86 NEW OUIKEA. 
news of the arrival of the flotilla, the women and children 
took flight with the small canoes, carrying with them 
everything of value* They went to the opposite shore, 
and into the interior bays, in order to avoid the rapacity of 
the crews of the flotilla. The chief at once went to 
Capitan Amir (a Tidore prince in command of the 
flotilla), talcing with him a slave and a great number 
of birds-of-paradise as a present. It is not to be 
wondered at that the flotilla instils so much fear, for 
wherever it goes the crews pillage and steal as much 
as they can, destroying the plantations, and appro- 
priating everything that takes their fancy. It is by 
means of these ' Hongi' expeditions that the Sultan 
maintains his power, for on failure of obedience, or 
negligence in the execution of his orders, such a fleet 
is sent to kill or make captives of the people, to destroy 
the villages, and thus to punish all in a severe manner. 
A specimen of this has already been mentioned when 
speaking of Geby, which was reduced by a similar fleet. 
Last year a flotilla was sent by the Sultan to bring under 
subjection the countries situated to the eastward of the 
Great Bay (of New Guinea), but when the crews were on 
shore near the Ariraoa Islands, they were attacked by the 
natives and compelled to return, with the loss of six 
killed and many wounded/'* 
The population of D017 must have increased very 
considerably since the visit of Forrest in 1775, as the 
village at that time consisted of only two large tenements, 
while, in 1850, the number had been augmented to thirty- 
* Braijn Kops, « Tijdselmft/' p. 19^1-. 
