POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
121 
The Missionaries’ wives had taught some few in Eimeo 
prior to our arrival; but, until their reception of Chris¬ 
tianity, they considered it degrading to attach them¬ 
selves to the household of the foreigners, or to learn any 
of their arts and customs ; they also thought their own 
manner of wearing a piece of native or foreign cloth, 
cast loosely round the body, preferable to the European 
mode of dress, and consequently had no inducement to 
learn needlework, or any other kind of female employ¬ 
ment. They were, however, now anxious not only to 
adopt the English style of clothing, but also to be able 
to make their own dresses. This was a kind of instruc¬ 
tion which our wives were competent to impart, even 
before they had acquired a sufficient knowledge of the 
language to enable them to teach in the schools. Mrs. 
Ellis had engaged in it ever since our arrival in Eimeo ; 
and, as soon as we were settled in the Leeward Islands, 
some were daily occupied in teaching the native females 
to sew. 
In Huahine a large class attended every afternoon 
from two till five o’clock, alternately at our respective 
houses, where Mrs. Barff and Mrs. Ellis met, and spent 
the afternoon pleasantly in each other’s society, and 
unitedly teaching the females by whom they were sur¬ 
rounded. The natives, in general, now considered it a 
great favour to be taught, though it was sometimes found 
that they had entertained very incorrect ideas of the 
motives by which their instructors were influenced. A 
young woman had attended very regularly for some 
weeks, and had learned to use her needle as well as 
could be expected in that time. One Saturday night 
she presented herself with our native domestics, and 
begged to be paid her wages for learning to sew! Mrs. E. 
II. R 
