ment of defeat, Captain Wilkes very wisely and properly thought it necessary to insist, and it was accordingly performed upon the beach near Sualib, by all the surviving Chiefs and Warriors of the Island.

With what motives, or upon what arguments, the conduct of Captain Wilkes, throughout this lamentable affair, has been, as he himself informs us, accused as 'cruel, merciless, and tyrannical,' we are unable to conjecture. Assuming-as surely, in dealing with facts so notorious, we safely may -that his public account of the matter is correct, we are inclined to think, that further hesitation in commencing hostilities, would have been nothing short of unpardonable weakness, in any man recognizing

being complete, they put to sea from Mali;
and to the great delight of all on board, ex-
cept the exiled Vendovi, lost sight of the
inhospitable shores of the Feejee Archi-
pelago for the last time.

On the 24th September, the Vincennes, having parted company from her consorts on the passage, reached the Sandwich Islands, and anchored in the roads of Honolulu, the capital of the Island of Oahu. The Tender was already at anchor; the Peacock arrived on the 30th; and the Porpoise, which had been left behind to make some additional surveys in the Feejee group, on the 7th of October. The King of the Sandwich Islands, Kamehameha III., arrived at Honolulu on the 29th of September, for the hostilities being actually begun, any irreso- can officers. He is a young man, and his lution in continuing them, until the com- appearance and manners made a very faplete submission of the enemy, would have vorable impression on Captain Wilkes. His given the attempt the character of useless portrait, with its closely shaven face, short and therefore unjustifiable revenge, instead mustache, and well-fitted uniform, contrasts of necessary chastisement. We are to re-strangely with those of his kinsmen, the member that the question is not whether a grim Chiefs of Ambau and Rewa; though

the lawfulness of self-defence; and that, express purpose of welcoming the Ameri

civilized Commander can afford to overlook with contemptuous compassion, an insult to his national flag; or can bring himself, as a Christian, to pardon the cruel murder of his friends. The question is, whether some fifty or sixty hostile savages shall be put to death, in just and open warfare; or whether the crew of every vessel which approaches their shores shall be exposed to massacre, until some maritime nation is roused to the determination of making a terrible example, and the infatuated islanders are exterminated to a man. Could a Feejee Chief be brought to comprehend the power of the countries to whose commerce in the Pa

we are far from certain that, in point of
picturesque dignity, the advantage is on the
side of the more civilized Polynesian. The
Sandwich Islanders-or Kanakas, as they
call themselves-are, like the Tahitians,
reclaimed and softened by semi-civilization.
Notwithstanding the stain left upon their
character, by the treacherous murder of the
illustrious voyager who first discovered their
country, they are in general a harmless and
well-disposed race; and appear to be more
trustworthy, and to have more regard for
truth and honesty, than the tribes of the
southern Pacific. But they are dull, indo-
lent, and timid; and it is clear from several

cific the incorrigible piracies of his coun- incidents related by Captain Wilkes, as trymen had for so many years been a con- having occurred during the subsequent asstant grievance, he would readily acknow-cent of Mauna Loa, that they retain all the ledge, that such conduct as that of Captain want of sympathy for each other, and all

Wilkes was the truest humanity; not merely to those who may be exposed to future acts of violence, but to those who might be tempted to commit them.

the thoughtless selfishness which forms so
remarkable a feature in the inert and feeble
character of the Polynesian mind.

On the 3d of December, the Vincennes
sailed from Honolulu, and stood to the
south-east; on the 8th she made the Island
of Hawaii, the largest of the Sandwich
Isles; and on the 9th she anchored in Hilo

After leaving Malolo, the boats returned directly to Sandalwood Bay; and shortly after, the Vincennes and Peacock got under weigh, and anchored off Mali-a small island on the northern coast of Vannaleon Bay. The principal object of her visit to

-in readiness to sail on the 9th of August: Hawaii, was to survey a large volcanic mounthey were joined at this station by the Por-tain named Mauna Loa, whose summit is

1

poise and the Seagull, which had been dispatched from Malolo to revisit Kantavu, Levuka, and Ambau. And on the 11th, the surveys and other duties of the squadron

nearly 14,000 feet above the level of the
sea. The party employed in this duty was
commanded by Captain Wilkes himself,
and consisted of several officers and scien-

tific gentlemen, ten seamen, and about two | favor of the latter, the question of suprehundred natives, who acted as guides and macy throughout the Pacific Ocean. Duporters. They left the ship on the 14th, ring their long stay upon the summit of

and encamped for the night beside a vast volcanic lake or crater, at a place named Kilauea, at the south-eastern base of Mauna Loa. The 17th was passed in surveying the crater of Kilauea; which is an oval dangerous accident take place, except in

procure, on account of the indolence, in- left her anchorage, and on the 18th returned subordination, and continual disputes of to Honolulu. On the 23d she was joined the Kanakas; so that the party now con- by the Porpoise, which had sailed on the sisted of nearly three hundred men. The 16th of November; and had since been 20th, being Sunday, was passed in repose; employed in making a more accurate sur

a point called by the sailors Pendulum Juan de Fuca, and anchored in Port DisPeak; and situated on the eastern side of covery. On the succeeding days they con

mountain-a point almost exactly opposite its tributaries. The Vincennes and Porthe bay; and while lying at this place, Cap- to destroy Utiwa. They were opposed in tain Wilkes received the disastrous news that landing by a flotilla of canoes, which they the Peacock, whose non-arrival had for dispersed with a loss of twelve men killed; some time caused him great anxiety, had after which they burned the town, and rebeen wrecked at the mouth of the Columbia. turned on board without having been able

On the 3d of August the Vincennes and to find any traces of their unfortunate shipPorpoise put to sea from New Dungeness, mate. We have already shown the necessity and on the 6th arrived off the mouth of the of prompt and effectual retaliation in all

Columbia. Here they were joined by the Flying-fish, on board which vessel was Captain Hudson, from whom Captain Wilkes now received the report of the late misfor

tune.

It appeared that after departing from Oahu, eight months previously, the Peacock and Flying-fish had continued for several weeks cruising to the southward, in search of various small islands and coral reefs which had been reported to exist; but most of which they were unsuccessful in discovering. On the 28th of January, 1841, they discovered an island, previously unknown, lying to the north of the Samoan group, which Captain Hudson named Bowditch Island; and on the 6th of February the Peacock arrived off the island of Upolu, and anchored in the harbor of Apia on its northern coast. On the 6th of March they left the Samoan group, and stood to the

cases of this sort; and we may add, that in
the present case it was the more indispen-
sable; because the natives, in their entire
ignorance of civilized war, might very easily
have been induced to entertain a most dan-
gerous opinion of their own superiority.
On the 8th of May, being then nearly in
the latitude of the Sandwich Islands, Cap-
tain Hudson resolved to proceed at once to
his rendezvous in the Columbia. The Pea-
cock, therefore, altered her course to the
eastward; and on the 17th of July, after
stopping for a few days at the Sandwich
Islands, arrived off the mouth of that river.
The bar at this place is well known to be
extremely dangerous of passage; nor was
there any pilot to be procured at the time of
the Peacock's arrival; but Captain Hudson
being considerably behind the time fixed
for his presence, and having with him cer-
tain written instructions upon which he

north-west, and on the 14th they made the considered himself justified in relying, remost southerly island of the Ellice group. solved to make the attempt. On the 18th, They continued their course in the same accordingly, the Peacock stood for the direction for nearly two months, during shore; but, though every possible precauwhich time they touched at most of the tion was taken as she approached it, she small islands comprising the Ellice and struck in a very short time upon a shoal, Kingsmill groups. They found great diver- and remained immovably grounded. It was

soon found that her situation was hopeless;
on the 19th, her crew reached the land
without loss, though not without consider-
able difficulty and danger; and on the morn-
ing of the 20th, it was found that the ship
had gone to pieces in the night. We must
not omit to add, that Captain Wilkes ex-
presses himself perfectly convinced of the
propriety of Captain Hudson's determina-
tion to attempt the passage of the bar; and
speaks in the highest terms of his conduct
during the shipwreck.

sity of character among the natives; but
the generality appear to have displayed the
worst characteristics of the Polynesian race;
and on one occasion their treacherous fero-
city was the occasion of very serious mis-
chief. This was at Taputeouea, or Drum-
mond's Island; one of the largest of the
Kingsmill group, and supposed to contain
about ten thousand inhabitants. The na-
tives, who appeared a remarkably warlike
and ferocious race, had been repeatedly
guilty of insulting behaviour to their vis-
itors; and had more than once shown a
very suspicious wish to decoy them into
situations unfavorable to defence. At plan of the expedition. The Vincennes,
length one of the Peacock's seamen, who under Captain Ringold, was immediately
had gone on shore to visit a town named dispatched to San Francisco; while Cap-

Utiwa, failed to reappear on board. Every inquiry was made without effect, until no doubt remained of his assassination by the natives. Captain Hudson then resolved to punish the outrage; and on the 9th of March sent on shore his boats, with orders

The loss of the Peacock made it necessary to alter, in some degree, the general

tain Wilkes, with the Porpoise and Tender,
passed the bar, and anchored off the town
of Astoria. His first care was to provide a
vessel for the accommodation of the Pea-
cock's crew, as well as to assist in the fu-
ture operations of the squadron; and this

he fortunately found means to effect. An port to the blooming solitude of a Tropical American merchant brig, then lying in the Island, or to the silent desolation of a Poriver, was purchased on behalf of the go-lar coast. There could scarcely be a vernment, named the 'Oregon,' and placed stronger contrast between two inhabited under the command of Captain Hudson. regions, than between the scenes at present While the necessary alterations in the visited by the Vincennes, and the savage equipment of their new consort were going cannibals of the Fejee Isles, or the sordid on, the Porpoise and Flying-fish proceeded fishermen of the north-east coast. Manilla to explore the navigable part of the Colum- is a true Spanish colony; and the colonists bia. They left Astoria on the 18th of have introduced among the natives all the

August, and ascended the river as far as Fort Vancouver; where they were very hospitably received by the officers of the Hudson's Bay Company. They remained at this place from the 28th of August to the 14th of September; during which time par

picturesque and voluptuous indolence of their national manners. It is difficult to imagine ourselves in the Pacific Ocean when we read of the Prado with its groups of smoking or gambling loungers; of the Tertulia with its guitars, dances, and

ties were constantly employed in surveying lemonade; or of the courteous officials, the surrounding country; and on the latter with their sonorous names and formal poday they set out on their return to Astoria, liteness. The natives of Sooloo, on the where they anchored on the Ist of October. other hand, are in all respects Asiatics;

On the 5th of October, the weather be- and, with their slender forms and effeminate

features, bear far greater resemblance to the Hindoo than to the Malay or Polynesian race. It is curious to recognize, in the deportment of the petty despot of this obscure island, the same puerile eagerness to display dignity and compel servility, which has so often excited the surprise of European Embassies at the splendid courts of Delhi or Ispahan. In other respects, these islanders seem to bear a very indifferent character; being, according to the description of Captain Wilkes, perfidious and cowardly in disposition, and, like most of the natives of the East Indian Archipelagos, inveterate pirates.

On the 12th of February the Vincennes left Sooloo, passed to the westward of Borneo, and anchored on the 19th in the road

ing favorable, the Porpoise and Oregon passed the bar; and on the 10th they were joined by Captain Wilkes with the Tender. The three vessels then stood to the southward; and arrived in San Francisco Bay on the 19th, where they found the Vincennes at anchor. Captain Ringold, who had arrived in the bay on the 14th of August, had already made considerable progress in exploring the Sacramento river; and in a few days every thing was in readiness for the final departure of the squadron from the north-west coast. On the 22d of October, the Vincennes, Porpoise, Oregon, and Flying-fish left the harbor, and on the 17th they arrived at Honolulu. On the 27th of November the squadron again put to sea, and took their last leave of the Sandwich Islands. The Vincennes and Flying-fish of Singapore; where she found the Porthen parted company from their consorts; poise, Oregon, and Flying-fish. The place and standing to the westward, entered the is a perfect Emporium of Eastern comSea of China, and anchored in the roads of merce; but its prevailing character appears Manilla on the 13th of January, 1842. On to be Chinese; and the temples, jossthe 21st they left Manilla; the Vincennes, houses, and junks of the natives, are adornparting company from the Tender, crossed ed with all the ingenious deformities which the Sooloo Sea to the southward, and on characterize the labors of that singular the 3d of February anchored off the town people. At this place the Flying-fish was of Soung, which is the capital of Sooloo, a reported unseaworthy, and was.consequentsmall island lying to the north-east of Borneo. ly, to the great regret of the whole SquadThe late Captain Basil Hall has, with ron, disposed of by public sale. Captain his usual vivacity, described the forcible Wilkes expresses the natural regret of a impression which the different habits of seaman, in parting with a faithful compandifferent nations make upon the seaman; ion of a long and dangerous expedition;

who, instead of passing from one to the other by the gradual progress of a land traveller, has nothing but the difference of climate to prepare his imagination for the change from the bustle of an English

but the recollection of the melancholy fate which, three years before, had befallen the Seagull, a vessel of the same class and size, deterred him from making the attempt to carry her to the United States.

We may now pass briefly over the une- all kinds of epistles are sent him, for the sole ventful conclusion of these voyages. On purpose of drawing His Grace of his autothe 26th of February the Vincennes, Por- graph. We have seen many of the Duke's anpoise, and Oregon sailed from Singapore;

prompting some spirited young men to And therefore, as Mr. - ought to have serve a campaign with Don Carlos, or to known, is not called upon to cry eyes right' pass a hunting season with the Paunee In- to the potatoes. But Mr. already knew dians. It differs from the mere love of ex- as much. All he wanted was the Duke's aucitement and adventure, as the courage of tograph, and he got it.-Punch.