SOUTH SEA 
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affected part; they are also naturally subject to a kind 
of nervous consumption, and hydrocele, the part affected 
in which, in the case I saw, was of an immense size, 
being at least twenty-five inches in its circumference ; 
they are also affected with other diseases of the same 
organs, which consist of a stony hardening of the internal 
part, but which is attended with a very slow growth* 
I also saw several persons who were affected with pos- 
terior curvature of the spine, familiarly known as hunch- 
backs. 
When I started from the king 9 s house in the morning, 
I was surrounded by about two hundred persons, many 
of whom implored me to visit their sick relations or 
friends ; and as I had before done at Monte Christa, I 
did here ; I set about doing all the good I could for 
those wretched people, who were suffering torments of 
various kinds without a prospect of relief, and the un- 
fortunate creatures, writhing from their pangs, looked 
upon me as an angel sent from heaven, to administer to 
their wants, and relieve the poignancy of their pains. 
How is it that proper persons are not sent out by the 
Missionary Society for this purpose ? If a small portion 
of the immense sums that are annually expended upon 
missionaries were devoted to such real usefulness, the 
poor natives would indeed feel grateful for such practical 
blessings, and their minds would be rendered more sus- 
ceptible of being impressed with a belief in the Christian 
faith. 
I first accompanied a little boy, w r ho claimed my 
attention from the urgency of his request to visit his 
