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SOUTH SEA 
at two different visits completely proved to me the truth 
of this estimation. 
An instance of their tyranny occurred just before our 
arrival in their confiscating the humble goods of a poor 
and very aged woman, because she had been detected 
smoking tobacco; an indulgence of which the natives 
are passionately fond. They had also seized a poor 
woman’s pig, perhaps all the property she possessed, 
because on going to church one Sunday, when she had 
arrived near its porch, happening to see her grand- 
child at a short distance from the path, she left the road 
to the church to go and kiss her little favourite, which 
being seen by a missionary, it was reported of her that 
she had shewn contempt of the church, and the punish- 
ment was awarded that I have mentioned above; and 
these are instances on the truth of which the reader may 
depend. I obtained the information from a gentleman 
who had resided in those islands for some years, and 
whose veracity no one could doubt. In fact, from my 
own personal knowledge, I could state many other 
instances in accordance with the foregoing, but in doing 
so should digress too far from my object in this sketch 
of a South Sea voyage. And in closing these remarks 
for the present, I am sorry to have to say, that out of 
the many missionaries whom I had the opportunity of 
seeing, or of whom I heard, only one possessed the good- 
will and love of the natives among whom they resided ; 
and he obtained his popularity with these people in the 
same manner as a really good and religious man would 
among us ; his name was Platt, and I had the honour 
