FLAG OF TRUCE. 315 
Such as fled to the rocks or mountains were called 
meho. 
If those who had escaped were numerous, and 
the conquering army wished to subdue them, the 
war often assumed a protracted form. When the 
assailants had determined on reducing them, they 
endeavoured to decoy them out; if they failed, 
they seldom succeeded in scaling or forcing their 
ramparts. Famine often reduced the besieged to 
the greatest distress, so that they ate the pohue, 
or wild convolvolus stalks, and other rude kinds 
of food. They frequently made desperate sallies, 
but were often driven back with great slaughter. 
In a sally made during one of the wars which 
occurred in the year 1802, called in the annals of 
Tahiti, “ the war of Rua,” this chief, and a num¬ 
ber of his fighting-men, were taken, and killed on 
the spot by the king’s order. The next day the 
king marched to the fortress, but found it well 
manned, and the greatest determination to resist 
manifested by the warriors. 
An ambassadress, with a flag of truce, passed 
between the parties, but the besieged manifested 
an uncommon degree of dauntless obstinacy. 
When told of the numbers and the persons slain, 
the^ appeared as if but little affected by it, pre¬ 
tended not to know them, excepting the chief, 
who, they said, it was far more likely had been 
drowned in the river, than that he had fallen into 
their hands. This they evidently did, to shew that 
what they thought would induce them to make an 
unconditional surrender, had not so subdued them ; 
and the survivor, Taatahee, directed the ambassa¬ 
dress to say to Pomare, u When I have experienced 
the same fate as Rua then, and not till then, 
he may expect peace.” 
