MALOLO. 293 



of his people ; he declared that his village had nothing to do with the 

 killing of the Papalangis, and offering pigs, &c, as presents, begged 

 that we would not punish him any farther. 



Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold, with his party, reached Arro 

 just at sunset. His three divisions were separated immediately after 

 they landed, in order to cover more space, and more effectually to 

 destroy the plantations. The division under Lieutenant Maury was 

 the first to approach Sualib. As soon as the natives got sight of it, 

 they set up shouts of defiance. No signs of fear were exhibited, but 

 on the contrary, every proof of a determination to resist. 



Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold in a short time came up with 

 his division, and on examining the defences of the town, thought it 

 expedient to await the arrival of Lieutenant Johnson. Upon the latter 

 officer coming up, which was shortly after, the three parties descended 

 the hill, and approached the ditch of the town. The natives boldly 

 sallied out to meet them, with a discharge of arrows, and exhibited 

 the utmost confidence. They in truth believed their town to be im- 

 pregnable, for it had hitherto withstood every attack made by Feejee 

 warriors. Its defences evinced no little skill in engineering : a ditch 

 twelve feet wide and full of mud and water, surrounded the whole ; 

 next came a strong palisade, built of cocoa-nut trunks, placed four or 

 five feet apart, among which was here and there a living tree ; this 

 palisade was united by a fence of wicker-work, about ten feet high, 

 so strong and dense as to defy all attempts to penetrate or even see 

 through it; inside of the palisade was a second ditch, recently ex- 

 cavated, the earth thrown up from which formed a parapet about four 

 feet in thickness, and as many in height. In the ditch the defenders 

 sheltered themselves, and only exposed their heads when they rose to 

 shoot through the loopholes left in the palisade. As the whole party 

 continued to approach the fortification, our men spread out so as to 

 outflank the skirmishers, and by a few rockets and a shower of balls 

 showed them that they had different enemies from Feejee men to deal 

 with. This compelled them to retire within the fortification, and 

 abandon all on its outside to destruction. When the skirmishers had 

 retired into the fortress, all united in loud shouts of lako-mai (come 

 on!), flourishing their spears and clubs. 



Our party having approached within about seventy feet of the 

 stockade, opened its fire on the fortification. Now was seen, what 

 many of those present had not before believed, the expertness with 

 which these people dodge a shot at the flash of a gun. Those who 



vol. in. 74 



