188 
CRUISE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 
heathen practices, and resisting all the efforts 
of the missionaries to change their evil ways, 
the king, who was a zealous convert about this 
time, sought the assistance of the captain of an 
English man-of-war then in port to chastise these 
idolaters, and so help convert them by the aid of 
the sword.” Captain Croker landed ; taking two 
field- pieces with him and a number of blue-jackets 
and marines. The village is about five miles from 
the anchorage, and it seems that on their arrival 
they found that the natives had fortified it with 
an earth embankment. The assault was led by 
Captain Croker, it is said, with sword in one hand 
and Bible in the other. However, very early in 
the engagement, he received a mortal wound from 
an arrow, several of his followers were killed or 
wounded, and the cannon captured ; the English 
retreating, without at all assisting the mission. The 
old king remembers all this, and has caused the 
monument to be erected. 
These islands are all of coral formation, and sur- 
rounded with extensive reefs extending away to the 
northward. The luxuriance of the foliage is not 
surpassed anywhere within the Tropics. Although 
but little attention seems to be given to cultivation, 
yams, sweet potato, banana, cocoa-nut, bread-fruit, 
sugar-cane, shaddock, and limes are produced plenti- 
fully, and find a ready sale with whale-ships and 
other vessels visiting the port. 
