THE ITU-TAOA.

Samoan Reporter, Issue 3, 1 March 1846, Page 3

THE ITU-TAOA.

Mr. Pratt's district o,n the N. IF. side of Savaii.

This station was first commenced by the Rev. A. Macdonald, who took up his residence atSafune, Aug. 1837. There he laboured rather less than a year, before his removal to Palauli. I arrived in Nov. 1839 and had, as my station, the whole of this side of the Island as far as to Falealupo, the extreme westerly point, which was also the termination of Mr. M’s. district from the other side of the Island.

Matautu being a more central situation and the only place on Savaii where vessels can come to anchor, it was judged advisable to make it the principal station in preference to Safune. Its great disadvantage is that there is no chief of any consequence to whom to look for protection. The proverb of the place is “Every man his own chief.” This is the occasion of many petty annoyances. In May 1840 a native church was formed consisting of two teachers who had been baptized by Mr. Macdonald, a member of the church at Sapapalii and 6 natives of this district. In Jan. 1841 Rev. G. Drummond was placed at Falealupo thus relieving me of my share of that distant but interesting out-station. From a census carefully made of the 7 villages now under my care, there were found to be 3480 people. Of these 1680 regularly attend my ministrations, and some 500 more are occasional hearers. These are comprised in nine congregations. The two largest being between 5 and 600 each, the other two upwards of 200 each and the others very small. The whole district is supplied with good chapels. There are 252 catechumens sereral of whom are hope-

full and it is expected will soon be added to the church. There are 62 in the church, 363 in the adult schools, 261 in the childrens schools, 213 in the bible classess. A class of young men, members of the church meet me daily for instruction, with a view to being employed as teachers. They grow their own food and depend mostly on me for clothing, books &c. . P e °ple subscribed cheerfully 600 articles consisting of native cloth &c. for the teachers to the West and at the Jubilee meeting in one day they brought 834 gallons of Oil. J J 5

1845, two Roman Calholic Priests went to Lealatele an inland village where they were received by Tuala one of the principal chiefs and his followers. 1 hese people have turned backwards and forward as inclination or interest prompted to every religious|party m Samoa, but for some time past had been attendants on our services ; not one however abstained from the most polluting heathen practices. There may be as many as sixty or perhaps even a few more who for the professed purpose of exalting their chief’s name and making him famous in Samoa have become papists, of whom it may be truly said their last state is worse than the first, for never before, till they bowed to an image of Mary had they been idolaters. In the depth of their voluntary humility the Priests place themselves on a level with the very meanest native, refusing the large house offered them, and choosing a mean house in a back situation, crouching before chiefs when they pass them, &c. They neither buy nor sell and content themselves with such food as the natives supply them with. Mass has been performed and some kind of service held in an unknown tounge, at least so far as the natives were concerned. They refuse to preach till the place of worship which is in progress and at which they themselves work is finished.

On Dec. 30th an open paper was handed to me by a Wallace’s Islander without address and signed Violette. It professes to be the true principles of a Catholic, a most artful composition resembling poisoned food. In answer I sent back in the same unformal way copies of our translations of the Scriptures and wrote on the envelope, ‘‘The Bible and the Bible alone is the religion of Protestants.” May God preserve ofir people from these “damnable heresies’” and give them an increased desire for his Holy Word, which is able to make them wise unto salvation.

Matautu, 1846.

G. PRATT.