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. MR. WILSON PAPIETE. 543 performed. This is the estabUshed custom at all the missionary stations at Otaheite on Wednesday mornings : on other morn- ings one or two hours after daylight are employed in the schools. The congregation was numerous, and very attentive. I noticed that all the principal men of the district, besides Hitote who came from a distant part of the island, were present. Mr. Wilson's manner pleased me much ; it was the sincere, and naturally impressive manner of a kind-hearted, honest man, earnestly performing a sacred and paramount duty. I went to see the new chapel after the morning-service was ended but only the floor-timbers and the posts for the roof were then fixed in their places. 'I'he natives were irregular in their work, sometimes doing much, at others little, just as they felt disposed. Being a voluntary work, they took their time about it. Mr. Darwin and I breakfasted with Mr. Wilson at his house : it happened that Mr. and Mrs. Henry were about to make a journey to some distance ; that a favourite son was undertaking a new and diflicult mission at the Navigator's Islands, and that we were both about to take leave of the pious teacher of the heathen : and for each he asked a blessing, in an extempore prayer of some length, the result of unaffected, genuine piety. A kinder, or less exceptionable prayer, so far as I could pretend to judge, than that unprepared one by Mr. Wilson, I could not have wished to hear. That it was unprepared I feel certain, because he had not expected us to be present, and the manner in which our prospects were inter- mingled with those of the others he mentioned, showed that there was no premeditation. There was no affected expres- sion, or unusual tone : it was the sincere devout manner of a pious plain-spoken man. When under sail we tried to approach the entrance of Papiete Harbour, but baffling winds prevented our anchoring until three in the afternoon ; and then, anticipating the royal visit, Ave tried to make such preparations as our little vessel could accomplish. Dressing the ship with flags, and pre- paring to man yards, was all we were able to do : salute we could not, on account of the chronometers.