RURUTU. 
395 
barter; but few foreigners went on shore, and 
little intercourse was held with them, until the 
establishment of a native Mission among them. 
The events which led to this are rather remarkable* 
and cannot fail to interest those who find pleasure 
in noticing the proceedings of Divine providence 
in the small and remote, as well as more exten¬ 
sive and conspicuous, changes that take place in 
the circumstances of men. 
In the end of 1820, a distressing and contagious 
disease made its appearance among the inhabitants 
of this island. Accustomed to ascribe every cala¬ 
mity to the anger of their gods, they attributed 
that with which they were now visited, and which 
threatened their annihilation, to this cause, and had 
recourse to every means which they supposed could 
pacify the evil spirit. Still the disease continued* 
until not many more than two hundred inhabitants 
remained. Among these, Auura, “a young and ad¬ 
venturous chief, determined to seek his safety on the 
ocean. He communicated the design to his friends; 
and, as some were desirous of proceeding to Tubuai, 
to obtain pieces of iron, and others, with himself, 
deeming that, if they remained, death was inevit¬ 
able, thought they could but die at sea, deter¬ 
mined to accompany him. Taking their wives with 
them, Auura and his friends launched his canoe* 
sailed to Tubuai, and, after remaining some time, 
embarked to return. A storm drove them out of 
their course ; and, after having been drifted at the 
mercy of the waves for three weeks, their canoe 
struck on the reefs which surround Maurua, the 
most westerly of the Society Islands. The natives 
of this island treated the exhausted voyagers with 
hospitality and kindness, and gave them an ac¬ 
count of the changes that had taken place among 
