150 SO MU- SO MIL 



made an attack, choosing the time of the second or soundest sleep. 

 He then went off to send out his scouts and spies, in order to bring 

 me the earliest information. 



Seru was on board the ship when I heard these things. I, therefore, 

 sent off word that he should be kept on board as a kind of hostage, 

 and ordered forty men to reinforce the observatory, after dark, for the 

 ship was not near enough to use our guns in defending it. The 

 night, however, was quiet, and there were no signs of the natives 

 moving about on shore. Indeed they are extremely averse to go out 

 after dark, from a fear of meeting kalous, or spirits. Seru was 

 amused with rockets, &c, on board, and passed his time to his satis- 

 faction. 



On the 21st, the ship was moved up abreast the observatory point, 

 in order to protect it, and moored so that her guns might rake each 

 side of the point in case of an attack. The knoll on which I had 

 erected the observatory, was a strong position, and we now set to 

 work to make it more so, by clearing it of all the rubbish and brush- 

 wood that might afford cover to assailants. Signals were arranged 

 with the ship in case of attack, to direct the fire of the guns, 

 and all things made ready to give any hostile force a warm reception. 

 About eight o'clock in the evening, Whippy told me that a report had 

 reached Tui Levuka that there was trouble at Rewa, and that the 

 king and chiefs were prisoners; but to this we gave no credit at the 

 time. In the morning, however, I learned through him, that one 

 old chief had got information that Vendovi was a prisoner, and that 

 the king and queen would be released ; in fact, nearly the whole story 

 that has been related in the preceding chapter, reached Levuka be- 

 fore the day on which it occurred had passed. On inquiring of Tui 

 Levuka, through Whippy, after I had heard the particulars and 

 learned how nearly they corresponded with the report, how he 

 obtained his information, his answer was, "Did you not tell me to 

 bring you the earliest news, and have my spies out?" The news 

 must have been brought a distance of twenty miles in less than six 

 hours, for I can scarcely believe that any native could possibly have 

 invented the story, or could have surmised what was to take place. 



Early on the morning of the 22d, Seru left the ship and proceeded 

 to Ambau, although I had been informed that it was his intention to 

 go to the different islands, to bring us hogs and yams. Tui Levuka 

 called my attention to this, and also to the fact that a messenger had 

 brought Seru intelligence of what had happened at Rewa during the 



