MAARO, THE SICK CHIEF. 333 
going in search of him. After travelling a mile 
and a half inland, I reached the house in which he 
lay, and was immediately invited to enter. The 
number of small sticks, with the leaves of the ti 
plant fastened round them, which I saw fixed in 
different parts of the house, particularly around 
the mat on which the chief was reclining, induced 
me to think they had been performing some in¬ 
cantation for his recovery, as it was by such pieces 
of leaf as these that they supposed the evil spirit 
made his escape from the sufferer. I asked one who 
sat by, and who, I supposed, was a kahuna , (doctor,) 
what remedies they were using for his recovery; 
but they gave me no answer. The chief seemed 
to have less pain than yesterday, and was much 
more communicative. He said the native doctors 
had brought him there, in order to try the effect of 
medicines, which he trusted would give relief. 
I told him it was right to use every lawful means 
for the recovery of health; but cautioned him par¬ 
ticularly against having recourse to the incanta¬ 
tions of the priests, or making any offerings to 
their former gods, as that was not only foolish and 
useless, but offensive to God, the author of all our 
mercies, with whom alone were the issues of life 
and death. He made no reply, but turned the 
conversation, by saying, he regretted that he was 
not able to furnish us with a canoe, and that his 
sickness had not allowed him to be more with us. 
I told him we wished to have had more frequent 
opportunities of telling him of Jesus Christ; and 
endeavouring to impress his mind with the neces¬ 
sity of an early application for the pardon of his 
sins, and the salvation of his spirit. When I left 
him, he said he would think of these things, and, 
should he get better, would attend to instruction, 
