Chapter XIII
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a considerable quantity each, we hear, at the same time), and suspecting by the uncommon largeness of the grain that the Englishmen had put a deceit upon them by not giving them real powder, or having given them bad powder, Orepiah proposed to his attendants making an experiment. Accordingly a pistol was loaded and unthinkingly fired over the whole quantity of powder received, in the midst of a number of people. A spark of fire dropped from the pistol upon the powder that lay on the ground, and in a moment it blew up. The natives did not feel themselves hurt at first, but when the smoke was somewhat dispersed, observing their skin fouled with the powder, they began to rub their arms, &c., and found the skin to peel off under their fingers. Terrified at this, they instantly ran to a river near at hand and plunged themselves in. A despatch was immediately sent off to Pomare, who was at Matavai, acquainting him with the matter, and he made application to Brother Broomhall to go and give his assistance."
Under the stimulus of personal danger, the missionaries, in the course of a few days, learned much about island politics. Temarii lingered in great suffering till September 8, but the missionaries did not venture to visit him again, in spite of a message from Pomare asking them to administer something that would cure him without giving pain. The whole body of chiefs looked on, in consternation, while Temarii died.
"September 10th. The king [Tu], queen [Tetua], Pomere, Edea, Manne-manne, are to the westward, anxiously waiting the issue of the late calamitous visitation. We have reason to believe Orepiah’s death would be the cause of great secret rejoicing to Pomere, Edea, and others, who seem to stand in much dread from the close union subsisting between Otoo and Orepiah; the latter being the uncle of the former, has acted as a kind of guardian to him during his youthful days. Though the wheels of political government are not so many in this as in our native island, yet they are more in number than any would conceive from the rude and barbarous state the nation is in. They have
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© Derived from the revised Paris edition of 1901 page 127, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/-marua-127.html