Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

518 WEATHER — LOW ISLANDERS. NoV. the regularity of the trade-wind occur among all the tropical islands of this ocean. One instance has already been given of the uncertain and changeable state of the weather among the Low Islands, and many more may be found in the narratives of voyages in the Pacific between the tropics. 20th. While conversing with Middleton about those Low Islands (where he had passed much time), I was verymuch struck by the unpleasant personal feeling shewn by him when alluding to the missionaries, and their regulations, as contrasted with the strong terms in which he mentioned the good effects of their intercourse with the Low Islanders ; and how much more mis- sionaries were required. His own words, as I find them in a paper of remarks he gave me, are, " the inhabitants (of the Low Islands) are familiarized to Europeans ; and are partly civi- lized, owing to the Gospel having been preached to them by the missionaries.'" In another place he says, " there are inha- bitants enough to require the constant residence of one or two missionaries. They have some books of the Gospel in their hands, but are yet too ignorant to profit by their contents." His own antipathy to the missionaries had arisen, I found, in consequence of their restraints upon his conduct, while at Otaheite. — Among other information he said that the natives of Chain Island told him frequently, that the first ship they ever saw was manned with black people ; but the captain, whom the natives styled the ' King of the Spirits,' was a white man. They were much alarmed when they saw the vessel come close to their island, and their old men deemed it an omen of impending disasters. Soon after this event, the island was inundated by the sea, and many people perished. They were then cannibals, and always at war with the natives of the neighbouring islands : since that time, which was ' long ago* (how long he could not ascertain), the Chain Islanders have invaded and successively conquered the other Low Islands, invariably killing and eating the greater proportion of their captives. (The Low Islands are called Paarauto.) Middleton arrived at Otaheite from Chain Island, only two days before this conversation took place, He came in his