426 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
begin with the first principles of instruction^ and of 
Christianity. Numbers excused themselves from 
attending, on account of the wearisomeness of learning 
their letters, when there was every reason to believe 
that unwillingness to conform to the precepts incul¬ 
cated, was the true cause of their disinclination. They 
usually neglected public worship, because they said they 
did not know how to read; this being considered a 
sufficient apology for the non-observance of the Sabbath, 
or the social duties of religion. Such neglect was also 
frequently used as a cover for their vices. When 
spoken to on the impropriety of their conduct, they 
would sometimes answer, ^^We are not scholars,^’ or, 
^^We are not praying peoplethese being the terms 
employed to designate those who made a profession 
of religion. Many were induced to keep back from the 
schools, and the place of public worship, from a desire to 
remain free from those restraints on their vicious prac¬ 
tices, which such profession of Christianity was con¬ 
sidered to impose. 
Under these circumstances we acted upon the prin¬ 
ciples by which our predecessors had invariably regu¬ 
lated their endeavours to teach the inhabitants of Tahiti 
and Eimeo; and respecting which, after careful obser¬ 
vation, I believe we are unanimous in our convic¬ 
tion that they are the true principles upon which any 
attempts to instruct a rude untutored people can be pro¬ 
secuted with a prospect of the greatest ultimate success. 
We made no presents to those who were our scholars^ 
more than to others from whom we had experienced an 
equal degree of hospitality ; we offered no reward to any 
one for learning, and held out no prospect of personal 
or temporal advantage to our pupils and hearers; and 
