'God bless you,' issued from every mouth; 'but is he come to stay with us ?'--'No.' 'You bad man, why not ?'--'I cannot spare him, he is the chaplain of my ship; but I have brought you clothes and other articles, which King George has sent you.' 'But,' says Kitty Quintal, 'we want food for our souls.' 'Our reception,' says Captain Waldegrave, 'was most cordial, particularly that of Mr.Watson, the chaplain; and the meeting of the wives and husbands most affecting, exchanging expressions of joy that could not have been exceeded had they just returned from a long absence.
The men sprang up to the trees, throwing down cocoa-nuts, the husks of which were torn off by others with their teeth, and offering us the milk.

As soon as we had rested ourselves, they took us to their cottages, where we dined and slept.' Captain Waldegrave says it was highly gratifying to observe their native simplicity of manners, apparently without guile: their hospitality was unbounded, their cottages being open to all, and all were welcome to such food as they possessed; pigs and fowls were immediately killed and dressed, and when the guests were seated, one of the islanders, in the attitude of prayer, and his eyes raised towards heaven, repeated a simple grace for the present food they were about to partake of, beseeching, at the same time, spiritual nourishment; at the end of which each responded _amen_.

On the arrival of any one during the repast, they all paused until the new guest had said grace.
At night they all assembled in one of the cottages to hear the afternoon church service performed by Mr.Watson, and Captain Waldegrave describes it as a most striking scene.

The place chosen was the bedroom of one of the double cottages, or one with an upper story.

The ascent was by a broad ladder from the lower room through a trap-door.