The Hawaiian gazette., 1869-03-03

NUMBER NINE.
Written for the Gazette.

dlbcT Tue dIIlNd VI buc biiS ~ <uuu, L
went on board and explained the state of
affairs to the Captain. After bearing me
through, he at once decided to break up
the station, and go farther down the coast
to place called Mbua, adjacent to which
were extensive reefs, likely to abound with
the coveted fish. Orders were Immediate
ly given to bring the trade chests and
other valuables on board, and to fire the
houses. Before this was done, Kui Mali
came alongside in his double canoe, with
present of pigs, fish and fruits. Observing
the preparations we were making to leave
his place, he appeared 60 be greatly sur
prised, and inquired of the Captain the
reason of our abandonment of the fishery.
In answer he was told that he and his peo-
pie were bad Fijiimen, and the Captain
could not with safety leave his men among
them. At this, the old chief expressed
very much astonishment, and said it was
"Ndua ma vosa kaisi'-the story comes
from a slave-that the information must
have been given by one of the lowest class,
and adding that it was pure fabrication.
If we would only continue our fishing at
Mali, he would promise, and swear by all
the names of his fathers, that within one
month the brig should have all the ndree
she wanted. But cur Captain was not to
be moved from his purpose. While the
old chief was sitting crossed-legged on the
companion-way, thus beseeching, his fol-
lowers were alongside in his canoe, not al
lowed to come on board, but content with
looking up at, and admiring the "wonga
levu"-big canoe. By this time, every
thing having been got on board from the
trade-house, the anchor hove short and the
sails loosed. one of our guns-a nine-pound-
er-was fired, as signal to the party who
were yet on shore, to set fire to the houses.
Either by accident or purposely probably
the latter-on the part of the second mate,
the gun that was fred, was just over the
canoe of the Mali chief, whose men had
been expressing to each other their aston
ishment and admiration at the appearance
of the ..nantikai venua"-big gun. Their
astonishment was good deal increased,
and turned into terrible fright, as the
gun thundered out and belched forth smoke
and flame right over their heads. They
stood not upor the order of their going, but
went at once-oyerboard- dived be-
meath the surface, while the captain had
considerable difficulty in preventing the
old chief from jumping off the taffrail after
his scared followers. 1t was only by as
suring him that there was no shot in the
gun, and that the firing of it did not mean
war, that the chief and his people ventured
back to the canoe, but they padded hastily
away for the shore, while we sheeted home
the topsails, lifted the anchor and bore
away, the blazing biche-lemer and trade
house on shore-eomposed as they were,
of very dry notwithstanding forth their
flames heavenward, as high as the tall CO.
coanut trees. This was our good-by to
Mali, where 1 had SO narrowly escaped
being eaten.
Our next station was at Mbua Bay, the |
chief of which, like all chiefs on this coast,
was tributary to Mbau. He was, however,
a feeble old man, and owing to an afHiction |
Of elephantasis in one of his legs, which |
was swollen to three times its natural size,
he could not indulge in the luxury of war,
nor could he fish for ndree. But his son,
a fine looking, open countenanced fellow |
of about thirty, transacted all the business,
and personally superintended the fishing. |
We lay at this place-a noble bay, suf-
ficiently capacious to anchor FIVE hundred |
two months. and were very sue
cessful in fishing. We obtained great
many of the larger sort of bfcbe-le-mer,
which are found only in deep water-six or
eight fathoms-and are known by the na-
tives as Hndree ndum"-red ndSee They |
are very large, sometimes being found three
feet in length, and resemble, in appearance,
a huge caterpillar, when first taken out Of
the water. They are considered. by the
as more valuable than the COM
mon black sort, and bring few dollars
more, per picul, in Manila The young
chief, who was very industrious and ener-
yetic in fishing for US. lost his life one day
in diving for this kind Of fish. He was
living in seven fathoms of water, and had
brought up several of the valued fish, when,
making his third dive. it proved to be his
ast- A monster shark, which had lain
hidden in one of the holes Of the coral
'eef, pounced upon the poor fellow, and
swallowed him in plain view of his people.
Who sat helplessly in the canoe. Return
ng to the shore with the distressing news,
hey informed the captain, as they passed
he brig, and then mournfulIy padded
way. The Fijiimen do not wall over
leath, in the style Of the Hawaiians. but
it in silence, and, with the exception Of
he women, never she'd tears, as they con-
;dar II ,nuenlv M. rnl;ka IN th;s -