120 VOYAGE TO THE 



C ?v P ' g reat deal °f exercise in the cultivation of their 

 v -" yW grounds, it was not surprising that we found them 

 1I25. so athletic and free from complaints. When illness 

 does occur, their remedies are as simple as their 

 manner of living, and are limited to salt water, hot 

 ginger tea, or abstinence, according to the nature of 

 the complaint. They have no medicines, nor do 

 they appear to require any, as these remedies have 

 hitherto been found sufficient. 



After their noontide meal, if their grounds do not 

 require their attention, and the weather be fine, they 

 go a little way out to sea in their canoes, and catch 

 fish, of which they have several kinds, large and 

 sometimes in abundance ; but it seldom happens 

 that they have this time to spare ; for the cultiva- 

 tion of the ground, repairing their boats, houses, and 

 making fishing-lines, with other employments, gene- 

 rally occupy the whole of each day. At sunset they 

 assemble at prayers as before, first offering their 

 orison and thanksgiving, and then chaunting hymns. 

 After this follows their evening meal, and at an 

 early hour, having again said their prayers, and 

 chaunted the evening hymn, they retire to rest ; 

 but before they sleep, each person again offers up a 

 short prayer upon his bed. 



Such is the distribution of time among the grown 

 people; the younger part attend at school at regular 

 hours, and are instructed in reading, writing, and 

 arithmetic. They have very fortunately found an 

 able and willing master in John Buffet, who be- 

 longed to a ship which visited the island, and was 

 so infatuated with their behaviour, being himself 

 naturally of a devout and serious turn of mind, that 

 he resolved to remain among them ; and in addition 



