p read . ▁However , ▁in ▁ 1 6 4 6 ▁an ▁ep ide mic ▁hit ▁the ▁island ▁dev ast ating ▁the ▁native ▁population , ▁following ▁a ▁similar ▁ep ide mic ▁which ▁had ▁occurred ▁three ▁years ▁earlier . ▁It ▁is ▁estimated ▁that ▁about ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁native ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁island ▁per ished ▁in ▁these ▁pl agues . ▁But ▁H ia co om es ▁and ▁his ▁family ▁were ▁una ffect ed . ▁That , ▁and ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁c ures ▁by ▁Thomas ▁May hew ▁Junior , ▁gave ▁a ▁medical ▁appeal ▁to ▁Christian ity ▁in ▁a ▁place ▁where ▁traditional ▁sh aman ism ▁had ▁failed . ▁This ▁interest ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁s ach ems , ▁led ▁by ▁M io h q so o ▁and ▁Tow an qu at ick , ▁who ▁invited ▁H ia co om es ▁to ▁a ▁meeting ▁six ▁miles ▁away ▁late ▁at ▁night ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁to ▁discuss ▁his ▁religion ▁with ▁these ▁s ach ems . ▁The ▁records ▁of ▁this ▁discussion ▁are ▁described ▁in ▁Exper ience ▁May hew ' s ▁Indian ▁Con ver ts : ▁ ▁From ▁this ▁point ▁on , ▁with ▁greater ▁community ▁support ▁H ia co om es ▁began ▁pre aching ▁more ▁open ly ▁on ▁the ological ▁topics ▁such ▁as ▁sin , ▁the ▁Tr inity , ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁Adam ▁and ▁the ▁re de em ing ▁role ▁of ▁faith ▁in ▁Christ . ▁He ▁especially ▁attacked ▁the ▁sh am ans , ▁who ▁were ▁de emed ▁to ▁be ▁agents ▁of ▁the ▁Dev il ▁by ▁the ▁English ▁as ▁well ▁as