3), pp.
356-359.

Captain David Porter of the United States Navy was with his ship the
_Essex_ at Nukahiva from October 24th till December 9th, 1813.[153] A
great part of his time was spent on shore and in close contact with the
natives, and though he did not learn the language, he was able to employ
as an interpreter an Englishman named Wilson, who had lived for many
years in the islands, spoke the language of the natives with the same
facility as his own, and had become a Marquesan in every respect except
in colour. He proved indispensable to the American as an organ of
communication with the people; and much of the information which Porter
gives concerning the customs of the Marquesans was derived by him from
this man.[154]

[153] Captain David Porter, _Journal of a Cruise made to the
Pacific Ocean in the United States frigate Essex in the years
1812, 1813, and 1814_, Second Edition (New York, 1822), ii. 5,
141.

[154] D. Porter, _op. cit._ ii. 17 _sq._

The American naval chaplain, the Rev. C. S. Stewart, paid about a
fortnight's visit to Nukahiva, from July 27th to August 13th, 1829,
while his ship, the _Vincennes_, was anchored at the island. But he
received much information from the Rev. W. P. Crook, who spent nearly
two years (1797 and 1798) in the Marquesas, having been the first
missionary landed in the islands by the missionary ship _Duff_. During
his residence in the islands Mr. Crook kept a journal, which he allowed
Mr. Stewart to consult. The contents of the journal corroborated Mr.
Stewart's own observations as to the inhabitants, and the account which
he gives of the religion of the islanders is based mainly on the
information derived from Mr. Crook[155] and is therefore valuable; for
at the time when Mr. Crook landed in the Marquesas the customs and
beliefs of the islanders were still practically unaffected by contact
with Europeans.

[155] C. S. Stewart, _Visit to the South Seas_ (London, 1832),
i. pp. x _sq._, 193, 331. The writer speaks (p. 331) of his stay
of "a fortnight at the Washington Islands." Mr. Crook first
landed in the island of Santa Christina (Tau-ata) on June 6th,
1797. See James Wilson, _Missionary Voyage to the Southern
Pacific Ocean_ (London, 1799), pp. 129 _sqq._ As to his
subsequent history in the islands, see Vincendon-Dumoulin et C.
Desgraz, _Iles Marquises ou Nouka-hiva_, pp. 35-40.

The surgeon F. D. Bennett, on a