268 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
the example of Tamatoa and the Raiatean Christians, and 
destroyed their idols. 
The intelligent and enterprising chiefs of Borabora, 
Mai, and Tefaaora, were remarkably active in weakening 
the influence of the gods on the minds of the people 
under their government, undermining and subverting 
every species of idol-worship that prevailed in the islands. 
They succeeded, at length, in inducing the inhabitants, by 
their example and persuasion, to seek an acquaintance 
with that more excellent way revealed in the word of 
God, for whose worship they erected a convenient and 
respectable building. 
Mahine sent a special message to Huahine, and the 
same change took place in that island; which was per¬ 
haps, for its size and population, more attached to its 
idols than any other. Idol-worship, with all its attend¬ 
ant cruelty and moral degradation, was discontinued. 
The temples were demolished, and the gods committed 
to the flames. Thus, in one year, the system of false 
worship, which had, from the earliest antiquity of its popu¬ 
lation, prevailed in these islands, was happily abolished, 
it is hoped to be revived no more. 
In the course of the following year, the loss sustained 
by the death of Mr. Scott was repaired by the arrival _ 
of Mr. Crook from New South Wales ; he reached the 
islands in the month of May, and rendered important 
service in the prosecution of the common enterprise. 
During the same year, the profession of Christianity 
became general throughout the whole of the Society 
Islands. Several of the chiefs and people of Borahora 
and Raiatea visited Maurua, the most westerly of the 
Leeward Islands, and succeeded in persuading the chiefs 
and people to demolish their temples and idols, and 
