’The verandah is a grand lounging place; very commodious for school also, when other classes fill the large room, and a delightful place to sit or lie about on in this genial warm climate.  These bright moonlight nights are indeed delicious.  The mosquito gives no trouble here to speak of.  The cocoa-nut trees, the bread-fruit trees, yam gardens, and many kinds of native trees and shrubs, are all around us; the fine wooded hill of Mota shows well over the house.  The breeze always plays round it; and though it is very hot, it is only when the wind comes from the north and north-west, as in the midsummer, that the heat is of an oppressive and sickly nature.

’About twenty lads and young men live here, and about forty attend daily school; but I think there is every indication of all Mota sending its young people here as soon as we have our crops of yams, &c., &c., to provide sufficient food.  Improved native huts will, I think, soon be built over our little estate here.

’Many girls I hope to take to Norfolk Island.  They could hardly be brought together with safety to this place yet.  The parents see and admit this, and consent to my taking them.  I tell them that their sons will not marry ignorant heathen girls (their sons I mean who have been and are still with us); that all the young fellows growing up at Kohimarama must have educated wives provided for them, and that I must therefore take away many young girls with me to Norfolk Island.  The fashion here is to buy at an early age young girls for their sons, though occasionally a girl may be found not already betrothed, but almost grown up.  I now say, “I want to train up wives for my sons,” and the fashion of the place allows of my buying or appropriating them.  You would be amused to see me engaged in this match-making.  It is all the same a very important matter, for clearly it is the best way to secure, as I trust, the introduction of Christian family life among these people.

’George and I are satisfied that things are really very promising here.  Of course, much old heathen ignorance, and much that is very wrong, will long survive.  So you recollect perhaps old Joe (great-Uncle Edward’s coachman) declaring that C. S. as a witch, and there is little proof of practical Christianity in the morals of our peasants of the west, and of Wales especially.

’It is not that one should acquiesce in what is wrong here, but one ought not to be surprised at it.  Public opinion, the constraint of law, hereditary notions, are more effective in preventing the outbreak of evil passions into criminal acts in very many cases and districts in England.

’Now these restraints are, indeed, indirect consequences of Christianity, but do not imply any religion in the individuals who are influenced by them.  These restraints don’t exist here.  If they did, I think these Mota people now would live just as orderly decent lives as average English folk.  Christianity would not be a vigorous power in the one case or in the other.  Exceptional cases would occur here and there.