The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-05-27
lugREAss At TIKI AAlQUlsAs KLMDs.


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vslt Of the sleep q War Falmouth, and
the Reception OF her Omesrs.
From the Honolulu q. ~ PolynesisD, Feb l.
The United States ship Falmouth, hence 2ist
Nov, arrived ct Nukahivs, MArquesss Islands, on
the 9th Dec, al we'll. She had long passage,
81 8 days, occasioned by continued head winds.
;, Ihe Falmouth found IN port a. NuKanva, =
Quixote-the latter loading with hogs and provi-
sioas for San Francisco.
After remaining three days At the Maraaesas'
whence We hear from her under date of an 9th, all
well We have received from an officer on board Q
sketch Of her visit to the Marquesas which we give
below.
U. 5. SHIP FALMOUTH, Tahiti, Jan. ., 1851.
We sailed from Honolulu the 2lst, Nov, and
after contending with head winds thirty-6ve days,
arrived at Nukshiva on the 9th Dec, all well.
The harbor Is fne sheet Of water, scooped, as
il were, out Of the rocks by the hand Of man. II is
shoals or distractions; good deep anchorage
throughout, and securely sheltered on three sides
By rocky hills from five to fifteen hundred feet high,
partially covered with stunted heritage, and in many
places shooting up into naked rocks and cliffs.
At the head Of the harbor, an elevated rock,
projecting into the water, the French have fort
and barracks, deisnded in frons by ,glacis and
wall perforated with embrasures for musketry; the
strength, understand, does not exceed fifty men,
HE ofhcers are quartered in large stone mansion
two stories high, with an elevated basement and .
meat balcony around the upper story. The house
Of the Governor is Q handsome modern stone build
isg, embesomed in trees and surrounded by beau
tifal garden. The valley Of Nukahiva is quite
small, with population, was told, of about eight
hundred, which think high estimate.
Two French Catholic priests are stationed here,
parsaing their missionary labors; they have from
thirty to 6fy converts and school Of forty pupils
ing is in the middle Of charming garden, in
which many Of the fruits and flowers of the
tropics are cultivated, and number Of flower
erected neat little chapel, in which they
omciate regularly; their teachings, example,
and piety must have good effect in retaining the
savages around them.
The island, which is three thousand eight hundred
feet high in the centre has appearance of volcanic
origin coral formation, while its upright bassltic
rocks lead to the opinion that it must have been
apheaved from the bottom Of the great deep by some
great CONFUSION of natures its sides present great
number OF valleys separated in many places by only
narrow, rocky, mural ridge, and are generally
independent Of each other. War isfrequent among
them. In the words Of my informant, cit is hard
to tell when the war begins ends, it is always
gong on between some of the valleys"
The warriors of the valley next to leeward Of
Eukahiva, about two miles distant, went to make
On hearing which, the King, or Chief Of Nukahiva,
Immediately collected about fifty warriors, and
FASTENED to make war on, or plumber the defence
less valley, women and children, in the absence Of
its defenders. Such acts oftreachery, and the de-
sire Of plumber occasioned by their incidence and
necessities, make war perpetual among them.
No,wlthstandng these savage wars, the priests
80 all over the island, depending alone on their
sscred character for protection. One Of them, at
the time OF our arrival, was absent a mission to
the valleys "Typee" and 'Happar."
Captain Petigru, commanding this ship, hearing
that a Captain Fisher, of the whaleship Lyon, Of
New Bedford or Fairhayen, had been maltreated at
the island of Roua Poua, about twenty-five miles
south from Nukahiva, determined to go there and
fa hp far ha al III
One Of the Catholic priests, Mr. John Frechou, who
had frequently visited that island, and has many
converts, including the King, among its inhabitants
agreed to 60 along with US and lend his aid as in
terpreter or otherwise. On Sunday morning we
left Nukahiva, and about twelve o'clock came up
with the north side Of Roua Poua This island Is
one OF the Marquesas group, about seven leagues
IN circumference, and more than two thousand feet
high In the centre. On the highest point there
stands huge pile Of basaltic CLIFF resembling the
ruins Of some gigantic castle of ancient times, and
number Of columns, FIVE or six hundred feet high,
are standing around and amid the ruins, like
many old turrets watch towers. One OF
these wonderful indices Of nature is of oblong
form, springing up pcrpendcularly a wall, to an
immense height, and cleft mt the top to give il
the appearance of nm immense stack of chimneys,
pointing out the scene Of some terrible devastation
These central cliffs may be from any side Of
the island, and must excite the wonder Of all that
see them. some OF our party called them Needles
some Towers, and some the ruins of Roua Poua.
The ship was "iaid to-" boat lowered and
manned, and the crew armed. The first Lieutenant
Dir. Moor,) the priest and the pilot went in the
boat and put of for the valley OF " Hakahatos,"
where the King resided, to bring him on board
After some hours, the boat returned with the King
who Is a large sized man, Of morose eountenance
snd taeiturn disposition. His face, feet and legs
are tattooed all over and suppose his body i the
same. His large head covered with coarse
blask hair OF five or six inches long, top Of which
he wore pretty good old Panama hat; he had on
good superdne black cloth coat, (not very good
htD and Of the most Anticipated French fashion,
ornamented by military shoulder straps and pretty
good gold French epaulettes pair of white panta-
looms, that scarcely descended TO the middle Of his
legs whish cotton shirt, a red cotton SASH and
ian com pleted hia costume. Ills name had been
"Vikate, but on his conversion to Christianity he
was named "Pious." From the central cliff or
ruins before mentioned all the valleys Of the island
digerge. They are quite numerous, generally inds-
pendent, and separated by rocky hills some Of them
Jpttipg into the ocean in bold pTomontories.
The boats, after reporti1 az 70 the ship, sailed
around the northwest point Of the island, about
three or four miles, and after visiting two three
valleys the west side, dependencies Of the king)
returned to the ship, having with them a Kanaka
resident, native Of Oahu, who had acted as inter-
prefer for whaling captain about two months ago,
sad himself and the captain had been beaten BY the
sick at the time. The kanaka did not know the 1
name Of the captain or ship with whom he acted; /
but from the agreement Ia time, IL su pposed 70
be Caps ain Fisher, and the ship Lyon.
The wess side Of the ISLAND Is about seven or I
eight miles long, and contains probably many
independent valleys. Prom two Of these valleys, \
chiefs came On board voluntarily, although we're
lying two three miles on. One Of them, named /
Vuow, chief q the valley Of Apatska, noble look
ing man. about SIX feet high, entirely naked except
the marc, o. girdle his he ad shaved, except
circle oiab0ut five inches diameter the crown The
hair Of which was collected la the centre, aud tightly
tied in two rolls. lie was tattooed in most fancira
manner, and was graceful In his movements On
looking az him, IRE iuenty thought Of what an &C
qusitiOn he would be 10 some museum OF model
artist roppcin the United States lie said his val
ley contained two hundred aud fifty persons, forty
warriors and a. many muskets.
The kanaka pointed out the valley in which the
difficulty had occurred, and the captain decided 70
send ashore, in the morning, and u possible bring
on board the perpetrators, chief, by persuasion
or force. The priest said be had converts in that
valley, and he feared he could not induce them to
GENE on board, but he would try.
That ufvht fhora remained an hoard The kim