TONGATABU. Ill 



missionaries. Captain Erskine was much struck at Vavau and 

 Lifuka •witli'the difference in this respect between these mis- 

 sionaries and those of the London Society, in the Samoan 

 Islands. At Lifuka, to his great surprise and disgust, one of 

 the missionaries sharply reproved a chief of high rank for 

 daring to speak to him standing. No doubt this arrogance 

 will hereafter have a reverse. We shall one day have 

 some lamentations hke that of missionary Woon, who, when 

 speaking of the New Zealanders,^ says : ' They now eat the 

 finest wheat ; many are dressed Avith comfortable clothing, 

 and ride on horses like gentlemen ; while they ride the 

 missionary walks.' These melancholy facts are given to 

 show ' that their spiritual does not keep pace with their 

 temporal prosperitj^,' and that ' they have yet to learn the 

 scriptural lesson, that it is more blessed to give than to 

 receive.' A lesson, however, which in his own case he does 

 not seem to have appreciated. It is sad to think that the 

 delicate and difficult process of civilization should be left to 

 people often so httle intelligent as to be capable of uttering 

 such rubbish, or so strangely selfish as to be envious of the 

 well-being of those whom they undertake to elevate. The 

 youth's indiscretion arose, no doubt, from the passion of the 

 natives for horses, about sixty of which are to be found in 

 the island. 



Shortly after witnessing this singular scene we went in 

 with the missionaries to pay our respects to their wives. 

 Mrs. Whewell seemed a nice sensible woman. Mrs. Moul- 

 ' ' Life of Leigh,' p. 496. 



