TRADITIONARY TALES. 165 



en Age of this island. Wars and tumults arose ; 

 the gods still increased in number ; but their 

 influence was no longer so friendly to man as 

 when they were under the superintendence of 

 the revered Rono. Now also commenced many 

 evil customs, such as human sacrifices, which 

 had been unknown in the good old time : can 

 nibalism, however, does not appear ever to have 

 disgraced them. A long period elapsed, of 

 which no record remains ; and the story is re 

 sumed at the landing of five white men in Kare- 

 kakua Bay, near to the Marai, where the body 

 of the goddess Opuna reposed. The inhabi 

 tants supposed them to be superior beings, and 

 offered no opposition when they proceeded to 

 take possession of the Marai, on which holy 

 place they were not only exempted from persecu 

 tion, but also by the offerings daily placed there 

 before the images of the gods, from any danger 

 of suffering a scarcity of food. Here, then, 

 they lived very comfortably ; and from their 

 having, immediately on their arrival, taken up 

 their abode in the Marai, the people, who were 

 all acquainted with the story of Opuna, con 

 cluded they were sent thither by Rono, to watch 



