第7章

Uponthewhole，theproblemseemstometostandthus：-Wheretherehavebeenfewestchanges，importantorunimportant，salutaryorhurtful，theretheracesurvives。Wheretherehavebeenmost，importantorunimportant，salutaryorhurtful，thereitperishes。

Eachchange，howeversmall，augmentsthesumofnewconditionstowhichtheracehastobecomeinured。Theremayseem，APRIORI，nocomparisonbetweenthechangefrom’sourtoddy’tobadgin，andthatfromtheislandkilttoapairofEuropeantrousers。YetIamfarfrompersuadedthattheoneisanymorehurtfulthantheother；

andtheunaccustomedracewillsometimesdieofpin-pricks。Weareherefacetofacewithoneofthedifficultiesofthemissionary。

InPolynesianislandsheeasilyobtainspre-eminentauthority；thekingbecomeshisMAIREDUPALAIS；hecanproscribe，hecancommand；

andthetemptationisevertowardstoomuch。Thus(byallaccounts)theCatholicsinMangareva，andthus(tomyownknowledge)theProtestantsinHawaii，haverenderedlifeinamoreorlessdegreeunliveabletotheirconverts。Andthemild，uncomplainingcreatures(likechildreninaprison)yawnandawaitdeath。Itiseasytoblamethemissionary。Butitishisbusinesstomakechanges。Itissurelyhisbusiness，forexample，topreventwar；andyetIhaveinstancedwaritselfasoneoftheelementsofhealth。Ontheotherhand，itwere，perhaps，easyforthemissionarytoproceedmoregently，andtoregardeverychangeasanaffairofweight。Itaketheaveragemissionary；IamsureI

dohimnomorethanjusticewhenIsupposethathewouldhesitatetobombardavillage，eveninordertoconvertanarchipelago。

Experiencebeginstoshowus(atleastinPolynesianislands)thatchangeofhabitisbloodierthanabombardment。

Thereisonepoint，ereIhavedone，whereImaygotomeetcriticism。Ihavesaidnothingoffaultyhygiene，bathingduringfevers，mistakentreatmentofchildren，nativedoctoring，orabortion-allcausesfrequentlyadduced。AndIhavesaidnothingofthembecausetheyareconditionscommontobothepochs，andevenmoreefficientinthepastthaninthepresent。Wasitnotthesamewithunchastity，itmaybeasked?WasnotthePolynesianalwaysunchaste?Doubtlesshewassoalways：doubtlessheismoresosincethecomingofhisremarkablychastevisitorsfromEurope。

TaketheHawaiianaccountofCook：Ihavenodoubtitisentirelyfair。TakeKrusenstern’scandid，almostinnocent，descriptionofaRussianman-of-warattheMarquesas；considerthedisgracefulhistoryofmissionsinHawaiiitself，where(inthewaroflust)

theAmericanmissionarieswereonceshelledbyanEnglishadventurer，andonceraidedandmishandledbythecrewofanAmericanwarship；addthepracticeofwhalingfleetstocallattheMarquesas，andcarryoffacomplementofwomenforthecruise；

consider，besides，howthewhiteswereatfirstregardedinthelightofdemi-gods，asappearsplainlyinthereceptionofCookuponHawaii；andagain，inthestoryofthediscoveryofTutuila，whenthereallydecentwomenofSamoaprostitutedthemselvesinpublictotheFrench；andbearinmindhowitwasthecustomoftheadventurers，andwemayalmostsaythebusinessofthemissionaries，toderideandinfracteventhemostsalutarytapus。

Hereweseeeveryengineofdissolutiondirectedatonceagainstavirtueneverandnowhereverystrongorpopular；andtheresult，eveninthemostdegradedislands，hasbeenfurtherdegradation。

Mr。Lawes，themissionaryofSavageIsland，toldmethestandardoffemalechastityhaddeclinedtheresincethecomingofthewhites。

Inheathentime，ifagirlgavebirthtoabastard，herfatherorbrotherwoulddashtheinfantdownthecliffs；andto-daythescandalwouldbesmall。OrtaketheMarquesas。StanislaoMoanatinitoldmethatinhisownrecollection，theyoungwerestrictlyguarded；theywerenotsufferedsomuchastolookupononeanotherinthestreet，butpassed(somyinformantputit)likedogs；andtheotherdaythewholeschool-childrenofNuka-hivaandUa-puescapedinabodytothewoods，andlivedthereforafortnightinpromiscuousliberty。Readersoftravelsmayperhapsexclaimatmyauthority，anddeclarethemselvesbetterinformed。I

shouldpreferthestatementofanintelligentnativelikeStanislao(evenifitstoodalone，whichitisfarfromdoing)tothereportofthemosthonesttraveller。Ashipofwarcomestoahaven，anchors，landsaparty，receivesandreturnsavisit，andthecaptainwritesachapteronthemannersoftheisland。Itisnotconsideredwhatclassismostlyseen。YetweshouldnotbepleasedifaLascarforemasthandweretojudgeEnglandbytheladieswhoparadeRatcliffeHighway，andthegentlemenwhosharewiththemtheirhire。Stanislao’sopinionofadecayofvirtueevenintheseunvirtuousislandshasbeensupportedtomebyothers；hisveryexample，theprogressofdissolutionamongsttheyoung，isadducedbyMr。BishopinHawaii。AndsofarasMarquesansareconcerned，wemighthavehazardedaguessofsomedeclineinmanners。Idonotthinkthatanyracecouldeverhaveprosperedormultipliedwithsuchasnowobtain；Iamsuretheywouldhavebeenneveratthepainstocountpaternalkinship。Itisnotpossibletogivedetails；sufficeitthattheirmannersappeartobeimitatedfromthedreamsofignorantandviciouschildren，andtheirdebauchesperseveredinuntilenergy，reason，andalmostlifeitselfareinabeyance。

CHAPTERVI-CHIEFSANDTAPUS

WEusedtoadmireexceedinglytheblandandgallantmannersofthechiefcalledTaipi-Kikino。Anelegantguestattable，skilledintheuseofknifeandfork，abravefigurewhenheshoulderedagunandstartedforthewoodsafterwildchickens，alwaysserviceable，alwaysingratiatingandgay，Iwouldsometimeswonderwherehefoundhischeerfulness。Hehadenoughtosoberhim，Ithought，inhisofficialbudget。Hisexpenses-forhewasalwaysseenattiredinvirginwhite-musthavebyfarexceededhisincomeofsixdollarsintheyear，orsaytwoshillingsamonth。Andhewashimselfamanofnosubstance；hishousethepoorestinthevillage。Itwascurrentlysupposedthathiselderbrother，Kauanui，musthavehelpedhimout。Buthowcomesitthattheelderbrothershouldsucceedtothefamilyestate，andbeawealthycommoner，andtheyoungerbeapoorman，andyetruleaschiefinAnaho?Thattheoneshouldbewealthy，andtheotheralmostindigentisprobablytobeexplainedbysomeadoption；forcomparativelyfewchildrenarebroughtupinthehouseorsucceedtotheestatesoftheirnaturalbegetters。Thattheoneshouldbechiefinsteadoftheothermustbeexplained(inaveryIrishfashion)onthegroundthatneitherofthemisachiefatall。

SincethereturnandthewarsoftheFrench，manychiefshavebeendeposed，andmanyso-calledchiefsappointed。Wehaveseen，inthesamehouse，onesuchupstartdrinkinginthecompanyoftwosuchextrudedislandBourbons，men，whosewordafewyearsagowaslifeanddeath，nowsunktobepeasantsliketheirneighbours。SowhentheFrenchoverthrewhereditarytyrants，dubbedthecommonsoftheMarquesasfreeborncitizensoftherepublic，andendowedthemwithavoteforaCONSEILLER-GENERALatTahiti，theyprobablyconceivedthemselvesuponthepathtopopularity；andsofarfromthat，theywererevoltingpublicsentiment。Thedepositionofthechiefswasperhapssometimesneedful；theappointmentofothersmayhavebeenneedfulalso；itwasatleastadelicatebusiness。TheGovernmentofGeorgeII。exiledmanyHighlandmagnates。Itneveroccurredtothemtomanufacturesubstitutes；andiftheFrenchhavebeenmorebold，wehaveyettoseewithwhatsuccess。

OurchiefatAnahowasalwayscalled，healwayscalledhimself，Taipi-Kikino；andyetthatwasnothisname，butonlythewandofhisfalseposition。Assoonashewasappointedchief，hisname-

whichsignified，ifIrememberexactly，PRINCEBORNAMONGFLOWERS-

fellinabeyance，andhewasdubbedinsteadbytheexpressivebyword，Taipi-Kikino-HIGHWATERMAN-OF-NO-ACCOUNT-or，Englishingmoreboldly，BEGGARONHORSEBACK-awittyandawickedcut。A

nicknameinPolynesiadestroysalmostthememoryoftheoriginalname。To-day，ifwewerePolynesians，Gladstonewouldbenomoreheardof。WeshouldspeakofandaddressourNestorastheGrandOldMan，anditissothathimselfwouldsignhiscorrespondence。

Nottheprevalence，then，butthesignificancyofthenicknameistobenotedhere。Thenewauthoritybeganwithsmallprestige。

Taipihasnowbeensometimeinoffice；fromallIsawheseemedapersonveryfit。Heisnottheleastunpopular，andyethispowerisnothing。HeisachieftotheFrench，andgoestobreakfastwiththeResident；butforanypracticalendofchieftaincyaragdollwereequallyefficient。

WehadbeenbutthreedaysinAnahowhenwereceivedthevisitofthechiefofHatiheu，amanofweightandfame，lateleaderofawarupontheFrench，lateprisonerinTahiti，andthelasteateroflong-piginNuka-hiva。NotmanyyearshaveelapsedsincehewasseenstridingonthebeachofAnaho，adeadman’sarmacrosshisshoulder。’SodoesKooamuatohisenemies！’heroaredtothepassers-by，andtookabitefromtherawflesh。Andnowbeholdthisgentleman，verywiselyreplacedinofficebytheFrench，payingusamorningvisitinEuropeanclothes。Hewasthemanofthemostcharacterwehadyetseen：hismannersgenialanddecisive，hispersontall，hisfacerugged，astute，formidable，andwithacertainsimilaritytoMr。Gladstone’s-onlyforthebrownnessoftheskin，andthehigh-chief’stattooing，allonesideandmuchoftheotherbeingofanevenblue。Furtheracquaintanceincreasedouropinionofhissense。HeviewedtheCASCOinamannerthenquitenewtous，examiningherlinesandtherunningofthegear；toapieceofknittingonwhichoneofthepartywasengaged，hemusthavedevotedtenminutes’patientstudy；nordidhedesistbeforehehaddivinedtheprinciples；andhewasinterestedeventoexcitementbyatype-writer，whichhelearnedtowork。Whenhedepartedhecarriedawaywithhimalistofhisfamily，withhisownnameprintedbyhisownhandatthebottom。I

shouldaddthathewasplainlymuchofahumorist，andnotalittleofahumbug。Hetoldus，forinstance，thathewasapersonofexactsobriety；suchbeingtheobligationofhishighestate：thecommonsmightbesots，butthechiefcouldnotstoopsolow。Andnotmanydaysafterhewastobeobservedinastateofsmilingandlop-sidedimbecility，theCASCOribbonupsidedownonhisdishonouredhat。

ButhisbusinessthatmorninginAnahoiswhatconcernsushere。

Thedevil-fish，itseems，weregrowingscarceuponthereef；itwasjudgedfittointerposewhatweshouldcallacloseseason；forthatend，inPolynesia，atapu(vulgarlyspelt’taboo’)hastobedeclared，andwhowastodeclareit?Taipimight；heought；itwasachiefpartofhisduty；butwouldanyoneregardtheinhibitionofaBeggaronHorse-back?Hemightplantpalmbranches：itdidnotintheleastfollowthatthespotwassacred。Hemightrecitethespell：itwasshrewdlysupposedthespiritswouldnothearken。