Volume 1

Journal of voyages and travels by the Rev. Daniel Tyerman and George Bennet, esq. Deputed from the London missionary society, to visit their various stations in the South Sea Islands, China, India, etc., between the years 1821 and 1829 / Compiled from original documents by James Montgomery.

  • Tyerman, Daniel, 1773-1828.
Date:
1831
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Journal of voyages and travels by the Rev. Daniel Tyerman and George Bennet, esq. Deputed from the London missionary society, to visit their various stations in the South Sea Islands, China, India, etc., between the years 1821 and 1829 / Compiled from original documents by James Montgomery. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    19/616
    desolating infection,’5 lie would find liard to explain before the bar of God or man. At each he is answerable for it. 44 The religion taught by the Missionaries is not true Christianity.” [Vol. I. p. 163.] If that which Captain Kotzebue practises be 44 true Christianity,” assuredly that which the Missionaries teach is not. Try him by his own test. In an interview with the queen, he says, 44 She asked me whether I was a Christian, and how often I prayed daily ?” 44 I merely replied, that we should be judged according to our actions, rather than the number of our prayers.” [Vol. I. p. 183.] Every page of his fables and lucubrations, respecting the Missionaries and their people, proves that he is not of that religion which says, 44 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” One example may suffice. Vol. I. p. 193, he observes, 44 Though the vice of theft has certainly greatly diminished among the Tahaitans, they cannot always refrain from endeavouring to appropriate the articles they prize so highly. For instance, I think, if any one of the Tahaitan ladies had found an opportunity of stealing a bit of the mock-gold-lace, the temptation would be too great to withstand.” Thus, as an instance of irresistible thieving propensity in 44 the Tahaitan ladies,” he thinks if something which did not happen had happened, then a certain consequence would have followed ! What can any honest man think of 44 Otto von Kotzebue, Post Captain in the Russian Imperial Navy, and Com¬ mander of the ship Predpriate ?” The rest of his slanders, sarcasms, and insinuations (espe¬ cially at pp. 196-7, which are fitter for a court of justice than of criticism,) may be left, for the present, to the exposure which awaits them. It must be acknowledged that in these the