portions from the same dish with their misresses, and receive no reprimand, "unless hey should be so ill-bred as to put their forefeet as well as their noses, into the food, when gentle tap may remind them of better maners." These pets have indeed great privieges of various kinds. One, a hog, weighing our or five hundred pounds, is particularly mentioned, as being allowed to roam at will rough the palace of the king, and to envelop self in the coverings of the royal couches. Shocking as this state of society may apear to you, recollect that what I have just ld you, relates to the manner of life among ings and nobles.

Of the state of misery and degradation in hich the missionaries found the lower classes people, you may judge from the following tract, from the journal of Mr. Stewart. "Last night," says he, "I strolled a mile rough the marshes and fish-ponds, along the ach south of the Mission House. In atmpting to give you a sketch of my walk, u will almost think me sporting with your edulity, by a picture of poverty and filthiss too degrading to be real. The largest t I passed was not higher than my waist; pable only of containing a family, like pigs a sty, on a bed of dried grass, filled with as and vermin. Not a bush or shrub was

evening repast; and most of the p seated on the ground, eating poe, by swarms of flies, and sharing with dogs, pigs, and ducks, who he selves freely from the dishes of thei

What a picture is this! How a our feelings, as civilized beings tians; and how humiliating is the that unless our heavenly Father pleased to add his blessing, vain wi effort to raise these benighted he such an abyss of wretchedness. Yours,

MY DEAR L.-After what you E of the manners and habits of these you probably do not expect to f them, much of what is usually ter ness. In fact, when first visited b sionaries, they were found destitute tensions to it, whether considered to their habitations or their persons this subject the language of Mr. S best inform you. After quoting a the poem of the celebrated Burns

on seeing a Louse on a lady's b says, "had the Bard of Ayre livec coral bound shores, the novelty of at least, would never have induced mortalize by song, the excursions

that disgusting race. place of one on Miss's bonnet,' dozens may, at any time, be seen sporting among the decorated locks of ignoble heads; while not unfrequently, a privileged few wend their way through the garlands of princes of the blood, or triumphantly mount the coronets of majesty itself!"

In our humble kirk, in

"As to the servants of the chiefs, and the -common people, we think ourselves fortunate indeed, if, after a call of a few minutes, we do not find living testimonies of their visit, on our mats and floors, and even on our clothes and persons! The bare relation of the fact, vithout the experience of it, is sufficiently hocking. But the half is not told; and I carce dare let truth run to its climax. The ower classes not only suffer their heads and heir tapas to harbour these vermin, but they penly, and unblushingly, eat them! Yet fastidious are they in point of cleanliness, at an emetic could scarce be more efficiously administered, than to cause them eat from a dish in which a fly had been owned! So much for the force of custom, d the power of habit."

"They have, by some, been called a cleanpeople, in their persons and food; but with ese facts, which cannot be denied, in view

withstanding the practice of spen together in the foamings of the s dashings of the mountain torrent punctilious observance of the ce washing, at least the fingers, befor their meals."

The inhabitants of these islands at that period, subject to rather an share of those disorders which ch the skin. There were but few who ance was not considerably injured ous eruptions. Even the chiefs e shame in asking strangers to r something that would cure the itch disorder prevailed so generally common people, that it was neith of mortification or anxiety. The trouble to avoid or remove what w been considered, by a civilized heavy calamity.

Justice to the natives, however, r to state, that in proportion as they civilization in other respects, the habits of personal and domestic nea probably the day is not far distant, former slovenly habits will entirely to a love of cleanliness and good of

It would seem natural to concl people thus destitute and degrade course have been melancholy and d But although borne down with heav deprived of many of the comforts

all the refined enjoyments of cultivated socie-
ty, they had still their sports and amusements
-their seasons of recreation and festivity.

Their amusements were such as you would
expect to find among a race of untutored sa-
vages; such as swimming, racing, boxing,
dancing, &c. But we are informed, by late
accounts from the islands, that swimming is
the only one of their former sports that is now
extensively practised. In this all
Even children, at the early age of four or five
engage.
years, become expert swimmers, acquiring a
courage in dangerous exploits, and a famili-
arity with the watery element, truly wonder-
ful. In their common excursions all seem
equally at home on the ocean; and should their
poats be overturned by the heavy motion of
he waves, it is a matter of little inconvenience
them. While Captain Cook's ships were
n the vicinity of the islands, a mother, with
everal small children, in crossing the bay in
canoe, were upset. The youngest child, a
by of four years, seeming delighted with the
ort, swam about, playing various tricks in
e water, while the mother and older children
ere busily engaged in righting their boat.
In the midst of their recreations, however,
e swimmers are sometimes interrupted by
e appearance of sharks; and children are
unfrequently destroyed by them, while
ying in the water. An instance of this oc-
red at Lahaina, one of the missionary sto