subjects, he deems it right to advert to what may be considered a
culpable omission. No one can be more sensible than the author
of his deficiencies in this and many other respects; but when the
very peculiar circumstances in which he was placed are
understood, he feels assured that all these omissions will be
excused.

In very many published narratives no little degree of attention
is bestowed upon dates; but as the author lost all knowledge of
the days of the week, during the occurrence of the scenes herein
related, he hopes that the reader will charitably pass over his
shortcomings in this particular.

In the Polynesian words used in this volume,--except in those
cases where the spelling has been previously determined by
others,--that form of orthography has been employed, which might
be supposed most easily to convey their sound to a stranger. In
several works descriptive of the islands in the Pacific, many of
the most beautiful combinations of vocal sounds have been
altogether lost to the ear of the reader by an over-attention to
the ordinary rules of spelling.

There are a few passages in the ensuing chapters which may be
thought to bear rather hard upon a reverend order of men, the
account of whose proceedings in different quarters of the globe--
transmitted to us through their own hands--very generally, and
often very deservedly, receives high commendation. Such passages
will be found, however, to be based upon facts admitting of no
contradiction, and which have come immediately under the writer's
cognizance. The conclusions deduced from these facts are