Towns of Saluafata, Fusi, and 

 Salelese reduced to ashes. 



CRUISE OF THE PEACOCK- 



Island of Fanafute in Ellice's 

 group of islands. 



295 



wait a few hours, in the hope of receiving some 

 communication from the natives, and that they 

 would at the last moment agree to give up or 

 punish the murderer. But no overtures whatever 

 being made, at nine o'clock the boats were manned, 

 and lay on their oars, ready for the signal to pro- 

 ceed. A fire was now opened from the ship, the 

 balls being elevated so as to pass over the town; 

 after which the boats pushed for the shore, the 

 party landed, and the town of Saluafata, which 

 consisted of about seventy-five houses, was reduced 

 to ashes. The towns of Fusi and Salelese, of some 

 fifty more, shared the same fate. The party then 

 returned to the ship, without any accident to them- 

 selves or the natives, having met with no opposition 

 whatever, notwithstanding the great boastings and 

 bravado messages which had been sent by the 

 chiefs and inhabitants. 



This act was performed with great reluctance, 

 and not until the most perfect conviction of its 

 being absolutely necessary to secure the safety of 

 the crews of such of our whaling fleet as touch at 

 this island, as well as to restore the respect due to 

 our flag and those who sail under it, and to correct 

 the erroneous opinion, that our forbearance was 

 the result of fear of their prowess and numbers. 

 In their transactions, and outrages committed on 

 strangers, they had exhibited a fearlessness and 

 spirit of daring that it was time to put a stop to. 

 By this attack upon them, they became fully sensi- 

 ble that they were not our equals in war, nor 

 capable of resisting attacks that might be made on 

 them ; they have in consequence become much 

 more humble, so that the general opinion through- 

 out the islands is, that hereafter they must conform 

 to the regulations they made on our former visit, 

 and maintain them with strict integrity towards 

 foreigners. 



Since this transaction, I have received letters 

 from the island of Upolu, which inform me that 

 this well-deserved punishment has had a most 

 happy effect, and has put a termination to evils 

 that had formerly been of common occurrence. 



They now left Saluafata, and on the evening of 

 the 5th, anchored in the roadstead of Mataatu, 

 island of Savaii. 



The town of Mataatu is beautifully situated on a 

 bay, which is no more than a mere indentation of 

 the coast. It is surrounded by extensive cocoa-nut 

 groves, behind which the houses are built, in num- 

 ber about four hundred. The town contains about 

 two thousand inhabitants, most of whom are still 

 heathens. 



On the Gth of March, they sailed from the road- 

 stead of Mataatu, for the islands known on the 

 chart of Arrowsmith as Ellice's Group. 



At noon, on the 14th, they made land, and by 

 2 p. M., they were close to what proved to be an 

 extensive ring of small islets, situated on a coral 

 reef surrounding a lagoon. These are so far 

 separated as to give the idea of distinct islands, 

 which has probably led to their having the name 

 of " group." These islets are well covered with 

 cocoa-nut and other trees, which give them a 

 sufficient elevation to be seen at ten or twelve 

 miles distance. The reef which links these islets 

 is awash, over which the sea breaks with violence. 

 There are two openings in its west side, and an 

 island off its south-west point, at the distance of a 

 mile, five miles in length by two in width. The 



island is thirteen miles long, in a north-by-east and 

 south-by-west direction, and seven miles and two- 

 tenths east and west. 



When the vessels had approached within a short 

 distance of the largest island, two canoes were seen 

 coming towards the ship, only one of which came 

 near. In it were five men ; and from the familiar 

 manner in which they came alongside, it was evi- 

 dent they had had frequent communication with 

 vessels. They refused to come on board, but ex- 

 hibited various articles of traffic. 



They had no other weapons but spears and 

 knives, and seemed to be equipped for a fishing 

 party, from the implements they had with them. 

 Some rolls of sennit were bought, and large wooden 

 shark-hooks. Their spears were only poles of cocoa- 

 nut wood, pointed at one end ; and their knives 

 made of small sharks' teeth, inserted into a stick 

 with gum and fine sennit, and are about a foot long. 



It was soon found that they understood the 

 Samoan language, and Ispoke a purely Polynesian 

 dialect. The Samoan native easily conversed with 

 them. They gave the name of the island as Fana- 

 fute. They seemed perfectly familiar with white 

 men, and when the guns were fired for a base by 

 sound, they showed no kind of alarm. 



The island was surveyed, and was found to be 

 in latitude 8 30' 45" S., longitude 179 13' 30" E. 

 There appears to be good anchorage within the 

 lagoon ; an abundance of wood is to be had, but it 

 is believed there is no adequate supply of fresh 

 water. 



From what was ascertained, the population was 

 put down at two hundred and fifty souls. 



The vessels left Ellice's Group the same evening, 

 proceeded under easy sail, and at daylight made 

 the Depeyster Islands, distant three and a half 

 miles to the north-west. 



They surveyed this island; and on the same day 

 Tracy's Island, whose native name is Oaitupu, was 

 in sight to the eastward. The observations placed 

 it in latitude 7 28' S., and longitude 178 43' 35" 

 E. It is well covered with trees, and to all ap- 

 pearance as extensive as Depeyster Island. 



Depeyster Island is called by the natives Nuku- 

 fetau ; they are acquainted with Fanafute, or 

 Ellice's Island, and also with Oaitupu, or Tracy's 

 Island. On being asked if these were all the 

 islands they knew of, they said, pointing to the east, 

 that beyond Oaitupu there were three islands, 

 called Oatafu, Nukunono, and Fakaafo, which it 

 will be recollected are those of the Union Group. 

 Mr. Hale pressed the inquiry, if this were all; and 

 with some hesitation they added the name of Oloo- 

 singa, which is one of the small eastern islands of 

 the Samoan Group; but what seemed strange, they 

 did not understand the name of Samoa. On men- 

 tioning Tonga and Haabai, the names appeared to 

 be recognised. 



The vessels left Nukufetau the same evening, 

 and steered away to the northward. In latitude 

 6 10' S., and longitude 177 41' E., they passed a 

 small island which has no lagoon, and does not 

 appear to be named on any of the charts. This 

 they saw at some distance, and although it appears 

 to have been seen before, yet as the charts only 

 designate it as an island, I have bestowed upon it 

 the name of Speiden, after the purser of the Pea- 

 cock, one of the most valuable officers of the ex- 

 pedition. 



