11& COOK'S VOYAGE TO NOV. 



well as that of many of his people, in not only as- 

 sisting these two men to escape, but in being, even 

 at this very time, assiduous in enticing others to fol- 

 low them, would justify any step I could take to put 

 a stop to such proceedings. 



This explanation of the motives upon which I acted, 

 and which we found means to make Oreo and his people, 

 who were present, fully comprehend, seemed to recover 

 them, in a great measure, from that general conster- 

 nation into which they were at first thrown. But, if 

 relieved from apprehensions about their own safety, 

 they continued under the deepest concern for those 

 who were prisoners. Many of them went under the 

 Discovery's stern in canoes, to bewail their captivity, 

 which they did with long and loud exclamations. 

 Poedooa! for so the chief's daughter was called, re- 

 sounded from every quarter ; and the women seemed 

 to vie with each other in mourning her fate, with 

 more significant expressions of their grief than tears 

 and cries ; for there were many bloody heads upon 

 the occasion. 



Oreo himself did not give way to unavailing la- 

 mentations, but instantly began his exertions to 

 recover our deserters, by dispatching a canoe to 

 Bolabola, with a message to Opoony, the sovereign 

 of that island, acquainting him with what had hap- 

 pened, and requesting him to seize the two fugi- 

 tives, and send them back. The messenger, who 

 was no less a man than the father of Pootoe, Oreo's 

 son-in-law, before he set out, came to receive my 

 commands. I strictly enjoined him not to return 

 without the deserters ; and to tell Opoony from me, 

 that if they had left Bolabola, he must send canoes 

 to bring them back ; for I suspected that they would 

 not long remain in one place. 



The consequence, however, of the prisoners was 

 so great, that the natives did not think proper to 

 trust to the return of our people for their release ; 

 or, at least, their impatience was so great, that it 



