INSTANCE OF NATIVE EQUITY. 31 



island : Mr. Platt having relinquished the cure 

 of Borabora, (where the natives are reported as 

 " too bad,") and fixed his residence at Utu- 

 maoro. Mr. Platt was at this time absent on 

 a visit to the Navigator Islands ; yet the pre- 

 sence of his family alone, at Raiatea, appeared 

 sufficient to keep the natives in their line of 

 duty. 



It required as many visits as we had paid to 

 this island to enable us to form any correct 

 estimate of the character of a people so versa- 

 tile in their conduct. From what I observed, it 

 is evident that they hold any one moral cha- 

 racter upon a very frail tenure ; and as they are 

 influenced by good or bad example, and con- 

 trolled by wholesome authority or left to the 

 sway of their passions, they are ever ready to 

 pass rapidly to the extremes of good and bad ; 

 and afford at short intervals, and often in the 

 same persons, striking examples of saintly vir- 

 tues, or of the most degrading vices. 



A circumstance occurred, during our present 

 visit, which reflected great credit upon the state 

 of the laws at this island. A few hours after 

 our arrival at the port, a knife was missed from 

 one of the boats ; and as no natives excepting 

 the pilot and his boat's crew had been on board 

 the ship, suspicion naturally fell upon that 



