melt at many
paces distance. In short, either the picture drawn of them by the early
travellers was a monstrous flattery, or they are altogether different
from what they were. I saw but one handsome girl at Tahaiti; she was the
sister of the little King, only fourteen years old, and already the
bride of her uncle, the Prince of Ulietea. The men far surpass the women
both in form and feature.

The Missionaries have abolished the custom of tattooing, and so far at
least spared the Tahaitians some useless torment. These marks are now
only to be seen on people of the middle age and upwards--never on the
young. The first voyagers who visited this island, describe the
tattooing as representing half-moons, birds, and irregular or zig-zag
lines; but on a better acquaintance with Europeans, the fashion changed,
and drawings of our tools, animals, and even compasses and mathematical
instruments, were executed with the greatest exactness on their bodies.
Pantaloons being articles in particular request among them, he who could
not obtain a pair, comforted himself by having the representation of
them etched on his legs. Many of these are still to be seen.

We much wished to have had an opportunity of comparing the _soi-disant_
Christian Tahaitians, with the heathen inhabitants of the mountains; but
it would have taken too much time to seek them out in their retreats,
which they leave only at night for the purpose of robbing the dwellers
in the valleys, among whom they dare not appear in the day.

If the religion of the Missionaries has neither tended to enlighten the
Tahaitians nor to render them happy, just as little can be expected from
the Constitution founded upon it, which seems adapted only to draw yet
tighter the bonds in which this amiable people are held by their zealous
converters, and to retain them wholly under their authority.

By the influence of Wilson, a small house situated on Cape Venus was
cleared for our astronomical observations: we were told it stood
precisely on the same spot where Cook's Observatory had formerly been
erected. As a particular favour from the Government, I was also
accommodated with a royal pleasure-house in its neighbourhood for my
private residence. This very large building, which resembled an ancient
temple in appearance, had been a favourite abode of the deceased monarch
Pomareh, and since his death had remained uninhabited, out of respect
for his memory. A number of utensils which had b