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

1835. CHURCH CONGREGATIONS. 523 News arrived that the queen intended to return to her head- quarters at Papiete, and that she had ordered a present of fruit and pigs to be prepared. 22d. Sunday. Early this morning a party went with me to Papiete, and others went to Mr. Nott's church, while those who could not go far from the ship attended Mr. Wilson, to hear as well as see the natives at divine service. At Mr. Pritchard's church we found an orderly, attentive, and decently dressed congregation. I saw nothing " grotesque,"" nothing " ludicrous," nor anything which had a tendency to " depress the spirits," or " disappoint one's expectations."* The church was quite full and many were sitting outside; I suppose six hundi-ed people were present besides children, who, like others of their happy age, required an occasional touch with the white wand of a most stern looking old beadle, to prevent their chattering to one another about the strangers, and their ' money .'-j- Mr. Pritchard's fluent delivery in the native language sur- prised and pleased us much. The greater part of the natives were very attentive. Two were making notes upon paper, of the subject of his discourse. A few were careless, but only a very few ; and their eye-wanderings were caused chiefly by the strangers in uniform. Where is the English congregation of five or six hundred persons, in which a captious observer could not occasionally detect inattention to the clergyman ? Hymns were sung with much propriety, and a very pleasing musical effect. The language is so soft and so full of vowels, that the good voices and very correct ears of the natives suc- ceed admirably in hymns. After the service in the native language had ended, we repaired to the English chapel with Mr. Pritchard, who performed divine service in the manner of the Independents. Occasional visitors from ships at the is- land, and the few European residents who are within reach, frequent this chapel. • I had read Kotzebue's voyage a few days previously, t All gold or silver is by them called ' money ;' the gold lace on a coat, an epaulette, a gold coin, or a dollar, is ' money.'