Inpointofmorality，thevirtueofthewomen，ithasbeenoftensaid，ismostopentoexception。Butbeforetheyareblamedtooseverely，itwillbewelldistinctlytocalltomindthescenesdescribedbyCaptainCookandMr。Banks，inwhichthegrandmothersandmothersofthepresentraceplayedapart。Thosewhoaremostsevere，shouldconsiderhowmuchofthemoralityofthewomeninEuropeisowingtothesystemearlyimpressedbymothersontheirdaughters，andhowmuchineachindividualcasetothepreceptsofreligion。Butitisuselesstoargueagainstsuchreasoners；——
Ibelievethat，disappointedinnotfindingthefieldoflicentiousnessquitesoopenasformerly，theywillnotgivecredittoamoralitywhichtheydonotwishtopractise，ortoareligionwhichtheyundervalue，ifnotdespise。
Sunday，22nd——TheharbourofPapiete，wherethequeenresides，maybeconsideredasthecapitaloftheisland：itisalsotheseatofgovernment，andthechiefresortofshipping。CaptainFitzRoytookapartytherethisdaytoheardivineservice，firstintheTahitianlanguage，andafterwardsinourown。Mr。Pritchard，theleadingmissionaryintheisland，performedtheservice。Thechapelconsistedofalargeairyframeworkofwood；anditwasfilledtoexcessbytidy，cleanpeople，ofallagesandbothsexes。
Iwasratherdisappointedintheapparentdegreeofattention；butIbelievemyexpectationswereraisedtoohigh。AtalleventstheappearancewasquiteequaltothatinacountrychurchinEngland。Thesingingofthehymnswasdecidedlyverypleasing，butthelanguagefromthepulpit，althoughfluentlydelivered，didnotsoundwell：aconstantrepetitionofwords，like“tatata，matamai。”rendereditmonotonous。AfterEnglishservice，apartyreturnedonfoottoMatavai。Itwasapleasantwalk，sometimesalongthesea-beachandsometimesundertheshadeofthemanybeautifultrees。
Abouttwoyearsago，asmallvesselunderEnglishcolourswasplunderedbysomeoftheinhabitantsoftheLowIslands，whichwerethenunderthedominionoftheQueenofTahiti。Itwasbelievedthattheperpetratorswereinstigatedtothisactbysomeindiscreetlawsissuedbyhermajesty。