Hemiuks itirriMin. wvivr pdat'ii Fresh aitfrov* muile.— .Anpaiiga Inland. _ .„ 



Rcletwof pri»onpr». ■ t'"^ UltUL I . jho Porpui/i j u in» the trader mu! 1mm.- 



(of which material the houses are for the most part 

 built,) to a running fire of musketry, tllnt every 

 one believed that a general fight was taking place 

 in the parts distant ami opposite tn him. 



About an hour sufficed to reduce the whole to 

 allies, leaving tho village a heap of smoking ruins. 

 We then returned to our boats in the same good 

 order iu which we landed. 



The town of Tye contained about sixty dwellings, 

 built of hanihoo, besides a number of yam-houses, 

 whereiu they had gathered their crops. The upper 

 and outer yams were well roasted, but the beat 

 from the light material w:is of short duration, so 

 that few iu reality were lost. Another small col- 

 lection of yam-houses, about a quarter or a mile 

 distant, was also burnt. 



Few things were found in the town, for the 

 natives had removed all the articles that could bo 

 carried away. Three or four weeks of labour 

 would, therefore, suffice to rebuild their houses, 

 aud restore them to the Banic state as before the 

 burning. 



There was no opposition made to this attack; all 

 the Feejee men had retired out of gun-shot, and 

 were only now iinil then seen from behind tho 

 bushes, or on some craggy peak on the sides of the 

 neighbouring hilts, from which they were occasion- 

 ally dislodged by our rockets. This firework pro- 

 duced consternation, and dispersed thorn in every 

 direction. As the boats were pulling off from the 

 shore, a few balls fell near us, but did no damage, 



Tho infliction of this punishment I deemed 

 necessary ; it was efficiently and promptly done, 

 and, without the sacrifice of any lives, taught these 

 savages a salutary lesson. 



In the first cutter was private and public pro- 

 perty to the value of above one thousand dollars, 

 which was all lost. 



By reference to my instructions, it will be seen 

 that cases of theft were expressly mentioned as 

 occasions that might require punishment to be 

 inflicted on the natives; yet this transaction formed 

 the gist of one of the charges preferred against me 

 by tho administration, on my return to the United 

 States. 



Tho conduct of the officers and men on this 

 occasion showed a promptness and energy that 

 were highly creditable, and gave me the assurance 

 that they were as much to bo depended upon in 

 dangers of this description, as 1 had hitherto found 

 I hem iu others. 



The next day having become satisfied that the 

 Sualib chiefs who had been detained by Lieutenant 

 Ferry had really meant to act a friendly part, 1 

 determined, for the purpose of making the contrast 

 a? strong as possible between those who had 

 offered aid and those who had stolen the cutter, 

 to reward the former for their good intentions. 



The next morning, all hands were called on deck, 

 and the prisoners brought to tho gangway in 

 irons, expecting that their time was now come, 

 and exhibiting great fear, both in their counte- 

 nances and trembling limbs. Through David 

 Whippy, I then told them, that although appear- 

 ances were at first against thero, I had satisfied 

 myself that they intended to act a friendly part in 

 assisting the launch, and as they hud taken no 

 share in the robbery ami capture of the boat, and 

 the people of their town had done nothing to 

 molest us, instead of punishing them, I should 



reward them with presents, ami scud them buck 

 safely to their town. The joy that was depicted 

 en their countenances at this change can readily 

 be imagined. Their irons wero then removed, and 

 the presents given. 



After thanking the officers and men for their 

 good conduct in this affair, we piped down, aud 

 our several occupations were resumed. 



On the IGlh of July, the tender and boats being 

 prepared, I ordered the following officers upon an 

 expedition : Assistant-Surgeon Fox, Acting-Master 

 Sinclair, Passed -Midshipman Kid, and Mr. Agnte, 

 to accompauy me iu the tender; Lieutenant Aldcu 

 and Midshipman Henry in the first, and Lieuu- 

 naut Underwood in the second culler of the Vin- 

 cenncs ; Lieutenant Emmons and Midshipman 

 I lark in the first cutter .if the IVaeock. The boats 

 being fully manned and armed, left the vessels in 

 the afternoon, for the inland of Augauga. 



Orders were left with Captain Hudson to resurvey 

 the May of Mbua, (for I was not satisfied with the 

 survey tliat had been made,) including the outlying 

 reef, and after having completed this duty, to pro- 

 ceed with the Peacock round to Mulhuuta, and 

 then return for the Vinconnea. It was my inten- 

 tion to circumnavigate the whole group of islands, 

 carrying meridian distances from island to island, 

 arid likewise to complete and connect by triangula- 

 tion all the parts that required further examina- 

 tion. I proposed to return to Mulhualu by the 

 north and east side of Vanuu-levu. 



Having satisfied myself with observations on 

 Lakeuiba Point, I set out in the tender at eight 

 o'clock, P.M., iu order to join the boats early the 

 next morning at Anganga Island, about thirty miles 

 from Mbua Bay, At 0 a.m. we anchored near the 

 west end of Anganga Island, where the boats soon 

 after joined us. Augauga Island is high, aud very 

 much broken; it Is not inhabited, and offers no- 

 thing but turtles in the season. 



At noon I was rejoiced to discover the Povpdse 

 in sight. She had beeu looked for during some 

 days, and I could not but feel anxious, knowing the 

 dangers with which the service 1 had scut her on 

 was surrounded. On her coming up, 1 ordered 

 signal to be made for her to anchor near us, and iu 

 the afternoon we joined company. 



Here I pursued my observations, and white I 

 was congratulating myself that I had now finished 

 my last station of the survey, aud that my meridian 

 distances and hit it tides were all complete, it was 

 reported to me that the tliree boats were in sight, 

 coming down before the breeze. So unusual an 

 occurrence at once made rue suspect that sotue ac- 

 cident had occurred; and on tho first sight 1 got of 

 them, I found that their colours were half-mast 

 and union down. I need not describe the dread 

 that came over mo. We reached the tender only 

 a few momenta before them, and when they ar- 

 rived, I learned that a horrid massacre had hut a 

 short hour before taken place, and saw tho muti- 

 lated and bleeding bodies of Lieutenant Joseph 

 A. Underwood and my nephew, Midshipman Wilkes 

 Henry. 



Tho boats were taken in tow, when we stood for 

 Matolo, aud as the night closed in, anchored in its 

 eastern bay. 



It would not be easy to describe my feelings at 

 this lime; the melancholy event of which 1 became 

 aware iu its full extent bv the return of the boats 

 B 2 



