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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 Fiji expedition | 4/13 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1840_Fiji_expedition | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T13:25:29.163462+00:00 | kb-cron |
== Arrival of Captain Edward Belcher == In early June, a British expedition consisting of the HMS Sulphur (1826) HMS Starling (1829)) commanded by Captain Edward Belcher arrived in Fiji. Belcher was conducting his own separate surveying expedition and had just come from the Vavaʻu island group in Tonga. Belcher traveled to Rewa where the Sulphur had lost a rudder from hitting a reef. After Belcher's expedition encountered other members of the Ex. Ex. and through messengers, Wilkes gave Belcher a spare rudder from the fleet. Later, Wilkes came to meet Belcher aboard his ship, and they spoke together in Belcher's cabin. However, despite Wilkes' goodwill in offering Belcher an extra rudder, Belcher was less than pleased to see him. Belcher was required to pay port charges due to the trade deal that he had set up between the U.S. and chief Tanoa. The meeting did not accomplish much, although Wilkes found out that Belcher had explored the Columbia River the year before in 1839, and based on Belcher's descriptions Wilkes believed he would definitely need to extend the length of the Ex. Ex. by at least a year. The two parted cordially and Belcher and his ships later sailed to Vanuatu.
== Club dance festival ==
Chief Tui Levuku decided to honor the Ex. Ex. with a traditional Club dance/Meke called the Meke I Wau or Meke Mada on June 24 at Levuku village. Over a hundred Fijians and their chiefs from Levuku and other nearby villages attended. The Americans were directed to the Mbure/temple, or spirit-house, which had an elevated platform where they could more easily observe the festivities. The location overlooked the village from where they observed a low square stone wall on the opposite end of the street. On one end many Fijians sat down awaiting the performance and on the opposite were several Fijian musicians. Eventually a "Feejee Clown" emerged in the center of the crowd, and began to galivant and dance wildly, to the delight and laughter of all. The clown's body was completely enveloped with green and brown leaves and several vines, except for his face to which he wore a mask. Wilkes stated that to him the mask looked somewhat like the face of a bear. The mask was painted black on one half and orange on the other. The clown danced with one large club in one hand and a shorter one on the other. While the clown performed, the musicians began to play with hand claps, sticks, and bamboo joints which made a soft drumming sound.
Roughly 100 club dancers were waiting behind a rock until they were ready. Then they emerged in a column of two and began to proceed down the street at a slow three step pace. They all wore the white I-sala turban typically worn by priests and chiefs as well as a white Masi tapa cloth to cover themselves. Their sala were decorated with flowers and vines, and their faces were painted in various patterns of black and vermillion. As the dance columns advanced they split up from two columns to three and then to four and danced and swung their clubs in a variety of motions and poses. They danced into the square and joined the clown and the musicians. The dancers began singing with the musicians and their dances became more rapid and volatile, before they concluded their song and dance with a loud cry of "Wha---hoo". When the presentation had concluded the dancers laid their clubs down in a pile before the Americans as a gift to them, but they expected to receive gifts in return. The next day Wilkes gave gifts on behalf of the expedition to Chief Tui Levuku so that he might distribute them.
== Departure from Levuka and the founding of a mission school == Soon after the end of the club dance festival, Wilkes decided to pack up the observatory and move on to other areas of the Fijian Islands. Before the expeditions departure the purser Robert Waldron purchased and donated land for the construction of a Methodist mission school, with both a school house and chapel led by John Hunt. Following this, the Vincennes departed on the 28th of June, to survey the hot springs of Savusavu on the Island of Vanua Levu.
== Accidents involving the Peacock == The Peacock had several accidents associated with or on it during this expedition. At Vita Levu the ship sustained considerable, but non fatal damages to its hull. While one of the Peacocks cutter boats had overturned and sank. At one point one man lost three fingers to an anchor chain. On another occasion a man accidentally shot off his index finger. A third sailor nearly had his leg entirely detached. Later, another sailor had an accident while winding the capstan and broke his ribs. However, perhaps the worst accident occurred on June 29 when 2nd mate Joseph Baxter of the bêche-de-mer Leonidas unwittingly placed a gunpowder cartridge under his shirt while preparing to fire a cannon (for non offensive purposes). A spark flew off from the igniter and hit the cartridge the man was carrying which exploded over three pounds of gunpowder, and the man was badly charred from the ordeal. Baxter was later transferred to the Peacock for medical attention. He confessed that he was a French man whose real name was Vincent Boudet. He died on August 9 on Mbua bay.
== Discoveries, acquisitions, and accomplishments made during the expedition ==