1841.] ellice's group. 399 



the Flying Fish proceeded to survey the south side of the 

 island of Upolu. 



One of the chief objects of the second visit of Captain Hud- 

 son to the Samoan Group was to obtain satisfaction for the 

 recent murder of an American seaman belonging to a whal- 

 ing vessel. The murderer had been protected by Sangapo- 

 lutale, the principal chief of the heathen towns of Saluafata, 

 Fusi, and Salalese, on the island of Upolu, who refused to 

 surrender him. On the 22d of February, Captain Hudson 

 made an ineffectual attempt to capture the chief, with the 

 intention of detaining him until the murderer should be sur- 

 rendered. Failing in this, it was deemed important to inflict 

 a severe punishment, in order that the crews of vessels visit- 

 ing the islands might be secure from molestation. Accord- 

 ingly, a party was landed at Saluafata on the morning of the 

 25th of February, the inhabitants having been first driven 

 from the town by the guns of the Peacock, and that town, 

 as well as those of Fusi and Salalese, were reduced to ashes, 

 without encountering the natives or sustaining any loss. 



From Apia Captain Hudson proceeded to Mataatu, on the 

 northern side of the island of Savaii ; and on the 6th of 

 March he took his departure, with both vessels, for Ellice's 

 Group. 



(4.) At noon on the 14th instant, the island of Fanafuto 

 was made. This is one of Ellice's Group, or the Depeyster 

 Islands, and is in latitude 8° 30' 45" 8., and longitude 179° 

 13' 30" E. It is thirteen miles long and seven and a quar- 

 ter miles wide, and consists of a series of small islets on a 

 coral reef, with two openings on the west side, surrounding a 

 lagoon that affords good anchorage. There are about two 

 hundred and fifty inhabitants on the island. — Not far from 

 forty miles to the north-west of Fanafute, or Ellice's Island, 

 is Depeyster's Island, called by the natives Nukufetau. It 

 contains one thousand inhabitants, and is eight miles in 

 length, and about the same in width ; and in its centre there 

 is a lagoon, having from seventeen to twenty fathoms of 

 water, and connected with the ocean by a deep ship channel. 



