TO-MORROW MORNING. enemy, 173 missionaries, and had given himself the name of "To-morrow Morning." He ventured very near the and sometimes fired upon them, and often called out to them, daring them to fight him. The Atehurans, however, refused to quit their strongholds until the evening. Just as the English were getting into their boats to return home, To-morrow Morning, and one of his companions came running towards the shore, followed by a host of enemies, uttering wild shouts, and armed with spears, clubs, and muskets. The English sprang from their vessels and attacked them. The very sight of the English alarmed the enemy. The Atehurans quickly turned their backs, and tried to escape to the mountains, but seventeen were killed upon the spot. Amongst the slain was Rua, one of the two chief leaders of the rebels. The rest of the Atehurans fled to their strongholds. The English now consented to pass the night at Atehuru, hoping that the enemy would make peace in the morning. They were filled with horror at beholding the manner in which the seventeen dead bodies of the Atehurans were treated. Pomare and his men pierced them, and beat them, and trampled upon them, and scoffed at them, with as much rage, as if they had been alive. The next morning the English captain was 174 CEASING OF THE WAR. much disappointed to find the enemy would not submit, but chose to remain in their strongholds. A woman was sent with a flag of peace, to tell them the names of the slain, and how the dead bodies had been treated; but her message was not accepted. The rebellious chief who yet lived declared that he would never submit till he, like Rua, had been killed. The English therefore returned the next day to Matavai. This was the end of the war, (called the war of Rua;) for though the Atehurans would not submit, they had very few fighting men left, and were afraid to attack the king's army. Not one of Pomare's men had been killed in battle. Pomare was glad to leave off fighting, for he much disliked war. At the same time he continued very uneasy on account of the loss of the god Oro. A few weeks afterwards, most of the sailors left the island in different ships. The brethren felt exceeding gratitude to their heavenly Father, for having sent them such help in time of need. Still, when they looked at their gardens now trodden down, at the place where their groves had stood, and at the ruins of their chapel, they felt that they had endured a heavy affliction. But now the storm had blown over, and though it had injured their property, it had not hurt one hair of their heads. CHAPTER XX. 1802. HOW THE NATIVES BEHAVED WHEN THE As the war appeared to be over for the present, the missionaries set about repairing their fences, digging and sowing their gardens, and building another chapel. They took every opportunity of preaching the gospel to the natives. On Sundays several of the brethren used to go about the neighbourhood, and endeavour to collect people to hear. But the difficulties were very great. They found them either busy in beating cloth, or preparing food, or else feasting, or drinking ava, or lying down stupified from the effects of the ava. Also the people who lived at Matavai were more indifferent to the preaching than any others, because they had become tired of hearing often the same things. The missionaries, however, continued their labours, knowing that God, when he pleased, could pour down his Spirit from on high. They continually made journeys, two and 176 SUFFERINGS OF THE PREACHERS. two, round the island, and were generally absent about a month. Sometimes they even crossed the sea, and made a tour round Eimeo. They suffered many hardships in these journeys. Since the war the houses of the inhabitants were more wretched than before; for the old houses had been burnt, and miserable sheds had been built in haste. These were generally in a most dirty state, and full of insects; so that the poor brethren passed many restless nights after their days of toil. They had no umbrellas to defend them from the rain, and in the houses there were no fires, at which to dry their clothes. They often had no shoes to their feet, and they were sometimes obliged to place leaves on the burning sands, to defend them from the heat at each step they took. On some occasions they were distressed for want of food; for the people sometimes refused to receive them into their houses. The brethren soon found it necessary to make fish-hooks, and combs, and to take them with them on their journey, as payment for their food and lodging. They could truly say like the apostles, "Even unto this present hour, we both hunger and thirst, and are buffetted, and have no certain dwelling-place, and labour, working with our own hands." The natives little knew what great sufferings the brethren endured for their sakes: they SCOFFS OF THE NATIVES. 177 foolishly thought that the missionaries had come to live at Tahiti to get their sweet food, for they had heard that no such fruit as theirs, grew in England. They often behaved very ill, while the missionaries were preaching to them, and cried out "Lies," and "Nonsense," during the sermon. At other times, they tried to make each other laugh, by repeating sentences after the brethren, or by speaking the name of Christ in a ridiculous manner, or by playing antics, and making faces. Many of the natives used to lie down, and sleep, as soon as the sermon began, while others were so trifling, as to make remarks upon the missionaries' clothes, or upon their appearance. Thus Satan filled their hearts with folly, lest they should believe and be saved. Sometimes the natives behaved even worse, than we have already related: for they were enraged with the missionaries, on account of the number of diseases in the island, and declared they had all been sent by the God of England. They said that he must be a very cruel God, and that Oro was too good to send such diseases. There was one disease now common in the island, called the broken back. It was a weakness in the backbone, which caused it to bend outwards, or inwards. Often the person died before the N |