THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 



121 



men to efcapc, but in beine, even at this very time, afli- «'7;- 



November. 



duous in enticing others to follow them, would jullify any " ' 



Hep I could take to put a flop to fuch proceedings. 



This explanation of the motives upon which I a(5lcd, and 

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

 were prefent, fully comprehend, feemed to recover them, 

 in a great mcafure, from that general confternation into 

 ■which they were at firft thrown. But, if relieved from ap- 

 prehenfions about their own fafety, they continued under 

 the deepeft concern for thofe who were prifoners. Many 

 of them went under the Difcovery's ftern in canoes, to be- 

 wail their captivity, which they did with long and loud 

 exclamations. Poedooa! for fo the Chief's daughter was 

 called, refounded from every quarter ; and the women 

 feemed to vie with each other in mourning her fate, with 

 more fignificant expreflions of their grief than tears and 

 cries j for there were many bloody heads upon the occa- 

 fion. 



Oreo himfelf did not give way to unavailing lamentations, 

 but, inftantly, began his exertions to recover our deferters, 

 by difpatching a canoe to Bolabola, with a meflage to 

 Opoony, the fovereign of that ifland, acquainting him with 

 what had happened, and requeuing him to feize the two 

 fugitives, and fend them back. The melTenger, who was 

 no lefs a man than the father of Pootoe, Oreo's fon-in-law, 

 before he fet out, came to receive my commands. I ftri<5l- 

 ly enjoined him not to return without the deferters ; and 

 to tell Opoony, from me, that, if they had left Bolabola, 

 he mud fend canoes to bring them back ; for I fufpedted 

 that they would not long remain in one place. 



Vol. II. R The 



