CHAP. V, SPREAD OF THE ART OF WRITING. 119 



the latter reclines in his sickness on his mats spread on the 

 floor in his leaf-thatched hut, as his fathers had done for 

 generations before, he has only to utter his wishes or his 

 orders, and these are conveyed to those whom they concern 

 with as much authenticity and correctness as the most formal 

 despatch from an office of the most civilised nation. And 

 when I reflected that to such an extent had the native go- 

 vernment availed itself of the advantages of wi'iting as that 

 in the year 1836, when the late missionaries left the capital, 

 there were four thousand officers employed, who transacted 

 the business of their respective departments by wi'iting, and 

 that such is the benefit or pleasure which the people find in 

 thus communicating with each other that scarcely a traveller 

 ever journeys from one place to another without being a letter- 

 carrier, I was strongly impressed with the fact that, besides 

 the benefits of their directly religious teaching, missionaries 

 were rendering most important aid towards the enlighten- 

 ment and civilisation of mankind. 



After a subsequent visit, I sent to the chief, who remained 

 an invalid for some time, a little tea and sugar, and a few 

 biscuits, for which he expressed himself thankful, observing 

 that he had but little appetite, and did not relish his food, 

 though he had some time before bought a first-rate cook, for 

 whom he had given seventy dollars, about 13/. ; but that she 

 was ill at that time, and he was consequently deprived of her 

 services. 



During the day on which I was unpacking my luggage, 

 several young men, traders from the capital, came to my house 

 to ask what new articles of trade I had brought, and par- 

 ticularly if I had any violins or musical instruments to sell. 

 Soon afterwards a man arrived with a turkey and a duck, as 

 a present from a chief living close by, and I afterwards re- 

 ceived a number of similar presents from persons residing in 



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