260 THE queen's severity. 



bitter feeling, first looking round to make sure 

 that he should not be overheard, he replied, 

 " Don't think that 1 am learning to read. I 

 have only bought the book to look into it, that 

 Kahumanna may think I am following the ge- 

 neral example ; she would not otherwise suffer 

 me to approach her, and what would then become 

 of a poor, miserable, old man like me ? What 

 is the use of the odious B A, Ba? Will it 

 make our yams and potatoes grow ? No such 

 thing ; our country people are obliged to neglect 

 their fields for it, and scarcely half the land is 

 tilled. What will be the consequence ? There 

 will be a famine by and by, and " Pala, Pala'' 

 will not fill a hungry man." 



It is doubtless praiseworthy in a government 

 to provide for the instruction of the people, but 

 to force it upon them by such unreasonable 

 measures as those adopted by Kahumanna and 

 her counsellor must have a prejudicial effect : 

 so far the old man was right. 



A striking instance of the severity with which 

 the Queen sometimes prosecutes her purpose, 

 fell under our observation. An old man of 

 seventy, who rented a piece of land belonging 



