POM A HE DEFEATED, AND ORO RETAKEN. 55 
having offered in sacrifice the bodies of the slain, 
and united in their confederacy the districts of 
Papara, and the whole of the south-west side of 
the larger peninsula, crossed the isthmus, marched 
at once to Tautira, and attacked the king and 
Pomare; who, ever since their arrival with the 
idol they had seized in Atehuru, had been engaged 
in offering human sacrifices, and, by other acts of 
worship, propitiating the favour of Oro. The rebels 
conducted their expedition with so much secrecy 
and despatch, that the king was taken by surprise. 
Notwithstanding this, the assailants were, in their 
first onset, repulsed; but, renewing their attack 
in the night, although Pomare’s party had forty 
muskets, and those in the hands of the rebels were 
not more than fourteen, they threw the king’s 
forces into confusion, killed a chief of influence, 
a near relative of Pomare’s, and, driving his war¬ 
riors to their canoes, retook the object of their 
murderous contention, the image of Oro, and re¬ 
mained masters of the whole of Tairabu, as well as 
of the south and western side of the large pen¬ 
insula. 
Pomare, with his vanquished forces, pursued 
their voyage to Matavai, where he and his son 
were received with respect by Captain Bishop and 
his companions. His affairs appeared desperate, 
and he entertained no thoughts of security, but by 
flight to Eimeo. When, however, he beheld the 
manner in which the English had prepared to de¬ 
fend themselves, if attacked ; and was assured by 
Captain Bishop and his companions, that if he 
was conquered, they were not; and that they would 
support him in the present critical state of the 
nation, and assist in the restoration of his govern¬ 
ment, his prospects brightened, and he again 
