THROUGH HAWAII. 
305 
tunity of hearing of his love to sinners in the gift of his 
Son; and that if she applied to him for mercy, although 
now an idolatrous priestess, she might be saved; but 
if she did not, a fearful doom awaited her. “ I shall 
not die,” she exclaimed, “but ora no” (live sponta¬ 
neously.) After replying to this, I retired; but the 
spectators, who had manifested by their countenances 
that they were not uninterested in the discussion, con¬ 
tinued in earnest conversation for some time. The 
name of the priestess we afterwards learned was Oani. 
She resided in a neighbouring village, and had that 
morning arrived at Waiakea on a visit to Maaro. 
When the national idolatry was publicly abolished in 
the year 1819, several priests of Pel6 denounced the 
most awful threatenings, of earthquakes, eruptions, &c. 
from the gods of the volcanoes, in revenge for the insult 
and neglect then shewn by the king and chiefs. But no 
fires afterwards appearing in any of the extinguished 
volcanoes, no fresh ones having broken out, and those 
then in action having since that period remained in a 
state of comparative quiescence, some of the people 
have been led to conclude, that the gods formerly sup¬ 
posed to preside over volcanoes had existed only in 
their imagination. The fearful apprehensions which 
they had been accustomed to associate with every idea 
of P616 and her companions, have in a great measure 
subsided, and the oppressive power of her priests and 
priestesses is consequently diminished. There are, 
however, many who remain in constant dread of her 
displeasure, and who pay the most submissive and 
unhesitating obedience to the requisitions of her priests. 
This is no more than was to be expected, particularly 
in this part of the island, where the people are far re- 
2 R 
