of the saints which renders it damnable in the
eyes of all upright-minded Christians. If we
can trust the recital before us—and we believe
we can, as it bears a truthful tone—the
simple-minded, generous-hearted islanders of
the South Pacific are not actuated by base
or sensual motives. They are children of
nature, wild flowers of the forest, open to intense
love or hatred, staunch friends, implacable
enemies, putting civilised beings to shame. We
regret to add, that the missionaries sent out by
persons meaning well, at an enormous cost,
have often done more harm than good among
these people.

But we will let Lamont tell his own tale.
Settled in California for trading purposes, and
business being slack in the winter months, he
arranged with his partner to make a trading
voyage through some of the islands of the South
Pacific, which he estimated would occupy not
more than four months, permitting their return
in time for the spring trade. They were joined
by a Californian gentleman who professed an
intimate knowledge of the islands, and they
chartered a fast-sailing clipper-brig, called the
Chatham, of some three hundred tons burden,
for the expedition. The crew consisted of the
captain, one George Snow, an old whaler, a
native of Nantucket, a mate, the captain's
brother, Juan, the cook, an old man-o'-war's
man, called Bill, a Portuguese, called Joe, and
two Huahine Kanakas, respectively called John
and Mowry. The captain turned out a drunkard,
and the crew were not to be relied upon. This
was found out too late; the final result was the
loss of the vessel. The Chatham started on
her trip on the 14th of October, 1852. After
a passing visit to the French settlement at the
Marquesas, the Chatham arrived without any
incident worth relating off the Bay of Hana-ti-
Tapa.

"'This bay," says our author, "is small, and
sheltered on all sides, except the west, from
which point the wind rarely blows. There is
good anchorage in it, but room only for three
or four vessels to swing at a time. We had
not yet dropped our anchor, when we observed
the beach crowded with natives, and, from the
display of white tapa, the fair sex evidently formed
a large portion of the multitude. Several canoes
were already pulling out towards us. In one
of the first of these was a figure arrayed in
bright scarlet, who the interpreter informed us
was the king, and in a moment he and his native
courtiers were on board."

Kings and queens abound in these islands,
and the following description may serve for
nearly all of them:

"His majesty's robes consisted of a small
scarlet blanket fastened with a wooden skewer
across his neck, and a tapa girt round his loins.
The queen, who also came on board, was clothed
in the usual sheet of white tapa, which, leaving
the right arm bare, is cast over the left shoulder,
and completely envelopes the form to the ankles.
Her hair, raised entirely up round her head,
was folded on one side into a kind of pinnacle,
which was swathed in a roll of very fine tapa
like muslin. Her ears were perforated, and
ornamented with curiously cut bones or ivory,
and around her neck were some strings of
scented nuts and wreaths of flowers. The arm
was tattooed elaborately, from the finger-ends
to near the shoulder, with a deep-blue tinge,
which was not unbecoming. Her feet and
ankles seemed to be covered with beautifully
worked blue stockings, and as I stooped to
admire them, her majesty, flattered by the
attention, rather shocked my modesty by
suddenly, amid the uproarious mirth of all her
court, lifting the drapery to such a height that
I observed the same delicate tracery, which was
evidently due to the art of the tattooer, extending
above the knee. I presume it was my
admiration of her majesty's stockings that pleased
her, for her attentions became so pointed that
I was compelled to make a hasty retreat from
the cabin."

Throughout the whole of the group of islands
the females are described as of beautiful form
and of gentle manners. The Chatham paid a
visit in turn to the different islands, trafficking
with the natives, taking in sandal-wood and live
stock in exchange for old guns, flints, powder,
and blankets. A sunset in the Pacific is a
sight, once seen, not to be forgotten.

''The sun had already sunk below the horizon
when we cleared the bay of Eka-Hoa. As we
stood out into the wide Pacific, the clouds were
tinged with the brightest crimson by the rays of
the departed orb, and the waves, tinted by their
reflected colours, danced brightly around us,
whilst the tall pinnacles of Dominica and Oatin
showed their sharp outlines in bold relief
against the glowing sky. The scene was a
most lovely one; the sea breeze had fallen
away, but a gentle land breeze, just enough to
fill our sails, began to breathe over the water,
and we glided pleasantly, though slowly, on our
way."

Tahiti is the next point visited, now inseperably
connected with the names of Pritchard
and Queen Pomare. The natives have nearly
all embraced Christianity. The French are
firmly settled as a protectorate government,
apparently to the entire satisfaction of the
natives. The British missionaries, however,
to whom the French offered to give salaries
if they would disconnect themselves from the
London Society, and place themselves under
the French laws, with two exceptions
indignantly refused, and retired to other islands of
the Pacific. The morality of the Tahitian
nymphs is anything but exemplary, and the
inhabitants are proverbially idle; many miles
of the richest land are allowed to run waste.
The island has been so often described
that it is needless to dwell upon its natural
beauties.

A visit to Queen Pomare is interesting.

"The second day after my arrival," says our
author, "I went with my friend H. (settled at
Tahiti) to visit Queen Pomare. Passing through
an avenue, at which a sentinel was placed, we