Towns of Sdiufato, Fuii. and /i niII cn T| ,,, w KcnfK l»>*nil of Fonmfute in EUlce'* 0Q - 

 SaJilcsc reduced to ashts. CRUISE Or FHE I LALOGh- Krmip of Ulandi. 2y5 



wait a few hours, in the hope of receiving some 

 communication from the natives, and that they 

 would at the last moment agree to give up or 

 punish the murderer. Hut no overture* whatever 

 being made, nt nine o'clock the boats were manned, 

 and lav mi their oars, ready for the signal to pro- 

 ceed. A fire was now opened from the ship, the 

 balls being elevated ho as to pass over the town; 

 after which the boats pushed for the shore, the 

 party landed, and the town of Saluafata, wlurh 

 consisted of about seventy-five houses, was reduced 

 to ashes. The towns of Fusi and Sab-lese, of some 

 fifty more, shared the same fate. The party then 

 re turned to the ship, without any accident to them- 

 selves or the natives, having met with no opposition 

 whatever, notwithstanding the great, boastings and 

 bravado messages which had been sent by the 

 chiefs and inhabitant's. 



This act was performed with great reluctance., 

 and not until tho most perfect conviction of its 

 MDg absolutely necessary to secure the safety of 

 the crews of such of our whaling fleet as touch at 

 this island, as well as to restore the respect duo to 

 our flag and those who sail under it, and to correct 

 • ho erroneous opinion, that our forbearance was 

 the result of fear of their prowess and numbers. 

 In their transactions, and outrages committed on 

 strangers, they had exhibited a fearlessness and 

 spirit of daring that it was time to put a atop to. 

 Hv this attach upon them, they became fully sensi- 

 ble that they were n>>t our equals in war, nor 

 capable of resisting attacks that might he made on 

 them ; they have in consequence become much 

 more humble, so that the general opinion through- 

 out the islands is, that hereafter they must conform 

 to the regulations they made on our former visit, 

 and maintain them with strict integrity towards 

 foreigners. 



Since this transaction. I have received letters 

 from the island of Upolu, which inform me that 

 this well-deserved punishment has had a must 

 happy effect, and has put a termination to evils 

 that had formerly been of common occurrence. 



They now left Salnafata, and on the evening of 

 the 5th, anchored in the roadstead of Mataatu, 

 island of Savaii. 



The town of Mataatu is beautifully situated on a 

 bay, which is no more than amen:* indentation of 

 the const 1 1 is surrounded by extensive cocoa-nut 

 groves, behind which the houses are built, in num- 

 ber about four hundred. The town contains about 

 two thousand inhabitants, most of whom are still 

 heathens. 



On the fith of March, they sailed from the road- 

 stead of Mataatu, for the islands known on the 

 chart of Arrowsmith as El lice's Group. 



At noon, on the 14th, they made land, and by 

 2 r. Km they were close to what proved to bo an 

 extensive ring of small islets, situated on a coral i 

 reef surrounding a lagoon. These are so far i 

 separated as to give the idea of distinct islands, i 

 which has probably led to their having the name 

 of "group." These islets are well covered with 

 cocoa-nut and other trees, which give them a 

 sulficienL elevation to be seen at ten or twelve 

 miles distance. The reef which links these islets 

 is awash, over which the sea breaks with violence. 

 There are two openings in its west side, and an 

 island off its south-west point, at the distance of a 

 mile, five miles in length by two in width. The 



island is thirteen miles long, in a north -by-east and 

 south-by -west direction, aud seven miles and two- 

 tent lis east and west 



\\ hen i he v< h.irl ajipronehed within a short 

 distance of the largest inland, two canoes were seen 

 coming towards tile ship, only one of which came 

 near. In it were five men ; and from the familiar 

 manner in which they came alongside, it was evi- 

 dent they had had frequent communication with 

 vessels. They refused to come on board, but ex- 

 hibited various articles of traffic. 



They had no other weapons but spears and 

 knives, and seemed to be equipped for a fishing 

 party, from the implements they had with them. 

 Some rolls of sennit were bought, and large wooden 

 shark-honks. Their spears were only poles of cocoa- 

 nut wood, pointed at one end ; and their knives 

 made of small sharks' teeth, inserted into a stick 

 w ith gum and fine sennit, and are about a foot long. 



It was soon found that they understood the 

 Samoan language, and spoke- a purely Polynesian 

 dialect. The Samoan native easily Conversed with 

 them. They gave the name of the island as Fana- 

 fute. They seemed perfectly familiar with white 

 men. and w hen the guns were fired for a base by 

 sound, they show ed no kind of alarm. 



The island was surveyed, and was found to be 

 in latitude li : 30' 45" S.,* longitude 170° 13' 30" E. 

 There appears to be good anchorage within the 

 lagoon; an abundance of wood is to bo had, but it 

 is believed there is no adequate supply of fresh 

 water. 



From what was ascertained, the population was 

 put down at two hundred and fifty souls. 



The ves-els left Ellice's Group the same evening, 

 proceeded under easy sail, and at daylight made 

 the Depeyater Islands, distant three and a half 

 mih s to i he north-west. 



They surveyed this island; and on the same day 

 Tracy's Island, whose native name is Oaitupu, was 

 in sight to the eastward. The observation* placed 

 if in latitude 7 2b" S., aud longitude 173° 43' 35" 

 E. It is well covered with trees, and to all ap- 

 pearance as extensive an ]>opoyslor [eland. 



Depeyster Island is called by the natives Nuku- 

 fetiu ; they are acquainted with Fauafute, or 

 Ellice's Island, and also with Oaitupu, or Tracy's 

 Island. On being ie-ked if these were all the 

 islands they knew of, they said, pointing to the east, 



that bey I Oaitupu there were three islands, 



called Oatafu, Nukunono, and Faknafo, which it 

 will he recollected are those of the Union Group. 

 Mr. Hale pressed the inquiry, if this were alt; and 

 with some hvsitation they added the nam- ofOttoth 

 singa, w hich is one of the small eastern islands of 

 tin- Samoan Group; but what seemed strange, they 

 ■lid not understand the name of Samoa. On men- 

 tioning Tonga and Haabai, the names appeared to 

 lie recognised. 



The vessels left Nnkufetan the same evening, 

 nnd steered away to the northward. Ill latitude 

 0 10 S., and longitude 177 41' E., they passed a 

 small island which has no lagoon, aud does not 

 appeal* to be named on any of the charts. This 

 they saw at some distance, and although it appears 

 to have been seen before, yet as the charts only 

 designate it as an island, 1 have bestowed upon it 

 tho name of Speiden, after the purser of the Pea- 

 cock, one of the most valuable officers of the ex- 

 pedition. 



