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POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
appearance of a band, similar, in some respects, 
to that which broke in upon the Saviour’s retire¬ 
ment. in Gethsemane. A number of the servants of 
the priests and chiefs approached the young man, 
and told him that the king had arrived, and, wish¬ 
ing to see him, had sent them to invite him down. 
He knew of the approaching ceremony, that a hu¬ 
man sacrifice was then to be offered,—and he no 
sooner saw them advancing to his retreat, than a 
sudden thought, like a flash of lightning, darted 
through his mind, intimating that he was to be the 
victim. He received it as a premonition of his doom; 
and, in reply to the request, told them, calmly, 
that he did not think the king had arrived, and 
that, therefore, it was unnecessary for him to go 
down. They then told him that the priest, or some 
of his friends, wished to see him, and again invited 
him to descend. “ Why/’ said he, 44 do you thus 
seek to deceive me ? The priest, or friends, may 
wish to see me, but it is under very different 
circumstances from what your message would 
imply: I know a ceremony approaches, that a hu¬ 
man victim is then to be offered—something within 
tells me I am to be that victim , and your appear¬ 
ance and your message confirms my conviction. 
Jesus Christ is my keeper, without his permission 
you cannot harm me ; you may be permitted to kill 
my body, but I am not afraid to die ! My soul 
you cannot hurt; that is safe in the hands of Jesus 
Christ, by whom it will be kept beyond your 
power.” Perceiving there was but little prospect 
of inducing him, by falsehood, to accompany them 
towards the beach, and irritated, probably, by his 
heroical reply, they rushed upon him, wounded, 
and murdered him, and then, in a long basket 
made with the leaves of the overshadowing cocoa- 
