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diff --git a/76873-0.txt b/76873-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..837f630 --- /dev/null +++ b/76873-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2111 @@ + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 76873 *** + + +[Illustration: SHIP GLIDE OF SALEM + +From a water-color painted at Marseilles in 1823 by Anton Roux, Jr.] + + + + + WRECKED + AMONG CANNIBALS + IN THE FIJIS + + _A NARRATIVE OF + SHIPWRECK & ADVENTURE + IN THE SOUTH SEAS_ + + BY + WILLIAM ENDICOTT + Third Mate of the Ship _Glide_ + + _with Notes by_ + LAWRENCE WATERS JENKINS + Assistant-Director of the Peabody Museum + of Salem + + [Illustration] + + MARINE RESEARCH SOCIETY + SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS + 1923 + + + + + PUBLICATION NUMBER THREE + OF THE + MARINE RESEARCH SOCIETY + SALEM, MASS. + + + COPYRIGHT, 1923, BY + THE MARINE RESEARCH SOCIETY + + + PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES + THE SOUTHWORTH PRESS + PORTLAND, MAINE + + + + +CONTENTS + + + LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 5 + + INTRODUCTION 7 + + WILLIAM ENDICOTT’S NARRATIVE 15 + + A CANNIBAL FEAST AT THE FIJI ISLANDS 55 + + VOCABULARY OF THE FIJI ISLANDS 71 + + VOCABULARY OF WALLIS ISLAND 75 + + LIST OF OFFICERS AND CREW ON THE SHIP _GLIDE_ 76 + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + + SHIP GLIDE OF SALEM _Frontispiece_ + + From a water-color painted at Marseilles in 1823 by + Anton Roux, Jr. + + + WILLIAM ENDICOTT 15 + + From a photograph made about 1860. + + + FIJIAN MEN 20 + + From a photograph made in 1898. + + + SHIP ANN ALEXANDER OF NEW BEDFORD 29 + + From a water-color in the possession of the Old + Dartmouth Historical Society, New Bedford. + + + FIJI WAR CLUBS 34 + + Presented to the East India Marine Society of Salem + between 1823 and 1834. Now in the Peabody Museum of + Salem. + + + FIJIAN HOUSE 40 + + From a photograph made in 1898. + + + MODEL OF A FIJI DOUBLE CANOE 44 + + Brought to the United States in 1856 by Capt. Thomas + C. Dunn, while on the bark _Dragon_ of Salem. Now in + the Peabody Museum of Salem. + + + SHIP CHINCHILLA OF NEW YORK 50 + + “Scrimshawed” on a whale’s tooth. Presented to the + East India Marine Society of Salem in 1825, by Capt. + William Osgood. Now in the Peabody Museum of Salem. + + + A SHOAL OF SPERM WHALE OFF THE ISLAND OF HAWAII IN 1833 52 + + From an engraving by J. Hill after a painting by + T. Birch. The picture shows the famous Roach (Rotch) + whaling fleet,--the _Enterprise_, _Wm. Roach_, + _Pocahontas_ and _Houqua_, all from Nantucket. + + + FIJIAN WOMEN 56 + + Wearing “maiden locks” indicating that they are + unmarried. + + + TOOTH OF A FIJIAN CANNIBAL 66 + + Presented to the Essex Institute in 1851 by Capt. + John H. Eagleston who stated that it was “A tooth from + Na Massa Ngaloa, the greatest cannibal that ever lived, + head chief of Rewa, Fiji Islands. Twenty years since + conquered most of the islands in the archipelago; since + died aged about sixty years. Eleven years ago became + Christian--baptised Ratu Mill.” Now in the Peabody + Museum of Salem. + + + MODEL OF A BURE OR FIJI TEMPLE 66 + + Such models were presented to the temples as + offerings. Given to the East India Marine Society of + Salem, by Capt. Joseph Winn, Jr., in 1835. Now in the + Peabody Museum of Salem. + + + OBJECTS FROM FIJI 68 + + Presented to the East India Marine Society of Salem + and The Essex Institute between 1831 and 1860. Now in + the Peabody Museum of Salem. + + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +A hundred years ago the young men and boys living in New England +seacoast towns could easily find in the forecastles of locally built +ships, an opportunity to gratify a desire for adventure and a sight +of foreign lands. Many of their shipmates would be neighbors or come +from nearby towns and all who intended to follow the sea looked forward +with anticipation and pride to the day when they might be able to ship +as an officer or be given the command of a vessel. It was no unusual +thing at that time for officers and captains to be under twenty years +of age and the ship and the sea then possessed a romance and a lure not +to be found in the present-day age of steam. The following narrative +describes in matter-of-fact language, the experiences of one of these +twenty-year old lads who shipped out of Salem, Massachusetts, as third +officer in a fine ship bound for the South Seas. + +The ship _Glide_, of 306 tons burden, was built in Salem in 1811 for +Joseph Peabody and Samuel Tucker and made thirteen voyages to the +Mediterranean, Archangel, South America, India and the East Indies. +In 1829 she was sent on a trading voyage to the South Seas under the +command of Capt. Henry Archer. Most of her crew were young men and some +were green hands. After doubling the Cape of Good Hope a course was +set for New Zealand where fresh provisions, wood and water were taken +aboard. At that time it was possible to obtain for a small piece of +tobacco or some trading article of trifling cost, finely carved and +ornamented war-spears and canoe paddles and curiously figured shawls +made from the native flax,--articles now highly valued by museums and +collectors. While there the ship was visited by Pomare, the principal +chief in that part of the island, who brought with him his favorite +wife. He was a fine-looking man wearing a blanket fastened over his +right shoulder and his face and thighs were tattooed in graceful +scrolls. She was handsome for a New Zealander, wore a blanket fastened +over her left shoulder and her lips and chin were tattooed. + +After a voyage of 142 days from Salem, the _Glide_ reached Narai, +one of the Fijis, where fresh provisions were taken aboard. A common +musket worth only two or three dollars could be traded for a dozen +large hogs and a pair of scissors or a jackknife was valued at a bunch +of plantains or forty cocoanuts. When it came to exchanging trading +goods for the native labor necessary to obtain the beche-le-mer--the +principal article of trade in the islands--a common chisel made by +the blacksmith on board from old hoop iron could be bartered for a +day’s labor. To earn a chisel the islander must leave his hut early +in the morning, sail fifteen or twenty miles to the reef and then +work knee-deep in the water for six or eight hours gathering the +beche-le-mer, a species of sea snail; after which he must carry his +spoil to the ship--and all for a barrel-hoop chisel! The trading goods +most esteemed in the Fijis at that time were iron tools, knives, +scissors, whale’s teeth, beads and trinkets, but especially muskets, +pistols and ammunition. + +The place selected for trade was reached about the middle of October, +1829, and after negotiating with the local chief, his people were +employed in building three houses,--a “batter house,” a hundred feet +long, thirty wide and twenty high, where the beche-le-mer were dried +and cured after boiling; a “pot house,” open on all sides, in which +the forty-gallon pots were placed to boil the sea snails; and a “trade +house,” a building about fifteen feet long, ten wide and eight high, in +which trading goods brought in the ship were stored and so made easily +available for barter. + +The beche-le-mer when found on the reefs are about eight inches long +and three inches thick. They are of a dark brown color, have a rough +skin which is thickly covered with slime, and are easily taken. +Exposure to the air has little effect upon them. After having been +purchased by the trading master they are placed in a shallow pool made +near the shore where the sea-water flows in at high tide and here the +snails are cleaned of slime and then taken to the pot house and boiled +about forty minutes. After drying they become hard and are then sent +aboard the ship, packed in matting bags and stowed away. When properly +cured beche-le-mer will remain in good condition for several years. It +requires the Chinese palate to wholly appreciate the peculiar delicacy +of its flavor when cooked and served as a table dainty and it was to +the Chinese market in Manilla that the _Glide’s_ cargo was taken and +sold. + +As the natives were a warlike race and the different tribes were +constantly engaged in fighting, the dozen men who remained on shore in +charge of the trading house and the curing of the beche-le-mer, went +fully armed. The _Glide_, also, presented a warlike appearance. Heavy +cannon loaded with cannister and grape-shot appeared at every port-hole +and on deck and below weapons were placed so that they were available +at an instant’s notice. In each top there was a chest of arms and +ammunition and “boarding nettings, eight or ten feet wide, were triced +up around the ship by tackles and shipping lines suspended from the +extremities of the lower yardarms.”[1] This seemed very necessary as +nearly two thousand natives were employed in gathering and curing the +beche-le-mer to complete the cargoes of the _Glide_ and the _Quill_, +a brig hailing from Salem, that came in not long after the _Glide_ +reached Miambooa Bay. + +Severe storms at times prevail in the Fijis and twice the _Glide_ +narrowly escaped shipwreck. On the evening of March 21, 1831, a +hard gale came up unexpectedly and all night the shrill voice of +the leadsman called at intervals, “She drags! She drags!” The next +morning at about eleven o’clock, after having dragged her anchors +for a distance of nearly eight miles, the ship drove on a shore-reef +projecting from the island of Vanua Levu and soon became a total +wreck. In the following pages, William Endicott, the third officer +of the _Glide_, describes the events of the voyage and gives an +interesting account of the natives among whom he lived for several +months; supplying also a short vocabulary of their language. + +William Endicott, who wrote this narrative, was the son of Israel and +Betsey (Rea) Endicott of Danvers, Mass., and was born there July 7, +1809. He came of a family of sailors and shipmasters and at the age of +fifteen went to sea for a voyage to the west coast of South America, in +the ship _China_, Capt. Hiram Putnam. There the ship was loaded with +copper and the voyage home made by way of Manilla, China and Calcutta. +It was during the homeward passage through the South Seas that Endicott +learned of the trade in beche-le-mer. The first officer of the ship was +Henry Archer, Jr., a Salem man, and on reaching home he proposed to +Joseph Peabody, the great Salem shipowner and merchant, that a voyage +be made to the South Seas to obtain beche-le-mer to be traded for +Chinese goods. The venture promised large profits and Archer was given +command of the ship _Glide_ and he shipped young Endicott as his third +mate. This was Endicott’s last voyage to sea and on reaching home he +engaged in the morocco leather business and in 1861 was commissioned an +inspector in the Salem Custom House. He died Sept. 25, 1881, in Danvers. + +The journal of the voyage to the Fijis, kept by him, was given to +the Peabody Museum of Salem by his children and is now printed for +the first time by the kind permission of the Museum authorities +who have also supplied valuable material to illustrate the volume. +Accompanying the journal was a log book, kept during the voyage, from +which additional information has been abstracted and is included among +the footnotes. Mr. Israel O. Endicott, a son of William Endicott, has +obligingly furnished biographical information. Thanks are also due to +Mr. Charles C. Willoughby, Director of the Peabody Museum of Archæology +and Ethnology, Cambridge, Mr. Perry Walton, Boston, The Essex Institute +and Mr. Henry W. Wright, Salem, for assistance in illustrating the book. + + +FOOTNOTES: + +[1] See _Wreck of the Glide_, Boston, 1846. + + + + +WILLIAM ENDICOTT’S NARRATIVE + +[Illustration: WILLIAM ENDICOTT + +From a photograph made about 1860.] + + + + +WILLIAM ENDICOTT’S NARRATIVE + + +On May 21st, 1829, I went on board the ship _Glide_, then lying in +Salem harbour, having engaged to perform a voyage in her to the South +Pacific Ocean for the purpose of procuring a cargo of beche-le-mer, +tortoise shell and sandalwood. At meridian, all hands being on board, +we got underweigh with a moderate east wind, and stood out to sea with +all sail set. At 5 P. M. we were obliged to anchor outside the harbour +where we lay until the following day at 11 A. M. when we weighed again +and succeeded in getting to sea. We shaped our course for the Cape de +Verde Islands in order to be sufficiently to the eastward where we +expected to meet the South East trades, and soon lost sight of the +American shores. + +Nothing of importance occurred on the passage till the 15th of June, +when we saw one of the Cape de Verdes. We passed it and steered to +the southward till the 1st of July when we first met the South East +trade wind. We continued to steer to the southward, by the wind, +until we reached the latitude of 32° south, when the wind becoming +more variable, enabled us to proceed more directly on our course; to +double the Cape of Good Hope, proceed to the eastward and touch at New +Zealand, as was determined by the Captain, and to endeavour to procure +some fresh stock. After arriving into the latitude of 40° south, we +experienced a succession of gales and blowing weather, which lasted +with but little cessation until the 31st of August, when we saw Van +Diemens Land,[2] from whence we steered direct for the northern part of +New Zealand. + +The wind and weather proved favourable and on the 14th of Sept. we +saw the island of New Zealand and on the 17th anchored in the Bay of +Islands,[3] 117 days from Salem, with one man sick. + +We found in this place three English whale ships[4] and one merchant +brig.[5] The natives, although engaged in wars and fighting with +themselves and being exceedingly fierce and savage, treated us very +well and sold us hogs and vegetables in great plenty for muskets, +powder, tools, cloth and tobacco. We generally were well pleased with +them excepting the strong propensity they had to steal. + +The English Mission has a large establishment in this place guarded by +a fort, and have succeeded tolerably well in informing the natives and +in particular in putting a stop to the horrid practice of eating the +dead bodies of their enemies.[6] + +We purchased six of the natives from one of the Chiefs, who we intended +to employ in procuring our cargo; and after getting a supply of fresh +stock, wood and water, we sailed from this port and steered to the +north west intending to touch at the Tonga Islands before we went among +the Fegeis, in order to lay in a good supply of vegetables and hogs +which are in greater plenty at the Tonga Islands than at New Zealand. + +After leaving the land we found the weather boisterous for a few days +until we reached the south east trades when it proved mild and pleasant +and on the 6th of October, we saw one of the group called Friendly +Islands[7] by Capt. Cook and Tonga by the natives. We ran in near to +the shore when the natives came off in great numbers in their canoes +bringing great quantities of cocoanuts, yams, plantains, hogs and +fowls, besides different kinds of fruit, which they readily sold for +cloth, beads, etc. As we had plenty of trade which we brought from the +United States for the purpose we soon purchased a sufficiency of fresh +stock and vegetables. + +The natives were of a copper complexion and were of very handsome +features and appeared very friendly to us and well pleased with our +trade. They were nearly naked having only a small covering over the +middle and a few small ornaments round their necks and in the ears. + +On the 8th, having purchased a sufficient quantity of stock, we left +the Islands and steered for the Fegee Islands,[8] our destined port, +where we expected to procure our cargo and where we should be obliged +to stop some months. + +These are a cluster of islands situated in the Pacific Ocean between +the latitudes of 15° and 18° south and the longitudes of 178° and 180° +east and very much resemble the West Indies, being very fertile and +producing nearly all the fruits and vegetables found at those islands +and being situated between the Tropics, the climate is much the same. + +Mountains of considerable size are to be found among them though they +would be generally considered as low islands. They are surrounded by +coral reefs and shoals of sand which renders navigation extremely +dangerous though they serve to protect many harbours and bays from +the sea. Although situated in the immediate vicinity of the S. E. +trade wind, the wind does not prevail at any particular point, but is +generally very variable and subject to frequent changes. + +These islands are inhabited by a race of people who differ very much +from the other uncivilized nations in the South Pacific Ocean, in +customs, language and particularly their complexion which is much +darker and approaches very near to the Negroes. In stature they are +larger than most Europeans and like other Indians are very straight and +well built and it is not uncommon to see persons of elegant figure.[9] +They are extremely fierce and savage, frequently at war[10] with each +other and are addicted to the horrid practice of eating their enemies +when killed in battle.[11] + +On the 10th of October, 1829, we arrived among the group and passed +Turtle Island,[12] the southernmost of the cluster, steering to the +northward intending to anchor in Miamboo Bay, which lay about 100 +miles distant, where we expected to commence trading for our cargo. +We continued sailing through the passages between the islands (which +by reason of the imperfection of our chart, and the islands being +improperly surveyed, was rendered extremely dangerous and difficult), +until the 18th of the month, when we started from an island (under the +lee of which we had to lay by through the night, it being too difficult +to proceed till daylight) and steered for the passage through a very +large reef of coral. + +[Illustration: FIJIAN MEN + +From a photograph made in 1898.] + +At 11 A. M. we found our ship safe through the reef but in a very +dangerous situation being surrounded by sunken rocks and shoals. +We continued sailing for the Bay which was about 40 miles distant, +avoiding the rocks as soon as they could be seen, until 1.30 P. M. when +a rock was seen directly ahead of the ship. Every effort was made to +avoid the danger but it proved of no avail and she immediately struck +on her larboard bow about 12 miles from the Bay. We lay’d the sails +aback and she went off when we sounded the pumps and found she leak’d +1400 strokes per hour. + +After getting clear of the rocks we anchored with the stream and sent +the boat well arm’d to examine the Bay. The boat returned in the +evening and at daylight we proceeded to get the anchor up but found it +impossible without great danger to the ship. Accordingly the cable was +cut and at meridian we arrived in Miamboo Bay, Oct. 19th, 1829, Civil +Account.[13] + +On examining the leak we found the keel split badly and the ship +injured so much as it would become necessary to repair her before we +could prosecute our voyage, but we found no place where we could heave +her down or haul her on shore with safety. Having understood from the +natives that there was another vessel at a place 90 miles distant, +called Bow,[14] we dispatched a boat to procure assistance and also +any information that would be of service to us in our unfortunate +situation. + +Meanwhile we proceeded to stop the leak, as well as circumstances would +permit, until the 20th, when to our great joy we discovered a sail +standing for the Bay. At 5 P. M. she anchored and proved to be the brig +_Quill_[15] of Salem, Capt. J. Kinsman, from the Island of Bow. They +informed us of the danger of our boat from the natives when another +boat was immediately dispatched in charge of the first officer[16] of +the _Quill_, to find the other boat. Oct. 23rd, both boats arrived safe. + +Finding it impossible to repair the ship on the shore it was determined +to construct a raft from the ship’s spars and the lumber in the ship +and to heave the ship down in the Bay, to the raft, Capt. Kinsman +kindly offering us his assistance and protection from the natives. + +Got underweigh on October 22nd and anchored near to the brig where we +commenced transhipping our cargo, stores, provisions, etc., on board +of the brig. After this was accomplish’d we proceeded to strip the +ship and construct the raft with the spars, etc. We had an interview +with the principal Chief of the Island, on Oct. 25th, and purchased +some cocoanut trees of him for our raft by means of which, on the 1st +of November, we completed it to our satisfaction. After securing and +preparing the ship we attempted to heave her down but found no rope +in either vessel of sufficient strength. The next day, however, we +succeeded in making a rope and hove the ship keel out and found the +stem started over to starboard, the wood-ends started considerably, the +keel split, etc. + +As it was impossible to right the stem in our present circumstances, it +was determined to secure it as it was by means of iron clamps, which +the armourers of both vessels proceeded to make on board of the brig, +and to stop the leak as much as possible with wedges, sheathing and tar. + +On Nov. 9th, 1829, we received a visit from Capt. Maurice of the brig +_Morliana_ of Woaho,[17] lying about 60 miles distance. + +On the 19th of November, after much trouble and after surmounting many +difficulties we succeeded in finishing the repairs and when we righted +the ship, found we had stopped the leak. We also found that two of +our New Zealanders had run away from us and gone to live with the +Fegee natives. In the meantime the brig _Quill_ had commenced curing +beche-le-mer. + +By the 24th we had succeeded in getting all our cargo, provisions, +ballast, etc., on board and commenced rigging the ship. The Captain +then contracted with one of the principal Chiefs to build three houses +on shore for the purpose of curing beche-le-mer at a place called +Sub-a-Sub, and on the 9th of December, the first and third officers, +with 10 men, went on shore, the houses having been completed, and +commenced purchasing beche-le-mer of the natives. + +The beche-le-mer[18] is a sort of animal found on the sandy reefs, +which very much resembles a leech or blood-sucker in shape, but is +much larger. They are supposed to get their sustenance from the slime, +which collects on the reefs and shoals so numerous among these islands. +The natives obtain them by going onto the reefs when the tide is low, +collecting them in baskets made for the purpose from the leaves of the +cocoanut tree. They brought them on to the beach near to our house +where we purchased them. We then carried the fish into the pot-house +and boiled them; then into the drying-house where they were dried by +means of fire. When they are considered as cured they are much reduced +in size and very hard, but when stowed in the ship they soon become +more soft and very much resemble India rubber. + +We employed great numbers of the natives, frequently upwards of 80 +canoes averaging 10 men each, besides great numbers on shore procuring +wood (of which we used great quantities) and assisting us in curing +the cargo. The principal articles of trade were muskets, ammunition, +whales’ teeth, iron tools, beads and ornaments. Tortoise shell and +sandalwood we also purchased of the natives. The turtles they catch +with large nets made of the fibres of the cocoanut husk in the making +of which they are very expert. + +On the 10th of December we got underweigh and ran in towards the shore +near to our fish houses and proceeded to finish rigging the ship and +repairing damages. After three or four days, finding it difficult to +proceed from our unacquaintance with their language, we shipped an +interpreter[19] from the brig _Quill_, also a number of seamen who were +acquainted with the method of curing the fish. We also purchased the +kettle of Capt. Kinsman (ours being too small to make any progress) and +proceeded to purchase the fish of the natives again. + +On the 21st the brig _Quill_ sailed for Manilla, having on board about +800 piculs[20] of beche-le-mer, tortoise shell, etc. She returned on +the 23rd, in consequence of a head-wind, but sailed again on the first +of January. + +Jan. 11th, 1830, Seth Richardson died on board the ship. He belonged to +Salem and had been complaining nearly all the voyage. + +We continued curing beche-le-mer on shore, while those on board were +putting the ship in order and nothing particular occurred until the +30th of January when the natives on shore maliciously set fire to our +houses and destroyed 60 piculs of beche-le-mer, trade, clothes, etc., +and the men with difficulty got on board the ship, at midnight. The +next morning we discovered they had broken our kettles for the purpose +of getting the wrought iron. We found their principal object in setting +fire to our houses was plunder and we immediately sent for the King[21] +or principal Chief of the Bay. He came on board and informed us that +our houses, being built by an inferior Chief, were more liable to be +troubled by the natives. He advised us to use the houses that were +employed by the brig _Quill_, as he built them himself, and he being +the King of the Island and Bay, the natives would not dare to trouble +them. On the 2nd of February we commenced curing fish in the houses of +the King, the blacksmith having mended the kettles. + +On the 10th, as the beche-le-mer began to grow scarce on the reefs, it +was determined on the advice of the King to go to another bay, about +40 miles distant and build new houses and employ the natives in that +place. On February 19th, the launch, in charge of the 1st officer, was +sent round to the Bay with 10 men to prepare for curing the fish and +two days later, having taken on board all the things from the shore, we +got underweigh and stood out of the Bay of Miamboo. + +On the 23rd, we arrived safe in the bay called Aloa by the natives, +and found the King with his men had completed the houses and were +all prepared to prosecute the business of purchasing and curing the +beche-le-mer. Here we continued to cure fish without any interruption +till March 23rd, when the interpreter was dispatched about 90 miles to +a place call’d Baratta to purchase hogs, with the Chief of that place. + +We found on April 9th that we had upwards of 1000 piculs beche-le-mer, +350 pounds tortoise shell and some sandalwood, so we settled with the +natives and burnt our houses[22] and put the ship in readiness to go +to sea. Four days later the interpreter arrived, bringing 90 hogs, and +informed us that the ship _Clay_,[23] Capt. Millet, of Salem, was at +Bow and had brought letters from our friends which the interpreter +delivered to us. + +On April 15th, 1830, we got underweigh and stood out of the bay of +Aloa bound to Manilla. After passing through the inner reef and +thinking ourselves safe at sea, we observed a very large coral reef +with no passage through it and it being near night and the weather +unfavourable, we immediately tacked and endeavoured to gain the harbour +we had left; but finding it impossible, anchored outside, near a small +island[24] with coral reefs and breakers all around us. The wind +increased through the night to a violent gale obliging us to get our +topmast down and pay out all on both cables. It continued to blow very +hard for four days, the ship being in a very dangerous situation with +a large coral reef only two cables length astern. Fortunately, on the +20th, it moderated and we got our masts on end and got underweigh and +on the 22nd arrived safe in Miamboo Bay where we lay till the 25th +waiting for a favourable wind to go to sea. + +On the 25th of April, 1830, we again got underweigh and succeeded in +passing out through the passages to sea and steered direct for Manilla. +We had a tolerable passage and in fifty days saw the island of Samar at +the entrance of the Strait of St. Bernadina and passing it proceeded +through the Strait and on the 22nd June anchored in the Bay of Manilla, +off Caviter, about nine miles from the city. We found here one American +ship and a number of English[25] and Spanish vessels. Got underweigh +on June 27th and ran up to the city with the ship for the purpose of +discharging our cargo, which was sold to Chinese merchants as the +beche-le-mer forms an article of food and is eaten by the principal +Chinese. + +[Illustration: SHIP ANN ALEXANDER OF NEW BEDFORD + +From a water-color in the possession of the Old Dartmouth Historical +Society, New Bedford.] + +After having discharged the cargo and taken in a sufficient quantity +of ballast, we shipp’d 8 Manilla sailors and put the ship in order for +another voyage to the Fegees, taking on board some stores, and on the +17th of July we got underweigh and stood out of the Bay, intending +to touch at the Sandwich Islands for the purpose of procuring water +and fresh stock. On the 22nd, having passed through the Strait of St. +Bernadino, we steered to the eastward and soon lost sight of the land. +We had a tedious passage (though the weather was mild and pleasant) +owing to the light winds which prevailed for most of the time. On +the 16th of August we saw the Caroline Islands and on the 18th the +Ladrone Isles. [On the 1st of Sept. spoke the ship “Zeneas Coffin,”[26] +Capt. Joy of Nantucket on a cruise. On the 4th saw a number of whales +and other smaller fish. On the 22nd was boarded by a boat from the +whale-ship “Ann Alexander”[27] of New Bedford, Capt. Howland, on a +cruise. On the 3rd of Oct. spoke ship “Hector,”[28] Capt. Morse, of +New Bedford, cruising for whales.--_From Log Book._] After a passage +of 84 days arrived at the Sandwich Islands, and on the 9th of Oct. +anchored in Mowee Roads.[29] Found in this place one whale-ship[30] and +a number of small schooners. + +We immediately commenced getting our water and purchasing goats and +vegetables for the use of the ship’s company. Many of the natives came +on board and appeared very civil. The American Mission appeared to be +in a very flourishing condition. A new church[31] nearly finished we +observed and the missionaries appeared to have succeeded very well in +reforming and civilizing the natives. We found this a most excellent +place for watering and for procuring vegetables and fresh stock, etc., +which we purchased very, very cheap for iron tools, etc. + +On the 15th of October after having taken a sufficient supply of water, +stock, etc., we sailed, steering to the southward, bound to the Fegees. +We experienced fine weather and a regular trade wind and on the 6th +of Novr. saw an island supposed to be Penrhyn’s Island,[32] which the +Captain intended to touch at for the purpose of procuring some grass +for our live stock if possible. At 5 P. M. we were near to the shore +when the natives came off in great numbers and appeared perfectly +savage and fierce, hallowing and shaking their spears. + +The Captain had given orders for every man on board to arm himself and +prepare to resist them should they attempt to attack us. We endeavoured +to trade with them and had succeeded in purchasing some cocoanuts when +the Captain, in endeavouring to persuade one of the natives to come +on board, another native fired his spear at the Captain and slightly +wounded him in the neck. He immediately gave orders to fire at them +which was accordingly done and 7 or 8 of the natives were killed. +We immediately fill’d our sails and stood on our course leaving the +natives to bewail the visit of civilized people to their uncivilized +shores. + +Passed the Tonga Islands on Novr. 16th and on the 18th saw Turtle +Island, the southernmost of the Fegee Group. We passed through the +passages between the island and on the 24th of Nov. anchored off +Ovalou,[33] an island about 25 miles from Bow, the principal town of +the Fegee Islands, where the King of the whole group resides. Here the +1st Officer and interpreter left the ship for Bow to have an interview +with the King [Tanoa] and on the 26th he came on board in a very large +double canoe with some of his principal warriors and two of his wives. +The Captain purchased some tortoise shell of him and contracted with +him for 2 large houses on an island a short distance from Bow where, +on the 1st Dec., we commenced curing beche-le-mer. The interpreter and +the Manilla men were employed on shore with a number of English sailors +which we hired for the purpose, but finding the beche-le-mer very +scarce and the natives not well disposed towards us it was determined +to remove from this place and endeavour to find some better place for +procuring a second cargo. + +Before we could get away a violent gale came on from the northward, +on the 16th of Dec. and as our ship lay in an open roadstead, her +situation became dangerous and beginning to drift and the reefs but +a short distance astern, we let go both of our lower anchors and got +our top-gall-masts down. The gale increased to such violence that our +chain cable soon parted and the stream,[34] being the only anchor we +had left on board, was immediately let go. That in a short time parted +also and the ship drifted within a cable length of the breakers, +the sea running very high at the time. Our sheet cable still held on +and the gale moderating considerable we rode out the gale until the +next morning when the cable parted and we drove on to the reef before +sail could be made on the ship. Fortunately for us the wind shifting +suddenly and blowing off shore we were able to clear the rocks without +doing the ship any injury. + +We made all sail and after passing out to sea through the reefs we +steered over towards the island of Somer-Some,[35] intending to +purchase of the natives the cables and anchors of the brig _Fawn_[36] +lately shipwrecked there, as we were wholly destitute of cables or +anchors and it would be impossible to prosecute the voyage without a +new supply. + +Arriving at Somer-Some, on the 19th Dec. we succeeded in procuring 3 +anchors and 2 chain cables which formerly belonged to the brig _Fawn_ +and also some rigging, and proceeded towards the island of Ovalou again +to procure our anchors if possible and get our things from the shore. + +On the 25th we anchored in the same place where we lost the anchors, +but found it impossible to regain them so the boat was sent on shore to +procure stocks for the anchors we had on board. The next day, while +the carpenter was employed in cutting the anchor stocks and the men +were guarding him from the natives, whom we were suspicious of from +their appearance, they rushed down from the mountains and attacked our +men who immediately fled to the boat and succeeded in reaching it, +excepting two men belonging to Salem, Edmund Knight[37] and Joshua B. +Derby, whom the natives killed with their clubs, the latter having +previously shot the Chief of the tribe. They took the muskets and +stripped the dead bodies of our unfortunate men, those in the boat not +being able to prevent them. Hearing the tumult in the ship, another +boat was dispatched, armed completely, and succeeded in getting the +bodies which we buried on shore. We soon learned the natives intended +to attack the ship and immediately got our things on board and prepared +the ship for sea. We got underweigh on the 29th Dec. and stood out +through the reefs to sea and steered towards Miamboo Bay, where we +anchored on the 31st and the 1st and 3rd officers landed for the +purpose of passing over the mountains to Aloa Bay, to contract with the +King (our friend of the former voyage) while the ship proceeded round +to the Bay. + +[Illustration: FIJIAN WAR CLUBS + + 1. Collected by Capt. Benjamin Vanderford in 1823 + + 2, 3, 4. Collected by Capt. Charles Millett in 1832 + + 5. Collected by Capt. William H. Brown in 1834 + +Now in the Peabody Museum of Salem] + +On the 1st Jan., 1831, the ship arrived in Aloa Bay and anchored near +the place where our houses were building, the officers having +contracted with the Chief. On the 13th, the house being completed, +we commenced curing beche-le-mer. The 1st officer, interpreter and +ten men stayed on shore and the rest of the ship’s company commenced +repairing the rigging which was found to be in a very bad condition. +The head of our main-mast was rotted nearly off and after much trouble +and delay a tree was found of sufficient size for a fish,[38] which was +purchased of the natives. On the 27th we completed our mast and having +refitted the rigging as well as circumstances would permit we prepared +to receive our cargo, hoping to be able to prosecute our voyage without +more delay which from a succession of misfortunes and accidents had +been long protracted and was rendered extremely tedious and thus far +unprofitable. + +But we found our troubles were far from being at an end for on the 29th +we found our principal house on fire which was burnt together with 100 +piculs of beche-le-mer, some trade, etc. Another delay was unavoidable, +but with the assistance of the King and other Chiefs, another house was +soon completed and on the 4th of February we commenced fishing again. + +We continued to cure beche-le-mer until the 13th with but little +success, when the natives attempted to burn our houses again and +appeared disposed to attack the men on shore if an opportunity offered. +The Chiefs also seemed disposed to countenance their tribes in their +designs. We immediately manned and armed the boats and sent them on +shore for the protection of our property and the men. In the morning, +a slight attack was made by the natives on our people, but they were +defeated without any loss on our side. As we killed a number of them +and they perceived the superiority of our muskets over their weapons, +they retreated into the woods. We got our things on board without any +molestation from the natives and immediately put the ship in readiness +for sea. + +Finding it impossible to procure a cargo in this place we burnt the +houses and got underweigh and stood out of the bay intending to proceed +to Mutt-Water,[39] a town and bay on the north end of the island, where +we arrived on the 17th and anchored near the shore about a musket-shot +distance from the principal chief’s town. We immediately had an +interview with the Chief and agreed with him to furnish houses for the +purpose of curing beche-le-mer, the Chiefs agreeing to furnish canoes +and men to man them, the 2nd Chief of the place, who was much loved +and respected by the natives, agreeing to stay on board the ship, as a +hostage for our men and property on shore. By the 21st of February the +house was completed and we commenced purchasing and curing beche-le-mer. + +We continued curing the fish and nothing particular occurred until +the 22nd March, 1831, by which time we had procured about 500 piculs +of beche-le-mer and 300 pounds of tortoise shell. An accident then +befell us which not only ruined our voyage but by which we lost all our +property and were cast on the mercy of savages whose fierceness and +ferocity are not equalled on the South Seas. + +Our ship lay in a channel between a small island and the north end of +the island of Tackanova[40] on which was the town and our beche-le-mer +establishment at a short distance from the ship. The 1st officer, three +of the crew, the Manilla men and several English sailors, whom we +employed, were on shore curing beche-le-mer, when an _excessive hard +gale_ came on from E. S. E. about 8 P. M. on the 21st. At ten, all +hands were call’d and the sheet anchor let go, but as the other cable +was payed all out it could bring no strain until the ship began to +drift. It continuing to blow very hard and every appearance of a hard +gale coming, we proceeded to get our yards and masts down and at 3 P. +M. having got the top-gall-masts and main-top-masts down we found the +ship drifting and immediately let go the small chain-anchors, one of +which was back’d with the ship’s kedge, and payed out a long scope on +all the cables. We also got down the fore-top-masts and lower yards. At +9.30, the wind increasing and the ship having drifted so far as to be +exposed to the sea, which had now become very high and confused, we +payed out the bitter end[41] of all the cables. + +At 10 A. M. we perceived by the land, which could only be seen at +intervals, that the ship had drifted 7 or 8 miles along the coast and +was in a most dangerous situation, the current setting against us and +the wind having increased to a hurricane, the sea running very high. +Breakers were all round us and there seemed but little chance to save +the ship, so we cut away the lower masts and with them went almost +every moveable thing from the deck. The breakers were soon seen astern +and at about 11 A. M. the ship struck on the shore reef, having drifted +10 miles from her anchorage. The sea soon drove her upon the reef where +she bilged and fell over on her side, heeling in towards the land and +protecting us from the sea which beat against her with great violence. + +We were fortunate in having a chief[42] on board of considerable +influence with the natives, who advised us to land if possible and +proceed to the town, as the mountaineers would come on board for +plunder and would not scruple to take our lives which he could not +possibly prevent. Accordingly the ship was delivered to the chief and +we proceeded to clear away the boats. Our launch went adrift and was +lost in the beginning of the gale and when we lowered a quarter boat it +immediately went to pieces. In the two left, we, after much difficulty +and danger, succeeded in reaching the shore in safety with no property +but our clothes. + +We soon met with a party of mountaineers, exceedingly fierce, who +robbed us of our clothes, hardly leaving each one with a single +garment, it not being in our power to prevent them, and leaving us +exposed naked to the storm, without any shelter and perfectly ignorant +of the road to the King’s town,[43] nor would any one of them be +prevailed upon to show us the way. The savages soon left us and we +proceeded on our way towards the town but from our ignorance of the +right paths and the fury of the storm, our travelling was rendered +exceedingly difficult and tiresome. The next morning, however, we +found ourselves all safe in the King’s town. The King[44] and all +the principal inhabitants had gone aboard the ship and the five that +remained gave us the largest house where, without provisions of any +kind and knowing our fate would not be determined until the arrival of +the King and his men, we were forced to wait in a painful suspense two +days. + +After the gale had abated, the King came up from the ship, having +plundered her of everything except the salt provisions and bread, and +after a consultation with his priests and warriors, he proclaimed that +our lives should be spared, that houses should be prepared for us and +that we might be permitted to secure what provisions from the ship we +could. After hearing this law passed by the King and feeling confident +it would be violated on no account, without his orders, our minds were +greatly relieved and our spirits, which had been greatly depressed with +our misfortunes, rose high with the hope of once more seeing our native +country and leaving these savage shores where we had experienced, from +the time we first arrived among them, so much trouble and so many +misfortunes. + +The King having lent us one of his large canoes, with which and our +small boat (the only one sav’d from the wreck) we proceeded down to the +ship for provisions. We found the natives greatly excited with their +prize. The chief, however (who was on board when we struck), received +us very well and gave us permission to take anything we pleased; but +the natives had destroyed almost everything they had not carried off. +Every part of her was ransacked and torn to pieces; the hull cut and +hacked for the purpose of getting the iron work, and with pain we saw +our unfortunate ship in a most wretched and miserable condition and +with no hope of leaving the country till some vessel arrived. + +[Illustration: FIJIAN HOUSE + +From a photograph made in 1898.] + +We succeeded in getting 14 pounds of salt meat, a few casks of bread +and some other little articles and returned to the town. The King +prepared his largest church[45] for us to live in and a small house +for our provisions; gave us some cooking utensils and we made +arrangements for our comfort and prepared to wait patiently until some +relief came to us. + +Having understood that there was another vessel among the group +previous to our misfortune, it was determined by the captain, with the +consent of the King, to proceed in the boat, with a crew, up to the +Island of Bow, about 90 miles distant, to learn the fate of the vessel +and if he found her safe to request the captain to come to our relief. +Accordingly, on the 28th March, having fitted sails for the boat, layed +in stores and ammunition, the captain, left us and proceeded on his +voyage. + +The King supplied us with yams and gave us a number of presents of +clothes, and we continued to live on the most friendly terms with the +natives. We were tolerably acquainted with their language and from a +long acquaintance with them we were soon able to conform in some degree +to the customs and manners. We found our King was the sovereign over a +large part of the island of Tackanova (the second largest of the Group) +and a number of smaller islands over which he reigned with an absolute +sway. But he was subject to the King of Bow who was the great sovereign +of the whole group. + +The natives of these islands are remarkable from the other natives +in these seas, not only from their extreme savage dispositions and +eagerness to kill and eat their enemies, but from the dark colour of +their skins and the manner in which they dress their hair. They allow +it to grow at full length, when it is made very stiff by applying a +mixture made of the ashes of burnt coral and then dyed in various +colours; the grown people having it always black, when they pick it up +into many curious shapes and being very thick and bushy their heads +present a very singular and frightful appearance. Their bodies are +nearly naked, with no covering except a piece of cloth made from the +bark of a tree, wrapped around the waist; though they oil themselves +with cocoanut oil which serves to protect their bodies from the rays of +the sun and renders the skin soft and pliable. + +The females wear a covering made of a sort of grass which is curiously +interwoven and being of different colours presents a handsome +appearance. Their bodies are oiled and their hair dressed the same as +the men. Both sexes always lie with their necks resting on a stick so +as not to injure the shape of their hair. The females, although at the +complete disposal of the men, are not treated with great severity. They +assist in tilling the ground, fishing and cooking; though a great part +of their time is spent in fixing their hair. They display considerable +ingenuity in making earthen-pots (which much resemble ours) and in +making cloth nets. + +The men of whatever rank are learnt the art of war and always carry +their arms with them wherever they go. They are very ingenious in the +construction of their houses and their war-weapons, but in particular +in their canoes. Their houses are much like a one-story house in our +country (but without windows) in their shape. They are framed of the +limbs of trees seized together with a kind of sennet[46] made of the +fibres of the cocoanut husk plaited together. On these are fastened +small reeds and on them are secured the thatch with which the house is +covered. + +Their double canoes are formed of two single ones secured together by +large timbers on which a platform is built and on which the sail is set +and the natives stand. Single canoes have an outrigger and a platform +built on the single canoe on which the sail is set. They commence +building first by hollowing out the trunk of a tree, when planks are +hew’d and seized on until it is of sufficient size, secured by timbers +very much resembling those in a ship. The sail is made of mats, the +rope of a kind of bark, and is so constructed as to be turned either +way without the necessity of turning the canoe round when tacking at +sea. The canoes are all fitted to sail either end first. They are +sometimes very large containing room for 4 or 5 hundred persons[47] +and nearly as long as a ship. They sail remarkably fast and the +natives are very expert in the management of them and as the natives +all go arm’d, from their savage dress they present a very formidable +appearance. + +The natives of these islands believe in a Great Spirit whom they think +lives in the sky and who made all things. In every town there are a +number of priests whom the natives think are endowed with divine powers +by the Great Spirit with whom he sometimes converses and informs them +how to direct the people. These priests have great influence with the +chiefs in declaring war and managing the affairs of the nation. + +The principal amusements consisted in a kind of dance, singing songs +relating to the war exploits and fishing expeditions, performing +warlike manœuvres, and in drinking the ava[48] extracted from the +ava-root, of which they are immoderately fond. + +[Illustration: MODEL OF A FIJIAN DOUBLE CANOE + +Brought to the United States in 1856 by Capt. Thomas C. Dunn, while on +the bark _Dragon_ of Salem. Now in the Peabody Museum of Salem.] + +A ceremony of this kind was performed almost every morning at the +King’s or one of the principal chief’s house and we always had an +invitation to attend. A large bowl was prepared in which the cava or +ava was put and mixed with water, when it forms a liquor which has +much the same effect on a person as opium. The company sit round in a +circle, the bowl in the centre, and while it is preparing, they all +sing songs relating to some enterprise that is intended or perhaps +past, the King having first invoked the Great Spirit to bless the +liquor, the people all answering with a word which is equivalent to our +amen. It was then carried round in cocoanut shells, the King drinking +first, and so on according to the rank, though we always had the honour +to drink next to the King. They always give a toast before drinking, +frequently wishing the Great Spirit to bless us with a safe arrival to +our country; sometimes that he might bless them with a great plenty of +yams or fish. + +We continued to live on good terms of friendship with the natives, +which was much increased by our assisting them in repairing and +learning them the use of the muskets and other weapons of which a great +many fell into their hands. We always met with a welcome reception +when we visited their houses and frequently received small presents of +clothes, etc., for the work we did for them, so our situation became +quite comfortable, although we could hardly suppress our feelings, +to see our property and clothes destroyed, nor reflect on the great +distance we were from our homes and friends and the future prospects, +without pain and anxiety. + +About the last of April, 1831, the king fitted out an expedition of +thirty large canoes to go to a place about 50 miles distant to procure +certain tribute of the mountaineers which he obliged them to pay him. +The King and all the principal warriors, with the women and ourselves, +started in the canoes and in two days arrived at the place where we +were to meet the mountaineers with the tribute. It was on a beautiful +plain where houses were built for the King and the chiefs with their +families. + +After the King and chiefs were seated in the houses, a party of the +women of the mountains marched out in front of our King, fancifully +dress’d with flowers and strips of bark of various colours, each +having a fish-net of superior workmanship and each bearing in her hand +a sort of fan, with which they beat time to a sort of solemn tune +which they sung. After performing a number of dances before the King, +they divested themselves of their ornaments and nets which became the +property of our women, and marched off followed by the shouts and +praises of all our party. + +A party of the men then presented themselves dressed with a large +quantity of curiously-coloured cloth[49] and after performing various +dances and manœuvres and leaving their dresses for the men of our +party, they marched for the mountains having likewise received the +King’s approbation and our shouts and expressions of admiration. + +The tribute was now examined by the King’s command. It consisted of +280 hogs, vast quantities of yams, cava-root, etc., on which the +High-Priest of our nation envoked the Great Spirit for his approbation +of the tribute. The priest, after a ceremony of twirling a cocoanut +round two or three times, pronounced that it was very Good, and that it +would be proper to have a feast of pork and yams, drink cava, etc. The +King then gave orders for a certain number of hogs to be killed, the +rest to be divided, and the cava got ready and as we had had nothing +to eat for some days we all joined in obeying orders. Each one of the +party, ourselves not excepted, received a portion of the provisions and +while the King drank his cava, the people prepared the feast. + +The King gave the mountaineers a few presents and a specimen of his +eloquence in which he informed them that as the ship cast away on +his shores had rendered him very powerful, he should expect a larger +tribute the next year, giving them to understand he should be ready +to use forcible means if it became necessary. With this, the chief +took his leave of us and we commenced, according to the advice of the +priest, to eat. At night we repaired to the canoes with the tribute and +on the next morning started for the town where on the 20th of April we +arrived. + +On our return, the 2nd officer of the ship, with the carpenter and a +number of the crew, left in a canoe to go to Bow, having understood by +the natives that a vessel was lost in the same gale that had wrecked +our ship and that the Captain and crew resided there. We found the +natives of another town, enemies to the King, had set fire to the +_Glide_ and she had burnt nearly up. + +The 2nd chief, to whom the ship had been delivered, when we abandon’d +her, was now taken sick and the priest continued to howl through the +night for his recovery. On our asking the reason of such proceedings +they told us that the priest was angry because a sufficient sacrifice +of pigs had not been made and that the Great Spirit had caused a +sickness to afflict the greatest warrior. A number of hogs were +immediately killed and buried and numbers of the friends of the chief’s +cut off a finger or toe[50] to satisfy the Great Spirit. + +We learn’d that it was the custom to cut off their fingers or toes on +the death of their friends or on the sickness of their chiefs. We saw a +number of very aged people who had become feeble and infirm, call round +their friends and bid them farewell and then allow themselves to be +strangled and buried without showing any signs of fear for the future +or regret for leaving the past. + +On the 6th of May we received a letter which was written previous to +the gale, from which we learned that the vessel lost at Bow was the +brig _Niagara_,[51] Capt. Nathaniel Brown, and that she was from Salem. + +Nothing particular occurred until the 22nd of May, 1831, when a sail +was seen standing for the anchorage at 5 P. M. At sundown we were on +board and she proved to be the schooner _Harriet_, Capt. Young, from +the Sandwich Islands and last from Wallis Island. They took us all on +board the schooner and after procuring the cables, anchors, etc., of +our ship we proceeded for Bow. + +On the 9th of June, we arriv’d off Averlon and found there the bark +_Peru_,[52] Capt. Egleston, of and from Salem. Captain Egleston took +Capt. Archer, Mr. Burnham and the remainder of our crew on board; +likewise the Captains Brown and Vanderford[53] of the _Niagara_ with +the officers and crew and we proceeded on our course to Bow, where we +arrived on June 10th, and anchored off the island where Mr. Manini, +supercargo of the schooner, purchased the cables and anchors of the +brig _Niagara_, from the King of Bow. Having succeeded in getting them +on board we got underweigh and ran down to Avalon and anchored near the +bark _Peru_. Capt. Brown came on board the schooner and Capt. Young +agreed to forward us to the Sandwich Islands. + +On the 26th of June, we lost sight of the Fegee Islands, steering to +the N. E. for Wallis Island[54] and arriving there three days later, we +found the brig _Chinchilla_,[55] Capt. Meek. Capt. Young not finding +it for his interest to return to the Sandwich Islands at present, on +the 12th July sailed, intending to return in the space of 6 or 8 weeks, +leaving us to reside in their houses and wait for his return. + +[Illustration: SHIP CHINCHILLA OF NEW YORK + +“Scrimshawed” on a whale’s tooth. Presented to the East India Marine +Society of Salem in 1825 by Capt. William Osgood. Now in the Peabody +Museum of Salem.] + +After a long and most tedious stay on this island, on the 8th of +November, the American whale-ship _Braganza_[56] arrived from a cruise +off Japan for the purpose of procuring vegetables, water, etc. On the +26th, the brig _Chinchilla_ arrived from Port Jackson, having been +obliged to put into that port for provisions. Finding that Capt. Meek +was not to return to the Sandwich Islands at present and no chance +offering for a passage to a civilized port, I went on board of the +_Braganza_, it being the intention of Capt. Wood to cruise for whales +about the Equator for the space of 4 or 5 months and then to proceed to +some port for supplies, where I should probably find an opportunity to +return to the United States. + +On Nov. 29th, we left Wallis Island and proceeded towards the Equator +where we cruised until the 1st of February, 1832, and succeeded in +taking 25 c. of Sperm Oil. Then finding the head of the main-mast +rotted badly and the weather rather unfavourable for prosecuting the +whaling business we bore away and steered for Otaheite and on the 23rd +February we arrived at _Eamco_,[57] an island a short distance from +Otaheite where the Captain intended to repair his main-mast. We found +at Otaheite, the ship _Atlantic_, Capt. Fisher, who intended to cruise +for a short time for whales and then proceed for the United States. +I immediately shipped on board and on the 28th February, signed his +articles intending to sail the next day. Early the next morning we got +underweigh and stood out to sea steering to the south east under short +sail with the man at the mast-head looking for whales. + +It was on the morning of 20th of April, just as the sun was rising, +that the man at the mast-head cried out “There she blows!”[58] + +It was very still on board; the ship steered close to the wind, a light +breeze from east and not a sound heard except the slight ruffling the +ship made as she forced her way through the water. But nothing could +have acted so forcibly on our feelings as the cry that whales were in +sight. In a moment the ship was in confusion, the sailors came up from +below and ran to clear their boats and see all in readiness for the +pursuit. + +“Where away?” enquired the Captain, as he was coming up the +companion-steps and without waiting for an answer ordered the ship to +be hove to and the boats manned. + +The order was promptly executed by the respective officers and on +ascertaining they were sperm whales, he ordered the officers to lower +the boats and pursue them. The whales were but a short distance from +the ship and we had a good opportunity to observe their movements. The +boats, sufficiently armed and manned, soon got amongst the whales, when +the man at the mast-head had orders to inform those on deck of the +movements in the boats and to inform those in the boats by signals of +the situation of the whales. + +[Illustration: A SHOAL OF SPERM WHALE OFF THE ISLAND OF HAWAII IN 1833 + +From an engraving by J. Hill after a painting by T. Birch. The picture +shows the famous Roach (Rotch) whaling fleet,--the _Enterprise_, _Wm. +Roach_, _Pocahontas_ and _Houqua_, all from Nantucket.] + +In a few moments we perceived by a great splashing, which one of them +made, that the 1st officer had hove his harpoon into one of them. After +running under water some time and taking the line out of the boat to a +considerable distance, the whale came up on top of the water. The other +whales immediately joining the wounded one and gave the other boats +an opportunity of striking also, which they immediately improved and +all three of the boats were each fastened to a whale at the same time. +After the whales became exhausted they hauled up to them and lanced +until they were dead. + +In this manner the boats continued to improve their time and weapons +until 6 of these huge animals were forced to yield their valuable +bodies to the superior skill of Nantucket whalemen. They were soon +towed alongside the ship and secured by their tails being fastened to +the bows. The crew then proceeded to take the blubber on board. Large +tackles were secured on the main-mast, the falls taken to the windlass, +and every person stationed in his particular place. The officers at +the ship’s side, on stages, to cut the blubber as it is hove on board +with the tackles. The harpooners on deck to receive the blubber and +overhaul the tackles. The carpenter sharpening the spades, the cooperer +preparing the casks, the seamen heaving at the windlass, and the +Captain superintending the whole. + +They commenced by cutting a hole in the blubber near to the head of the +whale, into which a tackle was hooked which served to steady the whale +while the officers cut off the head which was hoisted on board. They +then proceeded to peel the blubber off the whale, the officers cutting +it with their spades into strips about 6 or 8 feet in width and from 12 +to 18 feet in length, while it is hove in with the tackles. This causes +the whale to turn over and over until the blubber is all off, when they +cut the carcass adrift and left it a banquet for the sharks and birds +of which there were great numbers around the ship. + +After having secured the blubber of all the whales sail was again made +on the ship and we proceeded on our way around Cape Horn. In a few days +the blubber was tried out and stow’d in the ship’s hold and thus ended +what the whalers term’d a fare of sperm oil. + +We had a tolerable passage to the United States and on the 25th June, +arrived at Nantucket, 119 days from Otaheite, and on the 29th June, +1832, I reached my home in Danvers after having been absent 37 months +and 8 days. + + +FOOTNOTES: + +[2] Tasmania. William Endicott says in his Log of this voyage: “Van +Diemen’s Island appears from the sea to be high and irregular barren +land covered with snow to the summits. The shore is bound with craggy +rocks.” + +[3] Situated at the northerly end of North Island, this was the +principal rendezvous of European and American vessels during the early +intercourse with the Pacific. Endicott says in his Log: “The Bay of +Islands is a fine place for procuring wood, water, potatoes, pigs and +vegetables.” + +[4] “Indiaman,” “Diana” and “Tower Castle.” + +[5] “New Zealander” of New Zealand. + +[6] The primitive Maori method of cooking bodies was to dig a hole +in the ground about two feet deep in which was placed a quantity of +stones. A fire was built over these and when they were red hot most of +them were removed. Those remaining were covered with alternate layers +of leaves and flesh until there was as much above as below ground. Two +or three quarts of water was then thrown over the pile, old mats spread +over it and the whole covered with earth to confine the steam. In +twenty minutes the flesh was cooked. Cannibalism was entirely abandoned +by 1840 owing to the influence of the missionaries. + +[7] The Friendly or Tonga Islands are a group lying south-east of Fiji +between 18° and 20° south latitude and 174° and 176° west longitude. +They comprise some 150 islands, mostly very small, of which only a +few are inhabited. They were discovered by Tasman in 1643 and became +a British protectorate in 1900. The natives are of Polynesian stock +and have become Christians through the efforts of the Wesleyan Mission +established here in 1822. Probably the best early account of the +natives of any Pacific islands is William Mariner’s “An Account of the +Natives of the Tonga Islands.” + +[8] The Fiji islands are an important group of the Central Pacific +lying largely between latitude 15°30′ and 19°30′ South and longitude +177° East and 178° West. They comprise some 155 islands, of which 100 +are inhabited, and numerous islets and reefs. The group was discovered +by Tasman in 1643 and was ceded to Great Britain by Thakombau on Oct. +10, 1874. The natives are of Melanesian stock with an admixture of +Polynesian. The mountaineers of Vanua Levu show the purest strain while +the costal tribes of that and the surrounding islands show a very +pronounced strain of Tongan blood. All are now Christian through the +efforts of the Wesleyan missionaries who went there in 1835 and a white +man or woman is safer with these natives than on the streets of New +York or Chicago. + +[9] The result of the infusion of Tongan blood. + +[10] War was the chief object in life for the Fijian man and so great +was the desire for killing that two men always walked abreast for fear +that if one were behind he would be overcome by the temptation to club +his companion. + +[11] Cannibalism was not practised exclusively on those killed in +war. It was tabu or forbidden to the lower classes and they were most +frequently the victims. Sometimes if a chief wanted a body for a feast +he would send one of his dependents out to waylay a man of the lower +classes. He would approach his unsuspecting victim from behind and +strike him on the head with a club before he was aware that anything +was to happen. Persons dying a natural death were never eaten but those +shipwrecked were rescued only that they might be eaten. Neither sex +nor age was a deterrent. One chief was so fond of human flesh that he +boasted that he never passed a person that he did not wonder how they +would taste. The method of cooking bodies was either by baking, in a +manner similar to that practised in New Zealand (see note, page 16), or +by boiling. The body was rarely baked whole but was dismembered and the +trunk cast aside unless the supply was very short. + +[12] Turtle Island--Vatoa. + +[13] Civil account--civil day. When at sea the log-book day +corresponded with the astronomical day and extended from noon to noon; +but when anchored for any extended period of time the log-book record +was kept in civil time, that is from midnight to midnight. + +[14] Mbau or Ambau, a native town on a small island at the southerly +end of Ambau Bay on the easterly side of Viti Levu, the largest island +of the Fiji group. This town was the residence of Tanoa, the most +influential chief in the Islands. It was off this town that the French +brig “l’Amiable Josephine” was cut off by the chiefs of Rewa (or Viwa, +a town on Viti Levu, the second most influential town in Fiji) in +July, 1834, and the captain and all the crew but three were killed. In +retaliation for this Dumont D’Urville destroyed the town of Viwa in +1839. In August, 1834, the chief Vendovi of Rewa massacred the mate and +five men of the crew of the brig “Charles Doggett” of Salem. One of the +crew was eaten. + +[15] Brig “Quill,” of Salem, 189 tons, built at Hingham in 1818. Owned +by John W., Nathaniel L. and Richard S. Rogers; commanded by Joshua +Kinsman. + +[16] Mr. Driver. + +[17] Oahu, Hawaiian Islands. + +[18] An edible holothurian familiar throughout the East under the Malay +name of _trepang_. + +[19] William S. Carey. + +[20] From the Malay “to carry on the back”,--a man’s burden. A +commercial weight varying in different countries. In the Philippines, +where the beche-de-mer was sold, it was 140 lbs. + +[21] Tanoa, the most powerful chief in the Islands. He was the father +of Thakombau, the most celebrated of the Fijian chiefs and the greatest +stumbling block to the missionaries until he was forced as a matter of +expediency to adopt the Christian religion in 1854. + +[22] The houses were burned so that they might not be used by other +traders. + +[23] Ship “Clay” of Salem, 299 tons, built at Hanover, Mass., in 1818. +Owned by John W., Nathaniel L. and Richard S. Rogers; commanded by +Charles Millett. + +[24] Anganga Island. + +[25] Including the ship “Sophia” of London. + +[26] Ship “Zeneas Coffin” of Nantucket, 338 tons, owned by C. G. and H. +Coffin; commanded by George Joy. + +[27] Ship “Ann Alexander” of New Bedford, 211 tons, owned by George +Howland; commanded by Josiah Howland. + +[28] Ship “Hector” of New Bedford, 380 tons, owned by Charles W. +Morgan; commanded by John G. Morse. + +[29] Maui, the second largest island of the Hawaiian group. + +[30] Ship “Atlantic” of Nantucket, 321 tons. Commanded by Elihu Fisher. + +[31] This church at Lahaina, Maui, was said at the time to be “the most +noble structure in all Polynesia.” + +[32] Penrhyn or Tongareva was discovered by Seaver in the ship “Lady +Penrhyn” in 1788. When visited by the “Popoise” of the Wilkes’ +Expedition in 1841 the natives were described as the wildest and most +savage-looking beings that had been met with. + +[33] Ovalau, a small island about 10 miles east of Viti Levu. On this +island is situated the town of Levuka whose harbor is one of the best +in the islands. It was the principal residence of white men in the +group and was the seat of the British colonial government until 1882, +when it was removed to Suva on Viti Levu. + +[34] The anchors usually carried were: sheet anchor, the largest and +strongest which is only used in time of direst necessity; the best +bower anchor and the small bower anchor, about the same size and take +their name from their position at the bow of the ship; the stream +anchor, smaller than the bowers; and the kedge anchor, smallest of all. + +[35] Somosomo, a town of considerable importance, situated on the +island of Taviuni or Vuna off the south-eastern point of Vanua Levu the +second largest island in the Fiji group. + +[36] Brig “Faun” of Salem, 168 tons, built at Quincy in 1816. Owned by +Robert Brookhouse of Salem, George Abbot of Beverly and Hall & Williams +of Boston; commanded by James Briant. Wrecked in August 1830 on the +Cakaudrove coast of Vanua Levu in the bay now called Faun Harbor. + +[37] Charles Ambrose Knight, 1st mate of the ship “Friendship” of +Salem, a brother of Edmund, was massacred in February 1831, by the +natives at Quallah Battoo, Sumatra. + +[38] Fish--a piece of timber, somewhat in the form of a fish, used to +strengthen a mast or yard. + +[39] Mutt-Water or Mudwater, a town on the north side of Vanua Levu. +The native name was Bonne Rarah. + +[40] Tackanova--Vanua Levu. + +[41] The “bitter-end” is that part of the cable which is abaft the +bitts when the ship rides at anchor. + +[42] Chief Santa Beeta of Bonne Rarah. + +[43] Bonne Rarah. + +[44] Mah--Mathee. + +[45] The _bure_ or temple was the council chamber and town hall of +the village. Strangers were entertained there and the head persons +of the village often slept in it. As the best constructed building +in the village it was elaborately decorated, the timbers and rafters +being wrapped with sennit in various designs of red and black. Votive +offerings such as clubs, huge rolls of sennit, whale’s teeth, strips of +masi, a model of a temple made of sennit or parts of a victim slain in +war, decorated the interior. + +[46] Sennit--a cord made of the fibre of the cocoanut husk, dried, +combed and braided. The Fijians having no nails use this for all sorts +of fastenings, lashings and wrappings in varied design. It is made in +all sizes from a single strand to a cable and is of very considerable +strength. + +[47] This statement seems to be somewhat exaggerated. One canoe has +been recorded as one hundred feet in length. Wilkes says that the +average large canoe was seventy feet in length and would conveniently +carry fifty men. + +[48] _Yaquona_ of the Fijians, _kava_ of the Tongans and _awa_ of the +Hawaiians, is an infusion of the root of the pepper plant (_Piper +methysticum_). The root is first chewed or grated, after which the +macerated mass is placed in a bowl and covered with water. The infusion +is then strained through a fibre mesh and is ready to drink. It was +used on occasions of ceremony or entertainment and its preparation +was accompanied by a more or less elaborate ritual. It is used by the +races in the Pacific who do not chew the betel nut. Its effects are +intoxicating and narcotic. + +[49] Tapa cloth, _masi_ of the Fijians, _siapo_ of the Samoans, _kapa_ +of the Hawaiians, was the substitute for cloth and paper. It was made +from the inner bark of the paper mulberry (_Broussonetia papyrifera_). +The plants were carefully cultivated and when about one inch in +diameter were cut down and soaked in water. The bark was removed and +beaten. Different pieces were joined together and beaten into one piece +so that sheets of almost any size could be made. The finished masi was +then decorated by printing or stencilling with dyes of red-brown and +black. + +[50] One of the chief forms of mourning for the dead, in addition to +wailing, was to lop off the little finger of one of the hands. Most +of the older natives lost both little fingers. This was confined to +the relatives of the deceased unless the latter was one of the highest +chiefs when it was confined to the tribe. + +[51] Brig “Niagara” of Salem, 246 tons, built at Mount Desert in 1816. +Owned by Putnam I. Farnham, Jed Fry and Peter S. Webster; commanded by +Nathaniel Brown. Wrecked in Ambau Bay the same day as the “Glide.” + +[52] Bark “Peru”, 210 tons, built at Salem in 1823. Owned by Stephen +C. Phillips; commanded by John H. Eagleston. Sold to Spanish owners at +Manila in 1832. Capt. Eagleston commanded four different vessels in the +Fiji trade, was familiar with the language and was on friendly terms +with several of the chiefs. He rendered great assistance and furnished +valuable information to Lieut. Wilkes while the U. S. Exploring +Expedition was at the Fijis. + +[53] Capt. Benjamin Vanderford of Salem made many voyages to the Fiji +Islands and was familiar with the manners, customs and language. He was +afterwards master’s mate and pilot on the U.S.S. “Vincennes” during the +Wilkes’ Exploring Expedition and died, March 23, 1842, on the passage +home. + +[54] Uvea, northeast of Fiji. Discovered by Maurelle in 1781 and again +by Wallis in 1797. + +[55] Brig “Chinchilla” of New York; commanded by Thomas Meek of +Marblehead. + +[56] Ship “Braganza” of New Bedford, 217 tons. Owned by Phillips, +Russell & Co.; commanded by Daniel Wood. Altered to a bark in 1859 and +condemned at Honolulu in 1862. + +[57] Eimeo, one of the Society Islands about 10 miles north west of +Tahiti. + +[58] This account of whaling may have been abstracted by Mr. Endicott +from some now unidentified source. + + + + +A CANNIBAL FEAST AT THE FEJEE ISLANDS + +BY AN EYE WITNESS + +(_Reprinted from “The Danvers Courier,” Aug. 16, 1845_) + + +MR. EDITOR. Finding myself in possession of a little spare time, I +feel disposed to improve it in overhauling a range or two of memory, +and agreeably to promise to commit such of it to paper as may seem of +interest, touching on incidents which occurred at the Fejee Islands +while on board the Old Ship _Glide_. + +It was on a pleasant afternoon in the month of March, 1831, our ship at +anchor off the town of Bona-ra-ra, the crew on board employed in making +senett, spun-yarn, yard mats, and other ship gear to fill up the chinks +of time, and particularly the ship’s lockers with such articles as are +sure to come in play on shipboard, when you have not time to make them. + +We were not very busy, neither were we idle; but it was just one of +those sort of days at the Fejees when all hands had been hard at work +all the forenoon, boating oil to the ship, beche-le-mer, weighing, and +stowing it away in the hold, and having once more cleared up decks, +felt released from the regular day’s duty, and indulged ourselves in +a sail privilege of telling tales, singing songs and reflecting upon +“better days gone by.” + +Our reveries and yarns were unbroken by any orders from aft except, +to strike the bell every half hour, which if it had no other purpose +reminded us that thirty minutes more had drifted astern upon the sea of +time. + +Five bells had been ordered from the quarter deck. I arose to execute +the command, when my attention was drawn to the shore by seeing a large +collection of savages on the beach, walking towards the town. Having +struck the bell, I proceeded to the side of the ship where a canoe +with five or six women had just arrived, to sell us fruit. I enquired +of them what was the matter on shore. They immediately told me that +the men had been to a fight with the Andregette tribe (who lived about +thirty miles in the mountains), were victorious and had killed and +taken three of their enemies, and were now going to have a grand Soleb, +or feast. + +I had heard David Whippy, a man who had long been a resident upon +these Islands, tell many a long tale of the manners and customs of the +natives, and especially of their cannibalism, and I had a strong desire +to see the manner in which they prepared and ate human flesh. + +While I was considering whether I would ask the liberty I wished, or +not, Capt. Archer came up and stood in the companion way. I went aft, +made known to him my request, when he replied, “I have no objection but +take care of yourself.” + +[Illustration: FIJIAN WOMEN + +Wearing “maiden locks” indicating that they are unmarried.] + +This admonition was gratefully received, yet I felt by no means +alarmed, having spent a great portion of my time on shore among the +natives, with whom I was on terms of perfect friendship and good will, +a circumstance well known to the Capt. or I should probably have +received at once from him a denial of my wish to be absent from the +ship on such an occasion. + +I went down to my chest and brought up a few beads, which I gave to +the women in the canoe, telling them I wished to be paddled ashore. +They immediately threw their fruits consisting of a few cocoanuts and +plantains, through one of the ship’s ports upon deck and considering +the beads a compensation for both fruit and passage I was soon on my +way to the shore. + +I landed upon the beach just ahead of the savages who were coming +single file to the village, entering it however by a very circuitous +route and in a manner never done except on such occasions. + +There were about sixty warriors, though a great many others were in +attendance who had joined them while nearing the village. + +The bodies of the three dead savages were carried in front, lashed +on long poles in a singular manner. They were bound with wythes by +bringing the upper and lower parts of the legs together and binding +them to the body, and the arms in a similar manner by bringing the +elbows to rest on the knees, and their hands tied upon each side of the +neck. Their backs were confined to poles which were about twelve feet +long. One was lashed on each pole, with six men, three at each end, to +carry it. + +Those who carried the bodies walked with a limping gait, bending their +left knees almost to the ground, but doing it in exact time with the +war song they were singing. + +They proceeded immediately in front of the Boo-re (a large hut to be +used only on public occasions) and threw the dead bodies from their +shoulders with the most savage triumph. Two of them were untied from +the poles while the third and smallest one, was by the order of the +King, sent to some particular friends of his belonging to a neighboring +tribe, from whom he had received similar tokens of friendship. + +This was a great day at Bona-ra-ra. A day of great rejoicing. This +tribe had not only been successful in their attack upon their enemy, +but had succeeded in securing the slain. Little credit is given to the +warrior who kills his enemies if he does not obtain their bodies; much +more is thought of the savage who kills one man and carries him home, +than of the individual who may kill a hundred and let their dead bodies +fall into the hand of the enemy. Their chief glory consists not so much +in killing, as in eating their enemies. + +I noticed that a very particular interest was taken in one of the dead +savages, and there were none present who talked louder or expressed +more vehement gestures, or savage feeling, than an old woman. This +matter I could not understand. I asked a young savage who stood near +me, what was their particular interest in that man more than the +other? He told me that some time previous this tribe had made war with +the Andre-getta people, and the son of this old woman was a young chief +in the fight and was slain; and it was believed that this individual +had killed him. Whether it was so or not, the old woman believed it +and the priest believed it, and that was enough for their purpose, for +they only wished to wreak their revenge on some savage, though it were +a dead one. I had seated myself on the large roots of a cocoanut tree +in front of the whole ceremony. After it was satisfactorily settled +that this was the savage who had killed the young chief, they proceeded +systematically to fill up the measure of their revenge. + +This old female savage went to her hut and brought all the property of +her late son; such as sleeping mats, tappa, i-fow carlic, angona-dish, +and some other little furniture which make up the necessaries of a +chief’s dwelling. The angona bowl was placed near the head of the +dead savage; a bamboo of water was brought and laid by his side, when +several young men after well rinsing their mouths, were employed in +chewing and preparing a bowl of angona. After the drink was made ready +this old savage after a short speech from the priest, who had continued +to make low gutteral sounds and shake himself through the whole +ceremony, took her small dish full of the liquor and presenting it to +the lips of the dead savage bade him drink. No sooner was this done +than a general yell ran through the tribe--“Amba cula boy thu-ie,” +he is a stinking dead man. She then dashed the liquor in his face and +broke the dish in pieces upon it. She then took up her bamboo of water, +and removing the tuft of grass from the end placed it also to the mouth +of the dead man and again bade him drink. A repetition of the same +ceremony was gone through with, when she poured all the water upon his +face and then broke the bamboo in pieces upon his head, and told the +men to take it to cut him up with. Bamboo, split to a sharp edge was +called by them isulic (a term applied to knife), which instrument alone +they allowed themselves to use in cutting to pieces a dead body. + +The old woman had now gone her way knowing that her orders would be +executed, and well aware of the strict prohibition against her, or any +of her sex either to assist in preparing, or eating human flesh. + +The head of the savage on whom this ceremony commenced was first cut +off and laid aside, then the furniture that was brought by the old +woman was broken up and placed around it; and fire set to it so that +the whole was entirely consumed about the head, and rendered thereby in +a fit state for cleansing; the hair being burnt off and the flesh so +singed that it was scraped perfectly white. + +As soon as this affair was ended a dance commenced as is customary on +all such occasions. All the warriors who were engaged in the fight, and +some aged men who staid at home, had now prepared themselves for this +savage expression of joy. The Fejeeians wear but little clothing on +ordinary occasions and on this they were in a state of complete nudity. +They were painted in a most frightful manner, as great a diversity of +painting, or marking was observed by them as could be devised, each +one attempting to outdo the other in the most loathsome obscenity and +savage appearance. They use but three kinds of paint upon their bodies +which are black, red, and yellow. The black is made from a small nut +which grows upon the ground, it is burnt to a coal and pounded up +between flat stones, and prepared by mixing it with cocoanut oil. The +red and yellow paint used by them is a mineral similar to our ochre, +if not precisely the same in substance. The yellow is held by them in +high estimation. It is mixed with cocoanut oil, scented with sandalwood +and fragrant herbs, and is the first dressing received by the new born +infant. It is called by them re-ringer. + +There were about one hundred dancers who came upon the ground at one +and the same time with terrific yells. Their dance was made up of the +most violent and distended motion of the limbs, often prostrating +themselves on the ground upon their backs, and springing again +instantly to their places, without however for a moment ceasing to +chant their war song in a very low but distinct manner. Their only +instrumental music on this occasion was that of two savages beating +upon the end of a hollow log four or six feet in length, which is +always heard on such occasions, and also as an alarm for war. + +Within the ring of dancers had the old woman’s command been promptly +executed. + +They commenced in their usual systematic way of cutting up a dead body. +The heads of both savages being now taken off, they next cut off the +right hand and the left foot, right elbow and left knee, and so in like +manner until all the limbs separated from the body. + +An oblong piece was then taken from the body commencing at the bottom +of the chest and passing downwards about eight inches, and three or +four inches wide at its broadest part. This was carefully laid aside +for the King, it being strictly prohibited for anyone else to eat of it. + +The entrails and vitals were then taken out and cleansed for cooking. +But I shall not here particularize. The scene is too revolting. The +flesh was then cut through the ribs to the spine of the back which was +broken, thus the body was separated into two pieces. This was truly +a sickening sight. I saw after they had cut through the ribs of the +stoutest man, a savage jump upon the back, one end of which rested upon +the ground, and the other was held in the hands and rested upon the +knees of another savage, three times before he succeeded in breaking it. + +This ended the dissection of the bodies. + +While this was going on, the lobu or oven was prepared which was made +as follows. An excavation is made in the earth of a concave form about +six feet in diameter and a foot and a half deep in the centre, and +smoothly lined with small stones. A large fire is then made in it, +with small stones placed among the burning fuel for the purpose of +heating them, and as the bodies are cut to pieces they are thrown upon +the fire, which after being thoroughly singed are scraped while hot by +savages, who sit around the fire for this purpose. The skin by this +process is made perfectly white, this being the manner in which they +dress their hogs, and other animal food. + +To show their excessive greediness for human flesh, and their savage +thirst for blood, I need only to relate a particular circumstance which +took place at the time. The head of the savage which was last taken +off, was thrown towards the fire, and being thrown some distance it +rolled a few feet from the men who were employed around it; when it was +stolen by one of the savages who carried it behind the tree where I was +sitting. He took the head in his lap and after combing away the hair +from the top of it with his fingers picked out the pieces of the scull +which was broken by the war club and commenced eating the brains. This +was too much for me. I moved my position, the thief was discovered and +was as soon compelled to give up his booty, it being considered by the +others he had got by far too great a share. + +The process of cleansing and preparing this flesh, occupied about two +hours. There was no part of these bodies which I did not see cleansed +and put in the oven. + +The stones which had been placed upon the fire, were now removed, the +oven cleaned out, the flesh carefully and very neatly wrapped in fresh +plantain leaves, and placed in it. The hot stones were also wrapped +in leaves and placed among the flesh, and after it was all deposited +in the oven, it was covered up two or three inches with the same kind +of leaves, and the whole covered up with earth of sufficient depth to +retain the heat. + +It was now about sunset; the oven was completely covered, and a new +dance commenced around it, which continued for some time. I ascertained +by the natives, that it would be past midnight before they would open +their oven, and being desirous of seeing the end of this affair, and +recollecting that I had no anchor watch to stand that night, I resolved +to go to the beche-le-mer house which was on the opposite side of the +village, and spend part of the night, caring only to get on board the +ship the next morning in season to turn to with all hands, in washing +the decks. I therefore proceeded on my way across the village, when +I met with Sina-beatee, a chief with whom I was well acquainted, who +asked me to go with him to his hut, and take something to eat. I +followed my host to his cabin, and made a good supper, after which I +left him and renewed my way across the village to the ship’s house. + +I found the men curing the fish as usual. Everything looked perfectly +familiar to me. Some were scolding the natives for their laziness +and not bringing the fish to the pots, as they wanted them; others +were dodging the smoke and steam from the pots, with an occasional +oath, and trying to get a snuff of pure air; while the men to the +windward pots, though free from the other annoyances, were compelled +to take a double share of mosquitoes, which was a fair offset to the +grievances of the others. These, with a few of Job’s comforts; dreadful +sores occasioned by frequently burning a poison wood called by the +natives--see-nu, make up some of the rare pleasures of the shore’s crew +on a beche-le-mer voyage. + +As the men on shore are obliged to stand watch and watch, I turned in +to the berth of one of my shipmates who had the first watch at the +pots, and slept as sound and as well, perhaps, as anyone else would +have done in a savage land with a host of savage mosquitoes singing +about his ears. + +I turned out about midnight, sauntered about the beche-le-mer house +until nearly daylight, and then made my way back again to the Boo-re. + +I soon found on nearing the house, by seeing the torches about the +oven, and also by the scent of their cooked flesh, that their feast had +begun; and on my arrival I found they were nearly done. It was soon +reported to the chiefs that a white man was at the door, and after +some enquiry I was invited to the feast. Being well acquainted with +the King, as well as Sina-beatee with whom I had supped the evening +previous, I felt somewhat at home and took a seat beside the last named +personage. It was not yet daylight and there was no light in the house +except a small fire kept burning at each of the three doors to keep +out the mosquitoes, which served for little or no other purpose. I had +been seated but a moment or two when I heard the Chief Sina-beatee (who +was kept on board the ship as a hostage for the men on shore who were +getting a cargo for the ship, but who had been released by the Captain +on this occasion the evening previous), say to the King “Had we not +better give the white man something to eat?” “Yes,” said the King, +“you can send and get him some yam, for he will not eat our meat.” +Sina-beatee replied, “I know he will not, but I consider the meat by +far the best and as a token of good will, having received presents +from him, I wish to present him some.” The King after a mute silence +of a moment, told one of his ki-sees or slaves to give the white chief +(allowing me that title in consideration of the respect shown me by +Sina-beatee) the best piece which was left, it being nearly all eaten +up. He went to the centre of the Boo-re where lay some unbroken bunches +of meat, the savages being placed generally on the sides of the room, +and selected a piece, telling the King what it was before removing it. +The King said it was “slave’s meat,” which he regretted, saying to +Sina-beatee, he wished it was a better piece and ordered the slave to +give it me. It was accordingly brought carefully wrapped in a plantain +leaf as it had been placed in the oven. I unwrapped it and found it to +be a part of a foot taken off at the ankle and at the joints of the +toes. I made an excuse for not eating it, by saying that it had been +kept too long after it was killed, before it was cooked, it being +about thirty-six hours. The King replied, it was not half so long as +you white men keep your bullum-a-cow! meaning salt beef, a name derived +from bull and cow, by American seamen. Salted meat was considered by +them the most unhealthy and loathsome food that could be eaten, and was +the means of creating a strong prejudice against the whites for their +eating it. I had no desire to discuss the question of diet with this +old savage and cannibal, knowing that I could not convince him of the +base impropriety of eating human flesh, and well aware that he could +not prevail upon me to exchange the cured flesh of a well stalled ox +for the jackall food of his murdered victims. + +[Illustration: TOOTH OF A FIJIAN CANNIBAL + +Presented to The Essex Institute in 1851 by Capt. John H. Eagleston who +stated that it was “A tooth from Na Massa Ngaloa, the greatest cannibal +that ever lived, head chief of Rewa, Fiji Islands. Twenty years since +conquered most of the islands in the archipelago; since died aged about +sixty years. Eleven years ago became Christian--baptised Ratu Mill.” +Now in the Peabody Museum of Salem.] + +[Illustration: MODEL OF A BURE OR FIJIAN TEMPLE + +Such models were presented to the temples as offerings. Given to the +East India Marine Society of Salem, by Capt. Joseph Winn, Jr., in 1835. +Now in the Peabody Museum of Salem.] + +[Illustration: OBJECTS FROM FIJI ISLANDS + + 1. Comb with top of human bone; collected by John Crandall in 1860. + + 2. Bracelet of shark’s teeth; collected by Capt. Joshua Kinsman in + 1831. + + 3. Bracelet of roots made by the mountaineers; collected by Capt. + Joshua Kinsman in 1831. + + 4. Bracelet of human teeth; collected by James B. Williams, U. S. + Consul at Fiji, in 1845. + + 5. Mat needle made of human bone; collected by Capt. Joshua Kinsman + in 1831. + +Now in the Peabody Museum of Salem.] + +As the light of day shown into the hut, it revealed a sight seldom +witnessed by civilized man. Around the hut sat sixty or seventy +cannibals, more frightful than ever if possible; their paint being +rubbed together in many instances, gave their bodies such an appearance +as for a moment to lead one to doubt that they were human beings. +Before one savage, would lay a human head, save that part which could +be released from it, the lower jaw; which would be in possession of +another. The bones of these bodies were well distributed among them, +showing conclusively that none had failed to get their share. I had +understood by them that the oven was opened about midnight, and that +they had now done their feast; what was left was to be given to the +boys; the women, as I have before stated, were not allowed to taste of +it though they frequently got it by stealth, as some of them did on +this occasion after the bones and broken meat was given to the boys. My +attention was directed to an old Tonga ta boo savage, whom I had seen, +however, frequently before, who was a Ma-ti or mechanic among them, +whose particular business it was to manufacture sail needles from the +shin bones of their cannibal victims. The sails to their canoes, being +made in a triangular form, of thick mats sewed together with sennet, +renders it necessary to have long and crooked needles, and perhaps +there is nothing among them from which this article could be so well +manufactured as from the shin bone of a man. This old savage sat near +the King, with four shin bones between his own, and feeling himself +entitled by his peculiar occupation to those parts of the victim, never +failed to have his share of the spoils. I had heard through my whole +stay at this place that he was the most notorious cannibal in the +tribe; and his whole appearance conformed well with his acknowledged +character. He was of a large and muscular frame, raw boned, his skin +brawny and dry, and with no nose upon his face; he having lost this +prominent feature some years previous, for the indulgence of a crime +among the wives of a neighboring chief. His nose was bitten off. I knew +of but one crime among these islanders, which a man or woman could +commit, the penalty of which was the loss of this member. + +Many of the savages now begun to leave the Boo-re, and among the rest +was Sina-beatee who stated to me that he should go on board the ship +in the boats which came on shore for the beche-le-mer. I rose to go, +but wishing to carry with me some relic as a remembrance of the scene +I had witnessed, I engaged the old Tonga savage to make a pair of sail +needles, one from the limb of each of the devoured victims, promising +him a good compensation for them. He gave them to me in two or three +days after, neatly wrought, which I placed among my curiosities, which +within one month from that time were all together with the ill-fated +ship. + +About sunrise, I went to the beche-le-mer house, and finding myself too +late to get on board to assist in washing decks, I set myself to work +collecting the beche-le-mer on the batters, in readiness to be put into +bags when the boats came off, thereby offsetting my duty on board by +doing what I knew would be required of my boatmates on their arrival on +shore. + +The boats arrived at their usual time, and after taking on board as +much of the beche-le-mer as was ready for storage on board the ship, we +went on board accompanied by Sina-beatee and his wife Tu-cun-na, who +spent much of her time with the chief on board of the ship. + +I am about to the end of my yarn, yet I might lengthen it by knotting +on other strands, but my timepiece reminds me that it is past midnight; +so I shall take the liberty to belay this and turn in. + + Yours, etc., + WILLIAM ENDICOTT + + + + +A FEW WORDS OF THE LANGUAGE OF THE FEGEE ISLANDS + + +The natives always add the word _Sah_, to all words excepting +substantives. + + _Fegee_ _English_ + + Andree´ Beche-le-mer + A-tap´-pah What + Ing-go´ That or those + Lah´-go Go away + Oh-mi´ Come here + Mi Here + Si-an´-drah How do you do + Fah-ing-go´ This fashion, or this way + Papa lang´-ee General name for civilized people + Fah-a-Be´tee Like a Fegee man + Fah-a-papa-lang´-ee Like a civilized man + La´bo Large + Li-Li Small + Ba-na´-kak Good + Dah Bad + Un-dee´-nah True + Las´-so False + Bon-ee´-tah Handsome + Seeng-ah´ No + Ee´-o Yes + Neen´-ee Angry + Tom´-a-Tah Man + La´-vah Women + E-val´-ee Musket or a bow + Anti-ky´ House + Nung-a-Sow´ Bullets or arrows + Ma-Loon´ Club + A-noo´-koo Sand or powder + A-bat´-to Stones + Am-boo´-kah Fire + Nah-cow´ Wood + Fa-nu´-ah Land--the shore + Dry-and-dry´ Lengthy + Lakah-Lakah´ Short + Boo´-lah Strong or brave + Ra´-Rah Frightened + An-Drew´ Blood + Am-Boo´ter Cooked + An-Dro´kah Raw + Wank´-ah Ship, canoe + Bel´lo-Bel´lo Boat + Pie´-o Oar, paddle + Thoo´-lar Pole + Ee-lah´-ther Sail + Ra´-Vah Hoist + Wye´-Dewee Salt water + Wye-Ee-No Water to drink + Cun´-a-Cun´ Eat + Ee-No Drink + Mun´dry Bread + Poark´-ah Hogs + Oo´-fee Yams + A-boon´-tee Plantains + A-oo´-to Bread, fruit + Ee´-kah Fish + Mah-Seem´-ah Salt + Ah-nee´-ew Cocoanuts + Too-rong´-ah Chief + Ky-See Common man + Mar-Ty´ Carpenter + Toon-en-Dye´ Helmsman + Ky-Fa-nu´-ah Landsman + Ky-Wye´ Sailor + Tah´-nee Stranger + Bul´lee-Bul´lee Trade, barter + Par´-lee-Co Chizzel + Mo´ro-Mo´ro Beads + Tambour´ Whale’s tooth + I-sail-ee Knife, sword + So´-Ber Tub or hogshead + Ca´-To Box + A-rom´-bo Bag + Gu´tee-Gu´tee Basket + Du´-nah One--1 + A-roo´-ah Two--2 + To´lo Three--3 + Vah Four--4 + Lee´-mah Five--5 + Ono Six--6 + Ve´-to Seven--7 + Wah´-loo Eight--8 + Thee´-wah Nine--9 + Tee´-nee Ten--10 + Car´-loo Great Spirit + Em-Bet´ta Priest + See´ng-ah Sun + Boo´-lah Moon + Tung´-ee Wind + Oo´-ther Rain + Dumb´-an-Dumb´ Red colour + Cur-ra-la-row´er Green colour + Lo´-ah-Lo´-ah Black or blue colour + I-bo´-Lah White or yellow colour + Sam-ber´-rah By and by + Sah-Vet´her How many + Sah-Ee´-Bee Where is it + Gwe´go Yourself + Gwo´ Myself + Cot´he-Thung´-ee What is your name? + Bullee-Atap´-pah What will you trade for? + Ky-Bee-Tee Fegee man + Ky-America American + Ky-Bullee-Tan´ee Englishman + Ky-Tonga Tongee man + +The Fegee people are named after the principal things they are +acquainted with, as their weapons, the elements, vegetables, etc. + + + _Wallis Island_ _English_ + + Tanga´-tah Man + Fee-fee´-na Women + A-lee´-kee Chief + A-Too´-ah Priest and the Great Spirit + Lil-La´ Good + Cov´-ee Bad + Li´-Hee Large + See-See Small + A-Ty´-hee One--1 + A roo´-ah Two--2 + Tolo Three--3 + Vah Four--4 + Lee´-mah Five--5 + Ono´ Six--6 + Vee´-to Seven--7 + Wah´-loo Eight--8 + Thee´-wah Nine--9 + Ung´ a boo´-ro Ten--10 + + + + +OFFICERS AND CREW OF SHIP _GLIDE_ ON HER 14TH VOYAGE + + + _Place of_ _Place of_ + _Rank_ _Names_ _Birth_ _Residence_ _Height_ _Age_ + Master Henry Archer, Jr. + 1st Mate Benjamin Balch, Jr. Salem Salem 5′ 5½″ 24 + 2nd Mate Samuel Burnham Salem Salem 5′ 9½″ 24 + 3rd Mate William Endicott Danvers Danvers 5′ 3½″ 20 + Armourer Thomas Crowell Salem Salem 5′ 8″ 28 + Carpenter Aaron Marden Tuftonboro Salem 5′ 6″ 27 + Seaman Joseph Noble, Jr. Salem Salem 5′ 5″ 21 + Seaman Henry W. Ramsdell Salem Salem 5′ 5″ 22 + Seaman Andrew Reed Gothenburg Salem 5′ 6½″ 18 + Seaman Antone Johnson Genoa Salem 5′ 2″ 45 + Seaman Preston Crafts Manchester Manchester + Seaman Joseph H. Morse Manchester Manchester + Seaman Joshua B. Derby Salem Salem 5′ 5½″ 16 + Seaman Edmund Knight Salem Salem 5′ 4¾″ 16 + Seaman Joseph Joplin Salem Salem 5′ 6″ 18 + Seaman William Warner Salem Salem 5′ 1½″ 15 + Seaman Seth Richardson Salem Salem 5′ 3″ 18 + Seaman Leonard Poole Danvers Danvers 5′ 7¾″ 22 + Seaman Henry Fowler Danvers Danvers 5′ 7½″ 19 + Seaman James Oliver Salem Salem + Cook Henry Shaw Boston Salem 5′ 2½″ 42 + Steward Joseph Francis Salem Salem 5′ 9½″ 21 + + + + +PUBLICATIONS OF THE MARINE RESEARCH SOCIETY SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS + + + I. THE SAILING SHIPS OF NEW ENGLAND, 1607-1907, BY JOHN ROBINSON AND + GEORGE FRANCIS DOW. Large 8vo. (7 × 10), 320 illustrations, 430 + pages, blue buckram binding. + _Sixty copies were printed on large paper._ + + II. THE PIRATES OF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST, 1630-1730, BY GEORGE FRANCIS + DOW AND JOHN HENRY EDMONDS, WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY CAPT. ERNEST + H. PENTECOST, R. N. R. Large 8vo. (7 × 10), 47 illustrations, 416 + pages, red buckram binding. + _Eighty-five copies were printed on large paper._ + + III. WRECKED AMONG CANNIBALS IN THE FIJIS, BY WILLIAM ENDICOTT, + WITH NOTES BY LAWRENCE WATERS JENKINS. 8vo. (6¼ × 9½), 13 + illustrations, 76 pages, Fabriano paper boards, linen back. + + + + +Transcriber’s Notes + + + • Italic text represented with _underscores_. + + • Small capitals converted to ALL CAPS. + + • Obvious typographic errors silently corrected. + + • Variations in hyphenation and spelling kept as in the original. Many + such variations occur between the spelling in the author’s text and + the footnotes written by the editor. + + • Illustrations relocated to the nearest convenient paragraph break. + + • Footnotes renumbered consecutively and moved to the end of their + respective chapters. + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 76873 *** |