POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 13 
and every thing provided, when we left, that could make 
the remaining part of our voyage comfortable. 
The heat of the climate was rather oppressive, but 
the mornings and evenings were pleasant, and, during 
the forenoon, the sea breezes in general refreshing. The 
habits of the people, the singularity of the buildings, 
the narrow streets, projecting balconies, and trellis- 
work doors and windows, the varied productions of the 
country, with the sublime grandeur and romantic beauty 
of the scenery, were all adapted to arrest the attention of 
those who now, for the first time, found themselves in a 
foreign land. 
To us, the moral and religious state of the people was 
the subject of greatest interest; and, every observation 
we made, was adapted to awaken the liveliest gratitude to 
Him who had cast our lot in a happier land. Ignorance, 
and disregard of all religious principle, or the substitu¬ 
tion of ceremony in its place, appeared every where 
prevalent. To the freedom of the press, and liberty 
of conscience, the inhabitants were perfect strangers. 
No book, we were informed, was allowed to be printed 
or imported for circulation, without the inspection of 
individuals appointed for this duty, whose censorship, 
it appeared, was such as to extinguish every source 
of light, and perpetuate the darkness of the people. 
Popery is the religion of the country; and we had an 
opportunity of beholding it in its own element. The 
demise of the queen-dowager of Portugal took place 
about the time of our arrival; and I had an opportunity 
of witnessing the funeral, which took place by torch-light. 
Numbers of ecclesiastics, in the habits of their respec¬ 
tive orders, appeared in the procession, mounted on mules, 
which were led by persons bearing large burning tapers 
