whaling voyage spent a few days in
Santa Christina (Tau-ata), from February 28th to March 4th, 1835; and
his descriptions of what he saw are good so far as they go; but
naturally he could collect but little accurate information as to the
habits and ideas of the people in so short a time.[156]

[156] F. D. Bennett, _Narrative of a Whaling Voyage round the
Globe from the year 1833 to 1836_ (London, 1840), i 296, 346.

One of the early Catholic missionaries to the Marquesas, Father Mathias
G----, spent two years in the islands and has given us, in a series of
letters, an account of the native customs and beliefs, which, though far
from complete or systematic, is based on personal observation and is
among the best that we possess.[157]

[157] Le P. Mathias G----, _Lettres sur les Iles Marquises_
(Paris, 1843). The writer is not explicit as to the dates of his
residence in the Marquesas; but he tells us that he spent two
years in habitual intercourse with the natives (p. 49), and from
other allusions which he makes in his narrative (pp. 28 _sq._)
it would seem that the years were 1839 and 1840. The first
Catholic missionaries landed in 1838 (_ib._ p. 22), and others
in 1839 (_ib._ pp. 23 _sq._). Among the latter were Fathers
Garcia and Guilmard (_ib._ p. 24). Father G----may have been one
of them.

Hermann Melville lived among the Taipiis (Typees) in Nukahiva for more
than four months,[158] and wrote a lively narrative of his experiences.
His personal observations are valuable, but as he did not master the
native language, he was not able to throw much light on the inner life
of the people, and in particular on their religious ideas.

[158] H. Melville, _Typee_ (London, _Everyman's Library_), p.
254.

On the 1st of May, 1842, the Marquesas Islands were taken possession of
for France by the French Admiral, Du Petit-Thouars;[159] and next year,
to satisfy the interest of the French public in their new possession, a
comprehensive work on the islands and their inhabitants was published by
MM. Vincendon-Dumoulin et C. Desgraz.[160] The authors had visited the
islands with the expedition of the French navigator, J. Dumont
d'Urville, in his ships the _Astrolabe_ and the _Zelee_. But as the
expedition stayed only about a week at Nukahiva, from August 26th to
September 3rd, 1838,[161] the writers had little opportunity of making
personal observations. Their work is mainl