natives; some of whom, living at a
distance from the settlement, had not heard of the cat's arrival, and
were dreadfully frightened in consequence, calling it a `monster of the
deep,' and flying in terror away from it. One night the cat--feeling a
desire for company, I suppose--took its way to the house of a chief who
had recently been converted to Christianity, and had begun to learn to
read and pray. The chief's wife, who was sitting awake at his side
while he slept, beheld with horror two fires glistening in the doorway,
and heard with surprise a mysterious voice. Almost petrified with fear,
she awoke her husband, and began to upbraid him for forsaking his old
religion and burning his god, who, she declared, was now come to be
avenged of them. `Get up and pray! get up and pray!' she cried. The
chief arose, and on opening his eyes, beheld the same glaring lights and
heard the same ominous sound. Impelled by the extreme urgency of the
case, he commenced, with all possible vehemence, to vociferate the
alphabet, as a prayer to God to deliver them from the vengeance of
Satan! On hearing this, the cat, as much alarmed as themselves, fled
precipitately away, leaving the chief and his wife congratulating
themselves on the efficacy of their prayer."

We were much diverted with this anecdote, which the teacher related in
English so good that we certainly could not have supposed him a native
but for the colour of his face and the foreign accent in his tone. Next
day we walked out with this interesting man, and were much entertained
and instructed by his conversation as we rambled through the cool, shady
groves of bananas, citrons, limes, and other trees, or sauntered among
the cottages of the natives, and watched them while they laboured
diligently in the taro-beds or manufactured the tapa, or native cloth.
To some of these Jack put questions, through the medium of the
missionary; and the replies were such as to surprise us at the extent of
their knowledge. Indeed, Peterkin very truly remarked that "they seemed
to know a considerable deal more than Jack himself!"

Among other pieces of interesting information that we obtained was the
following, in regard to coral formations:

"The islands of the Pacific," said our friend, "are of three different
kinds or classes. Those of the first class are volcanic, mountainous,
and wild--some shooting their jagged peaks into the clouds at an
elevation of ten and fifteen thousand