30 ADVENTURES IN THE SOUTH SEAS 
In some cases these visiting natives did not content them- 
selves with inspecting the mission houses and listening to 
the teachings of the missionaries, but ‘would prowl about, 
picking up any knife or other small article that they could 
lay hands on, and secreting it, with marvelous cleverness, in 
their scanty clothing.” 
But as interest in the mission grew among the people, 
their heathen leaders began to show that ill feeling was stir- 
ring their hearts to oppose the spread of Christianity in the 
land. Those in authority began to threaten the common 
people with severest punishment if they persisted in attend- 
ing the worship. The king and his brother were greatly trou- 
bled at the turn matters were taking. They knew not how 
to act. Just then a very influential Tongan chief who lived 
on Lakemba decided to accept the worship, and this gave 
some degree of protection to the Christians. The priests of 
heathenism declared that dreadful things would happen if 
the Christians were permitted to live, and though none of 
these dreadful things occurred, people came more and more 
to fear to show kindness to the missionaries and their con- 
verts. 
Preparations to build a new temple were begun, and it was 
well known that some of the Christians were to be killed and 
eaten to celebrate the setting of its first post. 
At last, “on a day secretly fixed, a large party of young 
men set out and attacked the two small towns of Wathiwathi 
and Waitambu. The houses of the Christians were pillaged, 
their stores of food taken, their crops destroyed, while their 
wives were led off to the king’s house. As yet, however, 
life had not been sacrificed, and some of the persecuted 
found asylum in the town of the Tongan chief.’ In con- 
sequence of this, the stolen wives were restored. 
In face of this persecution, the native Christians main- 
tained a quiet courage and firm faith, that strangely affected 
their savage persecutors. Threats and annoyances that but 
a short time before would have led speedily to bloodshed, 
