294 



Swain't I»lnnd.— Uland of 



CRUISE OF THE PEACUCK. 



Attempt to capture Tag!, a 

 murderer. 



tattooed after tho same maimer. 'J'licy were nil 

 finely formed, ami manly in appearance, with 

 pleasing countenances that expressed good-nature. 



Tin v seemed eager enough for trade, and soon 

 diBiKnwd of all they had to exchange; a few pre- J 

 seats were also made them, but all inducements 

 failed to entice them on board. They appeared 

 very cheerful, laughing heartily at any thing that 

 struck them as ridiculous. 



Three boats, with several of the officers, landed 

 on the south-west point of the island, whither fuur 

 or five ramies accompanied them. The islet was 

 found covered with cocoa-nut trees, but there were 

 no houses upon it. They called it Fakaafo, which 

 was tho same ns the natives of Oatafu had desig- 

 nated as the island w here their great chief lived. 



Captain Hudson imw determined to bear away 

 for the situation of the island of the Gente Her- 

 mosas of Quiros. 



The position of this island is in longitude 1 70* 

 55' 15" \V„ and latitude 1I C 5'S.; it is uf coral 

 formation, but has no lagoon; it is nearly round, 

 and four miles and three-tenths in circumference; 

 it may be classed with the high corn I islands, and 

 is elevated from fifteen to twenty-live feet above 

 the level of the sea; it is well wooded with cocua- 

 nuls, pandamis, ntid other trees and shrubs. The 

 sea breaks constantly on all parts, and no safe 

 landing exists. Its situation differs from the posi- 

 tion laid down f.ir that of t^nir. s. Cap tain Hud- 

 son therefore called it Swain's Island, after the 

 master of a whaler, who had informed him of its 

 existence. When within a mile of the island, no 

 bottom could be bad with two hundred fathoms of 

 line. This isolated spot gave no other evidence of 

 its ever having been inhabited, except tho groves 

 of cocoa-nut trees. 



After securing observations fur its position, the 

 vessels bore away for Upolu, with the westerly 

 breeze, which had coutmued for the last eight days, 

 and been almost constant. Thin will serve to show 

 that there i« no real difficulty in the population of 

 Polynesia migrating from west to cant during this 

 season of the year, when the trade-winds are almost 

 entirely interrupted. 



I'niil the 4th of February they had had weather, 

 and heavy squalls, accompanied with thunder and 

 lightning. 



On the .5th of February, the mountains of Savaii 

 wore dimly visible, although they were between 

 fifty and sixty miles off. On the fith, they were off 

 the island of I'polu, when Captain Hudson, to lose 

 no time, despatched the lender, with two boats, to 

 survey the somh Side of the island, while the 

 launch, with the first cutter, was to be sent round 

 its east end, in order to complete the work in the 

 1" m |io-mI.1<> time. In the afternoon, the Peacock 

 anchored in Apia Harbour. 



At Apia, among their old acquaintances, they 

 encountered iVa, the ruling chief of the place, 

 wh.H-e lodging propensities still existed in all (heir 

 force. His form was equally rotund, and his desire 

 of being of service quite as great. Report spoke of 

 him as having become very religious of late, but 

 h'ts covetousuess had not diminished in consequence, 

 at least in tho opinion of our officers. He was 

 generally full of business, among his friends and 

 relatives, all of whom he considers more or less as 

 Ins dependants. He was very anxious to bo in- 

 formed w hat had become of his relative, Tuvai, the 



murderer, whom we liad carried away from these 

 islands on our former ^isit. 



On the 21st, while at anchor. Captain Hudson 

 hearing that the noted Sangapolutale, principal 

 chief of the towns of Saluafata, Fusi, and Salelese, 

 who had protected and refused to give up the mur- 

 derer of Gideon Smith, was at one of the towns 

 near by on a visit, determined, if possible, to sur- 

 prise and take him prisoner, to be held until such 

 time as the murderer were given up. F«ir this 

 purpose he visited the town before daylight of tbe 

 22nd, with a few officers and men, but without 

 success. 



Previous to this time, Captain Hudson had had 

 intercourse with this chief through our consul, Mr. 

 Williams; and had demanded of him the punish- 

 ment or delivery of the murderer, Tagi. In the 

 course of the communications, Sangapolutale ac- 

 knowledged that the murderer ought to he pun- 

 ished of given up; said he once wanted to kill him 

 himself; but being a petty chief, he was backed 

 and protected by the chiefs and the people of the 

 three towns before named, who were promised, in 

 case of necessity, assistance from some of the 

 neighbouring chiefs, as well as others on the oppo- 

 site side of the island. He further said, that he 

 was desirous of giving him up,n few months before, 

 to the commander of the Porpoise, It was dis- 

 tinctly stated to Sangapolutale, that the murderer 

 must be either punished or given up, in con- 

 formity to the regulations adopted in their fono, 

 composed of all the principal chiefs in the island, 

 and that if neither of these stipulations were com- 

 plied with, Captain Hudson would he compelled to 

 employ the force under him in burning the towns 

 that concealed and protected the murderer, and 

 set their own laws and us at defiance. 



Three days wen* given him from the time of the 

 interview, to comply with the demand. 11" pro- 

 mised to do what he could, but he was fearful of 

 the result, as his people wanted to light, and had 

 ben promised aid from many quarters. 



i»n the third day. his messengers arrived at 

 Apia, and brought word that the chiefs and people 

 were determined that the murderer should not be 

 given up or punished; that they defied the Papa- 

 langis and their power; and that, if Captain Hudson 

 chose to come and take him, they would give him a 

 fight. The messenger further stated, that they 

 well knew br» would be demanded according to 

 their own regulations, but they would take care he 

 should not be punished or given up. for they were 

 prepared to resist any attempt that would be made. 

 Many other insulting messages were received ; 

 among them, one from the murderer and his 

 friends, that when * he could kill a few more white 

 men, he would he given up." 



Such were their threats and boasting: their con- 

 duct was conformable to them, as represented by 

 our consul, the missionaries, and Mr. Cunningham. 

 II, H. M. vice-consul. Captain Hudson now saw 

 the necessity of taking some steps that would check 

 this criminal and audacious spirit, and prove to 

 the natives that we had the power to punish these 

 aggressions on our citizens. 



On the 24lh, the Peacock anchored in the har- 

 bour of Sahtafata. Preparations were therefore 

 made for swinging the broadside to the town, and 

 the npce«siry arrangements for landing completed. 

 Captain Hudson, however, still thought it proper to 



