364 ALEXANDER AGASSIZ 



so no one was allowed to trade with the ship, which was 

 sadly in need of fresh provisions. Now the Albatross, 

 coming from the east, had not yet dropped a day, and 

 it was Saturday on board. Going to the missionary, 

 Agassiz told him that unless he allowed the natives to 

 sell to the ship, he would explain to them that Sunday 

 was such an artificial thing that for two white men com- 

 ing from different quarters of the earth it existed on 

 different days. After a little reflection the Kev. Mr. 



L removed the tabu. 



Agassiz had but little sympathy for what he saw of 

 missionary life, of which he writes : — 



" What I never like in the South Pacific is to see the 

 swell houses (comparatively speaking) of the mission- 

 aries. They always in all the islands have the very best 

 of everything, and certainly don't show the natives any 

 example of plain living, for they are most comfortable 

 and have no end of servants. ... I have been reading 



M n, and such twaddle passes my comprehension. It 



is nothing but an apology to join the European band of 

 robbers in despoiling the barbarians, as we are pleased 

 to call them, and compelling them to buy our goods and 

 wares in addition to stealing their land — all in the 

 name of spreading civilization ! Just as the missionary 

 swindles in the South Seas, who trades with natives, 

 makes a lot of rules for them adapted to our uses, and 

 compels them to do as we think right, all in the name 

 of Christianity ! — and if they resist the missionary 

 claims the protection of a Man-of-War of his Country ! 

 What fun it would be for a man of energy and pluck 

 to come among the islanders and help them to resist 

 such aggressions. . . ." 



