OBSERVANCE OF SUNDAY. 151 
Mr. Wilson, that I might procure, through his 
means, a convenient place for our astronomical 
observations. We landed at the point of the 
Cape, because the shade of a thick palm grove 
there offered us immediate protection. No one 
received us on the strand ; no human being, not 
even a dog, was visible. The very birds seemed 
here to celebrate the Sunday by silence, unless, 
indeed, it was somewhat too hot for singing. <A 
little brook, meandering among shrubs and 
flowers, alone took the liberty of mingling its 
murmurs with the devotions of the Tahaitians. 
I sauntered along a narrow trodden path under 
the shade of palms, bananas, crange, and lemon- 
trees, inhaling their fragrance, and delighting 
in the luxuriance of nature. Though beautiful 
as this country is, it does not equal Brazil in 
the variety of its productions, and in the num- 
bers of its humming-birds and butterflies. The 
loud prayer of the Tahaitian Christians reached 
my ears, as I approached their habitations. All 
the doors were closed, and not even the children 
allowed to enjoy the beauty of the morning. 
The small but pleasant house of the Mission- 
