1)2 MANNERS AND CUSTOMS () F 



order to escape from the pursuit of the victors. An instance of this 

 kind was related by Kirby, that occurred about ten years before his 

 arrival. While the king of Apamama was on a visit to Kuria, one of 

 the principal chiefs in Apamama rebelled against him, gained over 

 many of his subjects, and obtained full possession of the island; 

 numbers, however, remained faithful, 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 mis- 

 taken, as they approached, for the warriors of the island returning; and 

 the old men, women, and children, crowded to the shore to meet them, 

 and welcome 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 Taputeouea, 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 entertained, 

 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 under- 

 takings, 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 

 tight. When this happens, their adversaries, if they get information of 



