180

FEMALE IMPOSTORS.

made to understand what the soul was; they fancied their souls lived in the land of darkness, and that they only came to them sometimes at night when they dreamed. All these foolish notions were taught to the people by their priests, and also by others who pretended to be inspired by the gods. Even women, who were so much despised in Tahiti, sometimes professed to have the spirit of the gods in them. I will give you an instance of the manner in which they they tried to impose on the people.

On one occasion the brethren saw a girl coming towards them, leading a woman, whose head was muffled up. These persons pretended to have the spirit of the gods in them. When they saw the brethren they appeared confused, fell upon their knees, and mumbled some words. Their reason for doing so was, that they might appear to put the spirit of the gods from them. They then rose, and coming towards the missionaries, quietly spoke to them by their names. The brethren, seeing their hypocrisy, rebuked them sharply, and entreated the people standing by, not to be deceived by such tricks. The people laughed, and some said they knew the whole was a pretence; but others still believed in it, being blinded by Satan.

Thus these people, who were so unbelieving towards God, were willing to be deceived by

MURDER OF A GUEST.

181

the most foolish impostors. It is often found, even in christian countries, that those who will not believe the word of God, will place their trust in fortune-tellers, dreams, and signs of good and ill luck. It is easy to discover the cause of this difference,-it is the love of sin; God's word forbids all evil, and therefore it is despised and rejected.

Accustomed as the missionaries were to the wicked ways of the people, they were filled with dismay at the deed which I shall now relate.

Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Scott, while travelling in Tahiti, came to the house of a chief, who had often been desired to find a sacrifice, and who had just received a message from Pomare, threatening him with banishment, if he did not kill a man immediately.

The chief was sitting in his house, surrounded by his friends and attendants, and was secretly intending to kill one of them, when the brethren entered. Knowing how they hated such deeds, the chief durst not do it in their presence. Soon the brethren lay down to rest. The chief then invited his companions to accompany him to the sea-shore. The man, whom the chief intended to kill, was one of his relations, who was come to visit him. This man, with several others, consented to go to the beach. When arrived there, the chief and his

182

THE KING'S GRANDFATHER.

servants killed him with stones, and put his body in a long basket of cocoa-nut leaves, ready to be sent to Pomare. The chief then returned to the house, quite as calm and unconcerned, as if he had only killed a hog. The two brethren knew nothing of the dreadful deed, till after they had left the house. Who can express the horror they then felt? In such a country it might well be said, (as it once was said in Israel,) "Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother. Their tongue is, as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in his heart he layeth his wait: shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord." Jer. ix. 4, 8, 9.

CHAPTER XXI.

1802-1803.

THE DEATHS OF THREE OF THE ROYAL

FAMILY.

HAVE you forgotten Ote-u, the king's grandfather? This old man had been introduced five years before, to Captain Wilson, when he brought the first missionaries in the Duff. The missionaries had sometimes tried to lead

HIS YOUNGER BROTHER.

183

the old man to think of his soul, and of the true God, but they had found him only inclined to speak of earthly things. He often interrupted them, by saying, "When will another ship come? Have you any ava?" He was quite disfigured by the ava he had drunk: his long silver beard, and mild, handsome countenance, made him look very venerable, but the redness of his eyes, and the white scurf upon his skin, showed that he was a drunkard.

About four months after the war in Atehuru, Ote-u died of old age. The people thought that he was a favourite of the gods, because he had lived above eighty years, and had died a natural death. He expired in a house very near the brethren. Owo, his daughter, asked them to make him a coffin. The body was embalmed, and placed in the coffin in a shed at Pare, opposite the king's house.

The next year, Otu's younger brother, Teare, appeared to be in a decline. He believed that his god was angry with him, and therefore sent a human sacrifice to his temple to quiet his wrath. But he continued to grow worse, and was tenderly nursed by his mother Idia.

As Te-are was living at Pare, Mr. Elder went to see him sometimes, and gave him wine and medicines. He paid him a visit the day before he died. He found him burning with fever, and the servants refreshing him by

184

DEATH OF TEARE.

throwing cold water over him; yet his body felt quite cold to the touch. Soon afterwards the prince grew faint, and as he thought he was dying, he took leave of his mother Idia, while the attendants stood by bathed in tears. Pomare was sent for immediately. He did not appear at all afflicted at the state of his son, because he considered that as all men must die, it was useless to grieve about death. However, he offered up to his gods, in the room where Te-are was lying, two hogs, a plantain-tree, and some red feathers, hoping by this means to make his son better. Mr. Elder spoke to the poor youth of the Saviour of the soul, but Idia seemed to dislike his doing so, as she thought that all the prayers to the idols would be vain, if Christ's name were mentioned. Though Teare knew he was dying, he appeared quite unconcerned about eternity. The next day Mr. Elder took some wine to the young prince. Te-are received the wine eagerly, though only able to swallow a table-spoonful. He said that his throat was decayed, and that therefore he could not swallow. Soon afterwards he ceased to breathe. Thus died Teare, at the age of eighteen, in June 1803.

The missionaries were grieved to see the natives one after another dropping into the grave, without having believed in the Saviour who had been preached to them.