154 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
district, to be interred among the tombs of hid 
forefathers. 
Upufara, the late chief of Papara, was an intelli¬ 
gent and interesting man; his death was deeply 
regretted by Tati, his near relative, and successor in 
the government of the district. His mind had been 
for a long time wavering, and he was, almost to the 
morning of the battle, undetermined whether he 
should renounce the idols, or still continue their 
votary. One of his intimate companions informed 
me, that a short time before his death, he had a 
dream which somewhat alarmed him. He thought 
he saw an immense oven (such as that used in 
preparing opio) intensely heated, and in the midst 
of the fire a large fish writhing in apparent agony, 
unable to get out, and yet unconsumed, living and 
suffering in the midst of the fire. An impression 
at this time fixed itself on his mind, that perhaps 
this suffering was designed to shew the intensity of 
the torments which the wicked would endure in the 
place of punishment. He awoke in a state of great 
agitation of mind, with profuse perspiration cover¬ 
ing his body, and was so affected, that he could 
not sleep again that night. The same individual 
who resided with Upufara stated also, that only a 
day or two before the battle, he said to some one, 
with whom he was conversing, u Perhaps we are 
wrong: let us send a message to the king and 
Tati, and ask for peace ; and also for books, that 
we may know what this new word, or this new reli¬ 
gion, is.” But the priests resisted his proposal, 
and assured the chiefs, that Oro would deliver the 
Bure Atua into their hands, and the hau and 
mana , government and power, would be with the 
gods of Tahiti. In addition to this, and any latent 
conviction that still might linger in his mind, of 
