132 



A VOYAGE TO 



>777- ment, arrived. This turned the fortune of the day, andj 

 ' ' ^ their enemies were defeated with great flaughter. The 



men of Bolabola, profecuting their victory, invaded Hua- 

 heine two days after, which they knew mufl be weakly 

 defended, as moll of its warriors were abfent. Accord- 

 ingly, thev made themfelves matters of that ifland. But 

 many of its fugitives having got to Otaheite, there told 

 their lamentable llory ; which fo grieved thofe of their 

 countrymen, and of Ulietea, whom they met with in that 

 ifland,, that they obtained lome aflillance from them. They 

 were equipped with only ten fighting canoes ; but, though 

 their force was fo inconCderable, they condu(5ted the expe- 

 dition with fo much prudence, that they landed at Hua" 

 heine at night, when dark, and falling upon the Bolabola 

 men by furprize, killed many of them, forcing the reft to 

 fly. So that, by this means, they got pofTeffion of their 

 ifland again, which now remains independent, under the 

 government of its own Chiefs. Immediately after the de- 

 feat of the united fleets of Ulietea and Huaheine, a propofal 

 was made to the Bolabola men by their allies of Otaha, to 

 be admitted to an equal fliare of the conquefts. The refufal 

 of this broke the alliance ; and in the courfe of the war, 

 Otaha itfelf, as well as Ulietea, was conquered ; and both now 

 remain fubjecTt to Bolabola ; the Chiefs who govern them, 

 being only deputies of Opoony, the fovereign of that ifland. 

 In the reduction of the two iflands, five battles were fought, 

 at diflfercnt places, in which great numbers were flain on 

 both fides. 



Such was the account we received. I have more than 

 once remarked, how very imperfeiflly thefe people recollect 

 theexac^ dates of paft events. And with regard to this war, 

 though it happened not many years ago, we could only 



gucfs 



