104 
MISSIONARY TOUR 
large heiau more than 200 feet square. In the midst 
of it was a clear pool of brackish water, which the 
natives told us was the favourite bathing place of 
Tamehameha, and which he allowed no other person 
to use. A rude figure, carved in stone, standing on 
one side of the gateway by which we entered, was the 
only image we saw here. About fifty yards further on, 
was another heiau, called Hale o Tairi (house of Tairi.) 
It was built by Tamehameha soon after he had assumed 
the government of the island. Only one mutilated 
image was now standing, though it is evident that, 
but a few years ago, there had been many. The na¬ 
tives were very desirous to shew us the place where the 
image of Tairi the war-god stood, and told us, that 
frequently in the evening he used to be seen flying 
about in the neighbourhood, in the form of a luminous 
substance like a flame, or like the tail of a comet. We 
told them that the luminous appearance which they 
saw was an occurrence common to other countries, and 
produced by natural causes: that the natives of the 
Society Islands formerly, whenever they observed such 
a phenomenon, supposed it to be Tane, one of their 
gods, taking his flight from one marae to another, or 
passing through the district seeking whom he might 
destroy, and were consequently filled with terror ; but 
now, they wondered how they could ever have given 
way to such fears, from so inoffensive a circumstance. 
We asked them if they did not see the same appear¬ 
ances now, though the god had been destroyed, and 
his worship discontinued? They said, “No; it has 
not been seen since the abolition of idolatry.’' We 
assured them it did not proceed from the power of 
the god Tairi, but that it was a luminous vapour, un- 
