POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
255 
of the battle^ undetermined whether he should renounce 
the idols^ or still continue their votary. One of his 
intimate companions informed me^ that a short time 
before his deaths he had a dream which somewhat 
alarmed him. He thought he saw an immense oven^ 
(such as that used in preparing opioj intensely heated, 
and in the midst of the fire a large fish writhing in 
apparent agony, unable to get out, and yet unconsumed, 
living and suffering in the midst of the fire. An im¬ 
pression at this time fixed itself on his mind, that perhaps 
this suffering was designed to shew the intensity of the 
torments which the wicked would endure in the place 
of punishment. He awoke in a state of great agitation 
of mind, with profuse perspiration covering his body, 
and was so affected, that he could not sleep again that 
night. The same individual who resided with Upufara 
stated also, that only a day or two before the battle, 
he said to some one, with whom he was conversing, 
Perhaps we are wrong : let us send a message to the 
king and Tati, and ask for peace; and also for books, 
that we may know what this new word, or this new 
religion, is."" But the priests resisted his proposal, 
and assured the chiefs, that Oro would deliver the Bure 
Atua into their hands, and the hau and mana^ government 
and power, would be with the gods of Tahiti. In 
addition to this, and any latent conviction that still 
might linger in his mind, of the power of Oro, and the 
result of his anger should he draw back; he stood 
pledged to the cause of the gods, and probably might 
feel a degree of pride influencing his adherence to 
their interest, lest he should be charged with cowardice 
in wishing to avoid the war, on which the chiefs, who 
were united to suppress Christianity, had determined. 
