294 



Swain's Island. Island of 

 Upolu. 



CRUISE OF THE PEACOCK. 



Attempt to capture Tagi, a 

 murderer. 



:attooed after the same manner. They were all 

 inely formed, and manly in appearance, with 

 ^leasing countenances that expressed good-nature. 

 They seemed eager enough for trade, and soon 

 disposed of all they had to exchange; a few pre- 

 sents were also made them, but all inducements 

 failed to entice them on board. They appeared 

 very cheerful, laughing heartily at any thing that 

 struck them as ridiculous. 



Three boats, with several of the officers, landed 

 on the south-west point of the island, whither four 

 or five canoes accompanied them. The islet was 

 found covered with cocoa-nut trees, but there were 

 no houses upon it. They called it Fakaafo, which 

 was the same as the natives of Oatafu had desig- 

 nated as the island where their great chief lived. 



Captain Hudson now determined to bear away 

 for the situation of the island of the Gente Her- 

 mosas of Quiros. 



The position of this island is in longitude 170 

 55' 15" W., and latitude 11 5' S.; it is of coral 

 formation, but has no lagoon; it is nearly round, 

 and four miles and three- tenths in circumference; 

 it may be classed with the high coral islands, and 

 is elevated from fifteen to twenty-five feet above 

 the level of the sea; it is well wooded with cocoa- 

 nuts, pandanus, and other trees and shrubs. The 

 sea breaks constantly on all parts, and no safe 

 landing exists. Its situation differs from the posi- 

 tion laid down for that of Quires. Captain Hud- 

 son therefore called it Swain's Island, after the 

 master of a whaler, who had informed him of its 

 existence. When within a mile of the island, no 

 bottom could be had with two hundred fathoms of 

 line. This isolated spot gave no other evidence of 

 its ever having been inhabited, except the groves 

 of cocoa-nut trees. 



After securing observations for its position, the 

 vessels bore away for Upolu, with the westerly 

 breeze, which had continued for the last eight days, 

 and been almost constant. This will serve to show 

 that there is no real difficulty in the population of 

 Polynesia migrating from west to east during this 

 season of the year, when the trade-winds are almost 

 entirely interrupted. 



Until the 4th of February they had bad weather, 

 and heavy squalls, accompanied with thunder and 

 lightning. 



On the 5th of February, the mountains of Savaii 

 were dimly visible, although they were between 

 fifty and sixty miles off. On the 6th, they were off 

 the island of Upolu, when Captain Hudson, to lose 

 no time, despatched the tender, with two boats, to 

 survey the south side of the island, while the 

 launch, with the first cutter, was to be sent round 

 its east end, in order to complete the work in the 

 least possible time. In the afternoon, the Peacock 

 anchored in Apia Harbour. 



At Apia, among their old acquaintances, they 

 encountered Pea, the ruling chief of the place, 

 whose begging propensities still existed in all their 

 force. His form was equally rotund, and his desire 

 of being of service quite as great. Report spoke oi 

 him as having become very religious of late, bul 

 his covetousness had not diminished in consequence, 

 at least in the opinion of our officers. He was 

 generally full of business, among his friends and 

 relatives, all of whom he considers more or less as 

 his dependants. He was very anxious to be in- 

 formed what had become of his relative, Tuvai, the 



murderer, whom we had carried away from these 

 slands on our former visit. 



On the 21st, while at anchor, Captain Hudson 

 learing that the noted Sangapolutale, principal 

 ihief of the towns of Saluafata, Fusi, and Salelese, 

 who had protected and refused to give up the mur- 

 derer of Gideon Smith, was at one of the towns 

 near by on a visit, determined, if possible, to sur- 

 prise and take him prisoner, to be held until such 

 ;ime as the murderer were given up. For this 

 purpose he visited the town before daylight of the 

 22nd, with a few officers and men, but without 

 success. 



Previous to this time, Captain Hudson had had 

 intercourse with this chief through our consul, Mr. 

 Williams; and had demanded of him the punish- 

 ment or delivery of the murderer, Tagi. In the 

 course of the communications, Sangapolutale ac- 

 knowledged that the murderer ought to be pun- 

 ished or given up; said he once wanted to kill him 

 himself; but being a petty chief, he was backed 

 and protected by the chiefs and the people of the 

 three towns before named, who were promised, in 

 case of necessity, assistance from some of the 

 neighbouring chiefs, as well as others on the oppo- 

 site side of the island. He further said, that he 

 was desirous of giving him up, a few months before, 

 to the commander of the Porpoise. It was dis- 

 tinctly stated to Sangapolutale, that the murderer 

 must be either punished or given up, in con- 

 formity to the regulations adopted in their fono, 

 composed of all the principal chiefs in the island, 

 and that if neither of these stipulations were com- 

 plied with, Captain Hudson would be compelled to 

 employ the force under him in burning the towns 

 that concealed and protected the murderer, and 

 set their own laws and us at defiance. 



Three days were given him from the time of the 

 interview, to comply with the demand. He pro- 

 mised to do what he could, but he was fearful of 

 the result, as his people wanted to fight, and had 

 been promised aid from many quarters. 



On the third day, his messengers arrived at 

 Apia, and brought word that the chiefs and people 

 were determined that the murderer should not be 

 given up or punished; that they defied the Papa- 

 langis and their power; and that, if Captain Hudson 

 chose to come and take him, they would give him a 

 fight. The messenger further stated, that they 

 well knew he would be demanded according to 

 their own regulations, but they would take care he 

 should not be punished or given up, for they were 

 prepared to resist any attempt that would be made. 

 Many other insulting messages were received ; 

 among them, one from the murderer and his 

 friends, that when " he could kill a few more white 

 men, he would be given up." 



Such were their threats and boasting: their con- 

 duct was conformable to them, as represented by 

 our consul, the missionaries, and Mr. Cunningham, 

 H. B. M. vice-consul. Captain Hudson now saw 

 the necessity of taking some steps that would check 

 this criminal and audacious spirit, and prove to 

 the natives that we had the power to punish these 

 aggressions on our citizens. 



On the 24th, the Peacock anchored in the har- 

 bour of Saluafata. Preparations were therefore 

 made for swinging the broadside to the town, and 

 the necessary arrangements for landing completed. 

 Captain Hudson, however, still thought it proper to 



