midnight
His designs being discovered , and fully exposed , he fled to one of the neighbouring islands , and sought the protection of its chief , his father 's most formidable and inveterate enemy . Afterwards , by his address and energy , he succeeded in bringing about a league between the chiefs of the two smaller islands , for the purpose of an attack against Tewa , by their combined forces . The enterprise was planned with the greatest secrecy , and executed with equal skill and daring . At midnight , the allies set sail , in a fleet of war canoes , and two hours before dawn they had disembarked at Tewa , marched to the principal village , where the chief resided , and made all their dispositions for the attack , which was so totally unexpected , that it was crowned with complete success . Scarcely any resistance was made : the principal Tewan warriors were slain in their beds , or taken prisoners ; and Eiulo 's father and grandfather , with Wakatta , only saved their lives by fleeing to the mountains . Knowing that the strictest search would be made for them , and that if taken , instant death would be their doom ; they stole forth from their lurking-place by night , repaired to the beach , and taking a large canoe , which they discovered there , set sail in her , steering boldly southward , in search of a considerable island which was believed to lie in that direction . Soon after sunrise they came in sight of land , but , on approaching it , they found that the surf was bursting with great fury upon a barrier reef , stretching between them and the shore ; and it was not until they had coasted along it for many hours , that they succeeded in effecting a landing .