550 



PROHIBITION OF SPIRITS. 



Nov. 



just conclusions. I witnessed no improprieties, neither did I 

 see any thing that would not have inclined me to suppose 

 (had I read or heard nothing of them), that their habits are, 

 in most ways, better than those of many civilized nations. 

 The missionaries have succeeded in carrying attention to reli- 

 gion, and general morality, to a high pitch : may they continue 

 to succeed, in future years, and become an example to larger, 

 older, and nominally wiser nations. 



Is it not a striking fact, that the people of a whole country 

 have solemnly refrained from drinking spirits : does not this 

 act alone entitle them to respect, and high consideration ? So 

 sincere are they on this subject, that, a short time since, when 

 they heard that a small vessel, lying in their harbour, had on 

 board a cask of rum, which ^the master intended to sell to 

 some of the residents, they went off to the vessel, and des- 

 troyed the obnoxious liquor. 



Upon enforcing their first law on this subject, every part 

 of each house was searched. They were very minute in 

 their scrutiny, but overlooked a bottle of brandy, which 

 Mr. Pritchard had kept in the house for medical purposes. 

 After their search, when leaving him, he called them back 

 and showed the bottle, saying for what purpose it had been 

 kept. Some said, ' keep it for that purpose ;** others said ' no, 

 it is ' ava,'* destroy it ! let us make no distinction, let us 

 utterly discard the use of so baneful a liquor ! have we not 

 other medicines, about whose use there can be no doubt 

 However, the milder party prevailed, and the brandy bottle 

 would have preserved its contents had not Mr. Pritchard 

 poured them on the ground before their eyes.-f* 



One horrible defect in the former character of the Otaheitans 

 has hardly been mentioned in the earlier writers. They were 



* Or cava, their Mwd for intoxicating- liquor of any kind. 



t I was surprised, when I first arrived at Otaheite, by finding- that none 

 of the natives who came on board would touch spirits ; and that they 

 would drink but very little wine. Afterwards, however, one chief was 

 noticed M^ho seemed differently disposed. 



