SWIMMERS IN THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.

THE dexterity of these people in the water is surprising. Men, women and children, can all swim and dive; indeed, infants are so early taught these necessary accomplishments of a half-amphibious life, that they sometimes excel in them before they can walk. On a certain occasion, as the missionaries at Huahine, with their children, were crossing the upper part of the bay at Fare, their canoe was suddenly upset, when they and several helpless infants were plunged at once into deep water. The queen, a woman of vast bulk, being near at hand, and perceiving their danger, immediately threw herself into the lagoon, swam to their assistance, and with her own hands saved the life of one of the party from destruction. female servant followed the children, caught them in her arms, and swam to shore with her rescued treasures, which she delivered safely into the hands of their overjoyed parents, themselves just snatched from death by their wonted intrepidity, habitual presence of mind, and fearlessness of peril, in situations where the fear itself probably constitutes the chief part of the danger.

A

THE ORPHAN'S DREAM.

I dreamed that in a garden fair,
I wandered free with spirits light,
And my dear parents met me there,
And kissed and clasped me with delight:

A thousand tender things we spoke,
Nor seemed of parting e'er to deem,
And when I suddenly awoke,

I wept to find it but a dream!

And was it but a dream, sweet child,

From which thy waking thoughts should turn? No!-from the scenes that round thee smiled, A heavenly lesson thou may'st learn.

Thy parents lived in Christian trust,
They sought a purer world than this;
And now they do not sleep in dust,

But wake in realms of cloudless bliss.

And should'st thou in their footsteps tread,
And pray like them for pardoning grace,
By Heaven's kind aid thou may'st be led
To reach their happy dwelling-place.

Then, as thy cheering dream foretold,

Thy parents shall with rapturous love Welcome their lost-one to its fold,

Their wanderer to a rest above.

I saw thee on the river fair,
Within thy sedgy screen;
Around thee grew the bulrush tall,
And reeds so strong and green.

The kingfisher came back again
To view thy fairy place;
The stately swan sailed statelier by,
As if thy home to grace.

But soon the mountain-flood came down,
And bowed the bulrush strong;
And far above those tall, green reeds,
The waters poured along.

"And where is she, the Water-Coot,"

I cried, "that creature good ?" But then I saw thee in thine ark, Regardless of the flood.

Amid the foaming waves thou sat'st,

And steer'dst thy little boat;

Thy nest of rush and water-reed

So bravely set afloat.

And on it went, and safely on
That wild and stormy tide;

And there thou sat'st, a mother-bird,
Thy young ones at thy side.

Hadst thou no fear, as night came down

Upon thy watery way,

Of enemies, and dangers dire
That round about thee lay?

Didst thou not see the falcon grim
Swoop down as thou passed by?
And 'mong the waving water flags
The lurking otter lie?

The eagle's scream came wildly near,
Yet, caused it no alarm?

Nor man, who seeing thee, weak thing,
Did strive to do thee harm?

And down the foaming waterfall,

As thou wast borne along,

Hadst thou no dread? Oh daring bird,
Thou hadst a spirit strong!

Yes, thou hadst fear. But He who sees
The sparrows when they fall;

He saw thee, bird, and gave thee strength To brave thy perils all.

He kept thy little ark afloat;

He watched o'er thine and thee; And safely through the foaming flood Hath brought thee to the sea?"

JUVENILE TEACHERS IN THE SANDWICH

ISLANDS.

THE eagerness for instruction is so great, that all the little boys in the school are, daily, during their play-hours, in requisition as masters. Three chiefs, men of magnificent stature and lofty bearing, came early this morning to obtain a kumu, or teacher. They could engage none but a child, six years of age, lisping over its spelling-book. Finding, however, that he could tell his letters, and repeat his ba, be, bi, bo, bu, one of them caught him up by the arm, mounted the little fellow upon his own broad shoulder, and carried him off in triumph, exclaiming, "This shall be my kumu!" The lads, themselves, take great delight in reciting their simple lessons to the older folks, and helping their fathers and mothers to say their A, B, C. It is beautiful to behold one of these little ones standing up amidst a ring of grown people, with the eyes of all waiting upon him, earnestly harkening to his words, and repeating them from his lips, that they may impress both the sounds and the import on their memory. Nor is the implicit confidence, with which they receive his instructions, delivered with the ingenuous gracefulness of boyhood in its prime, the least interesting circumstance connected with this "new thing in the earth." Did our Saviour set a child in the midst of his dis