4.3 KiB
| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 Fiji expedition | 8/13 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1840_Fiji_expedition | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T13:25:29.163462+00:00 | kb-cron |
Accounts differ as to what happened next, however when the shot went off. Alden and Emmons claimed that the chief's son's escape attempt was a signal for the natives to attack. While those who were negotiating with the chief claimed that the attack began after the shot was fired. Either way, the chief shouted that he thought that the sailors on the beach had killed his son, and ordered an assault. Two Fijians grabbed the musket of one of Underwood's men, named Joseph Clark. Clark gripped the musket and then brandished a knife. He stabbed one native and then bashed another with the muskets' shoulder stock. Then, several natives began spilling out of the mangrove bushes. Underwood's men began to fire their muskets as they retreated to the two boats. About 100 natives began to give chase to the men retreating on the beach and threw spears and throwing clubs at their enemy. Wilkes Henry and Underwood covered the retreat. Henry was hit by a club and then shot the man who threw it at him. Then another native hit him in the back of the head. Henry collapsed to the ground with his face in the water, was surrounded by natives, and then stripped. Joseph Clark was hit by a glancing blow in the mouth and the spear landed in Underwood's left arm. Clark shot the man who threw the spear in the head and then another native knocked Clark out with a club. He fell into the water, but the pain from the salt water on his bloody face soon woke him. Clark stood up and witnessed Underwood being clubbed in the back of the head. Clark attempted to drag Underwood to safety with one arm, and hit away other natives with his other. Then Clark was hit twice more and fell down. He got back up when he noticed another native was about to club the unconscious Underwood and stabbed him repeatedly. Clark grabbed Underwood again who briefly came to and told him to tell his wife he loved her. Then Underwood had his head clubbed in and died. Clark was left in a state of shock and delirium. He got up and limped to the rest of the escaping sailors. Clark's face was covered in blood and dangling flesh and in his absent minded state, he laughed and sang at the natives. The natives were perplexed by Clark's actions and stayed clear of him for the rest of the engagement. Besides Clark, all the men who retreated back to the beach that survived suffered injuries. When Aldan and Emmons saw the fighting on the beach their crews began to row for the shore. Once the other retreating men had assembled at the boats with Alden and Emmons, Alden a handful of men went back to look for Underwood and Henry. They encountered Clark in his delusional state and sent him back to the boats. The natives had retreated back to their village. Then Alden and his men found the bodies of both of Underwood and Henry almost completely naked. Underwood's face was smashed beyond recognition. As for Henry, aside from the bruising and his nudity, Henry looked unharmed, but his mourners soon realized that Henry had drowned while unconscious. On the beach, there lay the bodies of ten Fijians from the attack. One of them stirred and was still alive, and in a fit of fury and vengeance the men, shot and stabbed him several times, before cutting off his head. A number of the men, wanted to pursue the natives back to their village. But there were less than two dozen men, and the natives could return at any moment and overwhelm them. Alden commanded the men make a swift retreat back to the rest of the expedition. The bodies of Henry and Underwood were gingerly placed in the cutter and covered in jackets to uphold their dignity, and the two boats sailed back to the Flying Fish. Once the bodies were brought on board they were placed in the ships port side and covered with a tarp. Wilkes wept bitterly for his nephew. He knelt and kissed him. He called Underwood a "poor fellow". The cadavers were stitched into hammocks, draped in flags, buried on a nearby small island, and hidden out of fear that the natives would dig up and cannibalize the bodies. Wilkes named the Island Henry Island after his Nephew (not to be confused with Henry Island (Washington), which he also named after his Nephew later in the expedition).