POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
383 
From this enumeration of the various articles of diet 
procurable among the islands, it will be evident, that 
though neither wheat, oats, barley, pease, and beans, nor 
other pulse and grain, are grown, yet the aborigines with 
a moderate degree of labour may obtain the necessaries, 
and many of what are by them esteemed the luxuries, of 
life. Their diet and modes of living are, however, still very 
different from those to which a European has been accus¬ 
tomed, and which he finds, even in their altered climate, 
most conducive to his health. In this respect, the first 
Missionaries endured far greater privations than those 
who have at subsequent periods joined them. They 
were often without tea and sugar, had no other animal 
food than that which they procured in common with the 
natives, and but seldom obtained flour. For some years 
after our arrival in the islands, the supply of this last 
important article of diet was very inadequate and uncer¬ 
tain; we have been many months at a time without 
tasting it, either in the form of bread or any other pre¬ 
paration. The supply now procured is, however, more 
regular, and the introduction of goats furnishing milk, 
and the flesh of the kid, the feeding of cattle, by which 
means the residents are able to make butter and occa¬ 
sionally to kill an ox, has greatly improved their circum¬ 
stances. 
In a short time after our arrival at Afareaitu, the 
people began to erect the printing-office, and the frame 
of our dwelling. According to the directions of the 
king, and the arrangements among themselves, the work 
was divided between several parties. The people of Afa¬ 
reaitu erected the printing-office; and those of Maatea, 
a neighbouring district, my dwelling. The king wrote a 
letter to the chief of the district, hastening him in the 
