The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-08-24
BY AZ EYEWITNESS.
The Expedition Against tie AtuaIs
as Seen from L. B. II. S. Curacao.

was arranged on the 9Th inst. that an
attack should be made on the rebel
position at Lutuanuu. a notification
TO this effect was sent 10 tine Atuan
rebels and also to the Kings forces.
The plan of campaign was that at . a
IN. on the 18th the Curacao and Bus
sard should shell the rebel stronghold,
and, at a given signal, the loyal forces
should advance and occupy 1t, and
then completely destroy the forts by
fire; after which, under cover from the
guns of the warships, Malietoa's war
riors should advance on Saluafata.
On the 10th inst. II. NJ. 5. Curacao
left Apia at p. m, followed closely
by III. /. c. NJ. :. Bussard, and short
w afterward anchored at Vailele. In
the meanwhile II. i. NJ. ;. Fake
proceeded to Solosolo from that place.
Before we entered Vaitele a boat
manned by Atuans, flying a white
flag of truce, and and conveying the
rebel chief Muliufi, came alongside the
Curacao for parley, which, however,
was of short duration. He said they
would vacate the rebel position if the
Kings men would leave their fort.
He was told that shortly after 8 a. M.
the next day they would have to leave
whether they liked it or not.
On the morning of the 18th at a.
IN. tine rebels took the initiative and
set fire to their position on the ridge at
Lutuanuu and retreated on Saluafata.
Nevertheless, carrying out the origin
al intention, the Curacao weighed
from Nailele and anchored off the
rebel position close to Laulii, and at 8
a m opened fire with shell from her
heavy guns on the now smOuldering
ruins Of the forts. After an hour of
this the signal was made, by sounding
the steam siren, for the Kings troops
to advance. The Bussard, from her
position at Naitele, had also dropped
q few shells into Lutuanuu; she also
weighed and proceeded to Saluafata.
1t had been arranged that the Fake
should destroy fort in the neighbour
hood OF SolosolO, but il had appar-
emily been deserted and is now so
Overgrown as not to be distinguished
from seaward. She was sent on to
Apia TO protect the foreign settle
ment.
The Curacao steamed slowly along;
the Kings men, as it were, marched
with her. Ii was noticed that they
burnt house or two along the line
of march, for some reason or another
leaving others in the same vicinity
untouched. Before sunset Saluafata
was reached, the Curacao and Bus
sard at anchor and the Kings people
occupying the houses which Were de-
serted by the Atuans.
Throughout the whole of Sunday
(l2th) there was rifle firing to be
heard or shore as intervals. The
rebels killed two of the Kings men
and took their heads, ard in the
evening man with a bullet in his
arm was brought off to the Curacao
for treatment, one Tulafona, we'll
known to the polo players as pro-
wider of ponies.
King Maiietoa paid visit to the
Curacao on Sunday afternoon, and =
consultation was held in which Cap
tain Schneider of the Bussard Joined,
and ii was decided TO attack the rebel
position at Lufilufi next day, and so
passed the opening day of the shoot
ing season.
At S a. III. on the 18th the Curacao
and Bussard left Saluafata for Lufi-
lufi, where the rebels had a strong
hold; they were given notice that the
ships would attack their position the
day before, so when we opened fire at
. a m, no doubt those of Atua We're
well clear of the fire from the heavy
guns. The position was difficult to
discern from the seward but Il man
was sent to the Curacao to point it
OhL. II - IOI ldI iIOHl Tue illSSlOli-
airy house of the Rev. Carne, and it
was of course, to avoid doing
any injury to him or his estab-
li-hmeut. After an hour, during
which some well-firected shells had
been placed, the firing ceased; the
warshIps sounded their steam sirens
as a signal for the Kings troops to adj
vance, and the Bussard went on to
Falifa to keep lookout III That di-
rection, also to seize any boats of the
rebels that might have been slowed
away there for safe custody. Very
soon heavy rifle firing was heard on
shore and chief came Off to say that
the rebels had got a strong position
inside an old fort close to the beach,
so the Curacao planted a few more
shells just over this fort with the OBJ
ject of soaring them out of it. UnfOr-
tunately one of these projectiles eX-
plOded in the roof of a building be-
hind the fort and this-which turned
out to be the mission church-was
soon in flames, but on these occasions
churches, like other buildings, have
to take their chance.
During the forenoon five wounded
men of the Kings party were brought
alongside the Curacao for treatment,
all wounded by bullets in the lower
regions, two dangerously. These five,
and the man wounded yesterday, were
removed by their friends later on in
the day and conveyed by boat to Apia.
The Curacao left Lufiluti al p. m. for
Saluafata; it had been reported that
a body of rebels had occupied a posi-
ton in a clearing on the rising
ground at that anchorage. From Luti-
luti To Saluafata is only half hour
just outside the reef, and soon the
Z Sli p'S guns We're AGAIN SeudiuCr She
into the rebel territory. There were
some Atuans about, for they quickly
descended TO the beach, and were
received by some willy Tuamasagas
hidden behind bit of a wall, but
with 10 apparent result. Before the
day was out the rebels appeared to
have had enough of it, for letter was
sent To Captain Gibson 10 say that
they desired peace, and were willing