48 
SANDWICH ISLANDS. 
measure, and therefore resistance on his part was unex¬ 
pected : besides, being the first cousin of the king, he was 
supposed to be particularly engaged to support the measures 
of his house. However, he had only waited for the destruc¬ 
tion of the hevas as a signal for rebellion, and seizing the 
war-god Tarai, which was under his guardianship, and which 
had anciently been placed as the royal standard in every field 
of battle, he induced a number of the kanakas to join him ; 
and flying with them from Oahu, he assembled a large body 
of men in Hawaii, being in hopes of securing that island at 
least for himself, and thus dividing the sovereignty with the 
young Tamehameha. But Karaimoku, the friend and com¬ 
panion in war of Tamehameha the Great, pursued him with 
a better and more numerous army, and coming up with him 
at Laki Laki, after a desperate battle, Kekuaokalani was 
killed, and the w^ar-god* was taken prisoner; and thus ter¬ 
minated the last effort in favour of idolatry. 
Meantime, Karaimoku and his brother Boki, chiefs who, 
though not of the highest birth, possessed the greatest share 
of power and influence in the land, had resolved to take the 
first opportunity of solemnly and openly professing Chris¬ 
tianity—that religion which they believed to be a mark and 
* Brought to England by Lord Byron. 
