HONOLULU. 403 



culties and throwing obstacles in the way, refused it altogether, and 

 would listen to no proposition to build a church. This was quietly 

 borne, and Mr. Mills held the meetings in the open air, under a large 

 tree near by. One day, as they were engaged in service, and the 

 whole congregation was seated around, in their best attire, a violent 

 shower came up. All looked to the preacher, who was Mr. Mills, 

 for an adjournment ; but he was too fervent, and continued his exhor- 

 tations until the whole were well drenched, and their finery of tapa, 

 &c, which cannot stand the wet, spoiled. This taught them a 

 lesson, and they not only agreed to the use of the fale-tele, but set 

 about heart and hand to build the church. 



On the arrival of Mr. Williams, Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold 

 was informed that a man by the name of Gideon Smith, a native of 

 Bath, Massachusetts, late of the ship Herald, of Dorchester, had been 

 murdered by a small chief, named Tagi, at the instigation of Sanga- 

 pabetele, chief of the towns of Saluafata, Fusi, and Saleleso. The 

 assigned cause was, that Smith had not been faithful to his promise 

 of giving Tagi some small articles. He was, in consequence, waylaid 

 and killed at night by Tagi. (See Mr. Williams's letter and affidavit, 

 in Appendix XX.) 



Mr. Williams and the British consul, Mr. Cunningham, held an 

 examination of the murderer and his family, and the circumstances 

 all clearly proved the murder to have been most deliberate. 



It will be recollected that, according to the rules and regulations 

 of the king and chiefs, assembled in fono, at Apia, murderers were 

 to be given up to the first man-of-war of our nation which should visit 

 the island. Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold, with the consul, pro- 

 ceeded, on the morning of the 8th of September, to Saluafata, to 

 demand the murderer from the chief in whose town he resided. 

 They reached that place at an early hour, and made the demand of 

 the chief Sangapabetele. A council of the chiefs was at once assem- 

 bled, when all united in the deliberate falsehood, that the murderer 

 had escaped, but that they had sent in pursuit of him. They ended 

 by promising that, as soon as he was caught, he should be delivered 

 at Apia. 



Three deserters from the American ship Lome, which was at 

 aiichor in the harbour, were then demanded ; and these men were 

 promptly caught and delivered over the next day, to the master of 

 the Lome, by the chief of Saluafata. 



The chiefs and people of Upolu, including even our old friend Pea, 



