1839.] ESTABLISHMENT OF MISSIONS. 171 



fishery of the Paumotu Group centres here. Papara and 

 Panawea, both of which have convenient harbors, are on the 

 same side of the island. 



Taloo is the principal town and harbor on Eimeo. The 

 anchorage ground is an inlet three miles in depth, inclosed 

 between walls of precipitous mountains ; it is deep and spa- 

 cious, and, though exposed to the western winds, they do not 

 often blow hard enough to injure shipping. At its head is a 

 broad flat of alluvion, well adapted for the cultivation of the 

 sugar-cane. Papoii, also on the northern side of the island, 

 and Afareaitu on the south side, are safe and excellent har- 

 bors. 



(4.) Europeans became earlier acquainted with the Society 

 Islands than with any of the other groups in the Pacific ; and 

 the language of Tahiti was the first Polynesian language re- 

 duced to writing by the English missionaries. As early as 

 1797, there were eighteen missionaries settled on the island 

 of Tahiti ; and, in 1814, there were about fifty adult natives 

 who had embraced Christianity. Although the number of 

 converts was so few, a general and visible improvement fol- 

 lowed the introduction of Christianity ; many useful arts 

 were introduced ; schools were founded ; the meliorating in- 

 fluences of the law of kindness and love daily became more 

 manifest ; and the change was finally marked by the estab- 

 lishment of comparative order and tranquillity, and the adop- 

 tion of a form of government, modelled, under the auspices 

 of the English missionaries, after the British Constitution. 



The present constitution was originally framed by the mis- 

 sionaries in 1823, and was revised in 1826. The form of 

 government, like that of England, is a limited monarchy. 

 The crown is hereditary in the male or female line. The 

 sovereign appoints all the principal officers of state, the gov- 

 ernors of the different islands, and the chiefs of districts ; and 

 has an unqualified veto on all legislative enactments, though 

 a bill which has failed to receive the royal signature may 

 subsequently be revised and modified. The legislature is 

 composed of two members from aaoh district, who are trien- 



