The King's Artillerymen. 
219 
women and children, the groans of the wounded, 
the number of the dead, and the fierceness of 
the conflagration formed a picture almost too 
distracting and awful for the mind steadily to 
contemplate. Some, with a kind of sullen and 
stupid resignation, offered no resistance, but 
waited for the hand of fate to despatch them, 
no matter in what mode ; others, that were 
already lying on the ground wounded, were 
struck with spears and beaten about with clubs 
by boys who followed the expedition to be 
trained to the horrors of war, and who delighted 
in the opportunity of gratifying their ferocious 
and cruel disposition. Every house within the 
great fortress that was not on fire was plundered 
of its contents, and thus, in a few hours, the fort 
of Nukualofa, which had obstinately and bravely 
resisted every attack for eleven years or more, 
was completely destroyed. 
“ As soon as Finau came within the fort, and 
saw several large canoes which had been carried 
there by the garrison, shattered to pieces by 
the round shot, and discovered a number of 
legs and arms lying around, and three hundred 
and fifty bodies stretched upon the ground, he 
expressed his wonder and astonishment at the 
