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. ' AUDIENCE — REFLECTIONS. 525 tened only at the throat. There was no reception at landing : no attendance, no kind of outward ceremony showed that the ' Queen of the Isles ' had arrived at her home. Some time afterwards, when I heard that she was inclined to give an audience, I went to the royal cottage with Mr. Prit- chard. A parcel of half-dressed merry looking damsels eyed us with an amusing mixture of shyness and curiosity. These, I concluded, were a part of the ' Queen's mob,' as our inter- preter had ignorantly or democratically called the royal atten- dants. Only a few men were about the house, one of whom was the queen's foster-father ('feeding father 'in the Otaheitan language) and another her husband. Entering a small room, ' la-orana Pomare,' with a shake of the hand, was the salutation given by Mr. Pritchard, and by myself, following his example. On the only three chairs in the room we sat down, but the queen looked very uncomfor- table, and certainly not at all dignified. I could not help pitying her, for it was evident she was expecting a lecture on the subject of the Truro, and felt her utter helplessness : I was therefore glad, after a few words of compliment, to see her mother, husband, and foster-father enter the room, though thev sat down upon cliests or the floor. I delivered a letter from Commodore Mason, which she asked Mr. Pritchard to interpret, and sent out to her secre- tary. A meeting of the chiefs, herself presiding, was proposed and decided to be held on the following day. Some conver- sation then passed on other subjects, and we took our leave by shaking each individual by the hand. This is certainly pre- ferable to pressing noses, but I was sorry to see that the mis- sionaries had attended but little to the outward demeanour, to the manners, to the attendance, and to the dwelling of the sove- reign of a people whose happiness and improvement would certainly be increased by raising the character, and improving the condition of their ruler. While called a queen, Pomare ought to be supported by some of those ceremonious distinc- tions, which have, in all ages and nations, accompanied the chief authority. That the missionaries should interfere harshly