OR, PLAIN TEACHING. 



65 



sxtremities, and fastened by trans- 

 verse planks, which answer as 



10 



£91. 



seats for the rowers. Some of 

 these canoes were found by Cap- 

 tain Cook to be as much as 120 

 feet long. 



The chiefs, and all those on the fighting 

 stages, 11, were dressed in a vast quantity of 

 cloth, turbans, l)reast-plates, and helmets ; one 

 of the chiefs carried a wand in his hand, by 

 which he directed the movements of the rowers. 

 The vessels were decorated with flags, stream- 

 ers, etc. The war instruments were clubs, 

 spears, and stones. 



Great efforts have been made, 

 by missionaries and others, to con- 

 vert and civilize the interesting 

 tribes that people the island-world 

 of Polynesia. Many of them have 

 embraced Christianity, and adopt- 

 ed the habits of civilized nations. 

 Thus improved, they form a 

 creditable example of mankind, 

 and have been found good and 

 trustworthy labourers and ser- 

 vants. Etoisi, 14, Payella, 15, and 

 Sabbathahoo, 16, represent three 

 South Sea Islanders, who have 

 left the barbarous usages of the 

 tribes amid which they were born. 

 In consequence of the labours of 

 missionaries and navigators, we 

 have gained acquaintance with 

 the condition of the natives of the 

 principal island groups of Poly- 



nesia;* but there remain a great 

 number of islands in the vast 



13 



292. 



expanse of the Pacific which have 

 never been explored, and which 

 are occupied by tribes as savage 

 and uncivilized as were the New 

 Zealanders, the Tahitians, and 

 the Sandwich Islanders, before 

 European nations had directed 

 attention towards them. 



Hawaii is the largest of the 

 Sandwich Islands^ and is of 



17 



293. 



volcanic formation. Mount Roa, 

 and three other volcanoes, 17, 



• Polynesia means " Many Islands." 



