SOMU-SOMU. 149 
until he could comply with this custom. He was, as I afterwards 
learned, the bearer of a message to the king of Muthuata, to claim his 
daughter as a wife for old Tanoa. 
It is not at all surprising that the chiefs and people of Ambau 
should be so much detested by the inhabitants of the group. As an 
instance of the outrages they are in the habit of committing, Riva- 
letta, after refusing to visit the ship and the observatory, went to a 
village on the mountains, from which the inhabitants fled with their 
valuables for fear of losing them. Failing thus in his intention of 
plunder, he immediately set fire to the town, and left it a heap of ruins. 
He departed the same day for Vanua-levu. 
The tender having returned to Ovolau, I made preparations to leave 
that place. 
The launch and cutter under Lieutenant Alden and Passed Mid- 
shipman Knox, had also returned from the survey of the north side 
of Vitilevu, as far as its west end, and of Malolo. Lieutenant Alden 
reported the natives of the latter island as being extremely hostile to 
the whites, and having a very bad character. 
A native stole a knife from one of the men. Tui Levuka proposed 
killing him, but was told not to do so: the thief was taken on board, 
and confined for two days, when he was released, as I did not think 
his guilt was sufficiently established. The moment he was free he 
jumped overboard and swam on shore. 
The schooner Currency Lass, which we had seen at Tonga, arrived 
on the 30th, bringing me letters from Lieutenant-Commandant Ring- 
gold, by which I learned they were all well, and proceeding rapidly 
with their work. The Currency Lass, since she had left Tonga, had 
been at Wallis Island (Uea), where the Roman Catholic missionaries 
had succeeded in gaining over one half of the population. The Devil’s 
men had attacked the converts, and had laid a plan to cut off the 
schooner. The missionaries, however, gave timely notice of it, and 
the abrupt departure of the vessel was the only thing that saved her, 
which the wind fortunately enabled her to accomplish, for a large 
number of canoes had approached the vessel, and were waiting for a 
reinforcement, when they intended to make the attack. The services 
of the Catholic priests on board the Currency Lass not being required 
by their brethren, they afterwards went to Hoorn Island, where they 
were landed and kindly received by the natives. 
Not being able to spare the services of Lieutenant Carr as first 
lieutenant, I transferred him to the Vincennes, and ordered Lieu- 
tenant Case to the tender. Lieutenant Carr was put in charge of the 
abservatory, while Lieutenant Alden in the launch, and Mr. Knox in 
N2 
