146 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
of the respective parties. The king, and those 
attached to his interest, were not however without 
suspicion, that it was only an apparent satisfac¬ 
tion ; and they were not mistaken. The idolaters 
had indeed joined with them in binding the wreath 
of amity and peace, while they were at the same 
time secretly and actively concerting measures for 
their destruction. 
The 12th of November, 1815, was the most 
eventful day that had yet occurred in the history 
of Tahiti. It was the Sabbath. In the forenoon, 
Pomare, and the people who had come over from 
Eimeo, probably about eight hundred, assembled 
for public worship at a place called Narii, near the 
village of Bunaau'ia, in the district of Atehuru. 
At distant points of the district, they stationed 
piquets ; and when divine service was about to 
commence, and the individual who was to officiate 
stood up to read the first hymn, a firing of muskets 
was heard; and, looking out of the building in 
which they were assembled, a large body of armed 
men, preceded and attended by the flag of the 
gods, and the varied emblems of idolatry, were 
seen marching round a distant point of land, and 
advancing towards the place where they were 
assembled. It is war ! It is war ! was the cry 
which re-echoed through the place ; as the ap¬ 
proaching army were seen from different parts 
of the building. Many, agreeably to the precau¬ 
tions of the Missionaries, had met for worship 
under arms ; others, who had not, were preparing 
to return to their tents, and arm for the battle. 
Some degree of confusion consequently prevailed. 
Pomare arose, and requested them all to remain 
quietly in their places; stating, that they were 
under the special protection of Jehovah, and had 
