Religious Scruples. 157 



We were unable to obtain many curiosities in the way of 

 native implements, as according to the calendar of the island it 

 was the Sabbath day, and was as such strictly observed ; although 

 with us, keeping eastern time and longitude, it was of course a 

 Saturday. However, by a judicious distribution of a few plugs of 

 tobacco, which I emphatically called "presents," and by bestowing 

 on my native friend a surgical lancet, which he was very anxious 

 to possess, I received also as " presents" a few implements, 

 viz., a large wooden shark-hook with rope snooding made of 

 cocoanut fibres, a small fish-hook, the stem of which was made 

 of pearl shell and the hook of turtle shell, a fish-hook made of 

 cocoanut husk, neatly carved, and the blade of an old native adze 

 fashioned out of a clamshell. I was very glad to get these 

 articles, for since the introduction of iron tools the ancient stone 

 and shell implements have been thrown away and lost sight of, 

 so that it is now exceedingly difficult to procure any of them. 

 No weapons of any kind are used, and the spear is not used even 

 for fishing. I entered one of the better class of native huts, and 

 found it clean and neatly arranged ; and as in the hut of the 

 missionary teacher, pictures cut from the London illustrated 

 papers were stuck against the walls, and pointed out to us as 

 objects of special pride. The entire population at this time 

 numbered 260, and was presided over until a few weeks prior to 

 our visit by a king. The late monarch, however, having shown 

 himself to be a good-for-nothing sort of person, was deposed by 

 his subjects, who now get on very well without any form of 

 government excepting that of the missionaries. 



There was one white man living on the island, a Scotchman 

 named Adam Mayne, who collects cocoanut-oil on behalf of the 

 firm of Henderson and Macfarlane, of Auckland. He receives 

 supplies every three months or- thereabouts from a trading vessel ; 

 but as the latter was now three months overdue, he was very 

 glad to receive from us a present of biscuit and medical stores. 



The Christianizing of the island has been undertaken by the 



