This experience was often repeated three or four times
a day. His smallest weekly number of sermons was six or seven, and
the largest from twenty-five to thirty. He often travelled in
drowning rain, crossed dangerous streams, climbed slippery
precipices, and frequently preached in wind and rain with all his
garments saturated. On every occasion he received aid from the
natives, who were so kind and friendly, that when he used to sleep
in the woods at night, he hung his watch on a tree, knowing that it
was perfectly safe from pilfering or curious touch. Indeed the
Christian teachers seem to have been regarded as tabu.
Before the end of that year, Mr. Coan had made the circuit of
Hawaii, a foot and canoe trip of 300 miles, in which he nearly
suffered canoe-wreck twice. In all, he has admitted into the
Christian church by baptism, 12,000 persons, besides 4000 infants.
He gave a most interesting account of one great baptism. The
greatest care was previously taken in selecting, teaching, watching,
and examining the candidates. Those from the distant villages came
and spent several months here for preliminary instruction. Many of
these were converts of two years' standing, a larger class had been
on the list for more than a year, and a smaller one for a lesser
period.
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