112 
MISSIONARY TOUR 
the priests, and avoid that expenditure of labour and 
property which the support of idolatry required, and 
which he was anxious to employ for other purposes. 
He had also heard what Pomare and the Tahitian chiefs 
had done in the Society Islands. He consulted some 
of the principal chiefs, particularly Karaimoku, who 
declared his intention not to keep or observe any more 
tabu’s ; and though several of the priests said the gods 
would recompense any neglect with vengeance, Heva- 
heva, the high priest of his father’s war-god, said no 
evil consequences would follow the discontinuance of 
the worship of the gods. Soon after this, the king 
made a feast, to which many chiefs of the different 
islands were invited. The guests assembled, as usual; 
the men in one place, the women in another. The food 
was cut up, and when all were about to begin their 
meal, the king ordered his attendants to carry some 
fowls, and such prohibited food, to the place where his 
wives and other females were assembled; he then went, 
and, sitting down with them, began to eat, and directed 
them to do the same. A shout of surprise burst from 
the multitude around ; several other chiefs followed his 
example. The men and women sat promiscuously, and 
ate the same food, which they called ai noa , general or 
common eating, in opposition to the former ai tabu , re¬ 
stricted or sacred eating. The ai tabu was one of the 
perpetual restrictions imposed by their idolatry on all 
ranks of the people, from their birth until their death. 
This public violation of it manifested the king’s intention 
to destroy the whole system, which very shortly after 
was acomplished by the priest Hevaheva’s resigning bis 
office, and the king declaring that there should no longer 
be any priests, or any worship rendered to the gods. 
