T U T U I L A. 79 



and cannot understand why they are restricted to one wife. They say, 

 " Why should God be so unreasonable as to require them to give up 

 all tneir wives but one for his convenience V 9 They pay just attention 

 to their religious duties ; morning and evening prayers are always said, 

 as is grace before their meals, and with a devotion rarely to be seen 

 among civilized men. 



Their amusements seem to be few ; their books are constantly before 

 them, and a great portion of their time is employed over them. Old 

 gray-headed men may be seen poring over the alphabet, and taught by 

 some of the youngest of the family. The employment of the men is to 

 cultivate and weed the taro, and to take care of the fences ; they also 

 make sennit for their houses, and canoes for fishing. The women are 

 engaged in making mats, and the boys and girls play, and wait upon 

 their seniors. 



Next to study, fishing is their great employment. This is performed 

 by driving the fish towards the nets in shoal water, where they are 

 easily caught. The cast-net is also used. 



The only amusement we saw, is a game»called lafo-tupe, which is 

 played with cocoa-nut shells, and resembles shuffle-board. 



Mr. Murray is an amiable as well as a truly pious man, and the 

 natives have imitated the example set by him. He studiously avoids 

 any intercourse with them in the way of trade or barter, except so 

 much as is necessary for the provision of his own family, and devotes 

 his whole time to preaching and teaching the gospel. He is one of 

 the missionaries engaged in translating the Bible, many parts of which 

 are now completed, and extensively used by the natives, many of whom 

 read and write well. 



Their observance of the Sabbath is very strict ; and it is impossible 

 to get a native to do any thing whatsoever on that day, but perform 

 his religious duties. They attend church regularly. In Mr. Murray's 

 congregation there are about thirty communicants, and nearly one 

 thousand attendants on public worship. They come from many of the 

 surrounding villages. Mr. Murray has been here about three years, 

 and the native preachers nine or ten ; he is well acquainted with the 

 difficulties of his station, but seemed to feel assured that his exertions 

 were about being crowned with success. He represented to me that 

 the natives were very tractable, and desired exceedingly to be taught ; 

 that they had much application, seemed to comprehend many things, 

 and were certainly not surpassed in intelligence by any of the natives 

 of Polynesia. 



Polygamy, which formerly was practised to a great extent, still 

 exists among those who have not been converted. 



