UPOLU. 71 



price as marked upon the cover was os. The tahsman 

 thus obtained Avas, of course, as regards its contents quite 

 unintelligible ; but, after being carefully folded up in tapa, 

 it became for many years a sacred deposit in a chief's 

 house, where it Avas subsequently produced to some native 

 teachers, who visited the island for the pui'pose of con- 

 version. How it came into Mr. Murray's hands I do 

 not know, but, if I remember rightly, he showed it to us. 

 It is probable good care was taken not to let in light 

 upon the fraud which had been practised, otherwise the 

 natives would have had an odd conception of the morality 

 taught in it, as thus practically exhibited by the be- 

 lievers in it. Well might Eajah Brooke observe to the 

 missionaries, when he permitted them to come into his 

 dominions (under the proviso that they would not teach 

 their converts to quarrel Avith one another), that he much 

 feared their moral instruction would hardly be a match 

 for the immoral instruction of all kinds practically taught 

 by the traders. Nor is it only by gross people of the 

 latter class that civilization is exhibited to savages in any- 

 thing but an attractive and elevating form. A circum- 

 stance, mentioned by Captain Erskine in connection Avith 

 this island, very forcibly illustrates the examples of un- 

 fairness and one-sided advantage, Avhicli are set before the 

 natives by those Avho ought to knoAV better, but whose 

 practical illustrations of civilized equity are by no means 

 commendable. It appears that when the well-known Mr. 

 Pritchard arrived at Upolu, invested with consular func- 



