POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
469 
superintend them, that they intended in a few days to 
return. The people M^ere greatly attached to the king’s 
son, and the officers, willing to shew him every indul¬ 
gence, did not oppose his removal; but reports were 
soon circulated, that he was employing emissaries to 
invite the disaffected to join him, with the assurance that 
as soon as they were strong enough, he intended to 
assume the government of the island, and abolish the 
laws—that under his reign every one should follow his 
own inclinations, with regard to those customs which 
the laws prohibited. His father being absent at Raiatea, 
he had judged the present a favourable time for making 
a vigorous effort. 
On the evening of the ninth of September, which 
was the Sabbath, a messenger came from the chiefs 
while we were engaged at family prayers, informing 
me that a large party of wild young men had gone to 
Parea, and that the son of the king of Raiatea was pre¬ 
paring to follow them. I went down to his dwelling ; 
his wife and several of his principal men were per¬ 
suading him to remain, and not unite himself with 
those whose designs were evidently unfavourable to the 
peace of the island. I mingled my entreaties with theirs, 
but it was of no use. His own men, finding he could not 
be deterred unless by violence, desisted ; while a number 
of young fellows, like-minded with himself, urging him 
to depart, he hastened after the party that had gone to 
Parea. As soon as Hautia, the deputy-governor of the 
island, heard it, he gave orders for the people to prepare 
to go, and fetch them back the next day. 
On the following morning, accompanied by Messrs, 
Darling and Bourn, I went down to the settlement about 
sunrise, to witness the proceedings of .an assembly con- 
