“About the 1st of May last, the buildings having been prepared, the school commenced its operations at Cornwall under the care of Mr. Dwight.”
“Soon after the commencement of the school in Cornwall, the Committee received an application from two young men of our own nation to be admitted into the school, for the purpose of being educated for missionary labors among the heathen.”
“Their desire is to give themselves up to the Board to be educated and disposed of, as to their field and station of future labors, just as the Board shall see fit to direct.”
“The name of one is Samuel Ruggles, of Brookfield, (Con.) The name of the other, James Ely, a native of Lyme, (Con.) They are both of age to act for themselves.”
“Ruggles has been a member of Morris Academy at South-Farms, under the instruction of the Rev. William R. Weeks, and is highly spoken of by his instructor. He has gained a good know ledge of Latin, and been through several books of the Greek Testament.”
“Ely has been a member of Bacon Academy, Colchester, (Con.) He is well recommended, and has been through the most of Virgil. They are members in good standing of the churches in their native towns. They are both destitute of property.”
“The committee hesitated, at first, about their admission, but viewing the hand of Providence in this application, and recollecting the principles of the Missionary Seminary at Gosport, (Eng.) they deemed it their duty to give the young men a trial, until the pleasure of the Board could be known.”
“The committee wished, also, to acquaint themselves more fully with the particular character and promise of these young men.”
“They have consequently been in the school most of the summer; and the committee can now freely express their decided approbation of these young men, and cheerfully recommend them to the patronage of the Board.”
“They appear to be pious and discreet, and to possess respectable talents. They possess, in a high degree, a missionary spirit, and have, we think, some peculiar qualifications to be useful as missionaries.”
“Their desire for the missionary life appears to be not a transient emotion of youth, but a deliberate choice, and a settled principle. And we believe, from all that we can observe, that full confidence may be placed in their firmness and perseverance.”
“They have had their attention and desires, from the first, turned to the Sandwich Islands, though they are willing to abide the direction of their patrons. It is not their expectation that they shall be sent to college, nor do they aspire to the rank of teachers or leaders.”
“They expect to obtain such knowledge of the sciences and of theology, as they can in the seminary, and then be schoolmasters, catechists, or teachers, as the Board shall direct. Ely is a cooper by trade, which we think an additional recommendation.”
“These young men have been extremely useful in the school. Their example and influence among the other youths has been very salutary.”
“Having gained the entire confidence of the foreign boys, they keep them from desiring other company, and maintain a kind of influence, which greatly assists the instructor, and promotes the harmony of the school.”
“They are also fast catching the language of the youths, with whom they associate, and will soon be able to converse in the language of Owhyhee. On the whole, the committee cannot but express the hope that they shall be permitted to retain these young men as members of the school.”
“Besides these two young men, the school now consists of ten members. Five of these are the youths from the Sandwich Islands; viz. Obookiah, Hopoo, Tamoree, Tennooe and Honoree. Concerning these an account is already before the public. The committee have it to say, that their conduct, since they have been in the school, is satisfactory.”
“Obookiah has for several years been a professor of the religion of Jesus; and we are happy to say, that his conduct and conversation have been such as become the Gospel.”
“He appears to grow in grace, and more and more to evince the reality of his new birth. He has been studying Latin chiefly the last summer, and has made as good proficiency as youths of our own country ordinarily do.”
“Hopoo, having for about two years entertained a hope in Christ, has been the past summer admitted to the first church in Cornwall, and received the ordinance of baptism.”
“He shines uncommonly bright as a Christian; has the zeal of an apostle, and ardently longs for the time, when it shall be thought his duty to return to his countrymen with the message of Jesus. His friends who know his feelings, have no doubt that Hopoo would burn at the stake for the honor of Christ.”
“Tennooe and Honoree have given satisfactory evidence of having passed from death unto life; and should their example continue to correspond with this judgment, they will probably soon be admitted to confess Christ before men.”
“Tennooe and Hopoo are about in the same advance of study; they have been attending to English grammar and arithmetic the past summer. Honoree has been employed in reading and spelling, together with exercise of the pen.” (ABCFM Annual Report 1817)
ʻŌpūkahaʻia died before he could become a missionary and return to the Islands. Samuel Ruggles, Hopu, Kanui, Humehume and Honoli‘i were in the Pioneer Company of missionaries and James Ely was in the Second Company of missionaries to the Islands.
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