Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Let us then endeavour to ascertain what sort of spiritual food is presented to them. Certainly, if Mr. Melville's interpreter is to be trusted, the provisions of the pulpit are scarcely superior to those of the Dolly or Julia. Speaking of the Cathedral of Papoar, he says,

"The place is well filled. Every where meet the eye the gay calico draperies worn on great occasions by the higher classes, and forming a strange contrast of patterns and colours. In some instances, these are so fashioned as to resemble as much as possible European garments. This is an excessively bad taste. Coats and pantaloons, too, are here and there seen; but they look awkwardly enough, and take away from the general effect.

"But it is the array of countenances that most strikes you. Each is suffused with the peculiar animation of the Polynesians, when thus collected in large numbers. Every robe is rustling, every limb in motion, and an incessant buzzing going on throughout the assembly. The tumult is so great, that the voice of the placid old missionary, who now rises, is almost inaudible. Some degree of silence is at length obtained through the exertions of half-a-dozen strapping fellows, in white shirts and no pantaloons. Running in among the settees, they are at great pains to inculcate the impropriety of making a noise, by creating a most unnecessary racket themselves. This part of the service was quite comical."169-170.

So much for the behaviour of the congregation, now for the sermon.

"Having been informed, from various sources, that the discourses of the missionaries, being calculated to engage the attention of their simple auditors, were, naturally enough, of a rather amusing description to strangers; in short, that they had much to say about steam boats, lord mayors' coaches, and the way fires are put out in London, I had taken care to provide myself with a good interpreter, in the person of an intelligent Hawaiian sailor, whose acquaintance I had made.

[ocr errors]

"Now, Jack,' said I, before entering, hear every word, and tell me what you can, as the missionary goes on.'

"Jack's was not, perhaps, a critical version of the discourse ; and, at the time, I took no notes of what he said. Nevertheless, I will here venture to give what I remember of it; and, as far as possible, in Jack's phraseology, so as to lose nothing by a double translation.

"Good friends, I glad to see you; and I very well like to have some talk with you to-day. Good friends, very bad times in Tahiti; it make me weep. Pomarce is gone-the island no more

yours, but the Wee-Wee's (French). Wicked priests here, too; and wicked idols in woman's clothes, and brass chains.*

"Good friends, no you speak, or look at them-but I know you won't they belong to a set of robbers-the wicked Wee-Wees. Soon these bad men be made to go very quick. Beretanee ships of thunder come, and away they go. But no more 'bout this now. I speak more by by.

[ocr errors]

Good friends, many whale-ships here now; and many bad men come in 'em. No good sailors living-that you know very well. They come here, 'cause so bad they no keep 'em home.

"My good little girls, no run after sailors-no go where they go; they harm you. Where they come from no good people talk to 'em-just like dogs. Here, they talk to Pomarce, and drink arva with great Poofai,†

"Good friends, this very small island, but very wicked, and very poor; these two go together. Why Beretanee so great? Because that island good island, and send mickonaree‡ to poor kannaka.§ In Beretanee, every man rich: plenty things to buy; and plenty things to sell. Houses bigger than Pomaree's, aud more grand. Every body, too, ride about in coaches, bigger than hers; and wear fine tappa every day. (Several luxurious appliances of civilization were here enumerated, and described.)

66 6

Good friends, little to eat left at my house. Schooner from Sydney no bring bag of flour; and kannaka no bring pig and fruit enough. Mickonaree do great deal for kannaka; kannaka do little for mickonaree. So, good friends, weave plenty of cocoa-nut baskets, fill 'em, and bring 'em to-morrow.'

"Such was the substance of great part of this discourse; and, whatever may be thought of it, it was specially adaped to the minds of the islanders; who are susceptible to no impressions, except from things palpable, or novel and striking. To them, a dry sermon would be dry indeed.

* "Meaning the showy image of the Virgin in the little Catholic chapel."

"The word 'arva,' as here employed, means brandy. Poofai, was one of the highest chiefs on the island, and a jolly companion."

"This word, evidently a corruption of missionary,' is used under various significations by the natives. Sometimes, it is applied to a communicant of the Church. But above, it has its original meaning."

§ "A word generally used by foreigners to designate the natives of Polynesia.

"Pomaree, some time previous, had received a present of a chariot from Queen Victoria. It was afterwards sent to Oahu (Sandwich Islands), and there sold to pay her debts."

"The Tahitians can hardly ever be said to reflect: they are all impulse; and so, instead of expounding dogmas, the missionaries give them the large type, pleasing cuts, and short and easy lessons of the primer. Hence, any thing like a permanent religious impression is seldom or ever produced."-pp. 171-173.

Ludicrous as this may seem, we fear that there must be some truth in the version, and that little or no benefit can be reaped from the exertions of the missionaries while they are backed by such arguments, and confronted by the seductions of all those vices which have already excercised so malignant an influence over the hapless Polynesians. Indeed, they are a devoted race, and are represented as mournfully watching over their doom. The greeting of Pomaree II. to some of the earliest missionaries sufficiently marks the condition of this interesting race at that time. "You have come," said the monarch, "to see me at a very bad time. Your ancestors came in the time of men, when Tahiti was inhabited. You are come to behold just the remnant of my people." And doubtless he remembered the prediction of Tecarmoar the high priest of Paree, uttered one hundred years before, which down to the present time is often lowly and sadly chaunted by the aged Tahitians as they recall the deeds of their youth, and re-enact the glories of their ancient kingdom.

"A harree ta fow

A toro ta farraro
A now ta tararta."

"The palm tree shall grow,
The coral shall spread,
But man shall cease."

With this extract we must be content, nolentes volentes, to take our leave of Mr. Melville's most interesting and romantic" Adventures." Whether the doubts which have insinuated themselves into our mind touching the degree of credit to which they are entitled may appear to others to be well founded or no, is a question which all his readers must decide for themselves. For our own parts, we can only say, as did the "Sapient Grizzle, when called on to give his opinion of the feats attributed to General Tom Thumb,

"I tell you, Madam, it was all a trick:

[ocr errors]

He made the giants first, and then he kill'd them."

ART. V.-A Manual of British and Irish History; Illustrated with Maps, Engravings, and Statistical, Chronological, and Genealogical Tables. By the REV. THOMAS FLANAGAN, Professor at St. Mary's College, Oscott. 8vo., London, Jones, 1847.

A

FEW such volumes as this will go far to realize our idea of a popular Catholic literature. To those who know the numberless compendiums in every department of science, with which, under the technical name of "Handbooks," the foreign literature, and especially the German, abounds, it has long been a matter of surprise that the system of condensing and popularizing knowledge in which these compendiums originated, is finding its way so slowly among us. Although often far from immaculate in their principles, and, in other respects, imperfect and unsatisfactory, yet there is in the German Hand-books, notwithstanding, a great deal which it would be our interest to imitate, and from which we might usefully learn. They are, generally speaking, solid, erudite, and well arranged. If their principles are, as not unfrequently occurs, bad and objectionable, their learning is commonly beyond reproof; and as mere indexes of the subject which they treat, and books of reference to the original sources of information, they are often, even the very worst of them, invaluable to a student who would investigate for himself.

The nearest approach to the German "Hand-book' which we are able to boast in the more ordinary departments, is found in the compendiums for the use of schools, of which, as far as number goes, there is no lack in England. But they are very different in their character; and, especially for advanced students, their plan is far from being equally satisfactory. Without any pretension to learning whatever, they possess, ordinarily speaking, no evidence of authority for the student beyond that of the compiler himself; and if the pupil should desire further information on any obscure or doubtful or unsatisfactory statement, he is utterly without guide as to the sources to which he may usefully refer.

We need scarcely observe that there is no department to which these remarks apply with more truth than that of history; and the difficulties by which students, and especially Catholic students, found themselves beset in the

[ocr errors]

study of English history, are detailed with great modesty, but yet with great clearness, by the author of the admirable Manual" now before us. Many of the compendiums, (which, for the most part, are but different modifications of Goldsmith,) besides being exceedingly meagre and defective, were so filled with prejudice, and so distorted in their views, that no Catholic could venture to use them, if he wished to preserve, we will not say his principles, but even his temper. And although more than one effort had been made of later years to compile treatises suited to the use of Catholic children, yet it cannot be denied that, while they undoubtedly tended to clear the subject from most of the prejudices by which it had been overlaid, yet they shared the other defect to which we have alluded, being meagre and imperfect, and overlooking altogether many of the most interesting and important facts and views which the researches of modern historians have brought to light.

Under these circumstances it is hardly necessary for us to repeat the opinion which we have already briefly expressed, and to declare our sense of the obligation which the Catholic public, and especially its younger members, owe to the author of the excellent "Manual of British and Irish History." It is precisely the sort of work which the exigencies of the case required-at once solid and attractive-replete with most valuable information, yet, in deference to younger readers, not overloaded with what is popularly called erudition. There is nothing of interest or importance, even in the most recent of the historians, to which the writer will not be found to have given its full weight, and yet he has had the good sense to avoid all that parade of discussion, into which one who had not fully understood the nature and object of the work which he had undertaken would, almost of necessity, have been betrayed. In truth, he has succeeded in compiling that most difficult, and yet most invaluable of all treatises, a complete "Hand-book of English and Irish History," in the very best sense of the word.

But while we freely acknowledge the judiciousness of the author's plan, as regards younger students, there is one particular in which we could wish that he had followed more closely the German originals to which we have been referring. His facts, as we have taken pains to satisfy ourselves by several examples which may be fairly assumed

« AnteriorContinuar »