110 H A W A 1 1 A N D O A H U. 



of Tahiti, to examine some islands that were reported as doubtful, 

 and others whose positions were not well ascertained. She was also 

 to leave a party on one of them, to bore through the coral rock, the 

 Expedition having been provided with an apparatus for that purpose. 

 Thence she was to proceed to Tahiti, and from Tahiti towards 

 Penrhyn and Flint's Island ; and return to Oahu by the end of 

 March, 1841. The Porpoise sailed, as has been stated, on the 16th 

 of November, 1840. 



The Peacock, with the Flying-Fish as tender, I designed should 

 visit and examine the location of several of the doubtful islands, 

 passing along the magnetic equator westward from the meridian of 

 160°; thence to a small group of islands in longitude 174° W., which 

 I had partly examined in the Vincennes, and had found some new 

 islands among them : these I had called the Phoenix Group. Thence 

 the Peacock was to proceed to search for the Gente Hermosas of 

 Quiros, or the islands reported to me at Upolu, when I was there 

 in 1839, as existing to the northeast; thence to Upolu, to re-survey 

 the south side of the island, not having been able to satisfy myself 

 with the former survey of it; at the same time directing Captain 

 Hudson to inquire into the late murder of an American seaman, of 

 which I had received information from our consul, Mr. Williams. 



Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold had, as before stated, made a 

 demand for the murderer, but the chiefs had refused to comply with 

 the treaty. The circumstances of the murder of Gideon Smith, as 

 given by affidavits made before the consul, (which will be found in 

 Appendix XX., Vol. III.,) are as follows. 



Gideon Smith was a native of Bath, Massachusetts. He belonged 

 to the whale-ship Harold, of Dorchester, INIassacluisetts, but left her 

 on touching at the island of Upolu, about the 1st of May, and went to 

 live with a chief, Palasi by name, in the village of Fatua. Here he 

 took a wife, belonging to this chief's family. It appears, that after a 

 few weeks the family did not use him well, and were desirous of get- 

 ting rid of him, but wished to retain a monkey-jacket belonging to 

 him. For this purpose they got possession of the jacket, and took his 

 wife away from him. After the third night, it appears that Smith 

 left the hoTise, taking with him three axes, five fathoms of cloth, a 

 shawl, and tapa, in payment for his jacket, or until it should be given 

 up to him. The next day, it appears that Palasi and his wife came 

 in search of Smith ; and, on hearing that the articles were in posses- 

 sion of one of his acquaintance, by the name of Maitland, they told 



