the murder of bishop john coleridge patteson of the melanesian mission at nukapu in the reef islands had provoked public outrage, which was compounded by the massacre by crew members of more than 150 fijians on board the brig "carl." two british commissioners were sent to fiji to investigate the possibility of an annexation. the question was complicated by manoeuvrings for power between cakobau and his old rival, ma'afu, with both men vacillating for many months.