A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE ISLANDS. 433

islands, called motus. They are generally less than a mile round. They are quite flat, but are very beautiful, and are adorned with cocoa-nut trees, and other shrubs. The bread-fruit tree will not grow where the salt water comes; but the cocoa-nut flourishes in every soil. The motus in general are uninhabited, or occupied only by a fisherman's hut. Pomare, and some chiefs, however, had houses on one of them, opposite Bunaaiai.

TE-TU-RO-A.

They

These little coral islands are quite flat. belong to the queen of Tahiti, and are inhabited by a poor people, who live upon cocoa-nuts and fish. In heathen times the great ladies of Tahiti used to visit them for change of air, and to improve their complexions by reposing beneath the shade of the thick groves.

E-I-ME-O, OR MO-O-RE-A.

This island, which is even lovelier than Tahiti, belongs to the queen of that island.

The harbour of Talu, near Papetoai, is one of the best in the world. The water is so deep close to the shore, that ships can be tied to a tree on the land.

MAI-A-O-I-TI, OR SIR CHARLES SAUNDERS' ISLAND. This island is in the shape of a foot; therefore it is called Maiao, foot-iti, little.

It is composed of many little islands that have gradually been joined together. It is only ten miles

F F

434 A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE ISLANDS.

round, and is very fruitful. The inhabitants have long been instructed by native teachers. Amongst these, were Auna and his wife, who came here after residing some time in the Sandwich Islands. They proved a blessing to many, and died in great peace and much regretted. Auna, who survived his wife, died in 1835.

HU-A-HI-NE.

It is composed of two islands, which are both together, forty miles round. The smallest is called Huahine-iti, or Huahine the Little. Between the islands there is a strait, one mile in breadth—on each side of which, towering rocks arise and hang over the

water.

This island belonged to Tamatoa, the king of Raiatea, and was given by him to his daughter, the sister of Pomare's queen. She did not, however, reside there, but appointed the pious chief, Hautia, to be regent, (the same chief who once offered to go as a missionary to the Marquesas.)

This Hautia, when first converted to the true God, wished to burn the image of Oro, that was kept in a marai near the strait. The priest hid the image in a cave to preserve it, but was at length obliged to give it up, and had the vexation to see it burned. The sight, however, did not convince him of the folly of idolatry. Some time afterwards, as he was mending a fence on the sabbath day, a twig put out eyes; he was led home, like Saul of Tarsus, by his frightened companions, in a penitent state of

his

A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE ISLANDS. 435

mind, and from that period he became a devoted follower of the Lord Jesus.

RAI-A-TE-A.

This beautiful island is fifty miles round. The most remarkable place in it, is a valley by the seashore, called Opoa. The chief image, and temple of Oro were at Opoa. To this place, the inhabitants of all the other islands flocked, to offer sacrifices to Oro. They brought with them the putrid bodies, which had first been hung on trees in their own islands, and left them to be consumed in Opoa.

There is a high mountain near Opoa, containing a cave, whose bottom has never been found. This cave was called Po, or Night, and was supposed to be the place to which the spirits of the dead went. Many years ago, a cruel king of Raiatea, curious to examine this cave, desired his subjects to let him down by a rope. They obeyed; but when they found their chief was in their power, they let go the rope, and left him to perish. The people used to say that he still lived there, and was as cruel as ever.

The kings of Raiatea once resided at Opoa, and were the high priests of Oro, and were also worshipped as gods themselves. All the neighbouring kings brought them presents, and owned them as their lords. After Tamatoa was converted, he was filled with grief and shame at the remembrance of his having once permitted men to worship him.

The missionaries did not choose to fix their residence in the beautiful valley of Opoa; but advised the king

436 A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE ISLANDS.

to settle with them in another part, called Utumaoro. There Mr. Williams resided many years, and attended Tamatoa in his last illness in 1831. Upon one occasion, when the dying monarch saw Mr. Williams approaching him, he stretched out his withered arms towards him, and exclaimed, " My dear friend, how long we have laboured together in this good cause ! nothing has ever separated us; now death is doing what nothing else has done. But who shall separate us from the love of Christ ?'"

TA-HA-A.

This island, which is forty miles round, is a kind of twin-sister to Raiatea, as it is enclosed in the same reef, or wall of coral; so that the water between the two islands is perfectly smooth. It is surrounded by great numbers of motus, or little coral islands.

The first christian king was called Fenua-peho. Before his conversion, he paid tribute to Tamatoa, king of Raiatea. When Tamatoa was converted, he endeavoured to convert the inhabitants of Tahaa ; but Fenua-peho rebelled, and fought against him, and was conquered. Tamatoa then treated Fenua-peho in so generous a manner, that the heart of the rebel was subdued, and he became a true Christian. Fenuapeho was lost at sea in the year 1831, and was succeeded by a grandson of the famous conqueror Tapoa, named also Tapoa, who has created much confusion by endeavouring to conquer other islands, in imitation of his grandfather.

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BO-RA-BO-RA.

This island is distinguished by a great mountain that rises in the midst, far above the other hills, and which is crowned by a square piece of rock, that appears as if placed there by human hands, though no human foot has ever reached the summit.

There once reigned in Borabora a chief named Tapoa, who was as ambitious as the Buonaparte of Europe, and who conquered all the islands of the cluster. Even Tamatoa paid him tribute. Tapoa came to Tahiti with other kings, to assist Pomare II. in his wars, and while there, fell ill, and died. He had determined to prevent the natives becoming Christians, and his death proved a signal blessing to all the islands. He was the grandfather of Pomare of Tahaa, who married the queen of Tahiti.

MA-U-PI-TI, OR MA-U-RA.

This little island was first converted by two native teachers in 1816, and was not visited by a missionary till four years afterwards, when Mr. Orsmond came there for a short time, and was joyfully received. The king of Borabora, Mai, had conquered this island, but when he became a Christian, he restored it to its rightful sovereign, Tero.

TU-BU-AI.

Mr. Nott brought two native teachers to this island in 1822. He found the inhabitants just going to make war with each other; but he persuaded them