152 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
illustrations with suitable anecdotes, and encouraging 
in the people the most unembarrassed confidence 3 
requesting them to present all their difficulties, and 
solicit explanations or directions. 
This meeting has always been highly interesting, 
and has generally indicated the progressive improve¬ 
ment of the people. The subjects discussed are per¬ 
haps less miscellaneous than they were some years 
ago, when the people were totally uninformed in all 
the first principles of Christianity | and the nature of 
these meetings in some of the stations has, perhaps, 
undergone a slight change. They are, however, pro¬ 
ductive of important benefit. 
Subjects of every kind were formerly discussed, and 
questions brought forward relative to the discipline of 
children, the forming of connexions, and the whole of 
their domestic economy, agriculture, trade, or barter, 
legislature, war and politics, history and science, as con¬ 
nected with the natural phenomena by which they were 
surrounded ; and occasionally what might be termed the 
first efforts of philosophical research, in their partially 
enlightened minds. 
When the political questions referred to their foreign 
relations, or their intercourse with other islands, we 
sometimes allowed them to be entertained ; but when¬ 
ever they were connected with any civil proceedings, 
or the internal government of the island, although the 
person who introduced it was not interrupted during 
his speech, the matter was always referred to the king 
and chiefs, for whose consideration he was directed to 
present it at a convenient season, unless the chiefs, who 
were generally present, wished it to be then discussed. 
One of the most curious and interesting topics of 
