388 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
judges. The two prisoners were seated cross-legged 
upon the ground, under the shade of a small tree, about 
twenty paces in front of the judges. They were both 
ill-looking men, dressed in the graceful tiputa. When 
all was ready to begin, one of the judges rose, and 
addressed the prisoners at considerable length, and with 
a good deal of action—not violent, but firm and gentle 
motions of the arms. He explained to them the accu¬ 
sation which brought them there, and read to them the 
law under which, if proved guilty, they would be 
punished. When he had finished, and called upon them 
to say whether it was true or not, one of them got up, 
and answered with great fluency, and good action. He 
maintained their innocence, and called a witness to con¬ 
firm it. The witness, very artfully, turned his evidence 
to the account of the prisoners. Others also, in some way 
or other, favoured the accused, and the defendants were 
therefore discharged, from want of evidence."" 
- On the 12th May, 1820, a code of laws was unani¬ 
mously and publicly adopted in Raiatea, and recognized 
as the basis of public justice by the chiefs and people of 
Tahaa, Borabora, and Maupiti. The substance of the 
Raiatean laAvs was copied from those enacted by the 
government of Tahiti during the preceding year. They 
extended to twenty-five articles, embodying several most 
valuable enactments omitted by the Tahitian code. The 
most important of these was the institution of Trial hy 
Jury, This was certainly the greatest civil blessing the 
inhabitants of the Pacific had yet received, and future 
generations will cherish with gratitude the memory of the 
Missionaries of Raiatea, at whose recommendation, and 
with whose advice, it was established by law in these 
islands. 
