188 
MISSIONARY TOUR 
centre. These stones are finely polished, highly valued, 
and carefully preserved, being always oiled and wrap¬ 
ped up in native cloth after having been used. The 
people are, if possible, more fond of this game than the 
pahe ; and the inhabitants of a district, not unfrequently 
challenge the people of the whole island, or the natives 
of one island those of all the others, to bring a man 
who shall try his skill with some favourite player of 
their own district or island. On such occasions we 
have seen seven or eight thousand chiefs and people, 
men and women, assembled to witness the sport, 
which, as well as the pahe, is often continued for hours 
together. 
Many of these amusements require great bodily exer¬ 
tion ; and we have often been struck with the restless 
avidity and untiring effort with which they pursue even 
the most toilsome games. Sometimes we have ex¬ 
pressed our surprise that they should labour so ardu¬ 
ously at their sport, and so leisurely at their planta¬ 
tions or houses, which, in our opinion, would be far 
more conducive of their advantage and comfort. They 
have generally answered, that they built houses and 
cultivated their gardens from necessity, but followed 
their amusements because their hearts were fond of 
them. There are some few who play merely for plea¬ 
sure; but the greater part engage in it in hopes of 
gain. 
Were their games followed only as sources of amuse¬ 
ment, they would be comparatively harmless; but the 
demoralizing influence of the various kinds of gambling 
existing among them is very extensive. Scarcely an 
individual resorts to their games but for the purpose of 
betting; and at these periods all the excitement, anxiety. 
