PACIFIC AND BEERING’S STRAIT. 
211 
removed ; and especially as regards the former, who are, on the whole, CHAP 
a well-behaved class of men, though they are much addicted to intern- 
perance. A party of them, among which were Utammee and Pa- why, Marcii, 
came on board one day, and having received a present of a bottle of 
rum from the cabin, went to pay a visit to the gun-room officers, who 
politely offered them a glass of wine, but evincing some reluctance to 
this beverage, rum was placed upon the table, upon which the chiefs 
manifested their approbation, and Utammee seizing the bottle requested 
it as a present, and then emptying their glasses, which had been filled 
with wine, to the toast of Euranna poy, they bowed politely and with- 
drew. This partiality for spirits seems to be an incorrigible vice, and 
it is a fortunate circumstance that their means of indulging in it are so 
very limited. Some of them have materially benefited by the residence 
of the missionaries, and, in particular, two who resided at Matavai, about 
four miles to the eastward of our anchorage. They piqued themselves 
on their imitation of Eurojiean customs, and had neat little cottages, 
built after the European style, with white- washed fronts, which, peeping 
through some evergreen foliage, had a most agreeable effect, and being 
the only cottages of this description upon the island in the posses- 
sion of the natives, w ere the pride of their owners. The apartments 
contained chests, chairs, a table, and a knife and fork for a guest ; and 
nothing gave these chiefs greater pleasure than the company of some 
of the officers of the ship. Each of them could read and write their 
own language, and the elder. Pa-why, had, I believe, been useful to 
the missionaries in translating some part of the Scriptures. He was 
the more learned of the two brothers ; but Hetotte was the more 
esteemed, and was an exception to almost all his countrymen in not 
asking for what was shown to him. His inquiries concerning the use 
of every thing which offered itself to his notice, on coming on board the 
ship, surprised and interested us ; while his amiable disposition and 
engaffinff manners won him the esteem of almost all on board. An 
anecdote illustrative of his character muII be read with interest. The 
aiissionaries had for several years endeavoured to produce a change ot 
Religion in the island, by explaining to the natives the fallacy of their 
belief, and assuring them that the threats of their deities were absurd. 
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