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。ThusbyallaccountstheCatholicsinMangareva，andthustomyownknowledgetheProtestantsinHawaii，haverenderedlifeinamoreorlessdegreeunliveabletotheirconverts。Andthemild，uncomplainingcreatureslikechildreninaprisonyawnandawaitdeath。Itiseasytoblamethemissionary。Butitishisbusinesstomakechanges。Itissurelyhisbusiness，forexample，topreventwar；andyetIhaveinstancedwaritselfasoneoftheelementsofhealth。Ontheotherhand，itwere，perhaps，easyforthemissionarytoproceedmoregently，andtoregardeverychangeasanaffairofweight。Itaketheaveragemissionary；IamsureI
dohimnomorethanjusticewhenIsupposethathewouldhesitatetobombardavillage，eveninordertoconvertanarchipelago。
ExperiencebeginstoshowusatleastinPolynesianislandsthatchangeofhabitisbloodierthanabombardment。
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，whereinthewaroflust
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，butpassedsomyinformantputitlikedogs；andtheotherdaythewholeschool-childrenofNuka-hivaandUa-puescapedinabodytothewoods，andlivedthereforafortnightinpromiscuousliberty。Readersoftravelsmayperhapsexclaimatmyauthority，anddeclarethemselvesbetterinformed。I
shouldpreferthestatementofanintelligentnativelikeStanislaoevenifitstoodalone，whichitisfarfromdoingtothereportofthemosthonesttraveller。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。ThattheoneshouldbechiefinsteadoftheothermustbeexplainedinaveryIrishfashiononthegroundthatneitherofthemisachiefatall。
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，atapuvulgarlyspelt’taboo’hastobedeclared，andwhowastodeclareit?Taipimight；heought；itwasachiefpartofhisduty；butwouldanyoneregardtheinhibitionofaBeggaronHorse-back?Hemightplantpalmbranches：itdidnotintheleastfollowthatthespotwassacred。Hemightrecitethespell：itwasshrewdlysupposedthespiritswouldnothearken。