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

612 INTERCOURSE — CONVICTS MISCHIEF. i)cc. learned to show less respect to their own ordinances, and have been taught no others in stead. The most abandoned, profli- gate habits and ideas, have been encouraged by the latter classes of visitors. By their fire-arms, ammunition, and spi- rituous liquors, — exchanged every where for provisions, and for the gratification of their animal inclinations, — lamentable effects have been caused. Some men-of-war have allowed an unrestrained intercourse with the natives, receiving them on board, and permitting them to remain, as is still usual among the whalers. Others have not admitted any on board, excepting visitors who were formally received, and did not remain. Such, for ex- ample, as the Queens of the Sandwich Isles or Otaheite, with their attendants. But although in that respect men-of- war may have to plead guilty, they are free from any charge of exciting mutual hostility between neighbours; of taking any part in hostilities which were being carried on between rival tribes at the times of their visits ; or of acting in any man- ner which could be likely to lower Europeans in the estima- tion of the natives, or to excite a feeling of animosity against white men in general. Stray, or rather escaped convicts, are the chief draw-back. Unrestrained by any religious, or even mere moral principle, those abandoned men have done vast injury, but have fre- quently fallen victims to the just indignation of the provoked islanders, whose hospitality they abused. Convicts are sel- dom brave, but usually unprincipled, designing, md cun- nins: ; can one then wonder at the natives of some South Sea islands taking an aversion to white people, if their only ac- quaintance with them has been through such characters, trans- ported to Australia for life, in consequence of felony : who have again, perhaps, been banished from Australia to the doubly penal settlement of ' Norfolk Island ;' and have thence escaped to wander through those countries in which they have the strongest hope of avoiding apprehension. It is little known, and difficult to estimate, how much ^narchy, tumult, and destruction of human life have been