MISSION TO MAOPONGO, 
105 
rous train, was giving the air to an idol, and sing- 
ing its praise, the missionary stopped her, and 
began a long discourse, to shew the vanity of this 
worship. Seeing, however, that his arguments 
were of no avail, he determined to employ a 
sharper instrument — the whip. Such was the 
awe of the missionaries, that not one of the atten- 
dants attempted to defend their mistress in this 
extremity. The father, therefore, immediately 
directed his two attendants to begin the work of 
flagellation. In proportion as the blows descend- 
ed on the sacred person of her majesty, her under- 
standing, he says, was gradually opened ; so that, 
when a due number had been applied, she de- 
clared herself wholly unable to withstand such 
sensible proofs of the excellence of the Catholic 
doctrine. The fair convert, however, is not said 
to have expressed gratitude for this mode of de- 
livering her from the errors of paganism ; nor 
would it appear as if she reported the occurrence 
very favourably to the king. That monarch 
shewed, ever after, the most marked coldness to 
the missionaries, and was evidently deterred solely 
by the dread of the Portuguese power, from ba- 
nishing them instantly out of his dominions. The 
only thing which they could now do, was to steal 
secretly into the idols' temples, and set them on 
fire. By this proceeding, they exposed themselves 
to imminent hazard of their lives, and incurred 
