Captain Wilson, scanning the canoes swiftly and anxiously, saw with
relief that the men were not armed. But the missionaries were startled
when the savages climbed up the sides of the ship, and with wondering
eyes rolling in their wild heads peered over the rail of the deck.
They then leapt on board and began dancing like mad on the deck with
their bare feet. From the canoes the Tahitians hauled up pigs, fowl,
fish, bananas, and held them for the white men to buy. But Captain
Wilson and all his company would not buy on that day--for it was
Sunday.

The missionaries gathered together on deck to hold their Sunday
morning service. The Tahitians stopped dancing and looked on with
amazement, as the company of white men with their children knelt to
pray and then read from the Bible.

The Tahitians could not understand this strange worship, with no
god that could be seen. But when the white fathers and mothers and
children sang, the savages stood around with wonder and delight on
their faces as they listened to the strange and beautiful sounds.

But the startling events of the day were not over. For out from the
beach came a canoe across the bay, and in it two Swedish sailors,
named, like some fishermen of long ago, Peter and Andrew. These
white men knew some English, but lived, not as Christians, but as the
natives lived.

And after them came a great and aged chief named Haamanemane.[14] This
great chief went up to the "chief" of the ship, Captain Wilson, and
called out to him "Taio."[15]