Arro burnt. 



FEEJEE GROUP, 



Attack on Maloio. 



prorteh the fortification, our men spread out so as 

 to outflank the skirmishers, and by n few rockets 

 and n shower of balls showed (hem that they hurl 

 different enemies from Fecjoe men to deal with. 

 This compelled them to retire within the fortifica- 

 tion, and abandon all nn its outside to destruction. 

 When the skirmishers had retired into the for- 

 tress, ul! united in loud shouts of lako-mai (come 

 on t), flourishing their spears and clubs. 



Our party having approached within about 

 seventy feet of the stockade, opened its lire on Uie 

 fortification. Now was seen, what many of those 

 present had not before believed, the expertuess 

 with which these people dodge a shot at the flash 

 of a gun. Those who were the most incredulous 

 before, were now satisfied that they could do this 

 effectually. 



For about fifteen minutes nn obstinate resistance 

 was kept up with musketry and arrows. In this 

 the women and children were as actively engaged 

 bh the men, and all made a prodigious clamour. 

 After the above time, the noise diminished, the 

 defence slackened, and many were seen to make 

 their escape from a gate which was intentionally 

 left uimttaeked, carrying the dead and wounded on 

 their backs. A rocket, of which severaJ had 

 already been tried without visible effect, now struck 

 one of the thatched roofs; a native sjiruiig up to 

 tear it off, but I hat moment was his last, ami the 

 roof immediately burst into llaracs. Upon this 

 Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold recalled several 

 officer* who were desirous of storming the town 

 through its small gate, an attempt which, even if 

 successful, must have been attended with loss of 

 life on our part, and which the success of the 

 rocket practice rendered unnecessary. To force 

 the gate would have been a difficult operation, had 

 it been defended with the lea>t pertinacity, for it 

 was constrtict"d in the manner of a fish-weir. The 

 natives, us lias been seen, had, in addition to their 

 arrows, clubs, spears, and muskets; but the latter 

 wore so unskilfully bundled as to do little damage, 

 for they, as I had before been informed was their 

 practice, put charges into them according to the 

 size of the person tin y intended to shoot at. They 

 believe that it requires a larger load to kill a large 

 man than it does to kill a small one. The bows 

 and arrows were for the most [tart used by the 



•room, 



The moment the Uames were found to be spread- 

 ing, a scene of confusion ensued that baffles de- 

 scription. Tito shouts of men were intermingled 

 with the cries and shrieks of the women and chil- 

 dren, the roarittg of the fire, the bursting of the 

 bamboos, and an occasional volley of musketry. 



The heat became so intense, that Lieutenant- 

 Commandant Ringgold drew off the divisions to a 

 cocoa-nut grove in the neighbourhood, where he 

 waited until the conflagration should have ex- 

 hausted its fury. After the lapse of an hour, tin- 

 whole town was reduced to ashes, and a few of the 

 officers and men were able, although with difficulty, 

 to enter within its ditch, h was evident that large 

 quantities of water and provisions (pigs, Sec) had 

 been stored up, in the anticipation of n lung siege. 

 Numerous clubs, spears, bows and arrows, WW 

 several musket", were picked up, together with 

 fish nets, tapa, Ac, and the cap of Lieutenant 

 Underwood. Only four bodies wen- found, among 

 win on was (hat Of a child, which had been seen 



dining the conflagration, apparently deserted, and 

 in a state of danger, from w hich our men would 

 gladly have relieved it, had it been possible. 



Our party sustained but little injury. Only one 

 man was struck by a ball, which, however, did no 

 oiher harm than to tear his jacket. Several were 

 wounded by arrows, but only Samuel Stretch, 

 ijiiartfi--gnnn--r, so s-ver« ly as to cause any solici- 



fiftit, 



After the destruction of the town, the third 

 division, under Lienti uaet Maury, «ih ordered to 

 return to the brig, along the beach of the western 

 side of the island. Tills route was chosen for the 

 sake of the wounded man, who was unable to travel 

 over the hills. The first and second divisions 

 marched across the island to the town of Arro. 

 The officers describe the scene that lay before 

 them, w hen I hey had reached the highest J>nrt of 

 the ground that lay in their route, ns extremely 

 beautiful. In the valley below them, and on the 

 declivities of ihe hills, were to be seen yam and 

 taro-patches kept in ihe neatest order, with the 

 small yam-houses (lohdo) in the midst, surrounded 

 by groves of tall cocoa-trees, and plantations of 

 bananas. All looked quiet and peaceful, in strong 

 contrast to the exciting contest in which they had 

 just been engaged, and the character of the ruth- 

 less air I murderous race who had been the occu- 

 pants of the smiling valley. 



Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold, with these 

 divisions, reached the beach of Arro at sunset, 

 when a pari of the men were embarked in the 

 canoes and boats. Lieutenant Alden was at once 

 despatched round (he island in tho cutter, for the 

 purpose of rendering assistance to Lieutenant 

 Maury, but lie arrived too Inte to be of service. 



While these transactions were taking place on 

 the island, the water also became the scene uf a 

 conflict. Lieutenant Emmons, who had been de- 

 spatched to intercept the five cam >e8, reported to be 

 seen from the ridge, pulled round the island with- 

 out discovering them. While making this circuit, 

 he fell in with the party under Lieutenant North, 

 and took the wounded man into the boat, leaving 

 one of his eight in his place, lie then pulled to the 

 brig, where he refreshed his men, and in the after- 

 noon proceeded round Maloio lailai to search for 

 the canoes, supposing they might have escaped and 

 been drawn up in the mangrove-bushes, lie soon, 

 however, discovered the enemy poling along on the 

 outer reef towards Malolo-lailai. They were some- 

 what separated when first seen, but as he approach- 

 ed, the weathertnost made sail to leeward to join 

 tlmir companions, and when they had accomplished 

 this, nil struck their sails and advanced to attack 

 him, manoeuvring together. In each canoe there 

 were about eight warriors, having a kind of breast- 

 work to protect them from the shot, while Lieu to - 

 nnnt Emmons's boat's crew consisted only of seven. 

 After a short but severe contest, only one of the 

 canoes escaped ; the others were all captured, 

 together with their warriors. Lieutenant Emmons 

 reached the brig, with three of his prizes, a little 

 before midnight. 



Shortly after daylight, a few natives were seen 

 on the boa eh opposite to the tender, I had been 

 hoping throughout the night that some overture 

 would bo made, and at once took my gig, with the 

 interpreter, and polled for them. As we approached 

 the edge of the rei-f, which Mas now hare, it being 



