Intercourse between the Marémen and the Whites. + 35 
arrives off the island, and the boat’s crew from this vessel meet 
the same fate. In another case, a chief goes off to a vessel to 
trade, quarrels with the captain, is rope’s-ended ; and in return, 
the whole ship’s company are killed and the vessel burnt. 
Three natives swim off to a sandalwood vessel, to trade, are 
murdered on the deck ; and a cutter arriving off the island not 
long after, is taken by the natives, and all hands killed by way 
of revenge. 
I do not wish to justify the conduct of the natives, but if 
this is the manner in which intercourse has been carried on be- 
tween them and the traders, I would ask if the natives were at 
all likely to be improved or civilized by it. 
Of the other influence which has been at work, the following 
is a brief account. 
Many years ago, teachers—natives of Eastern Polynesia— 
landed on Maré, and worked quietly but assiduously amongst 
its inhabitants. About seven years after their landing, many of 
the natives began to abandon their heathen practices and make 
endeavours to follow the instructions.of these teachers. A 
missionary of the Church of England lands on the island and 
found that there was already a congregation of 1000 natives, 
anxious for further instruction. After a short but not a fruit- 
less residence, this missionary died, and his place was supplied 
by two sent by the London Missionary Society ; and from that 
time the natives have made both steady and rapid progress, 
until, as I said before, they are now entitled to be ranked as 
the foremost tribes of Western Polynesia. 
On Lifou, teachers were landed at a later date, and they 
were longer in making any impression on the natives, who are 
now, ‘consequently, behind Maré in Christian civilization ; 
while the people of Uea are still further back. There are now 
two missionaries on Maré, one on Lifou, and one on Uea—all 
supported by the London Missionary Society. 
