1835.) CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE. 413 
but from the depth and narrowness of the gorge, profoundly 
dark. 
Before actually seeing this country, { found it difficult to un- 
derstand two facts mentioned by Ellis; namely, that after the 
murderous battles of former times, the survivors on the con- 
quered side retired into the mountains, where a handful of men 
could resist a multitude. Certainly half-a-dozen men, at the 
spot where the Tahitian reared the old tree, could easily have 
repulsed thousands. Secondly, that after the introduction of 
Christianity, there were wild men who lived in the mountains, 
and whose retreats were unknown to the more civilized inha- 
bitants. 
November 20th.—In the morning we started early, and 
reached Matavai at noon. On the road we met a large party of 
noble athletic men, going for wild bananas. I found that the 
ship, on account of the difficulty in watering, had moved to the 
harbour of Papawa, to which place I immediately walked. This 
is a very pretty spot. The cove is surrounded by reefs, and the 
water as smooth as ina lake. The cultivated ground, with its 
beautiful productions, interspersed with cottages, comes close 
down to the water’s edge. 
From the varying accounts which I had read before reaching 
these islands, I was very anxious to form, from my own observa- 
tion, a judgment of their moral state,—although such judgment 
would necessarily be very imperfect. First impressions at all 
times very much depend on one’s previously-acquired ideas. My 
notions were drawn from Ellis’s ‘ Polynesian Researches’—an 
admirable and most interesting work, but naturally looking at 
every thing under a favourable point of view ; from Beechey’s 
Voyage; and from that of Kotzebue, which is strongly adverse 
to the whole missionary system. He who compares these three 
accounts will, I think, form a tolerably accurate conception of 
the present state of Tahiti. One of my impressions, which I 
took from the two last authorities, was decidedly incorrect ; viz., 
that the Tahitians had become a gloomy race, and lived in fear 
of the missionaries. Of the latter feeling I saw no trace, unless, 
indeed, fear and respect be confounded under one name. Instead 
of discontent being a common feeling, it would be difficult in 
Europe to pick out of a crowd half so many merry and happy 
