when we arrived at Pearl River, and, according to the doctrine in which the missionaries had instructed the Sandwich islanders, their sabbath had commenced. The hut that we were to occupy belonged to Captain Dana, an American gentleman, to whom we were indebted for many hours of agreeable pastime. Besides the hut, he possessed other property in the valley, which gave him an influence with the chief of it, that enabled him to command whatever it produced. When we arrived, the chief was seated on a mat, near Captain Dana's hut, moody, and, apparently, very stupid. The arrival of so many strangers, in a place where a visiter was scarcely ever seen, produced a lively interest amongst the villagers. All of them seemed to partake of the general excitement, but the chief, though celebrated for his hospitality, was now sunk in the most listless apathy, and apparently scarcely sensible of our presence. When he was told that we wanted supper, and preparation made for our accommodation on the morrow, he replied, that it was the sabbath, and neither then nor on the morrow could fire be made, as it was forbidden by the Almighty. Upon being asked how he knew that it was forbidden by the Almighty, he said, that Mr. Bingham had seen the Almighty, who told him so. This was a great check to our promised enjoyment, and one that we were quite unprepared for, as no prohibition of making fire on Saturday, or any other night, was in existence at Onavoora. We saw but a poor prospect of getting supper or any thing, indeed, until we returned, unless we fasted on Sunday, and that our religious scruples did not call for, if it were not unavoidable. We were unwilling, however, to interfere with the established observances, which had been thought necessary to civilize and improve the condition of the people, and bore our disappointment in silence. After wandering about the village for a while, which was small, and scattered over a sterile ridge, we were relieved from our unpleasant dilemma by a native, we had taken with us as cook and interpreter, who was commonly known upon the island by the name of Joe Banks. He had received some education, and had been a convert to the missionaries, from whom he afterwards seceded. He did not like fasting any more than ourselves, and set about haranguing the chief, to convince him of the error of his opinion, with respect to the making of fire. Joe was not wanting in either talent or volubility; and, to our great satisfaction, we soon found him on good terms with the chief; a fire was made, and soon after a kid and a pig brought up for slaughter. I observed, that the chief's skin was very rough and in scales, resembling somewhat the shell of a small terrapin. Upon inquiring the cause, they told me, it was the effect of the ava-root, of which he was undergoing a course. He had almost finished the course, and his skin was all peeling off. It was the effect of the