FEMALE OCCUPATIONS. 
383 
The Missionaries’ wives had taught some few in 
Eimeo prior to our arrival; but, until their recep¬ 
tion of Christianity, they considered it degrading 
to attach themselves to the household of foreigners, 
or to learn any of their arts arid customs ; they 
also thought their own manner of wearing a piece 
of native or foreign cloth, cast loosely round the 
body, preferable to the European mode of dress, 
and consequently had no inducement to learn 
needlework, or any other female employment. 
They were, however, now anxious not only to adopt 
the English style of clothing, but also to be able to 
make their own dresses. This was a kind of in¬ 
struction which our wives were competent to impart, 
even before they had acquired a sufficient know¬ 
ledge of the language to enable them to teach in 
the schools. Mrs. Ellis had engaged in it ever 
since our arrival in Eimeo; and, as soon as we 
were settled in the Leeward Islands, some were 
daily occupied in teaching the native females to 
sew. 
In Huahine a large class attended every after¬ 
noon from two o’clock till five, alternately at our 
respective houses, where Mrs. Barff and Mrs. Ellis 
met, and spent the afternoon pleasantly in each 
other’s society, and unitedly teaching the females 
by whom they were surrounded. The natives, in 
general, now considered it a great favour to be 
taught, though it was sometimes found that they 
had entertained very incorrect ideas of the motives 
by which their instructors were influenced. A 
young woman had attended very regularly for some 
weeks, and had learned to use her needle as well 
as could be expected in that time. One Saturday 
night she presented herself with our native domes¬ 
tics, and begged to be paid her wages for learning 
