The next day, November 18, brought a new budget of news to the missionaries at Matavai, where Tu and his followers were parading about their church, with occasional visits to ask for gifts.

"A little after morning service we heard that Otoo and Manne-manne had usurped the power over all the larger peninsula, and turned Pomere out from exercising authority in any part of the same. The districts of Opare, Tataha, Attahooroo, Papara, &c. (all the lands to the westward, and running round to the isthmus on the south), have declared for Otoo. The land of this district [Matavai], from the river before us to the eastern boundary, Otoo has given to Manne-manne, reserving the westernmost part for himself. If the districts on this side of the island [Teaharoa] to the isthmus shall refuse to acknowledge the authority of Otoo, we are informed war will be declared against them, and their submission extorted by force of arms. Something like this we expected, but did not imagine it would be put in execution so soon, since Temaree, who appeared to be at the head of the faction, was so suddenly cut off. Pomare’s absence proved a favorable opportunity, and the indiscreet expressions of some of the inhabitants of this district respecting the corpse of Temaree, the cause of embracing it. Not long after our settling on the island we were told of there being two parties that were meditating the destruction of each other; hence arose the great eagerness of the chiefs to get muskets and ammunition into their hands from every vessel that has touched here; as

Indigenous Histories