506 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
To convince the people that the government would act 
according to the laws, and to deter others from their 
violation, he directed that his son should he tried. 
Taaroarii received his sentence with apparent indiffe¬ 
rence, but was so exasperated with his father, that he 
more than once threatened to murder him, or to cause 
his destruction. 
Some months after this, he broke a blood-vessel, it is 
supposed, with over-exertion at the public work ap¬ 
pointed as a penalty for his c.rime. After this, he laid 
aside his labour; his people would have performed the 
work for him at once, but he would not allow it, and 
appeared to identify himself with them, in the humi¬ 
liating situation to which they had reduced themselves. 
In the conversations we sometimes had with him, he 
seemed to regret having connected himself with the party 
who now considered him as their head and leader. 
Shortly after this event, symptoms of rapid consump¬ 
tion appeared, and assumed a most alarming character. 
Every available means were promptly employed, but 
without effect. His father frequently visited him, and 
his wife was his constant attendant. In order to try 
the effect of change of air, he was laid upon a litter, 
and brought on men’s shoulders into the valley, where 
a temporary encampment had been erected near our 
dwelling. The chiefs of the island, with their guards, 
attended, and, when they reached the valley, fired three 
volleys of musketry, indicative of their sympathy. 
While he remained here, we often saw him; he was 
generally communicative, and sometimes cheerful, ex¬ 
cepting when the topic of religion was introduced, and 
then an evident change of feeling took place; he would 
attend to our observations, but seldom utter a syllable 
