr. Stuart's, with whom I have lived to the present time. As every day is not so singularly spent by me as this has been, I will notice something not a little extraordinary.

"To make my narrative understood, you must go back with me to my first arrival in this place. Mr. Dwight, I then found, was instructing a native Hawaiian boy. Two natives of this island arrived here five or six months ago, and this was one of them. As I was in the room with Mr. Dwight, I heard the youth recite occasionally, and soon became considerably

attached to him. His manners are simiple: he does not appear to be vicious in any respect, and he has a great thirst for knowledge. In his simple manner of expressing himself, he says, The people in Hawaii very bad-they pray to gods made of wood. Poor Indians don't know nothing.- -He says, Me want to learn to read this Bible, and go back then, and tell them to pray to God up in heaven. I called into Dwight's room last evening, and had not been long there, before Henry, (for this is his English name,) came into the room with a very gloomy countenance. Says he, Me feel very bad. I asked him why he felt bad?-Me got no place to live. I then asked him if he was not going to live with ? He said, No: he say, me may go away-he no more want me. I told him he need not be concerned; I would find a place for him. He said, Miss say she take away my new clothes. I told him he need not be afraid of that, for I had clothes enough for both of us. He did not appear to know what course to take. I told him he might go home with me, and live at my father's, and have whatever he wanted. He then came with me to my room. I heard him read his lesson, and attempted to instruct him in some of the first principles of Christianity, of which he was almost entirely ignorant. He then retired for the night.

I now come to the transactions of to-day. As it was eleven o'clock when I began to write this letter, I will be as brief as I can, and re

late things so that you may understand me. This morning I repaired to Mr. Dwight's room. He felt interested in behalf of Obookiah, and thought he had best endeavor to find a place for him, where he could work a part of the time, and pay for his board, and recite as he had done. I told him I did not think he had best stay in town, as he would be exposed to bad company, and most likely be treated as a slave, rather than as a friend and brother. I told him further, that as my father was one of the Missionary Trustees, he would no doubt obtain for him a support, if it was thought best to educate him, which is my intention to attempt so far as that he may be able to instruct his countrymen, and, by God's blessing, convert them to Christianity. To this he could hardly object. He had been talking with the President of the College, and I told him I would see him on the subject. In the afternoon I called upon him, and related to him a part of my plan, which was that Obookiah should go with me to my father's, and live with him this winter, and be instructed in the first principles of reading and writing, as well as of Christianity, where he would be abundantly furnished with the means of acquiring both. Some other arguments I used, which I cannot now relate. The President came fully into the opinion that this was the most eligible course which could be pursued, if Obookiah was willing to go. Obookiah is his Indian name, and he is seventeen years old. I told him he would

be glad to go; he was without a home-without a place to eat or sleep. The poor and almost friendless Hawaiian would sit down disconsolate, and the honest tears would flow freely down his sun-burnt face; but since this plan has been fixed upon, he has appeared cheerful, and feels quite at ease. I propose to leave town in two weeks, with this native of the South to accompany me to Torringford, where I intend to place him under the care of those whose benevolence is without a bond to check, or a limit to confine it. Here I intend he shall stay until next spring, if he is contented. Thus you see, he is like to be firmly fixed by my side.

"What does this mean? Brother Hall, do you understand it? Shall he be sent back unsupported, to attempt to reclaim his countrymen? Shall we not rather consider these souther islands a proper place for the establishment of a Mission? Not that I would give up the heathen tribes of the west. I trust we shall be able to establish more than one Mission in a short time, at least in a few years; and that God will enable us to extend our views and labors further than we have before contemplated. We ought not to look merely to the heathen on our own continent, but to direct our attention where we may, to human appearance, do the most good, and where the difficulties are the least. We are to look to the climate-established prejudices-the acquisition of language-the means of subsistence, &c. &c. All these things, I