Chap. I. WANGANXJI. 5 
and could not get them anywhere else. The same 
with tea, sugar, flour, and other articles of food, which 
I took advantage of the trips of the schooner to bring 
up in bags, casks, or cases ; so that I was very soon a 
shopkeeper in spite of myself. However, I had by this 
time learned to be anything that might be required ; 
and the " shop" was for some time as amusing an em- 
ployment as anything else. I have no doubt my books, 
kept in my own way, would have afforded much matter 
of laughter to any one brought up as a tradesman. I 
seldom received money payments. Pigs from one, 
labour from another, wine from a third ; stationery or 
wooden planks, spades, cart-wheels, or windows-frames 
from some other customer : such was the kind of barter 
which prevailed. I think that the only customer 
from whom I ever received cash for a long while was 
Mr. Mason, the missionary, who paid me in hard silver 
for two kegs of tobacco. 
For this shopkeeping or trading, indeed, I had no 
vocation ; and I entered into it with no views of gain. 
But as" the trading with the White settlers seemed to be 
an almost indispensable condition of maintaining the 
sort of feudal attachment, which I have already de- 
scribed, of a large body of natives, I did not disdain to 
be a shopkeeper for what seemed to me so useful an 
object. I found that few things had so civilizing an 
influence over the natives as this kind of commerce, 
founded on friendship and honour ; and I was content 
to go on losing a considerable sum of money, while I 
gained their respect and esteem — while I introduced 
many of the habits and customs of civilized life by 
showing a due respect for those customs of savage life 
which are respectable — and while I was enabled, as I 
imagined, to exercise an extensive and beneficial effect 
upon the intercourse between the two races. 
