4.9 KiB
| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 Fiji expedition | 3/13 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1840_Fiji_expedition | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T13:25:29.163462+00:00 | kb-cron |
After a few says an Irish beachcomber named Paddy O'Connell entered Wilkes, tent on Ovalu. O'Connell attempted to hire himself out to Wilkes, but Wilkes dismissed him at first. However, a single story caught his interest. O'Connell informed Wiles that he was a witness to the murder of several of the crew of the American bêche-de-mer merchant ship the Charles Doggett in August 1834, on Ono Island. Wilkes learned that a Fijian chief named Veidovi was the man who organized the attack. According to O'Connell he was a crewman of the Charles Doggett when the incident occurred. In this instance Captain Bachelor of the Charles Doggett made a contract with a chief named Veidovi for bêche-de-mer on Rewa. When the Charles Doggett reached Rewa, it was agreed that a minor chief would willingly be taken hostage for the protection of the Westerners while they set up a bêche-de-mer house on shore. Later the chief feigned sickness and was allowed to return to shore. The next day the minor chief returned with Veidovi and some of his men and asked for medicine at the bêche-de-mer house. The mate, eight other men, and a boy came ashore, all except one were killed, robbed, and the house was house set on fire. One survivor swam back to the ship. The next day the captain, through O'Connell, was able to negotiate for all the bodies back except an African American crewmate whose body was eaten. Later O'Connell became a beachcomber and discovered that while Veidovi was the primary perpetrator of this attack, the other chiefs of Rewa and especially Veidovi's kin endorsed the killings. Upon hearing this story Wilkes became angry and sent O'Connell to Lieutenant Hudson on the Peacock to arrest Veidovi. O'Connell met Hudson and gave him Wilkes' orders. The pair of them set out for Rewa in Viti Levu where Veidovi lived. It was there that Hudson eventually met with King Kania or Roko Tui Dreketi/King of Rewa and Methodist missionaries of the English Wesleyan Mission who helped him get the lay of the land. After assessing the political landscape, Hudson quickly concocted a plan to trap Veidovi. On May 21 Hudson invited the King Kania and his three brothers on board the Peacock to a welcoming reception. Between 70 and over 100 local Fijians showed up along with the Tui Dreketi himself, but Veidovi was noticeably absent. Hudson lured the native royals into his cabin with an offering of a meal and then called for battle stations. The royals were split away from their retainers. Hudson promised mercy to the chiefs in exchange for them delivering Veidovi to them, and causing no harm to the local missionaries. After a spout of protest the King Kania agreed, and two of the chiefs brothers were released to arrest Veidovi dead or alive. The following day Veidovi arrived and agreed to go quietly in exchange for the freedom of his family and their families respectively. Hudson took Veidovi to his personal cabin for interrogation and Veidovi openly conceded to orchestrating the Charles Doggett killings. Veidovi explained that he lured the mate of the ship into a trip and feigned a friendly greeting to the mate of the ship. Then his men seized the mate and clubbed him to death, and then proceeded to kill more of the ship hands. Veidovi added that his motivations were to acquire firearms and that he was only following his culture in that "...he had only followed the Fegee customs and done what his people had often done before.". Hudson decided to punish Veidovi by forcing him to travel with the Ex. Ex. and then live in America for a few years, where he would learn to be civilized and not kill white people. Veidovi was dismayed, since as a chief he had 55 wives and numerous children that he would have to leave behind. Hudson then headed for Kadavu Island where it was said more of the perpetrators of the attack on the Charles Doggett resided. However, the wind was against him, and suffering for a lack of time in his other duties for the expedition, Hudson satisfied himself with the capture of Veidovi and returned to Levuka. Word traveled fast of Veidovi's capture, it spread to the village of Levuka, and then to Wilkes himself. Whippey and Tui Levuku soon caught wind of a plot to capture Wilkes in order to entice and exchange of prisoners (Wilkes for Veidovi). The suspected perpatrtors would have been King Tanoa who was allies with King Kania. In the Mountains of Ovalau resided the Livoni tribe who were allied with Tanoa. Wilkes remained armed, furnished himself an escort, he ordered 40 men to reinforce the observatory. Wilkes then took Seru hostage on board the Vincennes, repositioned the guns of the Vincennes to a more defensible position. Wilkes also brought his dog Sydney with him (which terrified the natives), and an attempted kidnapping never materialized.