FL14425822

458
I think, venture to say would be no discredit
to one of the first European artists, or to one of
the first towns in England. Over the West door
is the Inscription Ebenezer in Capitals, and [undecipherable]
[undecipherable] - over the south door is
inscribed Holiness becometh thy House,
last, for ever, over the North is an inscri
-ption in Tahitian stating the year of our
Lord, & the [undecipherable] of the Kings reign He. in [undecipherable]
the hands was founded. and over the east door
is to be an inscription in Latin to the same [undecipherable]
only with the addition that this is the first
according to [undecipherable] Inscription [undecipherable] in the foundation stone
Church of Stone erected among these Islands.
A circumstance deserving of notice is that this
building is erected upon the very spot where the
Great are Royal [undecipherable]of this District of [undecipherable]
stood, & where many a Human sacrifice was offered.
The consideration of this, set my feeble muse
to work of what it produced. I send you with this a copy, with some
explanatory notes: it will afford you some amuse
-ment. You have heard, no doubt, with concern
of King Pomare's death. It is truly a sore loss to
the mission, and to the islands at large. You have
heard I suppose of the Queen Charlotte's being [undecipherable]
taken by the [undecipherable] armed Brig that had been
run away with from the Patriots, & of Samuels capture
of him to save himself, as I wrote to His Excellency
Sir Thomas Brisbane concerning that [undecipherable]
by the Ship Minerva Captn. Bell who touched at other parts
on his way to the colony from Valparaiso. I am now writing
to Captain Piper on the subject, from whom you can have further
particulars.