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POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES, 
of Matavai was thrown into great confusion, and num¬ 
bers of men appeared in arms. The king, who was on 
board the ship at the time, hastened on shore, and was only- 
restrained from commencing an immediate attack by the 
counsel of his uncle, who urged the necessity of invoking 
the favour of the gods before commencing hostilities. 
This afforded the people of Matavai time to retire, and 
encamp in the adjoining district with the people of 
Apaiano. Proposals of peace were sent by the king, but 
the rebels, being reinforced from the districts to the 
eastward, refused to meet Pomare, or negociate with 
him; and war appeared inevitable. 
The king, expecting that his camp, which was at 
Matavai, would be immediately attacked, recommended 
that the wives and children of the Missionaries should 
take shelter in the vessel. They embarked on the 7th 
amid much confusion, but with the sincerest gratitude to 
God for the refuge so seasonably provided. The night 
passed without any attack ; several leading chiefs, whom 
the rebels expected, had not arrived, and the Europeans 
were thus permitted to pack up a few articles for their 
use on board. The next morning a letter was addressed 
to the captain, requesting him to delay his departure 
forty-eight hours, that they might deliberate on the 
steps necessary to be taken. On the following day the 
Missionaries Nott and Scott went alone to tlie rebel 
camp at Apaiano, and invited the leaders to an interview 
with Pomare. The chiefs treated them with every mark 
of friendship, regretted that their establishment should 
suffer from the quarrel between them and the king, and 
requested them not to leave the island. The leaders of 
the rebels refused, however, to meet Pomare except in 
battle, and every hope of accommodation now vanished. 
