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POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES, 
in almost all their attempts to preach to the people^ 
Sometimes^ when they had gone to every house in a vil¬ 
lage^ and the people promising to attend had left their 
houses^ they often founds on reaching the appointed place, 
that only two or three had arrived there 3 at other times they 
either talked all the while about their dress, complexion, 
or features, and endeavoured to irritate them by false 
insinuations as to the objects of their visit; or to excite 
the mirth of their companions by ludicrous gestures, or 
low witticisms on the statements that were made. 
Brainard remarks, that while he was preaching, the 
Indians sometimes played with his dog: hut the Mis¬ 
sionaries in Tahiti were often disturbed by a number of 
natives bringing their dogs, and setting them to fight on 
the outside of the circle they were addressing; or they 
would bring their fighting cocks, and set them at each 
other, so as completely to divert the audience, who would 
at once burn with avidity from the Missionary, to the 
birds or the dogs. On some occasions, while they have 
been preaching, a number of Areois^ or strolling players, 
passing by, have commenced their pantomime or their 
dance, and drawn away every one of the hearers. At 
such times, those who had stood round the Missionary 
only to insult him by their insinuations, ridicule him by 
their vulgar wit, or afflict his mind by their death like: 
apathy and indifference to the important truths he had 
declared, have instantly formed a ring around the areois, 
and have gazed on their exhibitions of folly and of vice 
with interest and pleasure. 
In addition to these sources of disturbance, they were 
sometimes charged with being the authors of all the 
disasters and suffering of the people, in consequence of 
praying to their God, whom the natives called a bad God 
