DISAFFECTION TO THE LAWS. 219 
was residing at Huahine—and his sister, who had 
been married to a member of Mahine’s family. 
Their party was now strong, both in point of 
number and influence, and we expected that the 
simple circumstance of marking the person with 
tatau, was only one of the preliminaries of their 
design ; and in this we were not mistaken. 
In the month of August, we heard that Taaro- 
arii, with a number of those whom the chiefs had 
sentenced to labour on the public works, had left 
their employment, and were gone to Parea, in the 
northern part of the island. They told the officers of 
the chief appointed to superintend them, that they 
intended in a few days to return. The people 
were greatly attached to the king’s son, and the 
officers, willing to shew him every indulgence, did 
not oppose his removal; but reports were soon 
circulated, that he was employing emissaries to 
invite the disaffected to join him, with the assur¬ 
ance, 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 preparing to follow them. I went 
down to his dwelling ; his wife and several of his 
principal men were persuading him to remain, and 
not unite himself with those whose designs were 
