30 TONGATABOO. 
sionally by the missionaries to marry and baptize, &c. There is a 
printing-press established at Vavao, which has been in operation since 
1832. Many of the women can sew, and a great number of the na- 
tives have learned to read and write; a few of them have been taught 
the rules of -arithmetic, and the principles of geography. A very 
great improvement has taken place in the morals of the Christian part 
of the community; but the attachment of the people to their ancient 
usages is so strong, and the island so little visited by civilized nations, 
that they have not had that stimulus to improvement which others have 
derived from such advantages. 
While I bear witness to the arduous labours and well-conducted 
operations of these missionaries, I cannot help remarking that I was 
disappointed in finding religious intolerance existing among them. It 
was to be expected, that among a class so devoted, and undergoing so 
many privations, dangers, and sacrifices for the cause they are en- 
gaged in, charity would not have been wanting; and that they would 
have extended a friendly hand to all, of whatever persuasion, who 
came within their sphere of duty, especially those engaged in similar 
duties with themselves; but an instance of intolerance came to my 
knowledge here, that I regretted to hear of. On board the Currency 
Lass were two Catholic missionaries, who had been in this small vessel 
of one hundred and twenty tons for five months, and three weeks of 
that time they were in this harbour, without having received even an 
invitation to visit the shore from the Wesleyan missionaries, nor were 
any civilities whatever offered or paid to them. I can easily conceive 
why objections should be made to their preaching or remaining to 
propagate their creed in a field that was already occupied; but to 
withhold from them the common courtesies of life, in the present state 
of the world, surprised me not little; and I am satisfied that the exam- 
ple set in this case by the missionaries has caused much remark among 
the natives themselves upon this want of hospitality. They cannot 
understand the dogmas of the different sects of Christians, so that they 
naturally look upon them all as missionaries of this same faith, and 
cannot see why they should treat each other with less courtesy than is 
extended to those who are not missionaries. ‘Their ideas of enemies 
only extend to those who fight, which they well know all missionaries 
refuse to do. Were missionaries aware of the unfavourable impres- 
sion produced on the minds of most of the natives by such intolerance, 
it would never be practised, particularly as it is calculated to excite 
prejudices in strangers who visit their different mission stations, which 
not unfrequently so blinds them that they go away with unfavourable 
impressions. Every endeavour is frequently made by those whites 
