2l8 
Wild Life in Southern Seas. 
assault, and set fire to the place, for which 
purpose a number of torches, made from the 
split spathes of the coconut palm, were pre¬ 
pared and lighted. An attack was then made 
upon the first line of fencing and entrenchments, 
which were, however, so weakly defended that 
they were soon captured, and one of the door¬ 
posts having been shot away, an easy entrance 
was obtained to the inner fencing. This, in 
many places, was not defended, and towards 
these spots the storming party rushed with 
lighted torches, whilst the enemy were kept 
engaged elsewhere. The conflagration spread 
rapidly on every side ; and as the besieged 
endeavoured to make their escape, their brains 
were knocked out by a second column of Finau’s 
troops, stationed at the back of the fortress for 
that purpose. During all this time the English¬ 
men kept up a regular fire with unshotted guns, 
merely to intimidate the enemy. At last a 
general assault was made, and the conquerors, 
club in hand, entered the place from several 
quarters, and slew without mercy all they met 
—men, women, and children. The scene was 
truly horrible. The war-whoop shouted by 
the combatants, the heartrending screams of the 
