quarter of an hour; on its conclusion, the
company rose and breakfasted with a good appetite; but offered nothing
to the distinguished personages in the other apartment, who were
suffered to leave the house unnoticed.

I found the bread-fruit, as baked in the ovens by the Europeans here,
excellent. The natives retain their old custom of baking in the earth.

During breakfast, Wilson related the difficulties he had encountered in
the conversion of the Tahaitians. They would not allow that his faith
was superior to their own; and when he appealed to the miracles which
confirmed the truth of the Christian doctrine, they required that he
also should restore sight to the blind and raise the dead to life; the
confession of his inability was met with derision, and for many years he
gained no disciples. How different, in all probability, would the effect
have proved, had he, instead of the miraculous history of his religion,
directed the attention of the susceptible Tahaitians to its pure
morality, leading so naturally to the idea of a common Father, and a
fellowship of charity. O, ye Missionaries, how much blood might ye not
have spared!

I received another visit from the Royal Family, accompanied this time by
many of the Vice-Kings then in Tahaiti, with their consorts. Among them
was the grandfather of the little monarch Pomareh the Second. After some
preliminaries, my illustrious guests unanimously preferred a request in
the most modest, yet pressing manner. They wished me to get a pair of
boots made for the little King. His coronation, they said, would soon
take place, and they did not think it decorous, on so solemn an
occasion, for the Sovereign of all the Society Islands to sit barefooted
on his throne.

I immediately ordered my shoemaker to provide for the Royal necessity;
the measure was taken, and my complaisance rewarded by the gratitude of
the whole company. At this visit, also, the guests ate and slept. I took
advantage of this opportunity to observe the method of preparing the
pig, always the chief dish in their feasts. A sufficiently large round
hole was dug in the earth, and filled with stones. A fire was then
lighted in it, and kept burning till the stones were red-hot, when the
ashes and cinders were taken out, and the stones covered with large
banana-leaves, upon which the pig was laid, after being thoroughly
cleaned, and stuffed with the glowing stones; more leaves were spread
upon it, and covered with