’SouthSeaMerchants’isthetitletheyprefer。’Weareallsailorshere’-’Merchants，ifyouplease’-’SOUTHSEAMerchants，’-
wasapieceofconversationendlesslyrepeated，thatneverseemedtoloseinsavour。Wefoundthematalltimessimple，genial，gay，gallant，andobliging；and，acrosssomeintervaloftime，recallwithpleasurethetradersofButaritari。Therewasoneblacksheepindeed。Itellofhimherewherehelived，againstmyrule；forinthiscaseIhavenomeasuretopreserve，andthemanistypicalofaclassofruffiansthatoncedisgracedthewholefieldoftheSouthSeas，andstilllingerintherarelyvisitedislesofMicronesia。Hehadthenameonthebeachof’aperfectgentlemanwhensober，’butIneversawhimotherwisethandrunk。ThefewshockingandsavagetraitsoftheMicronesianhehassingledoutwiththeskillofacollector，andplantedinthesoilofhisoriginalbaseness。Hehasbeenaccusedandacquittedofatreacherousmurder；andhassinceboastfullyownedit，whichinclinesmetosupposehiminnocent。Hisdaughterisdefacedbyhiserroneouscruelty，foritwashiswifehehadintendedtodisfigure，andinthedarknessofthenightandthefrenzyofcoco-
brandy，fastenedonthewrongvictim。Thewifehassincefledandharboursinthebushwithnatives；andthehusbandstilldemandsfromdeafearsherforciblerestoration。Thebestofhisbusinessistomakenativesdrink，andthenadvancethemoneyforthefineuponalucrativemortgage。’Respectforwhites’istheman’sword：
’Whatisthematterwiththisislandisthewantofrespectforwhites。’OnhiswaytoButaritari，whileIwasthere，hespiedhiswifeinthebushwithcertainnativesandmadeadashtocaptureher；whereupononeofhercompanionsdrewaknifeandthehusbandretreated：’Doyoucallthatproperrespectforwhites?’hecried。
Atanearlystageoftheacquaintanceweprovedourrespectforhiskindofwhitebyforbiddinghimourenclosureunderpainofdeath。