POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES* 
137 
approve of the native dresses. But considering the 
danger to arise from substituting external adorn¬ 
ment for internal worth, and imagining that distinction 
in dress confers an advantage on its wearer, or enti¬ 
tles him to that which he would not otherwise assume 
—the Missionaries were led to conclude, that a Tahi¬ 
tian, arrayed in a scarlet and yellow tiputa, or in ¬ 
vested in the rich fold of his ahu puu, was perhaps 
as humble in mind as those v/ho appeared desirous 
to divest themselves of every exterior ornament*— 
Their principal aim, however, was to encourage habits 
of industry; and this, from the heat of the climate, 
the spontaneous productions of the soil, and other causes, 
could only be done by the introduction of what might 
be called artificial wants, which should operate on the 
native mind with power sufficient to induce labour for 
their supply. Idleness has been the most fruitful source 
of many of their vices and sufferings; and when we 
have seen the females working with their needle, or 
with the straw for their bonnets, &c. we could not 
but deem it an occupation far more conducive to their 
enjoyment, than idleness, or their former unprofitable and 
often injurious pastimes. It is not to be expected 
that a people unaccustomed to mental effort should be 
constantly engaged with their books. They did not 
relax in their attendance at the school, or any of the 
meetings for public instruction; and we could not but 
observe with satisfaction, their altered appearance in 
all public assemblies, as indicating an improvement in 
civilization, and an increase of industry. 
Their regular and early attendance on the Sabbath, 
ever has been, and still is, remarkably conspicuous; it 
is to them a season of holy rest and devotional enjoy- 
II. T 
