Page:Life and journals of Kah-ke-wa-quo-na-by.djvu/174

 Island highly pleased with its situation. At 2 o'clock the baptismal service commenced. We first arranged them in family groups, as their names had previously been taken down. The Elder then addressed them on the subject of their conversion from paganism to Christianity, which I interpreted. After singing and prayer he again exhorted them to give their whole hearts to God by repenting of their sins and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. He then put the usual questions for such as have arrived at mature years. At the close of each sentence they responded by saying aahe, (i.e., I will, or yes.) The questions ended, they all knelt down on the ground, and were solemnly baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The presence of the Lord was in our midst, and his power rested on the people. May the Lord bless and preserve these new lambs now gathered into his fold from the howling wilderness, and may they be the means of spreading the knowledge of a Saviour's name far to the west, that those who are now sitting in darkness may have their eyes opened to see this great light! Before dismissing the meeting I endeavoured to exhort them to be faithful to their professions, and never break the solemn covenant they had just made before God and this congregation, but by watchfulness and prayer endeavour to keep all the commands of the Great Spirit. After singing and prayer we separated for a time. In the evening we arranged them in classes, and appointed fourteen leaders. After this a novel scene took place; one of Brother Law's scholars applied to us for permission to marry a certain young woman — we told him we had no objections to his marrying, but that as they now had become christians it would be necessary for them in future to go through the marriage ceremony in the public congregation; and as the laws of the land prohibited Methodist Ministers from performing the service, it was decided that the chiefs had the power to solemnize the