158 A LUDICROUS SCENE. 
tervals; the greater part of them appeared very 
attentive, and the most decorous silence reigned, 
which was, however, occasionally interrupted by 
the chattering and tittering of some young girls 
seated behind me. I observed that some threat- 
ening looks directed towards them by Messrs. 
Bennet and Tyrman, seemed to silence them 
for a moment, but their youthful spirits soon 
overcoming their fears, the whispering and gig- 
gling recommenced, and glances were cast at 
the white stranger, which seemed to intimate 
no unwillingness to commence a closer acquaint- 
ance. After the conclusion of the sermon, an- 
other psalm was sung, and the service concluded. 
The display of costume, as the congregation 
strolled homewards in groups, with the greatest 
self-complacency, through the beautiful broad 
avenue, their psalm-books under their arms, 
was still more strikingly ludicrous than in 
church. I had by this time, however, lost all 
inclination to laugh. 
I had assisted at a great religious assembly 
of the new, devoted, so called Christian Tahai- 
tians; and the comparison naturally arising in 
my mind, between what I had seen and the 
