house, on a scale of some magnitude, with piazzas around the whole. There
is evidently no lack of money. The funds for the support of the Catholic
mission are derived principally through Lyons, in France; and the
enterprise is said to be under the patronage of the king. The abundant
pecuniary means which the priests have at command, and the imposing and
attractive ceremonies of their mode of worship--so well fitted to produce
an effect on uncultivated natures, where appeals either to the intellect
or the heart would be thrown away--are among the chief causes of their
success. It is said, too, and perhaps with truth, that as many converts
are made, among the natives, by presents, as by persuasion. But no small
degree of the prosperity of the mission must be attributed to the superior
shrewdness and ability of the persons engaged in it--to their skilful
adaptation of their precepts and modes of instruction to the people with
whom they have to deal, and to their employment of the maxims of worldly
policy in aid of their religious views. These qualities and rules of
conduct have characterized the Catholic missionaries in all ages, in all
parts of the world, and in their dealings with every variety of the human
race; and their success has everywhere been commensurate with the
superiority, in a merely temporal point of view, of the system on which
they acted.

Before returning on board, we called on King Freeman, who received us,
seated on a chair which was placed in front of his house. His majesty's
royal robe was no other than an old uniform frock, which I had given him
three years ago. We accepted the chairs which he offered us, and held a
palaver, while some twenty of his subjects stood respectfully around. He
remembered my former visit to the colony, and appeared very glad to see me
again. His town was nearly deserted, the people having gone out to gather
rice. About the royal residence, and in the vicinity, I saw thirty or
forty cattle, most of them young, and all remarkably small. It is said,