heir mountain fastnesses. Porter saw that his food
supplies were in danger from these vandals, and his knowledge of
savage character convinced him that he could have no peace with any of
the natives until the insolence of this tribe was punished.
Accordingly he notified the Taeehs, that, if they would carry a gun to
the top of one of the mountain peaks, he would send a party against
the Happahs. The Taeehs eagerly agreed; and, after seeing the gun
fired once or twice (a sight that set them fondling and kissing it, to
show their reverence for so powerful a weapon), they set off up the
steep mountain sides, tugging the gun after them. Lieut. Downes led
the American forces. They had hardly reached the mountain tops, when
the fighting began. The Happahs were armed with spears, and with
slings, from which they threw heavy stones with terrific velocity.
They seemed to know no fear, and stood gallantly before the advancing
Americans, fairly darkening the air with clouds of stones and spears.
The Americans, though few in number,--forty, opposed to nearly four
thousand savages,--pressed forward, suffering but little from the
weapons of their foes. From the deck of his frigate in the bay, Porter
could see the steady advances of his forces, as they drove the Happahs
from peak to peak. Before the Americans a huge native strode along,
waving wildly the American flag. The howitzer came in the rear, and
was every now and then discharged, to drive the foe from some
formidable stronghold. So ignorant of fire-arms were the enemy, that
they had no idea of their power, often fighting until the muzzle of a
musket was laid to their temples before the discharge. But before
nightfall this warlike spirit was broken, and the victors returned to
their ships, their native allies carrying five dead bodies slung on
poles. Two only of the Americans were wounded. The next day Happah
ambassadors came to sue for peace; and soon every tribe on the island
joined the alliance, save the Typees, and a distant tribe that proudly
bore the unpronounceable name of Hatecaaheottwohos. For two or three
weeks peace reigned undisturbed. Work was pushed on the vessels. The
rats with which the "Essex" was infested were smoked out, an operation
that necessitated the division of the crew between the shore and the
other vessels. Porter himself, with his officers, took up his quarters
in a tent pitched on the shore. Under some circumstances, such a
change would have been ra