POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES, 
399 
outline of their features^ greatly resemble those of the 
Society Islanders | their manners are, however, more rude 
and uncourteous. The greater part of the body is 
tataued, sometimes in broad stripes, at others in large 
masses of black, and always without any of the taste 
and elegance frequently exhibited in the figures marked 
on the persons of the Tahitians. By the latter, the 
natives of the Pearl Islands were formerly regarded with 
the greatest contempt, as teehae and maua^ savages and 
barbarians. It was some months since they had arrived 
from their native islands, which they had left for the 
purpose of procuring books and teachers for their 
countrymen. From the time of their landing, Pomare 
had taken them under his protection 5 and when he 
came over to Eimeo, they followed in his train. 
A considerable party of the Aura tribe came one 
day to the printing-office, to see the press. When they 
were admitted, and beheld the native printer at work, 
their surprise and astonishment were truly affecting. 
They were some time before they would approach very 
near, and appeared at a loss whether to consider it as an 
animal or a machine. As their language is strikingly 
analogous to that spoken in the Society Islands, I 
entered into conversation with them. They were very 
urgent to be supplied with spelling-books, which I 
regretted my inability to effect to any extent, as our 
edition was nearly expended. Learning that they had 
discontinued idol-worship, I asked why they had aban¬ 
doned their gods. They replied, that they were evil 
spirits, and had never done them any good, but had 
caused frequent and desolating wars. Moorea,* they 
* He had been a professor of Christianity, and a pupil in the Mission- 
school some time before our arriyal. 
