IMAGE OE ORO DESTROYED. 155 
the power of Oro, and the result of his anger 
should he draw back, he stood pledged to the 
cause of the gods, and probably might feel a de¬ 
gree of pride influencing his adherence to their 
interest, lest he should be charged with cowardice 
in wishing to avoid the war, on which the chiefs, 
who were united to suppress Christianity, had 
determined. 
The party sent by the king to the national tem¬ 
ple at Tautira, in Taiarabu, proceeded directly to 
their place of destination. It was apprehended 
that, notwithstanding what had befallen the adhe¬ 
rents of idolatry in battle, the inhabitants of Taia¬ 
rabu, who were at that time more zealous for the 
idols than those of any other part of the island, 
who considered it an honour to be entrusted with 
the custody of Oro, and also regarded his presence 
among them as the palladium of their safety, 
might, perhaps, rise en masse , to protect his person 
from insults, and his temple from spoliation. No 
attempt of this kind, however, was made. The 
soldiers of Pomare, soon after reaching the district, 
proceeded to the temple, acquainted the inhabitants 
of the place, and keepers of the temple, with the 
events of the war, and the purpose of their visit. 
No remonstrance was made, no opposition offered— 
they entered the depository of Tahiti’s former god; 
the priests and people stood round in silent expec¬ 
tation ; even the soldiers paused a moment; and a 
scene was exhibited, probably strikingly analagous 
to that which was witnessed in the temple of Sera- 
pis in Alexandria, when the tutelar deity of that 
city was destroyed by the Roman soldiers. At 
length they brought out the idol, stripped him of 
his sacred coverings and highly-valued ornaments, 
and threw his body contemptuously on the ground. 
