1835.] CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE. 413 



but from the depth and narrowness of the gorge, profoundly 

 dark. 



Before actually seeing this country, I found it difficult to un- 

 derstand two facts mentioned by Ellis ; namely, that after the 

 murderous battles of former times, the survivors on the con- 

 quered side retired into the mountains, where a handful of men 

 could resist a multitude. Certainly half-a-dozen men, at the 

 spot where the Tahitian reared the old tree, could easily have 

 repulsed thousands. Secondly, that after the introduction of 

 Christianity, there were wild men who lived in the mountains, 

 and whose retreats were unknown to the more civilized inha- 

 bitants. 



November 20th. In the morning we started early, and 

 reached Matavai at noon. On the road we met a large party of 

 noble athletic men, going for wild bananas. I found that the 

 ship, on account of the difficulty in watering, had moved to the 

 harbour of Papavva, to which place I immediately walked. This 

 is a very pretty spot. The cove is surrounded by reef's, and the 

 water as smooth as in a lake. The cultivated ground, with its 

 beautiful productions, interspersed with cottages, comes close 

 down to the water's edge. 



From the varying accounts which I had read before reaching 

 these islands, I was very anxious to form, from my own observa- 

 tion, a judgment of their moral state, although such judgment 

 would necessarily be very imperfect. First impressions at all 

 times very much depend on one's previously-acquired ideas. My 

 notions were drawn from Ellis's ' Polynesian Researches' an 

 admirable and most interesting work, but naturally looking at 

 every thing under a favourable point of view ; from Beechey's 

 Voyage ; and from that of Kotzebue, which is strongly adverse 

 to the whole missionary system. He who compares these three 

 accounts will, I think, form a tolerably accurate conception of 

 the present state of Tahiti. One of my impressions, which I 

 took from the two last authorities, was decidedly incorrect ; viz., 

 that the Tahitians had become a gloomy race, and lived in fear 

 of the missionaries. Of the latter feeling I saw no trace, unless, 

 indeed, fear and respect be confounded under one name. Instead 

 of discontent being a common feeling, it would be difficult in 

 Europe to pick out of a crowd half so many merry and happy 



