REMOVAL TO AFAREAITU, 215 
Heavy showers detained us at Atimaha until ten 
o’clock in the forenoon, when we pursued our voy¬ 
age. At Maatea I landed about twelve o’clock, 
and walked through the district of Haume to 
Afareaitu. The wind was contrary throughout the 
day, and it was near sunset before Mrs. Ellis and 
our little girl, with her nurse, arrived in the canoe. 
We had suffered much from exposure to the sun, 
and from the fatigue of our tedious voyage; we 
were, however, thankful to have reached our des¬ 
tination in safety. The natives cheerfully gave up 
a large oval-shaped house for our accommodation : 
Mr. and Mrs. Crook occupied one end of it, and 
we took up our abode in the other. The floor was 
of earth; upon this we spread some clean white 
sand, which was covered over with plaited leaves 
of the cocoa-nut tree. There were no partitions ; 
but by hanging up some mats and native cloth, 
we soon succeeded in partitioning off a comfort¬ 
able bed-room, sitting-room, and store-room. Our 
kitchen was the open yard behind the dwelling; 
and its only fixtures were a couple of large stones 
placed in the ground, parallel to each other, and 
about six inches apart. This was our stove, or 
fire-place, and, during the dry season, answered 
tolerably well. 
With the study of the language, the erection of 
a printing-office and a dwelling-house now de¬ 
manded my attention. A spot near the principal 
stream was selected for their site ; the inhabitants 
of the district undertook to build the printing- 
office, while the king’s people, and the inhabitants 
of Maatea, agreed to put up the frame of my 
dwelling-house. The acquisition of the language 
l commenced with Mr. Crook, and was happy to 
avail myself of the aid of Mr. Davies? who was 
