POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES* 
115 
beach. This retreat was rendered by nature almost 
impregnable to the native warriors^ and the only avenues 
leading to it being defended by the barriers its occupants 
had thrown up, it appeared difficult, if not impossible, to 
take it by storm, even with the foreign aid by which the 
king was supported. After spending the day in almost 
harmless firing at the enemy, the English and the natives 
were on the point of embarking to return, when the 
rebels having been decoyed from their encampment by 
the daring and challenges of an active and courageous 
young man, who had assumed the name of To-morrow 
morningy chased him and his companions down to 
the sea-side. Here they were checked by Pomare’s 
musketeers, and retreated a few moments, when they 
halted, and faced their pursuers 3 but on the arrival of the 
English, they were seized with a panic, and fled. Seven¬ 
teen of the rebel warriors, including Rua, one of their 
leaders, were taken, and killed on the spot by Pomare \ 
whose followers, according to their savage rules of war, 
treated their bodies with the most wanton brutality, 
Pomare and his English allies marched the next morn¬ 
ing to the strong-hold of the natives, and were much 
disappointed at finding it filled with men determined 
to defend it to the last. A female was sent, as a herald, 
with a flag of truce to the warriors in the fortress, in¬ 
forming them of the number slain, and proposing to 
them the king’s terms of peace. Taatahee, the remaining 
chief of the rebels, who was related to Pomare, directed her 
to tell him that when they had done to him, as they had 
done to Rua the slain chief, then, and not till then, there 
would be peace. As it appeared improbable that the 
place could be attacked with advantage to the assailants, 
and equally improbable that its occupants would accept any 
