AT FUTUNJ, BECRUITINO. 297 



contempt, although really a greater heathen than 

 any of them had ever been. It was quite pathetic to 

 see how earnestly they endeavoured to maintain the 

 form of worship to which they had been accustomed, 

 though how they managed without their priest, I could 

 not find out. Every evening tliey had prayers together, 

 accompanied by many crossings and genuflexions, and 

 wound up by the singing of a hymn in such queer Latin 

 that it was almost unrecognizable. After much wonder- 

 ing, I did manage to make out " Salutaris Hostia ! " 

 and " Tantum Ergo," but not until their queer pronun- 

 ciation of consonants had become familiar. Some of 

 the hymns were in their own tongue, only one of which 

 I can now remember. Phonetically, it ran thus — 



" Mah-lee-ah, Kollyeea leekee ; 

 Ohselloh mo mallaraah. 

 Alofah, keoa ma toh ; 

 Fah na oh, Mah lali ee ah " — 



which I understood to be a native rendering of " 

 Stella Maris! " It was sung to the well-known "Proces- 

 sional " in good time, and on that account, I suppose, 

 fixed itself in my memory. 



Whenever any of them were ordered aloft, they 

 never failed to cross themselves before taking to the 

 rigging, as if impressed with a sense of their chance 

 of not returning again in safety. To me was given 

 the congenial task of teaching them the duties re- 

 quired, and I am bound to admit that they were 

 willing, biddable, and cheerful learners. Another 

 amiable trait in their characters was especially notice- 

 able : they always held everything in common. No 

 matter how small the portion received by any one, 

 it was scrupulously shared with the others who lacked. 



