474 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
to spin making up their minds to return, another 
party was selected. Nearly twenty girls, and eight 
or ten hoys, engaged to learn to spin and weave. 
The conditions on which they were instructed were 
almost such as they or their friends chose to propose, 
both as to the time they should continue, and the 
hours they should labour; and instead of receiving a 
premium for teaching them, Mr. Armitage agreed to 
pay them for every ounce of cotton they should spin. 
In every undertaking of this kind, the greatest 
embarrassments attend it at the outset, and the same 
difficulties that had suspended the instruction of the 
two former parties, were again to be overcome. The 
indolent habits of these young persons generally, their 
impatience of control, and the fugitive and unsettled 
mode of life to which many have been accustomed, were 
not to be at once overcome. Recent accounts, however, 
convey the pleasing intelligence, that the prospect of 
ultimately introducing this branch of labour very 
extensively among the people, is more encouraging 
than ever. The females were- able to spin strong 
and regular thread, or yarn; one or two of the 
boys had been taught to make, all things considered, 
very good cloth. Mr. Armitage has also succeeded in 
dying the cloth, and thus furnishing different patterns 
and colours, which has greatly increased its value in 
their estimation. While the hands of the parties spin¬ 
ning or weaving are employed, the improvement of 
their minds is not neglected. Reading-lessons and 
passages of scripture are affixed to the walls and dif¬ 
ferent parts of the factory. 
The carding engine, and some of the other parts of 
the machinery, were turned by a large water-wheel. 
