156 MASSACRE OF LIEUTENANT UNDERWOOD 



accomplishment, and one who is expert at it is sure of a 

 friendly reception wherever he goes. When the white resi- 

 dents wish to obtain the truth, they invariably request them 

 not to tell lies. 



On the 31st, several of our boats returned from the leeward 

 Islands, bringing the melancholy intelligence of the murder of 

 Messrs. Underwood and Henry by the natives of Malolo. 

 We learned by the same boats of the death of one of the 

 sailors, named Smith, who was attached to the schooner 

 " Tyvity"* as one of her crew. 



The following are the circumstances connected with the 

 death of Messrs. Underwood and Henry : — 



On the 23d ultimo, Lieutenants Alden and Underwood 

 came to anchor on the reef at Malololie, which is connected 

 with the large island Malolo, by a coral isthmus, bare at low 

 water. Here Mr. Underwood landed alone, and soon encoun- 

 tered a boy with an armful of clubs, who, when asked whether 

 any provisons could be purchased in the neighborhood, answered, 

 "plenty, plenty." Mr. Underwood directed him to lead the 

 way to the place he referred to. On the beach they fell in 

 with a party of men who were quite as much confused at the 

 sight of Mr. Underwood as the boy had been before. At this 

 juncture, Lieutenant Alden recalled Mr. Underwood by sig- 

 nal, and this, perhaps, prevented an attack on him that after- 

 noon. The next morning (July 24th), the " Peacock's" cutter 

 joined the other boats. The scarcity of provisions, and the 

 distance of the schooner, whose own necessities were also 

 pressing, now made it absolutely necessary to obtain supplies 

 ashore. The natives pretended to have an abundance of food 

 at the village of Malolo-levu, but could not be induced to 



* The schooner belonged to one of the white men residing on Ovolau, and wa9 

 hired to go about the islands to procure fresh provisions for the squadron. 



