492 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
The habits of the people did not allow of their 
attending school with that regularity which scholars 
are accustomed to observe in England. Many of the 
pupils being adults, had other needful engagements. 
In order, however, to ensure as regular and punc¬ 
tual an attendance as possible, the principal instruc¬ 
tion was given at an early hour every morning, 
that the people might attend the school before en¬ 
gaging in their ordinary avocations. The natives, 
therefore, assembled soon after sunrise: Mr. Barff 
usually repaired to the school for the men and boys 
about half past six o’clock in the morning, and, 
during the latter part of our residence in Huahine, 
Mr. Barlf and Mrs. Ellis, either unitedly or alter¬ 
nately, visited the female school at the same hour. 
It closed in general about eight, after which the 
people repaired to their daily employments. The 
boys’ school was open at two o’clock in the afternoon, 
but it was principally for the instruction of children. 
Many of the adults received instruction more readily 
than the children, and acquired a knowledge of read¬ 
ing with much greater facility than persons of the 
same age would do in England. With many, how¬ 
ever, more advanced in life, it was a most difficult 
task; and some, after two or three years’ applica¬ 
tion, were still unable to advance beyond the alpha¬ 
bet, or the first syllables of the spelling-book. 
Another source of perplexity resulted from the inju¬ 
dicious methods of the native teachers, who at first, 
in their zeal to encourage and assist their scholars, 
repeated to them every word in the columns of 
spelling, and their lessons, so frequently, that many 
of their pupils could repeat from memory, perhaps. 
