Attack on Malolo. 



FEE. J EE GROUP. 



Attack on Malulo. 



217 



noeled, and for this purjiose 1 kept under my own 

 immediate command, my gig, the first (.■utters of 

 tlio Vinceimes mid Peacock, under Lieutenants 

 Alden ntid Emmons, attd the tender s boat, under 

 Midshipman Clark. 



The party whieb was ti> land and attack Sualib, 

 was placed under the orders of Lieutenant-Com- 

 mandant Ringgold. It was composed of seventy 

 officers and men, of the crews of the Porpoise and 

 lender, with n few men from the boats, and was 

 arranged in three divisions, under Lieuteuant- 

 Coiumaiidiint Ringgold himself, Lieutenants John- 

 son and Maury. To the party were also attached 

 Lieutenant North, Passed-Midshipmen Sinclair 

 and Eld, with Assistant- Surgeon Holmes and 

 Mr. Agate. 



The party had orders after lauding to move 

 upon Siuilib, destroying all (lie plantations they 

 should meet on their way, sparing none except 

 women and children. They were then to march 

 across the island to Ami, and join me for tin* pur- 

 pose of re< embarking. Acting- Master Tot I en, 

 who was too unwell to assist in active operations 

 on shore, was left in charge of the. brig, with such 

 of the crew as were on the sick-list, and had orders 

 to prevent the natives escaping across the channel 

 to Malolo- Inilai. 



Nine o'clock in the morning was the hour ap- 

 pointed for landing Lieutenant-Commandant King- 

 golds force, which was effected in good order, and 

 the party being arranged in its three divisions, 

 marched off. Before the disembarkation was 

 effected, two natives endeavoured to p:i>* over to 

 Mulolo-liii-Ini, but a well-directed shot from Mr. 

 Totten eomp-lled them to return. 



As soon M Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold s 

 party had moved ofT, two canoes were seen turn- 

 ing the point of MaJolo-Jai-Iui. I gave immediate 

 orders to chase and intercept thera, when, if they 

 were fn>in any other island, they were to be 

 directed to return on their course, but if belonging 

 to Malolo, they were to be captured. All the 

 bouts pulled out, and Lieutenant Emmons, who 

 took the lead, succeeded in cutting them off from 

 the shore. Through Uahu Sam, his interpreter, 

 he found that they belonged to Malolo, and the 

 men in Lieutenant Emmons's boat were ho much 

 excited tliat they at once tired several muskets 

 into the canoes, by which some of (he persons in 

 (hem were struck; the rest immediately jumped 

 overboard, and swain in various directions. By 

 this time I had approached near enough to order 

 the tiring to cease, and «| (tarter to be given. The 

 swimmers were then picked up. Among them 

 were found one of the chiefs of Arro, the town we 

 were about to attack, with a woman, a girl, and an 

 infant. I directed the three last to be set on 

 shore and liberated, telling them we did not war 

 against women and children. The men I sent on 

 board the brig, to be put in irons, and had the 

 canoes towed alongside of her. 



As soon as we readied (lie town of Arro, per- 

 ceiving no natives to oppose us, I despatched 

 Lion tenant Emmons to pull towards the approach- 

 ing canoes and intercept them, while with the rest 

 of the boats' crews the town of Arro was burnt. 

 In doing this we met with no hindrance, for al- 

 though the place was large, evidently populous, 

 and well fortified with a ditch and fence, it was 

 found deserted. Many of the male inhabitants, as 



I afterwards learned, had gone to Sunlib, to aid in 

 the defence of that town, while others had accom- 

 panied the women and children to the mountains, 

 whither ail their moveable property had also been 

 carried. 



Having compe ted the ilestmeti of Arro, I 

 proceeded in the gig towards the north-west point 

 of the island, for the purpose of joining Lieutenant 

 Emmons, on rounding which, I observed the smoke 

 of the burning of Sualib. As I pulled around the 

 island, I Raw many of the natives on the highest 

 peaks, whither they had retreated for safety, and 

 others upon the beach, w ho, on seeing the boat, 

 Hed towards the mountains. Jn pursuit of these, 

 the *' fiery spirits" were frequently sent, to their 

 great alarm. Win n I had proceeded far enough 

 to get a view of the bay in front of Sualib, ucither 

 boat nor crmoes were in sight, and I turned back, 

 to rejoin the other boats off Arro. 



Un reaching them, Lieutenant Alden reported 

 that he had executed (he orders, mid had, fit high 

 water, towed off or destroyed all the canoes. 

 During my absence, an old man had ventured 

 down to the beach, with two others in his com- 

 pany, ami made signs that he wished to speak with 

 them. They held a parley with him, through the 

 interpreter, and learned that he was the chief of 

 Arro. He told them that he was houseless, had 

 lost his property, his son, nnd many of his people; 

 he declared that bis village had nothing to do with 

 the killing of the Papulangis, ami offering pigs,«xc., 

 as presents, begged that we would not punish him 

 any farther. 



Lieutenant- Commandant Ringgold, with his 

 party, reached Aito just at sunset. His three 

 divisions were separated immediately after they 

 landed, in order to cover more space, and more 

 effectually to destroy the plantations. The division 

 under Lieutenant Maury was the first to approach 

 Sualib. As soon as the natives got sight of it, 

 they set tip shouts of defiance. No signs of fear 

 were exhibited, but, on the contrary, «very proof 

 of a determination to resist, 



Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold in a short 

 I time came up with his division, >md on examining 

 the defences of the town, thought it expedient to 

 await the arrival of Lieutenant Johnson. Upon 

 the latter officer coming up, which was shortly 

 after, the three parties descended the hill, and 

 approached the ditch of the town. The natives 

 boldly sallied out to meet them, with a discharge 

 of arrows, nnd exhibited the utmost ennfideiree. 

 They in truth believed their town to be impregna- 

 ble,* for it had hitherto withstood every attack 

 made by Feejeo warriors. Ha defences evinced 

 no little skill in engine* ring: a ditch twelve feet 

 wide and full of mud and water, Mirrounded the 

 whole; next came u strong palisade, built of cocoa- 

 nut trunks, placed four or five feet apart, among 

 which was here and there a living tree; this pali- 

 sade w r os muted hy a fence of wicker-work, about 

 ten feet high, so strong and dense as to defy all 

 a i tempts to penetrate or even see through it; 

 inside of the palisade was a second ditch, recently 

 excavated, the earth thrown up from which formed 

 a parapet about four feet in thickness, nnd as many 

 in height. In the ditch the defenders sheltered 

 themselves, and only exposed their heads when 

 they rose to shoot through the loopholes left in the 

 palisade. A9 the whole party continued to ap- 



