singular; for while the fruit of all the other varieties is pendant from the stem, this rises erect from a short thick stalk in the centre of the crown or tuft of leaves at the top. In several of these islands the fei is the principal support of the inhabitants. The plantain is a fruit that is always acceptable, and resembles in flavour a soft, sweet, but not juicy, pear.

CHAPTER II.

Peculiarities of the various Tribes inhabiting the Islands of the Pacific.-Physical, intellectual, and moral Character of the South Sea Islanders.-Feelings of Sympathy excited in their behalf.-Formation of the Missionary Society. The broad, catholic Principles of its Founders.-Appointment and Departure of the Ship Duff, with the first Mission to the South Seas.-Sentiments and Feelings of the Missionaries.-Arrival at Tahiti.-Reception of the Missionaries by the King and Chiefs.-Temporary Accommodations provided.-Grant of Land for the permanent Support of the Mission.-Ordination of Missionaries for other Islands. Establishment of the Monthly Missionary Prayer Meeting.-Probable Causes of the favourable Reception of the Mission.

THE South Sea islands are inhabited by tribes differing essentially from the aborigines of New Guinea, and the larger islands of the Asiatic

Archipelago. The inhabitants of the several clusters differ in many respects from each other, though they possess a striking physical resemblance, a similarity of language, religion and institutions, and usages, and are evidently derived from one

common source.

Generally speaking, the South Sea islanders are above the middle stature, and in habits of body are rather corpulent than the contrary. The females in most of the islands are taller and stouter than those of Europe.

The New Zealander is the most gigantic in stature and muscular in frame, and may be justly regarded as the most robust and hardy of the oceanic race. Scarcely inferior in stature, the Sandwich islander approaches nearest to the New Zealander in vigour and strength. The Friendly islander is patient and laborious. The inhabitants of Rarotonga and the Hervey Islands are inferior in stature to most in the Pacific, but are industrious and persevering. The Tahitians nearly, if not altogether, equal in size to the more hardy inhabitants of the northern and southern boundaries of Polynesia, are greatly inferior to them in energy, labour, and perseverance. They are the most corpulent and indolent race in the South Seas, which may perhaps be the effect of the extreme salubrity of their climate, the fertility of their soil, and the abundant supply of provision it spontaneously yields, which has rendered them enervated, voluptuous, and naturally inactive. The inhabitants of the Paumotus, or dangerous archipelago, are taller than the Tahitians, less corpulent, equally indolent, but more robust and hardy. The Marquesans are in every respect an

interesting, and in several respects a peculiar people. By some they have, from their volatile and sportive disposition, been characterized as the Frenchmen of the Pacific. They are with propriety ranked among the most handsome portions of the human family. It is not possible to imagine greater symmetry of form, and gracefulness, and beauty, and dignity of movement, and of figure, than many of them exhibit. The wide, extended diversity which exists in the human race, does not present more striking contrasts than are to be met with among them; for it is scarcely possible to behold more perfect models of personal loveliness and beauty, or practices more revoltingly cruel and barbarous, than those to which they are frequently addicted. To say nothing of their other enormities, cannibalism prevails among them to an affecting extent, and is practised under circumstances peculiarly degrading and savage.

In respect to the islanders generally, it may be observed, that their limbs are muscular and well formed, their gait and actions free, and often exceedingly graceful. Their countenances are open and prepossessing, exhibiting the peculiarities of each respective tribe, and their features having little in common with those of the African, but often bearing a strong resemblance to those of the European. Their complexions present every variety of shade, from a light brown or yellow, to a dark olive, and occasionally a black. Their teeth are good, their hair long, and frequently curling, presenting very rarely any approximation to the crisped or woolly hair of the natives of New Holland or New Guinea.

We have as yet no means of forming any thing approximating to a correct estimate of the total amount of population, but, according to the lowest computation, the inhabitants of the islands now under consideration must be considerably above a million.

The intellectual faculties of the islanders do not appear to be naturally inferior in any respect to those of the inhabitants of other parts of the world. Total strangers to all knowledge of letters, as they necessarily were, and consequently destitute of the means of mental culture, the copiousness, and, in many points, high degree of perfection in their language, their traditions and legends, their songs and mythology, their extensive and methodical use of numbers, together with the great natural shrewdness which they frequently exhibit in their intercourse with more intelligent foreigners, lead us to conclude that they are capable of high attainments, if favoured with the means of improvement.

Their dispositions are in some respects amiable, but generally the reverse; and though a description of one tribe would in general be applicable to all, yet some, in their dispositions, are much more agreeable than others. The New Zealanders are bold and daring, frequently open and candid, but treacherous, revengeful, proud, and cruel. The Friendly Islanders are said to be less adventurous than the New Zealanders, less daring and bold, but treacherous and unrelenting in their barbarities. The Tahitians, though courteous, bland, and engaging in their manners, are fickle, proud, indolent, deceitful, and deliberately barbarous.

D

The Marquesans are volatile, sportive, restless, turbulent, fierce, and savage. The Sandwich islanders are, probably, more sincere and upright; they are rugged in their manners, revengeful in malice, implacable, and resolute. All delight in war, in its most horrid and sanguinary forms; all were formerly addicted to theft, familiar with murder, and, in religion or war, brutally licentious. Most of them sought to propitiate their imaginary deities with human victims, while the New Zealanders, the Marquesans, and some others, were amongst the most savage and voracious cannibals in the world.

These, and other repulsive features of character, were but partially discerned by their discoverers and early visitors, while many of their most revolting and barbarous usages were entirely concealed from the necessarily superficial observation of those by whom they were first visited. The early voyagers, after the loneliness of their course across the vast extent of the Pacific, and the privations and exposure to the diseases incident to long voyages in the earlier periods of our maritime history, were charmed by the appearance of these blooming islands in the solitudes of the ocean. The bold and varied attractiveness of their scenery, the richness of their verdure, the salubrity of their atmosphere, the refreshing purity of their streams, the abundance of refreshments obtained, so grateful and congenial to men who had long been reduced to the crude provisions of their vessels, could not fail to make a favourable impression on their minds.

There was also, in regard to the inhabitants of several of the groups of islands, every thing that