226 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES, 
by the young chiefs and their adherents, all would 
remain quiet till they returned. If they had to 
fight, they would send a man to fire a musket so 
near the valley that we might hear it. If the rival 
party was numerous, and there was danger, two 
would be fired. 
We remained in a state of great suspense during 
the forenoon, and scarcely saw an individual in the 
settlement. About twelve o’clock we heard one 
musket fired, and very shortly afterwards another. 
This only increased our embarrassment, for al- 
though two had been fired, they had not been fired 
together, and, judging from the report, we inferred 
that one was much nearer than the other. We, 
therefore, determined to wait farther intimation, 
before we took any measures for personal se- 
curity. In this state of uncertainty we con- 
tinued, supposing a conflict had certamly com- 
menced ; and that the two shots we had heard 
had, perhaps, occasioned an equal loss of lives. 
At two o'clock in the afternoon, however, our 
anxiety was relieved by the arrival of Tauira, whom 
the chiefs had sent to inform us that all was peace ; 
that Moeore, the son of the king of Raiatea, and 
his adherents, had surrendered on the arrival of 
Hautia, and that the parties were retiring to the 
settlement. The messenger was almost breathless 
with speed; and while resting, he united with us 
in rendering grateful acknowledgments for the 
agreeable tidings. In an hour or two, Taauroa, 
one of our people, arrived, and told us the reports 
we heard were only random shots, fired as expres- 
sions of joy, and that it had been done without the 
knowledge of the chiefs. 
Towards sunset we walked to the ndtretie dis- 
trict of Haapape, where we were delighted to meet 
