124 THE CBUISE OF TEE ' CUBAQOA.' ■ 



the Popish Church were represented as falling into hell fire.' 



Such are tlie weapons with which these godly men contend 

 against each otlier, for the honour of propagating a religion 

 of which charity and love are allowed to be the eminent 

 characteristics ; and such are the weapons they will continue 

 to use to the manifest degradation of that rehgion, until the 

 stern common sense of society refuses to permit the nobler 

 instincts and aspirations of Christianity to be sacrificed to 

 the narrow interests of Weteri, Hahi, and Pikopo. 



Having visited the two mission establishments I took the 

 opportunity of visiting the coimcil-house, where a public 

 meeting was to be held. It is a large building containing 

 a single room, with a number of doors or entrances ; the 

 floor, which is of earth, was covered with mats as in the native 

 houses. The King I found seated in a chair at one end of 

 the hall, and Mr. Moss at the other ; in the middle some 

 twenty of the principal chiefs were squatted on the mats. 

 I heard several speakers discoursing on state affairs as if 

 it had been the exclusive business of their lives. The 

 costume of these senators appeared strange enough to 

 European eyes ; tnttooings for pantaloons, and around their 

 waist a large piece of flowing tapa ; they spoke without 

 rising. Mr. Moss's principal business was to take down the 

 speeches in shorthand. The subject of the actual discussion 

 had reference to the plantations of the coffee tree, which 

 grows admirably well in the island, and the object was to 

 determine how many of these trees each inhabitant should 

 be bound to plant. 



