518 



WEATHER — LOW ISLANDEllS. 



Nov. 



the regularity of the trade-wind occur among all the tropical 

 islands of this ocean. One instance has already been given of 

 the uncertain and changeable state of the weather among the 

 Low Islands, and many more may be found in the narratives of 

 voyages in the Pacific between the tropics. 



20th. While conversing with Middleton about those Low 

 Islands (where he had passed much time), I was very much struck 

 by the unpleasant personal feeling shewn by him when alluding 

 to the missionaries, and their regulations, as contrasted with the 

 strong terms in which he mentioned the good effects of their 

 intercourse with the Low Islanders ; and how much more mis- 

 sionaries were required. His own words, as I find them in a 

 paper of remarks he gave me, are, " the inhabitants (of the Low 

 Islands) are familiarized to Europeans ; and are partly civi- 

 lized, owing to the Gospel having been preached to them by 

 the missionaries.*" In another place he says, " there are inha- 

 bitants enough to require the constant residence of one or two 

 missionaries. They have some books of the Gospel in their 

 hands, but are yet too ignorant to profit by their contents.*" 

 His own antipathy to the missionaries had arisen, I found, in 

 consequence of their restraints upon his conduct, while at 

 Otaheite. — Among other information he said that the natives * 

 of Chain Island told him frequently, that the first ship they 

 ever saw was manned with black people; but the captain, 

 whom the natives styled the ' King of the Spirits,' was a white 

 man. They were much alarmed when they saw the vessel ' 

 come close to their island, and their old men deemed it an omen 

 of impending disasters. Soon after this event, the island was 

 inundated by the sea, and many people perished. They were 

 then cannibals, and always at war with the natives of the 

 neighbouring islands : since that time, which was ' long ago' 

 (how long he could not ascertain), the Chain Islanders have 

 invaded and successively conquered the other Low Islands, 

 invariably killing and eating the greater proportion of their 

 captives. (The Low Islands are called Paamuto.) 



Middleton arrived at Otaheite from Chain Island, only two 

 days before this conversation took place. He came in his 



