288 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
cotton, and hung it up in their houses till another 
ship arrived, when it was again presented for sale; 
but being again estimated by weight, little if any 
more was offered for it. Some sold what they had 
collected, others were so disappointed, that they 
seemed hardly to care what became of it. This 
circumstance, together with the length of time and 
the constant attention that a cotton plantation 
required, before any return could be received, 
greatly discouraged them, and prevented their 
continuing its culture. They chose rather to feed 
a number of pigs, or cultivate the vegetables in 
demand by the shipping, dispose of them when 
vessels might put in for refreshments, and receive 
at once in exchange, articles of cloth, &c. than 
wait till the crops should be gathered, and expe¬ 
rience so much uncertainty, or meet with such 
annoying disappointments in the amount of their 
returns. 
Mr. Gyles, on his way to the colony of New 
South Wales in the month of August 1819, spent 
some time at Huahine and Raiatea; and we 
gladly availed ourselves of his visit, to make 
further inquiries relative to the object for which 
he had come to the islands. Some spare machi¬ 
nery and boilers, sent out by the Society, were 
also left at Huahine. Assisted by the natives, we 
subsequently erected a rustic mill; and, when the 
cane in our plantation was ripe, commenced our 
endeavours to convert it into sugar. The cylinders 
for crushing the cane were perpendicular : an ox 
was trained to draw in the mill. He was yoked 
to a lever on one side of the central roller; a num¬ 
ber of natives, pushing at another on the opposite 
lide, turned the mill, and pressed the juice from 
die cane. The natives were surprised at the 
