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POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
to be slaughtered on the spot. The parties, who for a 
long time had been inveterate enemies to each other, 
readily agreeing to the proposal, were made friends on 
the occasion, and cordially assented to the plan of 
destroying 'the Christians. The intended victims 
of this treachery were unconscious of their danger, 
until the evening of the 7fh of July j when, a few 
hours only before the horrid massacre was to have 
commenced, they received secret intelligence of the ruin 
that was ready to burst upon them. 
Circumstances, unforeseen and uncontrollable by their 
enemies, had prevented the dilferent parties from 
arriving punctually at their respective points of ren¬ 
dezvous ; otherwise, even now escape would have been 
impracticable, and destruction inevitable, as the Porionu, 
inhabitants of Pare, Matavai, and Hapaiano, would have 
been on the one side, and in their rear, and the party 
from Atehuru and Papara on the other. The delay in 
the arrival of some of these, afforded the only hope of 
deliverance. 
At this remarkably critical period, the whole of 
the party having to attend a meeting either for public 
worship, or for some other general purpose, assembled 
in the evening near the sea. No time was to be lost. 
Their canoes were lying on the beach. They were 
instantly launched ; and, hurrying away what few things 
they could take, they embarked soon after sunset, and 
reached Eimeo in safety on the following morning, 
grateful for the happy and surprising deliverance they 
had experienced. The different parties, as they arrived 
towards midnight, learned, with no ordinary remorse 
and disappointment, that their prey had been alarmed, 
and had escaped beyond tbeir power. 
