POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES* 
149 
CHAP. VI. 
Public assemblies during the week—Questional and conversational meet¬ 
ing—Topics discussed—The seat of the thoughts and atFections—Duty 
of prayer—Scripture biography and history—The first parents of man¬ 
kind—Paradise—Origin of moral evil—Satanic influence— A future state 
—Condition of those who had died idolaters—The Sabbath—Inquiries 
respecting England—The doctrine of the resurrection^—Visits to Maeva 
—Description of the aoa—Legend connected with its origin—Considered 
sacred^—Cloth made with its bark—Manufacture of native cloth—Vari¬ 
ety of kinds—Methods of dyeing—Native matting—Difierent articles 
of household furniture. 
The religious services of a general kind, among the 
natives, during the vreek, are not numerous. There 
is one lecture, which is on Wednesday evening.— 
Numbers assemble at this time, and the exercise we 
have reason to believe is useful, in keeping alive that 
interest in matters of religion, which might be dimi¬ 
nished by the secular engagements of the week. The 
following account of one of these meetings is given by 
Captain Gambier, in the extracts of his journal. 
On Wednesday afternoon we attended a native 
divine service. It was begun with a hymn; then 
Mr. Nott, who did duty, prayed extempore for some 
length, and then read a passage from the Scripture, 
upon which he preached with great fluency in the 
Otaheitan language. The church was well attended, 
though not so full as on Sundays, when it is crowded. 
Almost all the women, young and old, were habited 
in the European manner. The most perfect order 
