398 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
not destroyed by the spirit, or god. When they 
saw that the whole party had remained uninjured 
during the night, they expressed their indignation 
at the deception of which tl\ey had been the 
dupes. 
The Christian natives had no sooner landed, 
than they made known the object of their visit, 
and proposed to bring the matter more fully before 
the inhabitants at a public meeting on the follow¬ 
ing day. Auura, the chief who had accompanied 
them, sent his own idol away by the captain of the 
Hope, who sailed on the same evening. 
On the next day, which was the 12th of July, 
the entire population assembled, and the little 
Christian band appeared before them. Auura, 
who was then about thirty years of age, of tall and 
graceful figure, addressed his countrymen. He 
narrated succinctly the leading incidents of his 
voyage; alluded to their apprehension that he 
“ had been eaten by the evil spirit in the depths 
of the sea/’ but declared that God had led him, by 
a way that he knew not, to a land where teachers 
dwelt, and where the word of God grew and flou¬ 
rished ;—that he had returned to them, that they 
might know the compassion of Jehovah, the name 
of the Son of God, and the work of the Holy 
Spirit, in enlightening their hearts. He declared, 
that their god, whom he designated on this occa¬ 
sion the evil spirit , was the great foundation of 
all deceit, and proposed that his dominion should 
be annihilated, and the images, or idols, burnt, 
that his influence might cease for ever, and that 
the government, or reign, should be given to 
Jehovah, &c. 
The king and chiefs replied, “ We will receive 
the word of life; we will burn the evil spirits ; let 
