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CHAP. V. SPREAD OF THE ART OF WRITING. 119 the latter reclines in his sickness on his mats spread on the floor in his leaf-thatched hut, as his fathers had done for generations before, he has only to utter his wishes or his orders, and these are conveyed to those whom they concern with as much authenticity and correctness as the most formal despatch from an office of the most civilised nation. And when I reflected that to such an extent had the native go vernment availed itself of the advantages of writing as that in the year 1836, when the late missionaries left the capital, there were four thousand officers employed, who transacted the business of their respective departments by -writing, and that such is the benefit or pleasure which the people find in thus communicating with each other that scarcely a traveller ever journeys from one place to another without being a letter- carrier, I was strongly impressed with the fact that, besides the benefits of their directly religious teaching, missionaries were rendering most important aid towards the enlighten ment and civilisation of mankind. After a subsequent visit, I sent to the chief, who remained an invalid for some time, a little tea and sugar, and a few biscuits, for which he expressed himself thankful, observing that he had but little appetite, and did not relish his food, though he had some time before bought a first-rate cook, for whom he had given seventy dollars, about 13 L; but that she was ill at that time, and he was consequently deprived of her services. During the day on which I was unpacking my luggage, several young men, traders from the capital, came to my house to ask what new articles of trade I had brought, and par ticularly if I had any violins or musical instruments to sell. Soon afterwards a man arrived with a turkey and a duck, as a present from a chief living close by, and I afterwards re ceived a number of similar presents from persons residing in
