An evening's amusement of this description often lasts for hours.

The younger members of society very seldom take any part in the dances.
It is a great question whether the immorality of these islanders has been lessened by French civilization.

From my own observations, as well as from what I was told by persons well informed on the subject, I should say that this has not yet been the case, and that, for the present, there is but little hope of its being so: while, on the other side, the natives have acquired a number of useless wants, in consequence of which, the greed for gold has been fearfully awakened in their breasts.

As they are naturally very lazy, and above all things disinclined to work, they have made the female portion of the community the means of gaining money.
Parents, brothers, and even husbands, offer to their foreign masters those belonging to them, while the women themselves offer no opposition, as in this manner they can obtain the means for their own display, and money for their relations without trouble.

Every officer's house is the rendezvous of several native beauties, who go out and in at every hour of the day.