THE SOCIETY ISLANDS. 93

overthrow has been opposed by war. In this case theheathen soon began to persecute the Christians ,‘Ithad been customary for the priests to name certainfamilies from whom to select victims for sacrifice.These selections were now made from the number of theChristians . Many of the Christians fled to other islands,and many who did not flee were sacrificed. At lengtha midnight attack was planned for surprising and massa-cring all the Christians . But a few hours before thetime appointed for the attack a secret hint was given tqthe Christians , and they launched their canoes and fledto Moorea.”

Soon afterwards, by invitation of the idolaters, theChristians , eight hundred in number, returned to Tahiti .On the following Sabbath, November 12, 1815, as theywere engaged together in prayer at Narri near Bunauid,the idolaters attacked them in great force. The Chris­ tians had barely time to seize their arms and form threecolumns, two near the beach and one in the rear to-wards the mountains. In the latter column Mahine, theking of Huahine , assisted, wearing a helmet coveredwith plates of spotted cowrie, and ornamented withplumes of tropic birds. His sister fought beside him,clothed in strongly twisted native flax. The idolatersdrove in the first ranks, and pressed on towards Mahineand his sister, when one of Mahine’s men, Raveae, witha spear killed Upufara, the leader of the heathen. Onlearning of the death of their leader the pagan army fled.Pomare now forbade pursuit and murder, and sent aselect band to Tautina to destroy the temple, altars,