THE KINGSMILL ISLANDERS. 97 



and fled to Kuria to join the king, who immediately began to collect 

 his warriors from the two smaller islands, and prepared himself for 

 making a descent upon Apamama. It was winter before he was fully 

 ready, and owing to the irregularity and uncertainty of the winds and 

 weather at that season, he was obliged to postpone his expedition for 

 several months. He finally embarked, with his whole army, and 

 landed upon the north end of Apamama, where a great number 

 flocked to his standard. The rebels, finding themselves too weak 

 to maintain a contest, fled towards the south end of the island. Here 

 they prepared their canoes, and when the king, with his army, drew 

 near, they took their wives and children, and put to sea. They 

 proceeded first to Kuria, where they were mistaken, as they ap- 

 proached, for the warriors of the island returning ; and the old men, 

 women, and children, crowded to the shore to meet them, and wel- 

 come their relatives back; but they were suddenly surrounded by 

 their enemies, maddened by defeat, who destroyed them all without 

 mercy, and laid waste the whole island. In a few days afterwards 

 the Kurians were seen returning, when the rebels again took refuge 

 in flight, leaving the island to be again possessed by its owners, but 

 with every thing destroyed. Some of the fugitives reached other 

 islands in safety, others were picked up by whale-ships, but the 

 greater part were never heard of again. The chief reached Tapu- 

 teouea, or Drummond's Island, where he is said to be still living. 



Wood also relates, that about eight years prior to his being taken 

 on board, a fleet of canoes, containing fifteen hundred persons, arrived 

 at Makin, from Apia, whence they had been driven by the warriors 

 of Tarawa. At Makin they were hospitably received and enter- 

 tained, until it was discovered that a plot was concocting among 

 them for conquering the island, upon which the inhabitants fell upon 

 them, and massacred nearly the whole. 



They sometimes, though but seldom, engage in other warlike 

 undertakings, when the warriors of one island will set out with a 

 large fleet to attack another. In these expeditions they rarely go to 

 any island to windward of them, on account of the uncertainty of 

 the voyage when the southeast wind blows, and also in consequence 

 of the sea-sickness produced by the motion of their canoes, which 

 renders them unfit to fight. When this happens, their adversaries, 

 if they get information of the meditated attack, before, or just as the 

 hostile, fleet touches their shore, assail their invaders to great advan- 



vol. v. 25 



