POMARE'S ILLNESS.

185

Te-are's body was embalmed, and placed in a shed near his grandfather's corpse. It was the custom at the death of princes to forbid fires to be lighted in the district, in which the event happened. All the people of Pare were obliged, during the week after Te-are's death, to go to some distance to cook their food.

Pomare, who had seen his son expire with so much indifference, knew not how nearly his own days were numbered.

He had had a severe attack in the autumn before his son's death, and had been visited by Mr. Elder and Mr. Eyre, who had told him that the true God was angry with him for killing men for sacrifice. He had heard this without feeling, but when they had assured him, that they would pray for his recovery, when they prayed together at home, his heart had appeared touched by their kindness. Pomare soon recovered from this illness.

A month after Te-are's death, an event occurred, which filled Pomare with delight. Before this happy event occurred, the rebellious Atehurans formed a plot to murder Pomare and Idia. For this purpose they killed a man, as a sacrifice, and sent for Pomare to come to Atehuru, to offer it to the gods. They hoped that he would come, accompanied by only a few servants, and they intended to lie in wait, and

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POMARE'S DEATH.

murder both him and Idia. Otu heard of this plot, and informed his father of it, who accordingly went to Atehuru by water, guarded by a large fleet of canoes. When he arrived

there, he found the Atehurans more ready than before to submit to his authority, and they even delivered up the god Oro, that log of wood, that had caused so much blood to flow.

Thus peace was established in the island, on August 1st, 1803. But Pomare did not live to enjoy the submission of the people, or the possession of his god, for, only one month afterwards, he was cut off with a stroke from the Almighty. This was the manner of his death.

A ship, called the Dart, was at anchor near Tahiti. One morning, Pomare set out in a canoe with two men, to go to the ship. He held a paddle in his hand, and had almost reached the vessel, when he suddenly felt a pain in his back; he cried out, and put his hand to the place, where he felt the pain, dropped the paddle from the other hand, and fell on his face, while his outstretched arms fell over the sides of the canoe. His two attendants immediately rowed his body to the shore of Pare. As soon as the brethren heard of the event, they hastened to the spot; Mr. Elder felt his pulse, and thought it still faintly beat. He did not, however, dare to bleed Pomare, as the natives would have accused him of intend

ing to do harm to their chief. The dead body was soon afterwards embalmed, and placed near the corpses of Pomare's father, and youngest son. They were all within sight of the king's house; so that Otu, as he sat within his palace, could behold the bodies of his bróther, father, and grandfather.

The natives did not appear either shocked, or grieved by Pomare's sudden death: for their hearts were so much hardened by continual cruelties, that they seldom felt pity, or grief for others.

Otu, who was now at Atehuru, did not come to see his father's dead body, but desired that it might be sent to him. Idia, however, asked two of the brethren to entreat the king to allow it to remain at Pare. They went accordingly to the king, and obtained their request, but found Otu quite unconcerned about his father's death; yet he was so much terrified at night, by fears lest his father's spirit should appear to him, that he caused one of his servants to sleep near him.

It is usual to speak of the character of persons, especially of kings, after their death.

What shall we now say of Pomare? So many of his deeds have been related, that every reader must know that, like other heathen, he was cruel, selfish, deceitful, and covetous. was, however, less brave than many other men, and at the same time more active in labours;

Не

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POMARE'S CHARACTER.

and he was more zealous in serving his gods than any other person in Tahiti. He had planted many trees, and built many houses and canoes, and had thus been very useful to his countrymen. He had been so much afraid of his gods, that he had not only built maraes, but had shed torrents of human blood to gain their favour. By these cruel deeds he had provoked his people therefore he was neither beloved in life, nor lamented in death. Above all, he had lived and died an enemy to the true God. He had been delighted by the arrival of the missionaries, on account of the things they possessed, and the things they could do; but he had appeared to like them less, since they had been able to explain to him more fully, the message they brought; and though he had always continued to behave in a friendly manner in their presence, behind their backs he had ridiculed them. As he had received so much kindness from them, this conduct was very ungrateful, as well as deceitful. It grieved the missionaries to think, that the things that belonged to his peace, were now for ever hid from his eyes.

Otu had now more power than during his father's lifetime. The missionaries were afraid lest the people should rise up against him, for he was more oppressive, and was more hated, than his father had been. However, through

the mercy of God, the people made no resistance to Otu.

From this time, Otu took the name of his father, and styled himself his Majesty Pomare. The meaning of the word Pomare, is nightcough. The name was chosen by Pomare in a curious manner. Once when making a journey, he slept on a bleak part of the mountains, and caught cold. His attendants, observing his cough next day, called that night the Pomare. The chief liked the sound of the word so much, that he chose it for his name.

Henceforth we shall speak of Otu by the name of Pomare.

CHAPTER XXII.

1803, 1804, 1805, 1806.

THE FIRST TAHITIAN WHO LEARNED TO WRITE.

THOUGH Pomare II. was much less pleasing than his father, yet he was not so much set against the message the missionaries brought. For some time past, he had been a great deal with the brethren, and had occasionally listened to their sermons. One Sunday he sent to desire Idia to attend the preaching out of