AND MIDSHIPMAN HENRY. 165 



but a little while after he dispatched two boys, who had been 

 captured by Mr. Emmons, to order all the people on the 

 island to assemble by noon on a certain hill, and receive our 

 terms. The prisoners were directed to add, that, if the order 

 was not obeyed, hostilities would be renewed. At 11 A. M. 

 the whole party of men who had been on shore the previous 

 day landed, and formed into a hallow- square, to await the ap- 

 proach of the natives ; but none appeared. Twelve o'clock 

 arrived, and they still kept away. At last they began to 

 appear, moving slowly on their hands and knees, and filling 

 the air with their wailings. 



When yet a considerable distance off they halted, and sent 

 messengers to say that they were afraid to approach nearer ; 

 but the messenger was ordered to tell them that they must do 

 as they had been directed in the morning. On receiving this 

 answer, they resumed their wailings, and at the same time 

 moved towards the hill. Every now and then they would stop 

 and raising their faces from the ground send up a piteous cry. 

 In this way did they manage, until at last they reached the 

 spot where Captain Wilkes was standing, when they threw 

 themselves at his feet. 



After a minute or two, one of their old men began in a tone 

 of the deepest humility to supplicate forgiveness, and to promise 

 that the people of Malolo would never again kill white man. 

 He added, that they acknowledged themselves conquered and 

 that the island belonged to us ; that they had lost everything ; 

 that the two great chiefs of the island and all their best war- 

 riors had been killed ; all their provisions destroyed, and their 

 houses burned ; that they were now convinced that the white 

 men were better warriors than the Fejee men. During the 

 whole time he was speaking, all the others remained bent down 

 with their heads touching the ground. 



