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POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
Drawing to a close^ he turned towards us, as we were 
sitting on a rustic rail near the outside of the assembly, 
and observed, that though he apprehended there was no 
danger, it would be well to be prepared ; for should they 
be overcome, although the young chiefs might be in¬ 
clined to favour us, they could not restrain their fol¬ 
lowers ; that our property would be a temptation 5 and 
that as we were supposed to have facilitated the intro¬ 
duction and enforced the observance of the laws, it might 
be necessary, in order to our safety, that we should leave 
the island, even before sun-set. A degree of excited 
animation, attended with a lively and impressive action 
and ian impassioned feeling, which greatly affected us, 
breathed through the whole of his harangue, and during 
■the latter part we could not refrain from tears. 
Shortly after Taua closed, Hautia, who was clad in 
a loose parau round his loins, a light and beautifully 
fringed purau mat thrown like a mantle loosely over 
his shoulders, and holding a light spear in his hand, 
arose, and came and took leave of us, and then set off 
towards Parea, surrounded by the chiefs, and followed 
by their adherents. 
When he rose, and gave with his spear the signal to 
move onward, there was an evident indication of strong 
excitement, which continued till they had left the court¬ 
yard, not only among those who were going, but among 
the women, children, and others, who were spectators. 
Hautia’s wife walked on by the side of her husband; 
many of the other women also went to see the issue of 
the rencounter. We remained till all had departed. 
The chiefs and their people did not proceed in one 
unbroken column, but, after the departure of Hautia and 
his companions, followed in small detached parties, con- 
