20 THE WHALEMAN S ADVENTURES. 



This barrier passed, there was a subsidence 

 and inclining of the island inward, and the path 

 went through a meadow of bulrushes, in time 

 of rain flooded. The soil was a rich black 

 loam. Next came beds of wet kalo (Arum es- 

 culentum), very luxuriant and large, beyond 

 which were the houses of the king and native 

 missionary teachers, the chapel, school-house, 

 and principal settlement. These were prettily- 

 made buildings of kamanu posts, wattled be- 

 tween, lined on both sides with a good coat 

 of white-washed plaster, and thatched on the 

 roof with grass. Being clustered tastefully to- 

 gether, they make a very pleasing appearance 

 outside. 



The chapel and house of the king were fur- 

 nished with flooring and settees. In the former 

 was a round pulpit, very much like those seen 

 in Koman Catholic cathedrals, wherever is seen 

 at all what popery is by no means fond of the 

 pulpit. They had been built eleven years, it 

 being more than twenty, we were told, since the 

 island was first Christianized by native mission- 

 aries from Tahiti. They were all surrounded 



