290 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
been properly cultivated, she would probably have 
excelled most of her own sex in the society in 
which she was destined to exert the highest in¬ 
fluence. The restraint and application, however, 
which this required, were ill suited to her lively 
disposition, and uncontrolled habits of life. She 
has, nevertheless, been a frequent, and, while she 
continued, a promising pupil of the Missionaries, 
having, in a short time, made a pleasing progress 
in the acquisition of knowledge. She has for some 
time made a profession of Christianity. To the 
Missionaries she has invariably proved friendly; 
and, since she has been the queen of Tahiti, 
has patronized and encouraged their efforts. 
Pomare and Aimata had been, by their respective 
families, betrothed to each other for some time 
prior to their meeting in Huahine. Considerable 
preparations had been made for the celebration of 
the marriage, and as the parties were nearly re¬ 
lated to the reigning families in the Windward and 
Leeward Islands, arrangements were made for 
entertainments corresponding with the rank and 
dignity of the bridegroom and his bride. 
About noon on the day appointed, the young 
chieftain with his guardian and friends reached 
the chapel, where we were waiting to receive them. 
Aimata, attended by her mother-in-law, the queen 
of Tahiti, her sister, and the wife of Mahine, chief 
of Huahine, arrived shortly after. The royal party 
were attended by the dependents of Hautia, the 
governor of the island. In honour of the dis¬ 
tinguished guest, these dependents or guards were 
not only arrayed in their best apparel, which was 
certainly any thing rather than uniform, but they also 
marched under arms. Many of the raatiras of Hua¬ 
hine attended, out of respect to the reigning family. 
