•777- I had but juil time to ge t into m y boat, when news was
September. IsbM- _ .
* brought, that T ow h a had concluded a treaty with Maheine,
and had returned w ith his fleet to Attahooroo. T his unexpected
event made all further proceedings, in the military
w a y , quite unneceflary ; and the war canoes, inftead o f ren-
dezvouiing at Oparre, were ordered home to their refpeitive
diftrifts. This alteration, however, did not hinder me from
fo llow in g Otoo to Oparre, accompanied by Mr. K in g and
Omai. Soon after our arrival, and while dinner was preparing,
a meflenger arrived from Eimeo, and related the
conditions o f the peace; or rather o f the truce, it being only
for a limited time. T h e terms were difadvantageous to Ota-
heite ; and much blame was thrown upon Otoo, whofe delay,
in fending reinforcements, had obliged Towha to fub-
mit to a difgraceful accommodation. It was even currently
reported, that Towha, refenting his not being fupported,
had declared, that, as foon as I Ihould leave the illand,
he would jo in his forces to thofe o f Tiaraboo, and attack
Otoo at Matavai, or Oparre. T h is called upon me to declare,
in the moft public manner, that I was determined to.efpoufe
the intereft o f my friend, againft any fuch combination; and
that whoever prefumed- to attack him, Ihould feel the
weigh t o f m y heavy difpleafure, when I returned again to
their illand. My declaration, probably, had the defired e ffe
c t ; and, i f T ow h a had any fuch hoftile intention at firft,
w e foon heard no more o f the report. Whappai, Otoo’s fa ther,
h ig h ly difapproved o f. the peace, and blamed Towha
ve ry much for concluding it. This feniible old man wifely
judged, that my goin g down with them to Eimeo muft have
been o f Angular fervice to their caufe, though I ihould take
no other part whatever in the quarrel. And it was upon
this that he built all his arguments, and maintained, that
Otoo
Otoo had a iled properly b y waiting for m e ; though this >777-
had prevented his g iv in g afiiflance to Towha fo foon as he f efle°jber;
expeiled.
Our debates at Oparre,. on this fu b je if, were hardly ended,
before a meflenger arrived from Towha, defiring Otoo’s
attendance, the next day, at the morai in Attahooroo, to g iv e
thanks to the Gods for the peace he had concluded; at leaft,
fuch was Omai’s account to me, o f the o b je il o f this folem-
nity. I was afked to g o ; but being much out o f order,
was obliged to decline it. Defirous, however, o f kn owin g
what ceremonies might be obferved on fo memorable an
occafion, I fent Mr. King, and Omai, and returned on board
m y ihip, attended b y Otoo’s mother, his three fitters, and
eight more women. At firft, I thought that this numerous
train o f females came into my boat with no other view than
to get a paffage to Matavai. But when we arrived at the
ihip, they told me, they intended palling the night on
board, for the exprefs purpofe o f un de rtak ing the cure o f
the diforder I complained o f ; w hich was a pain o f the
rheumatic kind, extending from the hip to the foot. I accepted
the friendly offer, had a bed fpread for them upon
the cabbin floor, and fubmitted m y fe lf to their direftions,
I was defired to lay m y fe lf down amongft them. Then, as
many o f them as could get round me, began to fqueeze me
w ith both hands, from head to foot, but more particularly on
the parts where the pain was lodged, till they m ade my bones
crack, and my flelh became a p e r fe it mummy. In ftiorr,
after undergoing this difcipline about a quarter o f an hour,
I was glad to ge t away from them. However, the operation
gave me immediate relief, w hich encouraged me to
fubmit to another rubbing-down before I went to bed; and
it was fo effe&ual, that I found m y fe lf pretty eafy all the
n igh t