120 THE CRUISE OF TEE ' OUBAQOA.' ■ 



Catholic missionary. I took them over the ship, of which 

 they noted the cleanliness and admired the machinery. The 

 first informed me that he liad been for thirty years in the 

 Pacific, and that he had lived with Bishop Bataillon, the 

 actual bishop of the Samoan group, wliom I liad seen at 

 Apia. We chatted a long while, and I heard them express 

 very decidedly their doubts of the natives being disposed to 

 accept as the King's successor the person he might nominate. 

 They seemed to think it was impossible to foresee what 

 would happen at the King's death. 



The Commodore and myself returned the visit of the 

 two missionaries. They live at the village of Maofanga, 

 situated at about one mile from the King's residence, and to 

 the east, on the seashore, in the midst of trees. They came 

 out to meet us as soon as we were in sight, and then showed 

 us their church, which is a tolerable one, but very far from 

 being as pretty or clean as that of their rivals the Wesleyan 

 missionaries. It is ornamented with a representation of the 

 nine stations, poorly enough executed. The bell is suspended 

 between two posts fixed in the earth outside the church. 

 They then took us into their house, built at the bottom of a 

 large garden, and as poor in appearance as in reality. We 

 remained half-an-hour chatting in a little dark room, while 

 a crowd of natives stood about the door to have a look at 

 us. The missionaries were much gratified by our visit, and 

 distributed cocoa-nuts among our boat's crew. They then 

 led us across the village, picturesquely situated under the 

 shade of trees, and called our attention to a ditch and em- 



