rected, they take up their residence with an-ders, with a bonnet generally made of pressed other family, to desert it hereafter in the same paper, in imitation of straw, and profusely way. This is a great barrier to the right decorated with broad bright coloured ribbon. management of the native children, who can The last mentioned article is in very extensive at once forsake their parents, should the cor-use, and is sold to great advantage by almost rection or restraints they impose, become irk- every body here. I was one day trying to some to them. purchase a piece of ornamented native cloth, and offered an equal length of English print for it; but the owner refused this remunera. tion, demanding a similar length of ribbon instead. The gay colours worn by the whites, are, of course, zealously imitated by the poor natives, whose clothing seems to be adopted rather from vanity, or deference to foreign customs, than from necessity, or a sense of

The Tahitian mode of living is certainly very much in the simplicity, or perhaps more properly, in the rudeness, of nature. Their houses afford a shelter from the rain, and a receptacle for their little property; which consists of a few imported articles of clothing for special occasions, some food, nets, sleeping mats, and a display of firelocks: comforts, conveniences, and luxuries, (according to our decorum. ideas,) are for the most part unknown. One apartment usually accommodates the whole Taloo Harbour, Island of Eimeo, Ninth household, which generally consists of indi- month 12th, 1835.-This is a most romantic viduals of all ages, more or less related to spot, surrounded by almost perpendicular hills, each other, and herded together in considera- towering nearly four thousand feet, with a ble numbers. When at home, the usual em- broken fantastic outline. As in Tahiti, there ployment of the men appears to be the prepa- is a margin of lowland next the water, which ration of food or oil, gardening and making produces abundant crops of fruit and vegeta nets, and that of the women the manufacture bles; but the proportion of this fertile soil is of native cloth, cooking and sewing; but both small, and as a whole, probably, this is the sexes are very frequently found unemployed, less productive island of the two. Its scenery perhaps smoking, or playing with a ball and is wilder and more diversified, and the ridges string. The men ordinarily wear very little are much more angular and rugged than those clothing: the women a loose piece of print or of Tahiti, some of them, where huge black calico thrown round the waist, leaving, except rocks and foliage blend in the obscurity of in the presence of foreigners, or when 'dress- distance, resembling the broken fragments of ed out,' the upper part of the figure nearly or a stupendous ruin. Many parts are nearly entirely exposed. The young children fre- perpendicular for hundreds of feet, and of quently go quite naked. A true native hut course quite inaccessible. The summit of a contains neither table, chair nor bed, the mountain that skirts one side of Taloo Har reed-covered soil which forms a floor, serving bour, extending for a considerable distance at the purposes of all. The food is spread on an elevation of three thousand feet, is yet so leaves, and the people sit round on their narrow, we are told, in some places, that a heels, squatted on the ground; and when re- man cannot walk along it, but is obliged to cumbent, they lie upon mats, covered with push himself forward in a sitting posture, folds of their native bark cloth. This cloth is grasping the mountain with his legs. made from the bark of several trees, a large On the 23rd, arrangements were made for proportion of what is used here, from that of visiting the opposite side of the island, where the bread fruit tree. This is beaten into thin a number of natives, and one English family sheets, which are rendered tenacious by the reside. The direction of the trade-wind ren. gum they contain, when properly dried in the dered the longest route most eligible, and we sun. When fit for use, this ingenious sub-pursued our course among coral rocks within stitute for woven goods, resembles coarse paper: it is, however, less easily torn, and generally somewhat thinner. It forms but a harsh, uncomfortable drapery, and will not bear properly washing, being injured by moisture, without much friction; but habit and necessity render it tolerable, and it is very readily made. When dressed for chapel, the men generally wear a foreign shirt, and a piece of print or blue cotton wrapped round the waist: the women a similar girdle of some light material, and either a kind of loose gown, or a shawl, of calico, thrown over the shoul

the reefs. In a few hours we arrived opposite a famous entrance through the reef, formerly held sacred on account of a large marai, called Orua, situated on the beach near it. Here we landed and explored the marai, with its ruined piles of rock, its consecrated enclosures, pray, ing-stones, and venerable grove of Aitos and Tamanus.* The whole neighbourhood is

formerly held sacred in the South Sea Islands. It *The Tamanu (calophyllum Inophyllum,) was is a noble tree,-in general appearance something resembling the oak.

overgrown with trees and climbers, and the half starved hogs and dogs occupying every ruins are so completely dilapidated, that it is corner in the neighbourhood, do not constitute difficult to appreciate the original design. the most delightful objects, though viewed in Many smaller heaps of stone, and the remains the far-famed South Sea Islands. of pavements, steps, and praying-stones are Our afternoon ramble on the 17th, led to the seen near the principal pile,-the whole form-site of William Ellis's residence. The vicinity ing an enduring relic of superstition, and a is completely overgrown with guavas, and the proof of the laborious zeal of idolaters. After most authentic traces of its former occupant surveying this gloomy grove, once associated with scenes of horror and death, we continued an intricate passage through innumerable beds of coral, till we reached Afareàitu, and were cordially welcomed by the resident English family.

27th. We heard some days since that more ardent spirits has just been brought to Tahiti by a schooner from Valparaiso, which is now trading in them. When we left Tahiti, another American vessel was there selling all she could of this destructive poison; in fact, the chief articles of barter for cocoa-nut oil and arrow-root that she seemed to have, were fire-arms and brandy, and these she was retailing round the coast. Her supercargo told me himself, that he had sold all the brandy he could get rid of, and between one and two hundred muskets. He is quite a youth, but well enough suited for the task he has undertaken, being a profligate, thoughtless fellow, initiated into the trade, which he avows his intention to continue. What could be more completely barbarous than this traffic, carried on with uncivilized nations at the present day; and that too by professing Christians!

During the afternoon of tenth month 15th, we rambled for exercise on the public road, along the coast, and saw a curious salt-water lake, situated about two miles to the northward of the harbour. It is a magnificent sheet of water, encircled by mountains and tropical forests; and probably would have been still more gratifying to eyes less familiar with the water than ours. There is, however, an essential distinction between the prospects to which we are accustomed, and inland lake scenery. The characteristic of the former is ceaseless fluctuation,-that of the latter unbroken tranquillity.

are discoverable in some fine fruit-trees, planted in the immediate neighbourhood of the house. We afterwards took tea at the mission-house, and were shown the press which is occasionally employed in printing native lessons, laws, &c.

On the afternoon of the 24th, we accompanied one of the missionaries on an excursion up the salt-water lake mentioned before. After walking about two miles, we embarked in a canoe, and were pushed along the shore by a man with a long pole;-a method adopted where the water is shallow, as the most expeditious mode of propelling their light barks. In about an hour we reached the farther end of the lagoon, distant perhaps five miles from the place of embarkation. The banks as we went along appeared thickly wooded and very thinly inhabited, exhibiting little variety, beside the occasional remains of marais, of which there are a great number. Our native conductor pointed out the particular pile of stones appropriated to his family, on which he had himself offered gifts to the supposed gods of Tahiti. He mentioned having been present on one occasion when a human victim was taken near this lake:-he was a boy at the time, and was rambling along the bank, when a party of men, led by a chief, approached the spot where he was, and where also the object of their pursuit happened to be. The chief, when he discovered his victim, bade him climb a cocoa-nut tree, which he of course instantly did. He ordered him to pluck some nuts for them, and when this was done, to break off a leaf, and come down. The leaf was to form a basket for his own body to be carried in. On coming down he was forthwith despatched. Our informant run away in great fear, while the murderers laughed at his terror, and exulted in their easy capture.

Among the enclosures of the natives here, there is greater indication of industry than we remarked in Tahiti, and many of the houses Faré Harbour. Huahine.-In personal are built in the civilized manner, with win- appearance, there is no perceptible difference dows, plastered walls, &c. Nevertheless the between the natives of this island and those dwellings we have seen have by no means a of Tahiti ; and from what we have seen, their comfortable aspect, and the general effect of progress in civil, social, and religious improvethe native settlements is not particularly pleas-ment is precisely similar. I think more pains ing. Unfurnished, dirty huts, surrounded with have been bestowed on their instruction; but, lumber, the remains of food, &c., naked chil- as far as our observation has extended, they dren, and all but naked parents, working, or occupy much the same position as their Georrolling about, smoking or playing, sleeping or gian neighbours in the scale of civilization, waking, as the case may be; with groups of mental development and morality. On the VOL. VII.-No. 9.

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whole, I should suppose a larger proportion to be worth nearly a dollar,―about four times of the population is more or less acquainted its value in England. Gaudy-coloured ribwith the rudiments of reading and writing; bons are about the same price. A musket though many are ignorant of these, and it is costing at home perhaps 128. is sold at Tahiti not impossible that less constant intercourse for seven or eight dollars. with the shipping may have prevented some of that licentious degradation, which peculiarly characterizes the vicinity of sea-ports. Only one ship has been here during our stay, but in her case considerable irregularities were committed. The use of spirits is just now generally laid aside, and doubtless this salutary regulation will tend to prevent many evils.

appropriated to the dances, once so much in vogue here, in celebration of their abominable orgies.

Bolabola, Eleventh month 11th.-In the afternoon we walked through the settlement, and saw several sick and infirm persons. My father distributed several pairs of spectacles where they seemed to be most needed, among the more serious natives who could read. One of these, a cripple, we found in his hut with his Bible before him, and two muskets hanging over his head: he is a constant attender of the school, acting as teacher as well as he is able. On our walks here we have generally been attended by a group of children, who frolic round the strangers, and afford much amusement by their sprightliness, wildness and curiosity. They are really fine, intelligent little creatures. Some of them look healthy, but too many bear marks of the prevailing disorders, which have been deplorably neglected among these islanders. A more invaluable present could scarcely be sent to them than a good supply of drugs,-particularly calomel, salts, sulphur, ipecacuanha, opium and rhubarb. It is true, in many places there is no one to administer them, and in others they would not be administered to the greatest advantage, for want of professional knowledge; but if sent to the care of some of the missionaries, they would confer a great blessing. C. B. does much in relieving the poor creatures around him, by his own exertions in this way.

ensures for the present in Eimeo an external attention to the services of the chapel; but the very existence of this detestable regula tion indicates unsoundness. The fact that the poor native is subjected to a penalty if he absents himself from the chapel, and the sight of a man with a stick ransacking the villages for worshippers, before the hour of service,-a spectacle we have witnessed,—are so utterly abhorrent to our notions, that I cannot revert to the subject without feelings of regret and disgust.

The general appearance of the country, and of the inhabitants of Huahine, is similar to Tahiti, and the popular habits seem nearly the same. The soil is exceedingly prolific, demanding but little labour. Hogs and domestic fowls are pretty numerous, but horned cattle are only found in the possession of the missionary and a few others; and indeed it is undesirable that they should increase much, as they certainly are a great nuisance among the native plantations. In Tahiti and Eimeo they abound and run wild, preying upon the fruits and damaging the fences in parts that cannot be easily watched.

Both Raiatea and Tahaa are fine fertile islands, capable of supporting ten times their present population; but there is no prospect of increase under present circumstances; and if the sweeping bane of ardent spirits is readmitted, the numbers will rapidly decline. Even in Huahine, where things are undoubtedly better managed and the people more instructed, the number of births and deaths are just about equal. C. B. told us that he hoped South Pacific, Eleventh month 19th, 1835. during the present year, there would be a However deficient my accounts of the islands small preponderance in favour of the former. we have just left may appear, it would be no The more abandoned portion of the commudifficult matter to add considerably to the in-nity scarcely ever have families, and many terest felt in their perusal, had my object of the children that are born are miserably been merely to draw a pleasing picture. I have noticed the causes which operate in producing the very false impression which certainly is produced by reading the reports of some former visitors. There are many circumstances connected with the South Sea Islands, peculiarly fascinating and poetical, and these have been made the most of by some of their delineators. My wish, that a simple statement should produce a simple and correct impression, has induced me to confine my remarks pretty much to matters of plain fact, more or less intimately connected with our own progress or the object of the voyage. Of Tahiti, I have already given you some particulars, also of Eimeo. The government, laws, and people of the other Georgian Isles, are essentially the same, and the state of society not materially different. The same compulsory system which obtains in Tahiti,

diseased, so that a little aggravation of circumstances, such as a return to general intemperance, would make existing causes adequate for a speedy extermination. I trust, however, these islanders may be preserved, after having survived the bloody era of human immolation, infanticide, and other pagan atrocities,-from falling victims to vices introduced and kept up by "Christians."

But of all the islands in the Society group, Bolabola exhibits at the present time the most melancholy spectacle. It is indeed a lovely island, and wants only a moral and industrious population, and a consistent united government, to ensure its national prosperity. But, exhausted by the late struggle with Raiatea, the chiefs divided among themselves, all moral restraints disregarded by one faction, and every excess openly sanctioned ;-the other party, who still adhere nominally to

the cause of the missionaries, left to support kept at work: at present printing the New their own principles,-there is little of a Testament, a geography, the Hawaii newspa pleasing nature to be said respecting it. The per,-(Ke Kumu Hawaii,)-and a music-book more sober part of the people seemed tractable enough; but it is scarcely to be expected that they will maintain their ground, associated with and related as they are, to the lawless faction. At the time of our visit the fruit season had not arrived, and consequently the means of distillation were not within their power; but a few weeks would furnish them with an abundant harvest of bread-fruit, &c., and it was greatly feared, that last year's excesses would again be indulged in, and a famine produced by the consumption of every article of food in the making of spirits.

for a volume of hymns. The newspaper last year was twice its present size, and sold for twice its present price, which is half a dollar annually: it was published every fortnight, and 3500 copies were circulated. Probably its circulation will be much increased this season. It is a small but neat paper, containing information on subjects calculated to interest the people, such as natural history, and par ticular occurrences in the islands; and the demand indicates a relish on the part of the natives for such a source of instruction and amusement. We were pleased with the ma chinery in the establishment, which is in good repair, and is worked entirely by natives, under the direction of a foreign printer and binder.

The people here have much less of foreign clothing than the natives of the other islands, possessing fewer opportunities of obtaining it, and having wasted their means in drinking. This circumstance alone prevents many from There are at present residing in Honolulu, attending chapel, when a missionary is here. belonging to the American Board of Missions, Whatever their motive might be, the better two ordained' ministers, a doctor, a book. sort appeared extremely eager to supply them-binder, a printer, and a secular agent.' A selves with clothing, and would part with al- missionary from one of the other islands is most any thing they possessed, (which is not here just now with his family. The above are much, poor creatures!) to obtain a bit of print all married men, although one or two of their or calico. number are quite young; and they all reside in the same neighbourhood, forming quite a community among themselves.

The settlement is composed of wicker huts, with the exception of one or two dilapidated houses, the chapel and the mission-house. The end of the week is almost universally The island is extremely fertile, producing vast adopted in Oahu as a time for riding on horsequantities of bread-fruit; but it is by no means back; and accordingly the roads and comwell supplied with water, and on this account mons swarm with the gentry of the neigh can never become a general resort for ship-bourhood, who vie with each other in risking ping, although it possesses a most magnificent harbour. We saw a spring or two, which furnish a constant supply; but the water usually found among the natives is nearly unfit for use, except during the rainy season.

As a missionary station, it is at present abandoned; but we saw nothing about the chiefs and people of the more respectable party particularly discouraging. On the contrary, I feel no doubt that a large portion of the inhabitants, whose interest in every point of view it would certainly be to protect such a resident, are capable of appreciating the value of a conscientious missionary. The lawless faction are at present incorrigible; but the removal of their leader would no doubt terminate their career, and this is an event by no means improbable, if he persist in his present intemperate habits. One of his sons fell a victim to intemperance only a few weeks back.

Sandwich Isles, Oahu.—On the 7th of first month, 1836, we visited the mission establishment and looked through the printing, binding, composing-rooms, &c. Two presses are

their necks. Foreigners, native nobility, and others, are seen galloping about in all direc tions, to the discomfiture, or at least the bodily fear' of sober pedestrians. The Sandwich Island women are really very adroit on horseback; but the posture in which these amazons choose to exhibit, violates every feel. ing of refinement.

22nd.-Some efforts have lately been mak ing on the part of both natives and foreigners, in the way of petitioning the government here for the suppression of spirit-selling, which is increased to a shocking extent. The king, unhappily, is fond of drinking himself, and moreover derives considerable emolument from the licenses to vend this pernicious article; so that surrounded as he is by ill-advisers, there is little hope that any alteration will take place at present. Many of the foreign resi dents defend the sale and use of spirits; which is one principal source of profit with some of them. The village of Honolulu is suppos ed to contain about two hundred foreigners, and we can only hear of two houses among those who are traders, not more or less concerned in the sale of spirits. There are at