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who might be thus exiled. The laws which the king 
read to the people were written by himself, and formed, 
probably, the first written code that ever existed in the 
islands; and he afterwards wrote out, in a fair, legible, 
and excellent hand, a copy for the press. Printed copies 
were distributed among the people, but the original 
manuscript, in the king’s hand-writing, signed by him¬ 
self, is in the possession of the London Missionary 
Society. The laws were printed on a large sheet of 
paper, and not only sent to every chief and magistrate 
throughout both islands, but posted up in most of the 
public places. 
The sentence to be passed on individuals who should 
be found guilty of many of the crimes prohibited by 
these laws, was left to the discretion of the judge or 
magistrate; but to several, the penalty of death was 
annexed; and only a few months after their enactment, 
the sentence of capital punishment was passed on two 
individuals, whose names were Papahia and Horopae. 
They were inhabitants of the district of Atehuru, and 
were executed on the twenty-fifth of October, 1819, for 
attempting to overturn the government. Papahia had 
been a distinguished warrior, and was in the very prime 
of life. He was a man of a bold and daring character, 
and of turbulent conduct. He came several times to my 
house, during our residence at Eimeo; and although, in 
consequence of his restless and violent behaviour, I was 
not prepossessed in his favour, my personal acquaintance 
made me feel additional interest in the melancholy fate 
of the first malefactor on whom the dreadful sentence of 
the law was inflicted. The lives of these unhappy men 
were not taken by thrusting a spear through the body, 
beating out the brains with a club, or by decapitation. 
