Oreo himself did not give way to unavailing lamentations, but instantly began his exertions to recover our deserters, by dispatching a canoe to Bolabola, with a message to Opoony, the sovereign of that island, acquainting him with what had happened, and requesting him to seize the two fugitives, and send them back.  The messenger, who was no less a man than the father of Pootoe, Oreo’s son-in-law, before he set out came to receive my commands.  I strictly enjoined him not to return without the deserters, and to tell Opoony, from me, that, if they had left Bolabola, he must send canoes to bring them back, for I suspected that they would not long remain in one place.

The consequence, however, of the prisoners was so great, that the natives did not think proper to trust to the return of our people for their release; or, at least, their impatience was so great, that it hurried them to meditate an attempt which might have involved them in still greater distress, had it not been fortunately prevented.  Between five and six o’clock in the evening, I observed that all their canoes in and about the harbour began to move off, as if some sudden panic had seized them.  I was ashore, abreast of the ship at the time, and enquired in vain to find out the cause, till our people called to as from the Discovery, and told us, that a party of the natives had seized Captain Clerke and Mr Gore, who had walked out a little way from the ships.  Struck with the boldness of this plan of retaliation, which seemed to counteract me so effectually in my own way, there was no time to deliberate.  I instantly ordered the people to arm; and in less than five minutes, a strong party, under the command of Mr King, was sent to rescue our two gentlemen.  At the same time, two armed boats, and a party under Mr Williamson, went after the flying canoes, to cut off their retreat to the shore.  These several detachments were hardly out of sight, before an account arrived that we had been misinformed, upon which I sent and called them all in.

It was evident, however, from several corroborating circumstances, that the design of seizing Captain Clerke had really been in agitation amongst the natives.  Nay, they made no secret in speaking of it the next day.  But their first and great plan of operations was to have laid hold of me.  It was my custom, every evening, to bathe in the fresh water.  Very often I went alone, and always without arms.  Expecting me to go as usual this evening, they had determined to seize me, and Captain Clerke too, if he had accompanied me.  But I had, after confining Oreo’s family, thought it prudent to avoid putting myself in their power; and had cautioned Captain Clerke and the officers not to go far from the ships.  In the course of the afternoon the chief asked me three several times, if I would not go to the bathing-place; and when he found, at last, that I could not be prevailed upon, he went off with the rest of his people, in spite of all that I could do or say to stop him.