120 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
The family at Matavai were exposed to trials not only 
from the evils of war, the opposition of the heathen to their 
instructions, but also from the false reports which were 
circulated against them. An instance of this occurred 
early in the following year, 1803, when the Unicorn, a 
London ship, arrived on her return from the north-west 
coast of America. Otu the king suddenly left Matavai, 
and repaired to his dwelling in Pare, incensed against 
some of the Missionaries, who, he had been informed, had 
been endeavouring to excite prejudices in the mind of 
the captain against him, that he might not receive any 
presents, and had prevented him from giving the natives 
the price they had asked for their pigs. This report was 
most unfounded, and it was hoped the effects were soon 
removed. 
About this time the Margaret, in which Captain 
Byers and Mr. Turnbull had visited the islands for pur¬ 
poses of commerce, was wrecked on a reef about 200 miles 
distant; Mr. Turnbull had remained in Tahiti ; Captain 
Byers, his officers, and crew, consisting of sixteen in¬ 
dividuals, with the mate’s wife and child, safely reached 
that island in a long kind of chest, or boat, which they 
had built with the fragments of the wreck. 
Towards the close of the last year, Otu’s brother 
Teariinavahoroa, the young prince of Tairabu, removed 
from the smaller peninsula in consequence of the increase 
of his disorder, which appeared to be consumption. 
Pomare, his mother, Idia, his brother and sister, and 
the chiefs, paid him every attention ; human sacrifices 
were offered 5 and both Pomare and Otu frequently 
invoked their gods in his favour, and presented the most 
costly offerings. For a number of days no fires were 
allowed to be lighted, in order that these might be 
