ANNOYANCE OF THE FIRST MISSIONARIES. 61 
son and Mr. Scott made the tour of Tahiti, for the 
purpose of preaching to the people. In most 
of the places they were hospitably entertained, 
though, on one occasion, the chief refused them 
lodging, because a former Missionary had not 
rewarded him for his accommodations. In some 
instances, the natives appeared to listen with atten¬ 
tion and interest to their message, but they fre¬ 
quently found great difficulty in inducing them 
to attend, and often observed with pain, that 
their instructions were received with indifference 
or with ridicule. At one place, though the people 
on their first arrival welcomed them cordially, yet 
when they understood the object of their visit, a 
marked, and by no means pleasing change, ap¬ 
peared in their behaviour. 
For many years, the first Missionaries were various¬ 
ly annoyed in almost all their attempts to preach 
the gospel. Sometimes, when they had gone to 
every house in a village, and the people promising 
to attend, had left their houses, they often found, 
on reaching the appointed place, that only two or 
three had arrived there ; at other times, they either 
talked all the while about their dress, complexion, 
or features, and endeavoured to irritate the foreign¬ 
ers by false insinuations as to the objects of their 
visit; or to excite the mirth of their own compa¬ 
nions by ludicrous gestures, or low witticisms on 
the statements that were made. Brainard re¬ 
marks, that while he was preaching, the Indians 
sometimes played with his dog: but the first 
teachers in Tahiti were often disturbed by a num¬ 
ber of natives bringing their dogs, and setting 
them to fight on the outside of the circle they were 
addressing; or they would bring their fighting- 
cocks, and set them at each other, so as com- 
