MASSACRE OF THE ATEHURUANS. 77 
their distresses were somewhat relieved by the 
arrival of Mr. Warner; who, after the ordinary 
preparation, had been sent from England in the 
capacity of surgeon to the Mission, which he joined 
on the 12th of May, 1807. The strength, how¬ 
ever, which his arrival added to their establishment, 
was partially counterbalanced by the removal 
of Mr. Youl, one of those who had arrived in the 
Royal Admiral, and who departed in the vessel 
that conveyed Mr. Warner to Tahiti. 
In the month of June, the flame of war was re¬ 
kindled in Taiarabu, and the district of Atehura, 
where the king's party suddenly attacked the in¬ 
habitants ; and, after killing upwards of one hun¬ 
dred, including their principal chiefs, covered the 
country with all the murder and desolation that 
usually attended the march of the infuriated bands 
through the territories of those who were too weak 
to oppose their progress. Having driven to the 
mountains such as had escaped the slaughter in 
the assault, plundered their houses, and afterwards 
reduced them to ashes, the king took the bodies of 
the slain on board his fleet; and, sailing to Tautira, 
offered them in sacrifice to Oro. 
Towards the close of the year, the Mission sus¬ 
tained a heavy loss in the death of Mr. Jefferson. 
He was one of those Missionaries that arrived in 
the ship Duff; he had borne “ the heat and burden 
of the day,” and finished his course on the 25th 
of September, 1807. He was a man of intelli¬ 
gence and ability, possessing extraordinary de¬ 
votedness and patient zeal. He had laboured 
unremittingly for ten anxious years; filling, with 
credit to himself and advantage to the Mission, the 
most important station among his brethren, by 
whom he was highly and justly respected. He 
