THEPACIFIC OCEAN. 131 



war that produced this great revolution. The refult of our 

 inquiries, as to the circumftances attending it, may amufe 

 the reader; and I give it as a fpecimen of the hiftory of 

 our friends, in this part of the world, as related to us* by 

 themfelves. 



Ulietea and Otaha, which adjoins it, lived long in friend- 

 fliip, or, as the natives exprefs it, were confidered as two 

 brothers, infeparable by any interefted views. They alfo 

 admitted the ifland of Huaheine as their friend, though not 

 fo intimate. Otaha, however, like a traitor, leagued with 

 Bolabola, and they refolvcd jointly to attack Ulietea ; whofe 

 people called in their friends of Huaheine, to aflKl them 

 againft thefe two powers. The men of Bolabola were en- 

 couraged by a prieftefs, or rather prophetefs, who foretold, 

 that they fhould be fucccfsful ; and, as a proof of the cer- 

 tainty of her prediction, fhc defired, that a man might be fcnt 

 to the fea, at a particular place, where, from a great depth, a 

 Hone would afcend. He went, accordingly, in a canoe to the 

 place mentioned; and was going to dive to fee where this 

 ftone lay, when, behold, it flarted up to the furface fponianc- 

 oufly into his hand! The people were aftonifhcd at the 

 fight; the ftone was depofited as facred in the houfe of the 

 Eatooa; and is ftill preferved at Bolabola, as a proof of this 

 woman's influence with the divinity. Their fpirits being 

 thus elevated with the hopes of vicftory, the canoes of Bola- 

 bola fet out to engage thofe of Ulietea and Huaheine, which 

 being llrongly faftened together with ropes, t!ic encounter 

 laded long, and would probably, notwithRanding tlic pre- 

 diiftion and the miracle, have ended in the overthrow of the 

 Bolabola fleet, if that of Otaha had not, in the critical mo- 



* For this, as for many other particulars about thcfe people, we are indebted to 

 Mr. Anderfon. 



S 2 naent, 



'777- 

 December, 



