23rd June 1898

Thursday

Arrived  back again at Ronago during the time Jean Pratt  was on board he reported to the Commissioner that a chief of a village next to his station had made a raid on a small island and had carried off 18 young women which he had brought back with him, the commissioner then asked the Captain to land an armed party for the purpose of rescueing the women, so we man & armed boats and set off on the expedition, we found out on landing that out of the 18 women only two was left the others had either been eaten or sacrificed for canoe launching, they had taken the remaining two women with the women & children of the tribe up into the hills we had a bit of of a sharp brush with the natives who then fled but we managed to capture the head chief we brought him on board and

placed him in Irons with a Guard over him, the Commissioner and trader remaining on shore with 12 marines as a body guard they held a parley with the natives and made known to them that they had they brought the two women down from the the hills and turn them over to us, so we could take them back to their own Island, we would release their chief, we then got under weigh, and cruised and cruised up and down off the island all night.